Tales of the Jewel

Arriving at the store after dark, Soraya was just as careful now as she'd been all day. The disguise was on, and the dagger was at her belt, so she at least felt relatively safe, despite the other day and the darkness.



She looked around to see if Qasim was outside, or if he was waiting for her inside.

The well dressed man stepped out from the doorway to his store and bowed greeting the desert beauty "Well well it seems there is indeed an adventurous streak in you after all. And such a disguise it may fool some but it is hard to hide such beauty with only a few layers." He smiled stepping closer to her and offering his arm "Shall we?"

She gave him a proper curtsy, "It also helps be a bit warmer on a rainy night like this. Do you think we'll get a break in the clouds Si Qasim?"

The shorter woman put her arm with Qasim's, the rain coming off over the shop's awning in front of them.

Qasim thought for a moment "it is hard to say, the weather here is mercurial, hard to predict it could stop any second or it could continue until the waters of the river surge up and swallow us all." He laughed a bit before opening the doors to the shop and heading in. This close she would lightly catch a woody fresh smell but likely a tree she had never encountered before.

"No I'm afraid I was forced to make new plans since the spirits decided rain was the order of the evening. Please follow me I have set up a viewing of paintings for you with a surprise at the end." He said with a smile

"Paintings? A rare treat indeed! Do you collect art then?"

She followed Qasim inside, glad to be out of the rain more fully. Even if she'd been careful on the way here and waited until it had let up for a bit, her robes were still damp and clung to her a little. so the firelight in the store was more than welcome, whether it was by torch, lantern, or fireplace.

It would be a combination with lanterns hanging from points in the ceiling giving the whole store a soft but more than adequate illumination and also a large fireplace at one end "Yes it is an advantage of dealing with all sorts of cultures I get to collect many different things art being one of them. I have curated some I think you might like here tonight."

he held out a hand "Please let me take your cloak Soraya." he said with a happy tone smiling openly

"My... cloak?"

She actually had not even considered this part, the possibility ghere might be an offer to change out of her wet disguise. Perhaps the fault of usually only going out in the rain, around the city at least, in a covered palanquin. And at home or in the garden was hardly an issue for changing when her room was right there.

Soraya seemed to hesitate in thought after she spoke. Though the reasons and thoughts stayed underneath.

Qasim seemed confused by her reaction "Well yes your cloak is wet from the rain, I would hate for you to catch a chill." he said recovering quickly with a chuckle and his hand remaining out stretched. He noticed her hesitance but didn't have much of an indication as to why she was caught off guard by a rather ordinary situation.

Giving a nod she slipped the wet thing over her head, actually quite glad to have it off.



Underneath the robe she wore only red linen undergarments, dyed brightly and matched by red tied sandals that went up her ankles and calves. The princess held out the wet brown robe and placed it in Qasim's hand with a small blush.

Qasim's eyes widened slightly but he cleared his throat and composed himself hardly missing a beat he took the cloak and hung it near the fire to facilitate drying.

The merchant turned back toward Soraya and couldn't help but take a long look, his eyes moving up and down her before he slightly shook his head and walked toward her "Excuse my surprise usually when it rains one wears a separate outer layer to keep the wet off but as it is just you and me here it shouldn't be an issue. Though I will have to keep myself from staring." He said teasingly as he returned to her.

He offered her his arm once again "this way."