Chapter 2
First impressions
Darkness arose as the last light fell. Crowds filled the streets which were, till yesterday, lifeless. The announcement of the wedding was the end of the siege. And so, the people rejoiced as they celebrated the coming of a new dawn.
The union of two tribes.
Laila held the veil closer to her face as a group of guards walked by, releasing a sigh of relief when they ignored her covered figure.
"There is no need to fear, no one will recognise you." Wafiyyah reassured as they walked down a busy path. The smell of sweet desserts suddenly hit them, forcing their feet towards the hectic stalls.
How could it be that a starving city yesterday, was now full of food and life?
The soldiers of Al-Muharibun were no fools. When they arrived to state their condition, they arrived with food and aid. The same tyrants who starved them now offered them a bite to eat, and her people were miserable enough to be deceived.
Everywhere she turned, they spoke only words of praise for their enemy.
"Would you like some?" Wafiyyah asked, disrupting her thoughts. The taste of the sweets was a flavour missed on Laila's tongue. Even she could not resist as she grudgingly nodded her head. Her handmaiden smiled, disappearing into the gathering before them.
Till now, Laila had remained oblivious to her chaotic surroundings. Yet, upon the exit of her confidante, the princess found herself feeling uneasy. Her hand slyly fell to her side pocket, satisfied when feeling the sharp blade to be used only for self-defence.
"Breathe Laila, she just went to the stall." Laila assured, not knowing when she ended up in the middle of the busy marketplace.
She felt foolish for her discomfort. This was her tribe, her village. What more could she fear after being betrothed to her oppressor?
A shoulder suddenly barged into her, pushing her into a distant wall. The masses around her suddenly diffused, forming straight lines on either side of the street when a voice shouted among the commotion.
"Make way!" Orders were screamed, as the people began to cheer for a group of armed men. Of course, only Al-Muharibun could disperse a crowd with such efficiency.
Laila turned in disbelief, refusing to look before her. Afraid that even she would become hypnotised by their perfect display of valour and courage. Or at least, what they believed it to be. They were like the street actors who occasionally came to entertain the wealthy; only providing temporary joys to distract from the harsh reality.
Her eyes desperately searched for an escape as her hands fell onto the wall behind her. She followed it, attempting to avoid the bodies of people surrounding her.
Her own body suddenly fell back, tumbling into a small alleyway. Grateful for her petite frame, Laila found herself following the tight path, until the noise of the masses became faint. The sky was now covered in darkness, the moon becoming her sole light.
The alleyway was small, a larger figure couldn't possibly fit. She dropped the veil around her face, barely being able to breathe in the suffocating air. Her eyes instantaneously turned left as a tiny voice suddenly whispered.
"Please help me." Laila paused, hesitant as she urged herself to follow the whimper. It was a child, no older than six, clutching a golden bracelet in his hand. He was breathless, as though he had been running. His eyes caught hers, drowning in desperation. Laila hesitated, she pulled her veil around her face, searching for an escape.
"Please, he's coming," he stopped her, his voice breaking.
She could not be from those who were impartial.
"Who's coming?" she questioned, unable to stop herself. The child did not speak, rather, he pointed behind Laila with a shaking finger.
Eyes widening, she slowly turned to see a large figure descending upon them, forcing her to approach the child and place both arms around him, protective.
"Here you are." The man spoke calmly, deliberately. She could barely see his full features in the dark, yet he seemed familiar. The voice resonated with one she had heard before.
It was collected, controlled.
"What do you want?" she asked apprehensively, daring to look upon him.
"And who might you be? An accomplice?" His question caught her off guard, igniting her irritation.
"An accomplice of what exactly?" She moved the child behind her, swallowing her alarm. "If not, then why do you hide that child, despite knowing he clutches my possession in his hands."
The bracelet. The child must've been a pocket thief. Clearly, he had pinched the bracelet from this man and escaped.
"I apologise. I did not know he had stolen it from you." She reached her hand out to the child, urging him to return the ornament. He shook his head, hiding it behind his back. "I can't."
"You must return the bracelet to its owner." Laila explained, watching as he stepped back in fear. "If I give it back, I won't be able to eat." Tears brimmed his eyes and Laila felt her stomach sink.
Was this how they lived?
"In usual circumstances, I would have let you keep the gold. However, that bracelet is precious so I cannot. Instead, we will make a deal." Both Laila and the child turned to look at the man. He began to walk towards them, compelling them to step back.
"Stop. I won't hurt you." He raised his hands, halting when he was within touching distance. Laila could finally see some features of his face. Sculpted, catching her breath as he briefly glanced her way.
"And if I offer you something else in exchange?" He reached into his side clutch and took out a ring with a large red jewel on it. "This is very precious, worth a lot more than that bracelet." He bent, eye to eye with the child, holding out the hand which held the ring.
"Shall we?"
For a second, there was silence. The child slowly reached forward and swapped their items. "Are you sure?" He asked, cautiously. The man laughed, causing goose bumps to appear on Laila's arms.
"You should've asked that question before you took the ring." He patted his head, reassuring him. "You have my word." A smile graced the boy's face as he bowed in thanks. He looked towards Laila, nodding in gratitude before running away.
The silence was deafening, both still as they watched him escape. Laila felt her hands clench, nervously trying to create her own escape plan. His voice was soft, interrupting her thoughts when asking for her name.
"That was very kind of you." Avoiding his question, she turned to face him.
"If I had known Al-Shujae hosted this many beggars, I would've bought more gold." He took a step closer to her. "Now, your name?" he repeated his question, harsher with his tone.
