Zahira

When the incense smoke rises straight and then bends, that's when you start counting. If the first sentence is dull, there's no need to go on until dawn.

• MuniraYour Majesty, I polished that censer three times myself yesterday. What bends isn't the smoke, it's the draft from the window gap.
  ZahiraThen the window gap must hate a dull story too.
• IskandarTonight's name is already written down. Only tell me the order.
  MuniraThe chancellor always brings up the ledger right to someone's face.

Some men walk in with an interesting face and open a dull mouth. That's fraud.

• AselThen I'll walk in with a dull face and say something interesting instead. No harm in that, is there, my queen.
  ZahiraYour mouth is louder than your three hundred camels.
• FaridaEnough about faces. Let's talk about your marriage prospects instead.
  ZahiraAunt, you're always prescribing someone else's nights. Who pays for the medicine?

At the part about the dry well, my mouth opened before I meant it to. What bothers me most is that I already knew the next sentence.

• MuniraYour Majesty, you didn't use the basin last night. That's all I'll say.
  ZahiraYou're remarkably good at counting things that don't matter.
• IskandarA name that appears twice in the register changes value the third time.
  ZahiraThen raise the value. I'll pay it.