Crown in the Stars (32 page)

“I still haven’t forgiven Ra-Anan for letting
her
rule the women’s festival,” Sharah grumbled, settling into the most comfortable fleece-padded seat in Adoniyram’s residence and looking around. “Really, Adoniyram, you need better furnishings. And why don’t you have anything out here for me to drink?”

“Because I didn’t know you were coming today, Mother,” Adoniyram said, smiling, looking so much like his father that Sharah smiled in return.

She was so glad he was handsome—she would have detested an ugly son.

Lifting his eyebrows charmingly, Adoniyram added, “By the way, my uncle didn’t willingly allow Shoshannah to ‘rule’ the women’s festival; the women demanded that she attend. I’m sure he was furious.”

“Don’t even say her name in my presence!” Sharah snapped. “We’ve got to insist that Ra-Anan and Kuwsh get rid of her soon. My worst fear is that she’s going to steal the citizens’ affections, and yours too. She’s untrustworthy—a little liar who wants to divide this Great City. I want you to stay away from her; do you hear me?”

“I hear you, Mother, truly. Now, if you’ll forgive me the wait, I’ll find something for you to drink.” He went through a small doorway toward the kitchen.

Satisfied that drinks were forthcoming, Sharah smoothed her flowing curls and adjusted her linen robe. She toyed with her clever new serpentlike bracelet—pure gold with lovely little red-gemmed eyes, winding around her wrist marvelously. It made her arm look slimmer and finer, like ivory.

“Here,” Adoniyram said, bringing in a cup and a small clay pitcher. He poured something into the cup and offered it to her with a gracious half bow.

Sharah wrinkled her nose, offended by the simple clay cup and its contents. “This is plain barley beer. Don’t you have any wine?”

“I can’t often afford trading for wine, Mother, but this beer isn’t too bad. Now, what were you saying about Ra-Anan?”

“I was actually talking about the girl; you need to persuade Kuwsh and Ra-Anan to get rid of her. If her family merely
believes
that she’s here, it’s enough to draw them
into the city. She doesn’t have to be alive for Kuwsh to get his revenge.”

Her son stared at her, shaking his head as if he were going to argue.

“Don’t be stupid!” Sharah cried. “You know what a danger she is—and if it’s a choice between letting her live or saving our places in this kingdom, then there’s really no choice at all, now is there?”

“Give me a little more time, Mother, please,” Adoniyram said, half kneeling beside her, affectingly softspoken. “The more we disagree with them, the more Ra-Anan and Kuwsh will refuse your request.”

More time? She had waited long enough already—the girl had to be dealt with. Sharah was almost ready to take matters into her own hands. But before she could say so, Adoniyram changed the subject.

“Have you heard about the guardsman who defeated Perek? I have him here in my residence.”

Diverted, Sharah took a sip of the beer, grimaced at its nasty taste, and put it down. “He actually defeated Perek?”

“Ask him for yourself.” Once more, Adoniyram left her alone.

Restless, she stood, looking around his main room. It looked like a miserable merchant’s home. Revolting. She was going to tell Adoniyram
now
that he must decorate his residence properly. Wasn’t he the Son of Heaven? Her only child?

Not your only child
, a tiny thought nagged.

The only one worth anything
, Sharah argued silently, exasperated, pushing the strange, troublesome thought away.

Adoniyram reentered the room, grinned, and bowed to her teasingly as he extended one hand toward the
doorway. An impressively tall, muscular, attractive young man entered the room and bowed. He was slightly paler than her Adoniyram, with gleaming black-brown hair smoothed back into the beginnings of a guardsman’s plait. A truly good-looking young man.

She couldn’t resist speaking to him. “I see now that you
could
have beaten Perek. Didn’t he leave a bruise or scratch on you at all? Turn around, let me see you. Turn, turn!”

The young guardsman raised a surprised eyebrow, but he turned politely and then faced her again, studying her—admiring her, Sharah was certain.

“Well,” she said, pleased, “do you speak at all, or do you only stare?”

Wide-eyed, he said, “You look so much like that girl in Master Ra-Anan’s household; you could be her mother, though you’re pale as a chunk of fat.”

Sharah stared, trying to absorb this outlandish, unbelievable statement.
Pale as a chunk of
… “What?”

To her horror, he began to repeat blithely, “You look so much like that girl in our Master Ra-Anan’s household; you could be her moth—”

“Out!” Adoniyram commanded, charging between them, waving the stupid man from the room. “Go back to the kitchen! You need to learn some manners!”

While Sharah was trying to gather her stunned, scattered thoughts, Adoniyram followed the uncouth guardsman out, staring until he was apparently gone from sight. Then, passing a hand over his face, Adoniyram returned to the main room.

“Mother, I’m sorry—I would never have believed he could be so rude.”

“If he were in my household, I’d have him beaten!”
Sharah cried, trying to recover from the shock of his ignorant comparison.
As pale as
… She couldn’t even finish the thought without cringing. The big fool had made her feel
old
and
ugly!
Unable to speak, she marched out of her son’s residence, ignoring his apologies.

