My relief when I saw Chayton almost sagged my knees. I wanted to leave, but l knew a late meal was planned. The Emir's first wife wasn't present, and I wondered if he would punish her. Ishira hinted at some serious consequences if women broke the rules.

I kept my eyes down, and Chayton snaked his arm around me the moment he noticed I was back. I leaned into his side, trembling a little as I soaked in his body heat. It wasn't like me to loose confidence like this.

"My wife seems to be ill," Chayton said, "I would like your permission to withdraw and take her to our hotel."

"Is there anything we can do for her?" The Emir seemed to be genuinely concerned. I just wanted to leave.

"I expect she still isn't over the time change. It seems to have affected her badly. More than likely Alyana is only overly tired."

"We will continue our discussions via email then. I am very much interested in the various meats you and your compatriots are raising. Goat, elk, and bison are welcome here as long as the meat is properly butchered." He turned to assess me as I struggled to disguised my shivers. "I hope your wife recovers quickly. She is a charming woman."

How would he know? I never actually said a word to him. I guess it was a compliment to Chayton. Unless there were cameras in the women's parlor, which would explain why Ishira was so coy. I didn't seem to exist other than as an extension of my husband. There is no way I could live in this culture.

"I am sure Alyana appreciates your concern, however, we do need to leave."

"Yes, I will have Judar retrieve your vehicle." The Emir snapped his fingers, and my guide hurried over.

"I will take you to the entrance, sir, then bring your vehicle to you." The eunuch gave him a smart bow and turned toward the bronze hall doors. Chayton gave me a squeeze and brought my hand up to rest on his forearm. Judar's voice grated on my already frayed nerves. I swore I was going to have PTSD from this.

Remembering videos of Catherine and Prince William as they walked together, I held my head high even though I kept my eyes down watching my feet. Which was wise in any case, as I wasn't exactly happy in the stiletto heels I was wearing.

Judar held the car door open for me and he whispered a chilling warning. "Beware of Maha, her reach is long, and she will stop at nothing to keep her position here."

He was gone before I could ask who he was talking about, the quiet snick as he shut me into my seat, was like a gun shot. My guess was Maha was the first wife's name. Hopefully Ishira's note will shed some light on this mess.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

By the time we reached the hotel, I was sure I had caught some sort of virus or perhaps a bacterium got me. Flying over in an airborne hospital was actually one of the more comfortable ways to get here, but there were several soldiers who were sneezing. I suspected I succumbed to whatever it was they were suffering from too.

The personal stress of playing a role, wasn't for me. Chayton seemed to be more at ease with it, and from what we discussed beforehand, he'd done it a few times in the past. Not his favorite thing either, he assured me it always felt strange to pretend. He didn't understand how actors could do it.

I shed the costume I was wearing for sweatpants and a loose tank top as soon as I could step out of the high heels I was wearing. Chaton ordered hot tea with honey and lemons for me and made a quick call to one of the doctors who was on the flight over.

As he spoke to them, I took the note Ishira gave me out of my purse and spread it out on the computer desk. Plugging in my laptop, I logged into my work account and used the scanner provided to make a digital copy of the note. As it sat under the bright office lamp, writing in an odd shade of blue ink appeared behind the address and phone number for the Domestic Aid Agency slowly developing into a delicate handwritten script.

I knew Ishira was an intelligent woman. I could see it in her eyes. This was new proof that something was very wrong inside the harem of this Emir. I wonder if he even realized what was going on right under his nose.

I was still shivering, as Chayton went to answer a knock on the door. The waiter there pushed a cart inside with my tea and a package from the hotel convenience shop. "What did you get?" I asked.

"Thermometer, Advil, along with tea for both of us. The doctor is sending you an antiviral and a broad spectrum antibiotic. You are to take both until they are finished. The Advil is purely for fever control and the aches and pains you might experience."

"Wow! That's better service than we get from the HMO at home. But come over here. You have to see this."

"In a second. The doc said we can expect delivery in about half an hour. He recommended an echinacea tea with vitamin C and zinc as a supplement to boost your immune response as well. I'm not sure where we can get those but have this." He placed a delicate porcelain teacup on the desk.

"Oh my, this is good. I had no idea how sore my throat was. I thought it was just dry from the flight." I continued to sip as he scanned the note.

"Holy shit! What have we got ourselves into?" Chayton's shock echoed mine.

"I know. Who needs to know? I've sent it to Edison already. I expect Edith needs a copy too. They'll see to it that it goes to others who need to see it."

"The bigger question, what can we do?" Chayton sounded unsure for the first time since I first started talking to him.

"Set up an appointment with Domestic Aide Agency. We need to get our eyes on who they are holding."

"And the note?"

"Wait for instructions. We know we have the okay on finding the source of whoever is importing our women." The honey in my tea was helping my throat. I made a mental note to make sure I had plenty of yogurt to go with the antibiotics.

"Do you want to talk about the note? How long has Ishira been waiting?"

"I have no idea." Then I dropped Judar's bombshell as well.

"So, Maha must be the first wife. The one who was wearing the same dress as you in blue."

"She wasn't happy with me either. How was I supposed to know? But back to the note."

"I need time to absorb the hidden message. It's a diplomatic bombshell." Chayton went back to the cart and poured himself some tea as well.

I had to agree with him. A good night's sleep and time to think about what was revealed was prudent. By morning we might have some advice from our bosses.

"Me too."