She was shown to a suite of three small rooms – pretty enough, with windows looking out over the banks of the canal. The shutters were thrown open and the low-ceilinged reception chamber was flooded with light and suffused with a cool breeze. The rooms were near to Samsu's, the steward told her, as though that would please her. She smiled brightly and thanked the man.

As he withdrew, she couldn't help but think: this was the same man who had ignored her as less than a dog during those dark months when she had sat at Samsu's feet in chains, and now he bowed and scraped as if he could never do enough to please her. The ways of the gods were strange indeed.

So, her rooms were near her husband's. She fervently hoped that was mere coincidence, and he did not want to keep her close for any more amorous reason. Her body was still sore and tender from the trauma of the birth just a fortnight ago. With any luck, Samsu would give her a few weeks' respite yet. He would be busy, after all.

'Your Highness?' a tentative voice behind her said.

She swung around – two girls stood in the entrance to her rooms, probably in their mid-teenage years. They were stark opposites in their bearing. The first girl was plain and homely, a little on the plump side, but she had a pleasant demeanour and an open, friendly smile. The second girl was a pretty thing, short and slight, with long, elegant fingers and a slender neck; her full lips were pursed in a sulky pout, and her face bore an unmistakeable scowl. Something about the girl bothered Eliana.

'Yes, can I help you?'

The plainer girl spoke. 'We have been sent by the prince...'

'The king.' Eliana corrected, gently.

'The – the king,' the girl stammered, blushing. 'We are your new maids. Happy to serve, Your Highness.'

'Very well, and what are your names?'

'I am Tabi, my queen,' smiled the first girl.

'And I am Adra, Highness,' said the sullen one.

As she spoke, Eliana realised what it was that bothered her about this girl, where she had seen her before: Susa's rooms. Her heart sank as she recognised Adra for what she was – a spy sent by Susa. She sighed inwardly, would the woman never give up? No doubt she was cooped up somewhere in smaller rooms than she was expecting somewhere on the ship – Ashan had promised to try to keep them apart as far as possible, for the sake of the peace.

'Welcome!' Eliana forced a smile. 'I am very glad to have you – Mari and I have had our hands quite full, with four children and Mari's own on the way. Tabi, find your way to the nursery and help Mari – tell her that I've given you into her charge.'

'Yes, Highness,' Tabi gave an obedient little curtsey and disappeared.

'Adra, you can tend to me.'

'What should I do?' the girl asked, insolently.

It was all Eliana could do not to roll her eyes. A rude teenager was not what she had hoped for when she'd asked Samsu for a new maid – Susa's hand in this was plain to see.

'Fetch me some food and a jug of water,' she said, firmly.

Adra gave a barely noticeable incline of the head and left.

Eliana sank into a window seat and dropped her head into her heads, enjoying the peace. Given the choice, she would have rathered keep Tabi as her maid and send the surly Adra out of sight to the nursery, but she did not dare to have Susa's spy around her children. She half-expected her own food to come back poisoned, though she was determined not to fall into paranoia. Samsu had been quite clear that if any harm befell Eliana, Susa would be the first person upon whom the blame would fall, she must take that as some sort of security and make the best of it. She would keep Adra nearby, where she could keep an eye on her.

It was strange, Eliana thought, that the plain girl, Tabi, should be so much less pretty than the sour Adra, and yet be so much more attractive.

'Ah, karkittu,' Samsu said briskly, striding in with the Brute at his heels, 'I see you've found your rooms. You will come to me tonight – bring your lyre.'

Her heart sank. She hoped he would only want her to play for him. 'Yes, sir. I'll have the new maid dig it out.'

'I sent two. Are they suitable?'

'Yes, thank you. I've sent one to the nursery to help care for the children, and I'll keep the other for my own needs.'

'Good. You should also know that I'm posting Ashan and Asag at your door. There are bandits up and down the canal who might try to target this ship. I'll keep this one for my own guard,' he jerked a thumb towards the Brute, 'and I've posted two more at the nursery. The royal family of Babylon is the most valuable cargo aboard – if there is trouble, they'll be looking for someone to kidnap and sell.'

'Thank you,' she bowed graciously, wishing he would go.

He nodded and left abruptly. Shortly afterwards, Adra brought her food. It was simple fare – bread, dates and a wedge of cheese, but Eliana preferred it to the rich palace foods.

She took the platter and dismissed the girl, with instructions to search out her lyre, before returning to her window seat.