“You said that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Kneeling before Adoniyram in the main room, Kaleb lowered his head, still horrified. That overpainted Sharah-woman was remarkably similar to I’ma-Keren and Shoshannah in height and features, but terrifyingly proud and…
flirtatious
. He had been so frantic to be rid of her attention that he had said the first coherent thought to cross his mind. And the truth had stopped her as he’d hoped. Now, Adoniyram would certainly return him to the mud pits.

Relentless, Adoniyram persisted. “Admit it; you said that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Yes. Please forgive me. I’ve never been so scared of anyone in my life.”

Unexpectedly, the Young Lord dropped into the fleece-draped seat and laughed, shaking his head. “You were scared? I’ve never seen anyone shock our Queen of the Heavens so badly—not even that girl you referred to. My Lady-Mother hates her enough to kill her. Remember that from now on, won’t you? Also…” Adoniyram’s voice hardened. “The girl you saw in Master Ra-Anan’s household is nothing like my mother. Never compare them again.”

Adoniyram passed a hand over his face as if trying to wipe away a grin. “I can’t
believe
you said such a thing to
my mother. Just stay out of her way when she’s here, and you might live.”

“Thank you, my lord.” Kaleb sagged, relieved that he wasn’t going to be returned to the slime. Until now, he hadn’t realized how much he wanted to stay in Adoniyram’s household. He would have a little more freedom here. And from what the servants had said, he would probably accompany Adoniyram everywhere as soon as he was “presentable”—including visits to Master Ra-Anan’s household.

A blessing. Thank You, Most High! Just keep that Sharah away from me, I beg You
.

While they finished their morning meal, Zeva’ah said, “Ormah is unwell.” Zeva’ah sounded as if she blamed the maidservant for being female and needing her monthly days of seclusion. “Demamah, you’ll have to go with Shoshannah to her lessons today.”

“Yes, Mother,” Demamah replied dutifully. But while they were preparing to leave, Shoshannah heard her sigh, apparently dreading a morning in the presence of the unpredictable Rab-Mawg.

As they went out into the sunshine to their horses, Demamah tugged at Shoshannah’s arm. “That’s one of those awful brothers.”

Shoshannah looked, almost smiling when she saw Tiyrac, clean, mannerly, and looming beside Demamah’s horse. Before she could say anything, Demamah whispered, “Look at the red in his hair!”

“His coloring
is
different from the others, isn’t it?” Studying the fiery tinge in Tiyrac’s dark, sunlit hair,
Shoshannah realized for the first time how odd he must appear to Demamah. Shoshannah had never considered his coloring or size to be unusual; all the men in the Tribe of Ashkenaz were tall, red brown, and burly. Unable to resist teasing her cousin, she asked, “Do you suppose he’s a brute like Perek?”

“I hope not,” Demamah whispered, alarmed. “I think he’s going to tend my horse today.”

“I’ll pray for you…”

Obviously scared, Demamah approached her horse and looked up at Tiyrac.

He hesitated, bowed, and linked his hands, offering her a foothold to mount her horse—as neat and careful as any other guardsman. But he seemed distressed when he turned away from Demamah. And he stole a quizzical look at Shoshannah.

She stifled a laugh.

“Daughter of Keren,” Perek growled at her, “quit staring at
that
one! Come here.”

Shoshannah obeyed meekly, not wanting Perek to become suspicious. And she was worried because Perek seemed to consider Tiyrac to be an enemy.
Please don’t let him make trouble for Tiyrac
, she prayed fervently.
And let me see Kal soon
.

No one had mentioned Kaleb since he struck down Perek and was taken to serve in Adoniyram’s household. But Ra-Anan was furious. And Shoshannah had been too upset over Kal’s punishment to rejoice over his victory against the guardsman. She was desperate to know that he was well.
Tiyrac must also be concerned …

She watched Tiyrac furtively as he bounded onto his own dark horse, prepared to follow Demamah on their excursion to the tower. As they rode north on the market
street, another procession of horses rode toward them, heading south: Adoniyram’s household, apparently returning from an early hunt.

Shoshannah was worried when Ra-Anan greeted Adoniyram with a rude nod. But Adoniyram spoke to him courteously, seeming pleased with a successful hunt; his guardsmen were hauling a brace of netted, wrung ducks and, wonderfully, a fine lion’s corpse. Adoniyram smiled at her secretively as he rode past. And behind Adoniyram, riding a weary brown horse, was Kal.

She gave him a cautious hint of a smile, then tossed her head and sniffed, loudly repeating Zeva’ah’s indignant complaint. “Half naked indeed!”

Kaleb’s eyes sparkled as he rode past.

Perek, riding his own horse just behind Shoshannah, growled a wordless threat. Shoshannah held her breath fearfully, but Kal said nothing. The danger passed in an instant, departing with Adoniyram’s triumphant household.

Relaxing, Shoshannah exulted inwardly,
He’s safe! He’s well!
She wanted nothing more than to escape with him. And Tiyrac, of course. She tried to think of a plan.