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With the newest addition to the work team, the sand skaters (guards), returned to the palace, quite quickly. As they were given permission to use the portals to transport goods... and people. The person they picked up was strangely covered, and they didn't ask. Once through the portal, they kept this new person guarded, not that the person needed it. One guard made sure that the delivery could not see where they were going until the portal had closed, and even then the guard hissed "Keep your head down." The speech was in a language that was foreign to all outsiders, a language exclusive to the area alone.

Along with a few other skaters, the group made it through the city and up to the palace. The air was cooler in the palace than in the city, and sandstone roads turned to marble. one of the skaters pulled off Sohrab's blindfold. Around Sohrab was all of the goods that had been traded along the route the other guards took, as well as two other people and a few bandits that were captured on the way. All of this was overseen by a young barefooted man sitting lazily in a golden throne. Well, he was there, her wasn't particularly watching. When his attention was caught by someone calling for him, he turned his head towards all the goods, and to Sohrab, that stood out like a sore thumb, as most everyone here rather lax in their clothing, even the guy on the throne.

The man, suppository the 'ruler' here got off his lazy bum and walked towards the goods. It took a few minutes of shouting and organization before everything was put into place, including the bandits, that were taken away. Most of what remained was spice, and the three people, one including Sohrab. The ruler, with eyes of blue and purple, started to speak in that foreign tongue to the outsiders. He seemed happy and welcoming though. He clapped his hands together and sparks flew, literally, his hands were sparking, and he ever so carefully poked Sohrab and the other two before stepping back. "Now, if i have done that correctly... You should be able to understand me..." He didn't wait to figure out if it was the case or not, but he stood straight and smiled, wiping his hands on his long jeweled skirt, as that is all he had. "I am Dingi. First son of Aisha and Ehsan, the king and queen here. I want to welcome you to Al Ta'itha. I am hoping for many good things from you all." He said with a bright, happy smile.

Dingi tilted his head, hearing the woman speak to him. "Pardon?" He asked. Dingi tilted his head to an odd angel before he stood straight and smiled again. "Yes, the blindfold is just precautionary. The skaters's way of traveling is damaging to the human's eyesight. As well as, if you ever get out of the castle, you'd be hopelessly loss and be returned." Dingi seemed to be very happy despite what he was saying. The other two wern't talking so he dismissed then, keeping Sohrab there with him. "It is. Very much so. But we offer so much to the people who are brought here. A home, a place to live and raise a family, riches, good food, love, a quite a bit of freedom."

The young prince wrapped his arm around what he thinks is a Muslim woman. He didn't know their religion, customs, or anything as the such, so the bold move didn't phase him. He started to walk with the woman. "What is your name, lady?" He asked kindly. He started to bring the woman to a small corrode off the main room. "If you don't like being with the common maids, that is alright. The family can always use more warm bodies." He stoped, pulling at the garb the woman was wearing and he tried to pull it open a bit. "Is this just somethig you do? Do you want to keep it?" Letting it go he sighed a little. "Do I need to have more of these made for you?" He asked, walking again. Dingi jingled as he walked too, thanks to the jewels on his puffy skirt/pants.

ALl the while he was winding the woman through the halls It was a giant maze, but they would come to a large room that was most obviously the harem. Or what you'd think to be one. That or a room just filled with half naked women and 'maids' running around, generally having fun and relaxing. "This shall be your home. Someplace, there should be a room for you... we dont make the girls share rooms. I know how fickle you things can be."

Dingi was blissfully ignoring half the things the woman was saying. While it was common to disregard a woman's musings, Dingi was just an air head most of the time. When he was told what to do by the sassy master in front of him he chucked. "Right, not touching the heebies." Of course he meant hijab, but he wasn't really paying attention to the conversation. It was in the Quran though. "Quarantine... Is that a duck? Is your God a duck? Sounds like a duck." Dingi seemed to hold himself like a 12 year old, lighthearted and gay.he was a bit slow in picking up on the language difference in 'warming' as well and when it hit him? The prince grew a slight blush. "That's not what I mean Lady Abroa, was it?" He asked and continued to the Riom.

The girls were having a good old time, part of the room outside with fountains and gorgeous flowers, and women as well. They're were only a few naked, taking baths that is. He was going to explain why the woman's voice spoke up. He listened to the questions and hummed. "Hmm. Chores mostly. Very few of the herem girls are ever used for bed mates, and they're normally only used by visiting royals. So you have no worries about that. Your chastity is preserved, for as long as you will, as the freedom of your religion. The girls here work as a group to raise the children. I help once in a while, but I am a busy man." He shrugged, letting Soharb go as a wee little girl ran between them, clutching a scrap of bundled and styled cloth that was her baby doll. "Is chores too much? Chamber maids are always welcome. It does get cold at night." He paused, quickly adding to the statement in an almost stutter. "To keep the fires warm and going, I mean!" Dinginess a natural, still awkward around the fairer sex. "And as I said, Al Ta'itha. Um... It's hidden from every map, no one knows it exists unless we bring them, or are truly lost and hoping for the best oasis. It's a place where gods visit, godkin rule, and the people live longer and better."

