by Cara Albany
"Tell me."
Zafar turned to face Leila. "I'd like to invite Lori to your palace."
His aunt's eyes widened. "What?"
"I'd like to ask Lori to the palace. Just for a day or two."
"Why on earth would you want to do that? And why would I possibly allow that young woman into my palace?"
Zafar smiled. "I can't tell you, for the moment."
"Can't? Or won't? Has it something to do with the work she does?""
"Maybe," he replied cryptically. He ignored his aunt's scowl. "It might be to your advantage if you allow her to come," he added. "That's all I can say, right now."
"And yours?" she asked. "Is there something in this for you?"
Zafar refused to reply to that question.
Leila thought for a while. He could see that she had been taken aback by his request.
He smiled at her in that special way he always did whenever he wanted to win her favor. It had worked for years, and he hoped it would work now.
Leila looked at him. "You're up to something, Zafar," she said slyly.
He shook his head. "You'll just have to trust me."
She gave him a skeptical look. "Why would I do that?"
He smiled at her. "Because I'm your beloved nephew, that's why."
Leila groaned and then sighed with exasperation. She thought for a few moments and then nodded. "Fine. If that's what will make you happy. But, I warn you. I do not approve of that young woman."
He grinned at his aunt. "I know you don't," he replied lifting an amused brow.
And then, quietly, in his mind he said to himself: "Not yet, anyway."
ELEVEN
Lori knew this was a mistake. She wondered why she had agreed to come, at all.
She knew the answer to that question.
Zafar.
His request had been received at Kadir's palace this morning. Not a request. More like a demand. He had called and spoken with Kadir first, and then with Alaya. There had been no way Lori was going to speak with him. Not after the craziness of last night.
Alaya had asked Lori to come see her in the sitting room. She had explained what Zafar wanted. Someone was to go to his aunt's palace. That very day. It had to do with something of great interest in Leila's residence. But, the catch was, whoever came had to come that very day. No delay.
Alaya's hesitation showed that she wanted to remain in Kadir's palace today. The last thing Alaya probably wanted was to be driven across the desert to Leila's palace on some kind of mysterious errand that still hadn't been fully explained.
And so Lori had agreed to come.
Lori sighed as she leaned back against the plush leather seat of the limo which Zafar had sent to bring her. Her bag sat on the floor next to her feet. Inside the bag were a small number of the tools she would probably need this morning.
The drive across the desert road from Kadir's palace had taken about an hour and a half. A longer drive than she'd thought expected. She'd enjoyed looking at the desert as the limo had made its way southward. The beauty of the golden landscape was awe-inspiring. Especially so early in the morning.
Eventually, the limo had crested a final dune. From inside the limo as it headed down toward the open palace gates, Lori looked out of the window at the royal palace which belonged to Zafar's aunt Leila. It sat there like a bright jewel in the desert. A walled palace. Like something out of a dream.
It was much bigger than the palace she'd been living in these past few weeks. This was a real royal residence in every respect.
The palace shone white and bright in the early morning sunshine. Lori ran her gaze along the exterior of the palace. It seemed to stretch forever, filling the extensive grounds. It was all ornately carved surfaces, tall towers, exquisite architecture.
With her professional eyes, Lori tried to make sense of what she was looking at. She could see wings of the palace which extended further back to the walls at the north end of the enclosure. It was clear that parts of the palace were old, possibly centuries old, in fact. The mixture of modern and ancient was enchanting, she told herself.
From inside the chauffeur-driven limo, the sight of Leila's royal residence had taken her breath away. The palace was so huge she could imagine getting lost in the endless corridors. The gardens were larger than those at Kadir's place. The walls were higher.
Everything about this place was on a grand scale. Monumental. This was opulence the likes of which she'd never seen before.
She couldn't fathom what it must be like to live in place like this. What it must be like to bring up a family there. She guessed there must be dozens of rooms and endless corridors.
This was what Zafar was used to. This was how he lived. She wondered what his own palace would be like. Probably just as grand as this. Maybe she'd never find out, she told herself.
Not after last night. Not after the way he'd left her. With so much unresolved. And with so many questions unanswered.
Lori tried to push thoughts of Zafar and their time together firmly out of her mind. But it wasn't easy. She'd been tormented all night by memories of being in that bed with him.
The scent of their union had lingered there for a very long while, making him impossible to forget. Not that she wanted to.
Zafar wasn't the kind of man you could forget in a hurry.
More than that, he wasn't a man she would ever want to forget. The memory of what had happened would stay with her forever. She knew that with absolute certainty.
It had been impossible to control her memories of their surprise encounter. She hadn't been able to clear her mind. To think straight. To figure out what on earth she should do now that the inconceivable had happened.
She'd fallen for a royal prince.
Even as she played with that thought, she felt sensation curl in her middle. Excitement and trepidation all rolled into one.
She leaned back on the plush seat and pushed those thoughts away.
She had a job to do.
