When Winds Wonder (DragonSong)

[quaggan]

 The tutor looked as if she had something to say about Zahir traveling with a young woman, probably something relating to propriety, but thought better of it and kept quiet rather than provide Mirza with more fuel to twist around. Luckily, the boy seemed to have had his fill of teasing her and once again turned his attention fully to the djinn.

"You must have seen quite a lot on your travels" he probed. "I have seen a lot... of valuable cargo my father's men bring from theirs. Like silverberry spice, or Thanati silks, or jewels from the isles of Yoreiq..."

He trailed off, probably wondering at the story behind some of the more interesting items; or trying to figure out whether it was more fun to receive such treasures or to go out there and seek them out. But this train of thought did not occupy him too long, and he soon turned his attention to Zahir once more. He leaned against the wall in a slouch quite unbecoming of a Merchant Prince to be, and asked "So, how did you two meet? Were it your parents who introduced you to her, or hers?"

[DragonSong]

"Oh, I've seen more of the world than most mortals know exists," Zahir replied to the boy with a smile that revealed a flash of too-sharp canines.

He turned his attention back to the tutor quickly enough and arched an eyebrow. Oh. Oh this was too good. Ah, Essyrn social structure and societal rules, how he had missed the intricacies--and taking advantage in order to scandalize people.

"Well we met when she...offered me a certain release," the djinn replied with a positively wicked grin, eyes glinting. "My dearest companion was born into the slave caste in the city, you see, so...we have helped each other, I suppose you could say."

True? Yes. Technically. So Lapis couldn't technically shriek at him for lying. Perfect.

[quaggan]

 The tutor gasped, just as scandalised by the djinn's words as expected. She began to fan herself desperately with her hand, but to no avail. Mirza turned and glanced at her quizzically. "If you need air, there's outside - and I'm sure you can find a slave who can fan you."

As tempting as the prospect of getting away from the scandalous scantily-clad (although sexy) man was, the woman balked at leaving her young charge alone with such a dangerous person. Who knew what sort of wrong ideas would this scoundrel put into Mirza's impressionable young head?! No, she could not allow it!

"Would you come with me?" she tried. "The Palace of the Rising Sun is so large, I might get lost."

Mirza was having none of that. "Follow the hallway, enter the door adorned with golden frogs and turn left. There, you should find some slaves who would direct you further. I'll stay here and chat with the guest."

She may have lost the battle, but the war still waged on. "But I'm sure that the good master here has his own important matters to tend to, and can't entertain you for too long." She almost glanced at Zahir for confirmation, but clearly thought better of relying on the scandalous tattletale unable to hold his tongue in the presence of an impressionable youth.

[DragonSong]

"Oh, I certainly wouldn't mind keeping the boy company for a bit longer--"

"Zahir!"

Damn. The djinn closed his eyes, gave a long suffering sigh, and turned to see Lapis hurrying along the hallway toward them, breathing a little heavily and scowling at him. "Lapis, dearest, did you need something?"

"Oh, don't you start with me." Evidently she didn't notice the young princeling and his maid--she never would have been so outspoken around strangers. "What were you thinking?! I turned around and you were just gone, I had no idea where you went--"

Finally, she seemed to actually see the two people in front of him and snapped her mouth shut, eyes going wide. "Ah...excuse me, forgive my companion. He hasn't been bothering you, has he?"

[quaggan]

 The tutor seemed half-relieved that someone came to take the frustrating man away, half-worried that this woman would turn out to be an even worse influence on her pupil. She hesitated, and Mirza immediately capitalized on the opportunity, turning to speak to Lapis.

"Not at all, madam! As a matter of fact, we've had a lovely conversation about languages. Are you this associate he spoke of? He told us how did you two meet. You were the one who offered him that release he mentioned, weren't you?"

[DragonSong]

Zahir winced. He didn't need to look at Lapis to know her eye was twitching.

The young scholar made an admirable effort to keep her face blank, taking a breath in an effort to contain an angry tirade before she replied with a thin, tight smile. "Ah--yes. I suppose that is...one way of saying it," she ground out through the smile.

[quaggan]

 Mirza frowned, putting more thought into it than every person involved wanted him to. "Now that I think about it, it's a rather strange way to put it..."

"Perhaps the honoured guests' grasp of our tongue is to blame" the tutor leaped in, clearly desperate. Neither Lapis nor Zahir appeared to be even remotely foreign, but when the plausible and the realistic failed, she was willing to entertain the most ludicrous of ideas. "Even scholars well-versed in languages sometimes make mistakes."

The boy immediately zeroed in on her. "But you claimed it was rude to interrupt others, and yet you spoke up before I was done. I wonder what circumstances made it acceptable..."

She pursed her lips, frowning but unable to provide a satisfying answer. Pleased with the result, Mirza once again turned his thoughts to the mystery of Zahir's wording. "When I think of releases, to my mind comes release from a promise or an obligation. But if it was the first time you two met, you couldn't have made any promises before..."

[DragonSong]

"Ah, that is...well..."

"A promise of sorts," Zahir cut across the young woman. His smile was a little twisted, sour. "Though not one of dear Lapis's making. Rather...she has shifted my obligation, you might say. And has done so admirably, I must admit."

The scholar blinked, looking up at him again. She'd never heard him say something like that before... Normally he just complained about his forced servitude to the owner of his amulet, he'd never--well. Admitted that picking the damn thing up maybe didn't make her a terrible person.

That might not have been what he was going for, but it was what she heard.

[quaggan]

 "Well, that was vague" Mirza commented. He extended a hand and began counting on his fingers. His face fell as he neared the end - clearly, the result was not what he hoped for. "Aww, it goes over Hassim's Discretion..."

The tutor's face lit up with realization, quickly seeing a chance to retaliate. "Exactly so, my lord! I'm glad that you remembered the rules of etiquette! Hassim's Discretion dictates the number of questions that can be asked about a single subject that is not an agreed-upon subject of the conversation! Now that you realized it, I think it's time to say your farewells and let the honoured guests be. The bells are sure to sound soon, and you probably have another lesson to prepare for..."

For once, Mirza did not immediately zero in on her careless words, eliciting instead to pout.

[DragonSong]

“R-right, well it was...lovely to meet you, young prince,” Lapis managed to stammer our, dipping into an appropriately deep bow.

Zahir rolled his eyes, but inclined his head slightly. “Enjoy your lessons, boy,” he murmured to Mirza, smirking with a particular glint to his eye. “But don’t stop asking questions.”