Ashni shrugged. “Where is she anyway? She’s usually so punctual.”
Adira sniffed. “Oh, please.” She jabbed her thumb off to the right and a few yards away was Layla, engaging with someone in her typical manner. “She’s already over there, explaining someone else’s invention for them. In fact, you might want to put a leash on her before she upsets the wrong person.”
“Was she doing that or was Saniyah doing that and she’s just holding Saniyah’s place in the argument?” Ashni asked. She knew how these things went.
The almost mocking, girly giggle from Saniyah, complete with a hand over her mouth, told Ashni the answer to that question. She put her arm around Nakia’s waist and led the princess off to retrieve the other princess. Layla stood in front of a device, telling people how it worked while the proprietor stood off to the side, glaring at her.
“Come along, Princess. You don’t need to save Saniyah’s place anymore,” Ashni said, collecting Layla without stopping. Naren moved along with her, sighing. He had probably been bored to tears, having no head for science.
“You should find out who he is. The device is actually quite good and would help with underwater work,” Saniyah said.
Ashni made a note to do that, but she didn’t want to think about that right now. “I need food. Where is a moon cake stand?” Moon cake was the only way to start the Festival for her.
“Should you be eating more cake? It’s all you eat when you play chess and that’s all you’ve done since the all-powerful annoying Amal showed up. You’re going to get sick,” Layla said.
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll eat what I want and it’s the Festival of the Moon. You’re damned right I want moon cakes. I’ll eat moon cakes until I have frosting oozing out my ears if I want,” Ashni said. This had been true since she was a child.
“What’s a moon cake?” Nakia asked in a low voice. She seemed a little shy. It was possible she had never been around so many people before. They were in the palace’s main courtyard, but it fit hundreds of people. It was open to Ashni’s army as well as nobles and visitors who were friends of the Crown, Ashni, and the Empress.
Ashni gasped. “What’s a moon cake? You haven’t lived until you had one.” Ashni guided her through the throngs of people. Nakia needed a moon cake right now or her life wouldn’t be worth living as far as Ashni was concerned.
“I saw Nox’s stand by the gate,” Layla said.
Clapping her hands, Ashni felt light inside. “Yeah, there’s a reason I keep you around, Princess.”
“To keep watch for moon cakes? I think we need to discuss your priorities and misuse of my talents,” Layla said.
“After cake.”
Nox supplied the palace with the best cakes. Ashni needed those sweets right now. On the way to his stand, she saluted and greeted soldiers and their families. It was good for them to enjoy themselves while they had the chance. None of them stopped her for too long, knowing she was on a mission. But, there had to be the one asshole. Damn this rotter.
“Your highness.” A familiar captain stood before her.
“Uh…” His name was on the tip of her tongue, but Ashni couldn’t recall what it was. He obviously hadn’t left an impression, not to mention he stood in her way of moon cakes.
“Majeed,” Layla hissed into her ear. Yes, there was definitely a reason she kept Layla around.
“Right.” Ashni nodded. “Captain Majeed of the Sand. How goes it? I hope you’re enjoying the Festival so far.” It just got underway, so it’d be hard not to enjoy the Festival, but for some reason, he’d rather stand in her way.
He beamed. “Of course.” His eyes swept the courtyard before settling back on her. “I was hoping I could get a chance to discuss a matter with you.”
She groaned. “This is a time of fun and for peace. There’s no work tonight, my friend.” No one talks work during the Festival of the Moon unless they have a stand for it.
“But—”
Ashni clapped him on the shoulder. “Go enjoy the night.” She gestured at the revelry surrounding them and sidestepped him. She hurried away, making sure Nakia was by her side.
Layla snickered. “You always do that to him.”
Ashni wrinkled her nose. “I need cake and he’s in my way.”
“Do you think you might have a problem? I mean, who needs cake?”
“I need cake and he’s in my way.”
“There’s always something you put before him. You never listen to him.”
