Harvest - 01 - Harvest of Rubies

by Tessa Afshar

  “He did.”

  “Then we should ask Him to rescue us. I will be honest, mistress; sometimes I think Teispes is too strong for us.”

  I knew how she felt. I thought it ironic that a Persian would have to remind a Jew to go to the Lord for help. It was just like God to use Pari to humble me. So I did as she asked, and taught her how the children of Israel pray. It had been a long time since I had turned my face toward God. I found afterward that I was surrounded by an unexpected peace. I picked up Nehemiah’s parchment and placed it lovingly in my chest.

  The next day, Bardia reported that his cottage had met with the same fate. While I could bear the intrusion into my own domain, the thought that Teispes had infringed upon my dear friend and reduced his cottage to a shambles outraged me. I had a mind to set the dog loose on that thieving, carousing miscreant. Later I was sorry that my scruples had held me back.

  I had now lived in my husband’s palace for four months; over three months had passed since I had risen from my bed of darkness and chosen to live.

  Shushan insisted on a formal meal at least once every other day, to keep me in practice of my station, she said. One evening, I was lounging at a priceless gilded table carved by Ionian slaves. I was even more gilded than the table, thanks to Pari. She had insisted on doing my hair in an elaborate concoction of curls. I was overdressed, garbed in one of Damaspia’s royal garments. Deep blue silk had been fashioned to sit tight around the waist and flow into a full skirt made of tiny pleats that looked like waves every time I moved. Cleverly, Pari had used the extra fabric she had cut from the bottom to create a modest panel for the top.

  Out of nowhere, Shushan exclaimed, “You look so lovely, my lady. Lord Darius will fall over his feet when he sees you.”

  I was swallowing a ripe fig when Shushan made her comment. I spat it out. I was that shocked.

  No one had ever called me lovely before. That was my mother. I—well, I was just good with languages and sums.

  “Don’t be silly,” I said. “I’m not lovely.”

  Pari made a small noise in her throat. “Are you blind? Of course you’re lovely. You always were; you just didn’t know how to take care of yourself.”

  I was beginning to grow annoyed. “Nonsense.”

  I was aware that I had changed a little under Pari’s constant attentions. For one thing, I had lost weight. My conscious decision to eat healthier meals coupled with the daily exercise that my new routine entailed had caused me to shed the excess weight I had gained since girlhood by my sedentary life. I would never be a Damaspia; I would never gain her narrow bones and long sinews. I was short and I was round. But now that roundness was shapely and feminine. It was acceptable, I supposed. But no one in their right mind would consider me lovely, and I did not wish to build up empty hopes in my own heart.

  I retired to my room, ignoring the women’s startled looks as I left. What I needed to focus on was Darius’s blasted letter. I could not afford to put it off any longer. Gobry was bound to find an available courier for us soon, and I had to be ready.

  Settling myself next to Caspian, I pulled out a sheet of clean parchment and began my missive.

  To Lord Darius Passargadae, Friend to the King of Kings, Captain of the—

  Caspian’s growls interrupted my train of thought a short moment before there was a knock on the door. Pari would neither have caused the growl nor bothered with the knock. I pulled the door open to find Teispes on the other side of it.

  “My lady,” he said, and bowed low.

  This was new. “Yes?”

  “I’ve come to apologize.”

  I tried to school my features into something like nonchalance. Or at least not to give away the fact that I was about to swallow my tongue. “Indeed?”

  “I have behaved abominably. Even though it was his lordship himself who bade me most forcefully to treat you—I pray you’ll forgive me for plain speaking—to treat you with contempt, I feel ashamed of my own conduct. I ought never to have addressed you in such a manner, no matter what my lord may have commanded. I blame the pressures of this job. I manage so many properties and with my lord always absent, the responsibility falls on my shoulders alone. I would never have mistreated you if I had not been stretched with so many concerns.”

  “I see.” Which I did not. I trusted the steward about as much as I would a spider spinning a web for a wounded fly. I supposed he wished to soften me up in order to undermine my guard. So I forced my lips into a smile and said, “Under the circumstances, shall we start afresh?”

