Kai was awakened by the noise in the palace. From the window listening to the screams he saw that everyone was fussing, walking, running. From separate phrases, it became clear that this chaos in their calm, measured life was caused by the arrival of Sheikh Arshad. He stood at the window and thought that, probably, in vain he had not tried to escape from here, knowing that this meeting would be followed by uncertainty.
Although, all this time he thought about escape and even planned it. But everything was not easy here. In his room, there were forged twisted lattices everywhere on the windows; it was clearly pointless to saw them with a nail file. Guards were always guarding his chambers. Everywhere he was accompanied by guards and servants. Even walking accompanied by Maksud, Kai remained under guard. He saw helicopters on the roof of the building, but Maksud never took him in that direction, although he conducted a tour of part of the palace, showing its luxury and splendor.
When Kai tried to force Maksud to lead him in the direction of the building with helicopters, Maksud, being quite intelligent, understood everything at once and also tacitly rejected his request.
During this time, of course, Kai studied the part of the palace where he was allowed to be, he even knew where the so-called "night half" is located, where the concubines lived. Access to them was strictly prohibited. They also had their own garden for walking, completely isolated from prying eyes.
All in all, Kai's escape plan was dim. He knew approximately the location of garages and stables. After getting in there, taking a horse or a car, to try to break through the locked gate was very foolish.
He would not get there unnoticed. Even if he got there, even if he miraculously broke through the gate - where would he go? In an open area from a helicopter, he would be instantly found and returned.
So he needed to capture the helicopter. But this was real either in complete chaos, as it was during the palace coup, or with a detailed escape plan. And this turned out to be unreal, he could not even come close to them to find out where the keys were from them, where the fuel was, and how they were guarded. But most importantly, Kai was not ready to kill the people around him, and he could only try to escape. These people, they did nothing wrong to him, they served the Sheikh, so why would he then unleash a massacre with them? Kai knew he was trapped in his conscience.
Now, listening to the noise and screams, he may have regretted that after all, at least he had not just climbed over the wall and walked from here, and now what awaited him? What verdict would the Sheikh give him?
Excited Maksud rushed into his room. He informed about the arrival of Sheikh Arshad and entrusted him to the care of his servants, very much asking Kai not to show off on this day and take everything for granted, since he personally did not have time to be with him now, he should be near Arshad.
Kai did not "show off", realizing that for all his disobedience, Maksud would be punished. During this time, he became very friendly with Maksud, who turned out to be an educated and interesting person, albeit a cunning one. But Kai liked him.
Therefore, he stoically endured all beauty procedures, ate everything that was brought. He allowed to dress him up. He endured the coloring and decoration. All this dressing took quite a long time.
***
Arshad was not in his palace for a long time and therefore spent the first half of the day in common affairs, listening to reports from Gifar and Maksud, who, in addition to Kai, still had the whole harem on his shoulders and many problems associated with this. At the end of all the reports, Arshad remembered the prisoner.
"Well, what about the prisoner? Let them lead him. We need to decide something with him. However, for his audacity, he should rot in prison, but he fought gloriously and saved my life," Arshad fell silent, seeing the mysterious smiles on the faces of Maksud and Gifar. "So ... I don't know something? Why are you smiling like March male cats? Does this concern the prisoner?"
"Yes, Great Arshad," Maksud purred.
"Well, that's enough! We're not at an official reception right now, let's go without the Great Ones and everything else. So what don't I know about the prisoner? And stop smiling like that!"
"You don't know much about him, but you'd better see everything yourself," Maksud purred again. "I'll just tell you the main thing that you should know. This is a very educated young man with excellent manners of behavior, with knowledge of etiquette and everything that an intelligent person should know."
Seeing the surprise on Arshad's face, Maksud continued.
"He knows many languages, spends most of his time in your library, reads a lot in different languages. Do you remember that there, on the upper shelf, on the right, there is such an old book? He is already finishing it. During this time, he has read a couple of German classics in the original, French literature of the seventeenth century and regularly reads in Latin - medical volumes, which are at the bottom on the left, well, and other things, you can ask him yourself," Maksud was pleased with the effect of his speech. Arshad sat and, not breathing, looked at him. "Well, there is another thing. You remember - he perfectly wields a sword. Gifar now takes the Art of Combat Mastery from him every day. But the bruises on him make me very sad."
