Jewel of Persia (15 page)

“Her execution can be stayed until after the birth, then.”

“My love, no. Act in haste now and you will regret it forever.”

He doubted that. “She tried to kill you.”

“She was angry, as you are now. But my God was watching over me, and he kept me from tasting the poisoned food. No harm has been done. And though her reaction was wrong, her feeling was justified.”

He tipped her chin up with a finger. “Do you rebuke me, woman?”

No fear entered her eyes, though he read respect within them. More than could ever be said for Amestris. “Punish me for it if you must—my life is worth far less than hers. I have no children to mourn me.”

Darius stepped forward with a worried frown. “You would take on yourself the wrath intended for your enemy? It makes no sense.”

She did not so much as glance at his son. “Forgiveness is not logical. But it heals the wounds left by bitterness and hatred.”

Xerxes sighed and lifted her hand to kiss her fingers. “I cannot forgive her. She would have stolen you from me, solely because she knows how it would pierce. But this crime was against you, and no one outside this room knows of it. If you wish her mercy, then mercy she shall receive. For this. But she publically disobeyed me. If I ignore that offense, everyone will whisper that Xerxes is a weak man ruled by his women.”

Zethar inclined his head. “And their wives, master, will remember that the queen greeted your servants with anger and defamed you before them all. They will use it as an excuse to act the same.”

“Your advisers on the law are right outside,” Masistes said. “Hear their counsel before you make your decision on a punishment.”

Xerxes nodded at the eunuch nearest the door, who motioned his advisers into the room. The seven of them filed in, the men of soundest wisdom and highest birth below the princes. Most of them had advised his father before him.

Were any fond of their queen? Or had they been bitten by her temper at some point?

They all looked around the chamber as if wondering why they had been called to one of the lowliest rooms in the palace compound.

Kasia tensed in his arms. Xerxes released her and urged her behind him, knowing she would be more comfortable shielded. “My noble friends, your king has need of your wisdom. You were all at my feast—you know I called Queen Amestris to me, and you saw that my eunuchs returned without her. Had her refusal been due to her physical condition, I would have understood. But she refused from anger—which she made clear to everyone within earshot. Such impudence cannot go unpunished. What is an appropriate reaction?”

The men exchanged a few glances, a few whispers. And, if he were not mistaken, a few smiles of glee.

Not fond of her, then. He had expected as much.

The eldest, Memucan, stepped forward. “How harsh does the king wish to be?”

He clenched his teeth, swallowed, and forced himself to relax. “The king would see her killed, were it not for the children we share and the one even now growing in her womb. For their sakes, and only for their sakes, do I wish to spare her life. There must be a punishment less than death but still severe.”

Memucan looked to another of the advisers with raised brows. At the answering nod, he said, “The queen has indeed done a great wrong, not only against the king, but against all of Persia and Media. For when the queen disobeys her husband, why should any woman in the empire obey theirs?

“If it pleases the king, she could be deposed. Knowing the queen as we all do, that may be harsher than death to her. The king could send out a royal decree and let it be written in the law, that the queen is never again to enter the presence of the great Xerxes. Let her crown be given to one more deserving.”

Xerxes’ lips tugged up. Losing her power would indeed be worse than death to Amestris. Yet it would spare his children the grief of losing a mother.

“This pleases the king very much. Write up the decree this very hour, and at first light it shall be sent out to every province in its own language. Let the world know that Amestris is queen no more.”

There would probably be dancing in many a street.

Memucan bowed. “It will be done as the king says. And in her place, who will you name? One of your other wives?”

“Father.” Darius stepped near, a line of worry between his brows. “You can take away her crown, but her power will not be easily negated. Whomever you appointed in her place would be dead before she could feel the weight of the crown upon her head.”

Xerxes smiled. “It is a wise son who knows his mother so well. Let it be enough for now that she is removed. Another queen can be named when we return triumphant from Greece. There is no rush—I have my heir already.”

Memucan and the other six bowed out to prepare the proclamation. Darius drew in a long breath. “Thank you, Father, for sparing her. I know she is a hard woman to love, but she is my mother.”

“I am not the one to thank. Letting her live will undoubtedly prove as troublesome as the canal at Mount Athos, as you yourself pointed out.”

His son acknowledged that truth with a glance over Xerxes’ shoulder. “I will use what influence I have with her to caution her against riling your anger any more.”

“I suggest you go to her now and keep her from anything rash when my decision reaches her ear.”

“Yes, Father.” Darius sped from the room.

Xerxes looked to Masistes. “Brother, bid our guests good night. You may tell them I am busy seeing justice done for the queen’s crime.”

“It is my honor to carry out your will.” Masistes left, too.

Xerxes turned back to Kasia. “My son is right about Amestris’s response, and not only for whomever I name the next queen. She will know that my anger is kindled largely on your behalf and will blame you for this.”

Kasia pressed her lips together. He read no fear in her eyes, only sorrow.“I am sorry to bring you such trouble.”

“It is no fault of yours.” He tugged her closer so that he could rest his cheek against her hair. “I will have her removed to Persepolis as soon as possible. In the meantime you must exercise the greatest caution.”

“I will. But there is no need to fear, my love. Jehovah has delivered me from her schemes this day, and I feel peace in my spirit that he will continue to protect me.” Her arms slipped around him.

He stroked his hand along the glossy locks that tumbled down her back. “Your God is responsible for your being spared?”

