Roland knew Emir Dunmaril well enough to know the appearance of his son, and the manner of their meeting, could not have been a coincidence. He wasn't sure what game the ifrit lord was playing, but for the moment he didn't care. Though their first meeting had been short, Roland made every effort to have as much time as possible with his son the next time they met.
Arranging a trip to the docks was simple, an extension of his normal duties. It was easy enough to stay behind after his fellow servants returned to the villa; a trip to the market provided a good cover for a trip to the bazaar. Fewer of his master's eyes would be present, though he'd be a fool to think this meeting would go unremarked. Still, he had plausible deniability for the moment, and he was relatively free with the confines of his duties.
Having sent word to Aleyn, Roland found himself sitting outside a small cafe overlooking the bazaar space, the air filled with scents and sounds strange even in the City of Brass. Sipping coffee, he awaited his son's arrival with more excitement than he'd had for anything since arriving in this alien place. It reminded him a bit of when Aleyn had first joined the Union, all those times he and Nasira had waited for their son's return.
Arranging a trip to the docks was simple, an extension of his normal duties. It was easy enough to stay behind after his fellow servants returned to the villa; a trip to the market provided a good cover for a trip to the bazaar. Fewer of his master's eyes would be present, though he'd be a fool to think this meeting would go unremarked. Still, he had plausible deniability for the moment, and he was relatively free with the confines of his duties.
Having sent word to Aleyn, Roland found himself sitting outside a small cafe overlooking the bazaar space, the air filled with scents and sounds strange even in the City of Brass. Sipping coffee, he awaited his son's arrival with more excitement than he'd had for anything since arriving in this alien place. It reminded him a bit of when Aleyn had first joined the Union, all those times he and Nasira had waited for their son's return.