supreme strength of will he managed to remain silent until she had finished her horrific tale; and then he said, “I should have killed him last year when he murdered Abul Fazl. Prince Khusrau is sixteen, old enough and certainly more than competent to be my heir. Was I not myself younger when I became the Mughal, Rugaiya? Everyone has constantly excused Salim his rash ways throughout his life because of his charm; and I have forgiven him time after time because he was my firstborn surviving son and so dear to my heart.
“One year ago he murdered my best friend, for he was jealous of him, always jealous of him. He constantly complained I favored Abul Fazl over him, which was not true. Abul Fazl was my friend, Salim my son and heir. It was our friendship Salim was jealous of, Rugaiya. Now he attempts to involve his innocent sister in an incestuous relationship. He lusts after her as if she were not of his own blood! He must die, Rugaiya. There is nothing else for it but that he must die!” Akbar’s face was anguished as he pronounced the words.
“No, my lord,” Rugaiya Begum calmly told him, putting a comforting hand upon his hand. “Salim has good qualities as well as evil ones. He has trained his whole life for the future that will one day be his. In time he will be a good ruler. Abul Fazl’s murder was a terrible act. I cannot excuse it, but I understand why the prince acted as he did. You must not have your son’s death upon your hands, my dearest lord! Not now.
“The solution to our problem is really most simple. Let Yasaman be married now to the son of Yusef Khan. Let her remain here in Kashmir. Send Salim south and keep him there. Mewar has never been fully subdued. Let Salim work his abundance of energy off there. With a young, ardent husband, it is likely that Yasaman will quickly have children. She will be content and happy. Her brother will be happy for her and forget his evil intentions.”
“That he has touched her in so intimate a manner enrages me, Rugaiya!” the emperor said angrily. “He had not the right! Allah! Yasaman is barely past childhood!”
“Yes, and it angers me as well, my lord, but there is nothing that we can do to change what has already happened,” she told him sensibly. “Imagine our good Adali, forced to remain in the shadows watching as Salim worked his seduction of Yasaman. He remained silent despite his outrage so that he might save Yasaman from any further assault. If Salim had known he wasthere, he would have killed Adali himself. Adali kept his head in order to fight Salim another day. We must be as brave and as clever, my husband. Salim must not know that we are aware of this dark passion he harbors for his sister. Right now he believes he must have Yasaman. If he learns we suspect him, he will do what he has to do to fulfill that desire.”
“But he will have to know of Yasaman’s marriage,” Akbar said. “He will ask why I am permitting her to wed at thirteen when the law most clearly says a maid may not marry until she is fourteen. What am I to say to him, my good wife? To say I simply desire it will not be enough for Salim.”
Rugaiya Begum smiled. “It is quite simple, my lord. You will tell Prince Salim that you fear for Yaqub Khan’s loyalty despite his father’s faithful service to you. Tell Salim that you wish to ensure Yusef Khan’s family’s future trustworthiness by an immediate marriage between Yasaman and his younger son. Tell him that you may eventually make Prince Jamal Darya Khan governor of Kashmir, binding him, his family, and the Kashmiri people even closer to our family. It is a logical and statesmanlike act, and worthy of you, my dearest lord.”
Akbar smiled slowly. “I had forgotten how wise and clever you are, Rugaiya. You have spent too many years away from me raising our daughter to womanhood.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I will speak with Yusef Khan this very day and arrange matters. And I will send the lady
“One year ago he murdered my best friend, for he was jealous of him, always jealous of him. He constantly complained I favored Abul Fazl over him, which was not true. Abul Fazl was my friend, Salim my son and heir. It was our friendship Salim was jealous of, Rugaiya. Now he attempts to involve his innocent sister in an incestuous relationship. He lusts after her as if she were not of his own blood! He must die, Rugaiya. There is nothing else for it but that he must die!” Akbar’s face was anguished as he pronounced the words.
“No, my lord,” Rugaiya Begum calmly told him, putting a comforting hand upon his hand. “Salim has good qualities as well as evil ones. He has trained his whole life for the future that will one day be his. In time he will be a good ruler. Abul Fazl’s murder was a terrible act. I cannot excuse it, but I understand why the prince acted as he did. You must not have your son’s death upon your hands, my dearest lord! Not now.
“The solution to our problem is really most simple. Let Yasaman be married now to the son of Yusef Khan. Let her remain here in Kashmir. Send Salim south and keep him there. Mewar has never been fully subdued. Let Salim work his abundance of energy off there. With a young, ardent husband, it is likely that Yasaman will quickly have children. She will be content and happy. Her brother will be happy for her and forget his evil intentions.”
“That he has touched her in so intimate a manner enrages me, Rugaiya!” the emperor said angrily. “He had not the right! Allah! Yasaman is barely past childhood!”
“Yes, and it angers me as well, my lord, but there is nothing that we can do to change what has already happened,” she told him sensibly. “Imagine our good Adali, forced to remain in the shadows watching as Salim worked his seduction of Yasaman. He remained silent despite his outrage so that he might save Yasaman from any further assault. If Salim had known he wasthere, he would have killed Adali himself. Adali kept his head in order to fight Salim another day. We must be as brave and as clever, my husband. Salim must not know that we are aware of this dark passion he harbors for his sister. Right now he believes he must have Yasaman. If he learns we suspect him, he will do what he has to do to fulfill that desire.”
“But he will have to know of Yasaman’s marriage,” Akbar said. “He will ask why I am permitting her to wed at thirteen when the law most clearly says a maid may not marry until she is fourteen. What am I to say to him, my good wife? To say I simply desire it will not be enough for Salim.”
Rugaiya Begum smiled. “It is quite simple, my lord. You will tell Prince Salim that you fear for Yaqub Khan’s loyalty despite his father’s faithful service to you. Tell Salim that you wish to ensure Yusef Khan’s family’s future trustworthiness by an immediate marriage between Yasaman and his younger son. Tell him that you may eventually make Prince Jamal Darya Khan governor of Kashmir, binding him, his family, and the Kashmiri people even closer to our family. It is a logical and statesmanlike act, and worthy of you, my dearest lord.”
Akbar smiled slowly. “I had forgotten how wise and clever you are, Rugaiya. You have spent too many years away from me raising our daughter to womanhood.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I will speak with Yusef Khan this very day and arrange matters. And I will send the lady
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