After moving slowly up the seemingly endless driveway, the limo drew to a halt at the foot of the wide marble steps which led up to the door of the palace.
She peered up toward the door.
He was there. Zafar.
Looking incredible. Her pulse quickened. In spite of every one of her objections, despite all her doubts, she still reacted in an uncontrollably instinctive way when she laid eyes on him. It happened every time. And this time was no exception.
He stood there, gazing steadily down at the limo as it drew to a halt. He was dressed in an open-necked white shirt and dark pants.
Zafar started down the steps, his movements fluid and unhurried. Confident. It was if there had been no doubt in his mind that she would come to him this morning.
The driver opened the door and Lori grabbed her small bag. She stepped out of the limo, taking note of the early morning heat. Or was that heat really caused by the prospect of spending time with Zafar? Of being in such close proximity to him.
"Good morning, Lori. Lovely to see you," he said.
He didn't hesitate and leaned in close to her, kissing her gently and politely on the cheek. It was a formal gesture. Nothing like the desire with which he'd kissed her last night. Nothing like that red hot passion.
Lori wondered if they were being watched from inside the palace. Maybe Zafar felt he had to put on a show for someone else's benefit.
Lori gazed up at the palace. "This place is pretty amazing," she said. "I had no idea your aunt lived like this."
Zafar glanced up at the palace walls, bright in the morning sun. "She has it pretty much to herself. Her own children are grown up. They've got lives of their own."
"Leila lives in this all alone?" Lori asked incredulously.
Zafar nodded and glanced down at her bag. "Can I take that?"
"No need. It has my tools in," she explained.
He lifted a brow. "You came prepared to work." He smiled, glancing down the length of her body, at her jeans and white, cotton
shirt. "Impressive dedication," he said with a hint of irony in his voice.
She lifted brow at him. "It's a bit early for us to be starting that, don't you think?"
Zafar pretended he didn't know what she was talking about. "Starting what?"
Lori glanced at the driver. "I still don't know why you wanted me to come here. You must have known Alaya wouldn't leave Kadir's palace."
Zafar ignored her challenge and slid a hand around her back. She felt his fingers against the fabric of her white shirt. He pressed his hand gently against her body. It was obvious that the gesture went unseen by the limo driver who stood erect, looking dutifully in the other direction.
Lori glanced at Zafar. She could see he was waiting to see if she moved away from him. If she would do something to make him remove his hand. But she didn't. Instead, she smiled. "Let's get inside then, shall we?"
"Great idea. I think you're going to find this quite interesting."
They started to walk up the stairs. As they did so, he kept his hand resting gently against her back. It was a soft touch, but it was also a reminder of something else. Something she knew she'd probably never forget.
How his touch had made her feel last night.
"What is it?" she asked, trying to drag her attention away from the feel of his touch. The sensations. Very familiar sensations.
"I can explain once we're inside."
"Where's your aunt?"
"She's gone out for the morning," he explained.
Lori halted on the stairs and peered at Zafar. "Gone out?"
Zafar nodded. "She had some errands to run."
"Errands," Lori repeated in a flat disbelieving tone.
Why did she find that so hard to believe? Surely a visit from Lori would have been more important than any so-called errands Zafar's aunt had conjured up. Maybe Leila had wanted to avoid another awkward meeting with Lori. After their confrontation last night, Lori wasn't too surprised.
Zafar nodded. "She'll be back later."
Probably well after Lori had left and gone back to Kadir's palace, she reflected.
"So it's just you and I today?" she asked running her gaze across the front of the edifice.
He shook his head. "We're hardly alone. There are around a dozen staff members who work here."
"All for one woman?"
Zafar shrugged. "My aunt has very particular expectations about the way the palace should be run." He said. "In any case, you're not suggesting she could run this place all on her own, are you?"
Lori realized that he was right. Perhaps she still didn't understand the world people like Zafar inhabited. It was so far removed from everything she'd ever experienced.
She walked through the open doors and paused, awe-stuck by the high, vaulted ceiling, the wide marble staircase, the incredible decorations on the walls, the modern mosaic floor. She ran her gaze slowly around the massive interior, aware that Zafar was observing her reaction.
It was incredible. Almost as big as the interior of a church. "Wow," she exclaimed. "This is something."
Zafar nodded.
She took a few steps forward and dropped her bag on the floor. The sound of her footsteps echoed in the cavernous space. The air was fresh and cool. She glanced toward the open doors on either side of the hallway. She could see equally large rooms there. A sitting room on one side and a dining room on the opposite side, she guessed, judging by the long table she could see.
"I can't believe your aunt has this place all to herself," Lori said.
Zafar nodded. "There are plenty of parts of the palace where she doesn't go that often," he said. "Some of the wings have been virtually locked off for years."
Lori thought that sounded strange. Maybe there was a reason for his aunt's feisty nature, her short temper. Maybe it wasn't so easy to live almost alone in a place like this, after all. Maybe that was why she was so possessive toward her relatives, including Zafar. Perhaps loneliness had something to do with it.
