Glorious Companions

by Summer Lee

  The sun went down and the western sky changed colors to pink and red. It was a lovely evening, so they took a walk. They were alone on the road. No conversation. Just quietly walking together, Rachael thought it would be perfect time for him to think peaceful thoughts.

  By the time they walked down the path, the western skies were shadowed with clouds as darkness fell. “Look, the Yarona is docked here.”

  “I know.”

  “Did you see Captain Cruz?”

  “I think so.”

  “You think so?” He grabbed her shoulders. “What happened between you two?”

  “You are jealous,” she said, changing the subject. “Do you want to know what I think?”

  He tightened his grip. “No. I want you to answer my question.”

  Rachael ignored him. “Angels and humans are not all that different from each other. It has been interesting having a husband who cares as much for starry beings as he does me. With you, there is never a dull moment.”

  “Well, my wife,” he cooed bitterly, “that is a very interesting statement to make from someone who just cheated on her husband.”

  She pulled away. “I have done no such thing! I was wrong to want a sea voyage to Egypt. I want to go back to Babylon.”

  He stiffened. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

  Rachael ignored the hollow feeling in her stomach. “I don’t know.”

  “You’d best find out quickly.” She was stunned as he back-handed her across the face. She fell to the ground. She had barely landed when Sammael landed on the ground beside her.

  “What the…”

  It was Buck. “Don’t lay a hand on the lady ever again.”

  “You have nothing to say about me and my wife.” Sammael jumped up, his face scarlet with rage. He grabbed Buck by the neck and punched him. Buck was equally strong. He punched Sammael again.

  Rachael watched as Sammael’s rage manifested itself by swearing. Anger out of control was his big problem. He steadied his feet and punched the captain on the nose. “Stay away from my wife.”

  “I’m not going to fight you for Rachael, because she has already made her choice.”

  Sammael looked at Rachael. “Which is?”

  She said nothing, but glared at him, her eyes full of hate.

  “The lady is honorable. She has chosen you,” said the captain. Rachael watched as Buck turned and walked back toward the ship. She sniffed. Choked up, she knew she would never see him again.

  “I can’t believe this.” Sammael shook his head. “Do you love me at all?”

  “Yes.” Her words cracked as she swallowed a sob.

  “What do you want to do?”

  “I want to go home, and I want you to carry me.”

  “Are you sure you want to go home with me?” he asked sadly.

  “Yes, Sammael, I want to go home with my husband.”

  “Yes, your highness.” He teasingly smiled.

  “So, you forgive me?”

  “So long as you forgive me?”

  “Yes.” They held each other in a tight embrace. Then clinging to his neck, she closed her eyes during the lift off. Sammael followed the river upstream. The river wended its way around the hill, forking naturally to form a sort of moat.

  A smooth hill, dotted with a smattering of trees, rose before them. At the base of the hill was a small empty cottage. Rachael was getting thirsty and spotted a well below. “Stop there for a moment.”

  Sammael flew down to the well and sat her on the ledge. He pulled up a bucket of water and handed it to her. “Here, my dear.”

  After guzzling the fresh, crisp water, she handed the bucket to him to drink. They then started playfully splashing the water at each other until they each finally poured a bucket of water on each other’s heads. “That sure feels better,” said Rachael as Sammael dumped a second bucket of cool water over her body. They both laughed like children. Playtime over, he picked her up again and was soon soaring high above the Earth.

  “We are almost home.” He carried her through the air not stopping until he reached the woods outside the city limit. “We can’t let our subjects know our little flying secret,” Sammael said as he changed his angelic appearance back to one of a human.

  “Now that we’ve had our first lovers’ quarrel?” she said without smiling.

  “Of course.”

  “I must rest before going home.”

  “Certainly.”

  While Rachael slept, Sammael pondered his life and the changes she had brought to him.