Dingi didn't care if he wasn't listening well. His father still had quite a bit of time on the throne before he took over. He didn't need to take advice from a woman. While Dingi was a passive sort of man, the way that this woman spoke to him but the other women in the large area were starting to give Abria glares, daring her to continue to speak as that. It wasnt the grown women who were most upset, it was the half pints.

Hearing Abria laugh, Dingi turned his head to the female in guise and gave him back a smile, going right to the begining of their conversation. "My father has a lot of time, I listen to more than what you hear. I shall remember it is Abria. And no, I don't forget things on purpose. I'm just not all here." Bada bing bada boom. Everything answered, quick, simple, and in a way Dingi didn't find it threatening.

"I have no need to prove it to you. It would put your unexistent 'god' to shame. What does yours do? turn water into whine, make blind people see? These are simple things that are done without notice around here." Dingi said. The little girl with the doll approached again, standing in front of the woman in the black outfit and glared. Dingi put away his almost damning tone and traded it in for a sweeter one. "Kaela, this is Abria, she will be staying here with us for a while. How do you greet someone?" The four year old stared at Abria, stuck out her tongue with a look of disgust, and ran way.

Little Kaela was sent back by her grandmother and stood in front of Abria, still pouting. "i dont like you. Your mean to Didi." She huffed, cringing when she heard her grandmother shout at her. Kaela pouted, looked down, but reached out, took Sohrab's left hand into hers, shook it, and gave the crossdressing man a hug. "Welcome to Al'taitha, may the gods smile on you. Welcome to the family."

"Why would you believe in a god that would bring agony to any who reject faith and urge all of their believer to fight for their god?" Dingi tilted his head towards Sohrab. "I'm not as ignorant as I look, little doll." He shrugged, watching the little girl run off to play with the other children. Dingi loved the children here, and he knows each of them at a personal level. THat was just the person Dingi was, but something about this woman nest to him was rubbing him the wrong way. She, though Muslim in style, didn't act like the submissive woman as he had pictured in his mind.

He quietly shrugged it off and sighed, reaching behind Sohrab and touched her back very gently, ignoring what she had to say about her stay and started walking her into a small gaggle of females and pointed out the one pretty man in the middle. "Sabih is the one in charge in the harem. He's a very kind man. So be nice. He'll show you the ropes." Dingi said. Sabih bowed his head and Dingi leaned towards Sohrab. "Gotta tell ya, he's my favorite dancer. Ya should make him dance sometime." He stood straight and to Sabih, dingi said; "This is Abira." He chuckled, removing his hand from Sohrab and turning to leave.

Sabih watched dingi go and the females aorund him started to wander off, leaving Sohrab and Sabih together. "Welcome, lady." He said. Sabih had a wonderful smile, dark skin, long white hair and beautiful golden eyes. "You're just in time for dinner. Come come. You shall help." Sabih didn't touch Abira, just started walking out. There was a line of people who were holding plates being piled with food. "Over there, wash your hands, then get in line." Sabih said, pointing to where to wash. He washed his hands in another area and got in line, looking back to Abira. "Hurry up, bahar!" THe line was already moving. "There's an important meeting today! We cant be slow about this!"

Dingi seemed to have accepted that excuse before he left Sohrab with Sabih. Sabih was chuckling at Abira's eagerness. "Being human is your problem then, bahar." It was just a line though, Sabih was just holding a platter. "Oh no, we don't get to cook. Too many attempts on the lives of the upperclassmen, only certain people can cook and carry. I'm looking after you, If you do anything, KashKash will gobble you down~" He teased and once the platter was filled, Sabih covered his hair with a veil and placed the large platter of brown rice on his head. Easily able to carry it without using his hands.

"You can carry in your hands. Follow behind me, do as I do and place your food next to mine. Don't try to be gutsy and make eye contact with the guests. Their majesties it is fine, they encourage a level of connection between them and their people." Sabih smiled at the woman anyways and once her plate was full and the line started moving. Sabih kept an eye on Abira as they walked out. There were about twelve different people sitting in a semicircle on the ground, Dingi, his mother, and father sitting someplace in the middle.

The food was alternating so no one needed to reach as each plate was set down around the inter part of the semicircle. Sabih set down his platter and backed off towards the wall, never making eye contacted or disturbing the conversations going on. He waited for Abira to come kneel next to him before he spoke to her quietly. "The man trying to hide in the shadows over there--" He nodded to a lithe young man with short black hair and pale skin. "Nobody knows his name. He's the prince's guard. A lot of people say they're lovers. I doubt it though. That person is a skilled assassin...fiercely loyal though. I've heard he refused a direct order from the Queen because it went against something the prince wanted." This was the gossip time around here. The other women who helped with the food were whispering and picking up information. it looked to be a trading meeting of some sort, not just a get together.

It looked like Sabih was going to have a panic attack seeing another guest, a woman, dressed in only the best silk, dark skin, black eyes, curls down past her waist, flawless in her beauty. "That is Zmeya... She is the serpent Goddess... The king and queen wish her to wed the prince... She's tried to eat me before..." He mumbled, adverting his eyes when she looked his way with a hungry gaze.