She hummed. “The moment Leda brought in my meal, I felt the most urgent need to pray. I decided to fast and turn my heart toward Jehovah. He saved me.”

“And when I came in? I thought the lot of you slain. Were you praying more?”

“In thanks, and for the larger situation. And for the dog.”

“The . . .” He glanced around the room. Sure enough, one of the guard dogs lay on a fine rug in the corner, its breathing heavy. He assumed it was the unfortunate beast given some of her food. “You bother your God with concern for a dog?”

“I could not stand the thought of it dying in my stead. I think it will recover, though, it only had a bite.”

Xerxes shook his head. “What a strange creature I have fallen in love with.”

She stretched up and bestowed a sweet kiss upon his lips. “You ought to get to your new bride. She will be anxious.”

Was there a more bizarre woman in the world? One more baffling? More perfect? He cradled her head and gazed deep into her eyes. “Given the events still unfolding, it would be fairer to see her first another night. I will send her my apologies and make sure the situation is explained.”

“Xerxes . . .”

He silenced her with a kiss. Then pulled off the torc he had slipped on and held it between them. “I believe this is yours.”

She stared at it. “I cannot. It was a gift to you.”

“And so I ought not to have given it away two weeks ago. I would have apologized for forgetting its source, had she approached me privately. Things have changed. It is yours.” He slid it up her arm, as he had done at the river. Now, as then, desire filled her eyes. Desire that had nothing to do with the silver. “You will come with me, my love, lest treachery visit this room again. I will see with my own eyes that you remain safe until the viper is out of my house.”

Kasia nodded and tucked herself against his side.

Why could the rest of the world not agree with his will so readily?

Twelve

Anger mixed with fear on Amestris’s tongue when Darius stole to her side. His face spoke much, though his lips remained pressed together. Bile rose in her throat. “My son?”

Darius sat and silently took her hand. She had not seen him look so stricken since he received the news of his grandfather’s death three years earlier. He turned his head toward the entrance to the hall. Amestris followed his gaze and sucked in a sharp breath when Memucan entered, flanked by the other six highest officials.

She gripped her son’s hand. “What is this?”

“You must have known he would retaliate, Mother,” Darius murmured. “You cannot disobey him before such an assembly and hope he will overlook it.”

Her chin tilted up. “It is he who has done wrong.”

When had her eldest son’s gaze become capable of such hardness? “When one rules the world, one is never wrong. He is the king of kings.”

Memucan held up his arms, and the chattering women fell silent. His eyes scanned the crowd before coming to a rest on her.

The pompous old man. She had never liked him, and she knew he took pleasure in whatever punishment he would now hand down. Amestris reclaimed her hand from Darius and folded her arms over her chest.

“A grave crime has been committed tonight.” Memucan lowered his arms and glared at her. “You all bore witness to it. The king sent for Amestris, and she refused him with words bitter and angry. Such offense is not to be suffered in the courts of Xerxes. Let all the world know that each man will remain ruler of his household and this woman called Amestris is hereby stripped of her crown. She is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes, and her position will be given to another. One more deserving.”

Amestris rose, wondering that she did not explode into pieces, given the way she shook. “No.” Her voice came out as no more than a murmur, weak and incredulous. “He cannot. He cannot do this to me.”

The women, who had spent years currying her favor, had sought her smile and feared her wrath, looked at her with horror. On her behalf? No, they were horrified
by
her.

By
her
! She sucked in a breath, ready to spew venom at the first shrew who dared speak against her.

None did. With the silence of death, they all stood and, without so much as looking over their shoulders, strode from the room.

Her fingers curled into her palms. Never could these backbiters agree on anything, never could they work in harmony. Yet now, in her hour of need, they united against her?

She narrowed her gaze on the wife of her husband’s brother. “Parsisa. Do you dare leave your queen’s presence without permission? I have not dismissed this feast.”

The woman stopped but did not turn around. She moved only her face to present her profile. “You are not my queen.”

Amestris sputtered, lunged, but Darius caught her and held her captive. She shoved at him, cursed the sting of tears.

Crying was for the weak. For other women. Not for her.

“Mother—”

“He cannot do this to me. How could you let him do this, Darius?”

He set her back on her feet with a sigh, though he did not release her shoulders. “You are fortunate he did not order your death.”

Her blood ran cold. “He would not dare, not with his babe in my stomach.”

“An argument that only convinced him to stay your execution until after the birth.” Looking weary, Darius dropped his hands. “You have the Jewess to thank for your life. It was her words, not mine, that convinced him to spare you.”

“The Jewess?” Her voice sounded hollow to her own ears. The Jewess could not possibly still be alive. She had ordered enough hemlock in her meal to fell five, no matter which of the dishes she chose.

Darius lifted a brow. “Apparently she was more given to prayer than hunger this night. For which you ought to thank the god. Had your scheme succeeded, nothing would have averted Father’s wrath. He would have killed you with his own hands, babe or no babe.”

Amestris stumbled back and sank onto her couch. This was not the world she knew. It did not obey the rules she had mastered, did not track the path through the heavens she had planned for. “He has taken it all. My crown, my power, my friends.”

Darius sat beside her. “It is not as bad as it seems, Mother. Father has promised to name me his successor in a few days’ time. When I am king you will be the queen mother, whether you hold the title now or not.”

She straightened, forced her gaze to focus on her son’s face. “You are right. He cannot wrest from my hands the power I forged with them. He can take
his
authority. But not my own.”