Previous Summary:
Zayd purchased the abandoned palace annex from Hakeem the spice merchant, securing a perfect location for his luxury shop. He began bringing artisans together—tailors, leatherworkers, perfumers—laying the foundation for his vision. But whispers in the noble quarter hinted that not everyone welcomed his rise.
📍 Scene: Noble Quarter – Damascus – Morning
The sun caught on domes and marble arches as Zayd walked with Layla and Qadir, overseeing workmen cleaning the annex courtyard. Stonecutters patched cracks, while artisans measured walls for shelves and silk drapes.
Qadir stretched his arms proudly.
QADIR: "From a dusty courtyard to the palace of perfumes! Zayd, one day even princes will bow to buy from us."
Zayd smirked but said nothing. His mind was already working three steps ahead.
Suddenly, a finely dressed man on a white stallion rode past. His robe shimmered with silk from Samarkand, and behind him marched two servants carrying ledgers. He reined in sharply, his eyes narrowing at Zayd.
MAN: "So… you are the youth everyone whispers about."
Layla stiffened. She whispered to Zayd:
LAYLA: "That's Amir Fahad ibn Rashid. Wealthiest silk merchant in Damascus. He supplies half the noble households. Be careful—he plays politics better than trade."
Fahad dismounted with practiced grace, smiling thinly.
FAHAD: "You think you can carve a place in my city? Buying up ruins, calling in beggars to stitch silks? Ambition suits you, boy. But Damascus is not for children."
Qadir bristled.
QADIR: "Careful with your tongue—"
Zayd raised a hand to silence him. He answered calmly:
ZAYD: "Children grow. Empires fall. Shops rise. Time will judge us both, Amir Fahad."
Fahad's smile widened, though his eyes glinted cold.
FAHAD: "Then let us see if you survive the week. The city officers are loyal men… to those who reward them well."
He mounted again and rode off, leaving the scent of expensive perfume lingering in the street.
📍 Scene: The Annex Courtyard – Afternoon
Soon after, problems began. Inspectors from the city guild arrived, waving scrolls.
INSPECTOR: "Your building lacks proper registry. No trade may begin here without full clearance."
Then a tax officer followed.
TAX OFFICER: "You owe a fee for importing foreign silks. Without it, your cargo will be seized."
It was clear: Fahad had moved quickly, bribing officials to choke Zayd's business before it could open.
Layla looked troubled.
LAYLA: "He's cutting us at the root."
But Zayd only leaned back against the orange tree, eyes calm.
ZAYD: "Then we cut deeper."
📍 Scene: Damascus Bureau of Records – Evening
In the shadows of the city's marble offices, Zayd quietly slipped a purse of gold to a thin clerk with ink-stained fingers.
ZAYD: "These papers… should bear the Emir's private seal by tomorrow. Quietly."
The clerk's eyes widened at the weight of gold. He nodded eagerly.
Later that night, another officer, the tax collector himself, found a pouch of silver on his desk—with a note: "Triple this will come if you lose Fahad's tariffs in your ledgers."
By dawn, Fahad's hold was cracking.
📍 Scene: The Annex – Next Morning
When Fahad's men returned to block the shop again, Zayd was waiting with signed papers sealed by Emir Jalal's own office.
ZAYD (calmly): "The Emir himself approves this business. Interfere again, and you insult his authority."
The inspectors faltered. Fahad's coin meant much—but the Emir's seal meant life or death.
Layla whispered, astonished:
LAYLA: "You bribed the Emir's clerks… You've already learned the true game of Damascus."
Zayd smiled faintly.
ZAYD: "Business is not just trade. It is war in daylight, fought with coin and ink instead of swords."
Qadir clapped him on the back.
QADIR: "Then Fahad won't know what battlefield he just stepped into."
📍 Closing Narration:
For the first time, Zayd had faced an enemy worthy of his cunning. Amir Fahad ibn Rashid, master of silk and politics, would not stop until Zayd was crushed. But Zayd had already tasted victory in shadows—buying loyalty, bending the law, and twisting the game to his favor.
The battle of silks and scents had begun.
End of Chapter 50