The Sultan's Spy

Chapter 3: New Assignment

"Bright Joy, your face makes my morning work light."

Eliska turned to look at Ajani who was grinning at her. She smiled back, pulling her feet out of the courtyard's pool and reaching for her slippers. "And what has you looking for me before high sun?"

His smile was sly as he bowed his head. "I don't know what you mean. Can't old Ajani compliment one of his girls?"

She snorted as she stood, ignoring the sound of squeals and splashing at the far end that announced the arrival of the younger children. Eliska did glance over long enough to make sure there was some adult supervising the girls and boys who had already thrown themselves into the water. Only then did she walk over to Ajani, feeling the warm bite of the sun on her naked arms, shoulders, and head. "You can do that. But you don't."

Ajani grinned at that. "Ah, I should know better than to try to trick one of our shadows. Lizina and Lady Zorana would like to see you. And you know what that means."

Eliska nodded, smiling. It had been long enough since her last job that she had been getting itchy. She loved her family and enjoyed the peace of the harem, but after too long the walls began to feel tight. She liked being able to get out, to be in the city or the rest of the palace, liked seeing things outside of the contained walls of the harem complex, large as it was. "Are they in Mother Zorana's rooms?"

"In the public rooms of her suite. Shall I tell them you'll be on your way?"

She glanced down at her arms, the dark, sinuous lines of each of her tattoos wrapped around in distinct rings from elbow to wrist, and sighed. "Tell them I'll be there as soon as I get changed. We don't want to risk someone coming in to see Mother Zorana and getting an eyeful of these."

"Don't forget your hair veil."

Eliska grimaced. "You're never going to let me forget that, are you? I was fourteen."

Ajani chuckled. "You should always remember mistakes. It's how you avoid repeating them. And repeated mistakes-"

"Will get you killed," she finished for him. "I know."

He flapped his hands at her. She wrinkled her nose back before loping off towards her room. Eliska was glad that she no longer lived in the shadow school dorms on the other side of the harem, her room since graduation set among the other mid-level girls still living in the harem. Most were her nieces these days, most of her sisters having already married. Not that she was surprised. She was the youngest, and some of her nieces were only two or three years younger than her.

Eliska barely glanced at the beautiful blue-green tiles that made up the bulk of the walls of her room, her eyes going past the few mosaics that added interest to the walls. She moved past her bed, her bedding neat as was the rest of the room, the discipline that had molded her almost impossible to break even though no one checked her rooms anymore. Even her desk was neatly organized. Though that would change as soon as her new job started and she had to write reports.

She went to her chest of drawers and yanked open the middle one. She slipped off the loose robe she had been wearing to lounge outside in and pulled out instead some proper clothes. Blue full trousers with embroidered cuffs were the first thing she pulled on, grabbing one of her shorter undershirts next, this one only hitting her hips, the edges of the sleeves and the hem embroidered in blue, yellow and pink. With the heat of the day she opted for her silk kaftans. She grabbed one in a pink that matched the embroidery for the inner layer, the circular plunge of its neckline modest. The yellow one she tossed on top was far deeper and reached to her navel. Belting the whole ensemble with a heavily embroider sash, it was the work of a moment to grab a white silk veil for her hair, tying it as she headed back out the door.