“You want your alliance with Marghazar, don’t you?” she whispered. “Time to prove your loyalty.”

Gulalai considered this, her fingers tapping the jeweled handle of her cane.

“Fine,” she conceded.

Durkhanai grinned, squeezing Gulalai’s arm. “I won’t easily forget this, Gulalai.”

“I would hope not.”

They went back to stand with Asfandyar, and Durkhanai nodded at him. They stood to the side, watching as Gulalai approached Palwasha-sahiba’s room, looking around to create a diversion. Just then, the servant came out of the room, carrying a mop and bucket of water, heading down the hall.

Durkhanai swore she saw Gulalai sigh.

Then, she dramatically bumped into the servant, sending the bucket of soapy water tumbling. Gulalai shrieked as water spilled over her, then made a show of slipping and pulling the servant down with her.

“What have you done!” Gulalai cried. “Are you blind? Guards, help me!”

And while everyone was distracted, Asfandyar and Durkhanai slipped into Palwasha-sahiba’s room.

“Quick, we won’t have much time,” Durkhanai whispered. They headed toward the attached office in the back of the room, where there was an empty desk, a bookshelf, and little boxes.

They split up, rummaging through the boxes and the papers, trying to find something, anything. She found letters from family members and other sorts of things, but nothing important, until Asfandyar whistled to get her attention. He held up a box.

“Locked,” she said.

He grinned, coming toward her. Before she could ask precisely what he was doing, he lifted a hand into her hair. A shiver ran down her spine, involuntarily moving her closer to him.

He held up a pin.

“Just one moment please, princess,” he said, his nimble fingers going to work at picking the lock. He eased it open in no time. She gave him a light round of applause.

“Impressive.”

He gave a slight bow.

They began sifting through even more papers, until Durkhanai’s eyes fell on correspondence signed by the Wali of B’rung.

“I found something,” she whispered. Durkhanai unfolded the letter to begin reading, but just as she did, her ears perked.

They heard voices approaching.

“Hide!” Asfandyar whisper-shouted, closing the box and putting it back where it belonged.

“Wait! There’s something here.”

She scanned the words, reading quickly, the words barely registering. But what she understood was the Wali of B’rung writing that the ambassador must use this opportunity in Marghazar or it will all have been for nothing.

What will have been for nothing?

Before she could read more, Asfandyar grabbed her hand, dragging her into the connecting changing room just as the door to the room opened.

Durkhanai swore under her breath as she heard Palwasha-sahiba yelling at her servant. Behind them, she could hear Gulalai speaking as well.

The voices came closer, louder and clearer, as Durkhanai and Asfandyar scrambled for somewhere to hide.