fandomania | The Adventure continues...

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“Please, don’t be alarmed!” Armand pleaded, when he saw the look on my face. “I have come here alone, unarmed and only intend to talk with you. Please let me talk with you?”

“Why should I? Why have you come here stealthily under cover of darkness, like a thief? Why couldn’t you have just sent a polite request to see me, open, during the day and with my family around me?”

“I did. I sent five such requests. All of them came back unanswered.”

“I was not told of these.”

“That is what I thought, which is why I have come several thousand miles to see you, to talk with you and to appeal to you.” His dark handsome face seemed earnest.

“I don’t know what you hoped to achieve here. I thought I made myself abundantly clear to your mother and ambassadors.”

Armand stretched his arms out towards me in sincerity. “I apologize to you for my mother’s behavior. If I had any inkling as to what she had planned, please believe me that I would have forbidden her to come here. I have had her placed under lock and key while I am gone and she will be punished for her misdeeds when I get back to Rajfahar.

“As for what I hope to achieve here, I wish to appeal to you for your forgiveness. And I wish to propose to you. If you will come back to Rajfahar with me, I will marry you and make you my queen. I promise that you will be my only woman as I intend to relinquish my hareem and devote myself to you and only you.”

I felt stunned by his words. “Are you not aware that I am a married woman? Married to a man who I love with all my heart and soul?”

Armand looked confused. “But you were a virgin when we had sex the first time. How can you be married and virgin at the same time? My informants have told me that there have been no weddings with you as the bride since you left Rajfahar.”

“Your informants are lazy. I married my first husband thirteen years ago. After his death, I married my second husband almost three years ago, long before I was captured by the Georgists and sold into slavery. As for my supposed virginity, that was a fraud originated by the slavers. All of the women that they purchased at the same time as I was had their ‘virginity’ restored to them magically. The slavers deceived their customers so that they could get more money.”

“But why didn’t you say anything?”

“Who would believe me? I was a nobody, a slave. I had no rights. For me to say anything, even if I had been believed, would have meant putting myself into a worse position. Only brothels would have been interested in me, if I hadn’t been ‘pure’.”

“I see.” Armand said in a tone that indicated the opposite. “So there is nothing that I can say or do or offer you that will make you willing to come back to me? I can offer you a life of privilege, power and wealth, beyond your wildest dreams. You would not ever have to work again. You would be Queen of Rajfahar.”

I looked at him askance. “I already have all that, plus I have love, both marital and familial. I cannot ask for more. As for being queen, I am not interested. I do not love you. I have very little respect for you, especially for your disrespectful treatment of women. Besides, I am already heiress to two thrones. I don’t want either of them, so why would I want Rajfahar?”

“You are royalty? And you work as a servant for merchants? I don’t understand…”

“No, I don’t think that you do. I am not a servant here. I am a family member. I don’t have to lift a finger or do anything that I don’t want to. But I love my family and I wish to help them just as they have helped me over and over again. I am trying to give back to them the love they have lavished on me.

“As for being royalty, yes, I am. I am the only living descendant of King Theofan of Freedonia. He was my grandfather on my paternal side. I am also a descendant, many times removed, of a defunct throne and a long gone country on my maternal side. I spent too many years in the Freedonian Court to want to ever have to deal with such shenanigans and political backstabbing and games again. I will happily abdicate all rights to the throne of Freedonia to anyone else. They can have it with my blessings.”

Before I could say anything more, there came sounds of men running towards us and Donal, Captain Quinton and several of his guards came running towards us, with their weapons drawn. Donal came up to me and immediately put himself in front of me and took a protective stance. “Step away from my wife this minute!” he ordered. I could tell that Donal knew that Armand was Rajfaharan, but it was obvious he was not aware of exactly who Armand was.

Armand immediately complied with Donal’s orders, backed away from me a few steps and raised his arms up to show that he had no weapons. Although I wasn’t positive, I could swear by the look on his face that he found this situation very novel and almost amusing.

“It is all right, Donal. I am not being harmed or threatened. We were just talking.”

Donal scowled at Armand. “How is it you got in here? You were not invited!”

Armand shrugged. “I slipped in when the guards were distracted elsewhere.” He turned to Captain Quinton and correctly guessed his position. “You need to have more guards at the gate, when a big influx of people is expected. I have found that having two guards, whose only duties are to watch who comes in and out, can keep unexpected people out. Otherwise, those who are searching visitors can get easily distracted when minor problems happen.” Captain Quinton nodded, but looked suspicious as to why he was given this advice.

