The Sheikh and the Servant (10 page)

Rolling his head around, the sheikh popped his neck and shoulders with a tired sigh. He looked around again, his face its usual mask, but his eyes were melancholy. “This was my wife’s favorite retreat,” he said hesitantly.

Noori lowered his head in shame. “I should not have been so insistent in coming with you,” he murmured. “I did not intend to intrude on your privacy, my lord.”

Amazingly, Shahin chuckled, his only response as he lay back to float. Not understanding why Shahin was laughing, Noori looked up from under his eyelashes to catch a rare glimpse of a smile on Shahin’s face. After a few minutes, Shahin righted himself, water trailing over his shoulders from his hair. He waded past Noori, patting his shoulder a couple times, slight smile still in place.

“I do not understand, my lord,” Noori murmured, eyes following Shahin’s form as he left the water of the pool. “I do not know why you laugh at me when I am ashamed for being so uncaring.”

Chuckling yet again, Shahin turned dancing eyes on Noori as he settled on the grass, leaning against a palm tree. “I laugh because you seem to believe I have privacy at all,” he said, lips curling in amusement.

The sight of the fuller smile nearly stole Noori’s breath. “But you could have had privacy here today. I should have remained at the tent.”

With a sigh, Shahin waved a dismissive hand. “You are not an imposition,” he stated clearly, his eyes falling closed as he yawned.

Noori moved out of the water and sat next to his lord. “Will you not share your anger with me, my lord?” His lips curled in a smile of their own. “Since I am no imposition.”

Dark eyes slid to Noori, and Shahin’s lips twitched. He looked away, considering. Finally he shrugged. “The Imam and I do not see eye to eye,” he grumbled. Noori nodded, waiting for him to continue. Shahin narrowed his eyes as he saw Noori listening expectantly. He huffed aloud. “The Imam and I do not agree on a particular matter,” he specified. “And he will not let it rest.”

“What matter is that, my lord? Might I be of service to help change his views?” Noori offered timidly, yet automatically.

Shahin snorted, shaking his head. “His mind will not be turned, not on this matter,” he said firmly. “It is of little consequence. I let him bait me.” His nose wrinkled in displeasure.

“Are you certain I might not offer my services? I was often used as an… incentive… when the amir’s deals were not quite guaranteed.”

Turning his chin sharply, Shahin’s eyes flashed. “Incentive? Like when he—” His words cut off, and he shook his head. “No. I will not tolerate anyone being used in such a manner.”

“But I was trained to do this,” Noori tried to convince him. “It is nothing more than a mere business deal to me. I shall do it if you ask it of me, my lord.”

“I will not, and neither will any other!” Shahin snapped vehemently, sitting up, looking truly affronted. “I will not allow it.”

“You do not understand, my lord. I want to do this for you. I want to make your life easier,” Noori argued.

Lips pressing together in annoyance, Shahin glowered at Noori for a long moment, obviously choosing his words carefully. “I… appreciate… your devotion, but I will never ask that of you. Never,” he growled. “You are not a mere commodity to be plundered. No human is.”

“What if I insist on doing it? Even if you do not ask it of me?” Noori’s eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as he found himself leaning closer to press his point.

Shahin gritted his teeth, practically in Noori’s face. “Then I will have you removed from the situation bodily,” he rasped. “I will not accept such services from any person; it is not a matter of loyalty! It is a matter of what is right, what is decent.”

“What if I desire it?” Noori’s voice dropped to a low, devious tone. Stunned into silence, Shahin stared at him. Noori smiled as he realized he might have found a way to help the sheikh without the other man being able to stop it. “I am a loyal servant to you, my lord. I am faithful to you. I wish to see your tribe grow and prosper.”

Shahin frowned deeply, looking quite put out. Noori stared at him, forgetting that he was merely a servant in thrall of a great lord.

“Seducing the Imam will not help matters,” Shahin finally muttered, giving in and revealing more information. “He wishes to bend me to his will, and I shall not be tempered in this matter.”