"I'm not interested in this, it's about bruises," seeing the strange smiles on their faces, Arshad flared up. "What is it! I do not mind, or rather, it's even very good that this prisoner is at least somewhat useful."
"By the way, do you remember what he looks like?" Maksud radiated an enigmatic smile.
Arshad breathed in, drank the water carefully placed in front of him by Gifar, who also enjoyed this scene.
"I remember - a thin ragged arrogant draggle-tail who dared to look into my eyes," then he added thoughtfully, "he has emerald eyes ..."
"Well, then, well, you'll recognize him," Maksud finished his speech. "Maybe we will invite him to our dinner?"
At first, Arshad had no idea of admitting some prisoner from the desert to his table, but all this strange behavior of his friends and what he had heard about this prisoner intrigued him, and he nodded in agreement. Maksud did not give him time to recover, immediately called the servants and ordered to set dinner on an open veranda under the shade of vines for four people and bring the prisoner to the table.
When Arshad, accompanied by Maksud and Gifar, entered the veranda, Kai was already waiting for them there. The servants had brought him, and now he thoughtfully considered the view from the balcony to the exotic garden. At the sound of footsteps, he turned around.
Arshad took several steps in his direction and froze.
"Who is he?…"
In a strange voice, Arshad either asked or said.
"Our prisoner," Maksud replied calmly, enjoying the unfolding action.
Gifar also watched this with interest, realizing that quite recently he also looked exactly like Arshad.
"How do you do, Sheikh Arshad," Kai slightly bowed his head in greeting. He did not become silent and pretend to be an evil beech. Such roles are suitable for girls, not for him.
"How do you do," Arshad fell silent, then said again, more confidently. "Hello. What's your name?"
"Is it important?"
"Well, now I know for sure that it is you, only that impudent ragamuffin at the plane could answer that way."
Arshad approached Kai, now he was not angry, he examined him - or rather, devoured him with his eyes.
Kai did not quite understand this look on himself, no one had ever looked at him like that. Men usually look at girls with such looks when they want ... Kai shrank, drove this thought out of his head, forbade himself to finish mentally this sentence.
Arshad by that time was going the third circle around him.
Maksud saw that it was necessary to save the situation. He knew how hot-tempered his captive was, and he did not like such attention to himself, there could be a conflict. Maksud quickly approached them.
"Great Sheikh Arshad, do honor to your savior, invite him to the table."
Arshad shuddered at the voice of Maksud, came to his senses, and remembered that no one had canceled the role of the owner of the palace. He quickly grabbed Kai around the waist and led him to the table.
Everyone was confused here.
Gifar's jaw dropped. Maksud froze in place, and Kai was thinking whether to hit the Sheikh in the face for the position of his hand on his hips or not ...
In such thoughts, Arshad brought him to his chair and carefully sat him down, then sat down in his rightful place opposite Kai. Maksud sat next to Kai, and Gifar - next to Maksud. The dishes were brought with food.
Only Gifar and Maksud were eating at the table. Arshad was absorbing Kai with his eyes, occasionally bringing pieces of food to his mouth, and Kai was moving the food in the plate with a fork, constantly bumping into Arshad's gaze.
Maksud again saw that it was necessary to save the situation at lunch.
"O Great Arshad, forgive your guest for eating so little," Maksud began theatrically.
"Maksud, that's enough," Arshad grunted angrily at another word about his greatness, then the meaning of the words reached Arshad, "and why does our guest eat so little?" he turned to those present.
"Our guest does not perceive the flavor of the food. Your doctors examined him. It is, indeed, a nervous illness, a consequence of a hard life," Maksud again theatrically recited, "therefore I have to carefully monitor his diet, otherwise he forgets to eat altogether," he said in his usual tone.
Arshad came to his senses. He hadn't expected to hear that.
"Eat," he said, looking at Kai, "please don't offend me."
Kai smiled and began to eat. Arshad was also distracted by his plate, forcing himself not to take his eyes off the food, although more than anything in the world now he wanted to look at him ...
The wine was poured into goblets. Arshad watched through half-closed eyelids as his guest with thin fingers touched the silver goblet, slid along its surface, touching it slightly, then squeezed and smoothly, in elusive grace, brought it to his lips, taking a sip, put it back on the table, and lips retained their gloss moisture of red wine ...
