"How could this have happened?!"
I look at him with disbelief. He paces across the length of his chamber, his sandals clicking against the tiles. A flame of anger ignites within me.
Tightening my grip around my arms, I reply scornfully, "I can't believe I trusted you... You are not the man I thought you were. The David that used to chase me in the courtyard with my brother and the other noble children, who would place me on his knee and read his poems to me- That David would be ashamed of you."
I have never spoken to a man this way before, but I have nothing more to lose. He would taste the sting of my words just like I have tasted the sting of our adultery. Knowing that there is a child nestled within me gives me courage I never knew I was capable of possessing.
His footsteps halt and his face hardens like stone. His bright eyes that once looked over me with passionate desire now rake across my frame scrutinizingly. I fight against the urge to take a step backward.
"Do not speak to me as if I am your equal! I am your King!"
My fingers loosen around my arms and instinctively travel to my concealed stomach. I smooth over the silk fabrics draping down my legs, then catch him stealing a lingering glance at my stomach. His eyes shift away.
"And how do I know that this child is indeed my own," He says, spitting his words like venom while his hand motions toward me almost impulsively.
"Believe me, Sire... You are the last man on this earth that I wish to share a child with, but I cannot go by my wishes. For if my wishes came true then my husband would be home with me and this child would be his. You may have tainted my virtue but you cannot taint my words. They are all I have left. I speak the truth and it pains me to do so. So let my pain be my witness. I carry your heir."
An eerie silence settles between us. I watch as King David's clenched fists relax enough for his knuckles to regain color. His hands shake as he pushes them through his flaming red hair. Before he turns his back to me I catch a glimpse of his lip beginning to quiver.
"You have surely condemned me," I whisper.
I can only imagine the expression taking shape of his face as he looks through his open air window and into the light of the setting sun. The waning rays from the sun reflect off of his golden rings and bangles causing bursts of light to scatter onto the walls of the large room.
His silence only strengthens the fear within me. The muscle within my chest begins to pound relentlessly. I take a hesitant step forward.
"You must claim this child as yours... I will be stoned in the streets. And if not for my sake, then for your very blood and flesh cradled in my womb."
He breathes a heated sigh.
"That is the least of our worries, Bathsheba."
"Our?"
He faces me slowly then nods his head.
"I will get us out of this mess," He whispers. His eyes gleam genuinely, but my fears are not quieted.
"You are mine now. I always take care of what is mine. Please, go home and rest. Stay hidden inside. I will send word to you soon."
The violet silk draping from my head down my back encompasses my arms and hides my growing stomach. I stare uneasily out the window wondering, waiting, and hoping that the rumors my ladies overheard while they were in the marketplace are true.The King has summoned Uriah home. When I first heard the report from my ladies I was filled with sheer terror mingled with longing. I miss him so much. For months at a time I have thought of nothing but him. Every night I worried over his safety and wondered if he was still alive.
I storm past the guards and clip around the corner. They don't try to stop me. I don't blame them. I must look horrifying. The anger pulsing through my face radiates from my cheeks as it carves deep crevices in my forehead.I am beyond furious. I'm not exactly sure what I will do once I see him. I hadn't planned that far ahead. As soon as I heard what he had done I hastened toward the palace, leaving any reason at home.
The faces of these men that I recognize so well blur as my eyes begin to sting. Tears stream down my cheeks, unleashing a torrent of emotions that I cannot hold back. These soldiers who served with my father and with Uriah in the King's elite group of warriors called the Thirty have ripped out my heart with three words."Uriah is dead."
"How can you do this?!"His eyes flicker up to mine, the corners of his lips pulled into a crooked frown. This small semblance of remorse gives me hope. He strides towards me and I begin to feel small. His lean figure towers over me, his shadow engulfing mine.
As I slowly sip from my goblet of wine, I avoid the glaring eyes burning holes through my skin. King David seems to be unaware of the blazing stares cast my way. He seems oblivious to the shame and disgrace he has publically shown his first wife Michal, by having me sit at his right side. The air is rife with tension.If looks could kill, I would be drowning in a pool of blood at Michal's feet. Her eyes are not the only pair that I intentionally avoid, though. My grandfather sits at the en
I'm drowning in my own reflection, slipping into the void beyond the glass. The red stain on my lips brings out the color in my eyes. The powder on my face darkens the pearl-embellished braids of my hair.I don't even recognize myself. Martha strings another pearl into one of my curls, then takes a step back to admire her work.
Four weeks later...The doors of my chambers creak open. I spin on my heels to find a feeble elderly woman slowly making her way towards me when shaky steps. She carries something within the clutch of her weathered hands. I glide towards her effortlessly, wishing to spare her the trouble of having to cross the distance between us.
The viper locks eyes with me, rearing its head to strike. His tongue slips in and out of his mouth as he releases a low his. I stumble hastily out of bed, plunging gracelessly to the floor."Guards! Help! Help!"My voice bounces off these solid wal