by Treva Harte
“What?”
“You needn’t look so amazed, Mio --”
A thud against the wall had all of them staring at the room which held the noisy secret. Then came a loud giggle.
“I’m going in. Even if it isn’t dangerous, it certainly isn’t peaceful in there.” Maryam stepped forward. “You children can settle your quarrel without me.”
“It’s not a quarrel!” Jewel called after her and then turned to the man who was standing as if he’d been stunned. “It’s not. It’s just what has to be done. How else will they get back? You are the only one who knows the way. You see the sense of what I’m saying, right?”
Mio took a step back from her and then began to follow after Maryam.
“Right?” What was wrong with him?
“I think I do.” Mio didn’t look back after her.
“Oh, dear.” Jewel had expected some scowls. She hadn’t expected…well, whatever it was that Mio was doing right now. Stupid man. She stepped up her pace, trailing after the two of them.
Then she almost slammed into their backs as they stopped at the threshold door.
“Goddess.”
Reina stopped in the middle of stroking ‑‑ oh, my Goddess! Ka squeezed Reina’s breast and then let it go.
All of them stared up at the new visitors to the room. Jewel almost giggled as the looks changed from bliss to stupefaction. Had she looked as foolish when Maryam caught her and Mio in bed? At least there had only been the two of them to be caught.
Maryam sat down. “Goddess.”
Truly, the group scene was a bit…surprising…but the usually unflappable Maryam looked stunned. Jewel wasn’t entirely sure, but not all these sights could be a surprise to the other woman. Even at her own keep, such things were known to happen. Well, without Ka, of course.
“I longed for the day I might see my sons again but truthfully, I didn’t expect to see them tangled up with women whenever I first saw them. Nor did I expect to find one was dressed like a woman himself. Ka!” Maryam’s voice rose and then trembled. “Whatever have you been doing, darling?”
“This and that, Mother. This and that. It’s been a long few years away from you and a great deal has gone on.” Ka sat up. “Now that you’ve found me, will you give me a kiss?”
Maryam ignored the tumble of Leesha and Reina’s bodies toward the floor as she pulled the sheman into her arms. “A great deal and none of it good, I can tell. Whatever was your mentor thinking of?”
“Very little, Mother. He was killed at a tournament a year after I was bound to him.”
“Ah!” Maryam’s lips firmed. “I ‑‑ that is a nightmare of any mother. How did you manage alone? Unprotected? Twelve years old with no one. Oh, Goddess.”
“I managed.” Ka patted her hair. “Flourished, even.”
“I can see you flourish, my boy. Maybe a bit too much.” Maryam traced a line of color on his cheek. “But I suppose you make your own decisions now.”
“I think I did ever since I was old enough to say no, Mother. Or yes.”
“How did I get such a set of headstrong children? From Mio to Stefani, not a one will simply obey their mother. Ah. That reminds me. As soon as your sister knows you’re here, she’ll demand to see you. She still remembers her big brother, though I think her memories of you have a good bit of Stefani imagination added in. Try to be a bit more ‑‑ presentable ‑‑ before she barges through the door. I shudder at the stories she’ll come up with about you otherwise.”
“It’s good to be among family again, Mother. By the way, that white, gauzy dress you’re wearing is very fetching. Not many women your age could pull off the rather sweet, virginal look. Especially if you are ‑‑ expecting again?”
“Careful, Ka. Fortunately, you’re right. I am not merely gaining weight. I’m pregnant. There will be still more of you to worry me to death, Goddess help me.” Maryam paused. “You’re sure it’s fetching? I thought Ulrich would like this outfit. I’ve been rather snappish to the man lately. I thought he might find it soothing to see me as sweet today.”
“Darling, you look as sweet as a maiden who has never been displayed to a man before. Trust me.”
“On my appearance, I will. Not for anything else. Oh, child!” She gave him another, fierce hug. “Come and tell me more later. Please. We have a great deal to catch up on.”
“Of course, Mother.”
As she stood, she surveyed the two women who were still on the floor. “Oh, do get dressed. Others may be here any minute.”
