Emperor Euphrates
was exceeding pleased, which would have made her all the more so by
turns, were it not for her so recent experience with the polished
wooden ox just the day before.
After she bowed low before him, he beckoned to her to sit on his right
hand, several places removed. There were other, more important
dignitaries who with all their robes and finery, considerably outranked
her and sat closer to the Emperor. In fact, immediately to her right
stood a royal palace guard, a rough-looking fellow, with his motionless
back to the stones of the wall and a fearsome-looking spear in his big
hands.
Seeing that the others were seated, she sat down also, and turned to
stare curiously up at the guard standing beside her, but that other
worthy only blinked in irritation and refused to look back at her or so
much as acknowledge her presence.
Si'Wren dropped her eyes from the guard's aloof, stoic countenance,
unaware that already many in the court room were covertly watching the
newly appointed Royal Scribe with shifty, appraising looks, secretly
wondering if she could be induced to sell out to them and at what
price, in rank opposition to her Emperor's open claim to all her
loyalties.
In contrast to the others' extravagance and finery in choice of
raiment, Si'Wren had wisely followed Ibi's sage advice and foregone
such vain nonsense in favor of a simple outfit consisting of
pantaloons, blouse, long cape, and removable head covering, all loose
in the folds but tight at the cuffs and waist, and all in starkest
black.
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