Tales of the Jewel

Soraya al-Menjari's boon from the Festival of Arrows had been a strange one by all accounts; Move close to the Khadi Majdala, learn some things from her, and have a relationship with her. Sure, Sora had been aware even at that time that she was asking for a lot; There were certain things someone that powerful did not share, whether that be information or time, but she'd been pleasantly surprised when the immortal woman had actually granted her request.

So it was that she found herself living on the Palace grounds themselves; Sure, it wasn't really "near" Majdala at the moment, more a guest house sort of situation. And she'd not had much interaction with her new... friend (fiend?). But Sora was just glad to be out of her father's house finally. And unlike moving in with Qasim, as much as she'd wanted to, moving into the palace would hardly ruin her father's reputation. As much as she disliked the man sometimes, what he'd put her and her mother through, Sora DID still realize that he'd raised her and provided for her, after all.

She thought about all this as she walked around the Palace, looking out the window at the grey-blue clouds outside the elegantly curved windows, walking towards where she'd been invited to for breakfast.

What always stood out to Soraya, as she moved through the grounds, was the emptiness. The palace and its grounds had been constructed to house the Caliph and Sultan and the families, servants, and guests of both. Now, she assumed, it served dozens at most... and she had rarely, if ever seen, them.
The main entrance and floor of the palace were busy, yes, with the moving and scheming of the Caliphate itself but the rest... the rest seemed like a ghost town.

She shivers slightly at her own choice of thoughts as she also contemplates that never once has she seen a servant. Oh, her quarters and clothing were always clean as were all parts of the guest house she was granted access too. Anytime she thought of food she found it awaiting her, just outside her door, but never once had she seen the souls who did the cleaning, the cooking, nor the serving... if they were even human at all.

But, still, so far Majdala had been true to her word. Soraya was out from under the thumb of her father with freedoms she had rarely known. Surely the cost of a few morbid thoughts, bad dreams, and forbidden areas was worth such a prize?

Eventually she reaches her destination and finds her benefactor, partner hardly seems the right word even when passions - perhaps even affections - are slaked, already waiting. Lounging among plush cushions, with a low table laden with food of every imagining, Majdala is a figure of beauty in rich silks her lustrous, dark hair currently tied up and anchored with dazzling bejeweled pins that shone with radiance despite being indoors with Lady Sun hidden behind clouds and rain.

It was very easy to forget that the woman before her was at least a century her senior rather than simply a year or two... easy to forget except for those eyes. Oh a poet could sing their praises, dark and deep, but there was a coldness behind them even in the moments Soraya felt like she was in the Khadi's affections. Like being watched by a cat that was always deciding whether this was the type of toy you cuddled with or the type you tore to shreds.

"Ah, my blossom, I hope you slept well?"

Truthfully, the emptiness in those eyes was more chilling than the palace, though she'd expected neither. It had been lonely, in a way, though not terribly so; Not having any siblings, those in her father's house had largely avoided her, standing at attention or bowing and scraping. There was still something about not having even that much though, no souls to go to on short notice. It seemed like something out of a story... which probably fit, considering the Jewel was the city of 1001 stories.

"Lady Majdala."

Soraya curtsied deeply with eyes down before walking over to take a seat herself.

"I slept well, thank you. They cool weather makes it even easier, and the comfortable sheets that were provided for me surely have no equal."

She sat with her legs tucked to one side, hands on her green pants. She thought of how Majdala herself might sleep or not... or if she slept at all. She couldn't remember if that information had come up.

She certainly had never seen the Khadi rest in such a fashion. If she did need such a vulnerable state she chooses to undertake it alone and elsewhere.

The exquisite corpse gestures at the food on display with a smile, "Come, eat. Eat. We can't have you wasting away."

Despite the somewhat cold atmosphere and the fact Majdala wasn't partaking herself, Sora does indeed start on breakfast. She starts with putting some raisins and grains on her plate, drizzling some honey on top of them. Since it hadn't come up...

"I suppose I have never asked... but did you sleep well yourself? I do not know if one such as you needs such things, but I would think it would be nice to have some time to yourself, to unwind or just to do your own thing. Have less expectations placed upon yourself and just be able to relax."

The honey and oats and raisins were covered in a bit of camels milk from an exquisite looking pot before Sora lifted the bowl and it's soft mixture to her lips.

Majdala shakes her head, "Sleep is no longer a matter I concern myself with." She offers a predatory smile, "So relaxations and distractions must simply be found elsewhere."

"Well, that is part of the reason I'm here, no? Even if it's only something small and temporary..."

She ate some more of the sweet granola slowly.

"I suspect you will have a fairly busy today though?"

A sly grin is the only response to the first part and she nods at the second, "Likely so. The Houses never sleep nor their squabbles and concerns... as you're well aware."

"I definitely am, yes. First hand. I was a tool in those squabbles. Maybe I still am, even while I'm here."

Soraya knew her father could hardly have opposed Majdala accepting his daughter staying in the palace guest house, but she did wonder how the move fit into his own plans. Let alone House Menjari, what with Majdala being the head of the whole thing.

"You don't need anything of me today, do you?"

Another slight nod, "I mean you are certainly more than welcome to join me if you wish but I imagine it will be terribly dull. If I wanted to inflict tortures upon you there are certainly much more enjoyable ones at my disposal."