The Whore of Babylon

Chapter 13 | part 2

The worst part of the heartbreak was that Eliana could not share it with her sister. She had not confided her feelings for Ashan in anyone, but had carried it locked away inside herself as a personal comfort – something pure she could turn to when days were dark, unmarred by anyone else's opinion or disapproval.

'There, there, Elly.' Kisha held her as she cried and stroked her hair as she used to when they were children. 'You knew this was coming – you were lucky to avoid it for this long. Surely it wasn't as bad as all that?'

She shook her head and wept all the harder for her sister's concern.

'The first time is always the hardest. It will get easier, and the less you fight, the less it will hurt.'

Eliana took deep breaths and tried to stem the flood.

Crying won't achieve anything, she told herself. It won't lessen the hurt, it won't change things. Don't waste time with it.

She sat up. Kisha pushed a stray curl off her sister's cheek and dried the tears with the hem of her dress. 'There now. I have some good news,' she couldn't suppress a smile. 'Samsu's father has sent emissaries to deal with some business – they're supposed to arrive tomorrow and there'll be a great banquet to welcome them. We're ordered to attend.'

'Us?' Eliana sniffed. 'Why?'

'Decorations, I suppose,' Kisha spread her hands. 'It doesn't really matter to me – you and I can finally attend a court occasion together. We'll dress up, eat well and share in the entertainments. This is what it's supposed to be, to be married to a prince.'

Eliana forced a smile. She didn't feel like celebrating, and she was sure she'd have to see Ashan at the feast. 'It will be good to have a distraction,' she said. 'Are we expected to do or say anything?'

'No – Samsu's messenger just said we need to look our best, go where we're bid and keep quiet.'

'I think we can manage that.'

'Well, I can!' Kisha laughed. 'Are you sure you can do as you're told for one night?'

Eliana managed a weak chuckle, 'well it all depends on what I'm told to do.'

'Come on,' Kisha wiped the last stray tear tracks from her sister's face. 'I'll feed Sarri and we'll get to bed. We can spend tomorrow making ourselves look pretty!'

**

The next morning, the two girls went down to the bathhouse to remind themselves of the benefits of palace life. After two hours of being soaked, soaped, scrubbed and massaged, they were more relaxed than they had been in weeks. Eliana finally felt that her sister was herself again as they giggled, traded silly jokes and reminisced about home.

Putting Ashan, Samsu and every other man in her life to the back of her mind, Eliana linked arms with her sister and went back to the apartments to prepare for that evening.

Mari had been practising her henna designs on the other maids in preparation for an event like tonight. The two girls stretched out on the grass in the sun in linen shifts as Mari patterned their hands, arms and feet in stunningly elaborate and intricate designs and left the paste to dry in the sun.

It was after midday before it was time to wipe away the excess henna and admire the motifs left behind – Mari blushed with pleasure as the girls praised her skill and exclaimed over the prettiness of the patterns.

The midday meal of cheese, bread and honey came and went; the girls only picked at it, anticipating a grander meal that evening. They went inside and Eliana began to arrange Kisha's hair – the curls artfully twisted and secured atop her head with gold and pearl pins.

As they switched places and Eliana sat to have her hair styled, they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Her heart plummeted through the floor.

Mari answered the door, and a familiar deep voice greeted her.

'Ashan for you, Eliana.' She announced.

Eliana's heart pounded unpleasantly in her chest as she stood and turned to face him, her eyes burning with a resentful fire.

He took half a step back as he was met with the full force of her hatred. Clearing his throat, he said, 'the Prince has sent me with a gift for you, my lady. As he promised last night.'

'Last night...' she repeated in a low voice, not trusting herself to finish a sentence.

Ashan held out a small red cushion and removed its covering, revealing a pair of exquisite earrings of beaten gold, fashioned to look like falling leaves and set with fragments of emerald.

'Samsu asks that you wear a green and gold gown this evening, to match the earrings and your collar. He appreciates your compliance, and hopes it is a sign of things to come.'

'My compliance,' she spat. 'I was in shock, you whoreson. If it hadn't been for you I'd have fought him all the way.'

She walked over to examine the earrings, her stomach twisting into knots as she neared him.

'I won't tell him you said that.' Ashan said drily.

'Tell him whatever you like. I'm sure you tell him all sorts of things about me.' She snarled.

'Eliana...'

His use of her name snapped her fragile composure – she slapped him across the face with all her strength. His cheek reddened, showing the outline of all her fingers, but he did not so much as flinch.

Determined to get a reaction from him, she lashed out again, raking her fingernails down his face. She did not know whether to feel sick or triumphant as the skin split and blood trickled down to drip from his chin.

Ashan winced, but did not give her any more satisfying reaction than that. He put the cushion with its trinkets down calmly, turned and left without another word.

She turned back to Mari and Kisha, who stood aghast, mouths hanging open in twin pictures of astonishment.

'What was that?' said Kisha.

'Nothing,' mumbled Eliana. 'Just... do my hair, please. Mari – could you please fetch out the green silk gown, and maybe a jug of wine from the kitchens? I need something stronger than honey and lemon, I think.'

She forced laughter and levity, trying to regain the carefree atmosphere of that morning, and succeeding to some extent. Kisha and Mari quickly realised that she would not discuss Ashan, and set about pretending to have forgotten the whole incident.

Eliana was grateful.

By the time the page boy came to fetch them, they were ready. Both in gilded sandals, Kisha dressed in a gown of ivory silk trimmed with silver, and Eliana in her green and gold silk to complement the necklace and earrings. She resented the jewellery, but did not quite dare to not wear Samsu's gift. Her one gesture of defiance was to wear her mother's bracelet, the blue of the lapis clashing beautifully with everything else she wore.

Eliana's eyelids were dusted with gold powder, her lips tinted with vermilion, and her sophisticated hairstyle topped with a headdress of black leather and gold beading, fringed with a row of beaten golden suns hanging just above her eyebrows.

Kisha was similarly decorated, with pearl powder to match her ivory silk and a silver circlet set on her brow.

They smiled at each other in happy anticipation. Kisha kissed Sarri goodbye, leaving her in Mari's care, and the two girls followed the page through the palace to the great hall.