Fox and wolf

After dinner, Banou walk along with her father to the royal garden where he loved to sit. At his favourite spot, he removed his shoes and put his leg up Halil prepare the Shisha that the Sultan enjoy. He wave to Banou to come to sit on the couch beside him. She sit down with obedience. 

"The night sky, is it the same as Tang or different."

She look up and say softy.

"My father, they are the same. The same stars that hang in the dark sky."

"Hmm... I hope you will be happy stay here from today onwards. I have... warn your sisters. Even if they got nothing good to say, they should shut up. I maybe old and dying but my mind and whip is still clear and sharp. I will not hesitate to punish anyone who does anything stupid."

Banou nod her head and he smoke his Shisha. They remain quiet for awhile.

"Which boy... is better..."

"My father even if you ask me a hundred times, i still don't know who is better."

"I have them enlisted into the family tree of the late crown prince. I think he will like them very much. They are alike to his son when he is alive. Obedience and polite. My daughter, describe their character to me." 

"Arya, older by a year, He is quiet and polite. Even if there is exciting events going on, he will stand aside and watch with smiles. He watch others carefully and know who too befriend and who are pretending to be kind. He judge people accurately. He lacks off education because of his family environment. So he takes along time to learn. However he is wiling to learn"

Her father continue to smoke and nod his head. 

"Darius, he is out spoken and he defend Arya when someone is unkind to him. He is a fast learner. He still remembers what his grandmother had taught him. His words written are beautiful whether in Arabic or Chinese Characters. They are praise by the teachers of both cultures. He makes friends fast but because of his out spoken character he made enemies too."

Again her father remain smoking and nod his head only. At that moment, Halil walk in and bow

"Great Sultan, it's midnight now. You need to go back to sleep. Prepare for tomorrow morning court session." 

"Yes father, come lets walk back to your room. You have smoke enough for the whole night."

The Sultan cough and his feet is set down and wear his shoes. Together Banou and Halil help him to stand up. Halil hurry to fetch the walking cane. Walking behind her father and Halil, they reach his bedroom. The sultan commands her to retune to her bedroom and rest. There is a tomorrow to see each other. She bow and follow the old servant to her living quarters. However the route is different and Banou stop her. 

"This is not the way to my boudoir. "

"Your highness, the Sultan have command us to move your room to the main building. Thus you will be sleeping in a new place from tonight onwards."

"How long..."

"Another eight minutes of walking, your highness."

Banou follow her as they walk in the dark with the lamp in hand. Finally up the stairs they walk. A grand bedroom is shown to Banou. It is five time bigger comparing to her old room. 

"This will be your room now on, your highness."

"Who used to be in this room?"

"I do not know, your highness."

"Can you go fetch some clean water. After that you can go to bed."

"Yes your highness."

The old servant after lighting up the candles, she leaves to fetch water. While Banou look around to see all her old books and some clothes are moved from the old room. She look at her trunks from Tang and open one of them. Inside are mostly her clothes and she open the rest. Some are books and scrolls. Lastly is a trunk of items that Li Cheng have given to her over the years. She look at it and pick up the comb that he had first given to her. Her tears roll down her cheek. She miss him. 

The next three days she attended court sessions with her father. She feels like she is not required to be there however her father insist that she listen in so that she can get used to it. It is so boring that she try to suppress her yawns. She pinch tightly her lips and try to look alert as much as possible. The sultan knows that Banou is not interested in it but it is essential that she knows what it is like. A battle of words and ideals everyday with the brightest mind of his men in court. Sometimes the session can pause and drag in days to resolved. The ideal is that Banou to know what is coming and how to handle the men in court. 

On the fourth day, The Sultan excuse her from from court session however she must go and check on the heirs. What they have been learning and how much they learn. In the afternoon she finds them in the library studying. The scholars are there to guide them on the questions they had in mind. In the evening after class, before dinner, the Sultan request for their presence in the grand hall. Banou walk with them to the grand hall even though they have seen the Sultan and get used to the customs. They are still afraid of higher authority. Walking into the grand hall, they see two ladies standing in front of the Sultan. Immediately, Darius run towards them. He hug the younger lady tightly. 

"Maman! Madar bozorg." 

"Greet the Sultan first!"

The older lady scold him loudly. Darius hurry to walk to the Sultan and press his nose to the back of the Sultan's hand and hurry to say 'Salaam'. He run to his mother and hug her again. While Arya who see that Darius have his mother is sad still he walk up to the Sultan and did what Darius did. He walk back to Banou quietly. Banou knows that he is upset thus she hugs him tightly. 

"My sister, you seems very healthy."

"Thank you, Sultan. That is because of your wise ruling. Our nation is living a healthy good life! I can still dance when i want to."

The Sultan laugh and cough at the same time. 

"It is good to see my sibling living a good life. I trust your husband's family have treated you good these years."

"They have to do so! I was a princess after all. It is his fortune to marry me. I give up a lot of things for him and his family. Now my grandson will benefit from all these."

The older lady look at Banou up and down. 

"Is this the famous daughter of your's?"

"Banou, go greet her. She is my sister. Shrini. She was also famous for her intelligence. Unfortunately she chosen a poor boy to marry, in that sense she lost that title."

Banou let go of Arya and walk up to greet the older princess. The older lady raise her hand up with her nose in the air. Banou take it and press her nose on the back of her hands. She whisper 'Salaam' and bow to Darius's mother. The younger lady smile and bow as well.

"Your majesty, your famous daughter is well behave. Not like what your other daughters are saying."

"Oh... what did they say. That will be interesting. Tell me as we go now for dinner." 

He gets up with Halil's help and his sister walks beside him. They seems to be in a good relationship. Both of them are craft from the same stone. The air of authority, the will of obedience and the blood of an Ottoman.