Post by Kamenwati on Apr 1, 2012 1:18:42 GMT -6
Artum paced around the quarters fidgeting about whether the Lady Briseis was comfortable or not… for Kamenwati had tasked the man, his own personal physician, to escort his beloved wife to his homeland… Normally the older Artum was calm and patient, but this was not a soldier, or commoner… nor even Kamenwati himself… it was the royal blood of Carnia… Soon the physician would have to overcome fears and deal with a pregnant woman…
The ship that had been commissioned to take Briseis was a slave ship, with the up most secrecy and money, Briseis was stowed with the other slaves until there were within open waters. The Captain himself came down and made a show of looking at all the female slaves before jerking Briseis up and bringing her with him bragging loudly to his men of the fun he was going to have with this one before they landed so the others heard before she was lead to the Quarters Artum was at. There the Captain apologized and gave Briseis hand a kiss explaining that he had himself had helped in rescuing her mother from the throws of slavery until her father’s care (of course omitting he took the money Kamenwati had given him).
As the door closed behind her, Briseis gave a sigh of relief. Her heart had seized within her chest when the Captain had jerked her away from the others and even with his words of reassurance, she did not like the looks of him. He seemed a man of business despite his words of her mother’s rescue. Little did any of them know that poor man would be found some weeks later with his throat slit and his ship abandoned on the high seas (pirates to blame no doubt). Sapphire eyes turned to Artum who was worrying his hands in the corner he sat.
“M’Lady, I pray to Allah that you are alright… Please forgive this undeserving servant, but even the Captain, and we, are part of the charade we must all play… Once we are in Carthage, you will be noted as my new Carnian slave, to alleviate any observances of your true identity and status, until we are safely at Kamenwati’s villa there. Once there, you will have a more snse of freedom… at least until Kamenwati does what he must in Agora…” Once finished talking, he resumed his concentration of his fidgeting hands.
Slowly she unwrapped the drab brown robe she had been wrapped in and carefully laid it upon the bed before taking up a tankard and a cup and pouring some of the contents into the glass before sitting on the edge of the bed and offering the glass to him. "Cooled honey tea...." She offered as she held the glass out to him. Her pregnancy made her sense of smell heightened and she had known from the pouring what the contents were.
In his corner of solitude he sat, and was surprised to see her serving HIM. “My Lady, what are thee doing… you need to rest…” But still he still accepted the tea with a smile. “You do not have to play the part for me… and we are safe here…”
It was strange, she was royalty. She knew this by the biography of her mother and yet she did not feel it. Her life was in danger because of this fact, a fact that Secundus was yet to be aware of but she was sent away to be kept from his grasp with this knowledge or without it. She left her beloved in the grasps of a viper and it took everything within her, not to break down and weep for it. She was tense, returning to the lands of the Tamazgha was not something she really wished to do.
"I..." She started her mouth opening wide and then closing. What was she to say to ease the obvious tension of the old physician! He had seen her most private parts, much to both of their dismay (no one but her husband and Abu said had ever seen her naked flesh) and now they were sitting her, both tense but not for that reason. It made Briseis laugh, outright and it took her several minutes before she calmed down, holding a hand out to Artum as if to apologize when she could not speak of it.
Her head turned, there was a small porthole window in 'their' quarters and she stared out of it for a minute caught up in the wonders that were the sea. They had called her mermaid when she was younger, teasing because she loved to swim, able to hold her breath for more than a few minutes under water and she had met Kamenwati in the salty waters of the Nile. Her fondest memories were within the waters. And the waters held her secrets, held her memories and seemed to sway caressing those memories like lovers in the dark. Her attention returned to Artum. "I hope you will not think ill of me.." She started again in the soft calm of her voice, like a lullaby to a child, her voice was all ways a comforting caress to the ear. "It is not that I do not trust Hassan with my husband’s life, I do. I am... unhinged to be returning to the Tamazgha. It is not a pleasant place for me."
