The Desert Falcon

Chapter 2, Fruitful Encounters

Saeed's property was vast. While his main estate was a sight to behold in it's splendor, I was primarily employed in the stables just off of his main estate. As ever the astute financier and one of the many highly-ranked and revered political chief advisors to the Sultan, business of his lands and horses were conducted off the main estate. 

The weather was unbearably hot. Even in all of my garb, consisting of loose, linen, draw-string pants and a long, shapeless tunic and loose head covering, I still struggled to keep away from the radiating heat of the sun's rays. It was unusual wear for a woman, but for the purposes of work within the stables, it achieved its purpose. I was allowed to work in the garb that I wore with the exception that I kept out of view of visiting dignitaries and those unfamiliar with the staff here. Emir Saeed wished to avoid questions about a woman within his employ that was not structured in his domestic domain and that suited me just fine.  I did not desire further scrutiny over my peculiar choice of employment. I feared I would be forced to leave and out of employment should one befall the sight of me and question Emir Saeed's practices.  Thus, my work was performed discreetly, which certainly had its advantages and disadvantages. 

The horses were out in the training fields—some being broken in and others being groomed. Emir Saeed had some of the most expensive and lusted-after breeds of horseflesh on this continent and it was not uncommon to see many wealthy merchants, even royalty, inquire about purchasing a mare from him or breeding with his horses. Some were kept for the sole purpose of horse racing and others for military operations, of which he certainly amassed exorbitant coin when sold to the Kingdom's military ministry.  I was intimately familiar with these negotiations since I assisted his financial advisor with his books and drew up the contracts for their pricing. 

In some ways, I was quite fortunate, for it was quick work to learn how he had become so successful, the measures he took to get there, and the nuances of negotiating with men who were only interested in how the lucrative business deals would benefit them.  While I was not always privy to their conversations, my literacy and my knowledge of arithmetic was enough to dissect a pattern that played in Emir Saeed's favor when organizing his finances.   Following the arithmetic revealed more of his shrewdness than I had expected.  My ability to read allowed me to understand the contracts drafted for the more successful deals struck.  There were very few who worked in his stables that were educated and more so, literate.

His most desired breeds were those of the Arabian black horse breed. From afar, they looked powerful and menacing and they contained a hearty constitution that allowed them to weather any undesirable condition. They required quite a bit of maintenance, but they were unfailingly loyal when properly trained.

I sent a missive to Saeed, requesting an audience when he had a moment of time, something I was not in the habit of doing and thus grew nervous over how it would be received.  I knew he was to be occupied with Sheikh Rashid and would not be back until the late afternoon. I continued to work diligently throughout the remainder of the day. I was summoned once to his accountant to sum a few calculations, but it merely took me less than an hour to complete his books, before I was sent back to the stables.

While some of the stable hands found it odd that a woman was working in a supervisory role, they overcame their prejudices quickly. They found my sex to be an advantage when dealing with some of the horses, for some did not like men.  Some preferred a gentler touch of a woman, especially those who had been abused prior by men.

Emir Saeed forbade any man to engage in inappropriate conduct with me. I was not allowed to be taken liberties with even though I was working in the stables. Saeed understood that for me to work optimally, I needed an environment for which I was safe to conduct my affairs. Even the accountant, older than even my own father, saw to it that I was given the appropriate space and respect due. I was fortunate enough to have the kind of protector Emir Saeed was, for in any other household, free liberties were surely taken with female attendants and servants. Emir Saeed had a wife, two daughters and a son. He conducted his affairs honorably, but I understood that he, himself, kept a harem in the main estate, farthest from the side of his apartments with his first wife.