Daughters of Jared, page 8
All eyes were on me.
“Agreed?”
Lib stepped forward. “I will be the king’s taster.” A few of the servants gasped.
I smiled. “Excellent. Come with me. We’ll share our plan with my father.”
He glanced nervously at Sara, but he followed me out into the hall.
“I want you to tell me more about the Lord,” I said in a quiet voice as we walked.
Lib looked at me, wariness in his eyes.
I stopped and met his gaze. “I truly want to learn. I am no spy for my father, though protecting his life is my greatest wish.”
“Tonight, then. We’ll meet in the garden.”
I strode into the throne room and found my father and Akish sitting with my sister. Many of the court guests had left. I approached and told them of my command to the cooking servants. My father’s eyes studied me, and it was the first time I saw them glow with appreciation for me.
My sister clasped her hands together. “Brilliant, Naiva. The oracle must have meant someone might try to poison Father.”
“Lib has agreed to be the taster,” I said.
Akish narrowed his eyes. I wondered if he was surprised that I had come up with a taster. “He will do,” Akish said, as if we needed his approval on the matter.
“GOD IS ALL-KNOWING,” LIB SAID in a hushed voice. We’d been meeting in the garden late at night for the past week so I could learn about the God of King Omer.
Lib’s eyes were bright in the moonlight. The more I learned about the Lord, the more I wanted to know. “He sees everything. He knows each of us,” he continued.
“Does He know our names, or does He see us as a mass of people?” I asked.
“He knows our names.” Lib paused as the breeze stirred about us. “He knows your name, Naiva.”
His words made me shiver, not with cold but with warmth. The pleasant feeling of comfort was still new to me. It had permeated my body on the first night Lib had told me about his God. And it had returned when I’d pondered what I had learned.
“You’re feeling His presence again?” Lib asked, bringing me back from my revelry.
“Yes,” I said in a soft voice. I was on the verge of trembling, but I didn’t want Lib to know how much this warm feeling affected me. What would he think? Would he laugh?
“I feel it too,” he whispered, putting his thin hand on my arm.
I looked at him, surprised to see tears shining in his eyes. So it wasn’t shameful to feel as if I were about to cry and laugh at the same time.
“He brings us joy and love and peace. That is what King Omer taught.” When he said Omer’s name, he lowered his voice and glanced around. We had been careful, very careful, but we still feared being discovered.
“Do you think Omer and his people are faring well?”
“The Lord is still with them,” Lib said. “I’ve heard rumors that he has settled in the land of Ablom.”
“By the seashore?” I asked.
“You’ve heard of the place?”
I thought of the education I’d received as a member of the royal family. “I’ve heard of many places,” I said quietly. I wondered what it would be like to live someplace away from idols, someplace among family members who weren’t cunning and controlling. It was times like this that I missed my mother. “My mother used to come into my chamber and ask me about my paintings. It was the only time I felt that someone really cared for me, perhaps even loved me.” I shook my head, unsure why I’d told Lib that.
“I barely remember my parents, but at least I know they loved me,” Lib said.
Tears stung my eyes. This boy had lost his parents, but he always had their love. I still had my father—but not his love. I used to think my sister loved me, but over the past months, I understood she only loved me when I was doing her bidding—conditional love.
“We make a fine pair,” I said with a tremulous smile.
“A fine pair of traitors,” a voice spoke behind us.
I flinched, and Lib scrambled to his feet.
“Akish?” I turned, peering through the darkness at his silhouette.
“Come with me, Naiva.” His voice was tense, warning me not to cross him.
I slowly stood and touched Lib’s shoulder. He shook with fear. “We were just talking.”
“Of course you were.” Akish stepped into the full light of the moon. His features were sharp and angled as the shadows planed his face. “Only talking about King Omer, who has been a traitor to us. And only talking about Omer’s false God, the one the servants still pine for.”
His black eyes flashed, anger flaring from them. “How can you be so foolish, woman? Any encouragement from you, the king’s daughter, and these sniveling servants will start a revolt. Is that what you want? Your friends soaking in their own blood?”
I took a step away, horrified at Akish’s threat. “Choosing a god to worship is no cause for bloodshed.”
“You know it is,” Akish hissed. “It’s the very cause for bloodshed. And I will not shy away from doing whatever it takes to protect my king.” His eyes flickered over Lib. “Leave the boy. I’ll deal with him later. But you, Naiva, are coming with me.”
The dread in my stomach intensified. I didn’t want to face him alone. Suddenly, I was the one shaking. As if Lib could read my thoughts, he stepped in front of me, bravely holding his head high. “We’re not going to revolt. We were only talking about religious beliefs.”
Akish lashed out at Lib, striking him across the cheek. “Away with you, boy!”
Lib stumbled back, and I grabbed his arm to stop him from falling.
“How dare you,” I spat out.
“If you want to live to see the next sunrise,” Akish’s voice was filled with barely controlled fury, “leave this garden now.”
“Go,” I whispered to Lib, my voice shaking now. “I’ll be all right.”