Arshad felt that everything swam before his eyes, a wave of excitement went through his body and began to concentrate on his awakening dick. He quickly drank the water and forced himself to calm down. He had never felt this way. Never, even being a green teenager, he did not get turned on like that, sitting at a table and dripping saliva and desire. This began to anger him, but when faced with the green lights in the eyes of this young man, he realized that he could not be angry with him.
Lunch passed in a daze. Maksud constantly created the background of a lively conversation, Gifar helped him in this. Kai answered in a very cultured and restrained manner, while Arshad was silent. The shock was too strong, he was overwhelmed too hard, he fought too hard with himself to regain his calmness and suppress the wave of animal desire that covered him. It was all too strong. He was not ready for this.
When Maksud said that their guest was being escorted to his chambers, Arshad did not object. He watched him go, remaining seated at the table.
"You're not happy, are you? Have I deserved your anger?" Maksud was already worried, looking at the strange state of Arshad.
"Well, what have you to do with it!" Arshad blurted out irritably. "I can't understand myself ..." already softening, he answered, "once again repeat what you've said about him."
Maksud patiently repeated everything that he had said earlier about Kai, only he began to enumerate the books that he read in even more detail.
"You said about training. Are you training tomorrow?" Arshad turned to Gifar.
"Yes - at ten."
"Very good, train as usual, I'll come to see."
Arshad's face changed again, he pondered and, not looking at Maksud, asked:
"Did the doctors examine him?"
"Yes, he is completely healthy."
"You know, I'm not asking about that."
"He has never slept with men. He's a virgin."
Arshad's fingers drummed on the table. Then he got up and silently retired to his chambers. Gifar and Maksud followed him, meaningfully exchanging glances behind him.
Already in the evening Maksud, as usual, went to Arshad to clarify whom he would like to see in the chambers of love today.
"A fragile short boy, let him be curly."
For some reason, Maksud was not even surprised, he bowed with an imperturbable face and left.
When Arshad entered the chambers for love, there was a young man of twenty or twenty-two years old, thin, short. Arshad quickly approached him, then stopped, realizing that it was not him...
This guy was not so graceful, the face was different, although handsome; he had curly hair, though it was a perm, and dyed black; the eyes were green, but he saw that they were just lenses.
"Fake," Arshad breathed in disappointment.
The young man was not taken aback, caught the moment of his confusion, and knelt in front of him.
Arshad ran his hand through his hair, felt curly locks, closed his eyes, and saw his eyes, shining like emeralds.
"Yes, you can… touch me," Arshad said with a hesitant breath, felt his fingers on his aroused flesh, remembered his thin fingers hugging a goblet of wine, and sweet pain passed through his body.
All night, he caressed his hair, hugged and pressed him to himself. Deceiving himself that this was the one he wanted so badly.
Why did Arshad not demand him that night? This prisoner touched something in him that now stopped him from wanting to possess him. He decided to wait. For his sake, he agreed to a fake. Arshad was angry with himself, with his actions, until he understood why he behaved this way. After all, he always took what he wanted, and now he deviated from his rule.
***
Kai felt strange that day. This look of Arshad pursued him everywhere, not allowing him to focus on books, then haunted and resurfaced in memory while he was kept in baths and smeared with oils. Even playing the console, he saw in front of him those burning eyes piercing right through him.
Before going to bed, Maksud came in, they chatted as usual, although Maksud noticed that Kai was sad and thoughtful.
"Maksud, please bring me something to sleep from your magical tinctures."
Kai understood that now it would be difficult for him to fall asleep, but he so wanted to fall asleep and forget everything.
"Of course, I'll bring it now, your dream will be beautiful, no sorrows will touch you."
Maksud smiled as usual and left his chambers.
***
In the morning training with Gifar, Kai forgot about everything, as soon as he had felt the sword in his hand although with a blunt blade. All problems receded for a while.
Now they were practicing another combat technique with a lunge, sweep and roll over the back. Then he repeated the same technique with five of Gifar's warriors.
Then they began to repeat the previous combat techniques. Kai fought them one on one, then all together. He corrected them, explained, then they attacked him again or he attacked himself. At one of these moments, he felt someone's eyes on him and saw Arshad. Kai guessed that Arshad had been watching him for a long time, and before that he had felt his gaze on him, he was simply too carried away by the battle.
