Chrysoprase (The Chalcedony Chronicles) (22 page)

“We are not going anywhere with any men tonight,” I told my mother. Her anger calmed a little. “She’s just playing you.”

“I know, sweetie. I know. It’s just that this is what I wanted to protect you from,” my mom told me.

“And it’s what I’m going to protect you from now,” I added, squeezing her hand.

My mom smiled. “You grew up too fast. You do know that.”

“Not grown up enough that I still don’t need my mom,” I replied as we turned another corner. “Don’t leave me.”

My mother smiled and squeezed my hand back.

“Never, honey, never,” she said as we arrived at our destination.

We were led back to the same ornately decorated room from earlier. We stopped behind our guides and waited while the music stopped, and Prince
Saru said something. Then we were allowed to enter. I felt like an animal on display as all eyes turned to us. Many men in the room stared greedily at me. I hated being paraded around like that, but I kept my chin up and walked behind my mother. There were only two empty seats, which were really just pillows on the floor; it was no question where we were to be seated. I looked around at all the faces watching us. We were truly the center of attention and I was out of my element. I counted it as life lesson number thirty-nine: dealing with strangers in a strange land. It was something I’d have to get used to. Let the games begin.

Chapter 10

Escaping the Past

The dinner was
more elaborate than I expected, and much more casual. People were all seated when we arrived. But it wasn’t until after Lady Saska arrived that the meal was served, and no one sat still. People milled about from table to table, and everyone talked to everyone while meals were be served and eaten. We had to have been seated at the most popular table as every man between twenty and fifty stopped by to introduce themselves. It was because my mother’s cousin had informed all who were present that I was to be married off. Each man thought I had a choice in the matter and tried to impress me.

The men were all a variety in age, coloring, and dress. There was the old guy that brought his grown sons with him. His sons would have been a more suitable age match, but I had the distinct feeling that he was the one looking for a wife. Another man stopped by who was as wide as he was tall. Yet another was barely a teen, and his mother introduced him to me. That would make a really good match, considering he probably hadn’t even hit puberty yet… I would have laughed at the display if I didn’t know how close my life could have been to that. My mother found no humor in it, and reservedly greeted each person.

Her own future husband wasn’t around. It seemed the king was too busy to come himself. He had ordered one of his sons to come in his place to collect my mother. He son was cordial, but I could see him sneaking glances at Lady Saska. I had no doubts about who had planned where my mother would be going. I kind of wondered if my mother would actually make it there or not. The evil soon-to-be queen appeared more than thrilled each time she looked at my mother sitting next to the king’s son.

It wasn’t until halfway through the meal that a tingle shot down my arm. Seth had arrived. I hadn’t thought that he’d be invited, but he was the ambassador from Egypt for the time being, even if he refused to stay in the palace. Seth arrived dressed in his Egyptian military garb, yet somehow he seemed more regal than most of the men in the room. Maybe it was because he wasn’t afraid to be half naked in front of a room full of ogling women, and yes, they were all ogling my boyfriend, or maybe it was just the way he held himself. Seth was born for the role he was playing. The prince greeted him like all the other guests, even though it was only days before that he denied Seth my mother to take back to Egypt.

Seth entered the feast and sat where room was made for him, between two women. He watched me from across the room as Dee stood behind him. I tried not to stare back. I couldn’t give away that I knew him since that would put him in danger. He talked with the men and women at his table and carried on like he had attended many of these meals. I watched as people around him laughed at his story. I was jealous. Seth was mine. When he stood and walked around the room, it was obvious he knew several of the people present.

“The young Egyptian is one to look at,” my mother commented to me quietly.

I looked back down at my mostly full plate when Seth caught my stare again. He only smirked. He was fine playing the playboy of the room. I got the feeling that the man I met back in my time was actually pretty close to his normal personality in his own time. The women around him were all fawning over him. I had to stop looking. It was making me upset.

“I guess,” I replied, stabbing whatever meat it was in the bowl in front of me.

“I think he’s even a bit more handsome than his father,” my mother added, laughing at my response at being caught looking at Seth.

“You knew his father?” I asked, thankful to be able to turn my attention to her and not Seth being drooled over by the women.

“Everyone knows his father,” my mother replied. “General Paramessu is one of the best military leaders to come to Egypt in centuries. Any king out there has tried to bribe the general at one point to join their side. Everyone wants a piece of that man. He is good at what he does. They say his son will follow in his footsteps, and by what I’ve seen the past few months, I have no doubt the young man will be even better than his father.”

There was something behind my mother’s explanation. She knew too much about General
Paramessu that I suspected that my father must have been more than just another soldier. I really wanted to know what she was hiding, but it wasn’t the place to try to get more out of her. All around us people were casually chatting, but they were no doubt listening to us talk. We were caught in a game at the palace. No one could really say what they thought, and no one could do what they really wanted to do. This wasn’t a time I wanted to be a part of, but somehow I was strangely connected to it. My mother smiled as another man came over and sat beside her, introducing himself. The line of possible suitors had not dwindled yet.

When our table was finally free of guests, Seth made a beeline for us. I tried not to acknowledge him, as all eyes were upon me, but I failed miserably. Hopefully they would all think it was just a little crush like the rest of the women in the room seemed to have on him, even if it wasn’t the truth. In reality, I needed to tell Seth it would be fine, the lines were fully recharged. I needed to tell him I was sorry for running off without him, but all I received was an angry stare. I was beginning to wonder if Logan did stop by and talk with Seth and Dee.