Lib hesitated, but finally, he scurried away, casting several fearful glances over his shoulder. I hated to see him go, but a twelve-year-old boy was no match for Akish.
Akish’s hand gripped my arm.
I wrenched away. “Don’t touch me.”
He chuckled softly and grabbed my arm again, tighter. He pulled me along the winding path, deeper into the garden.
“Where are we going?”
“Where we can’t be overheard,” Akish said, his voice a deceptive, pleasant hum. “You and the boy should have thought of that.”
“Don’t hurt the boy.”
“Why are you so concerned about a servant?”
“He’s a child. He was only answering my questions.”
Akish stopped, forcing me to turn and look at him. “And why do you have so many questions, my dearest Naiva?”
I cringed at the familiarity in his words and answered vaguely. “I have questions that haven’t been answered.”
A smile twisted the corners of his mouth up. “Because you’re tired of worshipping your sister since you know she’s no goddess like she fools the people into believing?”
I looked away, the truth too harsh to acknowledge. How could Akish cut to the depths of my soul so easily?
“I want you to trust me,” Akish said in a surprisingly gentle voice.
I looked up at him, startled. The anger had melted into something I didn’t quite recognize. Kindness?
His grip relaxed, and his hand moved up my arm. My stomach hardened again as the fear immediately returned full force.
“Relax, Naiva. I’m not going to hurt you.” He was close, so close. “I’m not going to hurt the boy either.” His voice practically purred. “I want you to understand that what you’re doing is very dangerous. Remember the oracle’s warning?”
I nodded, too numb to speak.
“Her words were harsh and threatening. But they also served as a warning for us to be ever watchful. Do you know what I did to that man who recommended the oracle?”
“What?” I whispered, my heart pounding in my ears, making it difficult to concentrate.
“Nothing.”
My gaze met his. He was watching for my reaction, and when he saw my surprise, his hand moved higher until it was on my shoulder.
“I thanked him. Do you know why?” he continued.
I shook my head, too aware of his nearness. I wanted to push him away, scream, but I didn’t dare. He could restrain me as easily as a helpless bird.
“The oracle was right,” Akish said. “Yes, the oracle upset your sister and father, but a warning should never go unheeded.”
When his fingers stroked my jaw, I came to my senses and pulled away. Akish made no move to stop me. I finally regained my voice. “What do my questions for Lib have to do with the oracle?”
“Lib used to work for Omer, as did many of the people in this city. We must purge everything that reflects the old king, even his God.” Akish studied me, then he extended his hand. “I want your oath that you’ll not pursue this anymore.”
I looked at his outstretched hand. It would be so easy to take it. Commit to a truce with my brother-in-law. Live in harmony as a family. But I knew that meant always obeying. Always doing what he wanted. What my sister wanted. What my father wanted.
And what if they were all wrong?
I took a deep breath then turned and fled.
I shouldn’t have been surprised when the summons came at the crack of dawn. I hadn’t slept, and now it was confirmed that Akish hadn’t slept either.
When I entered the throne room, there sat my father and sister, both looking as if they were statues of stone. Gone was the affectionate greeting of my sister. This morning was nothing but formalities.
Akish wasted no time stating his case and recommending that I be sent to the temple.
I was communicating with the servants.
I was encouraging a rebellion.
I was sympathetic to my grandfather.
I was a traitor to the king.
There was no vote, no court, no other opinions heard. My sister stood and walked out of the room, her face immobile, her eyes vacant. My father’s voice was cold when he said, “Send her to the temple.”
The words floated over me like a dream—I’d heard them, but I couldn’t quite believe they had been spoken about me. My entire body felt numb, and I wanted desperately to wake from the nightmare. This is a dream, I tried to convince myself as two guards escorted me to my room. Guards! Escorting me.
But it was no dream as I gathered a few paint vials and scrolls of animal vellum. It was no dream as I packed my mother’s seashell comb. And it was no dream as I carried a satchel full of my belongings through the arid hallways of the palace and out the front entrance.
I passed the cook, Sara, in the corridor. Her eyes were soulful, and her lips pinched tightly together as she watched me.
I tried to tell myself I’d now be living in a holy place, where I might find refuge after all. Where my father and sister and brother-in-law could no longer hurt me, no longer control me. But even I could not convince myself as I walked out of the palace.
Akish’s tall form dwarfed the courtyard, where he waited, his hands clasped behind his back. When he saw me, he dismissed the guards by announcing, “I will escort her myself.”
The guards scurried away, as if relieved to be out of my presence or Akish’s or both.
I stood still, waiting for my brother-in-law’s command. My sister and father were nowhere to be seen, though that didn’t mean my sister wasn’t watching from some secluded window. I hoped she was, and I hoped she’d lie awake all night and wonder why she hadn’t protected me from her own husband.
“After you,” Akish said with a wide sweep of his hand. Anyone observing us might think we were on a morning errand, perhaps to select a fine gift for my sister’s upcoming birthday—sister and brother-in-law seeking to please the next queen. But the satchel I carried was an indicator that this was anything but a morning stroll. I drew up my shawl and pulled it over my head, partially concealing my face from the sun and partially from curious gazes.
