8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡxniv40xKWh 維尼
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Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0rk2h4wFPj 維尼
And wouldn’t you love to love her?8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgAJILsgzZ 維尼
Takes to the sky like a bird in flight8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vF7r5DW7v 維尼
And who will be her lover?8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSfAADxT9d 維尼
All your life you’ve never seen8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡS48yo44O8t 維尼
Woman, taken by the wind8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAVTBnWNZQ 維尼
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMAqeEnNbB 維尼
Will you ever win?8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡsgsEW6rMq7 維尼
342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyoyKX2ELG
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She is like a cat in the dark8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWJEkqe08R 維尼
And then she is the darkness8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1Qg51DL84 維尼
She rules her life like a fine skylark8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4xbjhDZnp 維尼
And when the sky is starless8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡpd5GajRGah 維尼
All your life you’ve never seen 8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48fitjNhDv 維尼
Woman taken by the wind8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡg09N1NjybM 維尼
Would you stay if she promised you heaven?8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ammRL2piT 維尼
Will you ever win?8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ2CrbFetn8 維尼
Will you ever win?8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8iUKpcZJi 維尼
342Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpZ0pn9jwD
8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8EYKBh05Mj 維尼
Rhiannon8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkg8mR3H8l 維尼
Fleetwood Mac8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0f9y0XHn9 維尼
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Hawwa walked barefoot into the main harem of her father’s palace and paused just within the entrance, surveying the throngs of women and children who were socializing in relaxed positions. She glanced over the faces of the women who made up the royal harem; wives, mistresses, daughters, but mostly servants and bureaucrats.8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡlw77UIEZG9 維尼
Harem life could be a delicate and tricky business. Men never seemed to understand how cruel women could be to each other, for they were just as ambitious as their male counter-parts. Gossip tended to be the most useful weapon in a Sultana’s arsenal, but the women of the harem were not above murder. Her mother had taught her that lesson when she had included her on a scheme that resulted in the very tragic death of one of the Sultan’s mistresses. There had been many other mysterious deaths, but that had been the only one where she had been privy to the conspiracy. Her mother had referred to it as a “learning” experience.8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡuywlVHRYKo 維尼
She finally located the face she had been looking for and walked across the hall to her mother, who was lounging on an array of colorful cushions with some of the Sultan’s other wives and watching a performance. She sat down carelessly next to her mother, without greetings, letting her mother continue her morning ritual of manipulation and scheming. While she waited for her mother to acknowledge her existence, she watched the girls dance in front of her. They had been brought in from the Roma district and were performing a new style called belly dancing. The girls who were performing the coordinated dance were young, to the point that Hawwa was unsure if some had even flowered. Yet, they gyrated their hips in a syncopated unison that was entrancing and alluring. The older girls had zils that they clapped together in complicated rhythms that both led and complimented the motion of their hips, their colorful silken wraps flapping around them. Some of the outfits were covered in metal ornaments that made each movement musical.8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2RurafMdxr 維尼
In a few moments like this, Hawwa did not feel completely jaded and bored by her pampered lifestyle. She responded physically to this dance and wanted to learn it as soon as possible. She masked her interest in it, however, to practice her acting abilities and maintain her consistently unimpressed reputation.8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡHFLmWVs7Rh 維尼
Her mother finally turned to her, “You look particularly bored this morning; you are too obvious and I am unconvinced.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡnUMFxmqRbm 維尼
“Sorry mother, I will work on my subtlety.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1Oy9tGtMS 維尼
Her mother gave her a warm smile that implied nothing but maternal love and devotion. Hawwa did not know if she believed any emotion her mother displayed. She had seen her mother convincingly lie enough times to know that you never truly knew what the woman was thinking. Although her mother had never given her a reason to not trust her, still it did not mean that she wasn’t being manipulated by her.8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkSwjftfzp 維尼
“So, what are your plans for the day?”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡeK7tWP1jH7 維尼
“Besides my normal artistic and social endeavors? I was thinking that I would like to meet with a merchant from the bazaar.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡJBvtjKjbqc 維尼
“Really? That’s the third time this week. You are developing a shopping habit.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKeXF9XJcu 維尼
That was exactly the opening Hawwa had been hoping for. She now reached for the subtlety her mother believed she lacked. She sighed and twirled her long dark hair around a singular finger. “I really am bored here. Perusing the goods available in the bazaar is a way to pass the time. If I had a husband and children to attend to perhaps I would not need to use such diversions.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡhnmFQngbvo 維尼
“Oh Hawwa, I know you are becoming impatient. There just are not that many suitors to choose from.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡiyeA37zLEA 維尼
“I know. Father really has spent too much time siring daughters. We are running out of suitable husbands and I feel that my womb will begin to shrivel up any day now.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXKzw6F5s4 維尼
Her mother gave her a sympathetic frown, then said, “Be patient; we cannot marry you off to just anybody.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡtC3PZkdrV7 維尼
Hawwa let the statement hang in the air between them. The moment had come to plant the idea in her mother’s head. “Perhaps we should begin to look beyond our own walls. The right match could lead to a trading alliance that could be very beneficial to all involved.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡxB8DzjNN9v 維尼
Hawwa said it as casually as she could, as if the idea had just come to her, but her mother had not missed the clues in her daughter’s voice that revealed that she had been thinking of this for a while. Hawwa watched out of the corner of her eye as her mother turned the idea over in her mind, although she could not tell if her mother’s initial reaction to the idea was positive or negative. She decided to let her mother think it over outside of her presence. “Well, I’m off to the mosque. May I eat lunch with you upon my return?”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡcTOZ41Q3Cf 維尼
Her mother gave her a warm smile, concealing anything that might have given away her thoughts on the matter, and said, “Of course. I will see you then.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoFmKAXI9u 維尼
She left her mother’s side and walked to one of the exits of the large hall where she met with Judar, the large black eunuch who was in charge of maintaining the safety of the women within the harem. “Please inform Alanzo D’amore I wish to see his selection of glass vases at the mosque within the hour.” The large eunuch only nodded and went to make the necessary arrangements. She could not conceal the grin that appeared on her face at the thought of the Italian merchant and went to make her own arrangements.8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcSXDLkSt7 維尼
Exiting the vast hall of the main harem, she turned down a series of tiled halls towards her own chambers. She set an excited pace for herself, unable to keep the spring from her step. As she turned the corner, she crashed unexpectedly into another body. She gathered herself after the collision, smoothing out the wrinkles of her skirt before looking up into the eyes of her half-sister Manara. She huffed as she too rearranged her garment around her.8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡLi0BcZ5Pbw 維尼
“Good morning Hawwa,” she said in a polite tone that only barely covered her obvious contempt. Manara was the daughter of one of the other Sultanas—one who was not a part of her mother’s allegiances. She was a few months younger than Hawwa and in many ways Hawwa’s direct competition.8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3YLpGhQqP 維尼
Manara inspected her before asking, “What has you running so excitedly around corners this morning without looking?”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBLN7lbrrl 維尼
Hawwa smiled pleasantly back. “Dear sister, I realized I was running late for a meeting with a merchant. My mother always said that tardiness is unbecoming of a sultana.”8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡ32RSrfANn7 維尼
Manara smiled back at her, but something dangerous glinted in her eye. “Well I hope you enjoy shopping.” She continued to gaze at Hawwa as she walked around her. Hawwa looked behind her and watched Manara walk down the hall. She bit her lip nervously. That could pose a very serious problem.8964 copyright protection338ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQibjuuJvv 維尼
