Lavda poured the wine as Briseis reclined on the couch. The heat of the day was beginning to pass, for which Briseis was grateful. She'd spent the morning down at the wall supervising construction. Everything was on track, just four months after repairs began on the Hittite side of the wall, it was nearly finished. Lavda's home was across the city in the merchant district, and from the balcony Briseis could see the portion of the wall her men were working to repair at that very moment. Briseis was too far away to see the workers or much movement, but just knowing they were there made her happy.

    Masters from the Builders' Guild flooded the worksite since day one to observe how well the new stone held up. They left excited about and bewildered with the stone formula, many drafting plans for extensions to their homes or parts of the city which would now be more affordable. Her portion of the treasury wasn't as full with all the expenses that came with this venture, but at least with the reduction of Briseis' household to just one maiden it was easier to afford. Selling the eggs and feathers of her chickens helped, though many of the eggs now had to go into the mortar rather than the market. If Briseis was to keep her portion of the treasury a sizable sum she needed to find another source to grow it.

    Briseis briefly considered using her dowry but that money was carefully watched even though it sat unused. Hers in name only as it would all go to her husband, although it was unlikely she'd have one at this stage in her life, she couldn't use those coffers for her own purposes. Briseis had recently begun to suffer headaches with all the considerations that weighed on her. She'd needed to get away, and that was how she found herself at the new home of her old friend.

    "Success looks weary," Lavda joked as she handed the cup to Briseis.

    "It's a weariness I'm learning to endure."

    Lavda sat down on the couch opposite Briseis and sipped from her own glass. "You should be proud, Briseis. You've earned the renown this has brought you. I've overheard people in the markets calling you Briseis the Builder."

    "Not the worse name I could be called. Better than Princess of the Black Sun at least." Briseis had always hated that nickname, especially since the patron god of Pedasus was Apollo, the god of the sun, eclipses were seen as a symptom of his wrath as he was denying them warmth and light. Many in Pedasus believed the end of the world would begin with an eclipse which would never subside. To be associated with it as Briseis was, having been born during an eclipse and an eclipse striking again when she entered the city as a babe carried by her father, the nickname was so enshrouded with the people it was unlikely to change.

    "I still prefer that. I think it makes you sound fearsome."

    "Such a desirous quality for the fairer sex," Briseis chuckled.

    "Briseis, I have news for you. News I hope you'll be glad to hear but first, I have a big surprise for you. Follow me." Lavda stood up and offered Briseis her arm.

    The private balcony they'd been using was silent and serene, the rest of the home was anything but. Servants and children ran back and forth in preparation for the coming of Lavda's parents. Lavda was the princess of a minor kingdom by the sea called Poseid, named for the god of the ocean. Her older brother sat as king after their father made the unusual choice to abdicate so his son might rule while still young.

    Lavda was the seventh child of the former king. Though royal, Lavda hadn't spent much time in the kingdom of her birth, she'd been sent to Pedasus at two years old to be raised alongside and serve Briseis. Pedasus was much more Lavda's home than that sea side kingdom. However, Poseid traditions were something the woman kept alive in her life through study, and because of that, Briseis had a sneaking suspicion about the type of surprise Lavda was taking her too.

    Lavda threw open the doors to a circular room. "I had the servants clear this room out for my use. It has the best light." It was small but faced the lake with its rivers that ran out to the sea. A refreshing breeze blew through the room, carrying the scent of the water. Sunlight shone directly down from a retractable skylight.

    Briseis had heard of these but she'd never seen one before. The retractable ceiling was made of canvas and wood that shrank back to the edges of the stone hole. The ceiling could be retracted or extended by turning one of two wheels in the wall. Each wheel operated half the ceiling. Not many homes had these. The technology to do it wasn't new to Pedasus, but most of the people who could afford such a thing didn't see the point of having one. If they wanted to see the sky, stars, or moon they would go outside. No sense in spending money on something so frivolous when you had the ability to do it for free.

    This one was clearly old. Though the ceiling was retracted, Briseis spotted some holes in its canvas and she bet that meant some of the poles also needed replacing. In the center of the room a couch sat alongside a stool and table with several vials.

    "I sharpened the rose thorns myself. Andrion used room for storage. I've been so busy running the household until now, this is the first time I've had the leisure to make a space my own. When I saw how well this room would work for tattooing I knew I had to use it." Lavda wore a serene expression. Motherhood had been always been Lavda's dream, and though she found it rewarding and fulfilling, it came at the sacrifice of her hobbies. Briseis often lended an ear to her friend as she lamented her lack of time for tattooing or even drawing.

