The Leopard
Chapter 2
Tyran Hospitality
When my meeting with Governor Azmelqart came to a close, a slave showed me to my quarters. As soon as I stepped inside, I noticed that Apolline and Valère were nowhere to be found. Panic gripped me for a moment before I recalled their desire to visit the baths. Relaxing, I took some time to explore the suite we'd been given. The sitting room was spacious and the furniture luxurious. The sofas were piled high with tasseled pillows. Two bedchambers opened off of it; one for Valère and one for Apolline and I. I was pleased to see that our belongings had already been brought up. The bed immediately reminded me of those in Jasmine House. It was low with cool linen sheets and the same tasseled pillows as the sofas. Sheer curtains surrounded it.
After my inspection of the bedchamber was complete, I opened one of my chests of clothing in search of my silk dressing gown. It did not take me long to locate it, along with a pair of house slippers made of soft leather. I would decide what to wear to the banquet later when Apolline was present. I unearthed some writing implements and jotted a quick note to Apolline and Valère, informing them of our invitation to Azmelqart's banquet tonight. I changed into my dressing gown and slippers and left for the baths.
It did not take me long to locate a slave to direct me. He wore the same collar as the others I'd seen and naught but a loincloth. I followed him through breezy corridors until at last we arrived at the baths. I stepped into the antechamber.
The room was quite spacious, marble with a mosaic floor. I wondered if it was Tiberian. Tyre had been part of the Tiberian Empire once, so such a thing was possible. There was no one else present but several bath attendants. One of them walked over to me and bowed low, trying his best not to stare. "Welcome, my lord Ambassador," he said in Akkadian. I was not surprised that word of my presence had spread throughout the palace already. "I shall take your clothes."
I nodded, disrobing and handing my dressing gown and slippers to him. He carefully placed my clothing in a niche cut into the wall. I was not unfamiliar with the procedure, for I'd visited the famous baths of Tiberium while studying there. Standing completely nude, I moved over to the marble benches lining the walls and reclined on a pile of tasseled pillows. The marble was pleasantly warm, heated by steam and pipes beneath it. I moved onto my stomach, head resting on the plush pillows. "I would like a massage before going into the bath."
"Yes, my lord," the attendant replied. I could feel his eyes on me, staring when he thought I didn't see. I felt his hands rest gently on my back and the massage began.
I closed my eyes in contentment. He was good, very good. I'd been to Balm House before and received massages from their adepts. I daresay this one was nearly as good. The attendant worked thoroughly, kneading every bit of tension out of my back. For a moment I pretended it was Apolline giving the massage- she was quite good at them.
It was over all too soon. I remained on the bench for several minutes, enjoying the heat and pillows. Slowly I stretched and stood. "Which way to the cold bath?"
The attendant led me to one of the many doors leading off of the antechamber. The temperature struck me first before I noticed anything else about the room. I'd just warmed my body on the heated bench and this was quite a change. Once I'd recovered from that initial shock, I noticed that the room was largely empty. A pair of men reclined in the bath, conversing casually. They paused their conversation to look over and stare at me.
I'm fond of my body and have never been shy about appearing nude before others. I am D'Angeline and a scion of Naamah- I enjoy having my body admired. This was no exception. I grinned at the onlookers, wondering if they'd seen a D'Angeline before. Even if they had, my coloring was not exactly common.
An attendant rushed forward to offer me a bottle of perfumed oil and a strigil. I was more accustomed to bathing with soap, but I was acquainted with this method due to my time in Tiberium. I wondered if all Akkadian baths would be like this. I stepped into the water. It was very cool indeed. The other bathers continued to glance at me while speaking in Punic. I paid them no mind. After soaking for several minutes, I removed the stopper and sniffed the oil I'd been given.
It smelled of frankincense. I liked that fragrance, and it smelled lovely on me. Apolline would approve. I poured a small amount into my hand and rubbed it on my skin. Once I'd oiled every inch of my body, I leaned back in the bath and relaxed. I closed my eyes. I'd not had a real bath since Marsilikos and I savored every minute of it. In the background the other bathers continued to converse in Punic. I wondered if they were discussing me. I knew well how quickly word spread in a palace so I had no doubt they knew I was the D'Angeline ambassador. Eventually I heard them leave the bath. They apparently preferred to gawk and stare at me rather than introduce themselves. It was no matter. I thoroughly enjoyed my bath.
