THE hours went by without them realizing, and it took Haqiya coming into the library to fetch Noor for her to stop reading.

She barely managed to wave goodbye to Amir before Haqiya pulled her out.

"Don't rush!" Noor complained, struggling to keep up to the other girl.

Haqiya gave her a glare. "We have a performance. And you aren't even close to ready! You are so lucky Nazrat hasn't found out, or I swear to Rayan, you would be dead—"

Noor grimaced, bearing with Haqiya's frustrated rant until she reached her chambers. There, she escaped to get ready. She scampered into her room, making her way through the red-robed dancers, and pulled the curtains shut.

She took out their night-time performance dress, glaring at the gauzy red fabric. Easily the most revealing costume they had, she hated it. It was used so often now, compared to before. She put it on quickly.

Thankfully, she'd made a few alterations to the top and to the slit in the skirt at the bottom, saving about two fingertips of skin. She put on her jewelry and did her hair, stopping to look at herself in the mirror once.

She would be the perfect background dancer to Nazrat's elegant beauty in the eyes of all the nobles tonight, of course. All they'd be looking for was skin and curves, and they'd find that in all the girls and boys.

Most of them despised this costume for that very reason, just like her. It meant roaming eyes and sometimes roaming hands, the thick scent of liquor and smoke hanging over them, but not as oppressive as those hungry gazes.

Nazrat had it worst, being the main dancer. Noor would always admire her icy confidence. She'd never be able to stand up and dance in front of all those nobles alone. Nazrat did it, and didn't let her disdain show.

"Noor!"

She flinched at Haqiya's shout and walked out quickly, joining the others. "I'm ready, I'm ready!" She hissed, meeting Haqiya's eyes.

"Finally." Haqiya sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "You just barely made it today, you know that?"

"I know, I'm sorry," Noor said, looking down.

"You can't lose track of time so often!"

"It's only when I'm reading, you know that." Noor protested.

"Which is most of the time." Haqiya deadpanned.

Noor didn't reply.

Luckily, Haqiya was stopped from scolding her again by Nazrat, telling all of them to line up. Noor kept her mouth shut as they walked to the king's private durbar this time, where only select nobles would be allowed in.

Nazrat turned to them from the front of the group. "You all know what to do. By the grace of Paishi, we will do well tonight."

Noor saw her swallow before she turned. The guards opened the doors, and they filed in, the bells and beads on their dresses tinkling with every step.

She made a quick glance around the durbar, taking in as much as she could. The Maharaja wasn't there, his throne empty. On either side, again, were the Rajkumars. Their faces were stony, neutral. Unlike the others around them, they held on glasses at all.

Sher Butnam was there, visibly intoxicated. His father, Sher Rakim, at his side, slurping down another gulp. It was a smaller group of nobles, consisting only of the most powerful ones.

Noor clenched her fists, looking away from the Shers. She glanced at Rajkumar Vikram again. This time he wasn't looking at her. She looked at Nazrat, standing fearlessly at the front of the room, and struck her pose just as the music began.

She despised this dance. The sentiment was shared by the others, but you wouldn't know it by looking at them. Everyone, Noor included, had put on the mask of a dancer who enjoyed this, who encouraged the attentions of the intoxicated nobles.

Noor let herself sink into the role, throwing sultry glances at the nobles who were watching her, even as her stomach turned. But never going farther than that. Or else they could get other ideas, and that'd be another burden on her shoulders.

Nazrat began her solo, and Noor made sure to stand just out of arms-length from the closest nobles as she watched her. Nazrat played her role perfectly, and Noor would have been fooled if she didn't know of all the anger that laid below her bronze skin and inviting eyes.

At last, the music ended, and the girls stayed in their positions. Noor glanced at Haqiya once, who was biting her lower lip.

"Ah, wasn't that wonderful!" Sher Rakim said, sounding only the slightest bit unsteady. Whatever else she had to say about that man, he knew how to hold his liquor. "Don't you agree, Rajkumar?"

Noor looked at the Rajkumar's feet, only. But she recognized his voice when he spoke.

"Of course," the man said, the words the only sound in the room.

"They're all very talented dancers," Rajkumar Fayyaz said, gesturing at the group.

Noor let herself look at him. He was handsome as well, a bit younger than his brother. He looked comfortable in the room, and she wondered what the enamored servant girls Amir had told her about would have to say if they saw their Rajkumars now.

"They're a bit more than talented, wouldn't you say?" One of the nobles said, prompting the rest to laugh.

"Undoubtedly," Rajkumar Fayyaz said smoothly, his face betraying no emotion.

