Despite how irritated she herself was with Asfandyar, she didn’t want others to question him. She couldn’t help but defend him, even if he didn’t deserve it.

“It was not him,” she assured the people. “This is the man who discovered the source of the illness that has been spreading. Had it not been for him, we would have remained ignorant to the cause of this illness! We must thank him for his vigilance in uncovering the truth.”

She saw their doubt, the questions in their eyes to see their Shehzadi defend the foreign ambassador. Saw the people glance between her and the handsome Asfandyar and raise their eyebrows, wondering.

“Why would he do such a thing?” somebody asked. Durkhanai herself did not know.

She gave him a look, and finally, he spoke. “Because I care for the people of this land. I could not in good conscience let such information go untold.”

The people’s voices dwindled down to murmuring, which was sometimes worse, for she couldn’t understand what they were saying, what they were feeling.

But it didn’t matter. She was here with a purpose.

“I implore you: send a rider to the neighboring villages, and have them send one to their neighboring villages,” she said, gathering their attention once more. “Send word that the wells have been poisoned and that nobody should drink directly from them. Take the water home and boil it first. That should clean it of impurities.”

Given their orders, the people began to disperse. She saw to it that a rider was sent in the directions of the neighboring villages, further down the mountain.

Villagers came to offer her chai, but she refused them. She couldn’t stomach anything until she knew her people were safe once more.

As she gave orders and spoke with the townspeople, Asfandyar trailed her like a shadow, watching her. He didn’t interrupt or intercede; he let her do her work. She was comforted by his presence, to know somebody was by her side in all this.

With the work done, at least for the night, Durkhanai said her goodbyes and began her ride back to the marble palace.

“Did you see my guards following?” Durkhanai asked Asfandyar, finally speaking to him. She wondered where they were. Not that there would be any use in them looking for her, now that she was on her way home.

“Yes, but we diverged paths,” he replied. “They went east, to the main commercial village. I traveled west, guessing that you would be here.”

“And how did you guess that?”

“This was the first village we visited to distribute medicine,” Asfandyar replied. “And the one you visit the most; you have close relationships with many of these villagers, so I just figured . . .”

“Right,” Durkhanai said, cutting him off.