Chapter 8: Ali

Ali, anxious for his first day at court and lacking ceremonial robes, draws Kaveh’s scorn until Ghassan pointedly defends his informal appearance, signaling public support. In the audience chamber, Ali observes his father adjudicate a crush of petitions with patience and pragmatism, from merchant disputes to pensions and fraud, while Ali struggles to keep up and takes no notes.

After court, a Royal Guard secretary, Rashid ben Salkh, delivers enforcement records and discovers Ali has no secretary. Noting Ali’s confusion, Rashid offers his personal notes and service, which Ali gratefully accepts, gaining essential administrative support.

Back in his quarters, Ali finds two courtesans—one a Daeva woman he recognizes from the night of Anas’s arrest—sent “to welcome” him. Before Ali can react, Zaynab arrives, followed by Muntadhir, who politely dismisses the women upon learning Kaveh ordered the visit.

Muntadhir cautions that Kaveh is baiting Ali into a public outburst to brand him a threat and drive him from Daevabad. He urges restraint, warns how zealotry reads to Daevas, and recommends outreach—specifically befriending Daevas like Jamshid through zulfiqar training—to blunt fear and build trust.

Chastened and exhausted, Ali abandons confronting Kaveh, recognizes the political minefield he’s entered, and keeps working. The brothers’ parting banter underscores Ali’s naiveté as Muntadhir predicts he will be “eaten alive” without sharper political instincts.