As she ate, she gazed out, watching the oars dip in and out of the water, enjoying the seductive sway of the boat as it pushed north, and the fresh breath of air that lifted the tendrils of hair at her neck and soothed her with a gentle caress. Fields and fields of crops drifted past her window – barley and wheat, standing tall and ripe, ready for harvest, shining golden in the sun. Strong, sun-browned farmers and their field hands stopped to stare at the magnificent wooden beast as it glided up the canal.

The hours slipped away from her, and the sun had begun to lower towards the horizon before she realised the time and hurried to find the nursery. By the time she arrived, the children were all fed and bathed and ready for bed, and Mari and Tabi sat chatting companionably, as though they had known each other for eternity. Eliana felt a curious pang of jealousy – it felt odd to not be a part of that routine any more. She consoled herself with the thought that at least the nursery in the palace of Babylon would adjoin her own rooms, and she could see the children as often as she liked. Ashan had assured her of that – he remembered the place well from his own childhood and adolescence.

She went to each of the children in turn. Even Sarri was worn out with her day's adventure – she was usually so difficult to get to bed, but her head lolled against Eliana's arms as she embraced her niece and kissed her goodnight.

Once she was satisfied that the children were down for the night, she returned to her rooms, where Adra brushed out her hair, perfumed her and handed her the lyre.

She made her way along the dark deck to Samsu's rooms with a heavy heart, an aching body and a stomach full of butterflies.

It was a struggle not to breathe an audible sigh of relief when he beckoned her over to the bed with the words, 'come, karkittu. Play to me – I am too exhausted for sport, but you can always soothe me with your lullabies.'

He was asleep before she reached the end of her second song, and she was glad to creep away to her own bed.

The days of the voyage passed quickly as the boat made its way steadily up the canal, further from Nippur and nearer to Eliana's future.

They were still several miles from Babylon when she began to notice people lining the banks, cheering and acclaiming Samsu at the tops of their voices. The crowds thickened the nearer they drew to the city, and the approbation grew louder with every passing hour. Samsu, stood out on deck, positively glowed under the praise – this was his glorious homecoming. He had begun life as a third son, left the city as crown prince, and now returned as king.

Even Eliana, unaccustomed to the cheering, could tell the difference between this and what they had heard on the streets of Nippur. These people genuinely loved him – their applause was wholehearted and genuine.

As the ship passed under a grand arched water gate set into the city's thick stone walls, the noise grew positively deafening. The city must be five times the population of Nippur, and it seemed that every single citizen had turned out to welcome the royal family home. The sound was like the roaring of strong wind in the ears – a loud, steady thrum, punctuated by whoops and whistles.

One of the first things Eliana noticed was that her own dresses looked horribly clunky and old-fashioned beside the Babylonian women. The fashion here was for gowns that draped over one shoulder and fell in elegant folds to the feet – her tiered and fringed dresses would look wildly out of place. The jewellery, too, was heavy and ornate. Eliana had always preferred lighter, more subtle styles.

She stood out beside Samsu on the deck as the ship made its way up towards the palace. Unlike in Nippur, the canal flowed directly up to the royal residence, and the palace had its own wharf so that the royals would not have to mingle with the people when they took ship.

The city even smelled different – it had the same tang of dust and spice as Nippur, but somehow the aroma was different, the spices were different. It smelled... foreign. She could not put her finger on it.

Finally, they came around a bend and Eliana caught her first glimpse of the palace. 'The Palace of Gold', the people called it, and it was easy to see why. Constructed entirely of sandstone, the dome-topped towers rose up from behind the high walls and were gilded by the sun's rays. Creeping vines made their way across every wall, and flat terraced roofs had been turned into delightful gardens of potted trees and flowers – 'the garden palace' would have been a better name, Eliana thought.

Suddenly, she was filled with apprehension and fear – she wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run all the way back to Nippur. Who knew how things would go for her inside the palace? What the future held? What freedom she might be permitted, or whether she might ever be allowed to leave? Would she go behind those walls and remain there until death?

Questions assaulted her mind, swamping her all at once. She forced herself to stand still, beside Samsu, smiling and waving to the populace, but all she wanted was Ashan. In the cramped, close-quartered environment of the ship, she had barely had the opportunity to catch his eye, let alone snatch an embrace.

She took a deep breath and steadied herself against the railings as the oars were withdrawn and the ship pulled up to the wharf to dock. There was no turning back now. May the gods give her strength to face whatever they had in store for her future.