He continued training, but the joy of the lesson had already passed. Fortunately, their time came to an end. He was taken by Maksud to make beauty. Kai felt Arshad's gaze until he disappeared behind the doors of the palace.
At lunchtime, Arshad sat at the table with Gifar and Maksud. He ordered Maksud not to bring the prisoner, realizing that he did not yet know how to behave. He was completely confused. What he saw today on the parade ground for fights impressed him. Yes, this prisoner was excellent with a sword and fighting technique. He was flexible, plastic, and it took the breath away. Arshad was watching and could not take his eyes off. He caught every movement of the guy, how he fell and stood up at the same second, how he moved softly like a cat and how sharp his lunges were when he struck. Arshad was not ready for such a contrast in one person. He was at a loss.
"Maksud, after dinner in the garden, when I will smoke a hookah, invite our guest, I want to talk to him."
Maksud bowed his head respectfully.
After dinner, Arshad usually went into the garden to a huge bower covered with carpets, on which there were low sofas with numerous pillows. Here he reclined with a hookah. There were always vases with fruits, oriental sweets, and drinks on the table in front of him. Although according to his faith it was impossible to drink wine, he sometimes allowed himself to sip a glass of the red one.
The bower was winded with vines, flowers were fragrant around, light curtains of transparent chiffon descended on the sides of the columns.
Arshad in thought was inhaling the sweet smoke from the hookah, through half-closed eyelids he saw him.
When Kai climbed the steps and froze, Arshad gestured to a low sofa with pillows opposite. Kai sat down on the sofa and leaned against the pillows.
Arshad offered his guest wines and sweets. Kai thanked him, took a sip of wine, did not touch sweets and fruits.
Then Arshad continued the conversation on general topics: nature, weather, palace life, politics, war, art, and others. His mysterious guest, as Maksud had warned, was well educated in all spheres, answered everything within the framework of small talk - nothing superfluous, and, at the same time, he could not be reproached for lack of communication.
Arshad saw that the young man was ideal in behavior and education. He never once admitted disrespect in answers, showing natural tact and subtle knowledge of etiquette. All this infuriated Arshad! He needed something else, but he understood that during the conversation he had not been able to break through the framework of the diplomatic dialogue. Arshad went over all the topics, but he could not destroy this invisible wall between them. And then he realized that he had underestimated his captive. Despite his age, his education, and his experience, he lost to him.
Arshad took a drag on his hookah again and, listening to another diplomatic answer from his guest, watched as he ran his beautiful thin fingers over the cold steel of the goblet, squeezed them slightly, and brought this goblet to his lips incredibly gracefully. A small sip of wine and the goblet was placed on the table, and the lips shine a little with moisture.
Arshad lowered his eyes, again feeling that a warm wave, running through his body, was concentrated in the lower abdomen.
As though through the fog he heard a voice, shuddered, looked up, and saw that a servant was standing beside him and, probably, had already been trying to draw his attention to himself for several minutes.
He waved his hand.
The servant, as always, began with a lengthy listing of Arshad's merits. He was not ready to listen to all this now.
"What do you want to say?" he interrupted the servant.
"Great Arshad, you've asked to report to you about the arrival of the stallion you have acquired, named North Star. We have big problems with it. The horse is very aggressive. Our best riders can't handle it! Give us more time, perhaps in two weeks, we will be able to pacify his character. I hope this news did not darken your day, and your anger will not overtake us ..."
Then the servant again began to enumerate all the merits of the great Sheikh.
Arshad listened deeply to all this and accidentally glanced at the face of his guest. And here he was pierced like lightning. He saw a completely different face of his guest. Instead of the indifferently calm, now the face of the young man sitting opposite him shone, green eyes sparkled and burned, listening to every word from the servant's lips. And Arshad understood - was it really something that could destroy this wall?! Did he find the key to him?
Arshad chuckled, then said indifferently.
"I want to go and look at this stallion," he looked at the guest. "Will you keep me company?"
"Yes!" Kai exclaimed too emotionally and stood up, then, recollecting himself, sat back down. But Arshad already understood everything - he won!
He stood up with a sly smile and showed with his hand that he was inviting his guest to join him.
Walking along the paths of the garden to the stable building, they talked to each other like two people who had found each other with a common passion - it was horses. Arshad was a fan of horses, he could talk about them for hours, and now he saw that this young man was just like him. They talked excitedly, interrupting each other, arguing, discussing ...