  He bowed. “My lady is too gracious. That is indeed what I hoped for.” He bent down and picked up a tray. “A peace offering,” he said.

  He had brought me mulled wine and dates. What captured my attention, however, was the sight of a vellum parchment resting at the side of the tray. I picked up the parchment, worried about its proximity to the wine. It was a Babylonian copy of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

  “I found it in my lord’s library. I thought you might enjoy it.”

  Since my husband’s personal library was kept in the same room as his records, I had not had the opportunity to get my hands on any reading material since I had arrived. Giving a scroll to a starved lover of stories was bribery at its most elevated. I almost succumbed. “Thank you,” I said. I put the vellum on a couch, took the tray from him, and closed the door in his face before I gave in to temptation.

  An hour later, I was lost in the story of Gilgamesh when Caspian went rigid beside me. He leapt up and ran to the door and began barking and whining, scratching the door with such force, I thought he might gouge the door.

  Then I heard it too, the sound of men speaking in the distance. Caspian was going wild at the door. I worried that if I let him out, he might try to take a bite out of whomever was visiting. I tried to soothe him with comforting words, but he would not be quieted. Finally, I grabbed a hold of his collar and opened the door with caution, hoping to learn the identity of the visitors.

  Caspian leapt with such wild strength that I lost my hold on him. He stood on his hind legs, and placed his paws on the shoulders of the man standing just outside my door. The man was trapped under Caspian’s ecstatic reception, his hand still raised, clearly arrested in the act of knocking. The dog began to lick his face with delight.

  I took an involuntary step back, transfixed by the sight. My missive would remain unwritten, it seemed. My husband was home.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I had a few moments to wrap my mind around Darius’s unexpected arrival while Caspian kept him occupied with his delirious welcome. He had shaved his face in the manner of the Egyptians. I had seen a few other young Persian men follow this fashion in the summertime when the heat must have made a beard uncomfortable. Clean-shaven, his face was even more stunning than before, and yet the absence of a beard made him appear strangely vulnerable. For the first time I noticed that when he laughed there were grooves on his cheeks, and that his whole face softened when he was happy.

  I also saw that he was weary. Shadows marred his eyes and he seemed pale. Tired or no, he clearly enjoyed Caspian’s playful presence.

  “What are you doing here, you mangy monster?” he said with the edge of a laugh coloring his voice. “Get down. Sit.” To my surprise, Caspian obeyed immediately. He had never responded to my commands with anything more than superior disdain.

  Part of me would have preferred a toothache to the upcoming conversation. Another part of me, however, grew limp with relief. I knew in my bones that Darius would take care of the problems with Teispes. I knew that I would no longer have to bear the burden of responsibility.

  Of course I still had to make him listen to me, which was simpler said than done.

  With Caspian well heeled and quiet, Darius now turned his attention to me. Frowning, he said, “Pardon, I was looking for my …” He stopped speaking for a moment and stared. “Is it you?” he blurted.

  This, I had not expected. Had I changed so much from the girl on the hill
? I bowed. “It is I, my lord.”

  “Well. You seem to have many faces.” His smile was not pleasant. “How fitting.”

  I chose to ignore his barb. No doubt many more of a similar vein would follow in its wake. If I chased after every bitter accusation in order to defend myself, I would never resolve the issue of the crooked steward.

  “My lord, your arrival at this time is most fortuitous.”

  Darius leaned a shoulder against the wall and crossed his arms. “Is that so?”

  “Yes, indeed.” I cleared my throat. “The fact is I have some bad news.”

  “My arrival is fortuitous because you have bad news? How like you to find sharing bad news a fortunate thing. Tell me, wife, what is it you have up your silk-covered sleeves this time?”

  I turned away from him in a half circle of exasperation. “My lord, I did you an ill turn, and I am heartily sorry for it,” I said, turning back, willing him to believe me. “One day, I hope you will see that I did so unintentionally. But in the meantime I am in a position to do you some good.”

