Daughters of Jared, page 16
“You were lured here.” His eyes held a wealth of sympathy.
Confusion consumed me. My sister had seemed so sincere; she had said she’d allow me to worship the Lord in private, but she’d also been adamant we not discuss the possibility of me getting married. Did she think I’d never find out the truth? Or did she not believe any of her plans could be thwarted? Now I realized she’d fooled me—again. She’d brought me here to be as I used to be—at her mercy and under her command.
“And I’m sorry that you thought . . .” he continued, “even for a moment, that I had broken my promise to you.”
I couldn’t look at him then. I turned away, self-conscious of the tears that threatened to fall. “It was difficult . . . to understand.”
Levi turned me toward him and wrapped his arms around me. I easily fell into his embrace. I closed my eyes, wanting to soak in this moment—to remember every second of it when I was back in my chamber. He wasn’t betrothed to someone else. He was still mine, and he was holding me in his arms.
“I’m still waiting,” he murmured into my hair.
My heart leapt. “You don’t have to wait any longer.”
He pulled away abruptly, and his hands cradled my face. “What do you mean?”
My voice trembled when I spoke. “I started praying again and pondering on many things after I heard my sister had delivered a healthy child. I realized the Lord did have His hands in the blessings surrounding my life.” My tears were now of elation. “An incredible feeling of warmth and knowledge swept through me. And I knew.” I offered a small smile. “I know He’s there for me, for everyone, if we but seek Him.”
Levi wiped the tears from my face with his thumb then slowly kissed each cheek. “I’ll ask Akish for permission tonight. There’s a feast that the upper echelon of the military has been invited to on our reprieve.”
“Tonight? You would face your brother for me?”
“It’s the only way. I don’t want us to have to hide from him anymore. We should be able to live our lives in open happiness.”
I was breathless, ecstatic. I threw my arms around his neck. He laughed and pulled me close. Our lips met, and at last my dreams became reality.
I glided, instead of walked, back to the palace. I’d spent more than an hour, a wonderful, delicious hour, with Levi in the grove, talking, laughing, and being near him. After so much heartache, doubt, and fear, my life had become filled with love and hope. First my faith in the Lord, second the miraculous arrival of my dearest nephew, and now I was nearly betrothed to a man I loved.
I felt nervous about telling Ash, but I’d find the right moment. It just had to be before Levi asked for the king’s official permission at the feast tonight. I hoped to find her in a good mood, something there’d been plenty of lately. Shez had really brought a new light to all our lives.
I would promise to visit her every day. We’d raise our children together as the best of friends. Our sons would hunt together; our daughters would learn to embroider together.
Inside the palace, the halls were strangely quiet, especially if there was to be a feast tonight. I passed the banquet hall and saw that the tables had been laid, but there was no one in sight.
I made a detour past my sister’s chambers to my room, and as I passed her door, I heard someone crying. At first I thought it was Shez and hurried to the closed door. Then I realized it must be Ash. I hesitated, listening for any other voices, of servants or Akish. What could be wrong? Was it the baby? I knocked, hoping I wasn’t interrupting anything too personal.
The crying stopped. I called through the door. “Ash, are you all right?”
No response.
“Is it Shez? Is something wrong?”
“No,” came the muffled reply.
Still, the anxiety wouldn’t leave. “Do you need anything?” When she didn’t answer, I tried the door. It was unlocked, so I pushed it slowly open. Ash was curled on her bed, facing me.
“Are you ill?” I asked. She didn’t move or reply. Her eyes were open, staring ahead. I shut the door and crossed to her. Then I gasped. Her right cheek had a large bruise on it, and there was a cut near her eye.
“Did you fall? Let me get something for the pain. Has Sara seen—”
Ash grabbed my arm, stopping my speech. “I didn’t fall.” She closed her eyes and exhaled then winced in obvious pain.
