She does

"You... you are the King," she whispers, in shock. "Or am I asleep and still dreaming?"

"This is no dream. I am Xavier, King of Elyssia."

"Does Subhi know you are here?" she asks, looking terribly frightened.

"No. I have come because I desperately need your help, if you can give it. The honor of a good woman is at stake." You pause for a moment. "May I know your name?"

"Aludra. I am Aludra."

"Aludra, I have very little time. I must be away before I am discovered, or I am sure my friendship with Subhi will be ruined. I am not proud to go behind his back like this, but I have little choice. I do not wish to put you or your companions in danger, however. If you fear you will be punished for my trespass, I will leave now the way I came, and tell the guards that I am here on other business. No one will know that I saw you."

Aludra thinks for a moment, then says, "You say you are here because of a woman's honor?"

"Yes."

"You... would risk your life for her?"

"Yes, I would," you say, realizing the full truth of the words even as you say them.

"I will help you if I can, King Xavier... but I do not know how I might do so."

You take a deep breath of relief. "If you wake your companions, will they raise the alarm?"

"Not if I bid them to stay quiet." Aludra goes to each of the women in turn, whispering in their ears to awaken them. They each bolt upright as they hear that you are there, staring wide-eyed at you in shock and disbelief, but they remain silent.

All four of the women are exquisitely beautiful, as of course they would be. For a moment, you involuntarily feel a twinge of envy that the Sultan may have such women at his beck and call! But it is only for a heartbeat that you feel this way; in truth, you would much rather know that women come to you willingly, offering their bodies because it is what they wish and not because it is their duty.

"My ladies," you say to them as quietly as you can, "I am King Xavier. Please believe me when I say that I intend you no harm, and that I will soon be gone. Your guard is not hurt; I have used a harmless potion which made him sleep, and he will awaken soon. I must ask all of you some questions, the answers to which may save the honor of a woman who is very dear to me. I swear upon my life, neither the Sultan nor anyone else will know that I was here and that you spoke to me. Will you help me?"

They look at each other, not so frightened as before, and then nod their heads.

"I thank you all," you say to them, hand upon your heart. "Has word reached you of what happened to Abdul Hai El-Anwar?"

"Yes," Aludra says. "We know that he was killed."

"The woman I spoke of is suspected to have had a part in his ****," you say. "I know in my heart that this is not so, but I must find the guilty one so that I may clear her name in the eyes of all. Did any of you see what happened that night?"

"We are forbidden to leave the tent without the Great Sultan's leave," one of them says, but her eyes flicker to another of her companions.

"Yes, but perhaps one or more of you took advantage of the empty camp to emerge," you persist. "Again, I promise I will not tell the Sultan, nor anyone else."

This time, three of them turn their eyes to the fourth, and she lowers her gaze to the floor. "I am Adhara," she says. "I left the tent that night. But I fear that what I saw will not be what you wish to hear."