CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Missing Bracelet
Arwen slept late on the morning after the great feast. It was very exciting to be the guest of honor in Zuleika's palace, but the elvish maiden wished she had more time to herself. There were so many treaties and meetings and ceremonies, it was hard to maintain an energetic pace.
"Hey, wake up! You're supposed to come watch the queen's royal guard practice their archery this morning, remember?"
"Margo?" Arwen turned over on her pillows, surprised at how silently the shapely red-haired captain slipped into her room. Arwen had entirely failed to hear her enter, though elvish hearing was ordinarily much better than that of mortals. But then, few elvish maidens had ever danced on table tops at midnight to the cheers of the desert queen's all-female army!
"Come on, elf-girl! I told Zuleika how much the other captains want to show our loyalty and friendship towards you. Last night you were totally wild. You really knocked us for a loop!"
"Uh . . . thanks, I think." Arwen sat up in bed, wishing that all the wine from last night hadn't given her such a headache. "Listen, Margo, would you go and get me one of your military outfits to wear? I really don't want to go outside in any of the slinky, shimmery, see-through stuff the queen gave me, even though it's all very lovely I'm sure."
"Oh sure, I know just what you mean. What's the point in a revealing get-up when there's no one here but us girls?" Margo winked and punched Arwen lightly on the arm. "You just get yourself together, beautiful, and Margo will be back with something trim and military for you to wear. I sure wouldn't mind having a soldier like you in my company!"
As soon as Margo was out of the room Arwen flung open the carved wooden chest at the foot of the bed. Last night she'd gone a little overboard, what with the wine and the dancing and seemingly making a complete spectacle of herself. But she had managed to convince the other girls that she was really enjoying herself here in Zin Zaraboob. And she had also gotten her hands on one of Zuleika's glittering bracelets.
Arwen didn't know if the flashing jewels in this bracelet controlled the clear beads the queen wore around her neck. But one or two times she had seen Zuleika rubbing the jewels on her favorite bracelet between her fingers, as though they held some secret power. And each time she touched the beads at her throat as well. If the necklace held the souls of captive enemies, perhaps the bracelet was an energy source for the queen's dark magic!
"Stones of power," the Daughter of Elrond whispered, closing her eyes as she slipped the bracelet over her wrist. "Help me undo the queen's magic and find Prince Kassim!"
Not much happened, and when cheerful Margo came back into the room whistling Arwen only just managed to hide the bracelet in time. One of the red rubies did seem to flicker for a second, but Arwen put that down to her own imagination.
"Excellent shooting, Arwen Evenstar." Queen Zuleika's husky voice sounded bored and lazy in the afternoon heat. "Come join me here in the shade."
"The ladies of your royal guard are the finest archers I have ever seen," Arwen exclaimed, bending low to enter the silken pavilion where the queen lay resting on a soft low couch. A similar cushioned couch had been set up for Arwen herself.
"They can protect me from harm," the queen acknowledged. "But they cannot protect me from treachery."
"Treachery?" Arwen felt a bit nervous at the way the powerful older woman's well-plucked red-gold brows knitted in a frown. It was a very hot afternoon, and she felt a trickle of sweat slide down her spine.
"Yes, I fear that even a queen who shares her wealth and splendor willingly with can be wronged, or even robbed." Zuleika's plump, bejeweled hand hovered over the small, round table that lay between their two couches. "Would you like me to pour you some wine, my dear?"
"I'd . . . I'd prefer to drink water, if you have any. And perhaps some fresh fruit to go along with it?"
"You were the toast of the banquet last night, my dear," the queen commented, snapping her fingers for Arwen's refreshment. "When you clapped on all those bracelets and silken veils, and danced around the tables, the girls in my guard went absolutely wild. You've become a hero to them, I think. A rebel. Someone who enjoys being a little bad."
"They are all devoted to you, Your Majesty," Arwen said diplomatically, sipping her water. "But after all, young women who work so hard are entitled to a little recreation now and then. And with no men around and so much discipline . . ." the elf-maiden shrugged her slim shoulders, and selected some tempting fruit from a golden bowl. The female soldiers were now busy doing calisthenics in the hot sun, under the strict but good-natured supervision of her friend Margo.
"Ah, yes." The queen eyed her palace guard with pride. "Captain Margo is the most delightful girl, isn't she? So cheerful and full of fun. It would be a shame if she were the one to be punished for the missing bracelet."
"The missing bracelet?" Arwen nearly choked on the pulpy, sweet red fruit she'd been devouring.
"Yes, apparently one of my bracelets vanished last night during all the merry-making. The others were just trinkets, the type my girls trade back and forth. But not this one."
"I see." Arwen looked at Queen Zuleika's ripe, heavy figure, which was adorned with every type of precious jewel. As soft and lazy as she looked, however, the queen was no fool. Some of her powers came from the jewels, but others did not. "Perhaps the bracelet was simply misplaced by accident? Surely it will turn up in a day or two."
"I do hope so," the queen said, giving her guest a glance. "Otherwise sweet Captain Margo may have to suffer for her negligence. She is in charge of palace security, after all."
"But that's not fair!" Arwen felt torn. She couldn't confess to stealing the bracelet without revealing her secret mission. But she couldn't let Margo be punished either. The headache she'd had earlier suddenly came roaring back.
"I am a kind and generous woman, Lady Arwen Evenstar. But I don't like thieves."
"No, of course not. It's just . . . last night was really crazy." Arwen was rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers.
The queen chuckled. "Perhaps if you go to your room and lie down, you'll remember what became of the missing bracelet. A little sleep does wonders for a headache, don't you think?"