Princess of Babylon by Kylie Quillinan

Author:Kylie Quillinan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781922852182
Publisher: Kylie Quillinan

CHAPTER 22

My feet were slow as I made my way to the front doors. This place was nothing like I had expected. I had been separated from two of my companions, humiliated by another Ornament, and it was quite clear I would never be queen. I hadn’t even met Pharaoh yet. But what choice did I have other than to try to make a life for myself here?

If I wanted to flee, I was almost certain Ettu and Ahmose would come with me. But we didn’t know where Tall and Half were, and I couldn’t leave without them. They were only here because of me. And where would we go anyway? Even if I could get to Babylon, Father would probably send me straight back to Egypt. He wouldn’t risk breaking the alliance, no matter how much his disobedient daughter begged to be released. I was trapped. It seemed my only option was to make the best of the situation I had been sent to.

I expected to introduce myself to the guards at the entrance since they probably weren’t the same men who admitted me last night, but they already held the doors open. Maybe they assumed a lone woman walking through the grounds dressed as I was must be an Ornament and entitled to enter the Palace.

“Good morning,” I said to them. “I am Kassaya. I arrived last night from Babylon.”

Surprise flickered across their faces. Maybe they weren’t used to Ornaments introducing themselves. But if I was to survive here, I needed allies. And allies who could facilitate my getting in and out of the Palace would be valuable indeed.

“Khaemope, my lady,” one of them said. He gestured to his companion. “He is Karpusa.”

“Khaemope and Karpusa,” I repeated, fixing their names and faces in my mind. “I am most pleased to meet you. Are you always at the doors during the day?”

“We are the day shift,” Khaemope said. “We come on at dawn.”

“Do you wish to go inside, my lady?” Karpusa asked.

I finally realised they were still holding open the doors.

“Yes,” I said. “But before I do, have you seen two Babylonian men this morning? A tall one and a very short one?”

They both stiffened.

“Of course not, my lady,” Karpusa said, or maybe he was Khaemope. “They would not get through the front gates, and even if they did we have guards patrolling the grounds constantly. They would be found before they could be of any threat to you.”

“Oh, no, you misunderstand me,” I said. “They are my companions. They travelled with me from Babylon, but they weren’t permitted to enter the Palace. They were sent to sleep in the stables, but I haven’t seen them since then.”

“I’m afraid they would not have been allowed to stay in the stables,” Khaemope said.

“The administrator said they could spend the night there,” I said. “Amankhau, I think his name was.”

“And do you know for a fact they reached the stables?” Karpusa asked.

“Well, no, but a man was to take them there.”

The guards darted glances at each other and Karpusa shook his head slightly.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.