One week later, Eliana stood before the door to the audience chamber, clad in an indigo gown fringed with silver. A slim circlet of gold and pearl sat on her brow, and matching bracelets jingled at her wrists. Balancing beside her on still-unsteady legs, Sarri was a perfect miniature copy of her aunt, right down to the gold circlet nestling amongst her tangle of black curls.
The little girl tugged impatiently at Eliana's hand – she wanted to explore. Now that Sarri was walking and running, it was becoming ever-more difficult to keep her out of trouble. She was inquisitive, wanting to smell, touch, taste everything she could get her tiny hands on. Yesterday, Eliana had gone into her dressing room and immediately noticed that her paints and powders were in disarray. A cloud of pale face powder still hung in the air.
A giggle came from underneath the table – Eliana peered underneath to discover a little ghost laughing at her with mischievous eyes. Sarri had got the powder everywhere – in her hair, on her gown, on her face and in her mouth. Both of them had needed a bath by the time Eliana finished cleaning up.
The herald banged his staff on the tiles. 'The Lady Eliana, Sekrutu to His Royal Highness Samsu, Prince of Babylon, Lugal of Nippur; and their Royal Highnesses, the Princesses Sarri and Kisuri, daughters of Babylon.'
The doors were flung open – Eliana took a step forward, Mari at her heels in a good wool gown, cradling Kisuri in a gown to match her sister and aunt's, wildly inappropriate for a four month old baby. The silk was already watermarked where she had dribbled onto it.
They took a few steps into the hall. Sarri dug her heels in, freezing in fear.
Giving a reassuring smile, Eliana prodded her niece gently, 'come along,' she whispered.
Sarri stared around with wide eyes. Eliana could not imagine how boundless this room must look to such a tiny girl – a vast, glittering cave filled with unknown beasts and silent, watchful faces.
'Nooooooo!' Sarri wailed, turning to bury her face in Eliana's skirts and holding up her arms. The assembly laughed; Eliana looked to the dais, Samsu and Susa were not smiling.
Scooping her niece from the floor, she cuddled her and stroked her back, walking smoothly towards the thrones.
She knelt carefully, bowing her head. Behind her, Mari did the same. Neither of them could bow fully whilst holding the girls, and they prayed that Samsu would not make anything of it.
Eliana exhaled a soft sigh of relief as he motioned for them to rise. She stood and set Sarri on her feet on the floor, where the little girl clung to her leg. She took Kisuri from Mari, and rested her free hand on Sarri's head.
'Your Royal Highness, may I present your daughters, Sarri,' she gestured, 'and Kisuri.'
He nodded and grunted acknowledgement. 'Are they strong and healthy?' he asked.
'They are, sir. And within a half-year they will have a vigorous brother to join them in the nursery.' She took her free hand off Sarri's head and placed it protectively over her belly, glaring defiantly at Susa.
Truthfully, Kisuri was not healthy. Still small for her four and a half months, and struggling with her breathing, she was pale and delicate as a rare orchid. For all that, she looked just like her mother, and Eliana's heart melted a little every time she looked at her. The two sisters were as different from each other as Suen from Utu – while Kisuri was pale and still like the moon, Sarri blazed with energy, like the sun, her quick mind and playful spirit already apparent.
Samsu waved them away. Mari stepped forward to take Kisuri again, Eliana picked up Sarri and they moved off to the side.
The petitioners began in earnest, with Samsu dispensing judgements and justice at a rapid pace, eager to get off the throne and into a saddle. For once, Eliana paid scant attention; she was too busy trying to amuse her niece, keeping the bored girl quiet as her father worked. She slid off a bracelet and played with it, dangling it in front of the baby.
Only when she became aware of a change of atmosphere in the room did she look up.
Two men stood before Samsu. One in his middle age, the other in the prime of his youth. Their faces shared the same almond-shaped eyes and slightly hooked nose – they appeared to be father and son.
'You struck your father?' said Samsu, his voice soft with danger. Eliana knew that tone well, and her stomach knotted with dread.
'Well, yes, but he...'
'Do not make excuses!' Samsu snapped at the young man. 'It is an unpardonable crime, to strike one's own father. He would be within his rights to disinherit you.'
The man opened his mouth again, 'I-'
'Silence!' roared Samsu. 'Babylonian law is very clear – "if a son strikes his father, they shall cut off his fingers".'
'No!' cried the man, 'I beg you, please!' he fell to his knees.
'My prince, I would not have him punished so severely.' The older man intervened.
'What you would have is of no consequence,' sneered Samsu. 'The law is the law.' He snapped his fingers.
Two guards stepped forward, crossing their spears between the father and his son, preventing any interference. The Brute stepped forward with his dagger.
The young man's piercing wails were the only sound in the hall.
