I am off to spend money I should not ^_~
Nov. 18th, 2007 11:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrhere's a bit more Fahima, that I managed to write this morning. go me!
*~*~*
She woke because Gulzar moved, and saw the glint of metal in the firelight even as her maid let out a startled yelp when she was thrown to the floor.
Fahima sat up, prepared to pull a dagger herself – then firelight bathed the back of their attacker.
Only one man in the kingdom had a back so boldly marked.
"Cease," she said sharply to both of them, for Gulzar had hardly ceased to struggle. "You are Beynum."
"Yes," Beynum replied. "Tell your minx I mean no harm."
Fahima threw back the blankets and went to her maid, holding Gulzar close. "Perhaps, Lord Beynum, you should not sneak into rooms where you aught not be."
Beynum laughed. "I assure you, I would rather be in my own bed at this moment."
"Why are you here?" Fahima asked, letting a calmed Gulzar go to fetch her robe, pulling it on and cinching it closed, then pinning up her long hair. Feeling a bit more presentable, she returned to the fire.
"My King sensed you had something more to say than that which you did when extending your sister's apologies."
Fahima drew a sharp breath. "Yes."
"Then come and speak your peace, where no unwelcome eyes or ears will impede," Beynum said.
"I do not trust this," Gulzar replied. "He is too sneaky."
Beynum merely looked at her, face implacable in the wavering light of the fire. "I would never harm my King," he said quietly. "Come, if you wish to have your say."
Fahima nodded. "Wait one moment for me to change." She kissed Gulzar briefly on the lips to reassure her all was well, then vanished into her dressing room. She panicked briefly over what to wear – what was appropriate for a clandestine meeting that would likely end in her family being executed? – before rolling her eyes and deciding on a simple morning wrap, dark brown and only minimally adorned in blue, green, and yellow. Tidying her hair up, she slipped on a pair of soft slippers and took a deep breath.
She wondered if her morning wrap was doomed to become an unpleasant pun. Grimacing at herself, she strode back out into the bedchamber.
Gulzar remained by the fire, dagger still out, glaring at Beynum – but she dropped the dagger as Fahima drew close, and embraced her tightly. "Will you come back, my Lady?" she asked softly.
Fahima kissed her, fighting nervous tears that would only weaken her position. "I will do my best, darling." One last kiss, then she turned and strode to Beynum.
Beynum grinned and lifted a strip of cloth, and before Fahima could protest her eyes were bound. Then her hand was taken in a grip surprisingly rough – calluses on a man she would not have expected to have them.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.
"Secrecy," Beynum said. "None may know these passages but his Majesty and those of us who protect him. Now be silent, lest someone hear you."
Heart in her throat, Fahima allowed herself to be led along, smelling damp and dust, smoke from torches – then suddenly the chill gave way to warmth, and the blindfold about her eyes vanished.
Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Shahjahan sitting at a low table – dressed casually in dark cream robes, the high collar of it fastened only halfway. He sipped a cup of tea. "Lady Fahima," he said. "Please, do sit. I hope Beynum did not give you too much of a fight."
To his right Nandakumar snorted softly, glaring at Beynum.
Beynum merely laughed. "I think her maid was the one to give me a fright," he said cheerfully, sitting on Shah's left. "Interesting maid, to sleep with a dagger beneath her pillow."
Fahima sat at the place indicated, across from Shahjahan. "Gulzar spent many years on the streets before she was taken in by a woman who raised her more properly. Old habits are hard to break, and she holds me as dearly as I hold her."
Let them think what they wanted, that she would 'dally' with her maid – Gulzar was always there for her, and would be until the end.
Shahjahan merely smiled and offered her a cup of tea, which Fahima refused.
"Now, Lady Fahima, what is it you so badly wanted to tell me earlier this evening? Unless I have called you here for some misunderstanding."
Fahima shook her head. "No, Majesty. There is something I must tell you, though…" She shook her head again, and stared at her hands, hating the cowardice but dreading more the look she would see in his face. "My sister is with child, Majesty."
Silence fell, heavy and thick and cold. She heard someone start to speak, but the words were cut off before they could truly form.
"I see," Shahjahan said, and the coldness in his voice cut like a knife. "Your family has been attempting to make a fool of my family, of Tavamara. Why do you tell me this?"
"My family is scared," Fahima said, slowly looking up, and the awful closed look to his face was all that she had dreaded. "My sister told my parents of her stupidity too late, and now they know not what to do."
Shahjahan watched her. "So why are you here? I sense you do not do this at the bidding of your parents."
