The guards, likely awed by her reputation as much as her ferocity, shared a look and wisely turned the gate key before stepping aside.
Delaying for a moment, she took the time to give the guards a good hard stare before striding away into the night. The trick was in paying attention and devoting time to the details. That one last glance would stay with the guards for years and add to her reputation, so long as there was a future for her reputation to carry into.
The gardens were strangely quiet and yet busy. As Asima strode with purpose along the direct path to the royal residence, she saw small groups of servants and guards going quickly and resolutely about their business in a worried silence. And yet, despite the flurries of activity everywhere, the only noises she could hear came from outside the walls: crashes and bangs out to sea and what sounded like vicious fighting in the city beyond the palace gate.
Without paying to too much attention to what was happening close around her, Asima set her sights on the building ahead and made for the entrance. As she approached, the door opened and three servants rushed off toward the public palace, carrying bundles of something.
For a moment, Asima wondered whether she had been premature. Perhaps the God-King was in one of the palaces rather than his residence, tending to affairs. Perhaps, given his strength and abilities, he was armoured already and helping defend the palace.
No. The guards would not allow him to put himself in danger. He would be in the safest place in Akkad.
Striding purposefully, Asima pulled open the door to the residence of the God-King. The entrance hall was filled from side to side with heavily armed and armoured soldiers of the royal guard, archers positioned on the balconies above. The guard were clearly taking no chances of the enemy reaching their master.
As she walked toward the line of steel and bronze, she glanced into the side chambers and noted with satisfaction archers and soldiers positioned at all the windows. The building was well defended. Behind her she heard movement and, glancing back over her shoulder, she noted with approval the four guards lifting the heavy beams that would fall into grooves and bar the door in a moment.
Hardly premature. Just in time, in fact.
The captain in command of the guard gave a military half-bow as he recognised the royal concubine approaching and, with a curt command, the soldiers parted to allow her through. She glared at the captain and he was taken aback, blinking for a moment before recovering himself and straightening.
“Ma’am?”
“You just let me through without a single question?”
The captain cleared his throat, aware that somehow he was now treading a fine line.
“Ma’am? You are concubine and favoured of the God-King.”
Asima growled.
“We are being attacked by Pelasians, captain. No one should be trusted.”
The captain was crestfallen as Asima swept past, awash with annoyance, and made for the stairs. Behind her the guards closed ranks once more. Asima chided herself as she climbed. It had been petty, but it made her feel better. When events beyond one’s control threatened, it was always satisfying to make someone feel less than oneself. In a strange way it passed a small amount of control back.
At the top of the stairs, she noted with satisfaction the second line of soldiers guarding the entrance to the main apartment complex. The men parted once more to allow her in and she wondered briefly whether to repeat her admonishment, but decided against it.
Opening the door, she stepped inside and Bashi, the God-King’s chief manservant greeted her in the corridor.
“Lady Asima? I am surprised to see you here?”
Asima bowed her head. Bashi had a great deal of power and influence and, should tonight turn out well, she would need to remain on his good side.
“Master Bashi. As soon as I discovered what was happening I rushed to my Lord to be by his side and to offer him support and comfort should he require.”
Bashi nodded.
“This is good. The master is tense, my lady. Please attend just a moment.”
Asima stood in the entrance chamber and examined her nails as she heard Bashi enter the apartment and announce her. She also heard the strain and slight sound of relief in the God-King’s voice when he asked the servant to admit her. By the time Bashi returned, she was already walking toward the main room. He smiled and passed her to go about his business.
The God-King, resplendent in his plain black, with the circlet on his brow and his jewelled sword slung at his side, smiled at her, though there was a sadness and a hollowness to that smile.
“Asima, I am grateful you came. Surprised, but grateful.”
He reached his hands out to her.
“Surprised, my lord?”
The God-King laughed sadly.
“You are ever the game-player, my dear. Ashar warned me about that from the start. But for all your wickedness, life here would have been duller without you.”
Asima frowned.
“Majesty, you speak as though the game were already lost.”
The God-King sighed and sat heavily on the couch.
“For your own good, you would do well to leave. I have already sent Ashar to collect the twins and ferry them to safety. I have seen the red stars from the observatory. My grandfather saw them the day before his death, you know.”
He sighed.
“Several of my satraps have risen against me with armies and fleets they have constructed in secret and I have not had enough warning to pull in allies. My fleet is lost on the sea floor to a surprise attack and most of the walls of Akkad are now under their control. The noose tightens around my neck, Asima, and if you are here when they come, you may well hang alongside me.”
Asima shook her head.
“You are a God, my love. They cannot kill you.”
A true laugh.
“I am well aware of my simple mortality, Asima, and I do not think that you believe in any God, regardless. No, I shall die tonight and I would have you away somewhere safe, but I am glad that I saw you once more. You would have won, you know? I just cannot resist you. You would have been Goddess and Queen had I lived. How sad.”
Asima found that she had a genuine tear in the corner of her eye.
“I shall go nowhere, my lord. I shall be by your side when they come.”
The God-King Amashir IV, absolute ruler of Pelasia and divine power smiled sadly.
“Then let us sit and drink wine while we wait.”
In which the wheel turns again
Asima gripped the arm of the chair so tight that she felt her nails cutting their way through the delicate satin cover, her knuckles turning white. A few feet away, the God-King sat with a sad, stoic calmness, his legs crossed and his gaze firmly affixed on the door. The sounds of vicious combat at the entrance to the palace had died away only moments before and the echoes of steel on steel still rang around the corridors of the residence. There was a pregnant pause as Pelasia held its breath.
“The time is upon us, my dear. Time to go.”
Asima shook her head and dug her nails ever deeper into the chair arm.
“It is no use making such a noble gesture, my love. I appreciate the thought, but there is no need now; your death would be pointless. Find somewhere to hide.”
Again, Asima shook her head, her face pale. She was wracked by uncertainty. This was exactly what she’d planned, when she entered the building, to do in these very circumstances, though she had also considered several alternatives. It was a calculated risk that, if the attackers succeeded, she would appear noble and loyal enough to stand out above all the other women who hadn’t come here. It was all about raising her profile before anyone else had the chance. But now there were feelings of regret and real loyalty creeping in and she hadn’t felt these emotions since the days of her youth in M’Dahz.