“I understand M’Lady… and if Allah wishes it, all shall be well. The only thing we must do is pray that Kamenwati and Hassan abide by Allah’s wishes…” Was it consolation of religion that would soothe her, or Kam’s own abilities? How well did she trust her husband’s life in his own hands?
She hugged her arms around herself for a minute and then went to caress the small curve of her belly where her and Kam's child was growing stronger with each passing day. "I know not if Kamenwati told you of the horrors I have faced in the Tamazgha before. I hold him no ill will if he has. I would rather prefer you to know as my physician. I think it best for a physician to know of a patients past, both good and bad, to better see to their care. I used to be a midwife, I know not if Kamenwati told you of that either... or that before even that, I was a slave to the very lands I cherish so much. The very lands my husband now stays to defend."
The hands of the older man caressed her arms from behind. “No such travesty shall come to you anymore… There are too many that watch over thee, M’Lady…” His voice sounded older than 5 decades and had a sound similar to one a father reassures a child about the dark. “Kamenwati told us what we required to know… and I, as your Physician knows much about you… as if I raised you myself… Now please sit M’lady… in two days’ time, we shall be in Carthage… You cannot stand and look behind the whole way…”
She shifted to sit back against the wall, a pillow bracing her and the back of the wall. "I feel... helpless... guilty… for leaving Kamenwati to fight what should be my battle." Her head turned from window to him again. "Oh I know… Kamenwati loves me, so strongly that he fights for the land, for me. He fights a man who hate for us is strong enough to kill and I am running because it is my husband’s wish and because I am so weak... I can't even fight someone who hates me. I make my husband do it!" She let out a laugh and then, true to being a pregnant woman, she began to sob.
Artum was a physician, but in all his 5 decades, he had never been privy to a pregnant woman, except in the most difficult of deliveries. Though knowledgeable in all the oddities that a woman with child transforms in and out of, personally experiencing it was a bit different. And he looked at Briseis, the silently prayed to Allah for strength. What was he supposed to say?
Bewildered, he searched for words… then he smiled… “M’Lady, regardless of our tasks… we are all members in this fight… no one man, nor woman, shall fight alone… we all have tasks to accomplish… no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.” Soon Allah’s will shall be fulfilled.
It took several minutes even after Artum offered comfort for her to calm down, wiping constantly at the cheeks were tears flowed for her to calm herself. She had no reason to apologize but the look she gave him was clearly such. "You are a wise, kind and gentle man Artum and I thank Allah that he had seen fit to bring you into my husband’s life and now my own." Her hand reached out to take the man’s hand and give it a squeeze of silent thanks. "I knew my husband was quite lonely without that of his countrymen about him, yet I knew not how much until you all came to us. There has been a light missing within him, now filled by the presence of you and the others."
“MiLady… tis Kamenwati that has been missed… The Amir has even demanded his return to the Tamazgha, but alas, Hassan and I were able to convince the Amir otherwise… I fear the Amir knows that Kamenwati is the driving force… and wishes to keep him close to defend against his own infirmities…”
Briseis released the old man’s hand and she lay back against the pillows fully. She felt so weak. She knew the stronger the child got within her, the weaker she would be. She was not a fool and had carried a child now twice in her lifetime, to children Allah had seen fit to take before they had drawn breath but it had weakened her so severely, she knew it was a risk to her survival to have this child but she could not bear the thought of not having this child. Her dream was ever present on her mind now, a dark haired child, Kamenwati's little girl and her own, bounding upon the hills of Carnia.
"You said we are to go to Kamenwati's Villa. I thought we were to the Palace and the Amir... Are we not to do such anymore? Are you not to see him? Am I not to see him?" Despite her tension at returning to the lands of the Tamazgha and the palace; She had, for a strange reason, been looking forward to meeting the new Amir, the one Kamenwati had seated on the Throne beside himself.
“Yes MiLady… Kamenwati’s orders were to bring you to the Villa… at least until we have ascertained the Palace is secure, and of what attitude the Amir is in… For you see, Kam trusts few with your attendance and care… He knows not what misdeeds grows in men’s minds…” and the man smiled, and tested her forehead again… and he smiled.
