[Before U'W disbanded, before Tariq's death.]



Sunshine, weaver birds singing, acacia trees swaying...

It was a perfect day.

Zulaica's luck had turned around completely compared to when she had been delegated to her first Pad. He hadn't been her first choice. She had been sorely disappointed to go with another male, but she had choked it back and done her best to manage regardless. And she had done well. She was the perfect banu. Banu, not Beybanu. Another disappointment. But no, she had done well in her lower position and her Pad treated her well in response. He had been good to her, all things considered. She had no reason to complain. But it was difficult to settle into a routine--into a new life--when that life hadn't been your first choice. And as long as you had the vision of your perfect life floating somewhere tauntingly in your mind, you could never accept your current life as anything but less-than. For Zulaica's perfectionist nature, it had been a hard mask to wear. But she had worn it.

Now, however...

Zulaica smiled blissfully as she stretched at length in the grass, eyes closing, content. Her short afternoon naps worked wonders for her mood. Well, not only the naps, she thought bashfully. The reason for the naps. The one who had suggested them. Her new Pad. A Vizier. Her first choice.

Tariq'ra'd.

The lioness gave a little sigh and rose to her feet. It was nice to be appreciated, she realized. So often had she striven to prove herself, to do everything in her power to follow what she was told, to perform her duties to the letter, to be an example of her rank, of her species, her sex, to be perfect. A word of praise and a gift here and there had been nice, of course, and she was no stranger to them. But Tariq...he was different from Yusri'Kahlil. Tariq was...

Images of pink eyes, seductive, amused, angry, teeth flashing in a series of dashing smiles and smirks and sneers. Zulaica's heart fluttered.

She was new to him, she realized. Not only was she new as a Banu, but there was no chance he had ever noticed her before. He kept to his own harem in the past. That was good, she thought. She liked to observe rules, too. She wouldn't have ever considered an affair with him, never, never ever, no, she would've never...never betrayed her Pad...for...

Shaking herself from her daydreams, the lioness continued walking back to the den. She would meet Tariq on the way, same as usual. The structure and predictability gave her security. Tariq gave her security. He was strong and capable, smart and firm, a leader. He never wavered. He was both predictable and unpredictable, brave, ruthless, but he was sometimes...sweet. She admired him a great deal. She respected him. She was proud to be his Banu. And maybe, just maybe, with a little more effort, he might recognize her a bit more. He might come to see...well, see all her good qualities in a better light, and...maybe...she could be his Beybanu...

"Zuzu~," a simpering voice drawled behind her, and Zulaica whirled around, a beaming smile lighting up her features. She masked it quickly, composing herself so as to not seem too eager--too uncontrolled and out of place.

"Good afternoon, Tariq," she greeted, her voice happier than she had intended. Even though he let her call him by his casual name, she still felt a pang of nerves every time it left her lips as though she expected him to change his mind. She swallowed, posture now elegantly set, and regarded him respectfully. "You're earlier than usual," she said. She tried to stop mentally listing every mistake she had just made in a span of five seconds.

"Maybe you're later than usual?" Tariq posited with a smile, setting Zulaica aflutter. But it was not solely from affection. Perhaps she was late? The time...no, the sun was in precisely the same spot, she was sure, she had accounted for the time of year, the day, the trees, it had been the same spot, it--... A low, restrained chuckle broke Zulaica from her spiral and she blinked back into reality, staring blankly at the Vizier. "I'm teasing," he said. The banu's eyes grew hot with embarrassment.

"I'm--sorry," she said jerkily, lowering her gaze in shame, but still holding onto her composure.

"How sorry?" Tariq asked, moving around her in a close circle. Zulaica's heart hammered in her chest and she swallowed. The sun--the sun was...quite warm. Yes, surely, it--...

"I'm--I'm--..." Zulaica attempted twice, twitching her head slightly as if to quietly shake herself awake from bewitchment. She was flabbergasted by her own ineptitude. How could she embarrass herself so in front of Tariq'ra'd? Was this the face of a Beybanu?! NO! She was a complete and utter failure, a joke of a Banu, a joke of a lioness. What had she done to deserve him? NOTHING! She was--

Tariq chuckled through his teeth and pressed his grin into Zulaica's face, no longer circling and suddenly quite close. Zulaica's mind went blank. Birds chirped far away--on another planet, perhaps.

"You know something?" the dark male began, nearly purring, "I like it when you get flustered like that..." He pressed against her even closer, grin broadening at the feeling of Zulaica going stiff as a tree. His mouth moved to her ear and he whispered, "Shhhh, don't tell the others...they'll be jealous..."

Zulaica was sure her eyes were red from how hot they felt. She found it increasingly difficult to swallow. But more than that, she felt very light. Her downward spiral had stopped entirely. It had been replaced by something nicer, something sweeter. Acceptance. Tariq accepted her...even liked her. Or some aspects of her, at least. And not just her, but what she regarded as failures. He was ok with her lack of decorum? With her mistakes? No, maybe not all of them, but he was ok with her...it was a concept Zulaica was not yet used to, but it made her feel as though her insides had become replaced by bubbles from head to toe.

"I--won't," she managed seriously, suddenly feeling quite weak. She found that some of her weight was being supported by Tariq. He was, um...very strong. The Vizier laughed quietly again, maybe amused by her seriousness.

"That's good, Zuzu," he murmured sweetly into her neck, "you don't have to tell them anything. You don't even have to tell them why you got home after sunset." He curled his arm around hers and met her eyes. Zulaica nearly swooned, not fully believing she understood, but understanding nonetheless. Her mouth opened and closed partway several times, giving her the appearance of something like a smitten-but-terrified fish. Tariq laughed again as they rolled to the ground.