"Yet he favored his sons over his daughter," the khan said shrewdly.
"Yes," she admitted, "he did, but it did not keep him from despairing over Cyrus, Asad and Jahi. Like you, they were warriors. My father has in the past year come to rely upon me, and upon Abd al Hakim, Bahira's father. You must do the same, Amir."
"I had thought to make Sabola my vizier," he said.
She shook her head at him. "Nay, keep Bahira's father as your vizier. You need Sabola to lead the armies. You will not be content to sit here in Dariyabar. You will go forth, this time across the sea, to find and conquer new lands. You need Sabola by your side. Besides, he has no real administrative experience in the government of any country."
He nodded. "You are indeed clever, my wife," he told her.
"And I will come to love you, Amir," she said softly.
He smiled down into her violet eyes. "I think you probably will," he replied.
"So arrogant," she laughed up at him.
"So haughty," he chuckled down at her.
"You spanked me before," she said, remembering.
"I did," he answered her with a grin. "You were being most recalcitrant, and I must be master in our bed, princess of Dariyabar."
Suddenly she was astride his chest, and laughing at the look of surprise upon his face. "And I shall be mistress!" she told him.
His look grew serious, and then he said, "Yes, Zuleika, my princess of Dariyabar, you shall, for I can love no other."
"It is a grave vow you make, my lord," she answered him.
"I know," he responded. "Trust me always, Zuleika, and I swear that I shall never fail you. Believe in me, my darling, and I will trust in your judgment though it be difficult for me to accept the council of a woman. I shall, nonetheless, for I adore you!"
Her look was equally sober. "Do not say these things to me, Amir, if you cannot keep your promises. I will forgive much in you, but never will I forgive betrayal. As I will be loyal to you, so must you be loyal to me."
He drew her down into his embrace. "Then we are agreed, my darling princess of Dariyabar. I shall love you always, and be ever faithful." His lips brushed hers softly. "What vow will you make me?"
She smiled now into his dark eyes. "That I will always be faithful to you, my lord. And that I will love you too." Then she kissed him passionately, and Amir Khan knew in that instant that he had found a treasure beyond all price.
Chapter Six
For centuries Kansbar, the genie who protected Dariyabar, had considered who his enemy might be. An enemy who worked subtly and skillfully to destroy all that his first master, Prince Sinbad, had built. Now he knew. Keket, his own niece. She had been but an infant when his brother had entrapped Kansbar in his bottle and thrown it into the sea. Unfortunately, like her father, Keket believed what she chose to believe, neglecting the truth that stared her directly in the face. And Golnar was her daughter. Keket would not take lightly that chosen child's betrayal.
Poor Golnar. Her heritage was as much magic as it was human, but other than love potions, elixirs, and creams to preserve her great beauty, she knew nothing, nor did she understand. Her human heritage would eventually take over entirely. Golnar wanted power. Knowing she could gain it by using her body, she was fully prepared to do so. Not to destroy Dariyabar, but to have it for herself. She was quite a simple creature. He had long ago sworn to protect this kingdom. They were bound together as one entity. He would not fail in his duty even if it meant using this foolish child of his vengeful niece to gain the victory. But, he would protect Golnar from her mother's wrath. The girl was more to be pitied than scorned.
Kansbar had the ability to appear outside of his bowl, and now he did so, almost filling the bedchamber where the princess and her husband lay sleeping, their arms about each other. For a brief moment he allowed himself to be touched by the sight of them, but then his voice boomed out, "Awake, Zuleika and Amir! Awake!"
His voice fiercely penetrated their dreams. The couple awoke, sitting up against the pillows and staring surprised at him.
"Kansbar, I do not believe I have never seen you outside of your bowl," Zuleika remarked. "You are a most impressive genie."
"You have grown too used to thinking of me as small, my princess. The time has come for you to see that my power, as well as my great size, are related. What you see is but half the size I can attain, for your chamber constricts me. My lord Amir, are you quite awake now?"
"Will you always disturb us at our slumbers, Kansbar?" the khan asked, half-amused.
"Only in moments of danger, my lord khan," the genie replied respectfully, "and danger is near, in the presence of Golnar."
"Do you see?" Zuleika demanded of her husband. "Did I not warn you that the bitch would be a thorn in our heel?"
Kansbar actually laughed, and the sound shook the very rafters of the chamber. "You are jealous, my princess. You should be. The wicked wench means to seduce the khan, and bear his heir, thus supplanting you and any child you would have. I have discovered this night that Golnar has a magical heritage which might help her in her nefarious plot, had I not learned of it."
"I will kill her myself!" Zuleika declared. "I will slit her throat from ear to ear! Then I will drink her blood!"
Again, Kansbar laughed. "Which is stronger, my princess? Your desire to protect Dariyabar, or your jealous love for the khan?"
"Both!" Zuleika cried, but she blushed at her bold admission.
The genie chuckled knowingly. "For now, you love him more," he told her, "but that will pass. You will never, I know, betray Dariyabar. It is your son who will inherit one day. Your blood, the blood of Sinbad that will flow in the veins of future sultans of Dariyabar."
"And my blood," the khan interjected.
"Oh, yes, mighty khan, your blood as well, but not the blood of Golnar, daughter of my niece who is half-genie, and half-fairy. Hear now my story, for it has been many centuries since I have told it, or anyone has known of it, or remembered it. Long ago my brother fell in love with a mortal princess, but she was afraid of him. She did not love him in return. This princess begged my help and I gave it to her, keeping her safe from my brother. He, however, mistakenly believed that I too was in love with this fair mortal. He thought that if I was no longer in his way, the princess would love him. So he entrapped me in a bottle, threw it into the sea, and imprisoned the princess in his palace. The gods, however, were with me. I floated within a relatively short time up onto this shore where I was found and released by Prince Sinbad. I offered him three wishes in exchange for my freedom."
"I have always wondered what he wished for," Zuleika interrupted.
Kansbar actually smiled with the memory. "He was a most unusual mortal. For his first wish, he asked me to build him a city right there upon the seashore. I did. His second wish was for a fleet of merchant ships, for he knew that wealth and prosperity were the key to his city's success. I granted him his desire, and waited anxiously for his third wish. I expected him to ask for gold, or other riches in abundance, but instead he requested that I remain always as the guardian of Dariyabar, keeping it safe from its enemies and remaining a friend to his descendants. I could not refuse him. I am bound by my sacred oath, an oath all genies take when their powers are granted to them."
"I realized, however, that my prince must take a wife, and sire an heir. In his dreams I brought him the princess that my brother coveted. They fell in love. So I transported her on a magic flying carpet from my brother's palace to Dariyabar, where they were married, and lived happily ever after. But my brother, still believing that I had stolen the princess for myself, complained to the Great Genie, who is lord over us all. The Great Genie listened to his tale, and then asked for mine. When he learned that my brother had imprisoned me in a bottle and thrown it into the sea, the Great Genie became enraged. It is against our own laws to act against a fellow genie in so cruel a manner. To punish my brother, the Great Genie took back his powers. My brother, embittered, told our family that I had stolen his powers after escaping from the bottle in which he had imprisoned me. My niece, Keket, who is half-fairy, grew up believing this. It is her daughter, Golnar, raised in her mortal father's household, who is to be the instrument for my brother's family's revenge in the manner in which I have told you."