"No, Majesty," Fahima said quietly. "My parents do not know I know – my sister told me herself, only a few days ago. I have been trying to speak with you ever sense. In her way, my sister is trying to right things – she knew I would tell you where my parents cannot."
"It is certainly a fine mess you have brought to me," Shahjahan said coolly, and Fahima barely kept from flinching. "You have brought me the problem; did you bring a solution as well?"
Fahima frowned. "Majesty, it was all I could do to convey to you we must speak. That was enough of a problem, I cannot solve everything."
"Your family is responsible for this," Shahjahan replied. "If they had but called matters off before they progressed this far, it would have been troublesome but not difficulty it has now become. All firmly believe that in a week's time I will announce that yes, I will take your sister to wife – all other potential brides and negotiations have been called off. A promising candidate from a foreign nation was turned away and to return to it now would be humiliating in the slightest.
"I know, Majesty," Fahima said, and indeed she did. "Yet the penalty for such a thing is execution – to execute my family for treating the royal throne so would solve the matter entirely. No one can blame the King for actions of fools, and executing us will banish the worst of any humiliation."
Shahjahan brows went up. "You speak so casually of the execution of your family."
"The law is the law, Majesty," Fahima replied. "No one is exempt from it."
"It seems to me," Nandakumar said suddenly, "that the easiest solution is merely to exchange one sister for another." He cast a pensive look upon her, then slid it to Shahjahan. "No one would be surprised in the least if instead of the older sister, the King found himself enamored of the younger. You have already caused two scandals with the men taken into your harem, Majesty, I think the council half expects you to cause some sort of ruckus with your marriage."
Shahjahan smiled briefly. "I'm certain they have placed bets on what manner of headache I will cause them with it, as so far I have been quite obedient. You are right, Nanda, as always. It is the best solution."
Fahima kept her expression calm, but only barely. Had she heard correctly? Surely not. She was not fit to be Queen – she had been planning to become a priestess!
"What say you, Lady Fahima?"
"What am I supposed to say, Majesty? No?" Fahima stood up, fed up with the entire affair. "This entire time, I have had no choice in anything, and I see no choice now. So be it, I will be my sister's substitute. To spare my family and to serve my King and Tavamara."
The silence was both gratifying and infuriating.
"Allow me to escort you back—"
"I do not need your help," Fahima snapped, angry and miserable and it was only made worse because she could not quite say why she felt so – or maybe she did not want to say. "Three rights, two lefts, and I will be back in my own rooms. I bid you all good night, and thank my King for his unexpected mercy." She threw back the tapestry that hid the door to the secret passage, and vanished into the dark hallways beyond.
Any other time the knowledge that such secret passages existed would have fascinated and enthralled her – but now she could only focus on angrily scrubbing away her tears.
An exchange. A substitute. That's all she was. Merely the next best thing, for which Shahjahan must settle. Not best for Tavamara, not what anyone really wanted – she was merely what they must endure.
Leaving the secret passage, Fahima threw herself into Gulzar's waiting arms and cried until she at last fell asleep.
*~*~*
She woke because Gulzar moved, and saw the glint of metal in the firelight even as her maid let out a startled yelp when she was thrown to the floor.
Fahima sat up, prepared to pull a dagger herself – then firelight bathed the back of their attacker.
Only one man in the kingdom had a back so boldly marked.
"Cease," she said sharply to both of them, for Gulzar had hardly ceased to struggle. "You are Beynum."
"Yes," Beynum replied. "Tell your minx I mean no harm."
Fahima threw back the blankets and went to her maid, holding Gulzar close. "Perhaps, Lord Beynum, you should not sneak into rooms where you aught not be."
Beynum laughed. "I assure you, I would rather be in my own bed at this moment."
"Why are you here?" Fahima asked, letting a calmed Gulzar go to fetch her robe, pulling it on and cinching it closed, then pinning up her long hair. Feeling a bit more presentable, she returned to the fire.
"My King sensed you had something more to say than that which you did when extending your sister's apologies."
Fahima drew a sharp breath. "Yes."
"Then come and speak your peace, where no unwelcome eyes or ears will impede," Beynum said.
"I do not trust this," Gulzar replied. "He is too sneaky."
Beynum merely looked at her, face implacable in the wavering light of the fire. "I would never harm my King," he said quietly. "Come, if you wish to have your say."
Fahima nodded. "Wait one moment for me to change." She kissed Gulzar briefly on the lips to reassure her all was well, then vanished into her dressing room. She panicked briefly over what to wear – what was appropriate for a clandestine meeting that would likely end in her family being executed? – before rolling her eyes and deciding on a simple morning wrap, dark brown and only minimally adorned in blue, green, and yellow. Tidying her hair up, she slipped on a pair of soft slippers and took a deep breath.
