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As I watched hi in his conversation as he sle and I took a step in his direction

"Cleopatra?"I turned to her because she had not moved from where she was rooted in the doorway

"Look,"she whispered, gesturing subtly with her hand into a direction to our right

I followed her line of vision and saw Annen talking in agitation with TehranI automatically took a step in Annen’s direction, but stiffened as I watched the priest’s face transforan to pull hi?

"What should we do?"I asked anxiously"I told Tehran to leave and so did HasaniI can’t believe he is still hereIf Hasani sees hi I wanted was a sceneBut still We needed a diversion- so to distract the attention froic in public and there was no way that the frail old man could defend himself otherwiseAnd Annen needed to stay safe so that I could kill hi my bloodstone

"Point him outHasani should see hiard for your dictate is a slap in my faceHe knows you act on my behalf"

Cleopatra was annoyed and I desperately tried to catch Hasani’s eye againA briefa lull in their conversation, both Antony and Hasani looked at us, wondering at our tardinessI frantically gestured toward Tehran

Antony looked atfroht not have understood as going on, but once he saw the ot up to cover Hasani’s flank

The two largeTehran as he atte Annen from the crowded banquet hallI absently checked tothe bruise on my arm before Cleopatra and I hurriedly rushed to follow theer to maneuverEach person that we tried to slip past bowed and addressed the queen in so with her was a huge inconvenienceIt slowed us down and e finally reached Hasani and Antony, we had missed the entire first part of the animated conversationBy the time I stepped to Hasani’s side, the crowd had already sed the priest

"What did you say?"Hasani derabbed Tehran by the front of his tunicTehran finally looked genuinely afraid as his weasley face paled

"I said nothing, general,"Tehran whi at all"

"That’s odd,"Antony interjected as he slowly drew a large dagger froreat queen"

He moved closer with slow, lethal purpose

"My wife, the queen,"he added needlessly

"No sir- no, I did not,"Tehran’s eyes ide and frightened as he stared at the large knife that Antony calmly held in his hands

"I’m pretty certain you did,"Hasani countered, with deadly cal lion as Hasani appraised TehranHis dark eyes had gone cold as he calculated the

"Do you knoe do to ed forward like a lithe jaguar, plunging the dagger s an ever-widening spot on Tehran’s tunic

Antony yanked the knife back out and stepped back

"We kill them,"he announced as he wiped the blade on the heasped and took a step forward, but restrained herself, stepping backIn her opinion, a queen never showed dismay or distressOnly I noticed the panic in her eyes, as she clenched her fists at her sidesHer knuckles quickly turned white

Tehran stared at her with glittering eyes

"It doesn’t led into his mouth"He is here and he will kill you"

"Who is here?"Hasani de the servant closer, but Tehran went limp as his life drained from himHasani dropped him unceremoniously to the floor, where he crumpled into a heap

"My queen, you must retire immediately to your cha,"Hasani implored as he swiftly turned to us, his face an impassive mask

"Charmian, come-- I will escort you both to the queen’s chambers"I could tell by the fir

I nodded silently as he grasped my arm, while Antony and Cleopatra followed closely behind usI noticed that Antony was protecting Cleopatra from the curious croith his own body as alked away quickly, leaving Tehran bleeding on the expensive rug as so his lifeless body from the hallBefore we disappeared into a private back hallway, I looked back over my shoulderAnnen was nowhere to be found

CHAPTER SEVEN

The sound of the Mediterranean crashed coly below the palace as Cleopatra paced restlessly, her lovely face drawn and anxious as she walked circles around her large bedcha sound to lull me into sleep as I waited for Antony and Hasani to return, but at Cleopatra’s loud sigh, I rose tiredly frorasped her ar to wear holes in your carpetsSit down"