“What is his will?” Noori asked, watching Shahin’s face for any clues.

That face shuttered and Shahin’s eyes darkened, going blank. “He wants my attendance at worship,” he muttered.

Noori closed his hand around Shahin’s forearm. “No man should be able to dictate to another whom he shall worship.”

Shahin sighed, shoulders slumping. “I still honor the heavens, in my own way,” he said quietly, eyes far away.

“I have heard you pray,” Noori admitted softly, “and my heart cries out for your loss.”

Shahin’s shoulders stiffened a bit, but just as quickly he relaxed back against the palm tree. They sat in silence for long minutes. Finally the sheikh spoke. “I forbid you to proposition the Imam,” he rasped.

Blue eyes shot up to meet black ones. “I will abide by your wishes, my lord, but I do not know why you forbid this.”

Shahin stood abruptly, folding his arms. When he looked at Noori, his face was pinched. “The Imam is my father’s brother,” he muttered.

“Then he must understand your… reluctance… to worship.” Noori stood and followed him, standing so close he could feel Shahin’s heat radiating through the wet fabric of his own clothes.

“How do you know of it?” the sheikh rasped.

Noori dipped his head. “I apologize for mentioning it, my lord.” He avoided answering the question directly. “A friend told me so that I might better understand how to serve you.”

Shahin snorted. “Karam told you,” he stated, although his voice was not angry. Rather, it was tired. He sighed in annoyance. “You will mind my order,” he stated, closing the matter.

“I will obey your wishes in all things, my lord,” Noori replied, bowing low before him.

Chapter 10

Karam
stopped Noori in front of Numair, who was sharpening his knife with a whetstone. “Here he is, Numair. Behave yourself, now.” Then the councilor bustled away as Numair rolled his eyes and looked up at Noori.

Noori greeted Numair with a slight bow of his head. “Blessed morning to you, Numair.” He stood before the other man, hands folded calmly across his stomach.

Numair waved a hand, indicating that Noori sit with him. “Our lord wishes me to train you to defend yourself,” the warrior said, going back to his sharpening.

Noori blinked at him, tilting his head as a confused expression crossed his face. “Defend myself? Against what?”

Numair blinked right back at him, just as confused. “Against enemies, of course. Against those who might wish to cause you harm.”

“Why would people wish me, a mere servant, harm? It is not as if I am the sheikh, himself. I am unworthy of a second glance from any, much less someone with a need to harm our lord.” Noori smiled and scoffed at the idea of needing to know how to defend himself.

Numair set aside his knife to fold his hands. “Consider this. You are now a valued member of the sheikh’s household. You have access to his private correspondence; you have access to his children….” His voice dropped. “You have access to him. It would hurt him, were you hurt.”

Noori nodded at the logic, but then countered, “But I am merely a replaceable servant. I will carry his secrets to my death, but I do not flatter myself with ideas of personal worth.”

The warrior watched him silently for a long moment, and then gazed out into the desert. “Perhaps you might try to think of this from our lord’s viewpoint,” Numair suggested.

Noori grinned, a bit of humor shining through his normally serious eyes as he took Numair’s hand and placed it on the other man’s chest. “Numair, friend, irreplaceable.” He then took the same hand and placed it on his own chest. “Noori, servant, expendable. At a cost, yes, but surely not one the sheikh could not afford.”

Numair frowned and pulled his hand away, shaking his head. “You are not very observant,” he muttered, climbing to his feet. “Tell me, have you any fighting skills?”

“I have some skills in hand-to-hand combat,” Noori admitted. “It was always useful to know how to discourage roughhousing amongst the amir’s guests.”

Numair nodded approvingly. “Those skills will stand you in good stead, even now. Sometimes visitors do not have the proper manners.” Numair sniffed. Then he straightened, looking over Noori’s shoulder, before he bowed his head.

Noori flushed, realizing Shahin was behind him, so he lowered his head as he turned and bowed. The sheikh stood silent behind Noori, the sun shining behind him. He waited until Numair looked up, and he nodded. The warrior bowed again and left, leaving the sheikh and the servant standing at the outpost on the fringe on the village.

