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My cheeks were flushed from the heat of the sun, and my hair was escaping from its bun. “We’re sorry.” I handed over my coat. “We got lost on the way here.”
The servant laughed. “That’s alright. It happens all the time.”
Another servant, who showed us to a room where we could wait, led us inside. The room was large and airy, with high ceilings and beautiful tapestries on the walls. I sat down on the edge of a chair, my stomach in knots.
Souhir paced back and forth, her hands twisting together.
More arrived - some dressed plainly in work clothes, others in finer garments fit for a prince’s court.
Soft music drifted through the air, and the scent of incense hung heavy in the air. What sort of test was this?
I looked around. “I feel underdressed.”
“You look fine,” Souhir said distractedly. She was staring at a group of women in the corner, who were laughing and talking together.
I overheard one woman whispering excitedly to her friend. “I heard Prince Maedras will be here.”
“Really?” her friend asked, her eyes lighting up. “Do you think he’ll choose one of us?”
“I don’t know.” The first woman smirked. “But I’m going to do everything I can to make sure he chooses me.”
Why were they so eager to meet a man with a reputation like his? They had everything they could desire.
But they would have a lot more to gain. Power and money. That was what this was really about.
The sheer greed of the wealthy. The rich would do anything to maintain their position.
Among the group, I spotted the daughter of the university’s dean, Nadia. Nadia was dressed in plain clothes instead of something more luxurious. That was no accident. Maybe I should have done the same. Nadia’s eyes darted around nervously as if she was looking for an escape.
The music paused and everyone fell silent as the door opened. All eyes turned towards the entrance as a tall, regal-looking woman entered the room, followed by a man who could only be the Caid.
He was handsome, with dark hair and piercing green eyes. He wore a flowing white djellaba with a gold-embroidered belt. His expression was unreadable as he looked across the room.
The woman who entered with him stopped at his side, her hand resting on his arm. She was beautiful, with long dark hair and bright red lips. She wore a dress of crimson silk, and a ruby necklace adorned her neck.
The women in the room gathered around the Caid, vying for his attention. They laughed at his jokes and hung on his every word. But the woman who accompanied the Caid caught my attention. There was something familiar to her. That’s when I realized who that was.
“Souhir, that’s our representative in the Eternal court. That’s the ambassador.”
Souhir squinted to get a better look. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m positive.”
“Well, let’s talk to her.” Souhir dragged me over to the ambassador, who was observing everyone around her with a goblet in her hand. Her eyes alighted on us as we approached.
“You must be the ambassador,” Souhir greeted her as we stopped in front of her.
“I’m surprised that you recognized me,” she replied in a husky voice.
“I didn’t. My cousin did.”
I subtly elbowed Souhir in the ribs. “My apologies, ambassador Bennani. I recognized you from the pictures in the newspaper and our correspondence.”
The ambassador arched her eyebrow.
Seeing the lack of recognition on her face, I added. “My name is Thimsal. Thimsal Amrani. I work at Al-Fihri University. This is my cousin Souhir. I just wanted to thank you for the extra funding.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve been meaning to come and visit your university while I’ve been in town,” the ambassador replied. “But I’ve been so busy.”
