Later that afternoon, Akki had arranged to meet Shala at the eastern edge of the Hanging Gardens.
At the evening meal hour, the gardens were unattended. The young pair was free to roam and explore the lavish edifice in all its glory.
Playfully weaving through the colonnade, pillar to pillar, they sweep into the first room on the lower terrace. There, they gaze in awe at towering walls of glazed flowers—radiant lotuses and rosettes in gold and deep blue that enclose them in a shimmering garden of brick.
Shala slips her hand into Akki’s and leads him across the room, through the opposite exit, and up the stairs to the second terrace.
The rich scent of mingled flowers fills the air. Shala bends down to breathe in the alluring aroma of red roses. Akki picks a rose for her. The thorn slices his finger, drawing a hint of blood that matches the bloom's deep hue. Without a thought, he licks the wound clean and rushes into the central room.
Looking around, the pair marvels at the extravagantly adorned carpet—a menagerie of griffins, dragons, and winged bulls—and the cedar wood furniture, polished and intricately inlaid with ivory and lapis lazuli of the most striking hue.
Shala takes a seat on what appears to be a throne along the far wall. “I am the princess of Babylon,” she declares. “Come kneel before me.”
"Let me serve and protect you, my Lady,” Akki says, dropping to one knee.
The pair heads towards the stairs to explore the upper terrace. The panoramic view is breathtaking, as the sunset cascades across the Euphrates.
As they gaze into the horizon shoulder to shoulder, leaning on the stone railing, Shala turns her head toward Akki and offers him a deep, yearning look.
Her gaze drops toward Akki’s mouth, and she timidly leans in, but not all the way. The young man's heart is racing. He slides both his hands into hers, marvelling at their softness, and moves slowly toward her full, waiting lips.
He softly kisses her. Together, they sink into bliss, the young maiden completely forgetting all her troubles and worries.