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Muslim prayer necessarily includes salah - citing passages from the Quran, and it can also optionally be supplemented by dua - a personal request to the Almighty, usually pronounced with a special prayer gesture, putting your palms together.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSeZ94CfDw
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Salah ad-Din sat in the chair opposite Kamal, completely free and relaxed, leaning one hand on the armrest and rubbing his beard with the fingers of the other. But the lad knew that the Sultan was very interested - from the sharp look of his lively black eyes and from the expression on his face, concentrated and serious.
"...After settled in the house of my good friend Tahir, we learned that brave Angelica is also an absolutely amazing healer, - the spy, sitting at a low table, nervously twirled a date in his hand, but never started eating. "I thought our comrade would be finished - if not in a few days, then in a few weeks. But he was absolutely healthy for a couple of days! And his wound healed. Angelica knows how to brew a mysterious potion... However, she does not keep it a secret, and the caravanners were supplied with both a sample and a recipe for the road. And she generously shared it with Tahir and his household. O Sultan, such knowledge would be invaluable for our army."11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTv5VOOW65C
"Undoubtedly," Salah ad-Din nodded, narrowing his eyes.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfN2XlGVIgr
"That’s not all," Kamal, unable to contain his excitement, jumped up and walked back and forth across the Sultan’s luxurious office, but then, realizing what he had done, sat back down, "she’s completely on our side in the war. She is an Orthodox Christian, a northerner, a wanderer. When one of our comrades - forgive the fool, oh Sultan! - said that you should hang the crusaders more often... Oh Sultan... sometimes, I have heard, our fellow believers express this opinion..."11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEy6qCWFMKZ
"I know," Salah ad-Din said calmly.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0ARs4cwfr
Kamal regained control of himself and continued:11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5Eh2XDOu6
"But Angelica knows the value of mercy in war... She recalled the wars in her homeland, and said that their enemies, who did not know the art of diplomacy, lost everything. She praised your art of war, oh Sultan. Her speech was beautiful... We all listened to it with admiration."11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1K15occCy
"You are talking about a truly extraordinary girl, Kamal," Salah ad-Din said, smiling slightly. "Is she married? Or does she have a father or brothers?"11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQrHpRxBod
"Angelica is not married and has no relatives nearby,” Kamal answered, “no one’s work permit will be required."
The Sultan looked at his face - the spy seemed embarrassed by something: he clasped his fingers and looked at the table. Salah ad-Din wanted to ask something else, but suddenly there was a knock on the door of the office. After a short permission to enter from the Sultan, a messenger quickly entered the room.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0UnK1KidEP
"O Sultan," he reported, "Mufaddal ibn Zaki has arrived with a report and asks to be received."
Salahaddin nodded to dismiss the messenger and turned to Kamal:11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrElhsi2gm
"I'll talk to Angelica after the patrol chief. Thank you, Kamal - I haven't been so happy and interested in a long time. You can wait here, I'll share my decision with you."
The Sultan stood up, quickly left the office and went to listen to the report of the patrol leader. Mufaddal ibn Zaki, a man of mature years, shared his concerns with the Sultan: the patrol had been calm, but the locals complained that they had seen enemy patrols, albeit far away. Salah ad-Din thanked the warrior, let him go to rest and went to meet the healer, deep in thought. The enemy was definitely up to something; thank God there were no casualties today. However, reconnaissance and patrols should be increased. The Sultan called several messengers to him and ordered them to convey orders to the chief of intelligence and the head of the patrol detachment, who was preparing to go on patrol, and entered the room designated for the meeting, immersed in his thoughts.
The window slammed. Salah ad-Din turned sharply and met the gaze of the most unusual girl he had ever seen. And he had seen many beauties from all over the world in his fifty-five years.
The lunar silver of beauty's hair fell on her shoulders, and her large eyes, framed by dark eyelashes, glowed with the first spring greenery on her delicate peach-colored face. Her slender, flexible figure was hugged, hiding little, by a green silk dress. Who is this girl waiting for here? O Allah, please don't make her wait for her husband...
But the Almighty was merciful to him today. The beauty, after warmly greeted him, said that she was waiting for her friend, who asked for a job of a healer for her. "Your friend didn't tell me how beautiful you are," Salah ad-Din thought as he came closer. But thoughts of Kamal immediately disappeared as he looked into those magical green eyes. She didn't understand who he was and talked to him very casually. She talks about her homeland, about the snow, and it's very hard for him not to think about how her long, snow-blonde hair feels when you run it through your fingers.
Their conversation was interrupted by Kamal, who suddenly revealed to Angelica who she was talking to... Salah ad-Din watched as the surprise on her face gave way to joy.
