QUEEN OF BABYLON - BOOK ONE

57- QUEEN OF BABYLON

EMERALD CITY, JADE PALACE. BABYLON

A month later.......

Baal Hamon garden. Jade palace.

Nephrite sat on a swing chair hung from a Cypress tree. Her peacock walks before her poking it's head in the flowers blooming out. By her feet was her coyotes already grown, they chew on the chunk of meat she threw down from time to time.

She admired the orchard of pomegranate trees which bear the finest friut.

Her mind wandered to how her kingdom was faring. How her life has changed in a year and some months she has spent in the palace.

She was no longer the girl she was when she arrived in the palace. Palace life has shown her life in a different dimension. So far she has been to gather both friends and enemies.

Many things has been going on in the palace that no one knows of and she has made it her duty to find out about it.

"Mother!!!"Lada shouted running towards where nephrite sat snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Is she there??"Lilith ask running after her sister.  "Yes"Lada replied then sat beside Nephrite and hug her.

"Mother where have you been?? We searched the entire palace for you"Lilith said as she approach them, she kiss her mother hand and pick up a couple and stroked it's fur.

"Why were you looking for me?"nephrite ask wondering.

"Just to tell you the king was going to stroll in the garden today and you might encounter him"Lilith said smiling, her sister hit her hand and laughed too.

"How did you know the king was going to pass here? Have you been spying in the palace again?"Nephrite ask feigning her anger.

The girls laughed. "Lada wanted to play in the palace and we heard the servants whispering about preparing the gardens for him"Lilith answered laughing as she tickle the coyote at her feet. 

Nephrite stood up and started walking towards another part of the garden. She inhale deeply and watch as her wards play with the coyotes laughing and screaming in pure joy.

How she wished their father could see them now.

"You always seems lost in thought"a cool voice that sent chill down her spine spoke. She knew the voice even from deep sleep. 

"My liege"she bowed as and touched the scepter he held to her.

The king held his hand to her and she gracefully stepped into his warm embrace. The sweet fragrance of Myrrh and Aloe Vera hit her nose making her smile as he embrace her more. Slowly he leaned down and took her lips the sweet taste of honey and milk.

"The garden seems strange to me"Nebuchadnezzar said glancing around.

"Maybe it's because my liege rarely have time to come here being busy with the matters of state"Nephrite says in a small voice.

Nebuchadnezzar laughed. "And that reminds me. I will summon you to the palace one of this days to discuss matter of state".

"My liege"nephrite bows gratefully. Being summon to the palace during a meeting is a very great honor. 

  "You should be there as future Queen"Nebuchadnezzar added.

He smile at the woman standing before him. The saree she wore made her so pretty, the golden accessories made her skin glow.

She was so beautiful and it made him proud to have the most beautiful woman in the world as his betroth and future Queen. He can't wait till they get married and she wears the crown.