He gave me a warning glance. “Take me to her and I’ll decide what needs to be done.”
The three of us walked in a brisk pace back to the large manor and up the stairs to the second floor where I had left her.
I opened the door and we all walked inside the large bedroom to find Christina sitting by the window with the light surrounding her hair like a bright halo.
She stood up and clasped her hands in front of her, watching us with eyes flickering between us.
“Christina Sanders, this is our ruler Lord Khan Aurelius and his brother Magni Aurelius.”
Christina bowed her head and said softly, “May peace surround you all.”
Khan stepped closer and took her hands when she reached out to him. “May peace surround you too,” he said and for the longest time they stood quietly and looked each other in the eye while holding hands. Maybe Khan’s father had taught him about this strange greeting of the Motherlands.
Magni cleared his throat, clearly as uncomfortable about this strange custom as I was.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Christina told Khan with a smile. “I’ve come to help you excavate the site you’ve located and I would love to know more.” She spoke softly.
“Yes, but before we can get to that, there’s an urgent matter that we must discuss,” Khan said and signaled for Magni to close the door.
Christina moved behind a chair and stood quietly observing us. Her facial color was paling and I figured she was intimidated by our size. She was a small female and the three of us were all large men. Instinctively I took a stance close to her, wanting her to know that she had nothing to fear as long as I was in the room, but my closeness only made her move back further.
“Why don’t we sit?” Khan asked and gestured to the lounge area in the corner of the room.
With a stiff nod, Christina followed his lead and walked over to the lounge area with her head held high and her shoulders tensed up.
“We were expecting a male archeologist, and you’re being a woman presents us with a problem,” Khan started when they sat down.
“I can assure you that I’m as qualified as any man,” she said quickly.
He held up a hand. “That’s not what concerns me.”
“Oh?”
“I’m puzzled why the council would allow a woman to take on this job.”
“And yet, you guaranteed my safety.”
Khan exhaled forcefully. “I’m afraid there was a misunderstanding. It’s true that we guaranteed the safety of a male archeologist, but I assure you we would have never encouraged the council to send a female. It’s simply too dangerous for you to be here.”
Christina sat straight and stoically, saying nothing.
“It’s a shame, because the job that we need help with is exciting and shows great promise. If it’s truly a library, it could provide valuable answers we’ve all been looking for.”
Her eyes expanded with interest and she moved forward in her chair.
“If only you had been a man,” Khan added with a tone of regret, and that last statement made Christina crease her brow.
“Isn’t there any way for me to do my job and still be safe?”
Khan, Magni, and I exchanged long solemn glances and then Khan spoke. “As you might know, we do have a few women here. My brother…” He waved his hand to Magni, who was standing by the window with a grim expression on his face. “…has a female that he protects and I suppose in theory we could raise you up to the same position as her, which would make it safe for you to work.”
“That would be great, what kind of job does she have?”
A snort came from Magni, and I knew he found the idea of his wife working ridiculous.
Khan’s smile stiffened “No, our women don’t work. Life is made easy for them because we cherish them a great deal.”
Christina didn’t look impressed. “Really? Then what does she do all day?”
