She lay her golden head upon his smooth chest, strangely happy, and yet deep within her heart she whispered a single word: Edward! It was her husband, Edward de Beaulieu, she loved, and not this intense man. Yet it had been Rashid al Ahmet who had delved into her deepest secret and drawn it forth from the darkness in which she had kept it hidden all these years. Her husband, to whom she had been wed a year, had not been able to do that. Rashid al Ahmet, caliph of Cinnebar, into whose presence she had been brought as a prisoner only this morning and into whose bed she had been taken this night-it had been he who had touched her as no other man ever had. Why?

She had to admit that his passion was magical, and she had obviously pleased him greatly. If she continued in his favor, who knew to what heights she could reach in Cinnebar, but it was not what she wanted. She wanted to return to Edward and share herself with him as she had never been able to share herself before. She owed the caliph a great debt for that. Still, what her heart desired was impossible. But was it? Only time would tell, and in the meantime she would continue to share herself with the caliph. She sensed that she was just beginning to learn all that he had to teach her, and she realized that she was now a most eager pupil.

"What are you thinking?" he demanded raising her up so he might look into her beautiful face.

"I am thinking that you have much to teach me, my lord Rashid," Rhonwyn answered him honestly.

The caliph laughed aloud. "Aye," he said. "We have only just begun, my beautiful Noor. We have only just begun!"

Chapter 10

“Awaken, my child." Nilak's voice came to her through the mists.

Rhonwyn's eyes opened slowly, focusing upon her surroundings, at first confused as to where she was, but then remembering.

"Oh, Noor, how you have pleased the caliph! He left you to sleep and gave orders that you should not be disturbed until the sun was at the mid-heavens. The entire harem is talking. They cannot ever remember a time when he left a woman to sleep in his bed after he had taken his pleasure. Come, child, get up now. We must go to the baths and then to your new apartments, which are next to the lady Alias! You are very much in favor, and 'tis said the second and third wives are quite angry. The gossip is that you will be made his fourth wife, for he is besotted by you, fortunate girl!"

Rhonwyn tried to absorb all of Nilak's words. She stretched her limbs gingerly and felt a slight soreness between her thighs. He had coupled with her a second time last night, and it had been even better than their first encounter. She was confounded by it all, although he had carefully explained to her that the memory of her mother's rape, buried deep within her mind, had been the cause of her inability to enjoy passion. Now released from that terrible pain, she was free to let her passions take her where she would. His words had disturbed her deeply, and she again wondered why Edward had not been able to find the answer to the riddle of her unresponsiveness.


Nilak gently tugged on her arm. "My lady Noor, you must come with me now," she insisted.

"Yes, yes," Rhonwyn answered her, arising at last, but her attention was only partly focused on the older woman who was slipping a silken garment over her.

"They say he returned from his morning meal to watch you in sleep for a short time," Nilak said. "What did you do, child, to entrance the caliph so?" She led Rhonwyn from Rashid al Ahmet's apartments and down the hall into the women's quarters.

Rhonwyn was startled to note that slaves and harem women alike bowed to her politely as they passed by. By the rood, she thought, Nilak does not just babble uselessly. Rhonwyn's wits were beginning to sharpen once again. She had already divined from Nilak's chatter that to survive in this place she needed power. Power came from several sources. The caliph. The lady Alia. And Baba Haroun. She already had the caliph's favor, and she could probably keep it if she were clever. It was his first wife and the chief eunuch she needed to win to her side.

She had no quarrel with the lady Alia. Indeed, the caliph's wife had treated her with great kindness. She wondered how that lady would feel now with all the gossip regarding the caliph's infatuation. No matter, Rhonwyn told herself, I will be polite and quiet spoken toward her. As for Baba 1 laroun, he is obviously devoted to the lady Alia. He will never really trust any other woman who might threaten his mistress's position, Rhonwyn realized. Still, I will be respectful toward him and consider any advice he may give me. If he will not be my friend, at least I shall not have him as an enemy.

They entered the baths, and as Sarai hurried forward to greet the new favorite, a silence fell among the other women there. Sarai greeted Rhonwyn, and then taking her single garment from her, she personally took charge again of the bathing procedure. The other women began to chatter softly once more, but two who were seated together having their toenails pared stared hard at Rhonwyn.

"The one with the dark blond hair is Fatinah, the second wife," Nilak said softly. "The chestnut-haired woman is the third wife, Hasna. How they glare at you," she chuckled low. "Their jealousy is plain."

"Can they harm me?" Rhonwyn asked.

"They might try," Nilak said honestly.

"Will Baba Haroun protect me from them?"

Nilak nodded. "He will, but you must still be cautious, my lady Noor. We will choose your servants carefully."

"I want no one but you serving me," Rhonwyn replied. "Your fate is now tied to mine, and so I believe I can trust you, Nilak; but should you ever betray me, I will kill you with my own hands."

Nilak looked startled, but then she laughed. "You will have no cause to, my lady Noor. Being your confidante is a better position in my old age than caring for the children of harem women. I will never betray you. I swear it!"

They bathed together, and then when they had finished they entered the chamber where the women liked to gather afterward, drinking mint tea and gossiping. Rhonwyn saw the lady Alia surrounded by her women and immediately went to her. Kneeling before her, Rhonwyn placed her hands in those of the caliph's first wife, her head bowed. "I greet you, great lady," she said quietly.