After soaking in the water for quite some time, I stood and stretched. Much of the oil remained on my skin. An attendant rushed over with a bucket. I took up the curved metal strigil and began to scrape off the oil into the bucket. It was a rather effective method of cleaning and left the skin soft and perfumed. When I was done, an attendant handed me a cloth to dry myself with. I saw to that quickly before moving back into the antechamber. My clothes were just where I'd left them. I donned my dressing gown and slippers and left the baths, feeling refreshed and clean.
I have an excellent sense of direction and I returned to my quarters without getting lost once. Apolline was deep in the process of unpacking and getting ready for the banquet when I stepped into our bedchamber. "There you are!" she exclaimed upon seeing me. "I was beginnging to worry that you'd drowned."
"You mean to tell me that you and Valère did not enjoy the baths?"
"Of course we did, but we did not linger. There is unpacking to be done and now a banquet to prepare for," she replied. "I'd like your advice on what gown to wear tonight, Barquiel. I've a mind to avoid purple. Like as not many of those in attendance will be wearing it."
"You do have a point there. What about one of your gold gowns? That is always a fine color on you," I proposed.
She pursed her lips in thought and held up a gold silk gown she'd had made for this trip. "What do you think of this one?"
I examined it for a moment and nodded. "It's lovely. I'd quite like to see it on you."
"And I am quite eager to wear it." She set the dress down and met my eyes. "With that decided, now it's your turn." She moved over to one of my trunks and opened it. I remained behind her, gazing at my clothing with despair. It was too hot, even with the pleasant breeze that blew off the sea, and I did not want to wear a doublet. Summer-weight they might've been, but it made no difference. If we were home I would've just worn a light shirt with an open neck. Unfortunately, that would not do for this occasion. I had to cut an impressive figure.
"What about this?" Apolline pulled out a crimson doublet. "I think this would go nicely with my dress."
"Yes, it would. There should be a pale gold shirt somewhere in there as well. That would go quite well."
As if on cue, Apolline located the aforementioned shirt. "A fine, lightweight silk. Yes, this will do," she remarked, setting it with the doublet. In a short time we located the pair of breeches that went with it, as well as a pair of silk stockings to match the shirt.
We did not have the time to give our clothing to our valets before the banquet, but it was not yet time to dress. We used the extra time to unpack. There was not much to do, for we would only be here for a week. Only the essentials were needed. When that was seen to, it was time for us to don our clothes. I dressed quickly and watched Apolline. As she unlaced her dress and slid it down from her shoulders, I was strongly reminded that there was a lovely bed piled high with pillows in our quarters. I moved behind her to place a soft kiss on her back. She glanced over her shoulder at me.
"I take it you have certain ideas as to how we should spend the night after the banquet ends?"
"I do, as a matter of fact." I ran a finger down the back of her neck to the top of her stays. I wanted very much to trace that path with my lips, but she needed to dress. I could smell her own distinct fragrance of jasmine and rose, the one which smelled incredible on her skin. That did nothing to quell my desire. I kissed her once more before stepping back to let her dress. I saw to my own garments before having a chance to admire her further. I paused to look myself over after dressing. I still felt entirely too warm, but this doublet was lighter and more comfortable than the one I'd worn earlier. The crimson was accented with gold embroidery. I added a finely-wrought gold chain to complete the outfit and looked once more at Apolline.
Her gown was liquid gold. It exposed her shoulders and an expanse of bosom, something I certainly appreciated. The bodice was decorated with delicate lace and beading. To this she added a diamond necklace and teardrop earrings. Her hair was piled atop her head and held in place with a pair of gold hairpins. "You look absolutely stunning." Even after being married to her for nearly twenty years, I am still awed by her frequently.
She smiled. "Fit for the wife of a D'Angeline ambassador?"
"You are fit to be Queen of Terre d'Ange." I looped an arm around her waist and kissed her.
