The Parthian soldiers assigned to me leap into action, swiftly injecting themselves between their "princess" and this monster of a warrior. Moon-curved sabers leap out of oiled leopard skin scabbards. Shouts of alarm pierce the quiet serenity of the night as the citizenry calls for the guards.
The man approaches. Slowly. Calmly. A hunter patiently stalking his prey. A cold shiver crawls down my spine. I know this feeling intimately: fear. Pure, unadulterated terror. Terror so complete, your legs lock, your brain goes blank, and your instinct screams for you to flee. The guards feel it too. They go stiff as the man approaches.
I can feel myself moving all of a sudden. Beholden to a will not quite my own, I step out of the safety of the palanquin. Fatima, who up until now had been traveling by foot next to the carriage, flits over, putting herself between me and the man. "Tell him I wish to invite him to take residence in the room he paid for," I whisper to Fatima's ear in Latin.
"Her Highness wishes to clarify this misunderstanding good sir. In her infinite grace, she invites to take residence in the room you paid for." Fatima's voice carries clearly across the cool night air. The atmosphere around the man instantly changes. Where he was hostile, bloodthirsty, he now radiates an aura like a friendly dog's, cheerful and carefree. With a flamboyant movement that sends the tail of the robe fluttering, he simply turns around and heads towards the inn. My guards are dumbfounded, after all, what madman would turn his back to men he was undoubtedly just about to kill?
I step past them, heading towards the entrance of the inn myself, Fatima trailing behind me. This seems to break the spell and they quickly fall into a protective formation around me. "Your Highness, the captain wishes to know why you would allow such a rogue to sleep under the same roof as your noble self?"
"If that man is a rogue, why did the captain not easily kill him on the spot when he threateningly approached the carriage of his liege?" Silence. Ha! Thought as much! That monster is something none of you could have hoped to take down.
The interior of the inn is warmly decorated with intricate woodcarvings and delicate tapestries. The smell of spices and perfume weave their way into my nostrils. The wealth of this nation must be incredible for an inn in a border city like this to use perfume. The proprietor and his wife come out to greet me, both bowing deeply with a gracefulness that belies their age. I can see them nervously glance over to where the blue-robed man is sitting. A simple nod and smile assuage their fears and they excuse themselves to prepare something warm.
Hmmm. I'll definitely can't ignore that man. He doesn't look like the kind to let an issue drop. Ok, I'll simply approach him then. I rapidly close the distance between us, confidently taking large strides. The jingle of the dozens of bangles that adorn my body alert him to my advance, but by the time he looks up and reacts, it's too late, I've already closed the distance between us. But as I move to take the last step to the table, I can feel my bare left foot catch on a small crack between the wooden floorboards. The ground rushes up to meet me. Instinctively, my eyes seal shut, and I brace for impact. But it never comes. Cracking open my eyes, I realize I'm staring directly up at the man's face.
YOU ARE READING
The Foreign Empress
Historical FictionA cold and potentially fatal marriage, an imperial court embroiled in assassination and conflict, a hidden conspiracy that could shatter not just a four-century-long peace but the empire itself. In the midst of it all, a girl whose struggle to survi...
