Ashan arrived at dusk to take her to Samsu, but it was not only her that he wanted to see.
He came in and bowed to Kisha, 'my lady, your husband insists that Eliana bring the princess this evening.'
Kisha's arms tightened around her daughter. 'No,' her voice was barely audible.
'I don't think it was optional,' said Ashan gently.
'No!' she was firmer this time. 'I don't care what you tell him, but she's not taking Sarri. You'll have to prise her from me.'
Eliana stood behind Ashan, poised and ready to leave. 'You know we won't do that. But Samsu won't just let it go.'
'I don't care. My baby stays with me.'
Ashan nodded, 'as you say. But I strongly advise against it. As your sister says, this will not be the last you hear of it.'
Sarri let out a little cry of protest as Kisha gripped her harder and shook her head.
'Very well.' Ashan bowed again, and swept out of the room with Eliana in tow.
As they made their way to Samsu's chambers, he asked her, 'what will you say to him?'
'I'll think of something,' she said grimly. 'I can't just tell him she refused - I don't think he'd believe me, for a start. Motherhood has given her some conviction at last.'
'Well, good luck.'
'Thank you. Honestly, I hardly care what he asks me to do tonight, I just hope that the Brute was right about Samsu claiming me for his own. At least I could be free of one of them.'
They arrived at the chamber door. Eliana took a deep breath, gathered her strength, and followed Ashan inside.
Samsu reclined on the bed, bare-chested, studying a map and picking at a bowl of dates beside him. His usual four guards were in the room: Ashan, the Brute, Asag the Ugly, and one other that she only knew by sight and by taste.
Moving into the centre of the room, she stopped, aware of his eyes on her. She counted slowly to five, before sinking into her bow.
She would show the humility that he demanded, but with just enough of a pause for it to be obvious that it was not spontaneous and genuine respect that made her bow.
'Well, whore. This is a poor start to the evening, is it not?'
Keeping her forehead to the floor, she held her tongue.
'You seem to have forgotten something. Where is the child?'
Eliana took the directness of the question for permission to speak. 'The princess has been a little unwell with colic this week. It is quite common in young children, but I judged it best to leave her with her mother, so that she wouldn't disturb you with her crying.'
Samsu swung off the bed and walked towards her. 'You judged it best? You think I keep you for your judgement?' He placed the heel of one foot carefully onto the fingers of her left hand as it rested on the ground beside where her forehead touched the floor. Gradually, he increased the pressure.
She bit her lip, determined not to make a sound though it felt like he was crushing her fingers to dust.
Impatient, he gave a little stamp, driving all his weight down on her slender digits. She gasped involuntarily, and was immediately furious with herself.
He gave a little chuckle. 'I always get what I want, whore. You must know that by now. If I want a cry of pain from you, that is what you will give me, whether you wish it or not.'
Turning to the Brute, he said, 'go and fetch the child. Tolerate no argument from the mother - you can deal with her.'
While his attention was elsewhere, she clenched and flexed her hand. The fingers would be bruised, but didn't feel broken.
The Brute left, and she was once more his sole focus.
'Stand up.'
She obeyed immediately this time.
'Remove your dress.'
Unfastening the shoulder ties, she stared straight ahead, past Samsu. From the corner of her eye, she could see Ashan. It was easy to pretend that she was undressing for his benefit alone. Taking her time, she shrugged out of the gown and stepped to one side, leaving it pooled on the floor behind her.
Usually, when she was commanded to undress, she felt that she was leaving her dignity entangled in the discarded garments. Today, however, she felt the lure of her body - saw in Samsu's expression that she perhaps had some power over him after all, though she had yet to learn to use it.
He circled her like a vulture, examining her as critically as one might appraise a horse before making a purchase. Goosebumps prickled at her skin - whether from the chill of the evening or the mounting anticipation, she could not say.
Cupping one of her breasts in his hand, he squeezed hard, before rolling the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She kept her face impassive, even as he repeated the action with the other.
When he flicked and then tugged hard on both together, she winced. She made a mental note to learn to control her reactions, somehow.
He smiled, satisfied enough by her grimace. In one swift move, he pulled her against him; warm breasts and stiff nipples pressed against his bare chest. He reached around and grabbed her buttocks, kneading them like dough.