She wondered if her morning wrap was doomed to become an unpleasant pun. Grimacing at herself, she strode back out into the bedchamber.
Gulzar remained by the fire, dagger still out, glaring at Beynum – but she dropped the dagger as Fahima drew close, and embraced her tightly. "Will you come back, my Lady?" she asked softly.
Fahima kissed her, fighting nervous tears that would only weaken her position. "I will do my best, darling." One last kiss, then she turned and strode to Beynum.
Beynum grinned and lifted a strip of cloth, and before Fahima could protest her eyes were bound. Then her hand was taken in a grip surprisingly rough – calluses on a man she would not have expected to have them.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.
"Secrecy," Beynum said. "None may know these passages but his Majesty and those of us who protect him. Now be silent, lest someone hear you."
Heart in her throat, Fahima allowed herself to be led along, smelling damp and dust, smoke from torches – then suddenly the chill gave way to warmth, and the blindfold about her eyes vanished.
Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Shahjahan sitting at a low table – dressed casually in dark cream robes, the high collar of it fastened only halfway. He sipped a cup of tea. "Lady Fahima," he said. "Please, do sit. I hope Beynum did not give you too much of a fight."
To his right Nandakumar snorted softly, glaring at Beynum.
Beynum merely laughed. "I think her maid was the one to give me a fright," he said cheerfully, sitting on Shah's left. "Interesting maid, to sleep with a dagger beneath her pillow."
Fahima sat at the place indicated, across from Shahjahan. "Gulzar spent many years on the streets before she was taken in by a woman who raised her more properly. Old habits are hard to break, and she holds me as dearly as I hold her."
Let them think what they wanted, that she would 'dally' with her maid – Gulzar was always there for her, and would be until the end.
Shahjahan merely smiled and offered her a cup of tea, which Fahima refused.
"Now, Lady Fahima, what is it you so badly wanted to tell me earlier this evening? Unless I have called you here for some misunderstanding."
Fahima shook her head. "No, Majesty. There is something I must tell you, though…" She shook her head again, and stared at her hands, hating the cowardice but dreading more the look she would see in his face. "My sister is with child, Majesty."
Silence fell, heavy and thick and cold. She heard someone start to speak, but the words were cut off before they could truly form.
"I see," Shahjahan said, and the coldness in his voice cut like a knife. "Your family has been attempting to make a fool of my family, of Tavamara. Why do you tell me this?"
"My family is scared," Fahima said, slowly looking up, and the awful closed look to his face was all that she had dreaded. "My sister told my parents of her stupidity too late, and now they know not what to do."
Shahjahan watched her. "So why are you here? I sense you do not do this at the bidding of your parents."
"No, Majesty," Fahima said quietly. "My parents do not know I know – my sister told me herself, only a few days ago. I have been trying to speak with you ever sense. In her way, my sister is trying to right things – she knew I would tell you where my parents cannot."
"It is certainly a fine mess you have brought to me," Shahjahan said coolly, and Fahima barely kept from flinching. "You have brought me the problem; did you bring a solution as well?"
Fahima frowned. "Majesty, it was all I could do to convey to you we must speak. That was enough of a problem, I cannot solve everything."
"Your family is responsible for this," Shahjahan replied. "If they had but called matters off before they progressed this far, it would have been troublesome but not difficulty it has now become. All firmly believe that in a week's time I will announce that yes, I will take your sister to wife – all other potential brides and negotiations have been called off. A promising candidate from a foreign nation was turned away and to return to it now would be humiliating in the slightest.
"I know, Majesty," Fahima said, and indeed she did. "Yet the penalty for such a thing is execution – to execute my family for treating the royal throne so would solve the matter entirely. No one can blame the King for actions of fools, and executing us will banish the worst of any humiliation."
Shahjahan brows went up. "You speak so casually of the execution of your family."
"The law is the law, Majesty," Fahima replied. "No one is exempt from it."
"It seems to me," Nandakumar said suddenly, "that the easiest solution is merely to exchange one sister for another." He cast a pensive look upon her, then slid it to Shahjahan. "No one would be surprised in the least if instead of the older sister, the King found himself enamored of the younger. You have already caused two scandals with the men taken into your harem, Majesty, I think the council half expects you to cause some sort of ruckus with your marriage."
Shahjahan smiled briefly. "I'm certain they have placed bets on what manner of headache I will cause them with it, as so far I have been quite obedient. You are right, Nanda, as always. It is the best solution."
Fahima kept her expression calm, but only barely. Had she heard correctly? Surely not. She was not fit to be Queen – she had been planning to become a priestess!
