Chapter 5 - Interrogation

A shadowy figure stood to the side of the closed window leaning against a bookcase. Of average height and lean with muscle, it bled shadows as dark eyes gazed out underneath an impenetrable hood. The voice that emanated from it was clearly male, and though whispered, the words cut through the silent tension like a knife.

"A clean dodge while otherwise deep in thought. Impressive; though I already suspected as much when you noticed one of my men yesterday. I must say I have never known one of my men to be so quickly picked out of the crowd. I had to keep him from resigning this morning."

There was a hint of humor there but it was quickly lost as the gaze hardened. "You know why I am here I presume." Alidar nodded, gripping his dagger tightly before relaxing his stance minutely.

"You need to know whether I am a threat to the princess. You're here to ask questions, interrogate if I'm willing, or kill me if I'm not." The man nodded seemingly impressed.

"An accurate assumption. I am Hasharri young man. You know my job which shows you are well learned. What you may not know is that the Sultan has no bearing on this conversation. His wishes are not relevant to my desire for questions. I serve only the princess which makes this awkward for me."

Alidar tilted his head at the hint of exasperation that bled through the man's tone. The man's voice, when he spoke again, held a measure of caution in it as if he wasn't sure he was supposed to say anything.

"I am here because my mistress thinks and speaks highly of you."

Alidar felt his heart begin to thump loudly, so loud he thought the man before him could hear it. His widening eyes and slight blush must have given the game away however for the man chuckled.

"I know your feelings young man. Many a man has been struck dumb at my mistress's beauty. You yourself showed them openly when she departed yesterday." The man's voice once more hardened. "Which is why I am here. She speaks highly of you and my mistress does not suffer fools. She also shared her name with you in a private manner with her guards as witness. You are now connected through tradition and have the right, technically," here he paused and eyed Alidar to make sure he understood, "of calling upon the Princess as an acquaintance. You have that privilege but it is my job to see that you are deserving of it. It is my duty to stand between her and danger even if she would despise me for it. Do you understand?"

Alidar nodded, struck dumb by the speech, before slowly unclenching his jaw and drawing a shaky breath. The Hasharri wanted to know of him, would not leave without answers, and would see through half-truths and lies. He swallowed heavily but stood up straight and squared his shoulders. He wasn't ashamed of his life and would answer as truthfully as he could without endangering Sel and the other Rats. The reward was simply too great. An acquaintance of the Princess! How many other orphans could say as much? And he could not lie to himself. The sheer pleasure of even the possibility of seeing her again, the heady rush that accompanied that thought almost made him woozy. So he steeled his gaze and nodded, meeting the Hasharri's eyes from across the room.

The man nodded once. "Very well." His tone was pleased. "Begin with your background and work your way up to the present day. Leave nothing out." So Alidar did. He told him of his parents, their different deaths and how a friend became like a father and then a brother to a young orphan with nowhere to go. He spoke of his travels over the last seven years, the training, the creation of the Street Rats and their numerous heists, culminating in his return to Dasir as second in command and the last two years of being a thief of the evil and powerful and giving that money and food away to the poor of Dasir as well as increasing the Rats' influence within the city. Throughout it all the Hasharri remained stoic and unmoving. He asked pointed questions to dig deeper into certain aspects of Alidar's life and how they shaped him.

"Enough." He finally said. "I have your measure now. There are issues to discuss but they are not ones of character. By the maker, I have not seen another man give so honest an account of his own life to one of the royal Hasharri before." He eyed Alidar speculatively. He straightened and walked over holding out his hand. "My name is Rajah El'Shiara, captain of Princess Yasmina's royal Hasharri." Without hesitation Alidar took it and replied with his own. Rajah smiled and declared softly, "You are hereby granted the Honor of Acquaintance with her highness the Princess." At his words a burning sensation began to sear itself into Alidar's hand traveling up his arm to rest over his heart. There it stayed to burn a hole in his chest and Alidar gasped at the pain barely able to keep his posture and grip. But keep it, he did. He didn't know why but he felt as though this was the most important step, beyond his honesty and the other man's given name. This…this was the real test. After a time the pain faded and Rajah nodded, seemingly satisfied. "You have done well, Alidar. You passed every test and are yet unbent. Not many can stand before me when their loyalty is tested by pain. And the greater the loyalty, the greater the pain. It tells me much about you, especially since my mistress's Authority has no claim on you." Alidar's head snapped up at his words.

