Third Lions' Book
Prologue
The light was failing in the desert sky, prayer ended and long shadows lay across the dunes. The fire was damped to a dull orange that oozed a slick, oily smoke. A woman covered head to toe in an indigo hijab, crouched before it stirring, coaxing up the blood red flame from within its heart.
Behind her a man of middle years lurked, far enough away that he raised his voice to be heard. “Is it done?”
She turned her head at his voice and shrugged her shoulders. “Be patient my sister’s son, the magic of chance is one where only the clever and the lucky win. These stones can only be rolled once to get your desire. You are fortunate, I am both clever and lucky.”
She looked up into the sky, her eyes searching. “Soon now, the stars are showing themselves. I have calculated the moment and you must be ready. Do you have the things I told you to get?”
The man hesitated before coming forward, pitching a small camel-skin bag at her. “You reek of women’s magic,” he sneered.
She sat back on her heels and stared him down. “Do you wish me to continue or do you no longer wish the Grenadian kingdom as your own?”
He spit to the side, “Just do as you promised. Grenada will be mine. If I need to wed one of the Sultan’s family to gain control, so be it.”
The woman returned her gaze to the fire. “I will do my part. Remember what you promised if I succeed, “My daughters will be safe.”
Chapter 1 The lion coughed and nudged the girl. Ara, her fingers wrapped tightly around his mane, leaned her ear against the door. ‘Shh,’ she whispered, ‘they’re talking about me.”
Another cough and then a third, Ara, peered back though the thick mica mane and quickly stood erect. “I was… I was only…”
The Sultan’s advisor, Sulieman, shook his head in exasperation, “Please, come away. And spare me your dissembling.”
Once they were removed from hearing distance he spoke. “Curiosity,” he said addressing the lion, “you know better than to allow your companion to delve into matters of state. Now that she is becoming a woman, can you not guide her into submitting to her place?”
Curiosity shook his mane; flecks of mica caught the light as they glistened in the air, “I can not turn her nature. She is who she was before. You can’t expect a cub to grow into a gazelle. She will become a lioness, not prey.”
Suleiman snorted, “Perhaps, but the daughter to the Sultan of all Granada might find it wiser to mask her natural disposition and practice obedience, lest she find herself trapped in a snare of her own making.”
Ara brushed aside their debate, “Father is searching for a husband for me, I heard him. He said he is inviting many potential suitors here. Is there to be a test or challenge or is this to be a purely political match?”
Suleiman stared at her a bit too long, “This is best left to those who love you.” He stopped as if debating whether or not to continue. “While the Sultan wishes to tie some of the African tribes to Granada, he is also to be trusted to look to your well being.”
Ara stared back, “Yes, but how will he go about choosing?”
Suleiman continued walking, past the Hall of the Myrtles, through the door and into the Court of the Lions. Ara trotted beside him, ignoring the guards and sentries lining the halls. There, in the center of the room, nine stone lions held up a circular fountain. A missing space where a tenth lion should be stood out like a pulled tooth. Curiosity walked over and resumed his spot there.
“The Sufi mathemagician returns. Tahirah’s time with the Jinni is completed and your father trusts her counsel.” As fur melted into stone, the lion spoke one last time, “Other counsel is also being taken. The one who stands before you is in that pack.”
Suleiman, after a quick twitch, hurried off to The Hall of the Ambassadors.
The last words of Curiosity echoed in the room, “He will know who is to decide you and your cousin Layla’s marriage partners.”
Prologue
The light was failing in the desert sky, prayer ended and long shadows lay across the dunes. The fire was damped to a dull orange that oozed a slick, oily smoke. A woman covered head to toe in an indigo hijab, crouched before it stirring, coaxing up the blood red flame from within its heart.
Behind her a man of middle years lurked, far enough away that he raised his voice to be heard. “Is it done?”
She turned her head at his voice and shrugged her shoulders. “Be patient my sister’s son, the magic of chance is one where only the clever and the lucky win. These stones can only be rolled once to get your desire. You are fortunate, I am both clever and lucky.”
She looked up into the sky, her eyes searching. “Soon now, the stars are showing themselves. I have calculated the moment and you must be ready. Do you have the things I told you to get?”
The man hesitated before coming forward, pitching a small camel-skin bag at her. “You reek of women’s magic,” he sneered.
She sat back on her heels and stared him down. “Do you wish me to continue or do you no longer wish the Grenadian kingdom as your own?”
He spit to the side, “Just do as you promised. Grenada will be mine. If I need to wed one of the Sultan’s family to gain control, so be it.”
The woman returned her gaze to the fire. “I will do my part. Remember what you promised if I succeed, “My daughters will be safe.”
Chapter 1 The lion coughed and nudged the girl. Ara, her fingers wrapped tightly around his mane, leaned her ear against the door. ‘Shh,’ she whispered, ‘they’re talking about me.”
Another cough and then a third, Ara, peered back though the thick mica mane and quickly stood erect. “I was… I was only…”
The Sultan’s advisor, Sulieman, shook his head in exasperation, “Please, come away. And spare me your dissembling.”
Once they were removed from hearing distance he spoke. “Curiosity,” he said addressing the lion, “you know better than to allow your companion to delve into matters of state. Now that she is becoming a woman, can you not guide her into submitting to her place?”
Curiosity shook his mane; flecks of mica caught the light as they glistened in the air, “I can not turn her nature. She is who she was before. You can’t expect a cub to grow into a gazelle. She will become a lioness, not prey.”
Suleiman snorted, “Perhaps, but the daughter to the Sultan of all Granada might find it wiser to mask her natural disposition and practice obedience, lest she find herself trapped in a snare of her own making.”
Ara brushed aside their debate, “Father is searching for a husband for me, I heard him. He said he is inviting many potential suitors here. Is there to be a test or challenge or is this to be a purely political match?”
Suleiman stared at her a bit too long, “This is best left to those who love you.” He stopped as if debating whether or not to continue. “While the Sultan wishes to tie some of the African tribes to Granada, he is also to be trusted to look to your well being.”
Ara stared back, “Yes, but how will he go about choosing?”
Suleiman continued walking, past the Hall of the Myrtles, through the door and into the Court of the Lions. Ara trotted beside him, ignoring the guards and sentries lining the halls. There, in the center of the room, nine stone lions held up a circular fountain. A missing space where a tenth lion should be stood out like a pulled tooth. Curiosity walked over and resumed his spot there.
“The Sufi mathemagician returns. Tahirah’s time with the Jinni is completed and your father trusts her counsel.” As fur melted into stone, the lion spoke one last time, “Other counsel is also being taken. The one who stands before you is in that pack.”
Suleiman, after a quick twitch, hurried off to The Hall of the Ambassadors.
The last words of Curiosity echoed in the room, “He will know who is to decide you and your cousin Layla’s marriage partners.”
