Jewel of Persia



Darius frowned at the image out the window, where the band of Immortals set up camp for the night. A runner had arrived days ago alerting him to the pending arrival of Kasia

and her guard, but it had not told him why his father’s favorite wife had left his side. He had to wonder no longer when he glimpsed her an hour ago.

It seemed he would have yet another little brother or sister in a few months.

Obviously his father did not want to risk her health, but why had Xerxes not considered the memories that would hit her here? The moment her feet were on the rocky ground,

she had looked toward that small grave, overgrown now with grass and the flowers Artaynte had transferred. Even from up here, Darius had seen Kasia’s shoulders hunch, her

head go down.

Footsteps sounded outside the throne room, and he stepped away from the window. It had taken her nearly an hour, but his newly arrived guest must finally be ready to present

herself in greeting. He prepared a smile.

Kasia did not look up to see it, just stopped a goodly distance in front of him and dipped her knees in respect. “Thank you for receiving me, my prince.”

“Of course. It is good to see you again. How is my father?”

Her jaw clenched. Interesting. “As he always is.”

“Hmm.” He glanced at the servants behind her, the court people milling about. “Are you feeling up to a walk? It will be good to speak with someone so recently with him.”

She hesitated and flicked her gaze to his face. “As you wish.”

He led her out to the walls, careful to head in the direction opposite from where she fell. With only their personal servants around them, she would hopefully feel

comfortable answering his questions.

Although she looked far from comfortable. Her jaw was still tight, and she held her spine straight and rigid. He cleared his throat. “You must have left shortly after

Thermopylae.”

“The morning following your father’s victory.”

Should she not have called it “our” victory? Darius clasped his hands behind his back as they walked. “I suppose the battle convinced him it was not safe for you to

remain, given your condition?”

She looked away, into the courts of the citadel. “I suppose you ought to know that the king has not acknowledged my condition, and everyone else has followed his lead.”

He came to a halt, brows raised. “Why would he do that? Last time—”

“He is convinced last time ended as it did because his god despises me.” She stopped a step ahead of him and turned to face him. “He seems to think if he pays it no

attention, Ahura Mazda will not take his anger out on me.”

That made a kind of sense, when one considered the timing of the stillbirth. He supposed. “All right, then. I shall follow his lead as well, before others. Though it is

rather obvious.” He paused, considered her. “Did he forbid you to speak of it as well?”

A tick in her jaw, then she nodded.

“Is that why you are angry with him?”

Tears flooded her eyes, but he did not regret the question. She shook her head. “That is not the only thing he forbade me mention. He also commanded me not speak of

Jehovah.”

“And you listened? I find that difficult to believe.” For that matter, he was surprised his father had demanded such a thing. Much must have changed in the last six

months.

“I obeyed more than I wanted to. But not enough to satisfy him.” She swallowed and swung her gaze back up to his. “We argued. That is why he sent me back.”

He could not stop the quirk of his mouth. “You surely realize he would have regretted it the day after you left.”

“He regretted it before then. That changes nothing.”

“True.” He drew in a long breath. She looked tired, which could be due solely to travel and her condition, or it could be tied to the anger sparking in her eyes. “One

thing I always remember you for is forgiving my mother so quickly after she tried to kill you. Will you not forgive my father for saying things he did not mean?”

The spark turned to a simmer in the brown of her irises. “It is easy to forgive those who mean nothing to you—there is no real hurt involved. Forgiving him, when he knew

well what his words would do, when he knew all I had already given up for love of him . . . that will take energy I do not have right now.”

Darius nodded and smiled. “Well, you may rest easy in Sardis and may speak of your Jehovah all you please.”

She snorted and folded her arms over the bulge of her stomach. “May I?”

He lifted a brow.

She sighed. “I sought out Artaynte as soon as I arrived, but I was denied access to her. It seems her mother does not want her associating with an enemy of Ahura Mazda.”

His spine snapped into alignment. “What? You were such good friends.”