The Life and Times of Bonnie Chance

The Parting

The next day at dawn, the Minoan ship landed on the shores of the Hittite Empire in the port city of Tarsus. Carol made sure to keep her hair and face covered as she disembarked from the ship with Sebastos and a handful of General Phlios's men.

"Oh, this is Tarsus?" Carol said, looking around excitedly. "This was the scene of the first meeting between the famous lovers Mark Antony and Cleopatra!"

"Who?" Sebastos asked.

"Oh, sorry! I'm just talking to myself again..." Carol said when she realized she was bringing up stuff he shouldn't know anything about. 'I remember Bonnie also telling me before that this settlement was located at the crossing of several important trade routes, linking Anatolia to Syria and beyond. Because the ruins are covered by the modern city, archaeology has barely touched the ancient city. But I'm standing in it now!' "Bonnie will love this. I can't wait to show it to her!"

"Yes, well, we must ride with haste if we are to make it to Hattusa by nightfall," Sebastos said as he paid for the horses they would be using. "We have a long way to go."

"Yes, you're right. We must focus on getting to Bonnie!" Carol said, determined to save her cousin.

—∞—

'Tonight's the night...' Bonnie thought, hiding her nervousness well while she played board games with Mira. 'This evening, the drugged tea will be sent up, and I'll be escaping from this place...'

"Well, you look like you're having fun!" the Hittite king said, stepping into her room. Something about his smile and the way he looked at Bonnie made both girls uneasy. "I've been wanting to talk to you, daughter of Ishtar, but I've only just now found the time. The rest of you can leave."

Mira, Mula, and the maids hesitated, getting a bad feeling about his visit.

Bonnie didn't want to be left alone with him, either. She thought there was a lecherous look in the king's eyes.

"I said leave!" he ordered the other women in a booming voice when they didn't move.

Mira and the maids were startled, and Mula had a pained expression on her face for a moment, but then Mula said, "You heard the king. We must not disobey an order..." and she led the maids out of the room, who all glanced back at Bonnie with concern.

Mira also looked at Bonnie with a worried expression. She hesitated before hurrying out of the room.

'This can't be good...' Bonnie thought warily. Her own instincts told her this was trouble, but to have the other women look so worried for her put her on edge. The king sat down on Bonnie's bed next to her. Bonnie stood up and put a polite distance between them.

"No need to be so nervous!" the king said, smiling at her as he stood up, too. "I only said I want to talk..."

'Your eyes say different!' Bonnie thought, disgusted by the way he was looking at her.

"Do you really not want to marry my son?" the king asked, taking a step toward her.

Bonnie stepped back. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"If you won't marry my son, then perhaps you'll marry me?" the king said, stepping toward her again.

Bonnie stepped back again. "No. Not even in your dreams."

The king dropped his pleasant act and lunged at Bonnie. He grabbed her.

'Damn! I have to fight back, but if I hurt him, I'll probably be put in a real cell or worse, and the escape plan will be ruined!' Bonnie thought anxiously, struggling against the king as best as she could without harming him. Those thoughts were startled away when the King managed to throw Bonnie back on the bed. Her eyes widened. 'Shit! I can't be worried about that now!' She managed to get up again and dived around the king when he tried to pin her down. "Stop it!"