"I am very pleased to meet you," the girl pulled herself together and kindly said a polite phrase. Her shining smile told the Sultan much more...11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIQaNCBIx8
"Me too," Salah ad-Din put his right hand to his heart, looking with his dark eyes into the girl’s green eyes, which made her involuntarily lower her gaze. "Our good friend Kamal told me about your successes in healing, Angelica - they are impressive. I would be happy to hire you to work at the hospital - it would be excellent if you started tomorrow morning. The pay for..."11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZajUFkWDWT
"If you need to treat someone urgently, I can do it today," Anzhelika narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4wXlf2FIy6
Salah ad-Din's eyes flashed with amazement and then with warm gratitude.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3QuFmXDnXk
"I am amazed at such concern for our army, Angelica," he said after a short pause, "but, thank Allah, business can wait. Today, rest."11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKcQWZ6p8KO
"Yeah, we could all use some rest," Anzhelika drawled.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VRM1phrKR
"Alas, I have some work to do," Salah ad-Din smiled, "good night, my friends, and see you later."
The Sultan turned and walked out of the room, leaving Anzhelika to watch him go, and Kamal, who had not said a word since the beginning of the conversation, to look at Anzhelika with alarm.
"Thank you for introducing us, Kamal," the girl turned to the guy with a kind smile, and he nodded hesitantly in response.
They were returning home when the sky had almost completely darkened, and the stars and the thin crescent of the waxing moon were shining tenderly on it. The rare passers-by looked back at them with curiosity. Anzhelika was silent, lost in her thoughts, and Kamal regretted that in the semi-darkness he could not clearly see the expression on her face. Some vague anxiety had possessed him from the moment he saw the girl next to the Sultan. Common sense told him that his task was accomplished - these two would definitely get along and work together well for the good of the people. Only his heart did not want to remain silent. But he could not make out its secret whisper... or did not want to.
At Kamal's house, Anzhelika answered him absentmindedly, trying to be polite, despite the fact that her thoughts were very far away... Kamal hoarsely asked her one or another everyday question, and did not ask the main thing. Ruweida looked at her master with thoughtful, wise eyes and secretly shook her head.
Finally, the girl went to her room to rest, but sleep did not come to her. Anzhelika opened the window and leaned her elbows on the windowsill, breathing in the fresh warm air of the eastern night. All these few days in the new world passed in fuss and haste, and Anzhelika barely had time to watch as one surprise was replaced by another. But now it seemed to her that time had stopped its crazy run and she was finally where she should be.
The girl turned relaxed look into the darkness of the night sky above the sleeping city, looking and not seeing all this soft beauty. Another image seemed to stand before her eyes - a bright smile and burning black eyes... The man she respected so much for his noble deeds before they ever met turned out to be incredibly charming. His energy, noticeable in every movement, his hoarse voice, which sounded like music to her, and that look, the hottest fiery look in the whole world...
The girl closed her eyes, smiling blissfully.
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***
Salah ad-Din leaned on the balcony railing and rested his chin on his clasped fingers. He had finally finished all his work and could afford himself some rest. Below, a patrol was making its usual rounds along the almost deserted street; above, a crescent moon shone, just like the one that not far away adorned one of his finest victories, Al-Aqsa. The Sultan remembered the one he had met so suddenly today. The fire of her green eyes, her soft laughter, her playful smile... Could it be that the Almighty himself had sent him an angel?.. And besides, Angelica is not only beautiful, but also kind. Although it was difficult to immediately recognize the heroine described by Kamal, who showed so much courage and resourcefulness, in the charming, cheerful girl, but as soon as an important occasion arose, she volunteered to work right away, forgetting about the hard day...
Salah ad-Din returned from the balcony to the room and splashed his face with cool water, but this did not help bring order to his confused thoughts.
Taking a towel from the table, the sultan wiped his face with it. Holding it slightly near his eyes, he felt someone's presence behind him and heard the thin, gentle ringing of women's jewelry. He turned around and saw the most beautiful concubine of his harem, Jamila, dressed in a revealing dancer's outfit.
Salah ad-Din, putting down the towel, cast a bored glance at the short, flexible girl. Red flowing clothes beautifully emphasized her dark skin, black curls scattered over her shoulders. Skillfully and smoothly, like a swan, the girl swam up to him in a dance, touching his shoulders, lightly massaging them, and, as if asking with her gaze, began to take off her tunic.
The Sultan looked thoughtfully at one point in front of him, no longer noticing the beauty, since a completely different image had already surfaced before his inner gaze: shiny blond hair, pale golden skin, eyes the color of spring leaves...
The concubine leaned over and looked into his face, and Salah ad-Din returned to reality. Making a smooth gesture with his hand, the Sultan said:11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9fLjsfo6P
"Go to your room, Jamila."
The girl turned away, trying to hide the disappointment on her capricious face, and obediently left the Sultan’s chambers, quietly closing the door behind her.
Salah ad-Din went out onto the balcony again to get some fresh air. The night covered everything around with a dark blanket - from the distant skies to the quiet streets, tired from the bustle of the day. The wind whispered something to the trees, and they quietly rustled in response... The Sultan decided to perform his evening prayer on the balcony. He spread out his prayer rug and looked up to the heavens.
When the chief eunuch of the harem looked into his chambers to find out what the sultan did not like about the concubine, he found the ruler saying dua on the balcony. Salah ad-Din folded his hands in a prayerful gesture, bowing his head, and the night breeze gently played with his black curls. The eunuch silently closed the door, not wanting to disturb his master.11Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwXNz0yrtbz
