Impressions 4. Despicable People
Panting heavily, Abbas threw the vase against the window, reveling in the clamor of broken glass and pottery. He glared around the room, seeking something else to throw. A chamberpot caught his attention, and he wasted no time grabbing it and heaving it across the room out of the broken window, spilling the contents across the carpet as it flew. His nostrils flared at the stench of piss, and he shouted for a servant... Then snarled and kicked the pillow laying nearby as he recalled the latest indignity visited upon him by his father. The very idea that there were no more servants to attend to his needs was preposterous. So he ordered that man's face beaten with chains, so what? It was that damn wretch's fault anyway for having a face reminding him of northern king, let his progeny rot alive. That insignificant should have praised Abbas for giving him a less shameful visage!
He fumed helplessly, taking his anger out on the bedding as he thought back to the whole mess. Taking away his servants was just the latest in a long string of unwarranted strictures and humiliations. Damn his father for doing this! And damn those northerners for not kneeling in supplication as they rightfully should have! And damn his father again for lacking the courage to defend them! That thrice-cursed White Witch entered the palace like it was her own hovel and Salaadin did nothing to rebuke her! Worse, not only the hostage was taken back, but two of their own were taken in retaliation! And all that his father dared to do was to cover in fear and escape in the carriage as soon as he saw the witch! Abbas pointedly ignored the fact he had outright lost control of his lower body out of terror in the same encounter. It was not to his liking, therefore it did not happen, so there!
Abbas kicked the ripped pillow across the room, feathers spreading around like a little blizzard. Gods damn it, why could his father not give due respect and appreciation to his efforts? They had the damn princess and everyone knew northerners are ignorant of woman's proper place and value. They could have forced that king to hand over the witch to properly deal with! If only his father was not such a coward, that very witch could already be the property of Abbas as it should be!
He threw himself on the ruined bed, howling in dudgeon. UNACCEPTABLE!
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It took Abbas a better part of the day to calm down enough to be able to walk past a vase without throwing it against the nearest wall. His rooms were utterly trashed in the process, necessitating the current walk. While his father's nonsensical strictures forbid him from dealing with servants directly, the upkeep of his rooms was still very much up to them. So everything would be fixed or replaced come next morning. In the meanwhile, he would spend a merry night entertaining himself in the best establishments for important people. Like himself, obviously.
Of course, Abbas would hardly deign to walk the road personally. He was not some commoner, thank you very much. Unfortunately, the prohibition that prompted his fit of rage earlier meant his usual mode of transport was not available either. Which delayed his departure for another hour as he raged and threw things around some more. Surely palanquin did not count as servants, right? So what if it was carried by men, obviously they should have counted as part of palanquin, right? In the end, Abbas had to settle for riding a horse. Which, much to his annoyance, he was not particularly good at. Perhaps he could have been better at it if he did not insist on picking the biggest and fiercest looking stallion for his mount, but that consideration was wholly beyond emir's mind. As far as he was concerned, he was entitled to best horse the stables had, period, so any discomfort surely was the fault of the horse itself and stablehands being inept at training it properly.
It never dawned on Abbas that riding a horse that had no respect for him was... not the safest idea. Thankfully for him, the road was not crowded and his dubious riding skills were not overly taxed on his trek towards the bathhouse. Once there, he could expect the proper respect and deferential treatment again, of course. So what if his father was being petty at the moment? He'd just leave the old man to stew in his own discontent and go out, where people knew better than make their treatment of him lacking in any manner whatsoever. They'd better, heh. Abbas snorted. Perhaps he should find a fault with bathhouse proprietor, just to remind everyone the price of slacking off in his august presence. Orrr, even better idea - find fault with one of the pleasure women there. His breath quickened as he vividly imagined womanly shrieks under the lash. Abbas licked his lips absentmindedly. Yeah. That was a good idea. Those commoners could not be reminded too often to fear him, after all. Slackjawed imbeciles, the very notion of not being fearful of Abbas was UNACCEPTABLE!
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"He... what?!" - Abbas was flabbergasted and terrified at the same time. What was just whispered to him was abominable to the highest degree. He was already sore with his father's shortcomings, but this? Oh, that was the feather to break the camel's back, so to speak. The men across the table from him dipped their heads deferentially. Farouq ibn Hafiz and Yusuf ibn Muhammad were up and coming firstborn of beys close to the court, closest supporters of Sultan really. Their fathers served his father, and they would serve him. In fact, they were already serving him just now. No doubt Salaadin did not intend for Abbas to know this much for now. No, certainly not. To think his father's cowardice extended that far.
"That's what we were able to find out so far, most glorious emir." - Yusuf simpered - "Nazrudeen al-Hoja had been summoned by his eminence sultan himself, and given vast instructions in the northern tongue. There is no doubt that he was tasked to parley with the barbarous northerners."
Abbas rubbed his face, his earlier plans to find a fault with some commoner woman disappearing amidst the sickening worry. He suddenly felt himself in no mood to enjoy his power over the little people. The only reason why his father would discuss things with that dotard vizier without involving Abbas himself would be a decision to give in. To placate the White Witch with gifts and concessions. Rank cowardice and failure, that's what it was! To think, his father sagged so low as to kowtow to a damn WOMAN! Gods and their mercy, at this rate Salaadin would find himself being ordered around by his own harem! UNACCEPTABLE!
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Having lost his yen for relaxation, Abbas returned to the palace early. A fact he was reminded of when he saw his rooms still being in quite ravaged condition. To think that servants were so lazy as to not even start on them yet. UNACCEPTABLE!