“Yes, Maryam.” Reina tried to scuttle toward her clothes. “I’m sorry.”
“You needn’t be sorry to me. But a word of advice. You really need to lock as well as shut the door before you start such antics. While voyeurism has its place, privacy is essential for certain activities.” Maryam beckoned to Jewel. “Come along. We’ll discuss future plans with this lot when they are more able to listen.”
* * * * *
“Go on then. Pout.”
Leesha stared blankly. “Why?”
“Because a man is calling to you.”
“But I don’t want to pout.”
“You pout more than anyone I know,” Ara muttered under her breath. A little louder, she said, “Why should we pout for a man?”
“To show off your lovely lips, darling.” Ka swiveled, one hand on his hip. “Men expect shemen to act that way.”
“But women don’t. We don’t put out hands on our hips and sashay the way you told us to. We don’t pout just because someone says hello. If men want that from shemen, then men are just silly.” Leesha sniffed.
“There! Now, Leesha, that is a pout.” Ka applauded. “As to why you must do it ‑‑ you will because shemen do it and until we can get you out of the city, you are to be shemen. Now, ladies, walk.”
They all looked at each other. Then, placing a hand on a hip, each one of them minced across the floor.
“How can anyone get anywhere like this?” Jewel uttered the complaint this time.
“The point is not to get anywhere, my dear. The point is to sway your hips. You are attracting men. It’s like bait to lure fish. You dazzle, you make them hungry and then snap! The fish bite and you have them caught.”
“We don’t know about fish. But we do know about men. Listen. You dress in makeup and jewelry and spread yourself on the wall. Men see you and they fight over you. The winner gets you. What more is needed? All this sashaying and pouting and luring is just silly.” Ara kicked the heels off her feet. “And these shoes hurt. You could fall that way.”
“Ara, you’re in a different world. You play by different rules here. And to stay safe, you’re playing by shemen rules. There are plenty of shemen in this world. We’re not the rare and delightful novelty that you women are. We have to compete for men. So you will compete, too.” Ka tapped a fingernail against the wall. “At least you won’t leave this inn until you do.”
“But we don’t want to compete for men. I thought the idea was to have men leave us alone.”
“Quinn hired me to make you look like a part of the city life. Men will look but not touch shemen if they’re guarded. There are more of us to be had. More of us who don’t have ferocious soldiers watching them. Women, on the other hand, are well worth the effort.” Ka smiled, almost sweetly, as he flicked his hand against Ara’s cheek. “Believe me, I might be willing to try stealing all of you women if I was barred from you.”
“I’m not so sure you aren’t trying right now.” Quinn spoke up from the doorway. “Hands off that female, Ka.”
“No offense meant, honored sir.” Ka smiled. He lifted Jewel’s hand and kissed it. “I adore them all.”
“Try adoring them from a distance.” Mio limped forward and took Jewel’s hand away. “I was told you were around, Ka. Step outside with me. We need to discuss a few things.”
* * * * *
“All of them here.” Maryam folded Ulrich’s hands against her stomach. “I never expected it to happen.”
“Didn’t you, my dear?” Ulrich kissed her shoulder. “I must admit that your sons ‑‑ err, never mind.”
“Oh, do finish your sentence.” Maryam’s gaze narrowed. “My sons, what?”
“They may prove very useful indeed.” Ulrich finished the sentence with a gulp. “It’s lucky your eldest son has tracking ability. Jewel swears he can get us to this castle of hers without any problem.”
“Easy for you to say there will be no problems. I don’t relish another trip across the sea in a boat. I was queasy enough on the way here. And I doubt Mio is happy about escorting his mother back. When Jewel mentioned it, he looked just like he used to when I told him there was no dessert for dinner.” Maryam rested against Ulrich’s strength and sighed when he spanned her back. “Oh, that feels good. It already hurts to lug that baby weight about.”
“He’s going to miss that Jewel. It’s, ah, fortunate that your other son will be escorting her.”
