"Did you really end up eating the camel?"

Marie-Fey didn't even finish sitting down before the stupid questions started.

She paused, mid-sit, then looked at Zaydan who was ungracefully throwing himself into a golden chair with velvet brocade seating, lounging in it like every younger son she knew of rich families.

"No, I did not eat the camel," she said, sitting down.

"Are you sure?"

She frowned at him. "I'm certain I would remember such a thing."

Zaydan shot her a smirk, black eyes dark and grinning – he reminded her of some sort of big cat. Sleek and clever and all too aware of his power.

"Would you like to see him?" she asked coolly and the grin in his eyes transferred into a grin on his lips.

"Let's," he said, lightly bouncing to his feet again.

Like a true gentleman, he politely offered his hand to her, slightly bowed, one hand behind his back – but that grin really did ruin it.

She did take his hand however, and rose without using it, allowing him to wrap her arm through his before they glided out again, Marie-Fey glancing to Maanah and Gharam, all three resisting raising an eyebrow before they followed the pair out.

Zaydan led the way through the palace – which Marie-Fey had to remind herself was completely acceptable, it was his boyhood home after all – and they swept passed the other ladies, he giving everyone charming, confident smiles until they stepped out into the gardens.

There was a fuss from up above and Marie-Fey detached herself from Zaydan as Mr. Larkin launched into her arms, Gharam desperately restraining herself from hurling the monkey back into the trees as he firmly planted a perfect dusty handprint on her skirts.

She rushed forwards to brush it away as Marie-Fey let Mr. Larkin settle in her arms and Zaydan stared at the little beast.

"A... a monkey?" he said, blinking.

"How observant of you," Marie-Fey said with a charming smile, "This is Mr. Larkin, he has been a companion of mine since I first moved here."

"I... never heard about a monkey," Zaydan said, baffled.

"And why should the likes of you hear of the likes of me?" Marie-Fey asked, coolly.

"Well I read many of the letters you sent my brother," Zaydan said, lifting his eyes to her.

Storm cloud flashed through Marie-Fey's eyes. "Those letters should have remained private," she said.

Zaydan blinked, then seemed to consider the invasion of privacy. "My apologies," he said and actually sounded sincere. "I don't read them to gossip and spy, I handle the running of our estate alongside my brother, I always read them simply to see if you commented on anything that was required."

Marie-Fey's eyes narrowed like dagger points and he quickly held up his hands.

"Truly," he said, "Your... those letters were so impersonal, it didn't feel like I was reading letters between man and wife... just acquaintances."

Marie-Fey's lips twitched, then she spun away. "And whose fault it that?" she muttered before walking on and raising her voice, "Besides, I informed my husband about Mr. Larkin within the first six months of my coming here. His mother was killed by one of the guards and he would have died. It is nothing but luck that kept him alive in my care."

Zaydan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Admirable though, to take such responsibility."

Marie-Fey didn't answer him, striding ahead through the grand gardens until she pinpointed her camel.

He was located via screams as two younger girls tore around one of the smaller building, racing passed and almost crashed face first to the ground when they spied Zaydan.

"Ladies," Zaydan said, staring at him.

The girls stared back at him, then glanced at Marie-Fey.

"Lord Zaydan," she introduced blandly and the girls collapsed into curtsies.

Zaydan opened his mouth to address them and Marie-Fey cut him off with a dismissive wave of the hand – which earned her a startled stare.

"Yes, yes, you can talk to them later, I have other things to attend to and we much find the damned camel," she said, "Girls?"

In unison they pointed the way they had come and Marie-Fey swept past, Zaydan keeping in line with her, Mannah stopping to instruct the girls.

They turned the corner of the building and a camel snorted at them.

"Good afternoon, how are you today?" Marie-Fey said and the camel grunted at her.

Holding out a hand, she indicated the useless gift to Zaydan.

"Sir, I present you with one camel. Lord Zaydan, meet Barnaby. Barnaby, meet Lord Zaydan."

Barnaby gave Lord Zaydan a look that very much mimicked his mistress's attitude to the newcomer.

"Barnaby?" Zaydan copied, then laughed. "Well, I'm glad to see he's healthy. He's a fine animal. He was chosen personally for you."

"What a romantic gift," Marie-Fey said, absently examining Mr. Larkin's front paw where he had a small scrape.

"And your other gifts?"

Marie-Fey looked at him without lifting her head. "If you read my letters, I assume you know that I have not opened them," she said bluntly, "Is that not why you're here rather than in the main palace? Here to put the outspoken wife in her place?"

Zaydan looked at her for a long, long moment – long enough that Marie-Fey raised her head and locked eyes with him, daring him to say a word or raise a hand against her.

Zaydan tilted his head slightly.

"I'm not in the habit of striking women for speaking their mind on matters of the heart," he finally said, backing down from the standoff with a subtle shift of weight to his heels. "I am not in the habit of striking women on a whole, so you needn't look like you're bracing yourself."