Horses are a boundless, immense world. And, starting to talk about the complexity of the character of one horse, they gradually moved on to general issues of riding horses with specific examples from the personal experience of one and the other then talked about horse breeds, feeding, and grooming. They mentioned forging, horseshoes. Men discussed the issue of saddles and who preferred which ones, moved on to the issue of accustoming the horse to the saddle, and so, in a heated discussion, they reached the parade ground, where this rebellious stallion was fetched.
The horse was gorgeous, black, thin-legged, with the eyes of a wild beast and flaring nostrils. It was held on both sides by grooms on long ropes. The horse kicked its legs, snorted, and clattering its teeth tried to bite the people who were holding it back. The man who worked with it tried for a very long time to approach the horse. The horse did not admit anyone, it turned around to the approaching one with its backside and waved his hind legs away. All this was dangerous, the animal was aggressive and posed a threat to people.
"Arshad, let me sit on it!" Kai barely restrained himself not to cling to Arshad's hand when he saw such a beautiful horse.
"Well ... if you want ..." Arshad did not expect such a request and answered, not fully thinking about its meaning.
This permission was enough for Kai, he quickly threw off a robe, remaining in wide trousers and a shirt tied with a wide silk belt, quickly crawled under the fences of the parade ground, and ran to the grooms holding the horse. He said something to them, and then, after waiting for a second, while the horse, having beaten off with its hind legs, had not yet grouped itself, jumped into the saddle. The grooms let go of the ropes, which were threaded into the snaffle rings and have now slipped out of them.
The stallion felt freedom and immediately reared up.
Arshad regretted his rash decision, seeing that it was very dangerous, and he needed this young man alive and well. But it was too late!
Then he just stood and watched everything that was happening.
The horse, dropping to four legs, tried to grab its rider by the leg, but Kai foresaw this, did not give it a reason to turn its head and bite his leg. The stallion began to rage, also realizing that it could not reach the rider's leg. It galloped along the parade ground, raising clouds of sand, bucked, braked sharply, spun, but the rider sat on it like a "glove". The stallion reared up again and, not calculating its strength, began to fall on its back. Everything turned into ice inside Arshad.
Feeling that the horse under him lost its balance and was falling on its back, Kai pushed off from him and, without releasing the reins, jumped to the ground. The horse fell, quickly turned on its side, and began to get up, and at that moment Kai again jumped into the saddle.
Getting up from the ground and feeling that the rider was on it again, the stallion continued its attempts to throw him off itself. For another twenty minutes, it rode, bucked, kicked up, tried to reach the rider's leg, twirled, wheezed, and snorted with anger. Two more times it rolled over onto its back, but the rider returned to the saddle, and everything was repeated again. Finally, the horse ran out of steam. And then Kai began to urge him on. He did not give the stallion a chance to rest. He made him gallop around the parade ground circle after circle, and gradually the horse resigned itself and already began to listen to its rider, obeying him, fulfilling his wishes to turn in one direction or the other, stop and gallop again, go to step or again to gallop. For such obedience, Kai let the lathering and sweaty animal change its gallop to a step, patted it on the neck, and let go of the reins. The stallion exhaled and, with the air of a submissive lamb, walked towards Arshad and the waiting grooms.
Kai calmly jumped off it, patted it on the neck again, stroked its face, and gave the occasion to the grooms, who took it to have a clean up after such a jump.
Arshad exhaled when he finally saw that Kai got off this crazy horse.
"Tomorrow it's necessary to ride it, but I think it won't behave like that," Kai said quite calmly, going up to Arshad.
"You are very good in the saddle."
"I have been riding horses since childhood. I had to tame more violent ones," Kai laughed.
Arshad smiled too. Here it was - his victory! He even laughed, but how sincere! How handsome he was when this smile was on his face!
"Let's go - I'll show you my stable!"
Arshad made a gesture towards the stable.
"Great! Let's go to!"
Almost jumping, overtaking Arshad, Kai went with him.
Once inside the stable, they forgot about time and reality. Arshad with delight and pride showed Kai his horses, and Kai competently discussed each with Arshad. Then they reviewed the horse equipment, fodder, utility rooms, and everything related to the life of the stable. Arshad was delighted. He had no one to talk about this with, or rather, formally everyone was ready to listen to him, but he understood that this topic was of no interest to anyone. Another thing was his mysterious prisoner, who listened with delight to everything, climbed all the nooks, discussed all the topics, and was ready to listen and talk about it endlessly, just like himself.