“You don’t approve of Ka, do you?” Maryam’s chin firmed, though she stayed relaxed against him.
“It’s not for me to approve or disapprove.”
“It’s not like you to be so careful about what you say.”
“I don’t want to upset you. It can’t be good for you right now.” Ulrich hesitated and added, “It wouldn’t be so good for me, either.”
“I’m going to overlook what you aren’t saying for now.” Maryam turned in his embrace to face him. “Because I realize Ka may take a little getting used to.”
Ulrich blinked and stayed silent.
“If I have more than one child this time, you’ll see what worrying over children is really like. It’s all very well for you to be thinking what you’re thinking --”
“I’m not thinking at all, I swear it! I know better than to do that with you, my dear.”
“‑‑ and don’t try to play the big oaf with me, Ulrich, because I know better. At any rate, you’ll soon discover parenting is more difficult than it looks.”
“I’m sure that’s true, my lady. But for now all I want to worry about is you. We’re going to get you to someplace safe that can care for you. Then I can think about other things.”
“Sometimes, Ulrich, you are maddeningly sweet.” Maryam lifted her face for a kiss. “It makes it difficult to quarrel with you when I am feeling quarrelsome.”
“My apologies, mistress.”
* * * * *
“I never expected to see you again, boy.” Mio glanced over at Ka.
“Well, you know, so many people think that of me. I always disappoint them.”
“Ka. I knew you when you were a runty toddler who peed his nappies. Don’t try that stupid la-di-dah tone with me.”
“I never try anything, Mio. Though I appreciate the delightful childhood image, of course.”
Mio cleared his throat. The runty toddler had been one thing. The exquisite man-woman before him was quite another. Still, he had no one else to ask and Ka was the closest thing to an ally he would find.
“I have a favor to ask of you.”
“I grant favors frequently.”
“Will you stop that! It makes me feel stupid.”
“Sorry.” Ka folded his hands. “What do you want, big brother?”
“Jewel.”
“Ah.”
“Not like that.” Mio backtracked, though he knew that he had meant just exactly that. “I need someone to watch over her. You’re going on that mad journey with them. It’s dangerous. Terribly dangerous. I trust that lizard Quinn no more than I would a rabid hund. He doesn’t care for her. She’s merely necessary to him. A bit more necessary than some of the others, but he wouldn’t watch out for her. Not properly.”
“Ah. She matters to you then.”
“You’re the know-it-all. What do you think?”
Ka smiled at him. The smile Mio dimly remembered from childhood. “Very well. I’ll keep her safe, Mio. You know that. Word of a brother.”
“You still think of us as brothers? We haven’t seen each other in years, Ka.” Mio still wasn’t quite sure what he thought about his exotic relative, much less how he felt. He only knew he was desperate enough to make a sheman his ally.
“I have a long memory.” Ka pushed his hair from his face. “I remember the day you told Mother you were the one who had worn all the women’s dresses and dirtied them. You took the beating for me.”
“Oh. That.” Mio began to grin. “You looked so big-eyed and terrified when Mother started to search for whichever of us had done that. I felt sorry for you, runt that you were. Maybe if she’d switched you then, you wouldn’t be wearing women’s dresses now.”
“And my life would be the poorer.” Ka shrugged. “So perhaps I have you to thank for that as well.”
“Yet you like women?”
“I wasn’t lying when I said I adore women, Mio. I never imagined what a delight it would be to be among them.” Ka cupped his balls. “Or in them.”
“You said safe. Keep your hands off Jewel as well as other men’s hands.”
“Mio! You flatter me. Your Jewel looks to be someone who would clearly explain who can put their hands on her. And she’s only looking at you, Brother.”
“Jewel does what she wants.” Mio tried to not let the hurt show. “Just make sure you aren’t what she decides to have.”
She’d as much as ordered him to go. Perhaps his mother did need his aid. But Jewel hadn’t even looked sorry. Why should she be? Wasn’t she going on with her life of adventure? Wasn’t that all she ever wanted?
She didn’t want him. Not really. Not enough.
