CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I pulled my arm from his grasp, took hold of his sleeve, and led him toward the bed. "If you ever get angry like this again, I won't be your friend anymore. I pity your patients... you ill-tempered doctor!"
"You shouldn't have stepped a foot out of this palace without telling me," he murmured, his voice thick with a strange exhaustion. "That night, I brought so many chocolates for you... but when I arrived, I found the Lady was gone. She had left without a word."
"You brought chocolates for me?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat. "On what occasion? And where are they now?"
"Does there have to be an occasion for me to bring you something?"
"Fine, but where are they?"
"The wardrobe."
"Oh! Do they have walnuts in them?"
"See for yourself."
A grin spread across my face, stretching from ear to ear. The fear of moments ago was forgotten, replaced by a giddy relief that the storm had passed. I rushed to the wardrobe and pulled it open.
"The middle shelf," he directed.
I found a mountain of colorful chocolates. "Oh, Ryan! Are these the French ones? The ones you used to bring me every time? You found them here?"
"Do you like them?"
"Very much... so much!"
"A friend of mine arrived just yesterday; he brought them."
I gathered all the chocolates into the folds of my veil and hopped back onto the bed. "Is your friend single?"
Ryan looked at me with a dull, weary expression. "Yas, will you never be still? Do you truly wish to drive me mad?"
"It was just a question! Why are you so moody? Anyway, I have a fascinating story for you." I dumped the chocolates onto the bed and sat cross-legged across from him.
"What story? I assume it involves your sister's house?"
I unwrapped a bar and popped a piece into my mouth. "Gold star for the brilliant Ryan!" I broke off another piece and held it to his lips. "Eat. It's delicious. Mmm!"
Ryan opened his mouth, and I placed a piece of walnut chocolate on his tongue.
"So, the story goes like this... oh, I forgot!"
Ryan, savoring the chocolate, looked at me curiously. "Tell me. Though I hope whatever happened wasn't against my wishes."
I froze. I should probably keep my mouth shut. If he found out about the suitor, he would likely snap my neck. I couldn't understand why he was so sensitive, but I wasn't about to test him.
"Just kidding! It wasn't about the house. It's about the palace."
"And?"
What do I say now? Think, Yas... think! "Isar! Isar became friends with me. Though I still don't like him very much. Maybe in the future, I don't know."
Ryan laughed softly, feigning surprise. "Oh? That's wonderful."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Ryan, did you tell him to? You don't look surprised at all."
"No... no, I didn't say a word, Yas."
"On my life?"
"There's no need to swear on your life, you silly girl."
"You're the silly one! You're a grown man who changes colors like a chameleon. Just admit it, you told him."
"Impudent Yas."
"Impudent Ryan!"
He laughed gently and pinched my cheek. "My Yas... you just keep talking."
"Hey! Ryan, how shameless can you be? What do you mean, 'My Yas'? Must I tell you a thousand times that I am not a child anymore?"
"How am I being shameless, Madam? You are my Yas. What is shameless about that, darling?"
"Who fed you that lie?"
"So you aren't mine?"
"Not in the least!"
"Who would believe you? If I say you are mine, then you are. Let's see who dares to challenge my claim."
I laughed nervously. "You've definitely gone mad. Ryan, don't talk like that; it makes me feel like a stranger. I want my old 'Naneh Jan' back!"
Ryan's expression suddenly fell, turning desperate and desolate. "Your Naneh Jan is being dragged away by the chains of madness. You wouldn't want to lose him, would you?"
"Why would someone with your strength and stature be chained by anything?"
"Yas!" he groaned. "I never thought I would enter a game that was lost before it began. I think this war was over from the start, and I've just been fooling myself... She doesn't even know she has conquered my entire being. She doesn't know that Ryan is entirely hers. I am caught in a paradox. As much as I am possessed by her, she is just as reckless and simple. Sometimes a crushing sense of guilt takes hold of me, but this 'love' is not in my hands. I swear, it is not in my hands!"
Ryan was speaking in riddles, and I could only stare at him, stunned. "Tell me the truth, what is wrong with you? You can share it with me. Maybe I can help."
He laughed a hollow, grieving laugh. "And what if you can't? My Yas, I know you are on the opposing side. You are like a sweet but deadly enemy. I have neither the strength to kill you nor the power to set myself free."
"Why would you kill me?! You're not yourself. Why are you talking like a psychopath? What do you mean I'm on the opposing side? I'm your friend, remember?"
His movements were restless, frantic. He looked utterly helpless—a state I never thought an 'Aghazadeh' like him could be in. He ran a hand through his hair and whispered, "But I don't want you to be my friend... Just be my Yas. That is enough."
I gathered my chocolates back into my veil, feeling a sudden urge to flee.
"Where are you going?"
I hopped off the bed and stood a few steps back. "If you had smoked a cigarette, you wouldn't be this intoxicated. If you had been drinking, I would smell it. So where is this delirium coming from? You're scaring me when you talk like this. You should tell 'her,' not me! Don't let your strength and authority vanish in my eyes."
"Authority? What authority? If I had power, my hands wouldn't be bound by these invisible chains. Don't fear me; I could never hurt you. Just... be near me. I'll try to stay in control."