I sat next to her, dread pushing its way into my heart. Maybe she’d run into a branch while on a walk in the garden. Maybe . . . I stared at her bruised face, an answer forming in my mind that I wanted to push away immediately.
“I don’t want anyone to see me,” Ash said. “No one can know the king beats his own wife.”
I felt sick. To have it stated so bluntly only seemed to make it worse. There was no denying it; Ash had given no excuses. I thought my heart would break for my sister. The indignity of it shot anger through me, and desperate thoughts of revenge circulated.
“What can I do?” I whispered. It pained me to look at her. Pity and rage blended in my mind. Violence in households was not uncommon among our people, but my sister was a queen. She was also my sister. How dare Akish touch her in this way? “I’ll poison him.” The words were rash but strangely comforting as I said them.
Ash’s laugh was bitter. “Don’t think I haven’t thought of the same thing.” She sat up, sniffling. I wanted so badly to take away the pain in her voice.
“It’s not the first time, as you can probably gather,” she said in a subdued voice.
This was not the sister I knew. My sister was made of drive and passion; she was not a shrunken, defeated woman.
“He comes home full of wine, angry at something. He takes it out on me.” Her words were so matter-of-fact, as if she were placing a grain order with a merchant.
I looked down at her fingers that picked at a loose thread on her tunic. “What about Shez?” I asked.
“Akish wouldn’t hurt him,” she said in a dull voice. “He’ll return in a few hours, full of apologies. He’ll be in his best form at the feast tonight and will act as if nothing happened.”
I grabbed her hands. “We could go away. The three of us. We’ll live in another town. Akish would never find us.”
Ash’s hands were cold and lifeless in mine. “My son will be king someday,” she said in a voice devoid of emotion. “I’ll endure whatever I need to in order to ensure that my son takes his rightful place on the throne.”
I exhaled. “You can’t let your husband do this to you.”
“If I stand up to him or become angry, it only makes it worse.” She pulled her hands away and looked past me. “I just need to learn to stay out of his way. Every time, I hope it will be the last time.”
“Does his brother know?”
Her brows drew together. “No one can tell the king what to do.”
I knew Levi would be livid if he knew about his brother’s latest habit. “Levi needs to know. He can help us.”
“No one can know. I’ve kept it secret this long—” Tears glistened in her eyes. “Levi can’t make a difference; no one can.” She leaned forward, and I embraced her. “Having you here in the palace brings me protection. If you had been home, he wouldn’t have done this.”
“I only went to the market for a few hours,” I said, feeling guilty about the extra time spent in the grove with Levi. If I’d come straight home, perhaps . . . no, it wasn’t my fault Akish was the most vile of men.
“We must always stay together,” Ash said. “When you need to go somewhere, Shez and I will come with you too.”
“It’s not like it was before you were queen,” I said. “The people will throng you. We’ll have to bring guards to protect you.”
Her shoulders trembled as she held me closer. “Then we’ll send servants to fetch whatever you need.”
“I can’t be with you day and night.”
“Of course not,” she whispered. “But knowing you’re just down the hallway at night brings me more comfort than you can imagine.”
I buried my face in her hair, holding back my own tears. Tears of shame, of anger, of fear. How could I tell her about Levi now? How could I leave my sister at the mercy of her husband?
The bruising on her face had rocked me to the core. Our parents were gone. Akish could have his way against a defenseless woman and infant. Someone had to stand between them.
THE FEAST WAS EVERYTHING ASH had predicted. Akish was in a glorious mood. I’d seen him crossing the courtyard that afternoon while I sat in the garden with Shez. Akish’s arms were laden with gifts for his wife—gifts of apology, gifts that meant nothing and held no guarantee. I could only imagine their reunion—his apologies and my sister’s stoic forgiveness.
Ash wasn’t at the feast, and the king excused her in front of everyone for feeling tired from being a new mother. Sara brought out Shez and paraded him around for a few moments, and then even they disappeared. I sat at the head table, as was my place to do so, but I maintained no eye contact with Akish. His voice boomed above everyone else’s, so it was impossible to miss his conversation.
