It’s as beautiful as I thought it would be. Bells toll in the distance and the collective sounds of a crowd can be heard down the street. It’s massive and by far the most luxurious of all the islands in my realm.
Ashur steps to the side and sweeps an arm out, almost knocking over the stunning woman who had been standing directly behind him. Her dark eyes are made even darker by the kohl surrounding them. And her lilac skirt is cut low over her wide hips. A golden weave top frames her ample chest and narrow waist. Numerous gold necklaces sparkle with amethyst and sapphire clasped around her slender neck. A slow smile spreads across her plump lips and I’m struck mute by her sultry beauty.
“Oh my apologies, Neva, I didn’t see you there,” he says to her. She responds with a dip of her chin, but her gaze never wavers from Lachlan. I turn my head, following her line of sight to see his face pale. His attention shifts to me and he takes a step closer, brushing against my side.
My eyes slide back to Neva to see her stare at his proximity to me. He splays a hand on the small of my back, a subtle inclination of my place in his life. Her smile falters, slipping into a frown that mars her perfect face. The moment happens in slow motion before time speeds up again.
“Your Majesty, may I present to you, Neva? She is one of my assistants.”
I force a smile onto my face as she dips her head, a reluctant acknowledgment of my title. Ashur’s brows raise high at the disrespect before he steps in front of her and clears his throat. “Now—if you’ll follow me.” He whirls on his heel and walks towards the city.
I follow him and Lachlan keeps pace beside me as we pass Neva. She follows behind us without a word, but I feel her stare piercing my shoulder blades with each step.
Ashur, seemingly oblivious to the entire strange interaction, walks ahead of us, describing the purpose of each building we pass, or waving to people.
“Ishtar is known for its goods. We sell spices, ceramics, jewels…” His words carry on, but my attention shifts to Lachlan.
“Who is Neva?” I whisper to him between clenched teeth.
His jaw flexes, but before he can answer, Ashur turns around. “Would you care for dinner before I take you to my pal—home?”
I give him a bland, closed-lip smile. “That would be lovely, thank you.” He whirls back around and continues on.
When Lachlan doesn’t respond to my question, I elbow him in the ribs.
He grimaces, clutching his ribs. “She was a lover of mine before I left to retrieve ye.”
A lump forms in my throat and I swallow it down. I had already known the answer, but to hear it confirmed is still rather painful.
“I see.”
“It wasna anything serious. Both of us knew where we stood with each other,” Lachlan explains.
But I’m already shaking my head and pulling out of his grasp. “You don’t have to explain.”
I call out to Ashur, “Where did you say we were going to eat?”
I walk closer to him so that we’re side by side. Lachlan murmurs my name, but Neva is already sliding into my vacated place. I turn back to Ashur quickly to avoid seeing anything that would split my heart wide open.
“Well, there’s a restaurant called Istanbul that has the best pita and hummus. I had planned on taking you there.”
Surprisingly, my mouth waters, pita and hummus sound absolutely wonderful right about now. “That sounds excellent.”
He walks quicker, sensing my urgency to eat, but still continuing to point at various red clay buildings and describe their uses. Crystal shops, spice vendors, bakery, art suppliers, clothier, and many other things. This city is as vibrant and teeming with activity as the capital.
“All of this was just sand. Our city began booming nearly fifty years ago,” he explains. I’m assuming that’s when the imposter took over the throne.
“I had no idea Eridu was so beautiful…”
Ashur beams with pride. “I’m glad you think so. Odessa seemed to share that opinion as well…” His voice trails off, clearly realizing the gravity of that statement.
“I’m sure the asphidra would have enjoyed the heat and sand,” I tease, trying to lighten the mood. But Lachlan’s earlier words ring through my mind. Ashur benefited greatly under the imposter’s rule.
He swivels his head to mine. Shock widens his eyes before he’s bursting out into laughter.
“Your Majesty. What an excellent sense of humor!”
A genuine smile stretches across my face, wiping away some of the annoyance I had felt towards Lachlan’s disclosure. I can’t help myself and glance back to where he’s following behind us to see Neva lean towards him. Her breasts brush against his arm and my heart stops. She whispers something in his ear and slips her hand into his.
