Mahmud

I awaken to morning light coming in through my window in my barracks apartment, wondering if I'd simply had a beautiful dream.

"My Mahmud," she'd whispered, laying atop me, her lips next to my ear, after we were too tired to make love. "My heart belongs to you, Captain."

I glance over at her sleeping form. Her back is bare, and I reach over to her to pull her to my chest. She sighs, and smiles, scooting her bottom up against my hips and wiggling it against my morning hard on.

Gods. I can't get enough of this woman. It's as if we've always existed like this. Our love. It's been here for so long...

A forceful knock on the door interrupts us.

"Captain Mahmud, you are ordered to open this door in the name of the king!" a gruff voice shouts.

I get out of bed and barely pull on my trousers before the door is flung open.

General Hassak stands in my doorway. I immediately stand at salute. "Yes, sir?"

"The king orders your presence immediately," General Hassak states. "He is not in a good mood either." His gaze falls on Zahra in my bed, wrapped up in the sheets. "You have a woman in here?" His eyebrows raise. General Hassak is not a bad sort of man, even if he's rigid on protocol and drills. "I'll give you fifteen minutes to dress and say your goodbye, Captain. I'll be outside your door to escort you."

He leaves and shuts the door behind him.

"That doesn't sound good," I tell Zahra. "The king must me very angry if he's sending General Hassak to escort me." My face burns red at being caught with a woman by the General. Part of the reason I'd achieved as much as I have is because I'd been so dedicated to resisting any vices. I'm an honorable man of Kanan.

Zahra rises and wantonly lets the sheet fall from her. "My love, this is sooner than we expected, we both know Raman is a man who acts on impulse without anyone questioning it. Power has enabled his child-like tantrums."

"Just never tell him that to his face," I mutter, I glance at her again. So naked. I groan and run a hand through my hair. I suck in a breath and say, "Can you--you you, please, just cover up, Zahra? Gods, you're distracting me and I have to think!"

Zahra begins dressing herself but I watch her, allowing myself that visual gift.

Zahra rolls her eyes at my scrutiny. "Enjoying yourself, Mahmud?"

I dress myself in my uniform, and Zahra hands me the comb from by the wash basin. "Good luck," she says, kissing me on the lips. I catch underneath her chin with my hand and let our kiss linger. "With all my heart, I believe in you."

The General knocks hard on my door. "It's time!" I hear him bark.

"Wait here, until I return," I whisper to her. "If I do not return by noon, find a place to hide."

As I'm escorted through the barracks to the King's palace, I scramble to find something convincing to tell King Raman.

Raman sits in his throne room, two of his concubines sit veiled in his presence, I wonder why he had women in this room for our meeting. "Mahmud," he says, gesturing a hand and I kneel where he directs.

"My king," I say, bowing my head.

"I am impatient, Mahmud, my night was haunted by that same dream, I cannot wait a night longer I must know," Raman states, he rests a hand on the shoulder of one of his concubines. "Shala is a creature of magic. Much like you, Mahmud. She is not a magi, she is a wise woman. Her abilities in deciphering whether someone is lying has never been questioned. If you lie to me, Shala will tell me."

Immediately my face is burning, I cannot help it. My entire plan is falling into ruins with this wise woman next to the king.

"You keep a woman of magic?" I ask in disbelief.

"Indeed," Raman says. "I keep a woman of magic. Gave her a privileged life in exchange for her faithful assistance. I found her as a slave girl while trading in Aura." He places a hand on the other concubine. "Amara is only here to provide a woman's intuition into the both of you. She is my most loyal concubine and would never wish harm to come upon me."

"I was granted the interpretation," I say. I cannot hide the interpretation now. But mayhap I should test Shala's abilities first? "I wish to only tell you the truth, my king."

Shala rises, her body rigid and she points her finger at me. "You lie."

Raman stiffens and rises with her. "This man lies, woman?"

"Yes, master, he lies. He does not wish to tell you the truth."

"That was a test," I say, nodding my head and chuckling, knowing I'm literally sticking my own neck out on a chopping block by making such a play. I think of Zahra, I think of how more than anything I wish to be with her and live my own life on my own terms with her.

"You dare to test the king?" Raman's face reddens and his hands ball into fists. "Is this a game to you, Magi?"

"No, my king," I say, feeling sweat bead on my brow. "I only know that what I am about to say... it will not sit well with his majesty at all. Yet, it is the truth. It's likely why your other magi lied to you. They did not believe you would spare their lives if they told you the truth."

"Shala, is he speaking the truth?" Raman turns to look at the veiled concubine.

"The young man speaks the truth now, he believes what he has to say will greatly anger you," Shala says.

Amara walks up to the king and places an arm around him comfortingly. "They are being true. I feel it. I am here, your Majesty."

I notice how Raman's eyes are beginning to well with tears and this greatly shocks me. His face pales and he grips Amara close to him. "Tell me the awful tidings then, Magi. I want the bitter truth. I want to know what the fates have in store for me."