At his actions, Zara glanced at Gabrielle who was smiling at the laughter that escaped the man. Like an infectious disease,
the blonde began to chuckle, then released full belly laughs as tears of laughter rolled down the prince’s face. Confused
by the adults, Nadrah climbed onto the prince, stretching out on Arjun’s back as she giggled at his laughter. With as much
humor as he could muster, the aged healer shook his head as a smile broke through his beard. Although the Moroccan
was smiling and a chuckle threatened to escape her control, she felt that this matter could not be taken lightly.
“We have to do something about this, someone could have gotten hurt,” Zara managed to say through her slight chuckle.
“O-Oh… yes! S-Something must be done with that young scamp!” Arjun chortled as Nadrah rolled from his back and
he stood up from the bed. “I shall go personally and speak with his sister,” Arjun managed to pull some slight control over
his mirth, but when he glanced at Gabrielle, the laughter from both broke out unabated once more.
“A-And I will apologize to Shikha myself,” Zara offered.
“Oh n-no you won’t!” Arjun’s commanding voice managed to break through his fit of snickers, “I forbid you to say a
word of this outside of this room!” He commanded as the laughter slowed in intensity, his chest still shaking from the
humor of Shikha’s predicament.
“Daruka is filled with anger towards you, Zara. You go to him now, I don’t know what excuse he’ll use to start a fight.
So let me take care of this,” Arjun said as control returned. “I will go and find out what the boy did, then go from there.
Healer al-Farabi, care to join me for this questioning?” He invited.
“Perhaps I should, then I may check on others, should anyone else be involved,” the older man said with a haggard sigh as
he rose tiredly from the chair. With a slight nod, he led the young prince from the room, the sounds of Arjun’s remaining
chuckles echoing in the hall.
When the room was empty of all but the three occupants, Gabrielle glanced up at Zara. With a shrug and shake of her
head, the captain sighed as she began to wonder how this little incident would turn out. Then, Gabrielle made an audible
sniffing sound before gazing down at the smiling girl, then at herself. Lifting her arm, the blonde sniffed under it, then
grimaced.
“I think we all need a bath,” she stated as she rose from the bed.
“A bath! Not again!” Nadrah whined as she turned to Zara.
“Yes, a bath. Come on and don’t dawdle, I have an archery competition to join in,” Zara ordered as she walked by the
bed, then reached down and lifted the girl in her arms, holding her by her side under one arm like a sack of wheat.
“Aww,” was all Nadrah moaned as the two women and the bundle of child disappeared into the bathing room.