Briseis smiled as she leaned back against the pillows and gently reached up to take Artum hand into her own away from her forehead which was cool to the touch. Since her fever, she had been tired and weak but there were no more signs of danger to her and the child for present. "I know well the misdeeds of men's minds my dear friend" She replied as she held his hand against her chest near her heart. With a sigh, she turned her attention to the wall, the porthole window to high now for her to see and slowly she released Artum hand to so that he might take it back to his person.
For a while she was silent. Lost within thought, willing herself to a sleep that would not come. She gave Artum the time of silence. No doubt his poor nerves were in pieces having to deal with not only a royal of Carnia but her well being and that of her unborn child and here she had all ready burst into tears for seemingly no reason. It was after several seconds of silence that she spoke again. "Despite everything I know, I must believe in the goodness of people. To believe, that even in the most impossible situations, people can change and that the world may change and become good. No doubt the Amir attitude of late has been in fear. He has been placed in his seat by the one the people wished to see Kamenwati in. It never bodes well for a man to have to fill the shoes of another and seeing it lacking. We must put his mind at ease. If everything comes to play, as we so wish it to. The Tamazgha and Carnia will have an alliance like none it has ever had in the past, one of truth and honor."
Her head turned to look at Artum and she smiled. "While these are troubling times, I have faith in the good and that it will always triumph over evil." She inhaled and let it out in a low sigh as she rolled to her side facing Artum. "Tell me a story, please, as I fall asleep?" She batted pretty eyelashes at him and offered him such a smile it would be hard to ignore and as he told his story, she would drift off to sleep and once again, dream of a little girl with ember hair like her father.
Artum smiled, attempting to maintain his composure. “Praise be to Allah, and All shall be well… My faith is in Kamenwati and Hassan…” He listened to the Lady and smirked about a story… Artum would begin the story about a young man, born unto a Berber woman and an Egyptian father… a young man named Kamenwati… Over the next few minutes, he would allude to the young life of Kamenwati in Egypt, then his family came to western Tamazgha… and he saw she fell asleep and was resting well.
The ship that had been commissioned to take Briseis was a slave ship, with the up most secrecy and money, Briseis was stowed with the other slaves until there were within open waters. The Captain himself came down and made a show of looking at all the female slaves before jerking Briseis up and bringing her with him bragging loudly to his men of the fun he was going to have with this one before they landed so the others heard before she was lead to the Quarters Artum was at. There the Captain apologized and gave Briseis hand a kiss explaining that he had himself had helped in rescuing her mother from the throws of slavery until her father’s care (of course omitting he took the money Kamenwati had given him).
As the door closed behind her, Briseis gave a sigh of relief. Her heart had seized within her chest when the Captain had jerked her away from the others and even with his words of reassurance, she did not like the looks of him. He seemed a man of business despite his words of her mother’s rescue. Little did any of them know that poor man would be found some weeks later with his throat slit and his ship abandoned on the high seas (pirates to blame no doubt). Sapphire eyes turned to Artum who was worrying his hands in the corner he sat.
“M’Lady, I pray to Allah that you are alright… Please forgive this undeserving servant, but even the Captain, and we, are part of the charade we must all play… Once we are in Carthage, you will be noted as my new Carnian slave, to alleviate any observances of your true identity and status, until we are safely at Kamenwati’s villa there. Once there, you will have a more snse of freedom… at least until Kamenwati does what he must in Agora…” Once finished talking, he resumed his concentration of his fidgeting hands.
Slowly she unwrapped the drab brown robe she had been wrapped in and carefully laid it upon the bed before taking up a tankard and a cup and pouring some of the contents into the glass before sitting on the edge of the bed and offering the glass to him. "Cooled honey tea...." She offered as she held the glass out to him. Her pregnancy made her sense of smell heightened and she had known from the pouring what the contents were.
