CHAPTER SIX
I emerged from my bedchamber a few hours later, leaving Hasani alone as he dressed for the evening. I would need to assist Cleopatra as she readied for dinner. Her banquets were elaborate affairs every night and included acrobats, exotic dancers, flame-throwers, harpists, drummers, oboe-players and anything else that struck the queen’s fancy. Everything needed to be just so, including her appearance and my own. The people expected nothing less. Cleopatra was known for being the epitome of the word ‘Elaborate.’
I had already dressed in evening wear, a long white linen tunic with thin straps and a sheer blue scarf hanging from my shoulders. My dark hair was coiled in an elaborate chignon, interwoven with delicate gold braids. It had taken my own maid an hour to craft the up-do as Hasani lounged in my bed and observed. When Neeilah applied my crimson lip stain, he had leaned forward and whispered in my ear that he could not wait to kiss it off and I had blushed as she giggled.
As I walked through the torch-lit halls now on my way to Cleopatra’s royal chambers, I caught a glimpse of a greasy-faced thin man whispering furiously with one of the serving girls in a darkened alcove, and my curiosity was instantly piqued.
He seemed familiar. And why was he so angry with a servant? As his mouth twisted into an even uglier scowl, recognition slammed into me like a ton of bricks and I remembered exactly how I knew him. His name was Tehran and he used to be the manservant to the eunuch Pothinus.
Pothinus had been the disgustingly fat regent to Cleopatra’s late little brother, Ptolemy. When Pothinus tried to overthrow Cleopatra from the throne, little Ptolemy had ended up dead and eventually Julius Caesar had the eunuch beheaded. It wasn’t pretty. The fat idiot was ugly enough in one piece. His head on a stake outside of the city was even more gruesome. That had been two years ago. So why was Tehran here now? He had no good reason.
Red seeped into my vision for the second time in the history of my memory. I knew that my anger toward him was misguided, that I was really just angry at my current situation, but I couldn’t help myself. I stopped in my tracks and wheeled around, stalking to where they stood.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded sharply. “Pothinus is dead. You have no more reason to be here. Your services here at the palace are no longer required.”
I glanced quickly at the frightened girl peering from around his shoulder.
“You may go,” I dismissed her before I glared at Tehran once more.
His oily face was arrogant, his expression pinched and unpleasant. He reminded me of an ugly weasel and I found that I could barely look at him.
“Well?” I demanded again. “Why are you here?”
“Why, for the same reason you are, mistress. To serve our great queen Cleopatra.”
His tone was mockingly deferent to me, but his expression was anything but as his eyes snapped. Something wasn’t right here. The hair on the back of my neck stood up once again. One benefit of being a Keeper, was that we have very good intuition.
“I have said that your services are no longer required here. Why are you still standing here? Go.”
I nudged his shoulder lightly and anger flashed upon his face. His mouth twisted into an ugly sneer and he grabbed my arm roughly.
“You uppity whore!” he hissed into my face, his breath rancid. “What gives you the right to command me?”
I tried to pull free from his grasp, but he only held tighter, his fingers cutting into the soft flesh of my arm. His expression was absolutely venomous and I scanned the hallway for help. There was no one and I felt the first stirrings of fear. This was not Pasadena. He could actually kill me.
“You know that I speak for Cleopatra in household matters at the Palace. I have told you to leave, now unhand me and leave,” I said sharply. “If you do not, I will scream and guards will come running. You will be thrown into prison. Is that what you want?”
Unexpectedly, the deep timbre of Hasani’s voice came from behind me, deathly lethal.
“If you wish to keep your hand, remove it from the lady’s arm.”
He was so quiet as he walked that I had not even heard him approach, but I had never been happier to hear his voice. Relief flooded through me as Tehran’s face changed immediately into an unreadable mask and he quickly released my arm. He appeared unaffected by Hasani’s tone, although I could tell that it had shaken him.
“It is simply a misunderstanding, General. I think we’ve had a miscommunication. The lady seems inclined to believe that our great queen would want me gone from here, even though it is my greatest wish to serve her.”
“The lady has clearly spoken her wishes and you know that she speaks for our queen. Leave now and don’t return.”
Hasani’s voice was still icily calm and he had not moved a muscle from his stance behind me, but the veiled threat was apparent in his tone. He was not bluffing. I could see from Tehran’s face that he heard that, as well. He stepped backward away from me.
“As you wish,” he replied simply. “Please give my greatest regards to our kind queen.”
I nodded silently as he spun and stalked away. I watched him disappear into the shadows before turning to Hasani, sagging against him in relief. He was dressed in the thin white loin-cloth and bare chest of Egyptian tradition. Only the bronze carved collar signified his elevated position of General in the Royal Guard. His muscles rippled as he encircled me within his strong arms and I laid my cheek against the warmth of his skin.