  Interlude – The Watcher

  Aaron had won a battle in Zoan against the bandits. He had done it without Sammael’s help. Demonic spirits get angry when the humans they possess are killed. They end up wandering around in waterless places. Sammael needed to see what the reaction was of those fallen angels who lived among the stars.

  He had to play it out in his mind first. Now, he was alone. His favorite escape from reality was to go sit on a hill on a star in the sky. It was his own personal star, given to him by El, the Creator.

  What effect did his evil motives have on his wife? He realized that he should have been concentrating on building a relationship with her. He must learn how to conduct himself in his bad times as well as the good. He now realized that he got satisfaction out of going into a rage and throwing a fit. Anger and being out of control was a big problem for Sammael. Allowing evil to surface was a terrible choice to make. Maybe God would help him if he asked. Or perhaps Aaron could help. He had returned to Babylon.

  His love for his wife was amazing, but not as fulfilling as he had expected. What plagued him now were his bad or disappointing decisions. What had he given up in order to be with Rachael? Why had he not thought it through first?

  He and his wife would not be spending eternity together. He would pay the penalty for his bad decisions. She would be forgiven for hers. He would be judged for his. God had a future plan to redeem people but not angels.

  The thought of a more passionate life caused Sammael ambivalence. Right now, he did not have a loving, giving heart. It wasn’t automatic. Rachael, the young princess deserved more. Not really knowing who he was and what he wanted was very confusing. He was sure he wanted Rachael—sometimes. Other times, he wanted to go on an adventure alone.

  The confusing part was that Rachael could not be fooled. If he left her again, she would go straight to the arms of the captain of the ship.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  A small group of people, all properly dressed in tunics and shawls and fancy robes, were heading through an open door into a Babylonian inn—not unlike the one they had just departed. Sammael gripped the hand of his wife, assisting her out of the oxcart.

  Rachael took Sammael’s offered hand, and stepped down onto the cobblestone road. They walked down the path together. He leaned over and whispered quietly into her ear, “I like the neckline on your tunic, my darling. I’ve never seen you wear such a revealing garment before.”

  “My mother had it made for me.” Rachael felt her face get hot as she blushed. “You are supposed to pretend that you didn’t notice.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  When Sammael and Rachael stepped inside the inn, they were met with a thunderous applause. Rachael blinked rapidly as the bright torchlight momentarily blinded her. When her vision cleared, she saw that everyone was staring at her, beaming. Beside her, Sammael was grinning. She knew he was proud of her, and that made her feel good.

  “What’s going on here? This is more than a party.” Rachael whispered from the side of her mouth into Sammael’s ear. “Why are all eyes on me?” Forcing a smile, her face felt flushed.

  “Aaron told me that this is a meal in honor of our wedding,” whispered the prince, who leaned toward her. She looked at the smiling faces and raised her hand, twisting it back and forth, like she had been taught was the proper wave for a princess. Resting a hand at the small of her back, Sammael guided her toward the head table.

  “
Almost everyone I have ever known is here.” Rachael saw some important statesmen from Alalakh, all dressed regally. Even some passengers from the Yarona had come, including the old, rugged tillerman, who sat next to Captain Cruz. The two sat comfortably with the city lords. She made eye contact with Buck and then he dropped his head. She looked at Sammael. “You invited the captain?” she asked him.

  “Yes. I am a bigger man than you think.”

  At the center of the head table were King Asher and Queen Kenana, both with broad grins. There were two seats left open between them for Sammael and Rachael.

  To the right of Asher was her brother, Tyro. Leah was next to Tyro. Tyro winked and Leah fluttered her fingers in a mock wave.

  That was when Rachael realized that Tall, Leah’s father, sat on the left of her mother. Instead of leaning into the king, Kenana was leaning into the widower.

  When they went to the table to be seated, Rachael deliberately sat by her father, leaving the seat open for Sammael by her mother.

