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"She's not my concubine. Well, she is, but…" Khan stammered.
"He's shy," Fen said, winking at the woman.
Hafiza burst out laughing. "Maybe he'll lighten up a bit more now. What's your name, girl?"
"I'm Fen."
"It's nice to meet you. This way. They will be waiting to ambush you." Hafiza waved them to follow her.
Fen heard the giggling and whispers before they hit an open-air atrium filled with children sitting on reed mats and playing with wood and clay toys. A bunch of boys let loose battle cries, and all tried to tackle Kashmet at once.
"Here, you better take a bag of these," Kemes said, giving her the sweet treats.
"What is this place?" Fen asked.
Kemes smiled at Khan and Kashmet, already surrounded by children. "It's one of the orphanages Khan looks after. There are a few other shelters in the city he supports too." Kemes looked at her pointedly. "He's got a soft spot for strays."
It didn't take long for the children to start coming to Fen. She gave out treats and soon sat in a circle of sticky children as they touched her strange pale skin and golden braids. They were a happy group, and Fen let go of the tightness that had gripped her muscles for weeks. She could see why Khan liked going there. Fen had never longed for her own children, but she liked their uncomplicated company.
She thought of the children running wild in Visby during her winters there. The seiðr often traveled in the spring and summer, but if they didn't have an invitation to stay at a village, they usually made their way back to Visby to spend the winter together.
Fen's chest ached a little when she thought of how many survived the raid. She hoped she was the only causality, but she doubted it.
You'll be able to find out in a year. The thought didn't reassure her. The other seiðr would have thought she was dead by now. Would they have sung the funeral prayers for her? There was no one that she had been very close to that would mourn her, but seiðr were rare, especially one of her power. Fen pulled her thoughts away from Midgard and tried to enjoy the day.
The sun was going down by the time Kashmet started to hustle them.
"Come on, I need to see you back to the palace before I go and find that servant girl of Hasina's," he said, helping Fen up from where she had been sitting on a reed mat.
Hafiza pressed a dry kiss to her cheek. "Thank you for coming. I hope we will see you again soon. Maybe hear some of those interesting stories Khan mentioned to me?"
Fen smiled. "I'd like that."
"He's a good man, you know," Hafiza said, nodding in Khan's direction.
Fen's stomach fluttered. "I know."
Kashmet passed Hafiza a leather bag that clinked. "Here we go, my love. Something to tide you over for the next few months."
"You keep flirting with me, and I'll have to marry you," Hafiza said fondly.
Kashmet caught her up in a hug and planted a kiss on her cheek. "And I would be lucky to have you."
"You would. Now, away with you all." Hafiza hustled them out of the front door. She caught Khan's hand, making him stop. "Be careful, my prince. There's a bad feeling in the air at the moment."
"Is Taweret talking to you again?" Khan asked with a grin.
Hafiza whacked him in the arm. "I'm serious. The mother goddess watches over all of us who care for children. That includes you. I feel like you will need that protection."
Khan kissed her forehead. "I'll take any protection and prayers I can get. Thank you, Hafiza."
"Thank you, Khan. Now, get out of here."
Twenty-Four
The sun was setting as they got back to the palace. Kashmet disappeared along the passageway, and Kemes announced she was going to train. Fen headed for her bath. She was covered in sweat and grime from the streets and the bits of honey from the children's sticky fingers smeared in her hair.
It had been a good day. Maybe she could learn to love Aaru if she had more of them. She couldn't stop thinking about the Emerald Tablets and the brush of Thoth's and Amunet's power. Could she petition them like she did her own gods? Deep in her heart, she hoped that they would accept her to make up for the feelings of abandonment by Odin that plagued her.
