Chapter 18 Areana #2
It looked like something out of a fairy tale. A sanctuary hidden in plain sight.
They stepped out through the glass doors, and Areana got her first unobstructed view of the village square and a big lawn that had been transformed into a celebration.
Banners in bright colors stretched between trees, fluttering in the gentle breeze.
Balloons in clusters of gold and silver bobbed at intervals around the perimeter.
Long tables covered in white cloths held an assortment of wines, or maybe champagne, and there was a long buffet at one side, with covered dishes kept warm, and cold appetizers on large platters, with small windmills next to each one.
To keep the insects away, she realized. A stage had been set up at another end, and music drifted across the lawn from loudspeakers that were mounted on the trees.
People milled about, laughing, talking, eating, drinking.
This was what her sister had built. A thriving community.
Areana's throat tightened.
"There you are!" a familiar voice called out, and Areana turned to see a group of women separating from the crowd and rushing toward her.
Tamira reached her first, throwing her arms around Areana with a fierce embrace. "We've missed you so much."
"And I’ve missed you." Areana clung to Tamira as if she hadn't seen her in years.
Then Sarah was there, and Raviki, and Beulah, and Liliat, and Rolenna—all of them pressing close, all of them reaching out to touch her, to hold her.
Tears spilled down Areana's cheeks, and she didn't try to stop them this time. Around her, her friends were crying too, but not because they were sad. These were tears of joy, of relief, of overwhelming emotion that couldn't be contained.
"I can't believe we're all here," Sarah said, her voice wobbling. "All of us together and free."
"It doesn't feel real," Liliat agreed, her accent thickened by emotion. "I keep expecting to wake up and find myself back in the harem."
"It's real," Raviki said with a smile. She was wearing a stunning red dress and low-heeled mules. "We're free."
"That chapter of our lives is finally over," Beulah said. "For good."
Areana looked at her friends, her sisters in all but blood, the women who had shared her captivity and now shared her freedom, and she felt her heart swell with love and appreciation for them.
"I'm so proud of you," she said. "You've been so brave, so strong. And now look at you." She gestured at their beautiful dresses, their styled hair, their faces free of the guarded expressions they'd worn for so long. "You look radiant."
"So do you," Tamira said softly. "But you also look a little tired. Are you sleeping?"
Leave it to Tamira to notice.
"Not as well as I'd like," Areana admitted. "I've been spending most of my time with Navuh, and watching him struggle with his immobility is difficult."
The mood shifted, the joy tempered by the reality of Areana's situation. While they had been liberated, Areana remained bound, not by chains or walls, but by love.
"How is he doing?" Sarah asked.
"Healing slowly." Areana didn't want to discuss Navuh's condition while surrounded by people who had no reason to wish him well. "The doctor says he'll make a full recovery eventually."
"And then what?" Raviki's voice was sharp. "What happens when he can walk again?"
"I don't know," Areana said honestly. "We'll have to figure that out when we get there."
Raviki looked like she wanted to say more, but a pointed look from Tamira silenced her. This wasn't the time or place for difficult conversations about the future.
"Well," Tamira said briskly, threading her arm through Areana's, "right now, the only thing that matters is that you're here. Let me show you the village. It's beautiful, and the people are welcoming."
The group began moving toward the gathering on the lawn, but they'd barely taken a few steps when Tula appeared, cutting through the crowd with Esag at her side.
"Areana!" Tula's voice carried over the din of the music and hundreds of conversations, and then she was pulling Areana into a somewhat awkward hug due to her bump.
"Careful," Areana laughed, steadying her. "You'll hurt yourself."
"I'm pregnant, not fragile." Tula stepped back and gave Areana a once-over. "You look good. Tired, worried, but good."
"You look well, too," Areana said. "Better than well. You look..."
"Radiant?" Tula supplied with a grin. "That's what Raviki said."
"I was going to say content. But radiant works too."
Tula's grin widened, and she reached back to pull Esag forward. "You remember Esag."
"Of course." Areana offered him a warm smile. "It's good to see you again. Thank you for taking care of my Tula."
"It's my pleasure and my honor," Esag said, and the sincerity in his voice was unmistakable. "She's everything to me."
Tula didn't contradict him. Instead, she leaned into his side, and Areana watched the way his arm came protectively around her.
"We should join the celebration," Annani said, interrupting the reunion. "There will be time for catching up later, but right now, I have a speech to deliver, and there is food to eat, music to enjoy, and joy to share."
She swept forward, drawing Areana along with her.
The crowd parted before them like water around a ship's prow, people bowing as they passed, the kind of bows Areana hadn't seen since the time of the gods.
She'd forgotten what it was like to be royalty.
Real royalty, not the manufactured authority that Navuh had claimed for himself.
Annani, daughter of Ahn and Nai, was a true heir to the throne, and for this celebration, Areana basked in her sister's reflected glory.