“Lady Hepa, let me be one among many to congratulate you on your upcoming marriage,” Seth spoke to my mother, completely ignoring me now that he was closer. Even when he was angry he looked good. I knew why every woman in the room was drooling over him. “As congratulations, my father has authorized me to lend you Nadim, a faithful servant.”

Dee was standing behind Seth with his head bowed. I kept my mouth from dropping at Seth’s words. Dee wasn’t a servant. He was a free man back in Egypt, and came from a prestigious family. What game were the guys playing now? Could his charioteer even be lent out as a servant? That didn’t seem reasonable to me, and they never discussed this as a plan in my presence.

“Travel between countries can be wrought with danger. We vowed that when we found you that we would protect you. Please accept my gift,” Seth bowed his head to my mother. “He is well trained to protect you, and will ensure that you arrive in Anatolia unharmed.”

“Oh, I can’t,” my mother began, but I stopped her. If Seth was lending out Dee, it was for a reason.

“Mother, you must think of your safety. He looks like an able warrior to protect you,” I added. I couldn’t give away who they were to me, but I had to get my mother to agree.

“That won’t be necessary,” Prince
Saru said as he joined our table. I didn’t even see him approach. “Thank you for the offer, General Seti, but we can aptly protect her.”

“Didn’t she get hurt the last time she was promised to someone, before she ever even left the palace here?” I asked.

My mother grabbed my hand and tried to cover my mouth. It was out of place for me to be talking, and she hoped that I wouldn’t get in trouble. They didn’t have much tolerance around here for differing opinions. I only knew the tale second hand, and I would have said more, but I said enough for Prince Saru to pause. He couldn’t deny that detail.

“That’s why we hope she will accept our gift,” Seth added. “When we found her alone in the desert, we promised her safety. We are only trying to keep our promise.”

Prince Saru assessed Seth for his honesty before nodding and walking away. At least that battle seemed to be won. I wanted to know more of their plan, but kept my mouth shut. I was sure once alone, Dee would tell us.

“Would you please join us for a little bit of our meal?” my mother asked Seth and Dee.

“I regretfully must decline,” Seth replied graciously. “We are heading back to Egypt as soon as we can. I must go back and be with my men, and make sure everything is ready.”

My mother stood and walked a ways with Seth as he was leaving. I could only hear her thank Seth’s father for bringing her home, and then Seth was gone. My heart broke as he walked out of my view. He didn’t even look back at me once. I tried to hide my disappointment. I had really pissed him off. That wasn’t my intention, and something was lost along the way. More than likely it was Logan, but since he was still helping me, I couldn’t yell at him yet. My mother returned to our table and sat beside me.

“He told me to tell you that there was once a woman he loved more than life itself. He trusted her to do the right thing, and he was never disappointed in her. He just wished she would let him in on her plans so that he didn’t have to worry all the time about her,” my mother told me. I was unsure if she knew Seth was speaking to me or not. “That is sound marriage advice.” She winked. Yes, she knew what he meant.

I went back to looking only at my meal. It was the best way to ignore all the stares. The men in the room were eyeing me over for marriage, and the women were giving me hate stares like I had personally made Seth leave the party. I felt like an animal on display, and it wasn’t fun. Anyone comfortable walking into a college party and being the center of attention, well, anyone but me, would feel as awkward as I did now. Half these men were old enough to be my father, and several even brought their wives with. I wasn’t enjoying the dinner in the least, but there was nothing I could do at the moment. I couldn’t wait to get away from it all. My chalcedony were recharged, but I couldn’t just disappear from the dinner.

My mother took all the stares in stride. It didn’t even seem to register to her that we were the center of attention. I wish I could be as strong, or maybe as ignorant as her, but I could not. The longer we sat, the more I wanted to go home. This world wasn’t where I wanted to be, at least not without Seth. He made everything all better, and the past more tolerable.

I felt all alone at the party with Seth gone, but the tingles in my arm let me know he hadn’t actually left the palace. He was still around. I didn’t know where, but I knew. Dee stood behind my mother and watched over her like a dutiful soldier. He didn’t give away that Seth was around, though he had to know. As the meal progressed and people continued to mingle, Seth was watching and waiting, and it made all the difference. I didn’t feel quite as alone any more. I didn’t know if Logan had told him his plan, but I was sure he was waiting for me now. No matter how mad he was, he still cared.

I needed to find time to talk to him, but I had to sit through the dinner first. I was obligated to play the part of a girl waiting to be married off. Looking around the crowded room, I saw that many people were dressed like my mother and I, but quite a few others were not. They had to be from different countries, yet I didn’t know enough to know who was who. In reality, the only ones I could pick out were the Egyptians as Dee, in his half-dressed garb, gave it away easily. As I looked from face to face of all these different people, I could tell that not all of them were friendly. Seth might have been completely correct to leave Dee behind. I wasn’t sure of the safety of even the party right now. Prince Saru didn’t seem to care or mind, but I saw it in the eyes of many there. Not everyone at this party was friends.

When Prince
Saru had declared the feast a success, music and entertainment came out. Costume-clad women danced as men drank more. Many of the men were close to being, or already were, drunk. It was worse than a frat party. At least there the guys were young and stupid. These were all grown men who would sorely regret their night the next day. My mother noticed the rowdiness increasing, and she nodded to me to stand. I followed her as she led me to the doorway. We were not the only women calling it quits for the night. In fact, most of them were excusing themselves from their tables. I didn’t blame any of them. I wasn’t sure I would have wanted to stay around the crowd, and was glad my mother was leading me away. Before we could leave, Lady Saska blocked our exit route.

“Lady
Hepa,” Lady Saska said with a little drawl to her voice, her words a little slurred. She had obviously had too much to drink. “Prince Saru would like to speak to you.”