Marie-Fey thinned her lips for a moment, then relaxed her shoulders.

"Better men than you are in the habit of striking women, it pays to be prepared," she said simply, walking past him.

"You hardly know me, you can hardly say you know anyone better or worse," Zaydan replied, falling back into step with her. "Are you so used to having to brace yourself? Is your father a violent man?"

Marie-Fey spun her head to stare at him with a mixture of offence and fury. "My father would never strike a woman, nor anyone if it can be avoided. He is not a violent man. None of the men in my family are violent, even my brother at war. I am wary because I know enough friends who suffer at the hands of fathers and brothers and husbands. I am wary of someone stronger than me. And since we're on the subject, you can mind those brutish men of yours, storming into my palace and intimidating my ladies. If they are to remain here they will not treat the girls like objects to terrorise and abuse with menace or I shall bring them down to size myself."

Zaydan gaped at her and she could see that he was in the verge of laughing but clearly something in her face warned him to hold his tongue less he lose it.

"My," he said with a grin, "Quite a force to be reckoned with."

"You do not survive in a world that makes women compete without learning how to fight. In our versions of war, we are as fearsome as your men."

"Oh I believe you. I was raised in that palace, I saw the ruthlessness of those women," Zaydan said, his gaze drifting away, though Marie-Fey wasn't sure if it was towards the colourful plant life or into the past.

Marie-Fey just let out an annoyed sigh. "Well hurry up then."

He looked at her.

"This chatter is all well and good but get on with whatever is it you want to say. If you're not here to admonish me, what do you want?"

Zaydan looked at her with a raised brow. "To see that you are truly alright," he said simply and Marie-Fey blinked at him. "Marie-Fey, you were poisoned."

"Why, I had quite forgotten," Marie-Fey said through clenched teeth at the lack of title.

"My brother is worried but work and the sultan truly do keep him away from home. But he's fretting; I have never seen him as panicked as he was when he read your letter, he does care for you, in his own way. I do not carry the same duties as him so returned to observe. I shall write to him this evening to let him know, a letter from you would be greatly appreciated as well."

"I told him that I am doing well in my last letter," Marie-Fey said, waving the notion off, "I have no reason to write to him."

She didn't miss the flash of sadness that passed through his eyes before it was gone again but a small show of emotions for his brother's failed marriage was not going to sway her interests.

Zaydan seemed to be waiting for her to change her mind but when he eventually saw it was not going to happen he turned away then stopped.

Marie-Fey glanced back at him to see he was looking off to his right.

They had looped around to the back of the main building and a hundred feet away was the entrance to an overgrown grove. Marie-Fey knew there was some large building tucked in among the private garden but had never actually seen it because the gates were locked and she didn't care enough about some abandoned house.

It wasn't visible anyway as it was surrounded by lush, healthy foliage and plant life, tall trees and towering shrubs, wildly over grown and yet somehow impossibly healthy in the constant, blazing dessert heat, loomed overhead, like a miniature jungle.

"I am also to gift you this," Zaydan said, heading for the emerald chaos.

Marie-Fey raised an eyebrow, glanced at her ladies, then followed him.

"This palace is only ever used by the wives who married into the family," Zaydan said as they walked, "the women of the main palace cannot enter unless she is in residence."

"But your mother lived in the palace," Marie-Fey said.

"My mother did not marry into the family. My father did. My grandfather had no surviving sons so my father inherited. There was no need for this palace and my mother had no interest in the house that was for outsiders."

Marie-Fey glanced at him. "Why didn't she send me here?" she muttered.

Zaydan shot her his own glance, then smiled – a gentle, real one for once. "She must have liked you," he said as they reached the gates that had vines growing over it.

"So... first a camel... now a ratty old palace that I'm locked out of," Marie-Fey said with a weary sigh, "Your brother knows how to charm a lady," and Zaydan snorted, throwing his head back and really laughing, his black hair shining in the sun.

"It was hardly so funny," Marie-Fey said, staring at him like he was a lunatic.

He just gave her his sun-bright grin. "One day I'll show you the secret entrance into this palace. But first I'm to have it cleaned up and prepared for the lady of the state. Now, Marie-Fey, why don't you and I go look at those presents my brother spent so much time picking out and you're putting to waste?"

"For goodness sake, Lord Zaydan," Marie-Fey snapped as he swept away, "We might be in-laws but we are not friends. We are barely even acquainted. Refer to me by title or do not refer to me at all."

Zaydan look over his shoulder at her before waving it off and Marie-Fey eyed one of the hard nuts that lay on the ground, fallen from the trees above, debating on how awful it would be to hurl the item at him just to teach him a lesson.

"Lady Marie-Fey is such a mouthful," he called back to her.

"It is my name!" Marie-Fey snapped.

"Yes, yes, I know," Zaydan said, heading for the grand doors that led into the back of the palace, "But we have other things to attend to."

Marie-Fey reached for the nut and Mannah and Gharam dove at her, restraining her from giving the young master a concession.