The pawn

Mina finally opened her eyes again the darkness elevated by small lanterns placed in random corners of the nearly empty room. On the furthest side was a stretcher occupied by someone she could not make out.

"Hello?" Curiously she whispered hoping to alert the person of her presence when they did not budge she scans the room in the hope to find something useful. A stool beside the stretcher caught her attention its metal covered in a dark powder that seemed to line the entire room. She tried to regain her memory of what had transpired but it was all blank.

Just then the heavy door opened and a blocky figure thumped in, he first looked at the stretcher then at her. "Ah! Finally, you awoke." He walked towards the stool and sat making the metal clink under his weight, his sooty clothes losing nothing from its dirt, leaning towards the light she could make out his face, "Umar?"

"So clever this Munir don't you think? If I had not known better I would have fallen for your act."

"Where is the prince? What has Munir done now?"

"Don't worry as soon as you finish here you shall get all the answers, for now just do as you are told." Mina started to hate being involved blindly again. Umar revealed a small blade and walked towards her "please let me go!"

Umar knelt ignoring her persistent plea "Always the chatterer! Didn't Munir teach you when to shut up?" he ran the blade through the ropes on her legs. The confused girl started jolting him "you fool!" he stood up looming over her, huskily took her arm and stood her up, his face changed with anger. He whips her around and held her against the dark ragged stone wall. Pressing down the knife on her calloused hands with much force that it almost drew blood.

"You are lucky, for now, but if he dies so shall you." his bulged eyes and clenched teeth frightened her and for a moment he was a stranger. When he finally freed her hand's mina moved further down the wall regaining her previous position. She knew that he could not dare to go through with it Munir would not allow it. Or would he? Long after Umar was gone she still sat there staring at the walls repeating his words. She was a fool to trust them, was everything a lie? She was just another piece on the board after all, in a game that Munir would always win. Mina was washed away by her thoughts, remembering the old man; in one of the few particular moments, she dearly treasured.

~~~~

"A ...a...b...e...ey; Ya Munir I give up! This is so hard!" young mina complained throwing the book on the table. Munir who was sitting across the room turns around looking over his glasses the young girl inclined on the table with both hands propped on her face. Munir smiles at her taking off his glasses "You can give up or you can battle it as Faiza did."

"Who is this Faiza?" as always mina questioned.

Munir stood up and uncovers a box amongst his books on one of the shelves. "Well, she was a great female physician." he opened it taking out a rounded wooden chip painted in black. Mina was further puzzled with the answer "But Munir, how can a woman be a physician? It is forbidden!" he assumed the seat next to her "She was the only one."

For a moment he stared at the chip "Was she ever caught?" mina whispered not wanting to distract him. "Of course not she had a brother who was a soldier." he pours the remaining chips on the table and sets the box aside. "Do you want to hear the story?" the young girl knew it was a lie but she was not one to deny a good tale. She drew her chair closer as Munir drew squares with chalk.

~~~

The man across the room groaned startling her from her thoughts. She draws close to him and notices his bleeding shoulder a knife still protruding from the wound and swollen bump on the head. Umar barges in again, this time holding a tray. "Here are some things that might be of help." He sets it down next to her. As he was walking out Mina thought she heard a familiar feminine voice before she could make it out Umar closed the door.

~~~

The palace kitchens were quiet than usual though it was zuhur no smoke emanated from them. A worried Munir filters the room his eyes darting from one scarf to the other, curious eyes following him throughout his search. "Rawiya, we need to talk." She gestured to the boy to pour water into a bowl. "Maybe later Munir I have a lot of work." He leaned forward "It's urgent." Rawiya froze her attention quickly diverted to him. "Does it have to do with the prince?"

"Yes."

"Follow me" she leads him into the servant's corridors up the stairs and into the servants' conference hall. She locks the door with one of her numerous keys that jingled as she turns to Munir "What happened?"

"Yesterday an old maiden came to my chambers, she was more of a beggar mien." The woman looked annoyed "you call me here to tell me about a beggar?"

"Please listen" Munir insists.

"She came to me with a bangle" she was about to leave, but Munir whispers close to her ears.

"Raina's, the same one." the old woman's brows knitted in confusion and wonder.

Suddenly understanding what he meant "Where did she get it?"

"It was a gift from the desert raiders long ago."

"What!" Munir nodded "Does she know? After all these years, why now?"

Rawiya became agitated her continuous glances to the floor ceased focusing solely on the old man.

"I am not sure, but she is convinced that it came from here."

"You just let her go with that information?" Rawiya's tension built on.

"I have already dispatched a spy after her don't worry" Munir assured.

"She must want something for sure." A knock on the door disrupted them "Sorry Rawiya the king is asking for you". Lurking in the shadows a man was listening, his tattered skin still raw itched from the fabric that covered him. Quietly he watched the two walk out of the room.

~~~

Mina paced around the small confinement thinking of a plan. The tray was still on the floor, a pile of white cloth threatening to topple over into the dust beneath. Reminding her of the pristine gown whose vibrant navy frills had no doubt faded from the coal, intricate rose prints washed away. The dim light worsened its complexion.

"Mama!" the almost whisper turned her attention to him. His clothes were no neater than Umar's, drawing closer to inspect his wounds she noticed his strong cologne a mixture of wild cloves with a hint of cinnamon. A typical concoction sold in every perfume vendor in Madyan. Which was struggling to outshine the pungent sweet smell of sheep fat that stained his blackened tunic. Where it was reaped by the knife she tore it out further to get a scope of the wound.

But it was not the smell nor the wounds that intrigued her rather it was his distressed features. Slowly she grasped the hilt of the knife pulling it out quickly, Pressing one of the white cloth from the tray to contain the blood. The tray only contained a bowl of water and the rags proved to be useless and helpful at the same time. Her hand ached from all the pressure she was exhorting to the wound, but the bleeding never stopped. Even the dark coals that kept peeping from his long lashes disappeared.

"Umar help! Please he is dying!" she doubted her futile screams could go past the heavy metal door, nevertheless she continued wailing. His heartbeat weakened by each passing second, its rhythm waning beneath the rags. Mina closed her eyes listening to her beat as if lending it to him. "Run, hurry run!" the words flooded her mind as if he was truly addressing her. She remembered the bloodstain on the same shoulder; a small wound, probably from a quarrel.

She barely understood him but could tell, he was quite a trouble maker. Like M she guessed a soldier for the weak but what did he have? Unlike Munir, he lacked status and power and so his fate was decided long ago. Tear streams washed down her sooty face and the blood pooled in her hands, as she floated desperately in her thoughts trying to save the life of this perfect stranger.

~~~

"Malik," Khalid approached Suleiman staggering to his view-blocking a scene of feeding doves. "Oh! There you are." Suleiman lit up eager to hear him out. "Malik, a discovery has come to light." He shifts a bit biting his pulpy lower lip.

"Well go on then what is it!" Suleiman impatiently urges.

"I have to know that my sister will be free first." Khalid nearly swallowed the sentence but Suleiman's keen ears picked up every word. "Hassan go and bring Laila". Suleiman orders his son's servant "He will take a while, why don't you join me here." Suleiman offers him a seat on the ground beside him.

"Now speak boy!" Khalid hesitates then starts narrating what had transpired. Once in a while Suleiman would nod and toss a handful of wheat to the birds. "This woman did you see her?" Suleiman's gruff voice echoed startling the doves "Yes, Malik." Khalid quivered from the sound "I want her found immediately." He got up and as he turned to walk away his large kaftan slapped Khalid on the head.

"Malik what about Leila?" Suleiman stopped without looking at him "Bring the woman first!" he dismissed resuming his stride.