Princess Carmel; Chapter 2

Princess Carmel; Chapter 2

© 2022 by Amber Wright

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It was indeed a hot, sunny day when Carmel sat at her window, learning her lessons. Her purple robe flowed gently down to her sandals and the fragrance of flowers filled the airy room. She breathed it in, closing her eyes shut tightly.

“Princess Carmel?”

“Yes, Zara?”

“I thought you were asleep.”

“No, I’m not.” Carmel’s eyes popped open and a little smile turned up the corners of her mouth. She stifled a yawn. “When will my lessons be over?”

“When you do them.” Zara answered and patted the half-blank piece of papyrus on the little table between them.

Carmel picked up her reed pen and dipped it into the silver bottle of ink again. “I will try again.”

“And I will sit here until you have finished.” Zara smiled and sat stiffly on the reed-woven chair. “And then we will go to the mountains as you wished so earlier.”

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Sun sparkled through the tall, cone-filled cedar trees as Carmel, her nurse Zara and her guards entered the forest just outside of Tyre.

Carmel stepped down from her chariot with the assistance of one of her guards. “Isn’t it always much cooler up here in the mountains?”

Her feet met the ground and the breeze cooled her sweltering head covered by her veil. Without waiting for an answer, she went on. “I think when I am grown I should like a house built for me on the summit of that mount.”

“But that land, my lady, is the land of Aram-Damascus.” Zara reminded her, tsking at her young princess’ whims. “You would not wish to live there.”

“But why would I not wish to live there?”

“There are some things a young princess needs not know until she has grown.” Zara said in a finalized voice as they started up the mount.

Behind, two guards followed them closely and the other two guards waited beside each chariot. Carmel glanced back and an odd feeling swept over her that something very bad was about to happen; then, the feeling was gone and she was enjoying her mountainous climb.

After a beautiful outing in the cool forest, Carmel made her way back down the mount along with her nurse and guards. The smell of something strange and frightening met her nostrils. She tensed.

“What smell is that?” Carmel whispered out.

Zara glanced around sharply and spoke in hushed tones to one guard. He left silently. The other guard stepped more closely to Carmel, looking around with watchful eyes. Looking at his stern face, Carmel felt herself shake with fear, What is happening? Something is happening that I can’t explain…and yet I can feel it, that same odd feeling I felt when we left the chariots. Her heart thudded away under her purple linen robes.

“They are dead.” The guard who had left returned with those words.

The sentence chilled Carmel’s heart and froze her blood. Two guards had died because of her outing in the mount! Why did she have to plan such a day for today? But…it could have always happened tomorrow or any other day.

“And the chariots have been taken. We will have to go back to the palace on foot.” The guard knitted his dark eyebrows and gave Carmel a very sober look. “Princess Carmel, you will have to walk closely behind me.”

“I understand the concern for my safety, and I will obey and not lag behind.” Carmel nodded and wrapped her veil over her face more. The walk back to the palace would be a long one, maybe an hour or two.

The guard began the descent through the thickly-grown forest, taking the least possible public route towards the city. All the while, Carmel’s eyes pierced through the dimness of the forest, hearing sounds and seeing shadows. Her imagination soared and she had to keep staring at the copper armor of her guard’s back to keep her fears at bay.

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A chilly breeze blew against her dampening skirts as Carmel squinted in the light mist of rain. Pink streaks of light stretched across the western skies through the gloom of twilight. Her eyelids began to droop, then close.

“Princess Carmel?”

Carmel’s head jerked up as Zara’s voice pierced her sleep-filled thoughts. She blinked and wiped at her eyes with the knuckles of her right hand. “Yes?”

“We are here.”

Carmel blinked in confusion. All she saw was a nestle of vines and limestone rock. “Where are we?”

“At the entrance of the secret tunnel into the palace.” Zara explained in hushed tones.

“But we haven’t even reached the city.” Carmel cleared her throat, glancing around. The mist had risen and a cold wind arose from the earth. She carefully stepped over a tangle of briars and stones. “Zara?”

“This tunnel is a very long one, built for escape should the palace be invaded.” Zara gave Carmel a smile and her shoulder a reassuring pat. “But that won’t happen. We have good trade and a host of friendly neighbors.”

“But didn’t you say only today I shouldn’t like to live in our neighboring country, Aram-Damascus?”

“I did.”

“And?”

“And you will not live there—unless you are given to marry one of their sons.” Zara waited until Carmel stepped into the deep darkness of the entrance of the tunnel. “Which I hope not.”

Immediately, the scent of fresh dirt met Carmel’s nose. She breathed it in deeply. She loved the smell of fresh earth. Always in the summer, she helped the gardeners plant the lilies in their courtyard. Fresh earth, it has a wonderful taste—or, scent. I shall plant a large garden in my house on that mount. That is, if I build my house in the land of Aram-Damascus. Perhaps I should ask my father to request a purchase of land from its governor. Her foot stumbled over a stone and she felt her feet fly from under her. Her nose landed on a pair of sandaled feet.

“Carmel,” the voice was low and gruff.