"Show me."
Noor looked at him confused, her hands working on removing the heavy cape that weighed her down. "What would you like me to show?"
"I happened to overhear your conversation with Marzaban earlier. I would like to know what did the girls in the Harem did to you."
"You say that like you actually care." Her hair fell, covering one eye as she bent down to pick up the heavy fabric. She tipped toed to place the candles on the shelf above, careful not to drop them. She was hopeful, thinking that she would be able to do so, but Cyrus stood behind her poking her side.
"What are you doing?" She hissed when she caught one of the candles that tipped over.
"I'm making sure they haven't bruised you in any way." When he poked the middle of her torso, she flinched. "Ah, it looks like they did."
"Like I said, Cyrus. Stop acting as if you care."
Her head ducked under the arm he had against the wall and walked to the closet to pull out something more comfortable to wear.
"I do care. Your judgment towards me seems to blind you from that."
"If you did, you would've listened to Marzaban. He told you that the harem women are vicious, yet you dared to throw me in there like a doe ready to be devoured." She paused to turn around and look him in the eyes, his figure sitting at the edge of the bed leaning on his arms. "This is you're doing."
"It's because you lied. I don't like it when others believe that I can be lied to."
"I did not lie! I simply hid the fact that I have the ability to do magic!"
"You absolutely did! Anything that helps hide the truth is considered lying!"
"Oh please. Grow up, Cyrus. It's not a big of a deal."
"You could've hurt me."
Noor hasn't noticed that he had stood right in front of her until now. "You have no trust in me. Do you?"
He huffed, his hand running through his messed up hair. "Of course, I don't. I've known you for only two days. you don't expect to gain people's respect in that time span." He bent down to eye level with her. "I thought you were smarter than this."
She slumped against the closet, her hand playing with the soft fabric.
"I didn't bring it up because I have stopped doing magic for a while. My father forbade me from it ever since I've turned 16 and taught me how to cloak it."
"Why?"
"I do not know, and I wish to not know."
She pushed herself off of the closet and walked into the bathroom. The heavy dress easily dropped, her body finally feeling better. She slipped on the dress that looked beautiful to sleep in, white with gold details.
When's he had finished, she walked out as the dress bunched up in her hold. She realized the king had also changed into black harem pants and a sleeveless wrap shirt. She folded it neatly before placing it on the closet, not finding any extra hangers.
"Are you not going to reapply the mixture?"
She simply rolled her eyes before grabbing a pillow and one of the light extra sheets. "I have no energy to do so."
Noor threw the small pillows of the cyan couch on the ground before placing her pillow and the blanket.
"You really like to think I'm a fool. What type of king I'd be if I let you sleep on that?"
"As I said earlier, I have no energy to talk it out with you. Thus, I silently mark my territory in this chamber."
A soft sigh escapes his lips as he pushes his locks away from his face. "I suggest you aid your wound before resting."
"Let it be, Cyrus. If you really do feel that guilty for it, it's fine."
"I never feel guilty about my decisions. Do not mistake my helping hand for something besides it."
"Well then," she patted the pillow before laying her head on it, "I don't need your helping hand at the moment. Good night."
She heard him shuffle around for a bit before silence fell over the chamber. Noor was about to fall into a restful sleep before a thought popped up in her head.
She quickly sat up, walking to Cyrus who laid on the bed. "Cyrus! Cyrus!"
He sat too, her call for him startling him a bit. "What!? We haven't completed a minute and you changed your mind on sleeping on the couch?!"
"Not that, you fool! Tell me more about the curse."
"Absolutely not, go back to sleep. If you'd like, my offer to sleep on the bed with me still stands."
"I think I know how to break the curse! Now let me know more about it so I can make sure my assumption is correct."
She pushed a bit further into the bed before seating herself at the edge of the bed look at him eagerly.
"What madness had found its way into your head?!"
"Madness that could help us. Now please start talking, we haven't got all night."
"What is there to say? The curse is simple. Every generation of my family line has the curse passed on. Weakens the king from ruling his kingdom properly. Given to the first king for his greed for power and strength. If not passed on, the one to die with it must pass the test that no Harb relative is able to pass. If they fail, it passes on. Either way, we're stuck with it."
Not thought about it for a bit before looking up at him. "Is the curse mentioned in the incantation when passed?"
"Yes, but it gets forgotten. Leaving us no cure to help us."
"What if we can restore it?"
He looked at with wide eyes. "Please, Noor. If you'd like, I'll leave the whole bed for you."
"I know it sounds tricky, but if we do it right, we would be able to find a cure!"
"State your ridiculous advances."
"We enter your mind and search for the memory where the curse is recited."
"Maybe I should kill you and return the greater part of the pain on me. Saves me from you, which sounds a lot better than being cured."