“What’s there to listen about? He’s stationed down in the valley. There isn’t a more peaceful region in the whole empire. Not realm, but whole empire. If he has an issue, he’s doing something wrong.”
Layla snickered and Adira nodded, so Ashni felt validated. Majeed wanted her attention way too often, which explained why she could barely remember his name. There was nothing worse than someone who needed attention for every little thing. She put him out of her mind.
“All right. Prepare yourself for the best cake you’ll ever have,” Ashni told Nakia as they stood before the stand. They were hardly there for a second before a cake was placed in Ashni’s waiting hand. “I need more.” She motioned to her party, drawing a circle around them with her index finger.
“No, no, no. None for this one.” Saniyah patted Adira in the stomach, causing jewelry on Adira’s belt to sing out.
Ashni narrowed her gaze on Adira. “How many did you eat without me?” I wasn’t even that late.
Adira twisted her mouth up. “Don’t worry about me. Enjoy the damn festival.”
Ashni cackled. “Oh, someone’s in trouble and that’s why she’s not getting treats.”
Adira frowned and turned her nose up at Ashni. “Shut up. Get your stupid cake. I want to try some berry wine before the night’s over.”
That sounded promising. Ashni gave a slice of cake to Nakia, who inspected it like it might eat her. For a moment, an inappropriate thought eased its way through Ashni’s mind. She was able to shake it off before it took root, but then, Nakia licked gooey icing from her thumb and Ashni forgot how to breathe.
“I hope you’re drooling from the cake,” Adira whispered with a playful spark in her eye.
“Don’t think I won’t kill you on this day of peace,” Ashni said before taking a huge bite out of her cake. She held in a moan as sweet flavor burst on her tongue. She glanced at Nakia and then quickly looked away.
Adira chuckled. “Day of peace. You can’t kill. That’s the whole point to a day of peace.”
Ashni sneered at her and focused on enjoying her cake. Wine was nearby, so they all indulged, trying a few different selections. Saniyah, Naren, and Nakia seemed content with the samples at the stand. Ashni, Adira, and Layla took water skins of their favorites. They scanned the area for something to do.
“Hey.” Adira jabbed Ashni with her elbow.
“Hey, don’t hit me with that. I have ideas as to where it’s been,” Ashni said.
Adira’s face fell into a deadpan. “Really? You have an idea where my elbow had been? Are you drunk already?”
Ashni shook her head. “It’s called a joke. Thank you for killing it on this day of peace.” She turned to see what Adira wanted.
Majeed was talking with Amal. It wasn’t much of a surprise. Majeed never screamed loyal to her. Sighing, Ashni shrugged. Layla turned to her, dark eyes waiting for instructions. Ashni shook her head.
“Day of peace, sister,” Ashni reminded Layla.
“I know, but we all know that’s not going to lead anywhere good.” Layla pointed to Majeed and Amal.
“Adira,” Ashni said.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll put people on it. Can we go see that game with that thing?” Adira replied.
“I hate that I know what you’re talking about,” Ashni said with a sigh.
“I’ve always suspected triplets.” Saniyah motioned to Ashni, Layla, and Adira.
Adira laughed and Ashni shook her fist at her before continuing to experience as much of the
festival as they could. Ashni made sure to keep Nakia by her side.
Chapter Nine
NAKIA WASN’T SURE WHAT to make of the Festival of the Moon. It was as flashy as the Queen had promised her it would be. There was so much to do and so many people. She’d seen crowds this size from a distance, but had never been elbow to elbow with the masses like this. The moon cake the Queen had given her was deliciously sweet and fluffy. She wouldn’t mind trying other foods and the Queen would probably show her the best.
The Queen and her friends preferred to drink and watch displays. There were so many different little things. There were several mazes with mice running through them. There was a rabbit race. There were delicate models of cities, towns, and other places Nakia had never seen in her life. There were magicians, but none of her party were interested in seeing magic.
