Tree of Pearls, Queen of Egypt

Good Tidings

 Good Tidings he was not kept waiting for long. The eunuch appeared and announced his mistress, and‘Izz al-Din rose to greet her. Tree of Pearls now stood before him, and ‘Izz al-Din fell upon her hands as though to kiss them. She started and drew back from him in a graceful gesture of modesty. He motioned to her to take her seat upon the couch and seated himself by her side. She bade the servant to withdraw , and once alone with the Prince, she spoke. “Welcome, ‘Izz al-Din. We have been informed of your bravery in ridding the country of that feckless child. May God reward you.You have done a great service to the Community of Muslims.” “I undertook this deed to serve my heart’s sovereign, Tree of Pearls,” he fervently replied. His words affected her greatly—she, who loved him well—but they also rekindled her dormant suspicions. “I fully acknowledge this favor, ‘Izz al-Din. It is not the first time that you have proved the sincerity of your affection, and I am but the prisoner of your grace.” “The merest token of your approval suffices me, my Lady,” he replied. “Especially now that you shall be enthroned Queen of Muslims!” Tree of Pearls flushed deeply and feigned astonishment. “Queen of Muslims? What can you possibly mean by this?” “You are already my Queen and the possessor of my heart, and shall soon become Queen of Egypt and Guardian of the State and of Religion.” “How has this come to pass?” she demanded. “I beg you to explain yourself.” “When the Exalted King was slain yesterday, the princes convened a council to discuss the succession. At first there was much dissension between them, until I intervened to propose a happy solution. ‘We would be ill-advised,’ said I, ‘to bestow the succession on a member of the Ayyubid Dynasty after having suffered such insult at their hands. Let us then choose a compromise. The Good good tidings |  King—may God rest his soul—was the only Ayyubid that deserved our respect. We can trust no one else of his line. We well know that the mother of his son, Khalil, was the closest person to his heart. She is intelligent and capable, and she is our countrywoman, in addition. She will defend and uphold our honor. It is my opinion that we should invest her with crown and scepter.’ While some amongst them continued to advocate the Ayyubid succession, the princes finished by accepting my counsel and have resolved to elect you Queen over Egypt. Should I not by rights then bend to kiss your hand and beg your grace?” “God forbid such a thing! You are my beloved and to you I owe all. Without you I should never have attained to this rank. If I am truly invested Queen of Egypt, you shall be my scepter and I shall bestow upon you the post of First Minister , for who should deserve it more than you?” ‘Izz al-Din secretly rejoiced at this promise. He had hoped that it would be so, and he anticipated yet greater honors to result from this propitious beginning. He poured forth his gratitude lavishly, subtly alternating between expressions of modesty and of flattery, while Tree of Pearls continued to insist on her great debt to him and to praise his zeal and valor. “I trust no one but you,” she said, “and cannot do without you in managing the affairs of the state.” “Truly, you have no need of my poor assistance,” ‘Izz al-Din replied, “but I am nonetheless at your slightest command.” They spent an hour conversing in this manner, both elated by the great prize they had won. Finally, Tree of Pearls turned to more concrete matters. “We must work to cement the loyalty of our supporters in the army,” she mused. “How, then, do you propose to distribute the posts and sinecures at our disposal?” “My darling Tree of Pearls has thought of everything,” he smiled. “She of course knows that our army is composed of diverse nations—Circassians, Byzantines , Kurds, and Turks—and that most of these are Mamluk slaves. The Turks are our own men, the base and might of our army. We must therefore strengthen them and promote them, according to their rank and precedence, to state office. There are, for example, the Commanders of the Hundred and the Commanders of the...