WRONG #complete

Chapter Four

With a scarf thrown over their heads, both women maneuvered their way around the market. Eve was excited; she finally had a name for the stranger with a greasy shirt. Mark. A strong masculine name for a handsome man. Mark, the man who looked good with a turkey on his laps. Mark. The man whose green eyes reminded her so much of the grass in the field. She had to find him, she just had to and it didn't matter to her that she had no idea where to look.

She made her way through the sea of people that crowded the market, hassling, buying and selling, Adrianna in tow. They would go back to the baker who knew the cook that had hired them on the day of the banquet.

“This way, my Princess” Adrianna beckoned, exhaustion lacing her voice.

Eve gathered her skirt in her hands and turned to follow Adrianna. Poor choice of clothing for a trip to the market. They walked the short distance and came to a stop in front of a baker's stall. Baked goods were on display. Everything from flat bread to bread with yeast to bread with honey on top. It all looked delicious.

“What would you like this morning?” The baker, a friendly looking man with a bald head and a white apron tied around his waist, stood before them, a smile on his face.

“We would like to know about Mark” Eve answered.

He looked at them, confusion written on his face. “Who?”

“Mark. He is...”

“Ignore my... Um, ignore her” Adrianna interrupted, giving Eve an annoyed look. “We would love that one bread with honey on top”

“Great choice!” He smiled at Adrianna as he worked to get it packaged for them.

“Meanwhile, it was a great banquet at Master Julius' home. Did I tell you I took the job his cook had offered you?”

“Hm...” He said, not taking his eyes off of the bread for a second.

“Yes, I did. It was trilling. Tell me, do you know Master Julius personally?”

“I know the family” He said, holding out the package to Eve. She stared at it, confused. Adrianna reached for it and grabbed it.

“Then you must know something about the people Master Julius hangs around. People such as his friends” Adrianna probed on.

“If you ladies are trying to find a way to meet with Julius, you are on your own with that”

“No, you fail to understand me. You see, who we seek is Mark, his friend.”

“I know no one by that name” The baker leaned forward as his eyes caught the gold pendant lined with tiny diamonds on Eve's neck. “However, that...” He motioned towards her neck. “Could refresh my memory” He looked with lust in his eyes at the pendant.

“What?” Eve touched her neck in defense. “Never! You can't make me give you this, father gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday and I never take it off!” She protested.

“Then I know nothing” He made to walk away.

“Sir!” Adrianna reached for him. “Wait!” He stopped in his track. She turned to face Eve. “Give the man what he wants”

“I will not!” Eve stomped her feet. “You, I command you to tell me what you know about this Mark” She said, pointing a finger at the baker.

He laughed, exposing decaying teeth.

“And who are you, to command me?” He rose an eyebrow.

Eve was frustrated for so many reasons! She wanted desperately to see this arrogant man on his knees, begging for her mercy but she wasn't allowed to be a Princess in Greece, she was Eve, just Eve.

“Fine!” She pulled the pendant off of her neck and held it out to him. He reached for it. She clasped her fingers around it and he glanced at her, annoyed. “Tell me what you know, first” She insisted.

“Mark is a friend of Julius. From what I know, he seems to be very influential but he isn't from around here”

“How would you know?” She asked. He shook his head and clocked his tongue.

“No more information. I seem to be suffering from some kind of brain damage. I can't remember”

She threw the pendant at him, annoyed. She was running out of patience and this silly desire to see Mark again was driving her crazy. Perhaps it was his smile, or his eyes as green as the grass, or his beautiful skin. She shook her head. Focus, Eve!

“Where can I find Mark?” She demanded.

“I have no idea” He smiled mischievously. She glared at him. “But...” He held out his palm, noticing the look in her eyes. “I hear there will be an art exhibition tonight in the house of Leo the great Artist”

“How does that concern me?”

“Influential men of the city are expected to attend. Mark, inclusive. It would be a surprise if he misses the exhibition. This is all I know”

“Oh, I see” She said, a smile creeping up her face. “Very well then”

He held the pendant in his hands, examining it. She turned around. She would get her pendant back but right now, she would face the task of finding Mark. That was all that mattered.

****
Mark readjusted his shirt and stood straight in front of the mirror. He reached up and combed his rather overly blond hair that almost appeared golden. He was to attend the art exhibition of Leo but he would rather just lay in bed and read some thing. He hated social events like this. He hated the food, the wine, the ever willing female slaves who were constantly being offered to him by the hosts. He especially hated how most of these events ended; loud drunks arguing about irrelevant things.

Mark was a quiet and personal person. His interest laid more in philosophy and science. It was for this reason, he came to Athens to study under Nikos who was a physician and whose fame had traveled far and wide.

The door creaked open and he turned around to see Alexander, his trusted servant, standing there, his head popped in between the door and his eyes close.

“May I come in, your Majesty?” Alex asked.

Mark laughed. “You can open your eyes, Alex, I'm decent”

“Oh” His eyes flickered open to reveal rather black eyes. He pushed the door completely open to reveal his massive build. He bent his over six foot frame in order to successfully make it past the door. He came to a halt in front of Mark and bowed his head. “Your Majesty”

“We are not in Graceland, Alex. Here, I'm just Mark, or Master Mark. I need to study successfully without drawing unnecessary attention to myself” He summarized once more. As it was, he was already getting a ridiculous measure of attention from people who thought he was a wealthy Statesman from Graceland. One could only imagine what it would be like if they found out he was the heir to the throne. “Did you find her?”

“No, Sir” Alex bowed his head. “She's difficult to find. However, I paid Master Julius' household a visit once more. After threatening the cook who gave himself away by the suspicious look in his eyes when I was interrogating the slaves, he confessed to have received a visitor who came to make inquiries about you. Unfortunately, the slave girl did not fit the description of the girl you seek”

Mark took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Why did Adrianna seem to be so impossible to find, she almost seemed like a figment of his imagination? He had looked everywhere and had asked every one. Julius had even offered to give Adrianna her freedom if Mark could identify her as one of his slaves. Still, with all of Julius' slaves lined up, Adrianna was no where to be found.

“Very well, you did your best, Alex. Maybe tomorrow. Tonight, we have an art exhibition to attend and heaven knows I do not look forward to it” He straightened, bracing himself for the night that laid ahead.