[Bêthberry]

It was a considerable crowd which milled about the Great Hall, watching the King's announcement and then departure, murmuring amongst themselves over the manner of the two royal children, watching to see what fate lay in store for their country. Palace attendants mingled with wealthy citizens of influence and power, while noble men and women spoke among themselves. Homay had quietly withdrawn to the sidelines at the news of the attack of the Alanzians, unsure of how she would be regarded in the face of this shocking news. On one side she heard a small gasp from the maid Tabari with the whispered words, "Alanzia, Alanzia." Tabari looked at Homay with frightened eyes and the older woman wondered if she now was being viewed as a possible collaborator with the enemy, for Tabari had known of the correspondence which she had run for the Queen with the foreign king. Yet on her other side Homay felt a gentle passing of the outside of hand over hers and she knew that Dahliyah understood her quandry.

The old woman played over and over in her mind the news of Siamak's and Gjeela's agreement to accept alliance with the Emissary. Oh, if only one of them had come to their mother's quarters, had come to seek her out, what she could have told them. Now, now it was too late. Yet she was bound by honour and trust to respect her mistress's last request. She stood on the spot, unmoving, until she heard the Princess's commands and saw both Tabari and Dahliyah swept away in the entourage towards the Queen's chambers and with trembling she made her request Gjeela.

And now the dark, scowling face of Lord Korak peered into her face, impatiently. Was he in agreement with this alliance she wondered? Did he share Gjeela's political feelings? She did not know, but decided on the spot, looking at his face, that she would tread carefully, very carefully.

"Lord Korak, it is awkward at this time, at the death of my mistress, to speak of everything she wished me to say to you, her presumed future son-in-law." Homay raised her voice, and some of the nobles who remained in the room ceased their murmuring and strained to catch some of the conversation.

"What could you possibly have to say to me?" Lord Korak retorted, impatient with this crone.

"I see you are impatient with the hesitancy of an old attendant unused to the ways of the court. I will not keep you now, my lord, but merely let you know that the Queen wished to show her future son-in-law certain curtesies and to bring him into her confidence as the Princess's mother. Let us speak again later, when matters of the marriage can be more fittingly discussed."

Korak would have scoffed aloud had something in the old woman's manner not appealed to his vanity. What would the Queen have wanted with him? he wondered, his devious mind immediately trying to ascertain what leverage him might acquire, even after the Queen's death. He did not wish to be controlled by that royal vixen Djeela and would not be unwilling to seek out his own alliances. His mother, after all, had been close friends with the Queen.

"I shall return now to console my mother, the Lady Habiba, over this terrible news of the death of her friend. When the time is more appropriate, I will seek your words about this marriage which I have long desired. Good night, old woman."

Homay curtsied and then withdrew, certain that as yet no word of her true intent could have been passed on in gossip. She left the Great Hall and followed the long, wide corridor through which Djeela and the other woman had passed towards the Queen's quarters. On her way, she came upon Jarult returning with his arms full of candles and oil lamps.

"I have stumbled upon just the person who can help me with these for the night's vigil," he intoned to Homay. His eyes told her there were more he wished to convey with her then mere wax. Homay stepped to his side. Their two heads nodded close together and any one watching them would have seen two ordinary servants going about the mundane business of the palace. Yet now it was that Jarult whispered to Homay what he had observed a month ago between Bekah and the King. Without stopping to make any display, Homay took in this information and decided that, Lord Korak notwithstanding, she would divulge her own knowledge to the old chamberlain. Thus it was that slowly and quietly the truth of events would become known, not among the great and powerful upon whom the Emissary spied with his Ring and his other abilities, but among those who neither the Emissary nor his Lord Annatar would ever have given any moment of thought to. And so Faroz was never swayed to mistrust his servants Jarult and Homay as he was turned away from his General, his Priestess, his faith, by the foul machinations of Ashnaz and Annatar.