Tristakinniya bit her lip, lowering her eyes.
Iskander went cold. No, of course, it was possible, but the sheikh didn’t expect to see him. And her as well.
“Iskander Al-Diva,” the sheikh said softly, as if to a savage.
“Do you know each other?”- the Sultan raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, I thought I lost you forever," Frey continued with a bright, evil smile, not taking his eyes off Iskander. - “This is my…”
“I'm hungry,” Tristakinniya decided to seem like a rude savage, interrupting her husband. She, too, froze when she saw Iska.
Iskander was mocking broke the corner of the mouth, looked at Tristakinniya, and smiled. She didn’t change at all. At all. Tristakinniya didn’t look at Iskander, and he couldn’t understand as usual what she felt.
“Ah, and this is Sheikh Amelik Al-Tol unless you know him as well, come on, my dear,” Osnan sat down at the table with Enefrey on his lap, giving permission for the others to sit.
The others sat down at the table. Jallal stared at the silent Lima, who looked like his handsome brother in some way. Aivaz narrowed his eyes angrily at the libian's interested gaze on his sister. Tristakinniya was surreptitiously looking at Iska, he had changed since their last meeting. He was no longer a boy, but a man. Earlier Iska moved easily and gracefully, now he was a matured, majestic, dangerous predator. He got very different, heavier, and Tristakinniya as if saw Iska's heart, either burned in agony or frozen at the North, but blackened. The girl, who couldn't even be called a woman, tried not to let her gaze be seen. No need to reopen old wounds. She wouldn't, but Frey... No doubt he would enjoy mocking Iska.
All started breakfast, the Sultan helped Enefrey to eat. Frey studied Iskander openly, carefully. How he moved, ate, even breathed. Amelik frowned at his oddly petrified friend and the Viking.
“Such eyes!” Jallal said to Lima, on the Northern, thanking his brother then, who had made him sit with their grandmother while she told her stories because his father had ordered them both to be taught. “No regrets to die for such eyes!”
“I can arrange it,” Aivaz promised grimly.
Lima closed her eyes. No, her eyes belonged to her father and no one else!
“How dare you...”
“Children, out. The table will be set for you in the garden,” the Sultan frowned, “And if there is a fight I will punish both. Twenty lashes.”
The boys got up from the table and left the dining room, and Lima followed them. Tristakinniya anxiously stared after the daughter. Enefrey was also going to get up off the knees of Osnan, but the man held him.
“Everything is going to be alright, my dear,” the Sultan said to Tristakinniya, “There are two more of my daughters who are of the age of yours.”
The northerner calmed down.
Frey didn't seem to notice the altercation as he studied Iskander.
“What do you think of Libia?” Osnan asked the Northern guests.
“Thank you, you have a beautiful country,” politely replied Tristakinniya.
“Yes, it's much better,” Frey agreed, leering at Iskander.
The Sheikh ignored Frey, looking thoughtfully at Tristakinniya. The heart wasn't singing, it was pounding hard. Amelik was curious, but he couldn't ask what was going on. The guests knew larabavian.
“How do you live, Iska?" – warmth asked Tristainia and broke.
Frey gave a short, beautiful laugh.
“By the will of Eloh, great Tristakinniya. How do you live?”
“All right,” she said, smiling gratefully at the man for not noticing the hob-a-nob vocative.
“You have beautiful children,” Iskander said.
“Yes...” Tristakinniya almost started talking about the children but it came to her senses that this could be just a compliment and she shouldn’t focus the attention on it. She wanted to talk, to talk about anything, even if it was impolite, so long as she didn't feel Frey's taunt in the air, but she couldn't think anything up. The Sultan was silent, something was happening, but the man couldn’t catch what exactly. He was involved in Enefrey watching the Sheikh and the northerner, for some reason he felt mad excitement.
“You look good with long hair,” said Tristakinniya and again stopped short.
Frey snorted with laughter, looking at his wife with interest, as if trying to figure out whether she was deliberately saving the situation from him, or whether, as always, it was an accident. Iskander couldn't help but let out a grin.