"We're rather tired from the journey here," Rajkumar Vikram said. "Dancers, you are excused."

Noor let out a breath as they turned, beginning to file out. She was at the end of the line, one of the last to leave.

"My brother and I shall go to our chambers now. Excuse us, please."

She could hear fabric rustling, meaning the Rajkumars were getting ready to leave. She hurried out, following the rest of the girls as they walked to their quarters.

"Well." Haqiya exhaled, walking with her. "At least that's over."

Noor nodded.

"Are you alright?" Haqiya asked, turning her head to look at Noor.

"Fine, I just—" Noor sighed, shaking her head. "I thought they would be better. Than Sher Rakim. Sher—"

"Butnam," Haqiya supplied. She nodded. "I thought so, too. But the Rajkumars are still young. I've heard that they aren't nearly as bad as any of the other nobles."

"I've heard that as well." Noor agreed. "But what decent man would come for a dance like that? It's like a harem in there."

Haqiya's eyes widened. "Of course not. At least we only have to dance. The courtesans have it worse nowadays."

Noor grimaced. "I know."

Of all the posts in the palace, the courtesans were probably the most fallen. Once, they'd been respected, learned women and men others paid to meet. Now, though...

"Of course you do," Haqiya said softly. "How is Amir?"

"He's..." Noor thought back to the evening in the library. "He's doing as well as he can."

Haqiya nodded, and let the subject rest. But of course, she couldn't be quiet for too long.

"Have the snakes come for you lately?" She asked quietly as they walked through the dark corridors.

Noor sighed. "Not recently. I've promised to give them money by the end of this month, though."

"Will you be able to?" Haqiya asked, glancing at Noor.

Noor shrugged. "Most likely. I've been saving up for so long."

"So you'll be able to pay off your debt soon," Haqiya said, smiling. "I'm so proud of you."

Noor allowed herself a smile.

"And after that...you'll be gone," Haqiya said. Noor opened her mouth, but the shorter girl beat her too it. "I'm not angry."

Noor shook her head. "It's not like I'll go anywhere. You know what your mother always used to say. Once a dancer, always a dancer. We—"

"Can never be more," Haqiya chorused. "Yes, I know."

When they reached, Noor whispered a quick goodnight to Haqiya and went to the room he shared with some other dancers, going straight to her own, curtained-off part of the room and shut the curtains firmly.

She undressed and laid down on the bed, pulling the blanket over herself. Neqer, the day had been so tiring. Especially after everything had happened. There was no telling what tomorrow would bring.

She just hoped she wouldn't be in trouble.

***

"Did you know the Enyans celebrate birth-days?"

Noor lifted her head from her book, looking at Amir. "I've heard about that. What is that custom, again?"

"Exactly what it means," Amir said, showing her the page he'd been reading. "Each year, Enyans celebrate the exact day on which they were born."

Noor frowned, nodding. "A bit odd. It makes sense, in a way."

Amir nudged her. "Celebrating name-days makes more sense, though."

Noor tilted her head to the side. "Yes," she said slowly, "But that's because it's more familiar to us, isn't it? I imagine if we'd grown up celebrating these birth-days, they'd make more sense to us."

Amir shrugged. "True." He sighed, turning back to his own book.

Noor focused on her own book. A few minutes later, she heard Amir sigh. She turned to see him rubbing his forehead. "What's wrong?"

He started, turning to her. "Nothing." He shook his head. "My head is aching."

Noor grimaced. "Is it bad?"

He scoffed. "Of course not. I can still concentrate."

"Maybe you should go back to sleep," Noor suggested, brushing away his curls. "You look tired."

Amir bit his lip. "No, no. We have to study. Come on, get back to work."

"You can afford to take a day off, Amir." Noor tried again. "You're not getting enough sleep, I know that. This way, it'll be a miracle if you can even stay awake during the exam."

Amir pursed his lips. "I'll be fine, Noor."

Noor stopped herself from pushing him further and turned back to her own book. Amir wouldn't listen unless he literally collapsed. She knew from personal experience.

She finally closed her book, stretching her back. She glanced out the window. The sun had come up, lighting up the sky. It was time for morning prayer.

"Amir," she said, tapping his shoulder.

He looked up expectantly.

"It's time for morning prayer. Come on."

He nodded and they stood up. When they'd finished putting all the books back in their respective shelves, they walked out of the library.

"See you at the morning meal," Noor said, waving at him. He nodded, and she walked away. She walked to her quarters. The other girls had started performing the prayer as well. She entered her little part of the room and faced the window. East.