"Let me give you a tour," Zafar said.
"That sounds nice," she said.
The truth was she was curious to see some of the older parts of the palace. The ones she'd noticed from the limo. It might be fascinating to just how well preserved those parts were.
She picked up her bag and followed him. For a while she walked alongside him as he gave her a guided tour. First, he showed her the ground floor, taking her to see most of the major rooms.
There was a huge reception hall. Zafar told her about all the many weddings which had taken place there. The mention of marriage had provoked an awkward silence between them for a while.
Zafar spoke about some of the times he'd spent in the palace as a child. She could see how much the place meant to him. He must have had a wonderful childhood, she told herself.
She particularly enjoyed seeing a large indoor fountain area surrounded by cloisters that were decorated by expertly carved pillars. The fountain was placed in the middle of an open area around a hundred metres square. The entire square was open to the sky. She gazed up and saw the bright blue expanse above the cloistered walkways. It reminded her of a monastery.
As she walked around the cool passageways of the cloister with Zafar, she felt the peace of this part of the palace. This felt like a refuge from the heat of the desert. A place to come and reflect upon life.
Zafar told her this part of the palace dated back at least five centuries. She noted the pride in his voice as he spoke about his ancestors. In spite of the apparent indifference he'd tried to show her on the first visit to Kadir's palace, it was clear that Zafar's relationship with his family past was much more serious than he'd wanted to reveal to her.
Why had he disguised that respect for the past? She thought it might have been to do with some kind of need to keep his life private. To keep anyone out until he'd gotten to know them.
There were two wings of the palace at the rear. One of them extended almost to the wall which enclosed the palace grounds. Zafar took her along the long corridor and showed her the incredible library there.
Leather-bound volumes were stacked on shelves which stretched all the way up to the high ceiling. There was a musty smell in the room. She was sure some of the books were very rare, genuine printed treasures, probably worth a fortune.
She didn't know quite why, but she got the feeling that no-one came to this room very often. There was an empty feeling about the room.
Which was a shame because, so far, this had been her favorite part of the palace. She could imagine spending time here, going through the library, looking at some of the amazing illustrated volumes. It triggered her curiosity. She was sure there must be some unique and valuable research material in these volumes.
She took some time to examine some of the shelves, running her fingers along the spines of the leather-bound volumes. They were all in Qazhar language. It was an incredible collection.
"Let me show you the real reason I asked you to come here," Zafar said as they left the library.
After seeing so much ancient beauty already, Lori wondered what awaited her as she walked alongside Zafar. They headed toward the other wing on the other side of the palace. As they made their way along the corridor, she noticed that Zafar became unusually silent and thoughtful. She wondered why he'd changed so suddenly.
They came to the end of a corridor. This one was different from the others she'd seen. It felt colder and even the light was more subdued.
Zafar paused at a door. She stood alongside him and watched as he took out a large, very old looking key from his pocket. He twisted the key in the lock and glanced at Lori. "Ready?"
She squinted at him and nodded. "Sure."
He pushed open the door and walked in. Lori followed. The minute she walked into the room, she knew she'd entered a part of the palace which was very different from everything she'd seen previously.
For a start, it was very dark in here. So dark, in fact, that at first she couldn't see where she was going. She inhaled a musty odor, s
imilar to what she'd smelled when she'd been in the library.
Then Zafar flicked a switch and a soft light glowed into life from small lamps set on the walls. It was then that she saw what he'd brought her to. It was a large rectangular room, high-ceilinged, just like all the rest. But this room was so very different.
There was furniture in the room, but it was all covered by dust-covered white sheets. She saw the shrouded shapes of sofas and tables and cabinets. All of them looked like they'd been covered over for a long time. Perhaps years.
To one side, she saw high windows which had been closed off by heavy looking curtains, blocking out the world. The curtain cut off all but the faintest light from outside.
"What is this?" she asked Zafar.
He gazed around the room, looking suddenly thoughtful. Finally he answered her question. "This is a room no-one comes to very much."
"What do you mean?"
"It was locked off a long time ago."
"Why?"
He looked at her and there was a melancholy look in his eyes. "It's a long story."
"I've got all day," she replied.
"I know you have," he said. "But, first I have to show you something."
She followed him to the far end of the room. There she saw a huge, woven tapestry which had been hung to cover the entire length of the northern wall of the room. It was probably four or five metres wide and stretched up to the ceiling. The colors were faded, but she could see it was old. She'd seen examples of this kind of tapestry before. But only in museums.
This one was decorated mainly with swirling patterns of colors and shapes, and delicately woven decorative arrangements typical of Qazhar. The colors of the tapestry had faded over the years, but it was still stunning.
"This is beautiful," Lori exclaimed. And she meant exactly what she said. It reminded her of the mosaic which had been uncovered back at Kadir's palace. But, this wasn't as old as that. She was sure of that.
Zafar stood to one side. She was aware that he was watching her, an appreciative look on his face. She was sure he could see just how much pleasure a beautiful object like this could give her.