  “By all means, do your good deed. Play your little game. You will not find me as easy a target as Damaspia.”

  Again, I ignored his sarcasm. “May I ask you something? Did you warn Teispes of your coming?” I thought of the steward’s peace offering a scant hour before and wondered if that was because he had received warning of Darius’s arrival and was trying to hedge his bets.

  Darius lowered his brows. “Teispes? No. We left Ecbatana too suddenly to send word ahead. Why?”

  “Because now you will see for yourself how he runs the estate when you are not here.”

  “I see. It’s about Teispes then, this bad news of yours? Perchance you think you would do a better job running my estate for me?”

  “My lord, I know you have ridden hard and must be bone weary. But would you mind coming with me to visit Bardia in his cottage right away?”

  He straightened up and I realized that he had merely been baiting me until now. Everything about him turned hard and wary. He was still encased in summer riding clothes, tan linen trousers, and a form-fitting knee-length linen tunic split on both sides for ease of movement. There was nothing of the aristocrat about him; he stood before me a warrior through and through. And the dagger of his anger was pointed at my heart.

  “If you have harmed one hair on that old man’s head—if you have tried to manipulate him to get your own way—I promise you Sarah, I will make your life a misery.”

  Far from growing annoyed by his threat, I cheered up to find him so protective of Bardia. I could at least respect that. “I would never harm him in any way,” I promised. “Come and see for yourself.”

  The sun had set long ago and I knew we would find the head gardener in his cottage. Darius bade his mastiff to stay in my rooms as we departed. We walked the path together in silence. I had to admire Darius’s patience. I would have pelted him with questions by now.

  Before we arrived at the cottage, Bardia pulled the door open and rushed out to greet us. “My lord! My good lord!” he cried and grasped Darius in his ropy arms as if he were hugging a little boy instead of a man twice his own size. With amazement I saw my husband settle into that embrace without self-consciousness or hesitation.

  “How are you, old man?”

  “As well as can be expected. Why did you not tell us you were coming? Your timing is incredible, master. We were about to send for you.”

  “May we come in, Bardia?” I said.

  He looked down. “My cottage is—”

  “The perfect place to start.”

  Bardia nodded and led us in. Darius followed with unhesitating steps until he stood inside and his eyes adjusted to the lamplight. “What’s happened here?” he exploded as he looked about him at the peeling walls and the damp ground. “Why are you living like this?”

  “The damp has been seeping from the pond,” I said.

  “Why have I not been told about this? Does Teispes know?”

  “Yes, my lord. I told him myself, but he refuses to do anything about it.”

  “Is this true?” he asked Bardia.

  “Yes, lord.”

  “Wretched man! I’ll deal with him.” Darius marched out and it was all Bardia and I could do to keep up with him.

  “My lord,” I panted. “There is more, much more that you should know first.”

  “More?” He came to a halt and I almost plowed into him.

  “Perhaps if we went to my chambers first, I could tell you. Bardia can join us if you prefer. He knows as much as I. Darius nodded and headed down the path with his single-minded gait again. When we arrived at my door I was out of breath. As soon as we walked in, Caspian sat up guiltily. The goblet of wine the steward had brought me was overturned on the floor, its contents spilt over the tiles; the dog had obviously been having a good lick.

  “Caspian!” I cried, pulling him away from what remained of the wine. “You should be ashamed of yourself. Look at this mess.”

  “Why is he in here anyway?” Darius asked.

  “He sleeps here.”

  “Here? You’ve turned my best hunter into a lap dog?”

  My chest began to itch. “He was half starved when we found him. What was I to do? Turn him away hungry? Besides, he’s the one who has decided he is master of my chamber. I had barely let him in before he made himself at home. He tolerates my presence out of magnanimity; otherwise, I’m sure he thinks these are his rooms.”

  “Where is the games keeper? Why was my dog left unattended? Where are the other dogs?” Ire flowed out of every pore as he stood in the middle of my chamber, making it shrink with the force of his presence. “What’s going on here?”

