Poison:

The royal barge docked in the port of Tarmén and we were organized little by little until we formed a most colorful and exuberant caravan. The return trip would be done by land.
The emperor, seated on a strong elephant, presided over the caravan, followed by Cassandra, who rode comfortably on a golden palanquin, carried by four burly slaves.
Cítiê was after her. Carried in a similar palanquin, but carved in silver.
The rest of the wives rode black steeds. However, I was assigned a camel as my mount.
All the way we were heavily guarded by soldiers of the golden army, who surrounded us and made our way through the noisy and curious crowd.
From his imposing ride, the emperor presented pearls to his subjects while Cassandra's palanquin was sprinkled with rose petals and the women of the town praised his name wherever he passed.
We finally arrived at the palace. I waited for agonizing minutes until the protocol was fulfilled and when Cítiê took us back to the pavilion I fell on my knees and raised a prayer to the Almighty, for having given me the strength to endure that infernal and endless procession.
Upon returning to the pavilion, I took special care to drink water and eat fruits. The long journey just to the royal entourage had greatly diminished my strength. However, as night fell I found it difficult to fall asleep, so I went outside to get some fresh air and enjoy the night breeze.

I had been walking aimlessly through the tall trees for several hours when I noticed a suspicious figure passing by. I followed the hooded shadow silently through the lush foliage of the garden until it stopped at the exact spot I had already suspected it was headed for.
He rummaged through the folds of his tunic until he extracted a tiny package and just as he was about to empty it into the water of the main fountain I quickly approached and with a strong swipe I knocked the dust out of his hand, making it fall to the ground.
Quickly, the figure breathed out a strangled whisper of astonishment and tried to flee, running towards the entrance of the pavilion but I stopped it, clutching at its robes and pulling hard on it. The cloak hung in my hand, and Lady Cassandra's silver diadem gleamed in the crescent moon´s light .
—You?- I whispered. Never in a million cycles would he have suspected that she was behind the bitter waters.
Cassandra gave me a sinister sneer.
—That's right, you, desert harlot! It is me. And you better keep your dirty mouth shut, because if you try to give away my purpose no one will believe you. My word will weigh more than yours here. You have been warned.
*******
´´Umara wake up.´´
The soft male voice called out to me but I refused to obey. It had been several days since my face-to-face meeting with Cassandra had taken place. After that, I returned to the pavilion, taking a hot bath and fallen like a log into a deep and sweet dream.
I ran freely through the Oasis of Orenheb, while my father called me and my sisters enjoyed eating fruits under a huge cherry tree. My mother scolded me, as usual, but I didn't pay attention to her because I was completely and absurdly happy.
A sharp stabbing pain woke me up. Sitting up suddenly in bed, I saw a creature wriggle and move away on the sheets.
It was dawn and despite the poor light, I knew instantly that a snake had bitten me. Carefully, and showing off the skill my father had taught me, I took the reptile in my hands and went out into the hall, where I was relieved to see that I had been bitten by a cobra.
These snakes are very common in the desert. It is very frequent that members of a caravans fall dead before the powerful poison of them. However, I have a strange immunity against their poison, so much so that during my childhood and youth I had been bitten by dozens of them without suffering any damage.
Without making a sound, I took a sharp knife and, stepping out of the pavilion, lopped off the offending creature's head, flinging the slippery, limp body as far away as possible.
I couldn't let that sharp-fanged being go free, its poison wouldn't kill me, but the rest of the harem girls wouldn't enjoy my the same fate if they were bitten.
*********
—She is a witch, my lady, I swear it! I put the cobra on her bed as you ordered, and I am convinced that the wanderer beast bit her, but she is still alive!
Cassandra couldn't believe her ears, that couldn't be true.
For weeks, she had used multiple maidens from her own court to spy on the pavilion. Especially she had paid great attention to being informed of the desert bitch's powers and all the slaves had reported the exact same thing.

Umara seemed to possess no special gift.

Therefore, it didn't make sense that now that she had steeled herself enough to make an attempt on the nomad's life, something like this would happen. The slave had to be lying.
—I'll tear out your eyes if you deceive me, slave!- she snapped through clenched teeth, pulling her servant's hair.
—I swear it on the gods, my lady. I saw her take the snake in her hands, as if it were a naughty chicken and then she cut off its head with chilling ease. - the slave whimpered.
—Now you will tell me that she drank the viper's poisonous blood also.- Cassandra mocked.
— No, my lady, but I did see her prostrate to pray to her pagan gods after disposing of the the snake´s lifeless body .
Cassandra released her servant with a strong push, the woman fell face down, uttering an audible groan, then slowly crawled away.

The Kurani E mperor´s first wife smoothed her tousled golden hair and smiled mischievously.
Poisons were not effective against that desert whore , she had already seen for herself that the dose of calabrón that had been administered to Umara´s water during the procession the previous days had no effect and now she also semed inmune to snake posison…perhaps that was the nomad´s gift ; an incredible resistance to poisons, but no matter how skilled her dangerous opponent was, she would not be able to survive the beasts that will await her...
When I accuse her of heresy!