looked to Alexander.
“I will bring the boy to you later. After you have rested.”
Rabbel nodded then and stood. Cassia’s heart seized. “My king—” She searched for the words. “I know I have no claim here. I have no wish for anything for myself. Only allow us to remain for my son’s sake. And for your own.” A note of desperation had found its way into her voice. Her heartbeat seemed to catch and hold, suspended.
Rabbel sighed and looked to Hagiru. “Take care of the woman.” He made his way down the few steps. Hagiru bowed to him as he passed, and the room fell silent as he exited, attended by several slaves.
When he was gone, Cassia turned back to Hagiru and found the queen already on the throne. Alexander tried to descend the platform, but Hagiru reached from her seat and grabbed his arm. His eyes widened.
Cassia felt a pressure in her chest.
Hagiru called Bethea forward and the woman approached the throne, but her attention stayed on Cassia, her expression a mixture of disdain and curiosity.
“Do something with the boy,” Hagiru said to her.
Cassia took a half step forward. “I expect nothing for myself. I will work here in the palace, in whatever way you choose, and I can look after my son.”
Hagiru laughed, a mirthless sound more like a growl. “Ah, but you have fulfilled your purpose already. You have given Aretas a son. We have no further use for you here.”
“Alexander is the king’s grandson—”
“Yes.” Hagiru’s voice was a hiss. “And it appears he will be claimed as such. What has that to do with you?”
The pressure on her chest increased. Cassia shook her head, refusing to acknowledge what was becoming clear. Alexander would belong here in the palace. He would have the family and the security she had always desired for him.
But what of her?
Cassia indicated the slaves lined at the edge of the hall. “Let me be a slave here in the palace. Nothing more. Only let me remain—”
Hagiru stood, towering over Cassia from her perch on the throne platform, a dark shadow in the white room. She spoke as if giving a formal pronouncement, and the words were like a death sentence.
“The boy will be raised a Nabataean, without foreign influence.” She took another step toward Cassia. Alexander pulled away from Bethea and came to stand beside Hagiru, looking up at her with frightened eyes. Hagiru positioned herself behind him and clutched his shoulders possessively. She spoke to Cassia. “You will give up all claims to the boy.” Alexander winced beneath her grip. “From this day forward, you will be dead to him.”
Cassia’s legs trembled beneath her, and she reached out to steady herself, but found nothing.
“You will leave Petra.” Hagiru’s voice plunged into her like a piercing knife. “Today. There is nothing for you here.”
The trembling overtook Cassia’s whole body, and her blood chilled. “No. No! I will not leave my son!” She held out a hand, and Alexander broke away from the queen and fled to her. She gathered him to herself and lifted her head. “You cannot separate a mother from her son.”
Hagiru laughed again and inclined her head to the nearby slave who had attended her earlier. “Take the boy.”
Cassia pushed Alexander behind her body. Hot tears sprung to her eyes, and she blinked furiously. “Come, Alexander.” She turned them both to leave the palace.
At the back of the throne room, three male slaves stepped into the arch that led to the front halls.
Cassia turned a slow circle in the center of the room, still clutching Alexander. There was no other way out.
Hagiru’s slave reached her and wrapped a hand around Alexander’s arm.
“Mama?” His terrified voice ripped open her soul and called her tears forward, not to be denied. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
The slave pulled him away, but Cassia followed, reaching for him. “You cannot do this!” She called out the words to the entire room, surrounded as she was by the
“I will bring the boy to you later. After you have rested.”
Rabbel nodded then and stood. Cassia’s heart seized. “My king—” She searched for the words. “I know I have no claim here. I have no wish for anything for myself. Only allow us to remain for my son’s sake. And for your own.” A note of desperation had found its way into her voice. Her heartbeat seemed to catch and hold, suspended.
Rabbel sighed and looked to Hagiru. “Take care of the woman.” He made his way down the few steps. Hagiru bowed to him as he passed, and the room fell silent as he exited, attended by several slaves.
When he was gone, Cassia turned back to Hagiru and found the queen already on the throne. Alexander tried to descend the platform, but Hagiru reached from her seat and grabbed his arm. His eyes widened.
Cassia felt a pressure in her chest.
Hagiru called Bethea forward and the woman approached the throne, but her attention stayed on Cassia, her expression a mixture of disdain and curiosity.
“Do something with the boy,” Hagiru said to her.
Cassia took a half step forward. “I expect nothing for myself. I will work here in the palace, in whatever way you choose, and I can look after my son.”
Hagiru laughed, a mirthless sound more like a growl. “Ah, but you have fulfilled your purpose already. You have given Aretas a son. We have no further use for you here.”
“Alexander is the king’s grandson—”
“Yes.” Hagiru’s voice was a hiss. “And it appears he will be claimed as such. What has that to do with you?”
The pressure on her chest increased. Cassia shook her head, refusing to acknowledge what was becoming clear. Alexander would belong here in the palace. He would have the family and the security she had always desired for him.
But what of her?
Cassia indicated the slaves lined at the edge of the hall. “Let me be a slave here in the palace. Nothing more. Only let me remain—”
Hagiru stood, towering over Cassia from her perch on the throne platform, a dark shadow in the white room. She spoke as if giving a formal pronouncement, and the words were like a death sentence.
“The boy will be raised a Nabataean, without foreign influence.” She took another step toward Cassia. Alexander pulled away from Bethea and came to stand beside Hagiru, looking up at her with frightened eyes. Hagiru positioned herself behind him and clutched his shoulders possessively. She spoke to Cassia. “You will give up all claims to the boy.” Alexander winced beneath her grip. “From this day forward, you will be dead to him.”
Cassia’s legs trembled beneath her, and she reached out to steady herself, but found nothing.
“You will leave Petra.” Hagiru’s voice plunged into her like a piercing knife. “Today. There is nothing for you here.”
The trembling overtook Cassia’s whole body, and her blood chilled. “No. No! I will not leave my son!” She held out a hand, and Alexander broke away from the queen and fled to her. She gathered him to herself and lifted her head. “You cannot separate a mother from her son.”
Hagiru laughed again and inclined her head to the nearby slave who had attended her earlier. “Take the boy.”
Cassia pushed Alexander behind her body. Hot tears sprung to her eyes, and she blinked furiously. “Come, Alexander.” She turned them both to leave the palace.
At the back of the throne room, three male slaves stepped into the arch that led to the front halls.
Cassia turned a slow circle in the center of the room, still clutching Alexander. There was no other way out.
Hagiru’s slave reached her and wrapped a hand around Alexander’s arm.
“Mama?” His terrified voice ripped open her soul and called her tears forward, not to be denied. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
The slave pulled him away, but Cassia followed, reaching for him. “You cannot do this!” She called out the words to the entire room, surrounded as she was by the
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