��

Queen of the Persians

by Lee Edgar

dedicated to orphans everywhere

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

    KHSHAYARSHA propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at his wife, his hand resting gently on her warm belly.
    'You really are something special,' he said with feeling.
    Astur smiled. 'I am only here to please my Lord the King.'
    'If only this idyllic situation could go on forever.'
    The Queen frowned. 'Why can't it?'
    'Nothing is forever, these days,' he sighed. 'Do you know? Of all the wives and concubines I have had, I have to admit you are the best. I don't know what it is, but you have something none of the others ever had.'
    'We Hebrews call it ahev, my husband - love. It is not something which can be faked.'
    'It is in the eyes,' he said and kissed her gently.
    'If I have pleased you, my Lord King, might I ask a very great favour?'
    'Of course, name it. Up to half my kingdom.'
    Astur laughed. 'Have you not yet learned, Khshayarsha? I do not desire wealth and power, I simply long for the love of a good husband.'
    He sighed. 'If only I could live up to your expectations.'
    She sat up and touched his face tenderly. 'But you do. I could ask for no-one better.'
    He looked down. 'What is your desire?'
    'To appoint a new Maid of Honour to the harem.'
    He frowned again. 'What is wrong with Artaynte? Has she displeased you?'
    'Not at all. It is just... It is just that...'
    'Yes?'
    'She wishes to get married. With the King's permission, of course.'
    Khshayarsha sat up straight. 'Artaynte? Marry? Whom?'
    'My cousin, Marduka.'
    'I thought that a Jewish man could only take a Jewish woman for himself.'
    'That is true but Artaynte wishes to become a Proselyte - to be adopted as a Jew.'
    'Well, well,' he smiled. 'My little Artaynte.'
    'You are not angry?'
    'I shall miss her. She was a good girl.'
    Astur laughed. 'My Lord King, you speak of her as if she is dead. You will still see her often. Is not Marduka your Prime Minister?'
    'Whom would you choose as a replacement?'
    'I would appoint one of the other maids - Melane of Nippur.'
    'She is indeed beautiful in form.'
    'Is it a deal?'
    He nodded. 'If it is your wish. In some ways, I would like to do away with the harem completely. Those women are sometimes more trouble than they are worth.'
    'Would I be enough to satisfy your desires?'
    'It depends. A King needs love often.'
    'That I would gladly give.'
    He laughed. 'No woman loves her husband that much.'
    'I do. But, even then, it would not be wise to disband the harem altogether.'
    'And why not? If you will satisfy my every need, why do I need a harem? Why, I will not even need Melane.'
    'But you will, my Lord King.' Astur looked sad. 'You see, I can give you my love but there is one thing I cannot give you.'
    'And what is that?'
    'A son.'
    The King was silent for a long time before he spoke. 'How can you know this?'
    'Apparently, I was damaged by my fall into the river whilst trying to escape from Haman's sons. I have been to the physicians and they all agree. I am unable to produce children.'
    'But physicians can be wrong.'
    'They often are. However, have you not noticed that I am not as other women?'
    'Not that I've noticed. Everything seems to be in the right place.'
    'Externally, yes. What you may never have noticed is that I do not have a normal menstrual cycle. I am incapable of conceiving a child. They mentioned lots of big words about parts of the body I did not understand but the message came loud and clear. I was to be forever barren.'
    'Astur,' he said gently. 'I had no idea.'
    'Do you not understand? That is why I had to flee from the palace. Your attendants indicated that you wished to keep me, one day to become your Queen. I could not disappoint you in that way.'
    'And that is why you kept yourself locked away in the gatehouse for so long?'
    'Yes,' she bowed her head. 'However, I was with Artaynte and her love, I'm afraid, was infectious. When Artaynte and Marduka persuaded me to present myself before you, I hesitated at first for what I thought were moral reasons. Even when I agreed, I convinced myself that you had other concubines who could bear you children.'
    'Is this why you do not wish me to disband the harem? You are still thinking only of me?'
    She bowed her head. 'Yes. You see, I still love you and want, above all else, for you to be happy.'
    'And you want me to take on Melane?'
    'Melane is part of a large family. Her mother seems to produce children simply when her husband glances at her so I feel that Melane will be equally as fertile and will produce a great many fine sons for you.'
    He smiled. 'Then it shall be as you have spoken. Artaynte may marry your Marduka, and Melane will bear my children.'