"What say you, Lady Fahima?"
"What am I supposed to say, Majesty? No?" Fahima stood up, fed up with the entire affair. "This entire time, I have had no choice in anything, and I see no choice now. So be it, I will be my sister's substitute. To spare my family and to serve my King and Tavamara."
The silence was both gratifying and infuriating.
"Allow me to escort you back—"
"I do not need your help," Fahima snapped, angry and miserable and it was only made worse because she could not quite say why she felt so – or maybe she did not want to say. "Three rights, two lefts, and I will be back in my own rooms. I bid you all good night, and thank my King for his unexpected mercy." She threw back the tapestry that hid the door to the secret passage, and vanished into the dark hallways beyond.
Any other time the knowledge that such secret passages existed would have fascinated and enthralled her – but now she could only focus on angrily scrubbing away her tears.
An exchange. A substitute. That's all she was. Merely the next best thing, for which Shahjahan must settle. Not best for Tavamara, not what anyone really wanted – she was merely what they must endure.
Leaving the secret passage, Fahima threw herself into Gulzar's waiting arms and cried until she at last fell asleep.
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Date: 2007-11-18 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-18 04:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-18 04:54 pm (UTC)lovely, mads! can't wait for more!
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Date: 2007-11-18 04:57 pm (UTC)Erg, and there's a lot here that I like, between this part and the last, but my brain is kind of sluggish so I'm just going with that I really like it and that you do as well with female characters as you do with male. ^___^
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Date: 2007-11-18 05:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-18 05:25 pm (UTC)That's so sad: "An exchange. A substitute. That's all she was. Merely the next best thing, for which Shahjahan must settle. Not best for Tavamara, not what anyone really wanted – she was merely what they must endure".
I adore her; she is so incredibly awesome. But still ;__; Shah will fix things, yes?
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Date: 2007-11-18 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-18 05:35 pm (UTC)Man M, you rock hard-core.
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Date: 2007-11-18 06:31 pm (UTC)... though I do love the part about Shah always causing a ruckus. ^^;
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Date: 2007-11-18 06:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-18 06:53 pm (UTC)Gulzar and Beynum are quite the pair, are they not? *amused*
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Date: 2007-11-18 07:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-18 07:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-18 08:14 pm (UTC)And I love that she didn't just bury the feelings and move on, letting Shah believe all was well, but instead expressed her unhappiness and impotence, forcing him to have to do something with that. And I love that she knew the way back. So independent.
I imagine that after she left, Bey followed her to make sure she didn't get lost, and Shah turned to Nanda with a 'what did I do?' look, and Nanda sighed and explained how they screwed up. Or not. ^__^
Hope shopping went well. Can't wait to see more. *snugs*
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Date: 2007-11-18 10:26 pm (UTC)Dude, chicks are hard to write. And I'm sure I hit just as many cliches with the guys, but it doesn't bug me as much. With chicks, I so have to walk b/t tough!chick and simpering!girl without quite being either. I don't want damsel and I don't want warrior princess, but balancing is tricksy liek woah. ^^;; I am glad that so far I've not bungled it.
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Date: 2007-11-18 10:46 pm (UTC)"I believe that is what is called making a mess of things," Shah said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Nanda stroked his back soothingly, moving forward to pour more tea. "In our defense," he said calmly, "even I did not anticipate what she told us."
"Indeed," Shah replied, sighing again and gratefully drinking the tea offered. "Still, I did not mean to upset her so." He frowned pensively at the doorway through which Fahima had vanished, and Beynum right behind her to ensure she did return safely to her room. "I confess I am rather at a loss now, Nanda."
"You were on the right path at dinner," Nanda replied calmly, pouring more tea. "She is smart, and speaks well when coaxed into conversation." He drummed the table lightly in thought. "I sense she and I have much in common. Though provincial, her family is much like mine - old fashioned, strict. A scholarly woman with a strong interest in the temples? Eccentric to say the least, and overshadowed by her sister."
Shah frowned. "I do not see how she is overshadowed. Truly I am relieved to be free of Lady Nawra."
Nanda laughed softly. "Then maybe you should tell her that, Shah."
"If she will speak to you," Beynum said as he returned, dropping the heavy tapestry back into place. "Crying women always turn into angry women, and angry women like to turn a cold shoulder if they cannot lob things at your head."
"She's crying?" Shah asked, dismayed. He ran a hand through his hair, shoulders slumping. "I did not mean to make her cry."
Beynum dropped down next to him and kissed Shah briefly. "Give a gift, that will help.
Shah rest his chin in his hand, staring moodily at his tea. "This marriage thing is difficult. What manner of gift does a man give a woman he has forced into marrying him for fear her family will be executed otherwise."