In his corner of solitude he sat, and was surprised to see her serving HIM. “My Lady, what are thee doing… you need to rest…” But still he still accepted the tea with a smile. “You do not have to play the part for me… and we are safe here…”
It was strange, she was royalty. She knew this by the biography of her mother and yet she did not feel it. Her life was in danger because of this fact, a fact that Secundus was yet to be aware of but she was sent away to be kept from his grasp with this knowledge or without it. She left her beloved in the grasps of a viper and it took everything within her, not to break down and weep for it. She was tense, returning to the lands of the Tamazgha was not something she really wished to do.
"I..." She started her mouth opening wide and then closing. What was she to say to ease the obvious tension of the old physician! He had seen her most private parts, much to both of their dismay (no one but her husband and Abu said had ever seen her naked flesh) and now they were sitting her, both tense but not for that reason. It made Briseis laugh, outright and it took her several minutes before she calmed down, holding a hand out to Artum as if to apologize when she could not speak of it.
Her head turned, there was a small porthole window in 'their' quarters and she stared out of it for a minute caught up in the wonders that were the sea. They had called her mermaid when she was younger, teasing because she loved to swim, able to hold her breath for more than a few minutes under water and she had met Kamenwati in the salty waters of the Nile. Her fondest memories were within the waters. And the waters held her secrets, held her memories and seemed to sway caressing those memories like lovers in the dark. Her attention returned to Artum. "I hope you will not think ill of me.." She started again in the soft calm of her voice, like a lullaby to a child, her voice was all ways a comforting caress to the ear. "It is not that I do not trust Hassan with my husband’s life, I do. I am... unhinged to be returning to the Tamazgha. It is not a pleasant place for me."
“I understand M’Lady… and if Allah wishes it, all shall be well. The only thing we must do is pray that Kamenwati and Hassan abide by Allah’s wishes…” Was it consolation of religion that would soothe her, or Kam’s own abilities? How well did she trust her husband’s life in his own hands?
She hugged her arms around herself for a minute and then went to caress the small curve of her belly where her and Kam's child was growing stronger with each passing day. "I know not if Kamenwati told you of the horrors I have faced in the Tamazgha before. I hold him no ill will if he has. I would rather prefer you to know as my physician. I think it best for a physician to know of a patients past, both good and bad, to better see to their care. I used to be a midwife, I know not if Kamenwati told you of that either... or that before even that, I was a slave to the very lands I cherish so much. The very lands my husband now stays to defend."
The hands of the older man caressed her arms from behind. “No such travesty shall come to you anymore… There are too many that watch over thee, M’Lady…” His voice sounded older than 5 decades and had a sound similar to one a father reassures a child about the dark. “Kamenwati told us what we required to know… and I, as your Physician knows much about you… as if I raised you myself… Now please sit M’lady… in two days’ time, we shall be in Carthage… You cannot stand and look behind the whole way…”
She shifted to sit back against the wall, a pillow bracing her and the back of the wall. "I feel... helpless... guilty… for leaving Kamenwati to fight what should be my battle." Her head turned from window to him again. "Oh I know… Kamenwati loves me, so strongly that he fights for the land, for me. He fights a man who hate for us is strong enough to kill and I am running because it is my husband’s wish and because I am so weak... I can't even fight someone who hates me. I make my husband do it!" She let out a laugh and then, true to being a pregnant woman, she began to sob.
Artum was a physician, but in all his 5 decades, he had never been privy to a pregnant woman, except in the most difficult of deliveries. Though knowledgeable in all the oddities that a woman with child transforms in and out of, personally experiencing it was a bit different. And he looked at Briseis, the silently prayed to Allah for strength. What was he supposed to say?
Bewildered, he searched for words… then he smiled… “M’Lady, regardless of our tasks… we are all members in this fight… no one man, nor woman, shall fight alone… we all have tasks to accomplish… no matter how small or insignificant it may seem.” Soon Allah’s will shall be fulfilled.