Alia smiled wryly, but then she said to Nilak, "Tell the lady Noor that her gesture of respect shows me her good breeding. I hope she will soon learn our tongue so we may converse together. She remains in my favor, for she has touched our lord's heart, yet even knowing it, does not flaunt herself as others have in the past." Her gray-brown glance flickered briefly to where the second and third wives sat. "The lady Noor may sit by me and join me in a cup of tea."

Nilak carefully repeated the first wife's words. Her trembling voice could scarcely mask her excitement. She settled herself at Rhonwyn's feet, translating for the two women as they spoke. A tiny blue and white porcelain cup was placed in Rhonwyn's hand.

"You have pleased my husband greatly," Alia said. "Rashid is a good man, although he has little tolerance for fools."

"I did not know there was a kingdom here in the mountains behind Carthage," Rhonwyn said.

"Cinnebar has been here since the beginnings or time," Alia responded. "It has never been conquered because it is so remote. The wealth of our gold mines, while comfortable, is not so great that we attract undue attention. We also mine alabaster and peridot."

"You are not so distant that you escaped the sword of Islam," Rhonwyn remarked.

Alia laughed. "In the beginning Cinnebar worshiped various gods, as did most peoples. Then came a physician named Luke who converted our people to Christianity. Are you shocked, Noor? Yes, I can see you are, but many who were once Christians in this region converted to Islam when it came. Here in Cinnebar it happened several hundred years ago, when a princess from Baghdad married the ruler of Cinnebar. It was she who converted the people of Cinnebar. There are still Christians and Jews among us, and they are welcome as long as they obey our laws. We have never had any difficulties, as we respect each other's manner of worship. After all, Noor, we all worship the same one God. We all honor the ancient augurs. Abraham. Isaac. Moses. You Christians accept Jesus of Nazareth as the messiah. We in Islam believe he is a great prophet, although wc hold that Mohammed is the greater. Are these small differences a cause for warfare?" Alia asked Rhonwyn.

"Yet men war over them," Rhonwyn replied.

"They are foolish, aren't they?" Alia responded. She lowered her voice. "Men have not the inner strength of women, which is why God made women the bearers of new life." Her eyes twinkled.

Rhonwyn could not suppress a giggle. "How wise you are, my lady Alia," she said quietly. "I think I can learn much from you."

"We are going to be friends," Alia said. "I knew it when I first saw you, Noor. Ah, here is Baba Haroun."

"My lady Alia." He bowed. "I have come to escort the lady Noor to her apartments."

"I will come with you," Alia said, rising. "And she will need servants of her own."

"I want only Nilak," Rhonwyn said quickly as she stood.

"Lady," the chief eunuch protested, "you have become a favorite of the caliph. You cannot be served by just one woman."

"Why not?" Rhonwyn demanded.

"It is not proper," the eunuch said fussily. "You are the new favorite."

"I have been here but a day," Rhonwyn said. "Perhaps the caliph will decide be does not favor me."

Nilak was almost dizzy with all the translation involved.

"She is fearful of who to trust," Alia said to the chief eunuch. "I think she is very wise. Fatinah and Hasna have been glaring at her ever since she entered the baths, Baba Haroun. I want her well protected. Do you understand me? I like this girl. She will be no threat to me even if she falls in love with the caliph. This is the ally I have been seeking. I will give Noor two young slave girls from my own stall. They are well trained and trustworthy. Tell her, Nilak."

Nilak repealed Alias oiler to Rhonwyn, adding, "You cannot refuse her, my lady, else you say without words that you do not trust the caliph's first wife."

"I accept my lady Alias most gracious offer and thank her for her understanding," Rhonwyn said sweetly.

Nilak repeated Rhonwyn's honeyed reply.

Again Alia smiled wryly. Then she laughed. "You must teach her our tongue as quickly as she can learn, Nilak. I really do want to be able to speak with her. How can we two plot and plan if we cannot understand one another?"

Nilak chuckled and repeated what the caliph's first wife had said.

Rhonwyn burst out laughing. "Tell my lady Alia I shall endeavor to learn her language as quickly as possible."

A small smile touched the lips of the chief eunuch. He had had his doubts about the foreign warrior woman, but it was obvious that she had a generous spirit and a good heart. And his mistress, who had always been a very intuitive woman, liked her. "Come," Baba Haroun said, and he led the women from the gathering room in the baths to the lady Noor's new apartments. Flinging open the doors, he said, "Enter, my ladies."

The apartment was charming with its pale pink marble walls and painted ceilings. There were two medium-sized rooms and a small room where the serving women could sleep. Both of the larger chambers opened onto a small garden with a spectacular view of sky and mountains. It gave Rhonwyn the illusion of freedom, which it had been designed to do. There was a small bubbling pool in the garden and a fountain in the dayroom. The furnishings were rich with ebony and marble, silks and diaphanous gauzes, gold and silver, thick carpets, and colored glass lamps that burned fragrant oils. The cushions in the seating area were velvet and brocade. The bed in the bedchamber sat upon a gilded dais and was hung with green silk.

Rhonwyn found herself at a loss for words. It was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. Even Haven had nothing like this within its stone walls. She turned this way and that, admiring something new that caught her eye each time she thought she had seen it all. "It is lovely," she finally managed to say. She turned to Alia. "Thank you."

"I am glad you are pleased," the caliph's first wife said. Then her eye lit upon a tray of plump apricot halves. "Baba Haroun, what a lovely touch. They look delicious sitting in their honey glaze." She reached for a fruit, but the chief eunuch slapped her hand away.