“We should see a show,” the Queen said, eyes scanning the area.
There was no shortage of small shows held in tents instead of in theaters. It took them a few minutes to decide which one to see. Nakia tried to follow the conversation, but the words were too excited and there was so much arms and hands motion. The Roshan talked with their whole bodies when they were worked up.
“Have you been to any shows?” the General’s woman asked.
Nakia yelped and shrugged, not expecting the question. She looked at the ground, wanting to avoid eye contact with the General’s woman…spouse, the Queen had said. The General and the woman were married. How?
Nakia didn’t get a chance to dwell on it as Ashni led her into the tent to watch the show. They settled into open seats rather than pushing their way to the front. Nakia looked around, wanting to make sure a stranger didn’t touch her.
The show was interesting. It consisted of moving dolls with the background shifting and changing as the scenes changed. Nakia would have been curious about how it worked if it weren’t for the people she was with.
“No, the background shifted too quickly,” Layla said loudly.
“You didn’t articulate the dolls right. Didn’t you notice this jerky movement before you showed up to do this?” the Queen asked, her voice even more booming than Layla’s.
“The gears are all wrong.” the General’s woman made a circular gesture with her index finger. “This is just shoddy craftsmanship.” She frowned, as if insulted by the work.
“Come now, love, you can’t expect everyone to take the same care in their work as you do. After all, people don’t die if they make their dolls incorrectly,” the General said, caressing her woman’s side.
“Any job worth doing is worth doing right, especially if you want people to take notice,” the Queen said.
“Exactly. A child could do better than this.” The General’s woman flung her hand out at the stage.
The heckling went on for the entire show in between sips from the wine-filled water skins. Nakia wondered how accurate the clique was in their assessments. They seemed slightly drunk, but they also sounded quite certain in their calculations. She knew the Queen was intelligent, having watched her easily defeat Amal in chess, but were the other ladies? The General, probably. She was, after all, a woman who managed to become a general. The others, she didn’t know enough about, but the Queen didn’t suffer fools.
“Did a puppet show deserve so much criticism?” Nakia asked as they left the tent. She hadn’t followed the story much thanks to their jeering, so she didn’t know if it was entertaining beyond the mechanics.
“As I said, kitten, any job worth doing is worth doing right. It doesn’t matter if it’s a puppet show or not. You bring your all and you shall be rewarded by the gods, always.”
Nakia nodded. The Queen smiled at her and offered her a sip from the water skin. The wine was sweet, but Nakia found it good. She’d indulge a little.
“Is there anything you’ve noticed that you’d like to try?” the Queen asked.
Nakia shook her head. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“There’s a wrestling match,” Naren howled as they went in search of other activities. He pointed ahead of them at a raised platform. Nakia stood on her toes, trying to see. Was their form of wrestling the same as the form Nakia was familiar with?
“We see wrestling all the time.” Layla shook her head and her husband seemed to deflate. She passed him her wine jug, as a peace offering. He merely looked at it as if he didn’t know what it was and winced before shaking his head. He gently pushed her hand away.
“I think we both know I don’t have your tolerance,” Naren said. Maybe he didn’t realize he had been sipping from her wine jug the entire time.
“Then let’s find you something you can have and something that’s fun.”
Naren folded his arms across his chest. “But, wrestling is fun.”
Nakia doubted that. If it was the same here as in her homeland, she didn’t think it was fun at all. At home, it was something men enjoyed, watching one person overpower another. That was apparently the case here, too, because no one was enthused by the idea of watching it except for Naren.
“Yeah, we need something fresh,” the Queen said.
“And for ladies.” The General put her arm around the woman with her and pulled her close. She nuzzled her woman’s neck for a moment.
