Chapter 18: The Seduction
Unlike Princess Oma, who was burdened with too much spare time, Shammara found herself with very little in the weeks following her son’s marriage. She attributed most of her continuing success to her careful attention to details, and there were now more than enough details to demand the attention of two Shammaras. One set of demands came from the day-to -day administration of the Holy City. As though it were not hard enough to rule over a kingdom with the size and complexity of Ravan, Shammara had to do it all without appearing as though she were doing any of it. The regent still held titular power; he still sat at the courtly diwans and made pronouncements that became less and less comprehensible with each passing week. Shammara had to sit behind her screen in t
