<div class="floatleft">(http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk137/HaibaneR/MuradAl-BehrAvatar.jpg)</div><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">MURAD AL-BEHR</span></span><br/><strong>Location:</strong>His quarters, then to the harem courtyard<br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>Alone<br/><br/>Murad rose early, as was his preference. He had several daily tasks to take care of each morning before the palace was awake, then his own bath, meal and exercises to attend to. Today was different too, His Majesty the prince was due to return and there would be flowers to arrange, food to lay out and many other tasks.<br/><br/>The young Mannharian eunuch dressed quickly but with care; a simple linen shirt, cut wide and loose at the sleeves and tied at the waist with a peach silken cummerbund. A similar pair of light cotton leggings that gathered at the ankle, and soft slippers of calfskin. His bare head was covered with a small red round hat, the black tassel of silk hanging at one side. The eunuch wore few clothes, his work was hard and hot and more coverings would only make him sweat more, also, his duties included care of the princesses when they were lonely or enduring those normal urges that young women do when they have no lover. Murad frequently needed to remove his clothes, so a complex garb would have not suited his work.<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(http://www.lionard.it/files/667/foto/12378_71castello-chianti%20(5).jpg)</div>Thinking of those women he smiled to himself as he descended the stone stairs from his small room in the west tower. Today they would be less lonely, or whoever was the most favoured would – today His Majesty was coming home from the wars and he would probably wish to celebrate and in doing so, begin his choice-making of the women sent from the other states to be his queen.<br/><br/>The other eunuchs of the harem were up and about early as well; there were the stone yards and steps to wash down with clean water, the gardens to tidy and water and the flowers to pick and arrange in the many vases.<br/><br/>The men attended a short meeting at which the head eunuch, Al-Hamseer gave his instructions, allocated which men to which duties and encouraged them all to be especially dutiful today.<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://www.lionard.it/files/667/foto/12365_58castello-chianti%20(23).jpg)</div>Murad took care of clearing away the eunuch's simple breakfast and washing the wooden bowls before partaking of his own bath and then, changing to fresh clothes, he went out into the courtyard to unwind the leather water hose and wash down the flagstones, dusty from the previous day.<br/><br/>As he worked he sang softly to himself. He had not encountered his favourite princess, Lady Catherine Hawke, for a few days, perhaps she had been busy at her classes or her music playing, or perhaps out riding or hunting. Murad didn't have any contact with the grooms in the stable, they kept to themselves so he didn't know which princess would be away for the day unless Al-Hamseer told him.<br/><br/>A whole extra raft of instructions had come down from Queen Equilina to prepare for the day and each eunuch had been given a new costume. They were the same as the one Murad was wearing now, but fresh and new, the cuffs and hems not frayed and there was a new silken cummerbund to replace his old, which he'd now keep as a spare to work in early in the morning or late at night when it was less likely he'd encounter persons of substance as he went about his duties.<br/><br/>The sun was climbing higher in the blue dome of the sky. It was going to be another hot day, perfect weather. Perfect for the royal homecoming.