It took several minutes even after Artum offered comfort for her to calm down, wiping constantly at the cheeks were tears flowed for her to calm herself. She had no reason to apologize but the look she gave him was clearly such. "You are a wise, kind and gentle man Artum and I thank Allah that he had seen fit to bring you into my husband’s life and now my own." Her hand reached out to take the man’s hand and give it a squeeze of silent thanks. "I knew my husband was quite lonely without that of his countrymen about him, yet I knew not how much until you all came to us. There has been a light missing within him, now filled by the presence of you and the others."
“MiLady… tis Kamenwati that has been missed… The Amir has even demanded his return to the Tamazgha, but alas, Hassan and I were able to convince the Amir otherwise… I fear the Amir knows that Kamenwati is the driving force… and wishes to keep him close to defend against his own infirmities…”
Briseis released the old man’s hand and she lay back against the pillows fully. She felt so weak. She knew the stronger the child got within her, the weaker she would be. She was not a fool and had carried a child now twice in her lifetime, to children Allah had seen fit to take before they had drawn breath but it had weakened her so severely, she knew it was a risk to her survival to have this child but she could not bear the thought of not having this child. Her dream was ever present on her mind now, a dark haired child, Kamenwati's little girl and her own, bounding upon the hills of Carnia.
"You said we are to go to Kamenwati's Villa. I thought we were to the Palace and the Amir... Are we not to do such anymore? Are you not to see him? Am I not to see him?" Despite her tension at returning to the lands of the Tamazgha and the palace; She had, for a strange reason, been looking forward to meeting the new Amir, the one Kamenwati had seated on the Throne beside himself.
“Yes MiLady… Kamenwati’s orders were to bring you to the Villa… at least until we have ascertained the Palace is secure, and of what attitude the Amir is in… For you see, Kam trusts few with your attendance and care… He knows not what misdeeds grows in men’s minds…” and the man smiled, and tested her forehead again… and he smiled.
Briseis smiled as she leaned back against the pillows and gently reached up to take Artum hand into her own away from her forehead which was cool to the touch. Since her fever, she had been tired and weak but there were no more signs of danger to her and the child for present. "I know well the misdeeds of men's minds my dear friend" She replied as she held his hand against her chest near her heart. With a sigh, she turned her attention to the wall, the porthole window to high now for her to see and slowly she released Artum hand to so that he might take it back to his person.
For a while she was silent. Lost within thought, willing herself to a sleep that would not come. She gave Artum the time of silence. No doubt his poor nerves were in pieces having to deal with not only a royal of Carnia but her well being and that of her unborn child and here she had all ready burst into tears for seemingly no reason. It was after several seconds of silence that she spoke again. "Despite everything I know, I must believe in the goodness of people. To believe, that even in the most impossible situations, people can change and that the world may change and become good. No doubt the Amir attitude of late has been in fear. He has been placed in his seat by the one the people wished to see Kamenwati in. It never bodes well for a man to have to fill the shoes of another and seeing it lacking. We must put his mind at ease. If everything comes to play, as we so wish it to. The Tamazgha and Carnia will have an alliance like none it has ever had in the past, one of truth and honor."
Her head turned to look at Artum and she smiled. "While these are troubling times, I have faith in the good and that it will always triumph over evil." She inhaled and let it out in a low sigh as she rolled to her side facing Artum. "Tell me a story, please, as I fall asleep?" She batted pretty eyelashes at him and offered him such a smile it would be hard to ignore and as he told his story, she would drift off to sleep and once again, dream of a little girl with ember hair like her father.
Artum smiled, attempting to maintain his composure. “Praise be to Allah, and All shall be well… My faith is in Kamenwati and Hassan…” He listened to the Lady and smirked about a story… Artum would begin the story about a young man, born unto a Berber woman and an Egyptian father… a young man named Kamenwati… Over the next few minutes, he would allude to the young life of Kamenwati in Egypt, then his family came to western Tamazgha… and he saw she fell asleep and was resting well.
