Over the next few days Solomon and I were together every night to the exclusion of all others. So much so that my sister came to have a chat with me.

"Amari, I am going to ask you directly as we just never seem to see each other now and there are rumours going around about you," she said, pulling me into her room one day.

"Good to see you too, sister," I comment at her lack of social niceties, in a sarcastic voice.

"Hmm, yes, nice to see you again too," she uttered, not at all phased by the sarcasm, "Aren't you worried about the rumours? I stuck up for you, but the persistence of them suggests there is some truth in the matter."

"What are the rumours, Namaah?" I tilted my head curious now.

"That you cheated on Solomon, with another man," Namaah spelt it out like I had done the crime.

"What?! NO! I would never cheat on Solomon! For two reasons if you must know," I went white with anger, How dare they say such a thing! I would never cheat on Solomon. Why would I?

"I believe you," Namaah said, "I know when you are lying, and you definitely are not. So, this brings me to point number two. Have you been with Solomon yet? If you have, has he forgotten the marriage contract?"

"I have been with him," I affirmed, "I assumed that he had been seeing you too. When was the last time he saw you?"

"Before you went away with him," Namaah stated, "I think that is the last time any wife other than Mina and that Princess was with him."

I was troubled by her words, I knew that I was to be loved second to Namaah, and Solomon had been seeing me only, morning and night. I just figured he had been with the others in the middle of the day when everyone had a short break, whether to rest or do other things. I never saw hem, so I assumed he was with someone then.

"I do not know what to say Namaah, but I will remind him of the contract," I promised her.

"Good! I will do my best to squash these rumours going around, but there is no guarantee," Namaah promised me.

"Thanks, Namaah," I say, gratefully, getting up to go, I hugged her goodbye, "See you next time, hopefully by then one of us is pregnant!" saying both of our greatest wish.

"It certainly would improve our standing here," Namaah said practically, "Especially if it is a boy."

I nodded my agreement and left then, only to be grabbed by the Princess, "There you are, you bitch. You are coming with me!"

Namaah did not see this or she would have spoken up, instead I was dragged roughly before Solomon in his throne room, and thrown down before him.

I saw his anger and concern in his eyes, but he did not move like he wanted, as being king there were times he had to act that way, this was one of them.

"What is wrong Jahzara?" he said evenly, although I could hear the seething in his voice, I doubt the others could.

"This wife of yours was seen with another man holding his hand!" Jahzara said, "She is clearly cheating on you!"

Confusion filled me. Another man? I have not been with anyone aside from Solomon. Where would they have seen me with someone else? Perhaps the temple with Meremoth? But Solomon was with me there too. Who could they be talking about?

"Amari," Solomon said my name gently, before saying it again more harshly, "AMARI!" and with that he snapped me back to reality.

"Yes, my lord?" I moved from my sprawled position to a kneeling one with my head bowed.

"Have you been with anyone else?" Solomon asked me directly.

I look up at him then and shook my head vehemently, "NO, my Lord. I have only been with you."

He took my answer with a smile, then looked up to Jahzara, his eyes narrowing slightly, "When did this supposed transgression occur?"

"Yom reveci. On yom reveci mid-afternoon," Jahzara said, "She was seen entering the harem with him."

With that Solomon smiled heartily, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention Jahzara."

"You are welcome, your majesty, I want only the best for you, I just thought you should know is all." Jahzara acted sickenly sweet towards him, not hearing the warning in his voice.

"Jahzara!" Solomon stopped her swarmy tirade, "I do not know why you would bring this to me. It is clearly a jealous attempt to remove my favourite wife out of my room by you. For this, you will be removed from my sight, never to enter it again!"

"My lord!" I said in distress, as I thought it a bit harsh on her.

Solomon seemed to understand my distress, "You will, however, keep the other social statuses at the second harem where the unseen wives are kept."

I sighed in relief as he could not be seen to be mean to that particular princess.

Jahzara bowed with tears and anger in her eyes, as she had no choice but to follow his instructions.

"Amari, get up and come here," Solomon requested of me, so I did.

He pulled me onto his lap hugging me, before saying to everyone, "For those that think I was being unfair, I can tell you this. There is no way Amari was cheating on my on Yom reveci as her entire day that day is accounted for with me." And with that all those that were present dropped the matter.

Solomon did not stay there long, he excused the session and took me back to his room, where he made love to me. "I am sorry Amari for that, I should have realised that coming home with my beard unbraided would cause you problems."

"It's ok Solomon," I said, more concerned by what Namaah had told me, "Solomon, I need to remind you to visit Namaah."

Solomon looked slightly annoyed at that, but nodded his thanks, "I will. I just did not want to be with anyone else but you now."

"Solomon!" I say in horror, "You can't do that! You have to look after all your wives as equally as possible." I had a thought then, remembering what he said in the throne room, "Am I really your favourite wife?"

"You are!" he nodded, refusing to explain himself. He did not need to as I knew it to be only temporary. Mina was his favourite not long before; I knew this by the song he and she wrote together. Mina had shared it with Abishag and I on one of our quiet afternoons together. A song that made me blush with its sensuality all through it, but now I understood. Jahzara was his favourite after Mina, and now look at her, banished.

I determined that no matter what happened, I would be thankful for this short time that I was his.

Namaah never again pulled me before her about Solomon not meeting her needs, so I assumed that he was. As I never saw them together, and he never smelt of her when I was with him, I assumed it was when I was labouring over the vineyard with Mina and Abishag. Every now and again Mina would stay behind and when we would bathe together at the end of the day, I could see the occasional hickey on her.

As for me, it was like I had the hickey's tattooed on me.

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