"I'm not afraid of you hurting me," I said, my voice trembling. "I'm afraid of you torturing yourself with your own hands. I am with you, but please, fix this mystery and bring back Mon Cœur. I need him like I need water."
"Do you love him?"
"I love him."
He let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "I knew it... But it isn't fair, Yas! I swear, in no book and by no law is this fair!"
"Go to sleep. Maybe you'll feel better. Goodnight."
"You can't run from me," he called out as I reached the door. "I am always with you, everywhere, but you just don't know it."
His words injected a mixture of fear and confusion into my veins. He shouldn't have said those things. Surely, he was just speaking out of a deep, dark sorrow. Is there really someone who could ignore his beauty? Someone who could reject Ryan? Who is this blind person hurting him? If only I could get my hands on that fool... don't they know how fragile he is?
Without answering him, I opened the door with slumped shoulders and headed to the basement. As soon as I arrived, I dumped the chocolates and sought refuge in sleep. Sleep—the best escape from the prison we call life.
I woke up with the sun aiming its rays directly at my eyes. I heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. It seemed I had woken up earlier today. I gathered my bedding and waited.
A moment later, the door opened and Sophia stepped out. "What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
"It's never a good morning when I see you."
"Haha, I know. Come on, I'm waiting for you so we can have breakfast."
After breakfast, everyone went to their duties. Sophia and I were tasked with cleaning the windows.
"Yas, where should we start?"
"The first floor."
It took nearly an hour and a half. Why don't they just name this place the Glass Palace?
"Let's go to the third floor next," Sophia suggested. "Otherwise, we'll have no energy left."
We finished the third floor—mostly through Sophia's constant complaining—leaving only the second floor.
"By the way, Sophia, who's home? The Big Khan is out, but are the 'Princes' here?"
Sophia lowered her head. "Only Isar is in his room. The others left."
"Okay, let's start."
"Yas... can we clean Ryan's room together? Then you do Isar's and I'll do Israr's? Please?"
"Why?" I asked, curious.
"I just don't want to run into him. Please."
"Fine, whatever you want."
Ryan's room alone took as much time as a whole house. It was monstrously large.
"My back is breaking, Yas..."
"Mine is made of steel, darling. It never breaks. Now get up and go to Israr's room. No laziness!"
Sophia dragged herself toward Israr's room, leaving me to deal with the 'rude brat's' quarters. His room was next door. I knocked several times and waited.
"Midget?"
Rude brat. Is that how you give permission to enter? I opened the door with a scowl and slammed it shut behind me.
"You might be tall as a palm tree, but what part of the earth have you conquered that I haven't?"
"The truth is bitter, midget."
"Fine. Get out. I'm cleaning the room."
Isar looked at me from where he lay on the bed. "Do you want help?"
"Are you joking? You, the idle one, helping me?"
"You never recognize a good deed. You're already hidden half a meter underground."
"Don't you have any work, or do you just exist for parties?"
Isar burst out laughing. "Midget, why is your heart so full of grievances? We're friends now. Besides, I have no work today."
"Ah, I forgot we declared peace. Well then, 'friend,' do your part and help your 'innocent' friend."
"You? Innocent? If this is innocence, I'd hate to see what mischief looks like."
"Well, you are the prime example of mischief, brother. Why don't you look at yourself?"
"I won't. Help!"
"You won't?"
"Nope."
"So you aren't my friend anymore?"
"Hahaha! No. First, you must learn how to speak to your elders. Only then will we sign the friendship treaty."
"Oh? And how old are you? You're only three years older than me. Furthermore, my wisdom far exceeds yours. It is you who should learn to speak to your superiors."
Isar rubbed his new stubble thoughtfully. "I didn't realize that. With your size, I thought you were sixteen."
"Ha-ha-ha. So funny. I'm dying of laughter."
"Alright, I surrender. Where do I start, my friend?"
"That's more like it. Start with the inside of the windows so no one sees you from the outside. We wouldn't want your 'greatness' to be turned to dust."
Isar gave me a sweet smile. "Thank you for worrying about my greatness, midget."
I shook my head and walked out onto the balcony, muttering to myself. "I still don't like this camel. No matter what he does, he's still the same rude Isar."
"Yas? Did you say something?"
I bit my tongue. Did he hear me? "Nothing! What would I say? Get to work, dear friend."
Isar laughed and started working. Surprisingly, the work inside the room was much more than the outside. Finally, I finished my part and stepped back into the room.
"Not done yet?"
"Just this last one."
"Thank you!"
"I didn't hear you..."
"May death hear you! Are you deaf?"
"Hahaha! Oh, I pity your in-laws, Yas... I truly do!"
"I pity your wife who has to tolerate you! Why pity my in-laws?"
"Ungrateful! I helped you, and this is how you speak to me?"
"I said thank you once; if you didn't catch it, that's your problem."
"Midget."
"Camel."
Isar stared at me, eyes wide with disbelief. "Camel?"
Uh oh. Yas, RUN!
I dropped the cleaning supplies and bolted out of the room. I preferred flight over a fight any day. I ran into the kitchen, panting, and leaned against the door...
END OF CHAPTER THIRTEEN