I stood now on the royal balcony facing the bay, just as the sun set and lit its surface on fire. One of the men we’d met today said that on the moons of Balor when the sun rose the surface of its oceans caught flame. I did not believe him, but looking at the bay I thought perhaps such an illusion existed.

It was quiet as I left the balcony and returned to the main bedchamber. The bed was raised on a dais to the left, and the rest of the room was taken up with a sitting area. Serving girls were still preparing the room for bed, and all paused and bent their knees when I entered. I waved a hand, allowing them to return to work, and made my way to a seat by the fire.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts I didn’t hear the serving girls leave or Idris return. I jumped when he laid a hand on my shoulder.

“Sorry,” I said as he sat down beside me. “Where were you?”

He grinned sheepishly and I rolled my eyes. There was hay on his clothes.

“Talking to your horse, I take it?”

“If you rode him—”

“Not even if it were your dying wish,” I said with a laugh. “That horse respects one master, and it is you. I won’t risk such a thing.”

“Maybe.” I resisted the urge to roll my eyes a second time. There was no “maybe” to be had about Al-Hays—Idris had barely broken him, and he would tolerate no other rider.

“Why are you so enamored of the horse?”

“Is it silly to say he reminds me of my brother’s mount?”

My smile softened and I reached out to touch his hand. “No. That’s not silly.”

He turned his hand over so that our fingers were linked together, and for a little while neither of us said anything.

“Shall we play a game?” he asked, gesturing to a shatranj board. It was set up in mid-play, on a table on the other side of the room. I nodded and waited while he brought the board over and set it on the cushion between us, then rearranged the pieces.

We were quiet as we began to play and fell into our rhythm. But not even shatranj was enough to distract me from the way my thoughts whirled.

“Amani?”

I looked up from the board, distracted. “Yes?”

“Do you miss your family?”

My eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

“Sorry—I know the answer is yes. You don’t talk about them.”

I swallowed around a sudden lump in my throat. “It’s easier not to. That’s all.”

“Tell me about them.”

For the first time I realized that perhaps Idris would get to meet my family. That brought a surprised grin to my face. “Husnain will probably hate you at first.”