The market was in full bloom as we walked through it. Merchants called out to us before turning to another customer when they realized we were not there for purchasing or even browsing. I pulled my shawl down across my forehead, feeling a measure of security in the added privacy.
As we approached the Sun Temple, a dull ache tempered my usual awe at the magnificent edifice. Surely I wouldn’t be here long. Surely my sister, or even my father, would reconsider soon and send for me. I licked my lips as we started up the temple steps. Smoke wafted from the two altars, indicating recent sacrifices. The head priest, wearing a dark brown robe, came out of the entrance as we ascended. His wrinkled face looked familiar—not too long ago he’d ordained my father as the new king.
I met his gaze then glanced away quickly, not pleased with what I saw there. Anticipation. Expectancy. He knew we why we had come. Akish must have sent a servant to alert him.
The priest barely contained a smile as we arrived on the first plateau.
“Naiva,” the priest said, “welcome to the temple of the sun. We are most honored to have your patronage. And the sun god is pleased as well.” As he spoke, two women seemed to materialize behind him. They wore long, filmy robes the color of new maize.
I’d seen priestesses from a distance at festivals but never this close up. One of them, who looked a year or two older than me, smiled encouragingly. The taller priestess stared at me openly, but there was no hint of a smile or any sort of welcome. The hair tumbling over her shoulders was threaded with silver strands, though her face still looked young.
“Nelise and Raynelle, this is your new sister,” the priest continued. He looked again at me. “They’ll show you to the women’s chambers. Prayers begin at the sun’s zenith.”
My eyes pricked with tears. I had only one sister, and these women were not her. Nelise, the petite woman, held out her hand. It was then I noticed the intricate designs that wrapped around her wrist and scaled along her arm. A quick glance told me her other arm was equally decorated.
Nelise grabbed hold of my hand, and in an instant, Raynelle was at my side, taking my satchel from me. They propelled me into the temple’s cool interior. I barely had time to notice the beams of sunlight coming in from near the ceiling, illuminating the polished stone floor, before they whisked me through a door. We immediately fell into darkness, but the priestesses continued to press forward, guiding me along a narrow passage.
Before my eyes had time to adjust to the dim light, we stepped into a large, brightly lit chamber, again by sunlight streaming in from above. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought I was standing inside the sun from the brilliance of the room. Everything shone, from the gleaming floor to the bright yellow cloth hanging from the walls and the soft orange woven blankets on the cots.
A sleeping chamber, obviously.
“Here’s your place,” Nelise said, speaking for the first time. Her voice sounded like a musical hum. Quiet, yet melodic.
Her hand patted the bed, and I blinked, trying to adjust to the glow of the room.
Nelise giggled. “You’ll grow used to it.”
Raynelle set my satchel on the bed and opened it. Before I could protest, she emptied the contents onto the bed. Nelise immediately joined her, combing through my things. Raynelle said nothing, but Nelise exclaimed over each article, as if she’d never held the likes of any of them in her hands before, let alone possessed them.
“Paint for your cheeks?” Nelise said, holding up a vial of red dye.
“No, it’s for the paintings I do of people.”
“People?” Nelise’s eyes widened. “Are you a tomb artist?”
I hid a smile. “No, I paint on the scrolls.” I pointed to the rolled vellum.
“Oh, we have an artist for a sister,” Nelise said, reaching for them. “Can you paint me?”
“Sister!” Raynelle chastened Nelise. “Leisure time is at the end of the week.”
Nelise’s face went bright red. “That’s what I meant . . . during the next leisure time.”
“Now, let’s prepare our new sister for the prayers,” Raynelle said.
WEEKS PASSED . . . WEEKS OF NOT knowing what was happening at the palace, not knowing how my sister was, how my father was adjusting to his new crown, or what had become of Lib. Was he still a servant? Had he been punished?
The knot in my stomach never really left. It wasn’t so much that I longed to be in my beautiful room at the palace, but I missed Ash. As much as I felt betrayed by her and her husband, I had expected her to at least visit or send a servant to inquire about my well-being.
But there had been nothing.
I followed along with my new duties, hoping for the day to come that I’d be returned home.
Nelise became my ever-present shadow. She told me of her simple life in the small village of Isla. Although she seemed in awe of me and the life I had come from, I envied her. To live in a place where you weren’t watched and every move you made weighed against possible treason. Even though Nelise was older than I and more familiar with the temple routine, I seemed to be guiding her.
Raynelle continued to observe from the background and didn’t hesitate to correct or reprimand either one of us. The other priestesses were pleasant women, and I immediately sensed their strong bond of sisterhood, though it made me miss my true sister all the more.
Our prayer ritual began with a prayer at sunrise each morning then resumed midday at the sun’s zenith. The final round of prayers took place as the sun hovered at the horizon. I memorized the prayers and chanted them with the priests and priestesses, but I felt nothing in my heart. Not even devotion or gratitude. The only gratitude I felt was to know that I was too young to be a full priestess.
Though Nelise’s decorated arms fascinated me and were beautiful in their own way, I couldn’t imagine the pain that came from such a ritual.