At one point, I glanced at his ringed fingers. There seemed to be no redness, no bruising. Hitting his wife had brought him no injury.
Levi came late, nearly halfway into the feast. Akish immediately stood at the sight of his brother entering the room. The two men embraced, and when Levi pulled back, I cringed to see the excitement in his eyes.
It should have brought excitement to me too, but now it brought only despair. I’d have to tell him before he had a chance to speak with his brother privately. But how could I tell the man I loved that I couldn’t marry him after all? That I was choosing my sister over him?
Levi caught my eye. I tried to return his smile but was self-conscious with all the surrounding people, and if I smiled, I might burst into tears instead. I’d have to watch and wait then somehow give him the message.
The feast continued on and on with toasts made by nearly every soldier in attendance. Then the dancing started. The men hooted and hollered as the dancers began their sultry moves. It was time to speak to Levi.
I rose and crossed behind the table. The men, including Akish, were caught up in the women, so I didn’t have to worry about anyone’s curious stares. At the far end of the head table, Levi had squeezed between two other soldiers. He was leaning back, looking down at something he held in his hands. The other two soldiers leaned forward, clapping along to the rhythm of the music as they ogled the dancers.
I touched Levi’s shoulder, and he looked up, surprise turning to joy. He slipped something into the satchel at his waist. I motioned with my head for him to follow me. I escaped out a side door into the dark hallway and waited there until he exited.
He immediately swept me up his arms and spun me around.
“Someone will come,” I whispered.
“Then let them come,” Levi whispered back. He kissed me hard, demandingly, as if he’d held back all of his passion during our other kisses.
I clung to him and matched his fervency. There was a time when I’d thought I was saying good-bye to Levi for good, but this time, I knew I was and that this was our last kiss, the last time I’d hold him in my arms.
“Let’s plan the wedding for next week,” Levi said, pulling away for an instant.
“Levi.” I pushed against him. But he was kissing me again, and it was too easy to succumb.
Finally, I was able to pry away. “I have to talk to you.”
He kissed my neck, my ear. “Talk.”
“Not this way,” I said, pushing again.
He let go, surprise on his face. “What’s wrong?” He looked down the corridor. “No one is around.”
“My sister needs me at the palace.”
His eyes narrowed. “You want to wait a few months?” A slight smile touched his face. “It will be hard, but as long as we can start the countdown—”
“Ash needs me to protect her from Akish.”
“What do you mean?” His voice was sharp.
“When he gets drunk, he takes out his anger on her.”
Levi was quiet for a moment. He reached for me and took me in his arms. I could feel his heart thumping hard. “I wish I could say I was surprised,” he said in a low voice. He ran a hand over my hair and tightened his grip. “Has he ever hurt you?”
“No.” My voice faltered, thinking of my sister’s bruised face. How many other times had she missed feasts because she was afraid of showing herself?
Levi’s voice turned hard. “I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry. He won’t hurt your sister again, and he won’t stand in the way of this marriage.”
Now I was afraid. “Don’t do anything foolish, Levi. Your brother is the king.”
“My brother is a charlatan and a murderer. But even worse, he hurts women. No man should get away with that.” He pulled away and took my face firmly in his hands. “I want you out of this place as soon as possible. Your sister is welcome to come as well.”
She won’t, I wanted to say, but I think he knew it already. By leaving, she’d give complete power to Akish, and he might divorce her, choose another queen in her place. My sister could never live through a blow like that.
“How will I know my sister will truly be safe?” I asked.
Levi’s gaze held a faraway look.
“Levi?”
He refocused on me. “You’ll know. Leave it to me.” He kissed me firmly on the lips then released me. He left before I could offer any more warnings or pleadings. My heart hammered with fear. What would Levi tell Akish to make him stop being so cruel? I’d heard their arguments before. I was too afraid to return to the feast in case the argument became public.
