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“Wonderful I can show you to one of our guest rooht this way”

Mehdi started down a long, shi hallway, and Steph fell into step with his The walls hite, like the exterior, and they were loaded with ancient portraits, colorful tapestries and rugs

“These are a in all the art

Mehdi glanced around, nodding nonchalantly “Yes, I suppose so These pieces of art have been in enerations The whole palace has, actually El Farah, if you haven’t noticed, is really big on tradition, history, and family loyalty It is because of this that the palace has reed for old starts to get weathered, but generally the place looks exactly as it did when my ancestors lived here”

“You ,” Steph said

Mehdi shrugged “I think tradition certainly has a place, but I’randfather Why would I want to live in a palace coated in gold? It’s a waste of resources, and the upkeep is atrocious I don’t want our tax dollars going toward so like this”

“Do the people agree with you? Perhaps you could use popular vote to create that change”

Mehdi frowned “They do not As I said, tradition is a big part of our culture The people like the palace the way it is They want it to look like this for their grandchildren and beyond I’m afraid any children I may have will have to endure the level of exorbitance this castle provides”

Steph was surprised to hear a sheikh speak in such a way about his palace Mehdi sees simple, even as he coestures like a secret lima, a puzzle she wanted to pick apart and solve

They reached the end of the hallway and Mehdi opened a door on the left The roo in

“What is it?” Mehdi asked

She blushed “I just… I’ll need a little help getting out of this dress”

“Oh,” Mehdi said, clearing his throat