Page 12 (1/2)

I prepared a plate foron the bread as I spoke It seemed that bread had always been a comfort food for meThis was no soft loaf of Hawaiian sweet bread, but it would do

There was no small talk as aitedBoth Cleopatra and I were too i of the supposed plot to kill her and I was si what to do nowI absolutely hated it when I ca in the banquet hall and I certainly didn’t knohy Tehran was trying to drag hiAnd worrisomeI needed to speak to him ASAP

I swirled the last olden chalice before sing it, enjoying the rich wineAs Macy, I had not even sipped an alcoholic beverage yetI never felt the need, even though Jenn was always sneaking gin froin sht, I found the wine to be… okaySort of bitter, actually, and not soh I did feel ined that the color was beco

There was a soft knock at Cleopatra’s doors and we rose to greet Iras Tall, slender and Nubian, she glided into the rooht of the candlesShe had not been feeling well this week and had been recovering in her cha to expose the queen to illness

Dressed in a simple cotton frock, she looked much better than the last time I had seen her…which e committed suicide with Cleopatra And to be honest, death doesn’t become anyoneI realized that my two thousand year old memories had not done her justiceShe was beautiful as her deep brown eyes flashed in the lightShe knelt in front of Cleopatra, her dark skin glea her eyes to the floorUnlike me, she was never insolentShe onderfully calsI honestly don’t kno she did it

But then again, she had not been raised with Cleopatra as I hadCleopatra and I had known each other since ere girls

"Iras, please stand, love I’ve told you that you do not need to kneel e are alone,"Cleopatra ad betterThere is a task that we need you to perform- it is of a delicate natureI can trust no one but you"

Iras nodded sole in the night breezeHer deep, ht fabricShe was surrounded by the thick scent of amber It suited her

"What is it you require of me, my queen?"

Her low voice was as s about her reminded me of warm, melted dark chocolate

"I require that you steal quietly into the Serapis te fro, of course, but I think that he will be hiding himself in the labyrinth beneath the temple in which he serves"

When Cleopatra aze flickered briefly toto the queen as Cleopatra continued It was coether since ere teenagers If it hadn’t been for o

"You must attempt to find him before Antony and Hasani doWe are afraid that he won’t coe that I needUpon finding Annen, give hie that I need to speak with himThat it is vitally importantCan you do this for me, Iras?"Cleopatra’s face was perfectly calm and smooth- no one but me would have known that internally, she was a hnessI will leave right now"

She quickly disappeared into the corridors as quietly as she had co Cleopatra and I to stare at each other wordlessly

"I hope she finds hi to the open balcony doors

I was at a loss to say anything else The air sht jasmine released the scent from their blooms into the breeze and I inhaled deeply as I watched the pathways below the palace for signs of Hasani and Antony

"So do I,"Cleopatra answered as she stripped off her wig and began brushing her long brown hairSeated at her vanity, she curled her slender legs around the elegant padded stool that she was sitting upon

Feeling restless, I paced back inside and crossed the room to herI dipped a cloth into a basin of water and wiped away herher face shiny and cleanFreshly co hair fell softly onto her shoulders and spilled down her back and she looked no older than a teenager

"You are never more beautiful than when you allow your natural beauty to show, my love"

Cleopatra and I both turned in surprise at Marc Antony’s voiceHis large body filled the doorway of her bedchaht-time beauty rituals with interest

"But then, I’m sure you know that"

He s his large hands on her shoulders as he bent to kiss the top of her head

"We could not find the priest,"Antony e next to Cleopatra"There are hundreds of hidden passageways throughout the cityIt will be very difficult to search through thes always seeazed at hi to where he reclined, her hips swaying gentlyShe knelt in front of hiainst his henna-tattooed chest

"It will all work out, my loveDo not trouble yourself"

"Cleopatra, don’t be na&ius that even you cannot simply wish away"Antony muttered e for the rest of the eveningYou may leave"

Her eyes implored me and I knew she meant that I was free to leave… to find Hasani and to leave her to deal with Antony’s dark o