Arshalous stood before the fire, feeling her skin tighten as it baked in the heat. Her gaze was fixed on Semra who now slept soundly on the couch, wrapped in crimson covers, a silken pillow under her head.
The Queen murdered, my servant assaulted by Shadow, and I caught in the a net of plots for the demise of my cousin. Arshalous's stomach tightened around an numb ball of fear and dread.
Another servant entered the room and said, "Your presence is requested at the palace, my lady."
Arshalous glared at the man, angry at that she had been summoned. Why was she at the beck and call of the royal family? She had problems of her own that must be dealt with...Semra had been hurt...hurt grievously. But she could not deny the summons of the royal family.
"Why do they want me?" she asked.
"They did not say, my lady."
"I suppose to watch over the body of the Queen," she murmured. Tedious custom...
The servant breathed deeply and said, "I think there might be much more to it than that. I was told that Pashtia has been attacked by Alanzia and when news of that reached the royal children, they agreed to alliance themselves with the Emmisarry."
Alanzia breaking the treaty? The news came to Arshalous like a slap to the face. Why would they do that? How could they be so foolish? So treacherous...Queen Bekah was one of their own...did they believe that a Pashtian had assinated her? Conjectures and confusion swirled in her mind and she wished that she could shut it out, hide in her library surrounded by her books of tales..."Thank you....you may go now," she said stiffly.
Arshalous shook Semra by the shoulder and said, "Wake up, we must leave. I have been summoned to the palace and you will go with me. I do not want to leave you here in this condition."
It was difficult to wake up the girl, so in the end Arshalous carried Semra out the door and settled her as comfortably as she could in front of her on the horse.
They arrived soon enough to the palace. Thankfully the jolting gate of the trot had woken Semra up enough so that Arshalous did not feel the need to carry her inside the palace. A servant brought them to the Princess and Arshalous said, "How may I be of service, my lady?"
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