She murmured under her breath, the soothing hymn of the morning prayer. One hymn for Neqer, their main goddess and then a few lines for each of the other gods. Once the chant was over, she brought her palms together, touched her forehead and chest, and knelt, touching her forehead to the floor.

She stood up and opened her eyes, glancing at her mirror. She took out a nose ring, a thin line of gold leaves and put it on, smiling at her reflection. It had been one of the only things she'd bought for herself once she'd started earning. Her name-day gift to herself.

She twisted the ring on her finger as she walked out, joining some of the other girls as they walked to the servants' eating area.

She could hear the place before she could smell it. There was a reason the eating hall was so far from the other parts of the palace. She walked in, raising her eyebrows at the amount of noise.

People were shouting at each other, some indulging in acts she didn't want to see this early, and, in general, making too much noise for the morning. She spotted Amir at their usual spot on one of the tables and made her way to him, grimacing as she passed two women eating each other's mouths instead of the morning meal. She ducked as someone threw a fruit to someone else, waving away their apology. Finally, she reached Amir.

She exhaled heavily, dropping into the seat beside him. "I made it."

"You made it," Amir agreed, pushing a plate in front of her. "Here, eat."

"Thank you," she muttered, taking the plate and beginning to eat quickly. She was getting a headache from all the shouts, such a change from the quiet library.

"Done?" Amir asked, raising an eyebrow when she pushed the plate towards him.

She nodded and waited for him to finish the rest of the food. Once he was done, they put the plate away and walked out. Noor sighed with relief as soon as she was out. "It's too loud in there."

Amir laughed. "Agreed. So, what are you doing today? Do you have a performance?"

Noor bit her lip. "I don't think so. I'll check with Nazrat later. As for now, I'm thinking I'll help the laundry girls for some extra money."

"No, I've heard that they need some help at the treasury. The Rajkumars have brought plenty of things back. If you can get in, they would welcome the help."

"If I can get in." Noor sighed. "I'm sure they aren't exactly eager to get a dancer to help them."

"Maybe Amir from the treasury will be there," he said. "He likes you. I think all the Amirs like you."

Noor squinted at him. "Which Amir? There are two in the treasury."

He sighed. "I wish I didn't have such a common name."

"Amir is a lovely name," Noor said sternly, "And your baba was wise to name you that."

Amir rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright. You always liked baba more than me anyways."

Noor laughed. "True. Hamid kaka was wise in his day. Now, tell me, which Amir from the treasury?"

Amir pursed his lips thoughtfully. "The older one. He's fond of you. Once called you—"

"One of the sharpest minds he'd ever seen," Noor supplied, her cheeks heating up. She remembered that particular incident very well.

"You were smiling for a week after that," Amir said, grinning.

Noor grinned sheepishly. "Who wouldn't? And you're right, I'll go to the treasury. With Qarzha's blessing, the older Amir will be there."

"Good luck. I'll be in my room if you need me," Amir said, waving. Noor nodded, and he walked away in the direction of the courtesans' quarters.

She let out a breath and headed to the treasury.

The guards let her in, and she headed straight to the bookkeeping room, knocking on the door. It was opened by a white-robed servant.

The five people in the room—two men and three women—turned to look at her. She didn't see the older Amir. The younger Amir was there instead.

"Yes?" One of the women asked, eyeing Noor's clothing.

Noor swallowed. She was dressed in a simple, pale blue gown, not official robes like them. "I'm, um, here to ask if I can help with the sorting. I've heard that there's a lot of extra items brought by the Rajkumars."

Another woman raised a thin, dark eyebrow. "You're a dancer. What would you know about bookkeeping?"

Noor cleared her throat. "I'm a dancer, not illiterate."

The last woman sighed. "Just let her. Half the workers are ill or on leave because of the cold."

The others shrugged and let her come in. The younger Amir explained exactly what she had to do, and Noor spent the rest of the afternoon sorting through gold—so much gold—under the watchful eyes of younger Amir.

The Rajkumars had brought back so many books from the Jaisled university as well. She couldn't wait to tell Amir. They would be so helpful for them.

She ended up being the one taking said books to the library, and she couldn't resist the temptation to open a few. It was almost time for the afternoon meal in any case, so they weren't expecting her back at the treasury. Younger Amir had sent her off with a few coins.

The books were fascinating. Two of them were direct guides to the infamous Jaisled entrance exam, the hardest one in the empire. Thousands of students took it every year in hoped of getting into the prestigious university. Less than a hundred succeeded.

She managed to put them away to go to eat, promising herself that she'd be back as soon as she could. Then she ran to the dining area, knowing she was late. 

She only hoped the good food wasn't be gone.