    "Let's put it to good use," Briseis said excitedly. Lavda had been tattooing Briseis since they were children. She was the finest artist on skin, or anything else for that matter, Briseis had ever met. Lavda tattooed herself and all the handmaidens in Briseis' household who wished to mark their skin.

    The largest tattoo Briseis had was a lemon tree under a partially eclipsed sun. The tattoo almost took up her entire back. It had taken a year to finish, as time only allowed Lavda to work on it a few hours a day. Geometric shapes and swirling lines decorated Briseis' left arm and hand. All Briseis' tattoos had one thing in common–they were in shades of black and grey. Some of the vials on the desk were colored ink. Blue, red, yellow, and the smallest vial even had purple, which was the rarest color to even find in clothing and therefore outrageously expensive.

    "Did you make these?" Briseis picked up the blue vial and held the ink bottle to the light.

    "No. I found a girl in the market place that did. Her name is Heavna. She's the daughter of a blacksmith and longs to make a living marking the skin." Lavda sat on the couch and pulled up her dress to expose her thigh. A black boat sat in blue waters with a yellow sun shining above it. The boat had one purple sail and that portion of the tattoo was clearly the newest, Briseis could see it hadn't fully healed. "Her work is exceptional and the color stays well."

    "She did the whole picture?" Briseis asked.

    "She did. I remember you told me you wanted another source of income. I've been waiting to show you until my tattoo was nearly healed so you could have a better sense of the girl's skills."

    "You think I should back her enterprise with gold?" Briseis cocked an eyebrow.

    "I do. Pedasus is a kingdom where tattooing is very popular and people come from miles around to get their skin inked here. Though Pedasus has an esteemed reputation inking the skin, none are color tattoos. Even if the majority of tattoos Heavna gives are black and grey, you could charge sizable sums for the quality of her work."

    "Yes." Briseis' mind was already reeling with possibilities. Of course to make this investment worth it would require more than one person inking skin, but she would think on that later.

    "Do you want anything in color today?" Lavda asked her.

    "I do," Briseis said eagerly. "I want the face of a lion."

    "You've been dreaming again," Lavda said curiously as she prepared her tools. "Where do you want me to put it?"

    "Here," Briseis sat on the couch and pulled up her dress, "on my thigh." Briseis watched as Lavda dipped a long rose thorn in wine to cleanse it.

    "I'll outline the lion and its features in black and then color it in with the yellow. Heavna is even working on getting brown. Maybe by the time I get to the mane she'll have it done, and you'll have a lion just like in the dream."

    Briseis nodded in agreement to her friend's plan. "I'm thinking of consulting Apollo for the meaning behind it."

    Lavda snorted. "The priests haven't inspired much confidence lately. There are grumblings in the streets of the inaccuracy of their predictions the last few years."

    "A certain amount of inaccuracies have always colored their predictions. Their dream interpretations are usually much better," Briseis said.

    Lavda dipped the thorn in black ink and took up a piece of cloth in her other hand. She leaned over Briseis' leg and made the first prick into the princess' skin. Briseis barely noticed the small amount of pain it caused anymore. Even with the repeated pricks it didn't bother her.

    "Tell me again about the dream," Lavda requested as she wiped excess ink away from Briseis' skin.

    "I'm walking through a field. It's not near Pedasus. I don't know where it is. A large lion sits upon a rock in the center of the field. It has bright yellow fur and a brown mane. I know it sounds ridiculous, but something about the way the lion holds itself reminds me of a king. It turns to look at me and it has glowing eyes, like my eyes. A voice whispers my name, it's a man's voice but it's one I've never heard before. He says, 'I'm coming' and then I wake. I've had the dream every night for nearly two months. It has to mean something."

    Lavda clicked her tongue. "I can't tell you that it means anything, but I admit I've never dreamt like that. I barely dream at all."

    "At least you're not tormented by these questions," Briseis sighed.

    "Briseis." Lavda paused in her work. "There's something else I need to tell you." There was a note of worry in her friend's voice.

    Briseis placed her hand on top of Lavda's. "What is it?"

    "I'm pregnant."

    Alarm shot through Briseis. "It's too soon! You only lost the last babe two months ago!"

    "I know," Lavda sighed. "It was an accident, a moment of passion between Andrion and me. In a match for love it isn't easy to resist. It's not Andrion's fault."

    Briseis snorted. "Your love for your husband does you credit I suppose, but I urge you to think of your health, Lavda. Andrion already has heirs from his first wife and one from you. You're under no pressure to give him more."

    "Don't be angry, Briseis."

    "I'm not angry. I'm worried. Three miscarriages in two years is too much. I'm going to send my physicians to look over you. Don't deny me that, please."

    Lavda nodded. "If it will make you happy then do so. If it's a girl I want to name her Briseis."

    Briseis' eyes filled with tears. "I would be honored."