---Nadir's POV---

I was walking a fine line here; I knew the mercenaries were in town, were actively looking for me. More so, I had even seen a few of the men, casually spread along the city as they kept an eye out for trouble.

A smirk slid on my lips as I eyed the group that had set themselves up in front of the palace. As if I'd try and barge in there to reach my target. I huffed and shook my head, pushing against the cart I was carrying. 

When I had seen a merchant who's son's ankle had been sprained, I had offered to take the load to his co-worker. He had eyed me in distrust before one of his other sons had stated he'd come along to keep an eye out.

So here I was, pushing the cart full of spices and dried herbs towards the Souq, the eldest son of the merchant pushing beside me and grunting at the heavy load of the cart. "Have you done this before?" He hissed between his teeth when the cart got jammed against a rock.

I shrugged, kicking against the rock and sending it flying off of the road. "Not with spices but yes, I've known hard labor." Curiosity burned in the man's dark brown eyes before they widened when I reached back for the cart.

Glancing down, I sighed and pulled my sleeve down, which had slid up to reveal the markings on my wrist. He swallowed and cleared his throat, nodding to himself before resuming to push the cart. I joined him in silence, wondering if the man now thought less of me...

Because that's what most people thought of slaves, wasn't it? Lessers, stripped of their basic rights and forced into heavy labor, if they were lucky. I could still remember being treated like an animal that refused to heel, the multitude of lashings I had received and bore the scars from on my back.

I could sense the man distancing himself mentally from me, and I knew what he was thinking. Better him than me. That's what everyone thought. They saw the truth, saw the abuse and neglect, the wretched things that happened... and they all nodded, averted their eyes and acted as if their nose bled.

My muscles flexed as I shoved harder against the cart, remembering when I found out that some parents actually sold their children to slavers for a silver or two. Either there were too many mouths too feed or they were too greedy but they didn't give a damn.

When we arrived at the Souq, we unloaded the car and got paid for the delivery. Without a word, the Son handed over a few coins and left without sparing me a backwards glance. I snorted and shook my head, pocketing the coins.

I had dressed to the occasion, with worn clothes and dirt spread over my face to look as inconspicuous as possible. If people asked, I could tell them I had been a newly freed slave, looking for a job.

Hell, I even had the scars to prove it.

Looking down at my bared wrists, an idea came to mind and I grinned, rubbing over my face and checking in the nearby window if I was still overall filthy. I actually looked like a poor slave, so might as well act like one.

I made my way over towards the center of the Souq, close to one of the vendors that the Sheik frequented. Once there, I started to approach vendors, asking in a quiet voice if they had a job for me in exchange for some food. 

When they seemed to hesitate, I scratched at my jaw, the slave markings on my wrist standing out like a sore. But this time, it actually worked in my advantage. Everyone in our culture saw begging as forbidden, unless it was absolutely needed.

The man sighed but nodded, motioning for me to wait for a moment as he looked to see if he had a job to do. I already knew he hadn't; everything was stalled out beautifully, organized to perfection and cleaned.

So when he replied negatively, shaking his head in remorse, I nodded my head in understanding, blessing him for his kindness anyways. I made my way through the vendors, all of them already had everything done, or they were already doing said chore.

Hushed voices whispered in excitement and I felt my heart throb and starting to race. Perfect. I was right at the herbal vender, pleading with the man for a job. I had kept an eye on him and knew he still had several crates to unload and he was all too happy for my help.

As I listened to his instructions, nodding along before I started to open up the packages and hang the dried herbs delicately, I saw him.

My next target.

It was hard to bite down a smirk, knowing the Sheik's end was near. Unknowingly, he was fast approaching death on his own will, his eyes scanning the crowd as he came closer to the vendor. 

I worked diligently, keeping my back to him while making sure all the herbs were sorted correctly. The merchant was praising my work, blessing my kindness before he gulped. Reaching in his pocket, he grabbed a handkerchief to dab at the sweat dotting his forehead, a nervous smile slipping on his lips.

"G-Good day, my Lord. A wonderful morning it is, right?"

"Hmmm, I suppose." 

The vendor's smile dropped and I looked under my lashes at the Sheik. He was still like I remembered; slender and seemingly underfed, most likely an effect of the fumes he inhaled on a daily basis.

His nails were yellowed from the herbal pastes he made, the skin of his hands crackling slightly as he folded his hands and put them in his long sleeves. He eyed the wares curiously, taking note of a few products that were new to him.

I could remember his curiosity for the new, yet his hesitance to use it. Luckily for me, I knew the herbs he was looking at and they were rather harmless. Looking down in the box, I swallowed when I realized the next batch I was about to unload was anything but.

These were flowers, fresh flowers that could kill anyone in an instant when they were ingested. I knew that as soon as I removed these flowers from the box and revealed them to the Sheik, he'd want them for his collection, to brew new poisons with and study the effects of said poisons on slaves he had locked away in iron cages.

But still, I was prepared for this very moment. I bit my lip as I kept my hands in the box, spinning the rings around my middle fingers until the miniscule stone was aimed towards my palm. Gathering the flowers as gently as possible, I lifted them out of the box and turned, wanting to place them on the shelves close enough to the Sheik.

The motion caught his attention, as he gave me a slow, unfocused glance, his attention aimed towards the plants in front of him. But then he took a second glance, eyes widening before he snapped his fingers to me.

"You! Peasant!"

I blinked, stopping my motions and acting as if I was confused before bowing when I noticed the Sheik. Even if it been years when we last saw each other, I didn't risk any eye contact with him because he had an uncanny ability to remember small details. And as I had been told, my eyes were rather remarkable and would surely uncover some long lost memories if he stared at them too long.

"Yes, My lord?" I asked, holding the flowers still before he motioned towards them with irritation, palm open as he snapped, "Hand over those plants, you rat!" I reached over and just as I had expected, he reached in to snatch them from my hands before I had them completely open.

He cursed and pulled his hands back, a thin line of blood running from his split knuckle as he hissed and suckled at the small wound. "Forgive me, my lord. I haven't been able to cut my nails lately and-"

The back of his hand connected with my face, shutting me up in an instant as the force made me spin and land on the floor in a puff of sand. My jaw throbbed as I heard the Sheik curse up a storm, leaving without even paying the merchant for his trouble. Footsteps rushed after the cursing Sheik and I glanced up to see most of Carson's men following the Sheik back to his palace.

"Are you alright?" The merchant asked, helping me back on my feet while I nodded, clapping a hand over my aching jaw. The slap must've caused some visible swelling, as the man winced before handing me a couple of coins for my trouble.

I helped him clean up his stall once more and left with words of gratitude as I blessed the man for his kindness before I made my way off of the Souq. When I was out of range, I rubbed the rags over my face, removing the old clothes to reveal my normal outfit underneath.

A smirk curled my lips while I tossed away the evidence, removing the ring and tossing it in a nearby fire. It had done its job perfectly, the small and hollow stone had delivered its load of poison effectively. I didn't need to stick around and kill the Sheik myself.

Within a few days, word would spread that the Sheik hasn't left his personal chambers in a while and by then, the man would be nothing but a putrid corpse.

"My goodness, what happened Sir?" the tavern owner asked in shock as he spotted me, making me realize I must look filthy in the face. I smiled appolegetically at him, shrugging my shoulders. "Some children were throwing mud at each other and I guess I got caught in the crossfire." I explained before smiling warmly as he instantly ordered his wife to boil some water to draw me a warm bath.

A bath...that just sounded about right. It would give me a moment to relax before I would buy supplies to leave the city. 

Because my next target was waiting for me. He just didn't know it yet.