❝My love will drown you to the depths of the sea.❞
Furat bin Kiyan, the fleet admiral of Al Andalus, is a spy and a rebel on a mission to kill the caliph of Cordoba and claim the throne for himself. But finds himself in trouble at the hands of Rahaf...
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A DOZEN HEADS are sliced off their bodies. A dozen more men are lashed until their blood colors the clean marble floor of the palace veranda. The corpses are dragged all the way from the palace through the cobblestone pathways outside to be tied to the horses and taken to the city— to let everyone witness the example the caliph of Cordoba has set up of those who dare to go against him.
Adara feels her chest constrict at the sight before her eyes. Her husband has only returned home and has already unleashed his rage upon his officials. It appears to her as if a mad storm has struck the palace walls. Anyone who so much as utter a word in opposition to him is doomed. He nearly choked one of his men to death for condemning his course of actions. Then deciding against it, he tied him up in the freezing cold outside without enough garments to keep him warm, so that his skin turned blue and his senses went numb.
As if this isn't enough, a gash is made on her heart at the visitors he has brought with himself to the palace. One whom she recognizes, Zurarah bin Hirash— his old friend. And another whom she wants to strangle, the daughter of his father's advisor and the sister of his friend. Young, pure, and clearly excited to be in this hell. She almost wants to throw her back into her carriage and send her home.
Cries of agony reach her ears from where she's restlessly pacing one of the halls in the palace. She quickly moves away from the window, unable to withstand Aswad inflicting anymore torture on his subjects. Adara fidgets with her hands anxiously and takes deep breaths to calm her heart.
The doors to the hall open and Marrar enters the room. She hurries towards him.
"Malika."
He tips his head at her in greeting and respect.
"Make it stop, Marrar," she speaks the first thing on her mind. "What is he doing? What is Aswad thinking? He'll wipe clean his court at this rate and turn everyone against him."
"Ameer Kanan tried to poison him, Malika. When we were in Gharnatah—"
"I know," she croaks desperately. "I heard. And he punished Kanan for it, recklessly if I must add." She shakes her head. "As if turning one family of nobles against him wasn't enough, he's butchering everyone who voices their opinion to him. What does he want? To be outnumbered and dethroned?"
"Malika, he's our Khalifa. He—"
"Do not support him in every wrongdoing, Marrar," Adara cuts him sharply, glaring at him disapprovingly. "Make it stop. Remind him that he's a man, not a beast— a king who should rather not be a Pharoah for indeed for every Pharoah is a Moses. And that every action will have consequences so he better take actions with consequences he can afford."
Marrar tips his head once more. "Yes, sayyidati."
He turns to leave and Adara watches him go until he reaches the door and she stops him.
