Banou stare outside the window as the caravan move in the desert. The scenery never change. The golden sand reminds her of her tiny room where she lived most of her life. The morning after she wash her face and do her prayers. She will go to the classes for females. Her sisters and other female royal members will be sitting there. Banou wish that those ladies are the ones who live in the palace. They are nicer and have better manners. Her sisters are all high and mighty. Banou dare not talk too much in class. Only after class she walks to the library and ask her questions to the scholars there. They are always available to answer her questions and they are willing to share their knowledge.
Banou will stay at the library till the sun is about to set. The library will be light up by the lamps. The scent of oil will float in the air. The staff who works there will always be accommodate to her. Sometimes, they offer to bring her dinner in the library but Banou never eat there. She doesn't want to bother the staff who is busy updating the library and keeping the library clean is important. The library which fills will mountain of scrolls. Most in Arabic and some in other languages. The scholars spend time to translate it to Arabic and store it most care as they are the original copies. The translated scrolls will be hand over to the ministries of affair for approval. Those is deem as blaspheme will be destroy and so will the original copy. The final one who are approved will be send to the Sultan for his final approval. It will take months sometimes years for approval. For national affairs are more important than those translated scripts. Those can wait but current affairs cannot wait. While Banou cannot wait, she is given permission to look at the original copy and she begin to learn to read those foreign words that float before her eyes. Her thirst of knowledge is filling her empty world. She dream and wonder how wide the world beyond these sands that she see everyday. The stories of far away places, amazed her.
At night Banou sit on her balcony and look beyond the sands in front of her. She wish she can look even further. There must be somewhere wonderful where people will be nice and reasonable. She sometimes look at the golden gown hanging on the wall. The shredded gown moves gently with the wind. Some day, she will follow the wind and dance along.
At present, Banou knows that she must be obey Bardiya. She doesn't want any trouble now since they are out in the open. If she runs, to which direction? There is no food nor water supply for her. She must think carefully how to get back to Tang back to her son and Li Cheung. However since she is missing now, there must be a a group of people searching for her. She just have to be patience and watch out for changes.
A few days have past, Bardiya have try to make things comfortable for her however his strange way of thinking is making her uncomfortable. Banou try not to agitate him and remain quiet most of the time. Every night, he will lay down next to her. He tell Banou when he is growing up with his sister, his mother never let them stay apart. They did everything together including sleeping on a big bed together with their mother. It becomes a habit for him. He have to have a female in bed with him. Sometimes, his sister will sleep over at his quarters. They continue to share the bed with or without their mother. Azedeh develop a habit to hug him to sleep. Thus he expect Banou to do the same thing as now she is replacing his sister. Banou refuse to hug him to bed but allow him to sleep beside her. Bardiya feels that it is reasonable so he did not make a fuss.
One morning, Banou wake up to see Bardiya staring at her. He smile.
"If only you are my real sister. How nice it will be. You are so much better than her. Your temper is sweet. Your face is beautiful. Your body..."
He touch her cheek and run it down her neck.
"Your body is curvy. Did those men you sleep with... did you enjoy them? Did you sleep with any Persian man?"
Banou keep quiet and look away. She feel that his hands are touch her breast. He use his other hand to reach out for her hand. He lead it to reach for his manhood.
"She used to hold my private parts. It was so comfortable. Sometimes she will use her mouth to hold it. It's a strange feeling. I have many women in my harem, some of them enjoy doing it for me. But none of them do it best like Azedeh. "
Banou at that point feel sick in her stomach. She wanted to vomit however she hold herself back as Bardiya is odd there is way she can tell what he will do to her. She hold her breath as he use her hand to touch his private parts.
That evening, the caravan stops again. The men outside starts to prepare to cook dinner. Banou stills alone in the dark caravan. She feels sick and dirty. She feels that the ground is moving in circles and she can't control herself from falling. Her eyes water. She miss her son, her friends or people who consider her as family. All she wanted is to live with a normal life. Have a normal family. Be a normal citizen of the world. Not like this. She look at her nails, it is fill with dirt inside. At that moment, she see something shining at the corner. The moonlight is reflecting on a metal piece. She crawl towards it. A sharp corner of a shiny metal. Banou decided to keep it. She crawl back to her spot and hide the piece within her reach. It might be something that can save her.