Empire of Dreams

۱۷

I was still contemplating over the sting of being used by the Caliph and now the universe had given me another blow.

Ali nodded at his father, his face still in a hard mask. Mehmet gave my husband a dangerous look, his eyes sharp and watchful.

I felt a bead of fear trickle down my back.

"Now, we mustn't bore the ladies, follow me to my study, we have to discuss a few particulars."

And just like that, were dismissed. Zaynab and Amina both nodded and moved towards the exit, while I stood there frozen. Baba gave me a warm smile, his gaze was reassuring.

Ali was going to leave. With Mehmet. At a time when everything was uncertain. Baba gave me a gentle nudge and I followed the ladies, gathering my bruised ego.

After Ayesha and Haleema's departure that night, I paced. There was something incredibly wrong about this decision. I could feel it. I couldn't decide who I was more worried about, Ali or Mehmet.

Ali was an incredibly skilled warrior. I'd seen it with my eyes. His skill was probably unmatched by anyone alive. Mehmet, well, he was cunning. I knew his mind was filled with plans and the alternatives to those plans. Ali was extremely smart but very emotional. If Mehmet goaded or provoked him, as he'd done today, Ali wouldn't hesitate to slice his head off.

The sky darkened to blue-black, and the brightest stars began to flicker. Finally, the door opened and I watched Ali and Hamza enter the room, their voices low. I swiped at a few of the wild strands of hair sticking to my face, trying to listen in to their conversation.

Ali moved around the room, handing his things to Hamza, gathering his papers, and giving him a few orders. I walked over to my vanity and dropped the hairbrush with a loud clang.

A beat later I heard the door open and then close. I sat on one of the cushions, twirling the hairbrush in my hands, waiting.

Ali entered the room, his eyes filled with amusement.

"I thought you'd be asleep."

"No, wide awake," I answered. His lips twitched slightly.

"I leave in the morning,"

"This morning?" He nodded. "But..."

"The Caliph has ordered it." The Caliph, not Baba. The shift in his posture, the title, the hardening of his features...

"Did you know about this? Did you know beforehand?"

"Does it matter?" I stayed silent. "No, I did not."

"Oh."

"It's not a dangerous mission." He came closer and sat in front of me.

"How long?"

"Will you miss me?" my eyes narrowed and he smiled. "Three days, four maximum." Four days of worrying. Four days of wondering. He frowned at the worry on my face. "It's a small task. I've dealt with much bigger problems."

I turned my head away. "It's a show of power, like tonight"

Ali swallowed, obviously picking up on my discomfort. "Tonight was an anomaly."

"An anomaly that might be repeated? That might get me killed?"

"No," He paused. "And I will never let that happen." He said in a maddeningly matter-of-fact tone.

"I hope that it doesn't." My breathing hitched and I lowered my eyes, trying to speak past the lump in my throat. "I don't want to be played or used. All I ever wanted was to be normal, to have a normal life with yo..." I trailed off, blushing. Ali took in a deep breath, slipping his strong, calloused hand into mine.