Chapter 25

All the way up the mountain-side Fara’s thoughts were busy with Voldi’s enigmatic warning of a cool reception. It was not like Voldi to imagine a feeling of animosity on the part of young Deran. The Prince had been overindulged and badly spoiled. Even as a child he had been rude and impudent. Doubtless Voldi, on his recent return to Arabia, had been given fresh evidence of Deran’s unfriendliness.

Arriving at the King’s encampment, Fara was instantly surrounded by a devoted company of servants, who swarmed out of the service tents and stables and paddocks. Ione, a mere shadow of her former self, was tearful and speechless with joy. Old Kedar dispatched a rider, with a led horse, to meet Voldi. So far, it was a happy reunion.

But an hour later, when the home-comers sat at supper with the royal family, their welcome lacked enthusiasm.

Fara was shocked to see how King Zendi had aged in the past three years. The hair at his temples was white. His face was thin and haggard. His smile was feeble and fleeting, and he had little to say. But what Zendi had lost in forcefulness Rennah had gained. Arabia had never been governed by a Queen: Arabia was distinctly a man’s land. But as Fara glanced from the Queen’s imperious face into Zendi’s unresponsive eyes, it was clear enough that the peace-loving King had abdicated.

Deran strutted in late when their supper was nearly finished, and sprawled in his seat, nodding carelessly to their guests as if he had seen them within the hour. His face was flushed. It was easy to see that he had been drinking.

‘It’s going about, Councillor Voldi,’ he remarked, with a patronizing grin, ‘that you finally paid off that frail old rascal in Galilee. How did you do it? Stick him in the back while he slept?’

Voldi made no reply to the raw insult; seemed not to have heard it. Presently he glanced across the table and confronted Fara’s indignant eyes. His look repeated the warning that she must control her temper. Quickly masking her sudden anger, she darted a wordless inquiry. ‘Councillor?’ Voldi knew she was inquiring about that. He had not told her.

There was a brief, awkward silence, which Rennah now broke with a dry trill of mirthless laughter.

‘Perhaps Councillor Voldi doesn’t think your remark is very amusing, Deran,’ she cooed softly…Then, turning to Voldi with a contrived smile to which he did not respond, she added, ‘The Prince is such a tease.’…And turning to Fara, ‘One never can tell when he’s joking.’

‘But it’s easy to tell when he is not joking!’ retorted Fara crisply. Voldi gently rebuked her with an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

Deran was having a good time now. If Voldi wouldn’t quarrel, perhaps he could bedevil the girl into some reckless disregard of his princely rank. He turned on her with a sardonic chuckle.