* * *
Two women stared out the window to the quiet street far below. Some time earlier, they had watched Mihai pass under that very window as she made her way toward the Majestic. One of them finally let go the curtain and turned away, retracing her steps to the small bed in the corner of the room.
Stretching in a yawn, she turned back to the other and cooed, “Come, my love, I have not yet been given my fill of your love songs promised. This day is so fleeting and, when it has passed, I will have to wait so long to feel your breath upon my neck again.”
The second woman looked away from the window, her face displaying a flirting frown, veiling her secret disdain for this urchin of latter days. Masking her feelings, she sang a sweet, hushed refrain:
“Oh, how I love the scent of your skin,
The joy of your heart pressed close to mine.
But we to labors must not delay,
For the ‘morrow must whisk us far away.”
Releasing the other side of the curtain, casting the room back into dark shadow, she shook her head. “My pet, please, do not arouse my desires until business has been concluded. Then, if you are a good child, I will fill you up to bursting.”
Wrapping herself in a quilted, floor-length shawl, the woman sat at a small table. Calling her companion over, after requesting she cover herself also, the two took up their former discussion. Reaching into a small drawer hidden in the table, she withdrew some papers with scribbles and drawings. After laying them out so her companion could see, she explained, “These first two papers contain what appears to be little more than nonsensical poetry. Do not be fooled! Each word in each stanza and the way in which it is positioned is most important! You must memorize these pages as you see them. It is vital that you do just so.”
She pulled the page with a drawing out from under the other papers, pointing, “Here you see Hall of Assembly, the auditorium where Mother’s council will gather this night. Wait for me under the main stadium. The shadows are long, and the light sparse there. If you’re careful, no one will notice you. I will come to you before the meeting, as soon as may be and give you whatever else you will need for your return journey.”
The woman shuddered nervously. “My Queen, your slave begs your pardon for her open brashness, but I fear Lord PalaHar will be there this eve. He is a great councilor to Mother and I doubt he will miss this meeting. He will feel my scent for a certainty, after our many years together on Mu…”
“Enough of your drivel!” scolded the woman. The hurt on the other woman’s face was quickly assuaged with gentle words. “Oh please, my darling, my darling!” She put her hand over her brow, moaning, “My head aches from the stresses of the hour and my mouth speaks the lies of that stress. Please forgive me for my outburst.” Smiling, she took the woman’s hand. “I promise! I will make it up to you. I will make it up to you.”
“Don’t concern yourself with PalaHar.” She swallowed hard, trying to push down a sour taste growing in her mouth. “Your scent will be a forgotten dream for him this night. I will make sure his mind thinks only of my charms.” Oh, how she wanted to vomit at the thought of romancing that man.
Drawing attention back to the moment, the woman opened a locket hanging from her neck and removed a tiny key from it. “Here, take this. It will provide entrance to a storage closet under the stadium. There you can remain hidden until I come to you. We will meet there instead of the pillars…sooner, if time plays in our favor.”
Standing, she tenderly drew the woman up, softly kissing her on the lips, then whispered, “You must see to our business tonight. Eliseah, if you swear your oath to me, then we can be about other more delightful pleasantries.”
The woman promised with an oath, her eyes shining with desire, adding, “My Queen, no man has bequeathed me as great a gift as you can provide. My heart will long swoon over the affection you are showing it this very day!”
As they embraced, a sour look crossed the face of the one being called ‘queen’. Oh what sacrifices she made for the only love she desired! Oh, how she wanted him and yearned for his love! A smile grew on her lips at the thought of their soon being together again. Three millennia she had been away, clandestinely doing his will. The evening’s council meeting would bring her one step closer to his embrace.
She disrobed her companion and began her sensuous caresses, fantasizing about being with the man she so loved. Each touch, each kiss was for him, with him. When the thought of his passion for his fellow kind entered her mind, she pushed it away, contending, ‘I will change him! He longs for me! For me! My breasts, alone, will make him forget the love songs of his androgyne!’