Letters were exchanged between Thelios and the palace ensigns, and at last, the appointed hour came for Starlex to meet King Sabium, the twelfth man to rule in the Saganah royal family dynasty.

  There had been one queen who had ruled over two-hundred years ago. At the ruins, Thelios had pointed out to Starlex the queen's statues, all desecrated with smashed faces and gauged out features. She had either been unpopular or the brother who succeeded her, and according to rumor poisoned her, wanted history to see her that way.

  Starlex peeked through the slit in the carriage curtains at the white palace looming above them. She adjusted the silver-studded belt and heavily-pleated lavender silk gown Thelios had purchased for her.

  Thelios tapped the long whip on the mare’s back and the carriage swayed around a tight turn. The more they climbed the winding streets, the wealthier the citizens appeared. The women especially, Starlex noted, wore lighter, more colorful gowns of sheer silk than their poorer counterparts in the city's lower regions. The gold jewelry lining their throats and wrists glistened in the late afternoon sun.

  A few people on the street smiled and waved at Thelios as if they were used to seeing his black carriage with the velvet-curtained cab. Starlex wondered if he had concealed other people this way, other women perhaps, and what role did they serve for the king.

  I suppose I will find out soon enough.

  The carriage made a sudden lurch forward as the mare made a sprightly trot toward the palace gate. They were greeted by two stone-faced sentries in white line tunics beneath gold breastplates embossed with the royal sigil: two discs representing the sun and moon entwined by a two-headed snake.

  Starlex retreated into the shadow to avoid the glare of a curious sentry.

  Thelios said something to him in the local tongue that Starlex did not catch, and the scrolled iron gates embossed with shimmering bronze accents creaked open to allow the carriage to pass.

  Starlex noticed immediately how much smoother the ride suddenly became. The brick road leading to the King’s palace was smooth, clean, and even. Hibiscus flowers, strong and heavy, perfumed the thick, warm air. The too-sweet aroma produced an instant ache in Starlex's temples.

  Or perhaps I'm just scared, she thought, wiping her damp hands on the skirt of her gown.

  She had bathed and perfumed herself that afternoon in preparation for the visit. Her white-blond hair, now falling a hand past her waist, was freshly washed and lightly perfumed. Thelios himself had braided the front pieces in the manner fitting the highest-ranking ladies and lined her eyes with coal. The cosmetic had practical purposes for desert-born people as it shielded their eyes from the sun, but the effect it had on Starlex’s violet eyes caused Thelios to make a quick intake of breath.

  “You’re beautiful, little one,” he had said. “And so rare, the king will want to know you.”

  “But how shall I act around him?”

  “Just be your lovely self.”

  But what will he want from me? Thought Starlex with a thudding heart as the carriage swept up to the front entrance and Thelios brought the mare to a halt.

  She recalled Krego's brothel and shuddered.

  King or no king, I will not be any man’s whore.

  She had expressed those exact thoughts to Thelios the previous night. He had appeared shocked at the suggestion.

  Two more sentries appeared. One took hold of the mare’s reins, the other helped Thelios from the carriage. Thelios groaned as he pressed his weight on his long staff. Starlex adjusted her veil to cover her face as Thelios had instructed her. Thelios opened the carriage door, grandly held out his hand, and Starlex stepped down onto the soft carpet making a narrow runway toward the palace entrance.

  Another set of sentries opened the double doors made of carved wood with large bronze hinges and they were inside the palace.

  Starlex took a quick breath through her veil, noticing how much cooler the air was inside. The waning sunlight shone through an arched window of colored glass scattering rainbow light across the marble floor, white with gold veins.

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  Thelios gently pinched her arm and jutted his beard toward the ceiling. Starlex gasped at the interior of the massive dome she had viewed from the outside. It consisted of intricate honey-combed porticos and niches all decorated with gold and azure carvings leading to a central depiction of the sun in shiny gold leaf. The image was so bright for a moment Starlex thought she was gazing at an open ceiling. The effect was dizzying.

  “Thelios Arakna, my dear friend.” A smooth woman’s voice floated to meet them before she herself appeared beneath a tiled archway.

  Thelios' dark eyes lit up as she approached.

  The woman was middle-aged, but lovely, with dark eyes lined in thick coal lines. A chain dangled from one ear to a dainty gold ring pierced through one nostril. Her gown of bright yellow silk made a striking contrast to her smooth dark skin.

  Thelios kissed the woman’s hand with an air of gallantry making Starlex wonder if his feelings for the woman didn’t go deeper than respectful friendship.