“What was the issue with him, my love?” he murmured huskily into my hair. “Is there a problem?”
I closed my eyes wearily, hating that I had to conceal things from him. Hating that I had to lie. I might as well call a spade a spade. I was lying. Sort of. I only had a feeling that Tehran was up to no good. I just didn’t know exactly what he was up to. Either way, a Keeper’s ‘feelings’ should definitely be heeded.
“No, no problem. I just don’t think he should be here any longer- not after what Pothinus did.” To me, my voice sounded strange and stilted. When Hasani spoke, I gathered from his tone that he had heard it, as well.
“Yet he is not Pothinus, my sweet. He has been here for two years since his master’s death without incident.”
I glanced up to find Hasani staring down at me in puzzlement. My words almost tripped on each other as I rushed to fix it.
“I know. But I can’t help but feel that he somehow shared in Pothinus’ misguided ambitions to de-throne Cleopatra. He was certainly a loyal servant to the eunuch. I question his loyalty now- I can’t explain it. It’s just a feeling that I have. There is no reason to have him remain here, at any rate.”
Hasani nodded, accepting my brief explanation and I felt a rush of relief mixed with guilt. I absolutely hated lying to him. He smiled gently down at me and my heart melted as the candlelight from the torch above us illuminated his handsome bronzed face.
“Shall I escort you to the queen’s chambers? It appears that you have a knack for finding trouble today. And just in case you feel the need to terminate anyone else, I should be there for your protection.” I smiled at him and grabbed his arm, enjoying the way his hard muscles bulged under my fingertips.
“I would be proud to have you as an escort, General,” I answered formally, grinning up at him. “Just in case I need to fire anyone else, of course.”
He smiled at me again, his entire face lighting up and I felt my knees grow weak as I remembered how we had spent the afternoon. I quickly pushed the fluttery feelings out of my mind. I couldn’t think about that now.
As we walked the remainder of the way to Cleopatra’s private rooms through the darkened, hushed halls, I simply focused on enjoying the feeling of his arm linked with mine and the strength that exuded from his every pore. I was disappointed when we arrived at Cleopatra’s carved golden doors far too quickly.
“I will leave you here, my lady. But I will see you at dinner.” His dark eyes sparkled as he bent to kiss my lips softly. “Try to stay out of trouble.”
I closed my eyes and inhaled him, pulling him closer.
“Wanton woman!” he whispered into my neck. I could feel his smile against my skin and knew that he was only joking. “You will need to be patient and wait until tonight.”
He pulled away and walked on, glancing sideways at me impishly as he passed. I stood still and watched him retreat for just a moment, watching the distinct lope of his stride before quietly entering Cleopatra’s chambers.
I found her sitting on her balcony gazing absently at the city below. The stars had come out and were twinkling far above us, as the gentle Alexandrian night breeze caressed our skin. Torches had been lit in the streets and the rich golden glow from them lit the night. I sat at the base of her lounge wordlessly, examining her pensive expression.
“What are you thinking, my queen?” I asked softly.
“Of everything, Charmian,” she sighed. “Only of everything.”
“That is quite a lot to think of, Cleopatra,” I answered lightly, although I completely understood.
Ever since my afternoon with Hasani, thoughts of everything had swirled non-stop in my head, as well. I couldn’t stop it, no matter how hard I tried.
“Thank you for today, by the way.” I turned to her again. “It was nice to spend quiet time with Hasani… with all of the stress that we’ve been shouldering of late.” I glanced at Cleopatra to find her smiling knowingly.
“Somehow, I doubt your afternoon was quiet, love,” she murmured wryly, nudging me. I rolled my eyes and she laughed.
“I see that you’re still offering no details. And that’s fine,” she grinned impishly. “I know you will spill it eventually. You’re horrible at keeping secrets. Shall I dress for dinner?”
She didn’t wait for my answer which was good, because she didn’t notice my snort when she announced that I was horrible at secret-keeping. My middle name might as well be Secret.
She strolled to her armoire, sifting among the hanging clothing. She chose a long, turquoise shift with an elaborate embroidered belt and tossed them onto her bed as she stripped off the clothing that she was wearing.
I helped her dress and then sat her in front of me as I wound her hair into a coil to be concealed by her elaborate black wig. As I worked, I decided to casually mention my run-in with Tehran. My fingers deftly continued to tuck her hair underneath the wig’s cap as I spoke, making sure no errant tendrils escaped. Cleopatra was used to this ritual and sat patiently while I worked over her.
“I saw Tehran a few minutes ago.”
I didn’t elaborate, just waited calmly for her certain questions. She had never trusted him either. She spun quickly around, her face frozen with anxiety.
“And?”