Sarri wriggled in Eliana's arms, distressed by the noise, trying to twist around to see what caused it. Eliana focused wholly on her niece, trying to block out what was going on before her. The man's cries of fear changed to screams of pain, and there was a sickening crunch as the Brute's dagger took his first finger.
One.
She stared straight into Sarri's eyes, pulling a silly face to make the baby giggle.
Two.
She swayed from side to side.
Three.
Bouncing up and down on the spot, she began to hum a little tune.
Four.
It worked – Sarri ceased to listen to the mounting screams of the tortured man and the anguished shouts of his father, she gave all her attention to Eliana.
Five.
It was done. Father and son were reunited and sent on their way, the younger man leaving a stream of blood as he staggered from the hall. Eliana felt a wave of nausea and a tightness in her throat, threatening tears. Such a waste – a man mutilated for life, all because of a heated response to a probably minor quarrel. She wished she had heard the whole of the story as she swallowed down her pity – this was no time for softness. The last petitions were finished and her moment was approaching. She set Sarri back on the ground.
The herald banged his staff. 'In her benevolence, Her Royal Highness, Susa of Elam, Princess Consort of Babylon has requested a small piece of land in order to build a temple to Pinikir, mother-goddess of Elam, that her blessings might extend to Nippur and its people.'
'Any objections?' called Samsu.
Eliana took a deep breath, and stepped forward from the crowd. Susa's eyes narrowed with rage as they lit on her.
'Please, sir, I have an objection.' She said.
Samsu turned to her. 'What is it, sekrutu?'
'Sir, if I may... which piece of land specifically does the Princess request?'
'It is the common land on the south bank of the canal.'
'Forgive me, but there is already a shortage of food in Nippur. The poorest citizens scratch what little food they can from that land – if it is taken from them, you condemn hundreds of innocent souls to a wretched death by starvation.'
Susa laughed, 'what matter if there are fewer rats on the streets? I say I shall be doing a favour to the populace at large.'
Eliana looked as Susa with contempt, seeing the feeling mirrored on the woman's own face. Everything about her proclaimed greed, from the richly feathered gold-and-green headdress over her neat hair, to the jewelled bands clasped around her ankles. She only wanted the temple erected so that she could collect its revenues to lavish on more expensive luxuries while the destitute went wanting.
Turning back towards the crowd, Eliana beckoned Mari forward with the children; she spoke from the heart. 'Sir, Mari is a loyal servant, a talented healer and an excellent nursemaid to your daughters. Without this common land, she would have starved to death following your glorious conquest.' Those words almost choked her, but she would say what she had to, if it meant winning.
She took Kisuri into her arms. 'Dozens of babies as sweet and innocent as your daughter will go to the underworld without ever really having tasted life, and who knows who they might grow up to be? What use they might be to you and your empire? If you allow this temple to go ahead, children like Sarri and Kisuri will perish. For the love of your people, sir, I beg you not to build.'
Handing Kisuri back to Mari, Eliana reached up and removed the circlet of gold from her head, before sliding the bracelets from her wrists. She got to her knees. 'If it please you, I will sell my own meagre jewellery and the few possessions I have of my own to purchase the land for the people.'
Susa swelled up like a toad, purple with rage as Samsu nodded. 'You are right, sekrutu. The people are better served by this land in its current state. I forbid the use of the common land for a temple. Furthermore, I forbid you sell your jewellery for it. I gave you those gifts, I will not have you sell them on like a coarse mercenary. The land shall be a gift to you, to use it as you feel best.'
A beaming smile lit Eliana's face; she dipped into a full bow. 'I cannot thank you enough, sir. Your people will sing your praises from now until the end of time.' She knew that he had only acquiesced because he wanted the acclaim of the people; honestly, she did not care what his reasons were, so long as he gave her what she wanted.
She remained in her bow. There was a pause.
'Is there something else, sekrutu?'
'Only a small matter, sir. I am a simple woman, inexperienced in the complexities of managing land. Might I ask that the land be turned over to the Ensi, my father, to govern wisely in my stead and manage it more effectively than I could ever hope to.'
'Granted.' Samsu gestured for her to get up, clearly delighted by her show of being rendered inferior by her sex.
She had known that would please him. Though she was as capable of managing the land as her father, she particularly wanted it turned over to him. He was out in the city every day, seeing those on the lowest rung of society. He would know how the land was best to be used.
Flushed with her victory, she stood and moved back into the crowd; her legs shook as the excitement coursed through her, the thrill of defeating Susa.
The woman glared daggers at her as she passed. With only a vague sense of unease, smothered by the intoxicating joy of success, Eliana sensed that her actions may have consequences. She had the distinct feeling that a full-blown war was about to erupt.
She placed a hand over her belly as Samsu drew the audience to a close.