Every touch made her stomach churn. She longed to slap his hands away, like an insolent boy at the bazaar.
One day, she told herself, she would have the courage to do it.
His fingers snaked between her legs. The sudden touch made her jump and pull away - though she had been violated in other ways, that part of her body had thus far remained largely private.
Samsu took a step back. Gripping her hair with one hand, he gave a blow to the face that made her legs buckle beneath her. She cried out as he held her up by the hair.
'You will learn, girl.' He barked. 'You are a slave. No part of your body belongs to you, and I will do what I like with my own possessions. The person that you were is dead - you are now my whore, and you have no identity beyond that. In fact,' he looked thoughtful for a moment, 'you shall have a new name to match your status. Karkittu, "whore" in the Babylonian dialect, lest you forget who you are.'
He dropped her to the ground and walked back to the bed.
Lying there in a crumpled heap, she raged inwardly, swearing to herself that he could do as he wanted with her outer shell, but her inner being was beyond his reach. She was desperate to reassure herself, afraid of how far he might go to strip down her sense of self and rebuild her to suit his whim.
As she lay in silent fury, the Brute returned, Sarri screaming in his arms.
'At last,' said Samsu. 'I know you care little for your own welfare, Karkittu, but I am sure you are anxious to make sure that none of your niece's innocent blood stains these tiles.'
Eliana sat up in a panic - she could well believe that Samsu would harm his own daughter just to make her obey. Her heart sank with dread as she saw the Brute standing at his post, gently cradling Sarri in one arm, poised with a dagger above her stomach.
'A-ha,' laughed Samsu, 'now I have your undivided attention, I see. So, with your sister's child here to ensure your good behaviour and no unfortunate incidents, I am eager to see what you've learned. Come here.'
She stood.
'No,' he stopped her. 'Crawl.'
Dropping back to her hands and knees, she dragged herself the length of the room to where he stood beside the bed, feeling sick with the indignity and absurdity of the act.
'Good.'
She looked up at him. A broad grin split his face, like a child given a much-coveted toy.
He kicked her hard in the ribs, making her cough. 'Now, little karkittu, you know the rules about looking at your master. Sit up.'
She sat onto her heels.
Hitching his kilt up to his waist, he made it clear what he wanted from her tonight. What Eliana saw no longer shocked her - one cock was much the same as another. She fought the almost overwhelming urge to use her teeth as a weapon, instead tuning into Sarri's heartrending wails for her mother.
With the little princess's cries filling her ears, she took him into her mouth. Massaging the base with one hand as her tongue flicked deftly around the tip, she slid well-practised lips up and down the length of him, alert to the groans and shudders that told her when she was pleasing.
He lasted no longer than any of the others. Twisting his fingers into her hair, he held her head still as he spent with a gasp and an oath, forcing her to swallow his seed as had so many others before.
She would make herself vomit later, as she always did.
Samsu pulled away and staggered backwards to sit on his bed, panting a little. 'Give her the child,' he ordered the Brute. 'Ashan, you may return her to her rooms and send in the concubine. I have had my fun for tonight, now it is time for duty. She will have another child in her belly within half a year.'
He gestured to Eliana that she could get up. The Brute thrust Sarri into her arms, glad to be rid of the screaming child. She quickly crossed the room to retrieve her dress, then followed Ashan outside.
As soon as the door closed behind her, she handed Sarri to him and put on her dress. As she took the baby back, he said to her, 'you did well tonight.'
'Do you think he will be pleased?' she asked anxiously.
'I think so. I saw nothing to suggest otherwise.'
She blushed. Although she knew that he had seen the whole thing, it was mortifying to hear him refer to it. She didn't speak again before they reached the apartments.
They walked in as Mari was finishing applying her arnica ointment to Kisha's face. The Brute had not been compassionate when she refused to hand over her daughter.
'Is she alright?' she cried, leaping up as soon as she saw the bundle in her sister's arms. She all but snatched Sarri away from Eliana.
'She's fine,' said Eliana indignantly. 'I wouldn't let anything happen to her, when her safety depends on my behaviour.'
'He wants you now, my lady. He is determined to get another child on you as soon as possible.'
Kisha's shoulders slumped. She handed her daughter back to Eliana, placed a kiss on the baby's forehead, and meekly followed Ashan from the room.