  The meal was served. The table talk was very interesting as she listened to her father and brother talk about situations in the kingdom. They talked about the peace in the towns and villages. Tyro turned to speak with Rachael. He and Leah had just returned from Adah with Leah’s baby sister, Dinah.

  “Where is she?” asked Rachael.

  Leah beamed. “A maid is watching her in the next room. Would you like to see her?”

  “I would love to.”

  “Come. Follow me.”

  Leah left the table with Rachael following. Rachael was so excited to get to hold a newborn baby.

  Leah took Dinah from a chubby maid. “Thank you, Mazhira.”

  “She is precious,” Rachael said, and then attempted to talk to the infant, whose bottom lip curled downward and little Dinah cried.

  “Oh, no. She doesn’t like me.”

  “It’s nothing. She does that to almost everyone now.”

  “Are you the one taking care of her?”

  “Mostly.”

  “She has a wet nurse,” she pointed. “Mazhira feeds her for me. Her own little boy has just been weaned.”

  “That’s good.” After a moment’s silence, Rachael mustered up enough courage to ask, “How is your father holding up?”

  “He seems so lonely.”

  “I think he plans to go home with your parents after the party tonight.”

  “With the baby?”

  “No. Tyro and I are going to live in Adah after we marry. We plan to raise Dinah ourselves.”

  The baby did not stop crying. Mazhira took her back and started rocking the baby to calm her crying. Once she offered a breast, the baby clung to the nipple. Rachael laughed.

  The two young ladies walked back to the table. Rachael normally would have never suspected her mother of doing anything other than consoling a grieving friend, but somehow, it seemed like more. She felt a need to scold her.

  *

  When Rachael returned to the table, she saw Aaron look at Hannah. She watched how they looked at each other and when their eyes met, he winked. Hannah instantly blushed. Hannah quickly picked up a tray and went into the kitchen. Rachael looked at Prince Sammael. He had not seen what had just happened. She wondered if he knew about the relationship between his head servants. What about her mother and Tall? Could something be going on between them as well?

  The musicians began to play. She walked over to Aaron and urged him to ask Hannah to join him in a dance. Rachael wanted to dance as well and the friendly conversation around her did little to assuage her feelings inside. She nudged her man.

  Sammael stood, placed his left hand behind his back, and lifted Rachael from her seat with his other hand. “Would you care to dance, my love?”

  “Oh, yes.” He escorted his lady out onto the flagstone floor. They scandalously swayed together. Though they were married, it was not acceptable to dance publicly in such a manner. Rachael moved softly for a little while, feeling joy in her heart. Joy that she was so in love. Joy that she was loved so much.

  When the dance ended, she expected to see her parents on the dance floor, but they weren’t even together. Her father was at the drinks table talking to a man she had never seen before… And her mother, Kenana, and Tall were nowhere to be seen. Where could they have gone? They had wandered off together. She just knew it.

  After looking around inside, she went out on the patio. She saw her mother embracing Tall. Rachael stood transfixed in the doorway. Was her mother capable of having an affair with a grieving man? Tall was talking. His words carried on the wind to her. She heard him say, “I must say that you have never looked more elegant. You are the most wondrous woman in the world.” He pulled her close and held her tight. “And Keni, dear, you are certainly the sexiest, most incredible lady that I have ever seen.”

  Rachael thought that it could not be. Not her mother. Not Tall. Not so soon after the death of Sarah. In anger, she felt blood rise to her face. Stupefied, she went back inside. What does this mean? Is my parents’ marriage over? She was quiet the rest of the evening. Except for thanking people for coming, she was numb. It was more like she was dumbfounded.

  She saw that the group from the ship was leaving. Buck Cruz was in the lead. She ran over to him, clasped his hand and thanked him for coming. “You are a real gentleman,” she said.

  He winked and said, “I agree.”

  They paused for a moment, still clutching each other’s hands. “I’ll never forget you.”

  “Nor I you.” She watched until they were out the door.