  “Will you not have a seat, my lord?” I suggested, hoping to calm him.

  “I don’t feel like sitting.”

  “Well, Bardia and I can’t sit unless you do, and it’s going to be a long night if you make us all stand as we answer your questions. It’s a complicated story.”

  He gaped at me as if I were one of Persepolis’s mythical stone creatures come to life. I realized that as usual I had spoken my mind without thinking, and that the onslaught of such a rejoinder must be a new experience for a young Passargadae lord.

  “I beg your pardon. I didn’t mean to be so blunt.”

  He shook his head and looked at me again through narrowed eyes. Without another word he sat on a stool. I perched myself on the edge of a couch and Bardia folded his legs and made himself comfortable on the floor.

  “Bardia, tell his lordship how many men work under you now.”

  “Two. One is part-time, and the other is a bumbling fool who knows as much about plants as I do about stars, which is to say nothing.”

  Darius leaned forward. “You mean twenty.”

  The gardener shook his head. “I mean two.”

  “That’s impossible. How can you keep up with the land and the vineyard with two men? Where are the rest?”

  “Teispes let them go, master. He’s been dismissing the staff steadily for almost three years now. We have few of the servants you or your father hired anymore. He didn’t dare cast Shushan and me out, and kept on a few others, but he got rid of most of the rest. The small staff he has hired is useless and lazy. They’re just his spies. The rest of us, he runs ragged.”

  Darius sprang up. Out of respect so did Bardia and I. “Great holy fires, will you two sit down?” We did as he commanded.

  “Bardia, why have you not told me this before? Have you been trying to keep up with the gardens alone? You must be beyond exhausted. This is not the old age you deserve.”

  “I didn’t wish to add to your burdens, my lord.”

  Darius slapped his forehead with the palm of his hand. “My burdens? It’s not a burden to look after you properly. This is my fault. I ought to have looked to your welfare better than I have. I ought to have made sure that the steward was proficient at his work.”

  I warmed to him in that moment. He perceived his failure b
efore anyone had to point it out to him, and he took on the responsibility of it without excuse. The simmering anger and blame I had nursed toward him for his careless management of the estate drained out of me. In that one moment I saw him for the man he was; I saw his heart and it was not selfish and undependable as I had assumed. He was the man Bardia claimed him to be.

  I swallowed a ball of sorrow, for to have a self-serving man think ill of me didn’t hurt nearly so much as knowing that a truly good man found me wanting. “My lord,” I said, forcing myself to speak. “I fear this is not merely a matter of incompetence. Teispes has been robbing you for three years.”

  Darius went still. “That is a serious charge. Do you have proof?”

  “We do, my lord.” Bardia nodded. “The mistress, her servant Pari, Shushan, and I, and even Caspian here have banded together to find you proof for over three months. My grandson Gobry joined us in the end, and helped us to find the evidence we needed to bring matters before you. That’s why I’m so glad you have arrived. We have finally managed to solve this mystery ourselves and were about to send for you.”

  “I see.” Darius sat down slowly. “You had better present this evidence, then.”

  Bardia slipped out to fetch the parchments we had hidden in the kitchen. His absence left an awkward silence. I knelt beside Caspian and scratched his back. He gave me an appreciative lick, then ambled over to his master and sat at his feet. Darius gave a satisfied smile.

  “He’s a good dog,” I said to show that I held no grudge.

  “More loyal than some people.” His voice had an edge of bitterness. I couldn’t tell if he was referring to me or to his steward. Both probably.

  I remembered that he had just completed a grueling journey and was about to be showered by a lot of unpleasant information. “May I have some refreshments fetched for you?”

  He pointed to a water pitcher and bowl. “Is that fresh?”

  “Yes, my lord.” I brought them over to him along with a pristine Egyptian towel. He waved my help away and poured the water himself before washing his face and hands. The way he sank his wet fingers through his hair, I could tell he wished for nothing more than a hot bath and a good meal and the comfort of his bed.