Un Souvenir d'Événements

The Midnight Revelations of 1847

I left Nadir's house in a foul mood, however, my anger was directed at anyone but him.

I had entered his house a little after midday, and by the time I left, the moon was already halfway trough its journey across the black expanse above me.

I had hoped to have a pleasant conversation with my old friend, after I saw his tired eyes staring into the torture chamber the previous week, I knew something was deeply wrong, something that was beyond the walls of the chamber.

I knew how he cared for his family, I knew what they meant to him, and in my relatively short life, I'd experienced enough loss to know how he would feel if anything befell them. This man had already gone above and beyond for my sorry skin, he felt enough guilt for me and acted in the place of a caring brother, yet I had taken his generosity for granted. No more. It was about time I began to repay my dues to him.

I walked aimlessly that night, meandering the shores of the Caspian Sea and listening to the song of the nightingales as they flew above me in their numbers.

Eventually I came to a stop and sat upon the sands, pushing my fingers into the cold, soft sand beneath me and letting it slip through them as I gazed out to sea, pondering my short life and that of Nadir's.

He deserved none of this. The stress, the never ending demands. When was the last time the man had slept peacefully, let alone at all? He was on the brink of losing everything he'd worked for, and it was destroying him.

I knew that the Shah didn't care for anyone. Despite the fact that the town was his main source of income as he collected taxes from them and had his food fresh from the harbour and market each and every day, he wanted the space to expand upon his already gargantuan palace.

I had designed it as a thing of illustrious beauty, using only the finest materials. It needed no more, no expansion into the town, nothing. It held enough beauty, any more and it would be over done.

In fact, it was more than a thing of beauty, it was a feat of wondrous design. Under the suns glaring rays, it would remain cool for those within, and when the temperature plummeted at night, that heat that had been conducted would remain in the interior to keep them warm. It was as beautiful as it was practical, but I doubted he appreciated that.

He was like a child, one who didn't comprehend the responsibility he held as a ruler, the effect he held over the economy of Mazanderan and his portion of Persia. All he wanted was to be entertained and surrounded with luxury, luxury that shielded him from the harsh realities of the world that sat at his doorstep. He wanted to be rid of this visual reminder that sat within his view, so to do this, he planned to destroy it all and wipe it out of existence, not caring what damage he would do.

That night, I resolved to change his mind, through whatever means possible.

Nadir may have felt that the Shah held me by strings, but it was an illusion. To gain his trust, you had to be subservient to him. True, I could be outspoken, more so than others, but I would remain loyal, doing what he wanted to learn more about him so that I might uncover his weaknesses and hidden desires. It was all too easy.

Therein lied the problem; by acting subservient, I'd placed myself in a position of very little power. I could easily manipulate the man, but I doubted I would be able to sway his mind that easily. Threaten him and there would be consequences that I wasn't prepared to face, namely Nadir being hurt further because of me. The man had suffered enough.

I sat, gazing at the reflection of the moon as it shimmered against the rolling mass of the ocean and took in the salty scent that was blown across the waves. I could smell, and hear, but I could not feel. Knowing I was alone, I removed my mask and tilted my head back a little, feeling the soft spray against my skin and the bracing breeze as it wove it's icy fingers through my hair and played with it. It was moments like these that, to anyone else, meant nothing; they were a given right after all, what person shouldn't be able to turn their face to the ocean and feel the wind against their cheeks?