  Aaron came over and told her that the prince was waiting for her in the oxcart. She went to him. While they were riding home together, Sammael asked about Tall and the baby. Sammael said that he had noticed something was wrong with Kenana. He suggested that maybe she was thinking of Leah and the baby. He said, “I feel sorry for that little baby losing its mother. I guess he will raise the baby alone.”

  Deep in thought, Rachael didn’t respond to Sammael’s statement but spoke out her own thoughts about Kenana. She would not accuse her mother of anything unless there was proof. “You sat by my mother. Did you have a nice visit with her tonight?”

  “No. She ignored me. She was busy consoling her friend, Tall.”

  “This may sound odd, but do you think it is possible that they could be having an affair, even now?”

  “But his wife just died recently,” said Sammael, surprised at her question. He said, “I think that she was just trying to help a grieving man heal. I’m sure that is all it was.”

  “Perhaps.” She fell into silence before speaking again. “Sammael?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thank you for trusting me enough to invite Captain Cruz.”

  “I didn’t invite him. Aaron did.”

  “Oh! How did he know him?”

  “He got his name off a list.”

  “Oh,” she said again with a sigh. “I must thank Aaron.”

  “Why?”

  “I got a chance to tell Buck goodbye. That means a lot to me,” she said quietly. “I will never see Buck again. I know that.”

  “Will you miss him?”

  “Yes,” she said, “But not as much if I have you. I need to know that you are always with me.”

  She saw rage in his eyes again. “Now what?”

  He just stepped off the side and disappeared.

  Interlude – The Watcher

  The rage that Sammael felt was severe and inhuman. He could not allow anyone to know the damage he was capable of displaying. Sammael had to do something about Eifah. He was a strong man—strong and stubborn and prone to violence—a wicked combination. Eifah—even his name was a reference to darkness and gloom. Sammael remembered back to when he had first come to Babylon. The reigning prince had just been killed. To this day, no one knew who had done it. Now, Sammael wondered if perhaps it was Eifah.

  Perhaps he had hoped or even expected to be Prince Eifah, prince of Babylon. The palace had been damaged just befor
e Sammael moved in. It was entirely possible that Eifah had had his men destroy the property. The thoughts inside Sammael’s head were swirling now. The thoughts he was having concerning Eifah were not good. They were very negative, indeed; they were thoughts of destruction.

  During dark days of depression, he wanted to sit on his star alone—all alone. Yet, on good days, when he was exhilarated, he wanted Rachael with a passion he had never known. His life was always one extreme after another.

  He shared a unique and special relationship with Princess Rachael. They had a friendship like none he had ever known. She was developing a bond with him that was supportive and enduring.

  Searching his heart for answers caused Sammael to recognize his own character defects. Perhaps that was a good thing. Hopefully, God would have mercy on him. When peace would return, so would he. Sammael needed to go back to defend Rachael. He needed to find the wicked demon, Eifah and slay him.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Rachael slept late the next morning.

  It was almost midday when she dressed and went down to the kitchen. Aaron entered right after she did. Hannah beckoned to him, grabbing his arm. “Your highness, meet my betrothed.”

  “Really? You plan to marry?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” said Aaron, beaming.

  “Oh, I am so glad!” said Rachael and clapped her hands. For the next short while, the three of them chattered about plans for a future wedding. Actually, Rachael and Hannah talked about it for the next few days.

  A week went by and all was quiet at the palace. Rachael read Prophet Enoch’s writings to purify her soul, and wrote in her own journal about her trip. Aaron and Hannah were busy with chores. Sammael was dealing with an angelic uprising on the distant star and something else he could not speak of. Rachael prayed for his safety.

  Rachael was finding her way in her new home. She was learning how to live with the servants here, and not lean on Sammael for strength. Rachael was developing a friendship with Aaron and Hannah and invited them to join her in the parlor for a drink. “It is time we get better acquainted,” she said when they all sat down. She continued, “I want to know more about both of you.”