  “This is Atalantia,” Thelios said in a gentle tone.

  Atalantia smiled sweetly at Starlex and extended a warm hand.

  “Come,” she said. “His majesty’s waiting.”

  The gracious lady took Thelios’ arm and together they traversed a lengthy marble colonnade. The swirling decor combined with the aroma at Atalantia’s clove perfume was causing Starlex to nearly swoon. She stumbled at the bottom of the marble staircase.

  Thelios found her forearm and firmly pulled her up. His fingers felt a bit rough on her arm, causing a wave of fear to pass through her. She decided it was just her own anxiety about meeting the king and nothing more.

  Thelios and Atalantia chatted as they climbed the marble stairs. From their conversation, mostly inane gossip, Starlex could tell they knew each other well. Through her veil, Starlex saw Atalantia cast her a sidelong glance that suggested something other than easy hospitality. The curl of her lip and the narrowing of her gaze as she slid it back to Thelios suggested quiet contempt.

  Thelios' fingers tightened their grip on her arm.

  “Almost there,” he said breathlessly.

  A brightly-woven carpet of intricate repeating patterns, led to a door, gold-leaf over thickly carved wood. Two sentries holding long pikes stood on either side of the door. Starlex’s vision tightened to a small aperture, the surrounding walls darkened. She thought she might faint.

  I’ve used to live in a royal palace. Why am I so scared?

  The doors opened slowly. For the first time, Starlex detected the sound of music, the sweet trill of a flute over a low steady drumbeat. The aroma of Frankincense deepened.

  Atalantia closed the door behind them. The room was dim, lit with flame pots placed along the floor. Atalantia moved to Starlex’s left side. Thelios was on the other, his staff in his right hand. Together, they marched Starlex down a narrow carpet. She looked down at her sandaled feet treading over the repeated pattern of the king’s sigil.

  The smell of sweet perfume was almost overpowering. As she took in the shadowed surroundings, she saw what she first thought were stacks of brightly-colored pillows, which were in actuality women. Languid, sultry, a row of beautiful young women whose eyes shone darkly above their veils. One bent down low on her palms, and moving forward into the light, she hissed.

  Starlex gasped and threw a glance at Thelios. But her magician friend’s dark eyes stared straight ahead, transfixed.

  At last, they came to a pile of pillows, all made of bright threads interwoven with gold. More women, one lovelier than the next with skin tones ranging from white sand to darkest ebony, were draped before a raised dais. A gold-leaf folding screen obscured the king’s throne.

  Atalantia and Thelios stopped abruptly; Starlex took a deep breath.

  “Your highness,” said Thelios, releasing his grip on Starlex’s arm and bowing deeply.

  Atalantia stepped aside, half-hidden in shadows as writhing women wrapped themselves, snake-like, around her feet.

  “You promised me something different, Thelios Arakna,” grated a voice from behind the gold screen.

  “And I have delivered just that,” said Thelios proudly. “I think you’ll be pleased when you see this one.”

  Is is talking about me? Starlex gazed incredulously at Thelios.

  There was a low grunt, almost like the growl of an animal. Two of the women, bare-breasted and wearing only sheer silk draped at their waists, rose together and removed the screen.

  Starlex stared through the fabric of her veil at King Sabium Saganah. It was difficult to define his features within the intricate repeating patterns of his robe and the upholstery of the high back throne.

  “Take off the veil,” the king’s said. The texture of his voice, like rock scraping rock, sent tingles of fear down Starlex's spine.

  Thelios grabbed the veil covering Starlex face and yanked it away. She watched as Thelios dipped into the shadows, eyes pointing at the floor.

  A leather pouch was tossed at Thelios. He caught it and it disappeared inside the side pocket. She heard Atlantia issue a short, ugly laugh.

  It was only then that Starlex realized the depths of Thelios' betrayal. Tears clouded her eyes. He had sold to the king harem as sure as Krego had tried to sell her to the sailors.

  Her mouth tight with the knowledge that she had trusted too easily, she lifted her violet eyes to gaze at the man who had just purchased her. It took several moments for her eyes to focus and when, at last, she completely understood what exactly she was seeing, Starlex began to scream uncontrollably.

  Atlantia stepped forward to strike her across the face. Starlex groaned as she fell to the floor. The last thing she remembered is the king standing over her, his body wide as it was tall, with two heads, one laughing maniacally and one weeping, protruding from his shoulders like a two-humped camel.