"That is beyond even my skills of etiquette," Nanda said with a shake of his head. "I confess the matter has become a fine tangle. No doubt the council would say it is your comeuppance."
Grimacing, Shah finished his tea and stood. "Let us hope I can untangle it. For now we are going to bed, before I somehow manage to make things even worse."
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Date: 2007-11-18 11:03 pm (UTC)Heh, which probably why slash works out so well for me.
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Date: 2007-11-18 11:08 pm (UTC)Ah, yeah. Risking throwing myself in is another concern.
People wonder why I write slash, and I guess the easiest answer is 'less stressful' ^^;; Hehe
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Date: 2007-11-18 11:30 pm (UTC)I love Nanda. <3 Beyond his skills of etiquette?! I wonder what Miss Manners would say? And Bey, with the gift idea. Ah, they are such men. ^_^
Let us hope he can untangle it, indeed. ^______^
Thanks, Beautiful. *smooooch*
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Date: 2007-11-19 03:27 am (UTC)I like the interaction between Gulzar and Beynum, which brings up a question - do the men in Shah's harem and the women in Fahima's harem interact at all? You've mentioned that they don't talk to people outside of the harem, but I don't know how loosely that's defined.
I can't wait to see how Shah woos Fahima back.
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Date: 2007-11-19 03:31 am (UTC)oh, yeah, the two harems interact. I was actually pondering it here recently - I could totally see Beynum and Gulzar playing the sorts of games peasants grow up learning, and teaching them to the others. Dice or something like that. Also, a couple of girls in the Queen's harem dance -- not infrequently to music Nanda plays for them.
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Date: 2007-11-19 07:08 am (UTC)*whisper* There is one eensy, weensy, itty, bitty thing. "No, Majesty," Fahima said quietly. "My parents do not know I know – my sister told me herself, only a few days ago. I have been trying to speak with you ever sense.
Sense should be since, don't you love homonyms, or what?
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Date: 2007-11-19 10:07 am (UTC)I have to say I'm very curious about Fahima's harem, and where she finds her other members (because Gulzar will be the first, yes?). I'm sorely tempted to try and write it, actually, but my last attempt as femslash (for Kitty) died an ignoble death :(.
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:15 am (UTC)^^; Shah realizes, I think. The poor guy is a bit stumped on the showing, but he'll come around.
Heh. I actually showed briefly one of the other harem girls, but I don't think anyone realized it. Shall have to work out the details and write those stories at some point. It's pretty cool, really, that anyone wants to read it. When Kitty said no one would, I took her at her word. Am happy she was wrong.
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:29 am (UTC)The only one that comes to my mind is the girl from the temple. ^_^;;;
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:33 am (UTC)Sakina, yep yep. Else I would not have bothered to give her a name ^^
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-19 11:37 am (UTC)You are, as ever, totally dead on ^___^
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:39 am (UTC)And since you are the authority in this domain, any tips for fairytale writing I should keep in mind while doing Kitty's drabble? *g*
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:40 am (UTC)What on earth did she con you into?
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-19 11:42 am (UTC)If you can condense a fairytale to a drabble, I will be awed.
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:44 am (UTC)So... tips? *kitten eyes*
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:44 am (UTC)Ooh, the temple girl? I wondered about her, actually ^_^
*nods* Dead wrong. XD
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:47 am (UTC)Umm...don't stick too hard to the original? That always kills the tale. Part of the reason I keep failing with beauty and the beast is that I jut follow the lines instead of doing something different. Something should be different, whether a duel instead of a ball or something like Rumpelstiltskin where the child is grown. Dont' know if that actually helps, but I write fairytales the same way I do everything else -- I look at the pieces and go 'what if' or 'why that'
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-11-19 01:09 pm (UTC)Also, um, a point sweetie. I'm not sure but in some cultures "family" refers to more than the immediate core family. It includes stuff like the extended family, which is sometimes measured as "people related to you through your father" but in other cases includes extended family on both sides.
Just a comment, anyway.
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Date: 2007-11-19 06:52 pm (UTC)Yes, and in context it should be clear she only means immediate family. I've never once in this verse used family to mean extended, I wouldn't suddenly mean it now.
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:47 pm (UTC)Then again, this is politics...
But still. Someone had better fix this.
(now we see why they kicked me off debate team - I always play both sides.)
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Date: 2007-11-19 11:54 pm (UTC)Aha, I could never be on a debate team. I get too het up when I argue. Not good at that whole detachment thing.
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Date: 2007-11-20 04:27 pm (UTC)*wubs*