[center][h1][color=732F35]Nahir[/color][color=silver] & [/color][color=5486AE]John[/color][/h1][/center]
[right][i]Intermission before dance[/i][/right][hr]
After John and Layla parted ways after the first dance, the doctor blended seamlessly into the background before reappearing back onto the balcony of the ballroom a few minutes later. His hands slouched on the balcony rail, carefully hiding the still heightened emotion from what he just experienced. He just had a dance with an Alidasht Shehzadi, and he did surprisingly ok. Dancing had been quite the bane of his existence in social events just because. Though to be completely honest, he was just playing the stupid pole for the Shehzadi to exhibit her true talent. In a way, it is symbolic of his social position. Oh well, that’s the life he chose.

Nevertheless, Layla. He had to say, piquing his curiosity would be at the very least of his impression. It might be a daunting thing to explore for a lot of people, but people also look at creatures that scare them from afar, and that was also what kept John from occasionally glancing at her from time to time from the balcony, not making direct eye contact but still observing. He did not notice her encounters with the Grand Vizier until the very end when they had already separated. 

It wasn't long after that Nahir excused herself from the table that the pain in her head began to grow stronger. The added stress of seeing Layla and the Vizier- she shook her head as she weaved through the crowd, some nobles and servants alike moving out of her way once they saw the expression on her face. Thankfully, no one stopped her from reaching her destination. She could already feel the cool air somewhat soothing the growing headache and the tightness in her stomach. 

Once she arrived at the balcony, she slipped a small silver case from a hidden pocket from her skirts and pulled a dark rolled cigarette followed by a match. As she walked over to the marble rail, she lit the cigarette and glanced at the man standing there. She recognized him. He'd been standing close to the King and Queen of Varian; he'd also been Layla's dance partner- the doctor. She eyed the man before blowing the sweet smoke into the air. Immediately after inhaling the earthy-sweet aroma of the cigarette, her shoulders relaxed, and she could feel some relief from the pressure in her head.

[color=732F35]"I do hope my dear sister did not scare you away from the dancing."[/color] Nahir looked at the man as she shifted her weight from one leg to another as she tried to asses the man with looks alone. Layla had said he was only a doctor and nothing more of him. No name, no implication of a title, nothing. So she motioned to the cigarette nestled between her middle and index fingers. [color=732F35]"Care for one, Lord...?"[/color]

[color=5486ae]”Oh…”[/color] He turned around and were a bit taken aback that before him was not any normal guest but another Alidasht Shehzadi, just as breathtaking as his dance partner, but in a more familiar Caesonian style, one that she adapted very well to her aesthetics rather than just putting on some clothes. 

[color=5486ae]”Certainly not, your Royal Highness. I find her fascinating beneath the daunting veil.”[/color] He did not hesitate to give the traditional Alidasht bow to Nahir, his hands still a bit out of posture, but he stood up properly this time, rotating his wrist a little to unwind from the uncomfort. [color=5486ae]”Thank you but I’m good. Williamson, but you’re free to call me by my first name John, since I’m no Lord or Duke.“[/color]

Not a lord, after all. [color=732F35][i]Interesting.[/i][/color] She looked at his bow and wondered if Layla had poked fun at it. [color=732F35]"Good,"[/color] was all she said in regards to her sister. She noted how his shoulders tensed and how his arms shook just the tiniest bit when he bowed. Nahir walked over to him, her free hand gently guiding his wrist so they were eye level and his thumbs faced down. [color=732F35]"The Alidasht bow, quite hard to master."[/color] She pulled back, hand shaking as she did so, and tucked it under her other arm gracefully before he noticed. John kept the posture for a few seconds, untangled himself briefly and did it again, just to get used to it. Indeed it was hard, but he nodded with a grateful smile to Nahir.

[color=732F35]"Tell me, John,"[/color] She tilted her head to the side. [color=732F35]"How does a man who holds no titles come to mingle with such high nobles and royalty?"[/color] There was no sarcasm or malice to her question, only genuine curiosity and perhaps a tinge of admiration. Certainly, no simple doctor would be so close to the King and Queen of one Kingdom without some great deed or groundbreaking discovery. The more she thought of it, the more intrigued Nahir grew with the man. 

[color=5486ae]”Oh, well technically I do have the title Doctor, since officially I’m a Royal Physician for the Varian court.”[/color] John replied with his hands clasped. [color=5486ae]”But when it comes to mingling with the fine ladies and gentlemen here, I am also a member of the Varian Royal Science Institute.”[/color] He continued, before shrugging his shoulders slightly and opening his hands. [color=5486ae]”Us grumps typically aren’t invited either, but with such a grand meeting between the three kingdoms, I can only assume it’s a show of strength on our part.”[/color] 

[color=732F35]"Ah, a scientist- and one part of the Royal Court."[/color] Nahir, seemed pleased with the discovery. [color=732F35]"A title indeed, one that could hold power and authority."[/color] She bowed her head slightly as she blew smoke out of her nose. [color=732F35]"And how did you come to be a member of the Varian Royal Science Institute?"[/color] It was fascinating, to say the least, and Nahir made no effort into hiding her curiosity about the man standing before her. Alidasht had their own doctors and Shamans, but most had been born with titles under their belts. 

