The guard simply shrugs. "Not my concern."
"My apologies. I understand the difficulty, that functionaries are very busy; perhaps you could have a message passed along to one?" Xahansa reaches out his left hand, cupped as if holding a piece of paper, but in actuality containing a handful of coins, visible in his palm but not from a distance.
"I could recommend someone for you to talk to, someone who is not at the palace." His attitude seems to soften when you show him the coins, but he only appears willing to bend the rules so far.
Xahansa nods. "That would do nicely, thank you." He will reach out as if to shake hands, to exchange the coin for information.
The guard takes your coins and states "You would do well to inquire at the offices of Daryan Mosuli, he is not a recognized heir, you understand, but he has the ear of the Sheik, and I see him here often."
Assuming the guard gives him directions, Xahansa will thank him and head to the office.
He arrives as the office is closing up for the evening, with an attractive woman wearing a yellow shirt who is closing up the office. You seem to remember there is some significance to this from your childhood, but exactly what it is escapes you at the moment.
Xahansa speaks from a non-threatening distance. "Excuse me? Is this the office of Daryan Mosuli?"
The woman looks at you "Yes, it is, if you come back in the morning he should be in then."
Xahansa nods. "Thank you."
He considers asking about the yellow, but decides against it.
He will head off to find the nearest nice accommodation.
You find an inn with room to rent, for a very steep price, not too unexpectedly given the time and blatant Gift. It is not as nice as you had hoped, but it is comfortable.
Xahansa contemplates a ward on his room, but decides a spirit could be monitoring that, and he wants to avoid trouble. He does, however, move any available furniture in front of the door, and window if possible, to ensure he's awoken by night-time intrusions.
The night passes without interruption, and in the morning the office is opened, and you meet a young man, probably in his early 20s, at the office, also wearing a yellow shirt with white pants, the same as the woman who is in the office this morning as well.
Xahansa walks in cheerfully. "Greetings!" He nods to the woman he's seen before, but addresses the man. "My name is Xahansa. Are you Daryan Mosuli? I have some sensitive business to discuss, are you available?"
[Forgot about language earlier - he is speaking whatever he spoke with the woman before. Presumably Kurdish?]
They are speaking Kurdish.
"I am, but you can trust my wife." He gestures to the woman as he sits at his desk and she locks the door behind you.
Xahansa nods, and sits as well. "I grew up here, but I left decades ago. I've come back to visit, and everything's changed. My old neighborhood is all but abandoned. What happened?"
"Saladin. Well, more accurately his local vassals. They came to power and drove the less mainstream peoples from their homes, heavy taxes, some executions. Their wizards were given a lot of authority as well. I have the dubious honor of having an in with them, however, and so I was appointed Pesh Imam, and represenative for dealing with the Muslims. But this, I think, is not what brought you here today, so how may I help you?"
Xahansa nods. "I thought it might be something like that. Did our people flee the city en masse? It's actually not that far off of what I wanted to ask about... a friend of mine was arrested, some time ago. His name is Magrim. I was hoping to find out what became of him. I tried to speak to the authorities directly, but they wouldn't let me past the front gate. Told me to go look for you."
"I can certainly ask about your friend, but we will need to discuss price, especially if you want me to participate in this situation beyon the initial question, which seems likely."
"If it's a matter of money, we won't have a problem. Or do you trade in favors?"