Tree of Pearls, Queen of Egypt

‘Izz al-Din Aybak

 ‘Izz al-Din Aybak after rukn al-din’s departure, Tree of Pearls rose and gathered the long train of her robes behind her. Shwaykar rose in turn to await her mistress’s command . Tree of Pearls was not entirely easy in her mind as to whether she had done well by her handmaiden in pledging her to Rukn al-Din. She wished to ascertain Shwaykar’s opinion on the matter and sound the inclinations of her heart, and so she approached the subject directly. “I hope you are pleased with your suitor, Shwaykar?” Blushing deeply, Shwaykar raised her eyes to meet those of her mistress and saw that her expression was full of teasing affection. She struggled to overcome her shyness, and with some effort finally brought herself to offer a hesitant smile in reply. “It seems that my Lady has grown weary of my company.” “What nonsense, child! I only wish to secure your future, and a woman with your beauty, education, and accomplishments must needs make a fit match. I am certain that this brave young man is a gem amongst his peers and has, moreover, a brilliant career before him. If I am wrong in this, and he is not the man that I imagine him to be, I will never give you to him in marriage. Fear not, Shwaykar, for I am as jealous of your interests as though they were those of my own daughter . I am confident that you know this to be the truth. And now I shall retire, for I am quite fatigued by the day’s events.” “And yet you are surely satisfied with this conclusion, my Lady? The man who was the cause of all our troubles has met his end, and government shall now resume its proper course. Who shall now take up the reins of power, I wonder? I trust we shall no longer be forced to submit to the House of Ayyub. It seems that the days of this dynasty are well past.” “Perhaps you are right, Shwaykar,” she smiled. “‘Izz al-Din Aybak shall certainly enlighten us on the subject when he arrives tomorrow.” She then bade her  | tree of pearls, queen of egypt goodnight, and Shwaykar kissed her mistress’s hand while Tree of Pearls placed an affectionate kiss in return on her handmaiden’s brow. As soon as Shwaykar had quit her, she hurried through a secret door in the Great Hall that led directly to her chambers. The hour had struck midnight and the servants had long since lit her splendid apartments, which were hung with heavy tapestries of silk brocade richly woven with verses of poetry, ornamental designs, and wonderful martial and pastoral scenes of most brilliant and varied color. She threw herself onto her bed and surrendered to her turbulent thoughts. “Turan Shah is slain—may God resurrect him not!—and this by the hand of my own ‘Izz al-Din.” She sighed deeply as she pronounced his name. “He is my love, but he is secretive and cunning, and I yet doubt his loyalty. So it is with men, ever untrustworthy! And what does it matter?” she shrugged, “let him act as he pleases! Has he not served me well in this affair? All that now remains is for the kingdom to be delivered once again into my hands. ‘Izz al-Din has promised me this! I wonder, then, if he will honor his pledge. I shall be the first Queen in the history of our Empire, and I shall reward him well if he serves me faithfully.” She spent a good part of the night thus reveling in her plots and fancies. When finally she slept, she dreamt that she had been made Queen and gripped the royal scepter firmly in her hands. Tree of Pearls desired dominion, no matter the cost. This appetite for power had possessed her upon the birth of Al-Salih’s son, Khalil, for she had dared to hope that he would one day be the means through which her ambitions might be fulfilled. Would he not be the future Sultan and she his Regent? But the boy had died in his infancy, and Tree of Pearls’s budding hopes with him. The next morning, a eunuch entered to announce her eagerly awaited visitor . “Prince ‘Izz al-Din Aybak awaits your Ladyship in the Great Hall.” Tree of Pearls rose and dressed. On this morning...