[color=5486ae]”The Institute’s entry level is a bit more demanding than Royal Physician. It’s a scientific institution so they required concrete documented scientific work rather than just pulling someone from death’s door, but luckily I have one big one.”[/color] John walked over and rested himself on the balcony. [color=5486ae]”I don’t know if you know, but the town I was from, Kolonivka, was struck with an outbreak known in Varian records as Khole Virus a few years ago, striking pretty much everyone, piling up hospitals and freezing the town’s activities, all the bad stuffs. I was just a country doctor then, but every hand was needed to treat and prevent cases. What we eventually found was an effective oral treatment that can be used for mild cases, [i]and[/i] I kid you not…”[/color] He continued, his eyes looked up to the ceiling as he reminisced. He did give credits by referring to the participants as ‘we’, but in truth most physicians dismissed his hypothesis until things got dire, citing ‘bad odour’ as an explanation. Only he and Dr. Hunter, his future academic advisor and the man who gave John the recommendation along with Ms. Blackwood, were skeptical of the real cause. [color=5486ae]”leaked waste pipe because some guy wanted to save money from the merchants and bought cheap material. My friend and governor, Ms. Blackwood, had some rather [i]contamination[/i] with that person later on.”[/color] He chuckled. The details were not disclosed, but considering she experienced all that horror, it’s safe to assume that guy was probably banished. 

[color=5486ae]”For me, after finding out the root of the whole mess, the outbreak was dealt with pretty swiftly. Ms. Blackwood gave me a boost into the royal court, but that outbreak and a couple other working projects that I did after being a Royal Physician got me admitted to the institute.”[/color] John said. He did realize it got quite lengthy, and perhaps a lot of information and terminologies, so he gave a quick shrug before cracking a joke at the Shehzadi. [color=5486ae]”There are more that I would love to share with you, including my current projects, but when I tell this to ten people, nine and a half were asleep by the time I was done, the other half…were just being considerate. So no worries if you wanna switch subjects.”[/color]

Nahir waved off with a smile the self-deprecating joke as she leaned against the rail. [color=732F35]"It is always quite interesting hearing what others have done in life to get them to where they are now. Your work is admirable, Mr. Williamson."[/color] She raised her cigarette as if toasting for him. [color=732F35]"I have heard of the Khole Virus; we had a similar case back home."[/color]

[color=732F35]"I don't remember much of it; I was four at the time."[/color] She looked away from him to look at the gardens below them. [color=732F35]"The water system had been contaminated, resulting in many people falling ill."[/color] Quite a few of the people in the Royal Palace had fallen ill as well, Nahir and some of her siblings included. [color=732F35]"After weeks of investigating, the Grand Vizier found what had been wrong. Some of the water waste from the farms had been leaked onto the city's water supply due to a similar situation as in Kolonivka. However, this case was not corruption or negligence. The [i]Beylerbey[/i], or Lord, who had been left in charge of the water system, suffered from an illness that impaired the man's ability to make clear decisions. There were signs in his home that the man was not well."[/color] Nahir could remember reading the report when she was younger after sneaking into the Grand Vizier's office to find something interesting to read aside from literature books. [color=732F35]"Fortunately, the case was not severe, and many recovered after weeks."[/color] Others, mainly the elderly, were not so lucky. 

[color=5486ae]”Oh yikes. That’s very unfortunate.”[/color] The doctor rubbed his chin upon hearing. Having spent a handful of times studying outbreaks after the incident, it wasn’t easy for a community to go through one unscathed. Caused by a sick man nonetheless, who might have been punished for something probably outside his control. 

Nahir let out another puff of smoke before pushing herself away from the rail. [color=732F35]"But I think we should leave such topics for another day,"[/color] She glanced back to the laughter and music behind them. [color=732F35]"We are supposed to be in high spirits today."[/color] Court intrigue had, of course, soured her mood but she would not let it spoil the rest of the night. Lord Smithwood's words still range in her ears reminding her of the many adventures the summer could hold- starting with the one that was just a few hours away.

[color=5486ae]”Certainly.”[/color] John obliged, clapping his hands together once. Now their position swapped, as John was curious. Alidasht had always been a land in the books, in the rumors, the gossip, [color=5486ae]”Now that I thought about it, I didn’t know much about your Royal family. Your Royal Highness and Layla are Shehzadis, and…three or four more I’ve heard?”[/color] but nothing concrete was said. Different people told different stories about the royal family. So he figured this would be a good opportunity to learn more. [color=5486ae]”If you don’t mind letting me know.”[/color]

Nahir turned her attention back to the doctor, smiling at his inquiry into her family. [color=732F35]"Such a big family, is it not? It is a mystery that there are still so many of us."[/color] She glanced at him with a teasing smile at the dark joke. [color=732F35]"Shehzadi Layla is the eldest, Shehzade Amir is next, followed by me."[/color] She didn't mention Kahrem. [color=732F35]"Shehzadi Mayet, the tiger tamer, and finally little baby brother, Shehzade Munir."[/color] She wondered what would Kahrem would think of the ball and tried to imagine him dancing with a lady from another Kingdom. He would have loved the dancing, the music, the food, everything. [color=732F35]"No grandkids, that we know of."[/color] If there were any roaming around back in Alidasht, no one would wonder who had fathered such children. 

