"Saffron? Did you hear it right, woman?" the scrawny chief of the concubine association haggled, looking suspiciously at concubine Lola.
"Yes, saffron it is that's requested by His Majesty," she replied.
"Hah! Do you even know how expensive it is? It is more than gold!" she yelled.
Lola closed her eyes, wanting nothing more than to wring the old hag to death. Nevertheless, she controlled herself.
"May I specify it's requested by His Majesty, Alexander. Furthermore, an equivalent price of gold would be delivered to you through one of his delegates," she finished, satisfied to see the wheels finally moving in the oldie's head.
Taking the delicate saffron, she entered the grand bathing arena where The Great awaited her.
Her eyes widened to see another lot of warriors splashing around in the bath.
It was a vast room where half of the section was divided by a short marble wall. One side was filled with water while the other had essential bathing commodities.
"What took time Lola?" Alexander tilted his head, glancing at the concubine who jolted from the sudden voice. A surprised look sitting on her face at the brimming people in the bathing arena.
"Ah, they told it was expensive than gold Your Majesty. So it was difficult to convince them," she informed, entering finally with a sweet smile.
"Did you listen Hephaestion?" Alexander chuckled, "people have started considering us rich."
"Why won't they Alex? We have enough gold to run the next few generations of our army," Hephaestion laughed, "maybe the generation of our grandchildren too," he added.
Lola's eyes shot towards the talking warrior, and she gawked in amazement.
Hephaestion, aka Alexander's best buddy.
She went to the corner of the room and pressed a thumb to her wrist,
"Hey Cors, I just spotted Alexander's Bff," she snickered.
"What? Oh that, nice to know, but hey do you know how to fix a compass?" Coretta inquired, the sound of scratching heard from her side.
Cheryl huffed, bummed to receive zero excitement.
"I left science a long time honey, maybe Aarmen can help," she replied with a sigh, mixing the saffron with water in a bowl,
"Wait, is the AI book giving second-hand products?" she snorted.
"No, actually I was- actually the compass.. fell into the waters," Coretta stuttered.
"Why do I feel like you fell in the water with it? You okay right?" she would know at once her friend was cooking something underneath.
"Yep, I fell, but I'm fine. Just the neck hurts a bit."
"You could've ordered aspirin?"
"Relax Cheryl, it's just a bite."
"Bite? Who bit you?!"
"Ju- uh I mean.. insect! A jolting insect! They were flying madly all around, hehe, and one bit me nothing much. Okay, I'll talk to Aarmen. Bye."
And she hung up.
Something was definitely up. Coretta only reacted this way when she was lying or an extremely hot guy graced her inexperienced view. Now she couldn't figure out which one was true.
"That's a lot of saffron water there. Maybe you could put it on me too," a warrior swam to the edge and grinned at her.
"It's my style, Cassander! You aren't going to copy it," Alexander sneered. "Isn't it ready yet, Lola?"
YOU ARE READING
Rendezvous in the Romanowskian Empire
Historical Fiction"And... the fifth rule," he came forward, locking me between him and the slab again. "This should be the last time you talked to me like that," he lowered his face to my level, spiking my heart rate further. "Next time you rant on or call me by the...