Shahin finally spoke. “I would that you allow Numair to teach you,” he rumbled.

Noori lifted his eyes, nearly blinded by the sight of the sheikh, who seemed to outshine the sun that hung in the sky behind him. “I will consent to it, my lord, but I fail to see the necessity of it. I am trained in
intimate
combat,” Noori answered.

Apparently conscious of the sun behind him, Shahin moved so that Noori could see him clearly. “I want it done; that is enough necessity,” he grumbled, crossing his arms. “I knew you would object,” he added quietly, although not crossly.

“And how did you know that, my lord?” Noori’s lips turned up at the corners, a polite smile pasted onto his face. “Are you a mystic of some sort?”

Shahin snorted. “Do not fence words with me, Noori.” He relaxed a bit and looked out across the sands. “I want you to be able to take care of yourself, should I or my guards be absent from you.”

“I do not merit such care, my lord, but I will heed your words.” Noori sighed, bowing in deference to Shahin’s wishes.

Shahin reached out to take Noori’s elbow. “I say you do merit such care,” he said quietly, but firmly.

Noori’s head remained lowered. “If you speak it, it must be so,” he murmured.

Shahin pulled his hand away and crossed his arms again. “Yes,” he agreed.

Noori raised blue eyes to meet the sheikh’s. “Then I shall try to believe it.”

A small tilt lurked about the corners of Shahin’s mouth. Finally the rare smile broke loose. “Intimate combat?” he asked, eyes dancing.

Noori lifted a suggestive eyebrow as he failed miserably at holding a smile back. “I know how to protect myself both in bed and out of it, my lord.”

Shahin actually snickered.

“The amir was not pleased when Master Abdul-Bari missed a bargaining meeting because of the groin injury I inflicted upon him when he tried to injure me,” Noori shared in a secretive tone. “At such times, even a slave was allowed that latitude.”

Shahin laughed aloud, a sharp bark of amusement. “I find that most amusing. Abdul-Bari is a rotten piece of work.” Then he sobered and shook his head. “Karam explained, you have the choice of with whom you spend your time?” he asked, as if he had forgotten about it until this point.

“How so, my lord?” Noori asked, growing serious.

Raising an eyebrow, Shahin looked incredulous. “Have we not discussed this? Your body is your own, as is—” he cut himself off, looking down at the sand abruptly.

“As is what, my lord?” Noori pressed gently.

Shahin looked up, face stony, his eyes bleak. “As is your bed,” he said shortly, and then he turned to stalk back into the village.

Noori ran after him, drawing several gasps from onlookers as he reached out and caught him by the arm. “I do not wish my own bed, my lord.” He spoke quickly, lowering his voice when he realized he was drawing attention to the both of them. “I desire to remain in
your
bed,” he said low enough for only Shahin to hear.

Shahin stopped to listen, raising his eyes to study Noori’s face. He was quiet for a long moment before he spoke. “As long as you know you have the choice,” he said cryptically, starting to walk again.

“As do you,” Noori called out, hoping to stop Shahin from walking away from him.

The sheikh abruptly turned about, walked back to Noori purposefully, and took his arm, leading him into a nearby supply tent and shooing out the laborers inside. He released Noori and took an obvious calming breath once they were alone. “Challenging me verbally in public is not in your best interest,” he growled.

Noori met Shahin’s eyes for a moment before dropping his gaze. “As you wish,” he murmured, voice shaking with emotion. He realized now how much grace the sheikh granted him daily. And he had finally pushed too hard.

With a deep sigh, Shahin stepped close and tucked his fingers under Noori’s chin, lifting it so he could see his eyes. “In public,” he repeated softly. “Now, why did you say what you did?” His voice was a dark rasp.

Noori lifted fiery eyes to meet the sheikh’s. “I have made myself available to you in every way and yet you continue to reject me. I simply wanted to make sure that you knew that you had the choice as well.”