[color=5486ae]”That we know of?”[/color] John’s voice turned slightly mischievous. [color=5486ae]”If this is a novel, this would be the drama to come somewhere down the line.”[/color] But it was mostly in good sports. [color=5486ae]”But wow, it is a big family. How is it like growing up with such a vibrant family?”[/color] He never grew up with any siblings, mostly due to not having much interest from his parents, or rather viability. [color=5486ae]”Just curious, since I’m a single child.”[/color]

Nahir chuckled, [color=732F35]"I do not think it impossible,"[/color] Their life did feel like a drama novel, one with enough of it to leave a reader stunned. Each and one of them had their own problems stemming from the same root. 

[color=732F35]"Loud, lively, fun even. "[/color] Layla and Nahir had never been very close, and as girls, they would often fight over trivial things. Now, it just felt like they lived in two separate worlds. After the loss of Kahrem, she could not bring herself to look Amir in the eyes. Mayet was her little cub, always would be. And Munir, they had shared so many drinks and laughs together it was hard to imagine a life without him- any of them. [color=732F35]"When one of us would fight another the whole palace would split in two and it wasn't until our mother grew tired of us that she would finally put her foot down."[/color] She smiled at the memory of their mother sitting them down until they all apologized. It was all so different then. 

[color=5486ae]”Oh wow. That does sound fun indeed.”[/color] His chuckle followed with a smile. Not as big as last time. It was more acknowledgement of curiosity than anything. He knew all of these, it just never occurred to him. [color=5486ae]”Mine’s a lot calmer, as you might expect. I haven’t been exactly the confrontational type.”[/color] He said. [color=5486ae]”But you guys turned out great shehzades now, your mother must have been relieved to see that.”[/color]

[color=732F35]"It was more stressful than anything."[/color] She looked at him, finally paying attention to him. A simple coat, no jewelry or anything that would signify his position in the Varian court, and nothing that made him stand out. [color=732F35]"Must have been relaxing."[/color] She glanced away from him once he mentioned her mother. Nahir wouldn't exactly say they turned out great, but perhaps passable at the very least. She would, however, be relieved that none of them had gone down the road of killing each other. Yet. 

She stayed quiet for a moment, gathering her thoughts. The cool air of Caesonia tingled her exposed arms as it blew away the smoke from her face. The sound of the music and laughter coming from the double doors almost drowned out her thoughts of her mother. 

[color=732F35]"Yes, she would have been."[/color] Nahir finally said, glancing over to look at John again. 

She would have been?

[color=5486ae]”Oh…”[/color] His mind clicked almost immediately. The smile that he had earlier quickly dissipated as he slowly looked away into the distance. His hand leaned onto the rail, clasped together but fiddled with unrest, contemplating if he should have asked that question. An idiot would’ve realized that he just walked into a sensitive topic, despite never knowing what exactly happened. It felt bad.

There was a moment of silence between the two, the music coming to its climax before dying down. It took a bit for him to finally speak, but his hands stopped fiddling as he glanced back at Nahir. [color=5486ae]”Sorry I said that.”[/color]

She shook her head, [color=732F35]"No need to apologize, it is not well known."[/color] The Sultan did not talk much about her mother to any of them and he would probably not mention it to anyone outside the palace walls. Nahir would not be surprised if nobles and some royals thought of her mother alive. 

She took one last drag from her cigarette before snuffing the cigarette on the marble rail. She pushed herself away from it and offered her hand to the doctor. [color=732F35]"Now, Mr. Williamson,"[/color] she smiled and offered her hand in front of him. [color=732F35]"would you care to join me for the second dance of the evening?"[/color]

The offer was a bit unexpected. He walked into that but was rewarded with a dance? For such a stuck-up ignoble, he is hitting quite a gold mine with the two eldest Shehzades in Alidasht. Not too bad…

[color=5486ae]”I would love to.”[/color] Nevertheless, he never let his ego got even close to him, but rather the opposite. [color=5486ae]”You would have to guide this broom through the dance though, as you might have seen with Shehzadi Layla. I’m quite [i]dusty[/i] with my moves.”[/color] 

[color=732F35]"Worry not, doctor, I am sure we can make do."[/color] She shook her head. 

There, the doctor accepted the Shehzadi’s hand with a happy smile. [color=5486ae]”I believe I haven’t learned of your name yet. If you don’t mind.”[/color] He said. 

Nahir smiled, looking at him for a second. [color=732F35]"Not at all,"[/color] she began to lead him back into the ballroom. [color=732F35]"My name is Nahir Aysun Kadir."[/color]

[color=5486ae]”That is a wonderful name, Shehzadi Nahir. I am glad to be your partner.”[/color] With some confidence, he paced along.