“Yes, thank you.”
The young woman decided to remain silent. But the silence was somehow frightening and terrifying for her. Amelik felt a primal excitement at the table and even wanted to get up from the table, regardless of the Sultan, and go to the seraglio. After the question of Tristakinniya, he had some guesses.
“Ah,” said Amelik, also unable to hold himself. The strange sensation was intoxicating and made it difficult to hold back, but it was impossible to understand from whom it came.
“What?” the Sultan quickly got interested and asked Amelik, not holding himself too.
For some reason, Amelik didn't answer, which was not supposed to. The Sultan didn’t withdraw. There was silence.
Iskander shook his head, grinning.
“Have you seen the capital yet?” Iskander addressed to both spouses so that the appealing only to Tristakinniya wouldn’t confuse the audience even more.
“No, we've been here a few days...can you show us?” asked Tristakinniya, delighted.
“Yes, Iska, it will be mind-blowing,” Frey grinned, shifting his position and leaning forward a little.
Amelic shuddered imperceptibly, wondering how to get to the seraglio as quickly as possible. The Sultan was also thinking of this, but for some reason, no one got from their seats up. And it didn’t occur to the Sultan to give permission to leave the table freely.
The Sheikh looked at Frey, smiled affectionately, and corrected him:
“Iskander Al-Diva. That's my name.”
“It's beautiful,” Frey said, “but Iska is enough, as usual.”
Iskander let out a smile.
“I repeat, my name is Iskander.”
“Do you enjoy repeating it?” Frey smiled brilliantly. The Viking had become a little rougher, sharper, and naturally more experienced, and this was evident in his movements, gestures, and manner. But, in general, he hadn’t changed. The eyes remained the same, the insatiable gaze, like the Mediterranean sea, was wrecking in themselves.
“Unfortunately, I can't accompany you,” Iskander said, ignoring Frey's words, “but I strongly advise. Triboli is a beautiful city.”
“Yeah, so pity,” Frey snorted.
Tristakinniya frowned. Her husband's sarcasm spoiled her polite intended response.
“Didn’t you miss at all, Iska?” Frey smiled brightly.
The Sheikh turned wistful glance at the northerner, then turned away again to Tristakinniya.
“Perhaps later, in a few days, I can show you the eternal beauty of the city. You'll stay a little, won't you?”
“I don't think we'll leave at all now,” Frey snorted. It was again the answer of Tristakinniya, the young woman sighed.
“Well, Triboli is hospitable and glad to new residents and guests,” Iskander smiled politely, he was unusually smiling today.
“Glad, then,” Frey said with a grin.
Iskander looked at the Sultan questioningly, the ruler's eyes were burning with curiosity.
“What about a dessert?” Iskander asked.
Sultan and Amelik both let out a loud groan.
“Yes,” said Frey passionately, his turquoise eyes were bright and almost blinding. Tristakinniya lowered her head to the plate.
The Sultan made a gesture with the hand, and the servants brought in the dessert.
Iskander gave up trying to make small talk and ate in silence, not bothered by the silence. After tasting the dessert, Frey grinned and leaned back in his chair, looking at Iskander.
“Well, compared to you, it's not dessert.”
“Frey, stop it!” didn’t sustain Tristakinniya, she spoke in their native language. Her voice was as melodious and deep as it had been years ago.
The northerner rose, squeezed his wife's shoulder, and led her out of the room.
“Thank you,” he hissed to the Sultan in larabavian.
Osnan nodded majestically after them. The savages could not be punished for the breach of etiquette. Amelik shook his head and grinned.
“Bright male. Beautiful animal. Poor woman. Do northerners beat their women?”
Osnan finally released Enefrey, sending him to a vizier, for gifts, and to take a few lessons of government. The boy stalked out of the room, almost as Frey had followed his wife. Iskander stared after his son and shook his head in annoyance.
“They probably do. We’ll have to teach them a lot to live in a civilized society,” the Sultan said.
Iskander didn’t join in the conversation, so as not to show the awareness of the northerners’ way of living
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