“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Sharou asked, his gaze casually falling on the soldier at the back, who bowed respectfully.
“I-I was on my way to find my brother,” Haness stammered.
“What for?”
“Nothing,” Haness replied sharply, but then he sighed helplessly, giving up the pretense. It was hopeless to keep lying. “He promised he would have his best men search for your Mistress Parisa. But I simply cannot wait for him. I'm going out there by myself.”
“You will do no such thing.”
“I wasn’t asking for permission,” Haness said, stepping closer to his father for a more private conversation. “Baba, let us put aside how much I cherish her. Right now, Parisa and Shila could have fallen into a ditch or prey to a snake; we cannot know what's happened to them. Please, just this once, let