I hurried to my room and sank to my knees, pleading with the Lord to protect Levi, to protect me, and most of all to protect my sister.
Lib found me an hour later. I was still on my knees, my door left ajar. He tiptoed in, thinking I’d fallen asleep.
“Naiva,” he whispered.
It was as if I were waking up. I turned and blinked back the blurriness in my eyes. I had hoped to see Levi. But it was Lib instead, standing there with an oil lamp in one hand.
“What is it?” I scrambled to my feet, not liking the pinched look of Lib’s face nor his hand gripped into a fist at his side.
“Sit down,” he said.
His words sent a chill through me. “Tell me now,” I said.
Lib blew out a breath; then his words came in a rush. “There was an argument between Levi and the king. Levi punched Akish multiple times in the face. And the king . . .” Here, he paused. “The king banished Levi from all the land.”
I inhaled, my thoughts spinning. “Banished? What do you mean? How?”
“The guards dragged him out of the palace, bound hand and foot,” Lib said. “They carted him to the borders where he was marked and left as prey for the wild beasts.”
“No.” I swiped a hand over my face. “How could he do this to him?” I’d heard of men being marked before. It was usually a disfiguring scar on their face or someplace where it would always show. The more extreme punishments included losing a hand or foot. “How was he marked?”
“I don’t know,” Lib said. “I only heard the orders.”
“I must find him,” I cried out, desperation hot in my breast.
“A couple of servants have already secretly left to cut his bands and take him supplies.”
I sat down on my bed, feeling as if I’d received a blow to the stomach. I had to go to him. He went to see Akish because of me. Because of what I’d told him. I had hoped he wouldn’t be foolish in his actions, but warning Levi of that did little good. His brother had finally exercised complete power over him. The worst had happened.
As the initial shock faded, rage collected inside me. Akish had taken everything good in my life and had mocked it, hurt it, or thrown it away. How dare he banish his brother for calling upon his own morals?
“Naiva,” Lib cut into my tumultuous thoughts, “Levi gave me a message before he was taken away.”
I looked at him with a mixture of dread and expectancy.
“He said Akish doesn’t know about the betrothal yet and for you to be careful around him, or he’ll take his revenge out on you to hurt Levi more.”
“So the argument was only about the queen?”
Lib nodded. “Everyone who was cleaning up the banquet hall overheard the things that were said. The king didn’t like Levi telling him what he could and couldn’t do to the queen.”
My stomach twisted. I imagined Akish bursting into my sister’s chamber and taking his remaining wrath out on her. “Where did Akish go?”
“He’s still at the palace. The healer was called,” Lib said. “The king will probably rest tomorrow. His face was a mess.”
A glimmer of triumph shot through me, but it quickly faded. I shuddered. “He’s a wicked man. For once, he got what he deserved.” I rose and pulled on a thick robe.
“Don’t go,” Lib said. “Akish will find out and guess the relationship between you.” His voice softened as he noted the pain on my face. “Levi told me to make sure you didn’t follow. He’ll be impossible to find, and the living conditions will be difficult in the wilderness.”
I squared my shoulders. “I’m not afraid of a few snakes.”
Lib’s hand touched my arm. “I promised Levi I’d keep you safe. And I promised him I’d talk sense into you.”
I almost smiled at that, despite the fact that my heart ached. “He thought I needed sense talked into me?”
“He knew it.”
I COULDN’T SLEEP. COULDN’T EAT. All I had to comfort me about Levi was that he was alive—at least, when the servants left him he was. Several weeks had passed since that horrible night that he was banished. Thirty-eight days to be exact.
I didn’t want my sister to know the true reason for Levi’s banishment. She, of course, knew there’d been an argument, but Akish and the servants kept the real reason from her. And I wasn’t willing to be the messenger.
I found my sister watching me carefully from time to time. She still thought I believed Levi was betrothed to another woman. I would keep up the pretense for now, until I was able to discover a way to change my fate.