"Did I mention that frankincense smells wonderful on you?" She grinned widely.
When we walked back out to the sitting room Valère was already there, reclining on one of the couches. She was dressed in a periwinkle blue gown which complimented her coloring nicely. "You look lovely, dear!" Apolline exclaimed.
"So do you, Mother," she replied.
"Well," I interjected, "shall we make our way to the dining hall?"
A pair of slaves who'd been stationed outside the door led us to the dining hall. It was another open room surrounded by graceful pillars, offering an excellent view of the sea. A handful of low tables stood on the mosaic floors. There were no chairs; only plush cushions. We were taken to the head table, where Azmelqart was already seated on his cushion. I was seated at his right, in the place of honor. Apolline sat at my left with Valère next to her. "Welcome," said Azmelqart. "I shall introduce you to my family. This is my wife, Lady Arshama, and our two daughters Ummashtart and Bodashtart." They inclined their heads gracefully at us and we returned the courtesy. I made note that none of them wore veils. This confirmed my thoughts that Tyre was not as strict about that as the Akkadian homeland. The Tyrans had their own distinct culture.
"And now allow me to introduce you to my wife." I turned to her. "Apolline, this is Governor Azmelqart. Azmelqart, this is Duchese Apolline L'Envers."
Apolline smiled graciously at Azmelqart. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord." As she spoke, I watched his eyes widen as he took a good look at her. It was a common reaction of people meeting Apolline for the first time, even D'Angelines.
Azmelqart smiled in return. "And it is my pleasure to welcome you to Tyre."
"This is my daughter and heir, Lady Valère L'Envers," I continued. "Valère, Governor Azmelqart."
Azmelqart took his eyes off of Apolline and looked at Valère. She met his gaze evenly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady." If he was surprised to hear that she was my heir, he made no sign.
"I thank you, my lord. It is a pleasure to meet you as well," Valère replied politely.
Shortly after introductions were done, slaves entered with trays of food. It was quite unlike any meal I'd ever had. The hors d'oeuvres were dishes I'd never tasted before. There was a paste made of chickpeas and garlic which was very tasty as well as another spread made of eggplant. Many pieces of flatbread were provided for dipping. There were many other dishes and I chose not to sample them all, but I did enjoy a salad made with bulgur wheat, finely chopped parsley, mint and onions. As good as all of that was, the biggest delights of the meal came after the hors d'oeuvres. We dined on fish so fresh I swore it must've been caught that morning. It was more heavily seasoned than I was used to, but it was quite delicious anyway. For the final course, there were pastries of thin, flaky dough drizzled with honey and chopped nuts. There was also a wide array of fresh fruit, which was somewhat we'd not seen much of recently.
Throughout the meal, Apolline and I conversed with Azmelqart. He was rather interested in Terre d'Ange and asked us many questioned about it. We spoke Caerdicci during the conversation and I confess I was disappointed that I didn't have an opportunity to practice my Akkadian. Perhaps he thought we'd be more comfortable with Caerdicci. Beside us, Valère spoke to Azmelqart's daughters. They were close to her in age- one two years younger than her, the other four years younger. I was glad to see it.
"As I mentioned to you earlier, it will take time to assemble an escort for your journey to Babylon. In the meantime, I invite you to enjoy our hospitality and explore the city during your stay here. If you would like, I can give you a personal tour of the city tomorrow."
"That would be quite excellent, thank you," I replied.
"The entirety of your entourage has been housed in the palace," he added.
"Very good. I thank you for that as well." I relaxed a bit, knowing that my men were present in the palace. Perhaps it was excessive paranoia since I was under the Khalif's protection, but it is better to be overly suspicious than overly trusting.
After the meal was over, we retired to our quarters. I was pleased to note that a pair of my men stood outside the door. All three of us were tired and we wanted to sleep. Apolline and I bade goodnight to Valère and immediately made for our bed. We made good use of it before falling asleep in each others' arms.
Notes
Baths- the description of the baths is based on Roman baths. RL Tyre was part of the Roman Empire, so it makes sense that Kushielverse!Tyre was part of the Tiberian Empire.