Rajah chuckled. "Yes Alidar, my mistress has Authority to some degree. If she had decided to reveal her identity in the Market her Authority would have flattened every knee there to the ground if she chose to exercise it. Even in his rage, your friend Hakim would be no exception. She was in no real danger so your intervention revealed your character more fully than you might realize. The fact you didn't know reveals your courage." Alidar blinked at the man's sudden praise, caught off guard by the switch in the man's demeanor. Once more Rajah chuckled at the confusion on Alidar's face. "You are now an acquaintance of my mistress, affirmed and certified by my Authority as her captain. Her Hasharri will no longer find you a threat unless you pose one to her highness."

"I would never harm her." Alidar declared fervently. He flushed immediately as the words left his mouth aware of how it sounded. He shook his head and sighed. Addressing Rajah, he said, "So what other issues did you want to discuss." He looked at the other man. " You said there were some issues before. What are they?"

"Like I said, they are not ones of character." Rajah folded his arms and gave Alidar a pensive look. "They are more like housekeeping issues. For one you are affiliated and participating in a group that does illegal activities. For such a person to be acquainted with the royal family?" He shrugged. "People will talk. Nobles would take notice and I doubt the Sultan would appreciate his daughter having such a connection. Simply put…" Here he fixed a stern gaze on Alidar. "My mistress's reputation would suffer. My job is to protect her in every way."

Alidar nodded understandingly. "Hence the dilemma." He thought carefully, his mind going to work to develop a means by which his desire to see the princess would not clash with his life of crime among the Street Rats. His gaze lingered on the desk and he caught sight of a book written by a sea captain, named Captain Silasian. A thought caught and lingered within his brain and he mulled it over. Rajah, seeing the concentration on his face, waited patiently. Alidar walked over to the book and pulled it from its stack before handing it to Rajah. Rajah accepted it and glanced down before looking up, quirking an eyebrow upwards in a question. Alidar answered the unspoken inquiry. "This book is written by a Captain who participated in the War for the Inner Sea. Raglan contracted captains to partake in what is essentially legalized piracy. As long as the ships were not theirs the captains were protected by the Raglanese crown. I propose this to be the solution."

To his credit Rajah caught on to the idea immediately. "You mean to have the Streets Rats be labeled as a lawfully recognized organization under the jurisdiction of the Sultanate?" His tone was more speculative than incredulous. Alidar nodded. "We only target those who deserve it. We case each theft thoroughly and we can provide proof of their misconduct. Technically we steal from criminals who have the wealth and connections to escape the law. The Rats can also be shifted to other threats, even those outside of Dasir." He eyed the other man cautiously, as Rajah stroked his shadowed face contemplatively.

The man sighed, "It could work. It has never been attempted before and I'm not sure the Sultan will agree to it, but it could work. I will present the idea to my mistress and if she agrees, I will share it with his majesty." Rajah straightened and made his way to the window. "I will return once these details are finalized. If they are accepted then your acquaintanceship with her highness will be publicly affirmed by the Sultan. If not," and here he turned back to Alidar, "any relationship between you and her highness will remain ever in the shadows." Having finished, the man disappeared out the window like a wraith.

Alidar found the desk chair and slumped into it breathing heavily as his brain tried to acclimate to the stress and nervous energy running through him. He was an affirmed acquaintance. He could scarcely believe it. His future opened ahead of him and for a moment he was caught up in the many threads interwoven throughout it. He breathed a sigh of thanksgiving towards the Maker before exiting the library in a daze and making his way home.