"I believe I do not have to tell you."
"You wear the clothes of a common woman yet you speak like a noble. I was only intrigued. Forgive me for my intrusion."
"Who are you? And why do you speak of Al-Shujae as though you are an outsider? Are you a merchant? Or worse, are you from that barbaric tribe?" Laila raised her head, defensive. The man before her smirked, stepping into the faint moonlight.
.
"What if I was to say I was the leader of that barbaric tribe"
.
Laila blinked, her words lost. Only the cool breeze brought her back to reality as she willed the earth to swallow her whole. "Y-You're the leader," she stuttered.
"Is that surprising? I thought of you as intelligent from our short conversation," he smiled smugly, humoured by his own joke. Laila looked to the ground, refusing to indulge in his hilarity. She shook her head in disbelief.
"I must leave." The words barely left her mouth before she forced her feet to turn to escape. There was no way he could possibly fit through the tiny alleyway, not that he would even try. Even she tripped a few times before returning to the busy marketplace.
Stumbling into the noise, Laila glanced around, hoping to catch sight of Wafiyyah. She retraced her steps to the sweet stall, not able to see signs of a familiar face.
"Please-" a hand sharply clutched her shoulder as Laila turned in shock. Her previous panic was flooded with relief upon recognising Wafiyyah.
"I have been looking everywhere for you!" The handmaiden almost screamed. Without hesitation, Wafiyyah grabbed Laila's hand and began dragging her away from the market. "First and last time for sure. We are returning home!"
Laila had no chance to speak as she was pulled away. The streets were clearer as the crowds lessened. Soon, she recognised the familiar doors of her own abode standing proudly before her.
"You can release me now" Laila said, gently removing her hand from Wafiyyah's grasp.
"You cannot go through the front doors, they'll know you were gone." Wafiyyah informed, gesturing towards the back of the house. Laila nodded, slowly following.
"I'll go make sure the way is clear." Wafiyyah rushed ahead, disappearing into the dark night. Laila stilled, awaiting approval before she could move forward.
"Wafiyyah," she called silently, wanting to shout it out. After a second, she found herself calling the name again. Only this time, she felt a strange presence behind her.
"Who do you call?" The question stiffened Laila's form, releasing the quietest gasp as she lost her footing. Her body fell back, landing on a broad figure.
A firm hand held her, as another bought forward the light of a fire torch.
The sudden blaze revived Laila's consciousness. She stood straight, slowly turning.
The devil surely came as an angel. In light, he shone like the sun. So much so, that it almost hurt to look at him. The more she stared, the more her eyes burned.
He stood tall, wearing normal clothes as opposed to the warrior ensemble he wore this morning. His skin was dusted in gold, evidence of his time out in war. But his most striking feature was those piercing grey eyes.
Those eyes which seemed to stare deep into her soul.
Releasing a stifled cough, Laila closed her eyes, praying he was an illusion. She opened them again and exhaled deeply. It was not. He stared back, his eyes intrigued by the woman before him.
"A familiar dress, a familiar veil." He stepped forward as Laila took one step back. "And those familiar eyes."
A smirk appeared on his face. "Tell me I have not seen you before." He almost encouraged her to lie. Laila bit her lip. If she spoke, he could recognise her voice. Instead, she shook her head and hoped to escape.
"You won't be able to run," he predicted her thoughts. Attempting to disguise her voice, Laila placed a hand over her mouth. "I apologise, I work here," she explained.
He laughed, approaching her until she was trapped against him and a stubborn wall.
"I know exactly who you are."
She didn't dare to breathe. Her body froze, noticing that she had never been this close to a man before.
Many thoughts ran through her head. Would her secret be let out and he would refuse to marry her? Or worse, would he impose more conditions on the tribe because of her 'attempt to freedom'?
How crazy she was to believe she could deceive him.
"I am-" he interrupted before she could continue.
"You are the lady who helped the child before." They both stood in silence as Laila began to understand his words.
Of course, he would believe she was the woman from the alleyway. From this angle, she could see her exit right in front of her.
Whilst searching, her eyes wandered from the doorway of the servant's quarters to the part of his body she was closest to. His neck was clear of all defence. If she could reach for her blade, she could even hurt him.
The mind was a terrible thing, for every part of her body was being convinced to commit this heinous crime. Her hands began to slowly reach for the weapon in her pocket.
"I am not her," she replied, aiming to distract him.
He would be better off dead. What would his soldiers do without a leader?
Remembering all her training from Abdul, Laila swiftly grabbed the blade and within a second, held it against his exposed neck. Usman froze, a smirk slowly appearing on his face.
How naive she was.
He almost beckoned for her to make another move.
"I will kill you" she warned, a glint in her eyes. He exposed his neck, urging her to cut it. Her hand began to shake as she pressed the blade harder. Before it could pierce his skin, his hand tightly gripped her arm, forcing her to drop the weapon.
Her retaliation was weak as he swiftly grabbed her wrist and twisted her around, causing her back to be against his chest and her face almost against the wall. The fire torch had dropped to the ground, extinguishing their only light.
"That wasn't very nice of you to do Laila." She stopped breathing for a second, her mind searching for an explanation. He knew her name.
"Usman," she breathed out. Her eyes searched for him, only being able to see his foolish smirk. He laughed before releasing her.
"What an introduction." He caressed the scratch on his neck, observing as she struggled to stand straight.
"I will definitely remember this." Laila spat out as Usman shook his head.
"Likewise," he replied, watching her run to the house. The grin on his face widened as his eyes began to light up.
So that was his future wife.