“He was in a corner, whispering with a house-servant. He seemed… agitated. I decided we didn’t need his antics here any longer. I marched over and told him that we no longer required his services since his master was dead.”
“And?” Cleopatra’s voice rose an octave.
“And he grabbed my arm and got quite mean. If Hasani had not come across us, I don’t know what he would have done. Do I have a bruise?”
I twisted my arm around to show her where Tehran had grabbed it. I could feel the black and blue welt even as I touched it. She examined it and nodded.
“Yes, he bruised it. Don’t let Hasani see that- the last thing we need right now is retribution. Why did you approach Tehran now, Charmian? He’s been here for two years with no incident.”
Her words echoed Hasani’s almost verbatim. The difference, I knew, was that Cleopatra was relieved. She didn’t want him here anymore than I did. Apples don’t fall far from the tree… and his master had been evil.
I rubbed my wounded arm before I answered. She was exactly right- if Hasani saw that Tehran had hurt me, all hell would break loose.
“I’m not sure, my queen. I just feel unsettled whenever he is near. I don’t see the reason to keep someone like that around the palace… not in such close proximity to you.”
She nodded absently and I watched in the flickering candlelight as she rubbed her perfume oil lightly into the skin of her neck, arms and wrists. She started to put the little jar away and then added a dab to her cleavage as an afterthought. Glancing at her reflection, she sighed and set the little perfume jar in a cabinet next to her vanity.
“Can you do my eyes?” She turned to me, handing me the little jar of green malachite. I carefully lined her eyes with the small brush and then added crimson to her lips and crushed pearl powder to her face. She examined herself again.
“Much better,” she said in satisfaction, slipping jeweled arm bands onto her slender arms.
I had to agree. The powder had given her face a luminescent sheen, sparkling when the candlelight hit it just right. She was beguiling, just she always was, but the tension that she had been carrying had kept her face pale today. The added cosmetics tonight hid it perfectly.
“Shall we dine?” She held out her arm and I took it, and we strolled arm in arm to the cavernous banquet hall on the other side of the palace.
As we passed the mammoth ivory double-doors to the children’s suite, I paused and turned to her.
“You lunched with the children, of course?”
She grinned broadly, her smile lighting up her entire face, as we resumed walking.
“Of course. Caesarion was ruling over the nursery with a little iron fist, as usual. The twins were rambunctious and running laps throughout all of their rooms, running their nurses ragged. They are well. I…” her voice trailed off pensively and she stopped speaking.
“You what?” I prodded.
“Nothing, my love. We can speak of it later.” She stopped walking in front of the giant arches of the banquet hall and turned to me. “Do I look alright?
She looked beautiful, as she normally did, her elaborate black wig piled high onto her head and her thin shoulders gleaming in the candlelight. But I straightened her diadem anyway, because if I didn’t make some sort of last-minute adjustment, she would worry that she didn’t look perfect. Another trait of hers that history books had not captured… she was a perfectionist in every way.
“Now you are perfect,” I murmured.
She nodded silently as we gazed into the teeming room. At least 50 large sconces were lit within, not to mention the dozens of oil lamps lining each long table. The subtle scent of incense wafted from the room, stirred by the movements of the mass of people within.
Scent was important to the Egyptians, and the perfume of each individual in the room combined to create an overall scent in the air that was not unpleasant in the slightest. It contained musky, fruity and spicy notes all at once.
I scanned the crowded room, looking for the most important face and found him at Antony’s right. He and Antony were speaking in earnest- in a conversation that I had to assume was about military tactics. They tended to get fairly animated when they discussed such things and both were gesturing wildly now.
As I watched, a serving girl flaunted her topless body to Hasani as she knelt in front of him to fill his wine chalice, but he barely glanced at her. I smiled in satisfaction. Hasani continued his conversation as though she was not even there, even as she purposely swung her pendulous breasts into his face. He simply leaned to the side so that he could see Antony better, completely unaffected.
Antony, on the other hand, known for his ravenous appetite for the other sex, pulled her into his lap when she stepped over to him.
He roared in laughter as the girl squirmed, but she was not really trying to escape and everyone knew it. To catch Marc Antony’s eye was considered an honor and she was flushed with pleasure because of it now as her naked breasts spilled over onto his thick forearm.
I glanced at Cleopatra, and found her watching him with a small amused smile. One of the things she loved the most about Antony was his joy of living.
Antony’s transgressions with other women never mattered, because Cleopatra knew his heart. It was she that he loved and no one knew that better than she did. As for me, even though Egyptian culture condoned promiscuity, I was blissfully happy that Hasani had always been happy with only me.
I marveled at that as I looked around the room now and observed the rampant sexuality surrounding us. Even though proprietary rules reigned during the day, it was an entirely different world once night fell. I watched as naked serving women fawned upon the banquet attendees and random couples embraced in dark corners and even out in the open.
