“Yes, but intentions and actions do not always align in their purity.”

Durkhanai furrowed her brow. Where was this coming from? Saifullah had never been so discontented before.

“Forget it.” He smiled at her in a way that said she would never understand.

Durkhanai felt like she was disappointing him, somehow, but she couldn’t tell how. Before she could prod him further, he rode ahead, leaving her, heart stinging. She could have caught up, but she didn’t.

She just watched the distance between them grow and felt a greater distance in what she knew and what he was telling her.

The feeling only grew that evening, when she was wandering her marble halls, and found Saifullah suddenly slipping out of a narrow hall. She was far enough away that he didn’t see her, though he did look around to make sure he hadn’t been caught before hurrying along.

Durkhanai approached where he had come from and realized how he had suddenly appeared: he had exited one of the passageways.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, she told herself. But she thought about where that passageway led, specifically, just in case.

The clearest path from there led to the eastern part of the palace, where many of the rooms for guests were.

It was also where all the ambassadors were staying.

Durkhanai didn’t understand. Hadn’t he said he’d been busy? What exactly did that mean? She told herself she would ask Saifullah about it later, find out who he had gone to see or what he had gone to do.

For now, she saw her grandmother approaching and met her halfway.

“What are you up to, meri jaan?” Dhadi asked, kissing both her cheeks.

“Mm, just wandering,” Durkhanai replied, cuddling into her grandmother’s side. “What about you?”

Her grandmother gave a dramatic sigh. “Tumhe toh pata hai. Work never ends. I’m off to see Doctor Aliyah and discuss medicine distribution.”

Durkhanait stilled. Was that a pointed comment?

“Oh. Good.” Durkhanai forced an innocent smile. “How is that going?” She bit the inside of her mouth. She hoped nobody had noticed the missing vials. Or if they had, that they would not suspect her.

“We are giving priority to those families with their men on the front,” Dhadi explained. “While more medicine is being made.” She paused, looking at Durkhanai intently. “It is a very meticulously set up system.”

One that Durkhanai was interfering in. Durkhanai swallowed. “Good idea.”

What would she say if Dhadi asked about the “guardian angel?” She had lied to Rashid, but she did not know if she could do the same with Dhadi, or even if she could do it plausibly.

“I know you do not understand why we are not distributing it all immediately,” Dhadi said. “But you must trust that we know what we are doing.”

“Of course, Dhadi,” Durkhanai said, hoping she did not look as guilty as she felt. “I understand.”