[b]Ateret[/b]

Ateret was in the farmer’s market square, looking at all the booths of food and getting shouted at by greedy vendors looking to pawn off their goods. She just liked to come here to get away from high society and get lost in the crowds. She was dressed and made up with makeup and her wavy blonde hair piled on her head fashionably, but it was against her will that it was done. That morning she had been wakened by Hadassah who said her father had ordered again that she be primped and preened before leaving the house. She grumbled and complained but Hadassah simply smacked her hands lightly, making Ateret smirk, before their slave girls went to work scrubbing dirt out from under her fingernails and pouring oil into her hair. It was so humiliating. For all of them. Couldn’t her father see that? What was the big deal in leaving in common clothes with her hair down and bare faced? 

Ateret glanced to her left and saw one of the empire’s guards, one of several dotted around the area to prevent or stop fighting in the market, looking her up and down crudely. Ah yes, that was right. Time to pawn off his little girl. She growled under her breath and pulled her shawl a little closer to her as she walked over to buy some fruit for her breakfast. 

After her transaction she turned around and saw Crispus, flirting rather brazenly with a dark haired girl with flowers in her hair, who was giggling and looking at him shyly. Ateret felt just the slightest twist in her stomach, remembering how he’d ask her to meet him after nightfall, where he would whisper to her how he would marry her. Nothing had ever happened between them, not even a kiss, but still his sweet words had affected her. 

She didn’t have much time to think of it before she saw of all people, her sister Nona and Aemilia walking across the other side of the market. It wasn’t hard to spot them. They oozed prestige and nobility. Everyone around them stopped and looked with either jealousy or want. But all Ateret saw was the opportunity for Nona to be hurt if she saw Crispus around the corner flirting. Thinking about what to do, she ran over to Crispus, getting between him and the dark haired girl, before smearing her fruit all over his front. He looked positively livid and was inches from cursing her out and causing a scene before Ateret, grabbed his ear harshly and pulled him down in a fashion she’d done so often with her male friends.

Crispus looked shocked but listened as she whispered into his ear about Nona being in the market square, and unless he wanted more scandal in his marriage than he already had, he’d better leave and go change. She let him go, both frowning at each other before he turned and left, not before glancing every woman he could up and down though.

Ateret turned around and apologized with a smile to the girl, saying how slippery that fruit was and how Crispus had to go home and change. Such a shame. The girl huffed and walked off, leaving Ateret to blow a large exhale out through her mouth, grateful she’d avoided her family causing a ruckus in the middle of the market at the very least.