    THE King awoke to bird song and turned over to find that he was alone. He frowned, rose from the bed and went to the window. Everything looked so normal. And yet, for some inexplicable reason, he felt uneasy.
    'Harbona,' he called and the attendant arrived quickly. 'Where did the Queen go? Did you see?'
    'Yes, my Lord King.' He bowed. 'She left with her maids.'
    'Left? Out of the city?'
    'Why, yes, my Lord King. As always.'
    He reached for his gown. 'Send Megabyzus to me.'
    'Yes, my Lord King.'
    His son-in-law arrived shortly. 'You called, my father?'
    'Yes. I need to know where it is that the Queen goes each morning. Can you find out?'
    Megabyzus smiled. 'I already know that. She goes up there.' He pointed north-east to where the stark, barren peaks of the Zagros stood clear of the treeline.
    'Up there? Up the mountain?'
    'Every day. I have had the three of them followed a few times but, alas, I have no man who can keep up with them.'
    'What do you mean?'
    'They run, Sire.'
    'Run? Are you insane, Megabyzus?'
    'Not at all. When my men reported back to me, I too, disbelieved. But, every morning, the Queen collects Artaynte and Melane and they run up the mountain. It takes them over an hour to reach the top and a little less to come down. I keep thinking that, one day, they will fall. However, it appears they are all extremely nimble of foot.'
    The King glanced at the nearby peak. 'Are they meeting someone up there? Someone who could do us harm?'
    'I do not think so. They are not up there long enough. They merely go up and then come down again.'
    'I will find out today what this is all about.'
    Megabyzus smiled. 'As you wish, sire.'
    Khshayarsha dressed and walked along the balcony and, as he began to descend the stone steps, he saw the three girls enter the gate and disappear into the doorway to the courtyard of the women. Mystified, he followed and gently pushed open the door. The three of them were in the bathing pool.
    'Good morning, my Lord King,' called Astur as she saw Khshayarsha. 'You may come in. It is but we three who are here.'
    Suddenly, he was feeling foolish. Despite Astur's devotion to him, he had half-suspected she was up to something.
    'What have you been doing?' he heard himself ask.
    'Exercise, My Lord. It was Hegai's idea.'
    'Hegai?'
    The Queen smiled as Melane splashed water over her shoulders. 'On the night you and I were to be wed, he gave me some sound counsel. He said "If you want to keep your king, keep your tongue, but if you want to keep your man, keep your figure." I have never forgotten his words.'
    Khshayarsha laughed. 'That sounds like good advice to me.'
    'At first, I didn't think so. However, in time, he was proved to be right. Every day, he made me run seven times round the palace at Shushan.'
    'But why do you have to go outside the city? It could be dangerous, especially up there.'
    'Alas, here in Ecbatana, it is not possible to run around the palace. So, as next best thing, we run up the mountain.'
    'To keep your figure?'
    'You don't think I would stay looking like this for long if all I did was sit around and eat, do you?' She slipped a towel around her shoulders only and stood before her King. 'Do you not approve?'
    He looked her up and down. 'Of the figure? Yes. Of the running? I'm not so sure. You could get attacked or lost or something.'
    'Attacked? Lost?' laughed Astur. 'With Megabyzus' guards trying to keep pace with us all the time? Fat chance of that.'
    'So you know?'
    'Of course. Your son-in-law should train his men better. If we ever got attacked, I think we would end up protecting our guards instead of the other way round.'
    The King smiled. 'You are probably right. We need a good war to get the men back into shape. They are getting lazy.'
    'Well, we most certainly are not,' she said cheekily and then kissed him briefly. 'Now, are you going to join us in the pool? Or will you allow us to get dressed?'
    Khshayarsha shook his head. 'It's a good job that I can trust you.'
    Astur grinned. 'It is, isn't it?'

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

publish the works of Lee and hundreds of other authors
they can publish your book, poem, article or short story, too
click the monitor for details

This site designed by

member