Oh, Seven Shades of Hell. What good was any of this? It wasn’t as if they could stay together anyhow. She’d either be confined in a keep for most of her life or stay captive in an alien land. How was he to fit in with any of her real life?
“Women decide everything, dear brother, no matter what we may want.”
“Not for me.” Mio scowled. “I have my own life.”
“Then you are a much stronger man than I am.”
Mio looked at Ka and fought against saying all the things that first sprang to mind. After all, he did need an ally. “I’m not sure strength has anything to do with this.”
* * * * *
Jewel heard a shout and paused at the door, When the Sylvanian stumbled out, with an embarrassed sidelong look, Jewel smiled. What had happened was exactly what it had sounded like then.
“Ka?” She paused before opening the door.
“Yes, my dear?” His voice was as calm as ever. “Come in, if you don’t mind my dishabille.”
“I don’t know what that is but ‑‑ Oh.” Jewel stopped dead at the threshold and then smiled again. “Have you no shame, Ka?”
“Very little, darling.” Ka pushed his tunic down and adjusted the straps on his shoulder. “Fortunately that’s the last of my men for now. My ass is delightfully sore.”
Jewel’s heated blush warmed her face. “I can come back some other time.”
“I doubt that. We’re leaving as quickly as Ulrich and Quinn can prepare.” Ka bent over. “Pardon me. You can turn your head modestly away if you like.”
“What are you doing?” Jewel blinked, distracted.
“Readjusting.”
“Are you unfastening what I think you are?”
“Very likely.”
“Why in the world do you bind your cock?”
“Men hire a sheman for their pleasure and to imagine they have a woman. Feeling an aroused cock is so very…unwomanly. I’m not paid to spoil their pleasure by intruding my own.” Ka winked at her and then sighed. “Much better. I’m deferring my gratification until you leave, my dear…unless you’d care to watch?”
Jewel blinked again. “You’re wicked. And I don’t know how you do it, but part of me wants to say yes.”
Ka grinned. “A rather growing part of me wishes that you would. My brother wouldn’t care for my display of affection, however.”
She did want to talk about Mio. But Ka
had completely distracted her.
“How do you bear it?” Jewel pointed to the harness he had thrown to the floor. “All of it?”
“I like pleasure, dear. All kinds of pleasure. Males can give pleasure and, of course, until I had the great fortune to meet with you ladies, I had no chance at pleasure with a female ‑‑ unless you count the one night I was hired to perform with one while my client watched.” Ka ran his hands over his testicles. “That was…amusing…but not the same. Oh, and the compensation is good, too. I don’t much care for starvation.”
“I can’t imagine your life. Poor Ka.” Jewel touched his shoulder. He shifted restlessly under her hand.
“Eh, my past isn’t worth your pity. I don’t care for pity.”
She didn’t want to tell him she was also sorry for his present life. “My sympathy, then?”
He hesitated. “Perhaps from you, I wouldn’t mind it. You are by way of being a sort of sister to me.”
“Sister.” She’d been trained to see all women as her sisters. To be related in a similar way to a man ‑‑ to Ka, of all men ‑‑ was… “I’m honored to be your sister, Ka.”
“What did you want to speak to me about, my dear? Sister or no, I’m used to having someone relieve me after my work. I suggest you chat and leave before I forget you aren’t a rented boy.” Ka’s eyes glittered, even while he smiled at her.
“Oh. Um. It was about Mio.” Goddess, he had completely distracted her.
“Of course.”
“Of course?”
“I saw him with you, remember? Why do you think I said you are my almost-sister?”
“We’re that obvious?” Jewel wondered if she should blush again. Her face had felt hot for so long that perhaps she was in a continual state of embarrassment. “Oh, dear.”
“It’s very sweet. You two are as charming in your way as that huge bear is with my mother. But do hurry to your point, darling.”
“Oh. My point. Yes. Please talk to him. Explain that I’m not trying to push him away. He’s needed elsewhere. “ Jewel fought to keep her voice from trembling. “Keep him from being so angry with me.”
