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palm that held a map of half his kingdom. She refused. Finally, he offered her his own palm--a place by his side."
    "So, she married him and they lived happily ever after, I guess," Noelle said. It had been a satisfying story, but she couldn't help feeling that something was missing.
    "No one lives forever, princess," said Faridah. "They lived a long life, full of years. Inaya Al Hurra bore her prince four fine, wise sons and one plain, disobedient daughter. On the day the prince passed from this world, of old age, Inaya Al Hurra boarded her fast ship and sailed away, never to return. Her plain, disobedient daughter went with her, to learn the way of the thief."
    Suzette's grave nod at this ending put a stake in the idea that the woman was sensible. "And when Askar is in its greatest need, the line of Inaya Al Hurra will return to save us. That day is now."
    They all turned to look at Noelle. Expecting her to do something. Expecting her to save them all.
    A weird prickling numbness started at the tips of her fingers, shooting up her knuckles to her hands. What the hell was that? Her hands became heavy and useless. Like they'd turned to granite.
    "Me? Don't you think that the Great White Savior thing is super racist?" she asked. "Shouldn't the legendary hero of Askar be from Askar?"
    "We know little of Inaya Al Hurra." Faridah instantly went from storyteller to a more scholarly mode. "But we do know she was not from Askar."
    "That is true. She sailed her on her fast ship," Suzette agreed. "She could well have been white herself. Or Chinese or Indian or African. Any race, in fact."
    "The name, though." Noelle didn't feel like giving this one up. "It's an Arabic name."
    "That is true, but she could have taken a new name when she married our prince. To avoid all the people she stole from," Faridah confirmed. "And after she sailed away, Inaya Al Hurra's daughter must have married a European man."
    "I don't think--"
    Suzette placed her hand on Noelle's. "We forgive you for being white."
    The sea of faces around her began to nod in agreement.
    She wasn't going to win this one. She might as well give up.
    "Er, thanks, I guess?" Noelle couldn't help her words from becoming a question. Her eyes had started to hurt from not rolling. Just because she had a joke tiara and had jumped out a window did not make her a reincarnated pirate princess from a story that probably wasn't even true.
    "To this day," Faridah said, "you can see the design on the floor of the tower, where the prince marked the location of his first meeting with Inaya Al Hurra."
    X marks the spot, Bonnie said.
    Shhhh , Noelle ordered. She was still back on "Askar's time of greatest need." "What's going on in Askar? I don't see any major disaster coming."
    "You are here," Suzette stated. "That means it is true. You will find the Palm and save Askar from a terrible fate."
    So it's true because I'm here and I'm here because it's true... She didn't bother pointing out the circular logic.
    "Already you are in love with Prince Walid."
    "I am?" she asked.
    "Why else would you stay behind after your parents had gone?" Suzette asked, rhetorically. "He is the best of men and has never brought a mistress to the palace or permitted a woman to stay without an escort."
    Because he wants to squeeze money from my father and it will never work , she didn't say. Sounded like these guys were pretty much Team Walid all the way.
    "Whatever help you need, we can provide," Faridah enthused. "As the kitchen women did for Inaya Al Hurra. Ask us for anything and we will see to it."
    Allies, whispered Bonnie.
    Exactly what I was thinking , agreed Noelle.
    They can help us find the treasure.
    Nope, not what I was thinking. More like helping us get out of this place.
    Uh, they're never going to do that. They want us to stay here and help this Walid dude. No, we have to find the treasure.
    Why would we do that instead of escaping?
    Because we're pirates. Duh.
    Oh, those words had gotten her into so much