Tree of Pearls, Queen of Egypt

At the Palace of the Crown

 At the Palace of the Crown a servant entered to announce the Caliph’s Majordomo, and Sallafa rose to meet him at the door. She welcomed him effusively and escorted him into the hall. Pointing to Rukn al-Din, she said, “This is the Prince Rukn al-Din alBunduqari , who vanquished the Franks and repelled them from Egypt. I have spoken to you of him at great length, and we are indeed fortunate to have him here with us in Baghdad. We were only now engaged in discussing the grave matter that you confided to me but yesterday.” The Majordomo glanced briefly at Rukn al-Din and inclined his head in greeting. The young man’s intelligent mien and noble bearing pleased him well. “We shall be grateful to discover in Prince Rukn al-Din the superior martial qualities sought by the Commander of the Faithful. We hope that he may recompense us for the shame heaped upon us by the previous Dawadar. Let us go to the Palace of the Crown this very hour.” Rukn al-Din attempted, with many delicate and well-turned expressions of gratitude, to decline this great if precipitate honor, but the Majordomo dismissed his excuses as issuing from over-excessive modesty. He continued to press the Prince, who, finding that his protests were useless, was obliged to submit to the mighty Imperial officer in good grace. As they took their leave of their hostess, Sallafa threw Rukn al-Din a look full of passionate languor and pressed his hand in a parting salute. “I confess that I am delighted to have succeeded in fulfilling the charge laid upon me by our most excellent Majordomo. Brave Prince, you shall, with God’s aid, deliver the state from the grave dangers that threaten it.” She drew closer and whispered in his ear. “As for myself, should I now die, I shall depart this world knowing that you submitted to me in this, though the knowledge of it only increases the fires of longing that burn in my heart. If we are fated to meet again, you shall have a token of their ardor.” at the palace of the crown |  Sallafa’s impassioned farewell struck a reluctant spark in Rukn al-Din’s heart, but he let no sign of this escape. He returned her salute and silently followed the Majordomo into the courtyard. Once outside the palace gates, they mounted their beasts and proceeded to the Palace of the Crown, with ‘Abid trailing behind on his mule. Rukn al-Din passed the short distance to their destination wrapped in deep thought, for his interview with Sallafa had once again confounded him. Shwaykar was dead, Sallafa claimed innocence, and he now found himself on the point of taking an important step in the direction of his dearest ambitions. Had he acted rightly? He had stayed his hand and refrained from seeking the blood of Shwaykar’s mortal enemy. He was a sensible and realistic young man, however, and he decided that revenge would yet be his, should he ascertain beyond the shadow of a doubt Sallafa’s complicity in his betrothed’s death. The three men rode on in silence. Rukn al-Din was oblivious to his surroundings , and he paid no attention to the frenetic comings and goings of passers -by nor yet to the distant explosions made by falling canon. Upon arriving at the Palace of the Crown, however, he found its residents in a state of utter chaos and great terror, for much of this incessant bombardment was directed at the Imperial compound itself. Being unsure of Palace protocol, he watched the Majordomo in order to be guided by his movements. When he dismounted, so too did Rukn al-Din, and he proceeded to follow the Majordomo on foot until they reached the Commons Gate. The Chamberlain met them there, and the Majordomo requested permission for an audience with the Caliph. As soon as this had been granted, they entered the Reception Hall. The Majordomo gave the customary greeting and then addressed the Caliph. “I beg the Commander of the Faithful to permit me to introduce Prince Rukn alDin Baybars al-Bunduqari. His Highness will recall that I have already spoken to him of this Prince and of the excellent qualities that would make of him a most suitable Commander of the Armies of Baghdad in these perilous times. Sallafa, the Royal Chamberlain of Al-Salih of Egypt’s...