I got to attend the Ceremony of the Paint where the queen’s warriors painted each other with their new stripes (the Xacto, I’m sure, not there because of me and the other wives who attended).

I sat on my throne of horns in the massive clearing at the very top of the top plateau that was meant for official business and I watched as the warriors were painted with three thin black strips that curved from a point at their shoulder blade, over their shoulder to a point at their pectoral. Three more were painted from that point and around their arm to the front. And one thick gold strip was painted in the middle around the tip of their shoulder.

They did not wear this paint for ceremonies. They wore it every day.

Lahn told me they did it with pride.

I was amazed and touched by this too.

So much, I burst into tears.

Lahn held me until I cried myself out.

When I was done, I explained it was hormones. Then I explained what hormones were.

He looked at me like I was crazy.

Then, wisely, he let it go.

Zahnin was their commander. Bain, Feetak, Bohtan, Tark and Yoonan his lieutenants.

Narinda told me Feetak, a young warrior who’d only made his first kill nine years ago (which meant at sixteen years of age, um…

yikes!) was very pleased at this huge jump in rank.

It meant more sarongs for her for Lahn was paying them all out of his own coin and it was more than they made raiding or warring (seriously, my man had to be loaded… I mean, five hundred warriors?).

It also made her happy.

So I was happy too.

* * * * *

Yes. I was happy. Korwahn was good. Life was good. The only thing that wasn’t good was morning sickness but that only lasted until around ten.

Everything else was good.

And would be for one more day.

Then my husband went to war.

* * * * *

“Kah Lahnahsahna, kah lipa,” Lahn muttered, I blinked and looked up at him.

It was time to do his hair.

He sat on the bed beside me and planted his hand in it on my other side.

“Do you feel well enough to do it?” he asked, his eyes on my (probably pale) face.

I did but I probably wouldn’t once I sat up.

But there was no way I was giving up the chance to have my fingers in his beautiful hair. Not now. Not when the day after tomorrow brought Lahkan to our door, Lahn on Lahkan’s back and my king riding off to war to avenge a wrong done me.

“Yeah,” I whispered, sucked in breath, got up and walked to the small trunk that held his gold bands. “How do you want it?”

“Bunched,” he stated, I nodded, grabbed what I needed and returned to the bed.

He moved to sit cross-legged on the floor by the side of the bed. I sat on the bed cross-legged behind him, gathered his hair and memorized the feel of it as I bunched it.

When I’d put the last band in, I circled his shoulders with my arms and rested my chin on one.

“You know I love you,” I whispered in his ear.

“I know,” he whispered back, turned, I pulled my arms away and he got on his knees in front of me, his hands framing my face.

I looked in his dark eyes.

“Do you know how much?” I kept whispering.

“How much, baby?” Lahn kept whispering too.

I bent my forehead to his and told him the truth. “More than my world.”

I watched his eyes smile. Then I felt his fingers press in my scalp.

Then I felt the touch of his lips.

Then he gained his feet and he was gone.

* Translation: “Yes, I will.”

** Translation: “Give my queen a tour, now. The others will be here soon enough for you to boss around.”

*** Translation: “Yes, my king, I live for your command.”

**** Translation: “As you command.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Affairs of State

I was lounging on the mats and cushions with Sabine and Narinda watching the sun set over Korwahn. Ghost was lying on her belly on the mats by my feet, front legs stretched out before her, head up, blinking and sniffing the air.

From my vantage point, I could see the weakening rays of the sun striking deep pink, gold and vermillion through the sky, the last shimmers striking the gold on the statues of the Avenue of the Gods.

My eyes moved from the breathtaking view to slide across the roof where I saw my girls gathered around the table at the opposite corner. I saw the sun twinkling off the bangles at their wrists and their earrings.