He was standing over by the fire.
His sleeping quarters were astonishing – bigger than her entire temple.
The candlelight made him even more breathtaking and she could barely look at him.
He was wearing black trousers and a sash, his white linen shirt fell loose and unbuttoned. He was broad-shouldered and strong.
He had a scar that ran from his throat to his heart, he caught her looking at it and she quickly averted her gaze.
“Where would you like it Sire?”
“Just over there on the table is fine Inanna.”
He made a point of using her name at every opportunity.
“Will that be all Sire?”
She spent a lot of time looking at the ground and kept eye contact to a minimum.
When she looked deep into his eyes – it was different from anything she’d ever felt.
They’d known each other before – and there was a deep and ancient love between them – she could feel it and wondered whether he could too.
“I saw you looking at my scar before” his hand gently touched the wound.
He spent some time retelling the story of a great battle in the forest, she wondered where he had found his voice.
He made some quip about past lives and karma.
She smirked – had he been doing his homework or did he too dabble in the great mysteries?
He was certainly different from the man she had served in front of his entourage, she wondered what had happened between now and then or was it just that he had taken of his robes and become who he was?
He made his way over to the tray and poured two drinks.
‘Would you care to join me Inanna?” he handed her one.
She looked agitated and felt even more so. She thought her legs may give way beneath her.
“Come”, he grabbed her gently by the shoulder and sat her down – he could see she was incapable of doing anything unaided.
The glass shook in her hand.
“Do I make you nervous Inanna?” he smiled – his big brown eyes staring directly at hers.
“Slightly Sire” she smiled back.
He poured her another.
“This should relax you”
He chatted openly and kept drinking and pouring her more wine. She didn’t drink that often so was becoming extremely light headed and giddy.
She had relaxed enough to laugh at his jokes but truth be told she had drunk so much she had lost track of what he was saying.
He could see she’d had enough.
‘Well I think that’s enough for tonight Inanna.”
“Yes Sire, sleep well.”
She tried to compose herself as she walked toward the door, but was having all sorts of trouble. Everything was out of form and wobbly.
She managed to get to the door when he spoke.
“Inanna”
She turned around. He had his shirt off, his bare chest exposed. A mala hung loosely around his neck.
She stood staring, perhaps a little too long.
He was a terribly sexy man.
“The tray”
“Oh, yes, of course Sire”
She hurriedly took the tray and made her way out of the room. She rested for a moment on the other side of the door and then raced down the stairs toward the kitchen.
King Silas laughed as the sound of the tray and glasses hitting the floor echoed through the chamber.