Nakia held in a wince. No one else seemed to care about the display. Not just her group, but everyone around. No one stopped and stared. No one said anything. They just went on like the relationship was normal. The Queen said they were married. But, women couldn’t and didn’t marry other women. Marriages were supposed to strengthen friendships between families or build alliances and should result in children. The Roshan couldn’t overlook those things. There was no way they could be that backwards
“Hey, look, your brothers.” Naren pointed to a cage with lions and tigers in it. They stood on platforms, leaping through hoops.
The Queen’s mouth dropped open. “What the hell am I looking at?”
“Our brothers doing tricks.” Layla’s mouth continued to move, but no other words came out.
“The cats are your brothers?” Nakia asked. She had wondered what the Queen meant when talking about ‘her brothers’ when they were at the arena.
“I will explain in a moment. Layla, Adira, with me.” The Queen stepped away.
Nakia felt the Queen’s absence immediately, like an emptiness inside of her. She took a breath, attempting to fill the void. It didn’t work, but she tried to ignore the feeling. She stayed with Naren and the General’s woman. They watched the trio approach the big cat show and within moments people walked away from the cage. It was shut down immediately.
“Why did they do that?” Nakia wondered aloud.
“Lions are a symbol of one of the four warrior guilds. They are members of the lion guild. The lions are considered part of their family,” the General’s woman explained with a gentle expression.
Nakia squinted a little. “So…”
“So, they’re expected to be treated in a certain manner in Ashni’s territory. Really, one would think they would be treated with respect in any Roshan territory since the great Amir was a Lion as well. Oh, my.”
The explanation halted. The man who ran the cat show was a mountain of a man and he wasn’t eager to stop the show. He folded his arms across his barrel chest and glared at the Queen. This would probably end badly.
***
“Sir, it’s a day of peace right now, but if you don’t put those lions and tigers in their proper place, peace is going to have to be put on hold,” Ashni said to the giant who dared to use big cats for pointless frivolity.
“I have permission from King Amal to run this show. I’m with his personal entourage,” the giant replied.
“Sir, you do realize you’re currently in Queen Ashni’s realm and in her courtyard, yes?” Adira asked with an arched eyebrow. While her tone suggested ‘moron,’ she left that part unsaid. He was probably the only one unaware of what he was.
“I still have royal permission,” h
e said.
Ashni narrowed her gaze at him. This was Amal attempting to get under her skin, she knew, but it was also a way to get her in trouble with their mother. The Festival of the Moon was a time of peace and Ashni’s instinctive way to solve this type of problem was with violence. To do violence on the Festival of the Moon was like spitting in the Empress’ face. On any other day, Ashni would tempt fate, but not on this important holiday.
“Yes, dear sister, he does have royal permission,” Amal said, slinking in to see what disorder he wrought. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure of seeing her betray their mother with violence, but she would enjoy wiping the smug look off his face.
“Yes, he has royal permission from you, a member of the Wolf guild. I shouldn’t be surprised. The Order of the Wolf coming out during the Festival of the Moon makes sense as they howl and disturb the hunt of others.” Ashni would need more wine after this. Amal ruined her buzz. She’d ruin his night to repay him.
Amal beamed as though he had been complimented. He stood up a little taller. “The Festival was practically made for us, yes.”
“I know. Such a delight, except that lions hunt at night as well. The Moon isn’t yours and the Empire doesn’t bend to your will. There are laws we must all respect. Now, there’s a problem with your cats,” Ashni said.
“Yes, you’re causing the problem,” he answered.
“No, the problem is that any big cats in Khenshu have to be taken directly to the cirque. It’s city law and we all know no one in the Empire is immune to the law,” Adira said.
Amal blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Yes. While the Lion Guild will use the lions, the cirque still handles all big cats brought into the city. They have to be inspected properly by our cat handlers and also blessed by priests. If they’re not inspected or blessed, they’re here illegally and the courts then decide what to do with them. What did the courts decide last time this happened?” Adira turned to Layla.
Layla shrugged. “I recall cutting off a lot of tiger heads. It was a shame.”
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