Free Swords of Arabia: Betrayal by Anthony Litton

gambling everything on one last desperate throw, “because I love Talal and respect Badr, I would offer myself to share that burden and be co-regent with my brother.”
    Zahirah’s black eyes gleamed as she took in Nasir’s audacious move. Badr would not welcome a sharing, a diminution, of his powers as regent. The question now, was would the rest of the family see it as the only way left open to curb the already powerful prince. Or would Badr’s supporters use the assembly’s jealousy of Nasir, his youth and his known closeness to Talal and herself, to fight off his challenge? Such was the importance of the issue that every second seemed to stretch into minutes, but, in truth, she didn’t have long to wait for her answer. Although everyone had been caught unawares by Badr’s move, Talal’s supporters suddenly found themselves joined by other factions who were as keen to avoid a too powerful Badr as they were.
    The roar of acclamation that greeted Nasir’s proposal was more than enough to drown out Badr’s friends and Nasir was appointed joint regent with his older half-brother. As he turned to look at Talal, he just hoped that he had the strength and guile to keep the boy alive for the next few years.

 
    Chapter Ten
    Winter 1915-16
     
    “So, the moment has arrived,” said Zahirah quietly, as she finished reading the letter Nasir had passed to her and Firyal, as they sat in the quiet luxury of one of the side rooms of Firyal’s large apartments.
    “Indeed, child, indeed. But is it a moment of opportunity or of danger?” queried Firyal, breathing with difficulty, her lungs clogged, her voice weak, but her mind as sharp and as clear as ever. “Because the others will follow, you can be sure of that. Each will now be wanting our support. Should we choose wrongly we will pay a heavy price.”
    Zahirah nodded as she handed the letter back to Nasir, who at her urging had learned to read. “Only your own eyes can tell you if what your advisors say in the letter is true. Trust your own eyes before another’s words,” she’d said in explanation.
    He re-read the letter with incredulity, but beyond emitting another sharp snort of disbelief, said nothing. Again under Zahirah’s tutelage, he was learning to think before speaking, a novel way of behaving and one he was not yet sure he liked over-much.
    “We must meet with them, of course, and as soon as they arrive. We can’t be seen to be reluctant; not until we have heard what they have to say,” Zahirah responded quietly.
    “We must meet with them because they are our long-standing allies,” flashed Badr. “To say or think otherwise is to ignore our history and our obligations to a long time friend!”
    “Perhaps. But we should also ensure that our present day needs and interests are still as they were,” Firyal responded quietly.
    Badr said nothing. Although he had, reluctantly, accepted Nasir as his co-regent, he found it all but impossible to accept the open exchange of views the others didn’t now give a second thought to. Talal, also, he saw with silent fury, took it as normal for the women to have a say in affairs. Badr didn’t, and was still, after several months, very uneasy. He had, however, swiftly realised that if he didn’t attend the informal gatherings, they would continue without him, so he recognised that he had little option but to participate. Much formal decision-making was taken in the family-wide majlis and would continue to be so until Talal came of age, but little that the inner group didn’t want to happen, did actually happen.
    “Events must be going much in their favour for them to be able to travel so far south,” Nasir commented.
    “I understand that the embassy will arrive by tomorrow. Their caravan is expected to reach us by early afternoon, so we have little time to prepare our response,” interjected Isaac worriedly.
    “Do we need time?” snorted Nasir, at last giving voice to his impatience. “The way they ran at