I turned to Armand and said, “You have asked your questions and you have my answers. I don’t think there is any need to talk further, is there?”

Armand looked resigned and lowered his arms. “I suppose not. But I do have one more question to ask. May I please see him? Just for a few minutes? It would mean a lot to me to at least know what he looks like. I swear, on my honor, that I will not do anything to him or try to take him from you. Please?”

Realization dawned on Donal. He started to look fierce and took a few steps towards Armand. But I put my arms around Donal in an effort to detain him. When Donal calmed down, I released him. I then looked at Armand and said, “I suppose that would be the fair thing to do. Since you have been so polite throughout this talk, I will let you see him.”

“Patra …” Donal objected. “He doesn’t deserve this. Don’t!”

“Donal, my heart, he is Yusaf’s biological father. He has the right to see his child. Think about how you would feel if your positions were reversed. How would you feel if you were denied seeing a child you had sired?” Donal looked stubborn for a moment and then backed down.

I then asked Captain Quinton to find us a quiet and well lit private room. He suggested the meeting room in the outlying office, not far from the gate. I agreed and asked the captain to escort Armand there, but not to leave him unguarded, while I went to the nursery and fetched Yusaf.

Donal accompanied me every step of the way. I am not sure how he felt about meeting Armand. I know that I had mixed emotions about all this. But to his favor, Armand had been very polite and considerate. Despite my negative feelings, we did create a child together and I didn’t want to be cruel.

In spite of my decision to be fair, I found it harder to do this than I thought it would be. I stood quite a few minutes in front of the door to the meeting room with Yusaf in my arms. Donal sensing my hesitation said, “You don’t have to do this, love …”

I looked at Donal and said enigmatically, “No, I don’t, but then again, I do.” I then took a deep breath, opened the door and walked in.

Armand was lounging in a chair next to the conference table with Captain Quinton sitting opposite him, with his back to the door. Armand stood up when I entered. He had a look of wonderment and longing on his face when he saw his child for the first time. I found a chair and sat down almost immediately because I wasn’t sure how well my legs would hold up. I held my baby on my lap, facing away from me. Armand then rounded the table and kneeled in front of me.

“His name is Yusaf.”

Armand looked surprised. “It means ‘he will conquer”. It was my grandfather’s name. How did you know this?”

“I didn’t. When I looked at him for the first time after he was born, it just seemed the appropriate name.”

Armand smiled and looked directly at our baby. “Hello Yusaf! My, but you are a handsome little boy. Yes, you are. You have such blue eyes. Where did you get such big blue eyes? I’ll bet you got them from your mama. Yes, you did.” He brought his face close to him and, as was his wont, Yusaf reached out his left hand and grabbed on to Armand’s beard. Armand laughed and tried to extricate himself. Yusaf allowed Armand to move his hand, but then gripped Armand’s finger strongly instead. “What a grip you have, my son! I hope that this means you are going to be a strong and valiant warrior, as you are so named. You come from a long line of warriors, my boy. You will have to be, if you are to inherit my throne after I am gone.”

I don’t know why or what came over me, but I asked, “Would you like to hold him?”

Armand looked startled. “Are you sure?”

I looked down at my son and said, “No. But take me up on this before I think better of my offer.”

Armand gently reached out, took Yusaf, and held him in his arms. He had such a look of joy on his face; it was hard for me to watch. Tears started falling uncontrollably down my cheeks. Yusaf wasn’t sure how he felt about all this either and he too began to cry. Armand tried to dandle him, hoping to change his mood, but Yusaf wasn’t willing. He kept looking around for me. After a few minutes, Armand heaved a sigh and handed his son back to me. He then got to his feet and said, “Thank you! That was more than I expected you to do. Thank you.”

Armand’s last thank you had just a tinge of regret and longing in it. He then reached out and caressed his son’s head. He started to walk out of the room, but suddenly turned around and asked, “When I return to Rajfahar, I would like to send a gift for my son. Will you allow me to do that?”

I thought it over for a minute and assented to his request.

“Thank you.” Armand then quickly walked out of the room and left the compound.

I felt drained and began to sob uncontrollably as I felt Donal take me into his arms.