arrived in a gilded litter decked with carvings and fringes, and that I wore no crown of silver flowers on my head.
It was very pleasant to be made much of, and petted. So I let them do as they would, for now I was weary in truth, and hardly cared that I was being adorned to please a man I had sworn I would never acknowledge as husband.
I cared later, when the sky was dark and the torches bright, and I stood waiting for Phaltiel. The maids had taken long over me, anxious that the king’s daughter should find no fault in their care. At last, when even my bones felt polished clean, they had draped me in a thin robe that smelled of sun and spices, and brought me to the bedchamber. That room had been readied as lovingly as I. Even the small lamp that kept watch in the wall
niche had been filled with a scented oil. The smell made me feel sick.
The maids withdrew, with much giggling, but Miriam remained behind. She put her arms around me and kissed my cheek. “I am so glad you have come to us, Michal. And—and I wish you joy.”
I could not answer, but she herself was blushing and looking away from me, and so the moment passed. It was just as well, for Miriam had been good to me today, and I did not wish to hurt her by telling her the truth—that I would never find joy with her father, nor he with me.
“There is wine,” Miriam said, and kissed me once more. Then she was gone, and I was left alone to wait.
I had expected Phaltiel to come to me at once, but he did not. I grew restive, and found that it was hard to remain a graven image long. So I roamed about the chamber, keeping my ears pricked for any sound. I did not want Phaltiel to find me prying like a weasel, as if I had a true interest in his house.
Phaltiel was a quiet man; I had warning enough to close the olive-wood chest into which I peered, but not enough for dignity So he came in to find me scrambling to my feet and clutching the thin sliding robe the maids had giggled over so as they pinned it upon me. I settled the robe and faced him tall and silent.
“It was kind of you to wait for me,” Phaltiel said, dropping the curtain over the doorway. “But it is late; you should have been asleep long ago. Go to bed now, child.”
“I will not,” I said. “You are not my true husband, and I will never share your bed.” I held my chin high, to show I meant what I said.
Phaltiel looked at me, and sighed, and then came to stand before me. “I think it is time we had plain words between us, so stop your sulking and listen to me.”
He took my hand; I tried to pull away, but he was a man, and stronger. He drew me over and made me sit beside him on the bed and held my hand so that I could not run away. “Do not look at
me like that, Michal. I will not touch you as my wife if you do not wish it.”
“I will never wish it!”
“Never is a long time, child, and until it comes you and I will sleep peacefully in the same bed. I am neither so young nor so old that your body alone is enough to tempt me.”
“No,” I said. “I—I do not want to sleep here.”
“Little princess, what you want and do not want is not so important as you like to think it. Now listen to me and use the mind that lies behind those pretty eyes. I agreed to marry you because I was sorry for you, and because your brother Jonathan asked it of me. No one else dared, and Jonathan feared King Saul would kill you or send you to a far country if no man could be found who would take you disgraced and dowerless. It is a hard thing for a young girl to be betrayed by those she loves, and harder still to be cast out by her family to go among strangers. I knew that we at least would be kind to you.”
“No one has betrayed me! David loves me and will come for me and put all here to the sword and take me back again and I will not listen to you!”
“Speak softly, Michal—unless you wish to bring the servants to the door. I am not so old a man as you think, but I am old enough to like peace,
It was very pleasant to be made much of, and petted. So I let them do as they would, for now I was weary in truth, and hardly cared that I was being adorned to please a man I had sworn I would never acknowledge as husband.
I cared later, when the sky was dark and the torches bright, and I stood waiting for Phaltiel. The maids had taken long over me, anxious that the king’s daughter should find no fault in their care. At last, when even my bones felt polished clean, they had draped me in a thin robe that smelled of sun and spices, and brought me to the bedchamber. That room had been readied as lovingly as I. Even the small lamp that kept watch in the wall
niche had been filled with a scented oil. The smell made me feel sick.
The maids withdrew, with much giggling, but Miriam remained behind. She put her arms around me and kissed my cheek. “I am so glad you have come to us, Michal. And—and I wish you joy.”
I could not answer, but she herself was blushing and looking away from me, and so the moment passed. It was just as well, for Miriam had been good to me today, and I did not wish to hurt her by telling her the truth—that I would never find joy with her father, nor he with me.
“There is wine,” Miriam said, and kissed me once more. Then she was gone, and I was left alone to wait.
I had expected Phaltiel to come to me at once, but he did not. I grew restive, and found that it was hard to remain a graven image long. So I roamed about the chamber, keeping my ears pricked for any sound. I did not want Phaltiel to find me prying like a weasel, as if I had a true interest in his house.
Phaltiel was a quiet man; I had warning enough to close the olive-wood chest into which I peered, but not enough for dignity So he came in to find me scrambling to my feet and clutching the thin sliding robe the maids had giggled over so as they pinned it upon me. I settled the robe and faced him tall and silent.
“It was kind of you to wait for me,” Phaltiel said, dropping the curtain over the doorway. “But it is late; you should have been asleep long ago. Go to bed now, child.”
“I will not,” I said. “You are not my true husband, and I will never share your bed.” I held my chin high, to show I meant what I said.
Phaltiel looked at me, and sighed, and then came to stand before me. “I think it is time we had plain words between us, so stop your sulking and listen to me.”
He took my hand; I tried to pull away, but he was a man, and stronger. He drew me over and made me sit beside him on the bed and held my hand so that I could not run away. “Do not look at
me like that, Michal. I will not touch you as my wife if you do not wish it.”
“I will never wish it!”
“Never is a long time, child, and until it comes you and I will sleep peacefully in the same bed. I am neither so young nor so old that your body alone is enough to tempt me.”
“No,” I said. “I—I do not want to sleep here.”
“Little princess, what you want and do not want is not so important as you like to think it. Now listen to me and use the mind that lies behind those pretty eyes. I agreed to marry you because I was sorry for you, and because your brother Jonathan asked it of me. No one else dared, and Jonathan feared King Saul would kill you or send you to a far country if no man could be found who would take you disgraced and dowerless. It is a hard thing for a young girl to be betrayed by those she loves, and harder still to be cast out by her family to go among strangers. I knew that we at least would be kind to you.”
“No one has betrayed me! David loves me and will come for me and put all here to the sword and take me back again and I will not listen to you!”
“Speak softly, Michal—unless you wish to bring the servants to the door. I am not so old a man as you think, but I am old enough to like peace,
Similar Books
