#salaifa

[sentryandco]

Prompt 19: Turn a Blind Eye

“Any new word?”

Salaifa did not look up as she poured a dollop of milk into her tea. Her movements, as ever, were gentle and precise, never hurried. Ahrahd watched for a moment longer before answering, his gaze following the stirring of her spoon three times, never more, never less, before she set it down and took up her cup. 

“Nay. But she is within the grounds.” He waited until the raen took her sip, before he reached for his own. “And there have been no further inquiries from the emissaries.”

A patient smile touched her lips, the tea cup held just beneath. “We promised no further shipments would reach the man, and they will not find any.” Her pale blue eyes glanced up at Ahrahd. “And what of these dancers?”

“Nothing of import, as yet.” Ahrahd allowed a pause, knowing full well that their inclusion in the letter was not to be dismissed. The correspondence was always composed with deliberate care, every phrase purposeful. “There was a suspicion that an arrangement was made through a servant, but the true interests of the performers have yet to be known.”

The tea cup was set back down onto the plate, Salaifa folding her hands upon her lap. She looked out to the gardens, the thin mist from the central fountain glistening faintly in the midday sun. The raen had a distant look about her, and Ahrahd knew the ambassador was pondering the next step.

“Might I suggest preparing a contingency plan,” he began, his tone grim. “If these Thavnairians have any connections to the Ocular–”

“Then that is precisely what we are hoping for.” The dainty pose never wavered, although Salaifa canted her head in his direction, her blue gaze brightening with delight. “I am certain the opportunity will not go wasted.”

The straightening of his posture was the only thing that betrayed his doubt—not of the ambassador, but in the capability of the agent upon whose shoulders the burden was placed. Ever since the day they found the unconscious body washed up on the shores of the Dalal estate, Salaifa had invested much of her time in training her newest protégé. Not that there had been any failures to warrant Ahrahd’s apprehensions, but it was his job to always prepare for things to go wrong and plan for an exit strategy.

“And if they are not agents of the Ocular?” He placed his tea on the table. 

The delicate smile returned. “Then they are of no consequence, as long as our goals are met.” She dropped a single cube of sugar, stirring the tea three times again. She lifted the drink back to her lips, but paused to look at him.  “Diya knows her priorities. She will do whatever is necessary. She has done so before, and she will do so again.”

[sentryandco]

Prompt 7: Pawn

Ahrahd Khatri bowed stiffly as the Lominsan diplomats made their exit. He made no outward expression to the banality of their chatter: from their praise of the exquisite painting of the rounded ceiling, to the intricate sculptures carved above every archway. He knew why Salaifa Dalal always greeted them within the arcaded foyer, allowing the impressive dome held loft by massive columns to garner the rightful respect for the ambassador of Thavnair and the great nation she represented.

While he never took part in the discussions amongst the emissaries, he never missed a word of what was said. His silence and rigid posture allowed him to blend into the background as one of the ambassador Dalal’s personal guards, and dignitaries rarely noticed those of inferior rank. He nor the ambassador made no attempt to introduce himself as Salaifa’s closest adviser, her second-in-command. Which was exactly the intent of Salaifa; she always appreciated his take on the matter afterwards, the ambassador always indulging in a cup of chai in her sunroom as she listened to his report.

Ahrahd lingered at the main entrance a while longer, long after the doors had closed. Today’s meeting had been more heated than usual, putting to the test Salaifa’s ability to mask her keen intellect with an easygoing facade; easing the worried minds of Lominsan envoys was never easy, and today it had seemed all the harder. It had come to the attention of one of the Dutiful Sisters of Edelweiss that a barrel of peculiar make had been shipped from Thavnair to a noble residing in Mist. What triggered their attention was the man it was delivered to; Egil Nylor had been on their list of persons of interest since he had a falling out with the scholars of Limsa Lominsa over questionable practices.

It was brought to Salaifa’s attention due to the origin being from her nation, and they had yet to discern the true purpose of this merchandise. Ahrahd watched intently as the beautiful raen ambassador weaved her way through tactful negotiations and half-truths to reassure her counterparts that her people would ensure that the best outcome would be had by all sides. The fact that Salaifa sealed the deal with the weighty promise of her word (topped with a personal favor, no less) gave Ahrahd a burgeoning feeling of unease. The raen was entrusting a lot on the shoulders of an agent who was still young and unproven, at least in his eyes. 

But he was never one to question Salaifa’s decisions, and only gave her his honest opinions when asked. 

It seemed today he would be asked. A very familiar and enigmatic smile teased upon the ambassador’s lips as she bid him to enter her sunroom. 

“Shall we have some chai?”