During this occupation, Maksud found them, who had already been told about the heroic ride of a wild stallion by a handsome young man, now the whole palace was talking about this, naturally embellishing this story with more and more terrible and incredible details.
Maksud was already preparing for the most terrible, therefore, seeing Kai, he rushed to him, grabbed him by the shoulders, set him in front of him, and, walking around him four times, exclaimed:
"Glory to the Almighty - you are safe and sound!"
Kai had already forgotten what he was talking about.
"What has happened?"
"Well, the whole palace talks only about how you tamed this crazy stallion ... Oh, forgive me, Great Arshad, I was very worried about the health of our guest!"
"You know, Maksud, I was also very worried about his health when I saw him on this horse," Arshad laughed.
"So, was it really so serious?"
Kai smiled at the frightened face of Maksud.
"Yes, very seriously," he became sad, "I even have lost an earring and erased lipstick."
Arshad burst out laughing, and Maksud blossomed, finally seeing that everything was going as well as possible!
With tremendous efforts, Maksud finally managed to take Kai out of the stable, and then only because Arshad remembered that they had been waiting for him for a long time on business in the meeting room.
"I'm waiting for you for dinner!" leaving, threw Arshad to Kai.
Maksud nodded understandingly and, taking Kai by the shoulders, with an effort led him out of the stable to make beauty. Kai was indignant all the way, telling Maksud how he made him tired with his bathrooms, massages, rubbing with oils, and all this bullshit. That he could clean the horse instead and do more interesting things in the stable. Maksud listened to everything, smiled, and dragged Kai with him towards the bathhouse.
***
This dinner was strikingly different from their first meeting at the table. Kai and Arshad talked incessantly like old friends. Naturally, their topics of conversation were about horses. Maksud and Gifar ate in silence and were sincerely happy that the two had found each other.
By the end of dinner, Arshad remembered what he wanted to tell Kai:
"We'll go falconry early tomorrow."
"Will you take me with you?" Kai did not believe what he had heard.
"Of course! Who else will I go with then?"
"Will you give me the North Star?"
"It's still unreliable ..."
"Well, please," by the way with which eyes Kai looked at Arshad, the Sheikh realized that he was ready to give him everything that he didn't ask.
"Okay," Arshad smiled, "maybe you will tell me what your name is?"
Kai averted his eyes in embarrassment.
"Call me as you want."
Arshad saw, he would not tell him his name. His gaze fell on a fruit bowl containing sand roses for aesthetics. This amazing miracle of nature, which is created by winds, sun, and sand - a desert rose.
"The rose of a desert," said Arshad. "I will call you the rose of a desert," he picked up a rose made of sand from a bowl of fruit.
Kai flushed, wanted to argue, then restrained himself, realizing that it could be worse. And, in general, it was his own fault that he did not say his name.
"Are you offended?"
"No, but I hoped the name would be different."
"Tell me your name ... are you silent? Then I will call you the rose of a desert. Maksud, Gifar, have you heard the name of our handsome guest?"
They nodded in agreement. Kai did not take offense at this, Arshad's tone was too friendly, he did not want to offend him with this name. Kai saw it.
The conversation at the table again returned to the topic of horses. They began to discuss the upcoming horse hunt with a falcon of the next day.
Kai did not like hunting, or rather, did not understand why it was necessary to kill animals when there was so much food? But hunting with a falcon was different. It was a duel between a raptorial bird and its prey. Here the person did not interfere but only waited and watched. Therefore, Kai considered that such a hunt did not contradict his principles and views on the humane treatment of animals. He had never been on such a hunt, but he had read a lot about it from old books and now he was glad to be there himself.
Returning after dinner to his chambers, accompanied by Maksud, the guy simply blew Maksud's mind out brain with these horses and everything connected with them.
Maksud had angelic patience, he listened, agreed with everything and after all the beauty procedures he happily gave Kai an evening herbal tincture for sleep. After that, seeing that Kai was falling asleep, he left the guy's chambers contentedly.
Despite all this, Maksud simply glowed from within with the understanding of what he saw. And he saw love ...