People living in the western world now would have a heart attack at what they would consider the immorality of it all. It was a miracle that Hasani felt the need to be monogamous in this place, but my western upbringing as Macy was thankful for it. I couldn’t bear to watch Hasani with another woman as Cleopatra so patiently did with Antony.
As I watched him, Hasani glanced up and met my gaze, pausing in his conversation as he smiled at me. His wide, white smile made my toes tingle and I took a step in his direction.
“Cleopatra?” I turned to her because she had not moved from where she was rooted in the doorway.
“Look,” she whispered, gesturing subtly with her hand into a direction to our right.
I followed her line of vision and saw Annen talking in agitation with Tehran. I automatically took a step in Annen’s direction, but stiffened as I watched the priest’s face transform into anger. Tehran grasped his arm firmly and began to pull him toward the door.
What the heck was Annen doing?
“What should we do?” I asked anxiously. “I told Tehran to leave and so did Hasani. I can’t believe he is still here. If Hasani sees him…”
The last thing I wanted was a scene. But still. We needed a diversion- something to distract the attention from Annen. The priest could not use magic in public and there was no way that the frail old man could defend himself otherwise. And Annen needed to stay safe so that I could kill him myself for stealing my bloodstone.
“Point him out. Hasani should see him,” Cleopatra muttered. “Such blatant disregard for your dictate is a slap in my face. He knows you act on my behalf.”
Cleopatra was annoyed and I desperately tried to catch Hasani’s eye again. A brief moment later, during a lull in their conversation, both Antony and Hasani looked at us, wondering at our tardiness. I frantically gestured toward Tehran.
Antony looked at me curiously, not comprehending, while Hasani sprang from his seat immediately. Antony might not have understood what was going on, but once he saw the murderous look on his general’s face, he quickly got up to cover Hasani’s flank.
The two large men stalked through the room, trailing Tehran as he attempted to drag Annen from the crowded banquet hall. I absently checked to make sure that my scarf was covering the bruise on my arm before Cleopatra and I hurriedly rushed to follow them.
Unfortunately, it took us much longer to maneuver. Each person that we tried to slip past bowed and addressed the queen in some way, out of respect. In times like these, being with her was a huge inconvenience. It slowed us down and when we finally reached Hasani and Antony, we had missed the entire first part of the animated conversation. By the time I stepped to Hasani’s side, the crowd had already swallowed the priest.
“What did you say?” Hasani demanded, as he grabbed Tehran by the front of his tunic. Tehran finally looked genuinely afraid as his weasley face paled.
“I said nothing, general,” Tehran whimpered. “I said nothing at all.”
“That’s odd,” Antony interjected as he slowly drew a large dagger from his belt. “I could swear that you just threatened our great queen.”
He moved closer with slow, lethal purpose.
“My wife, the queen,” he added needlessly.
“No sir- no, I did not,” Tehran’s eyes were wide and frightened as he stared at the large knife that Antony calmly held in his hands.
“I’m pretty certain you did,” Hasani countered, with deadly calmness.
I felt as though I was watching a hunting lion as Hasani appraised Tehran. His dark eyes had gone cold as he calculated the man that he was grasping.
“Do you know what we do to murderous traitors?”
Before Tehran could answer, Antony lunged forward like a lithe jaguar, plunging the dagger smoothly into Tehran’s side. Blood gushed, staining an ever-widening spot on Tehran’s tunic.
Antony yanked the knife back out and stepped back.
“We kill them,” he announced as he wiped the blade on the hem of Tehran’s shift.
Cleopatra gasped and took a step forward, but restrained herself, stepping back. In her opinion, a queen never showed dismay or distress. Only I noticed the panic in her eyes, as she clenched her fists at her sides. Her knuckles quickly turned white.
Tehran stared at her with glittering eyes.
“It doesn’t matter,” he rasped, coughing as blood gurgled into his mouth. “He is here and he will kill you.”
“Who is here?” Hasani demanded, yanking the servant closer, but Tehran went limp as his life drained from him. Hasani dropped him unceremoniously to the floor, where he crumpled into a heap.
“My queen, you must retire immediately to your chambers until we can determine what is happening,” Hasani implored as he swiftly turned to us, his face an impassive mask.
“Charmian, come-- I will escort you both to the queen’s chambers.” I could tell by the firm set to his chiseled jaw that there was no use arguing.
I nodded silently as he grasped my arm, while Antony and Cleopatra followed closely behind us. I noticed that Antony was protecting Cleopatra from the curious crowd with his own body as we walked away quickly, leaving Tehran bleeding on the expensive rug as someone called for a servant to drag his lifeless body from the hall. Before we disappeared into a private back hallway, I looked back over my shoulder. Annen was nowhere to be found.