CHAPTER 37
THE CUNNING REFUGEE
"You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute or of a male prostitute into the house of the LORD your God to pay any vow because the LORD your God detests them both."
DEUTERONOMY 23:18
After several days of confinement within a chest in her once-luxurious room in Burlington Palace, Lady Kitara could no longer bear the discomfort. She heard indistinct voices and footsteps outside her hiding place. Once silence fell, she emerged, stretching and taking in her surroundings. An untouched meal on the bedside table caught her eye. 'Whoever now possesses my precious room must be a highly favored woman,' she thought bitterly.
Her gaze fell upon a stunning red dress adorned with gold embroidery in the shape of a lioness, a matching scarlet headdress sparkling with precious gems. A collection of exquisite jewelry and the sweet scent of aloe and myrrh perfume filled the room, a harsh reminder of her lost opulence.