Stars After Midnight

IV. His Favor

Nyla could only scoff when Jabari ushered her out of the throne room. It took one look from Sethe, one menacing glare and a desperate attempt to salvage the growing chaos for Jabari to run towards Nyla. 

As they continued to walk, she could hear the yelling from boiling arguments rise to a degree higher than the dunes of Egypt, the sandstorm gaining speed as the ferocity continued to torment the lands. Sethe would be stuck calming his advisers as they trampled over who the traitor was. 

Yet a part of Nyla worried. 

"Will they hurt him?" she asked meekly as Jabari continued to drag her away. 

He gave her a sideways glance, a small smile on his lips. "Our Pharaoh is not the helpless type, Priestess."

"I know, but-"

"If anything should happen," he said, "then my men will dispose of the traitors properly. We are under strict orders to not intervene until the Pharaoh catches the culprit."

"So why am I being taken away?" she asked, confused as Jabari led the two deeper into the palace near the guest rooms and the royal pavilion. "I thought he wanted me to help."

Jabari paused his steps, turning to her. "Well, your job starts here," he smiled, nudging his head to all the women sitting outside while the servants fed them grapes. "We need you to infuriate those women."

Nyla stumbled. "Have you lost your mind?" She almost yelled, her eyes darting quickly to potential brides that Sethe rejected. "If I walk in front of them, I may not live to see the next morning."

He slightly bowed. "Pharaoh's orders, Priestess," he replied. "I must obey."

When he turned on his heel, a part of Nyla wanted to beg Jabari to stay with her, to guarantee her protection against the wrath of jealousy, but she knew that doing such an act would only spur more rumors, would ignite the scandal and follow Sethe to his destruction. Although she still did not understand palace courtesy, she did not want to cause Sethe trouble. 

Exhaling a small sigh, she looked onwards, tried her best to see a silver lining before she gave herself the courage to take a step into her inevitable doom. What Nyla could not understand was why Sethe would send her here towards these women. 

Does he want me to obtain information? Or does he expect me to stir instability between them and their sponsors?

Nyla had to approach this situation carefully. Unlike everything else in her life, she needed to be as calculative and deceptive as the Pharaoh when he spoke to his advisers. Nyla needed the mask of a Queen to survive palace life, even if she did not want the title. 

Her footsteps tapped gently against the tiles, her nile blue gown flowing like a river behind her as the gold of her wrists and neck glittered in the desert heat, a kiss of sunlight against her cheeks, warming her confidence with a soothing glow. 

She plastered a pearly smile as she watched across the pavillion towards the young group of women who giggle with one another, their laughter ceasing as Nyla stepped forward. With faltering smiles and narrowed eyes, the women stared at her with distaste. 

"Would you ladies care for another member?" she asked, trying her best to pleasant. 

One of the women with striking green eyes and curly, reddish hair stared at her nails, lips pursued. "Is the Pharaoh's attention not good enough?" she questioned with venom. Her eyes met Nyla's, piercing through her like shards of glass. "Perhaps you crave more than he can offer." 

The meek, scared part of Nyla longed to run from the vicious glares and slithering insults she was insinuating, but she promised Sethe. These women snickered along with her, low, husky laughters perfected for social gatherings, the type that made all competitors fall to their defeats as these women took crowns drenched in the tears of another's hardship.