Kwin

by Trudie Collins

  Selecting one at random, he took a seat on one of the sofas then mentally contacted Gareth.

  “You’ll never guess what I’m doing right now.”

  “I’m not in the mood for guessing games.”

  If Gareth’s words hadn’t told Kwin that his friend was not happy about something, his tone would have. What Kwin wanted to tell him would have to wait.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing much. Things have actually gotten better here since Raina left. He was a bad influence on Ofar. I’m beginning to think she may be a nice person. Well almost.”

  “So what’s got you so annoyed?”

  “She’s going to be holding a party soon and guess who is going to have to entertain all of her female guests. Again.”

  “I thought you enjoyed having lots of sex.” Kwin tried to keep his amusement out of his voice, but failed.

  “Let’s just say the novelty is beginning to wear off.”

  “Well I have some news that might cheer you up.”

  Kwin quickly updated Gareth with all that had happened at Moda’s house and the fact that Kail had recognised Shona’s picture.

  “So you know where she is?” Gareth asked when Kwin had finished talking.

  “No. But Luka is hopeful that from Kail’s description, her contacts will be able to figure out where she was purchased. They will then make inquiries as to who bought her.”

  “It’s a start,” Gareth said, though, in Kwin’s head, he didn’t sound enthusiastic. “I have to go. Ofar has just walked in. Keep me informed on progress.”

  “I will,” Kwin said then opened his book and began to read.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  Shona sighed as she opened the door to Fillen’s suite. It had been a long day and she was tired. Fillen had taken her and Brend into the city to visit some of his business associates and had been persuaded to stay for the evening to see the latest play by a famous Wayvern playwright. The restaurant they had been to prior had been excellent and the staff there had treated her like a Lady instead of the slave her skin colour and shackles showed her to be, but she had not understood a word of the play.

  She had considered asking Brend to translate for her, but it would have been too disruptive and would have ruined his enjoyment. She assumed the play had been good, as everyone laughed regularly and at the end, some were discreetly wiping tears from their eyes as the heroine died, or at least Shona thought that was what was being portrayed, but for her it had been a tedious evening and all she now wanted was to get to her bed.

  She went straight to her room, but before she could even begin to undo her dress, she heard Brend shouting.

  She ran out of her room and over to Brend’s. The door was standing open and she could clearly see Brend taking hold of the arm of a young lady who was in his bed and dragging her out.

  Shona gasped when she realised that it was Dani and that she was completely naked. Shona didn’t know what was going on, but she could take a good guess. Dani, fed up with Brend ignoring her attempts at flirting with him, had decided to take things further.

  Dani cried out as Brend pushed her to the ground as soon as they were out of his room. His face was red with rage as he snarled at her. “I will deal with you in the morning.”

  He then looked up and noticed Shona. “I’m taking your bed tonight,” he said. “You can have mine. I don’t want to sleep anywhere where she has been.”

  The hate Brend put into the word ‘she’ made Shona shiver.

  Without waiting for Shona’s agreement, Brend walked into her bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

  Dani was still on the floor, tears streaming down her face. Shona knelt down beside her and took her in her arms. She waited until the young girl had stopped sobbing before making her stand up and walk into Brend’s room.

  Dani’s dress was on the floor so Shona helped her to put it on. “Want to talk about it?” she asked gently.

  Dani shook her head and wiped her running nose on the back of her hand, making Shona grimace with distaste.

  “I should go,” Dani mumbled.

  “I’m here if you need a friend,” Shona said. “I’m a good listener and we all need a shoulder to cry on sometimes.”

  “Thank you, but I think I’ve made enough of a fool of myself for one evening.”

  Dani attempted to smile, but her face barely responded. Shona watched as the girl tried to pull herself together. She heard her start to sob again as soon as she left Brend’s room.

  There was nothing more Shona could do for Dani, so she closed the door and undressed. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was that she hoped Fillen didn’t climb into bed with her during the night, thinking she was Brend.

  She woke late the next morning and felt refreshed, having slept well. She was momentarily disoriented until she remembered where she was, and why.

  She slipped on the dress she had worn the previous day and went to her own room. The door was standing open and the room was empty; Brend had obviously either woken earlier and got up or he was in Fillen’s bed. Shona didn’t care which, she was just glad that her room was vacant so she could change her clothes.

  Before heading to the dining room, Shona went to the kitchen and asked the slaves who were present if they knew where Dani was. She wanted to make sure the girl was alright. Nobody had seen her that morning and had no idea where she could be.

  Deciding to postpone her search until she had eaten, Shona went to the dining room. Breakfast was still laid out on the table, but neither Fillen nor Brend were present.

  It was nearing midday when she eventually found Brend. She had searched everywhere, but had failed to find any sign of Dani. She didn’t want to mention the slave girl’s name to Brend, given how he reacted the previous evening, but it seemed to be her only choice.

  “Do you know where Dani is?” she asked, bracing herself for Brend’s reaction.

  “She’s been sold,” he said coldly.

  “What?” Shona wasn’t sure she had heard him right.

  “I said, she has been sold. After the little stunt she pulled last night, I had to get rid of her.” Brend’s voice then softened. “If the master found out what she did, life would become very unpleasant for her.”

  Shona nodded her head in understanding. While she was not happy that Dani had been sent away to who knew where, she understood Brend’s reasons for doing so.

  She thanked him for the information, then left him alone to continue what he had been working on before she interrupted him. She didn’t see his gleeful smile as she walked away.

  Chapter 27

  “How do you feel about going to a party with me?” Luka asked Kwin the next morning as they ate breakfast together. She wasn’t the sort of person who enjoyed attending the many parties the gentry in Wayvern held, as Kwin knew, so she was curious to see how he would react.

  “I will do whatever my Lady commands,” he said, dipping his head mockingly.

  Luka laughed. She loved his sense of humour. In any other household it would get him into a lot of trouble, but Luka found it endearing.

  “May I ask why you are planning on going to this one when you seem to avoid most others?” Kwin asked before drinking the last mouthful of his coffee.

  “I just thought you might like to see Gareth,” she said as casually as she could. She didn’t look at him as she spoke, but she heard him choke.

  “Are you serious?” he asked when he had stopped coughing.

  Luka turned to look at him. “Yes. I got an invite from Ofar this morning. Normally I would throw it in the bin but, seeing as she owns Gareth, and her brother won’t be there, I thought we should attend.”

  “Thank you,” Kwin said.

  “I’m not doing this for you,” Luka lied. “After what you have been telling me, I want to know if he’s as attractive as you make out.”

  Kwin smirked at her. “Sure you do.” Then something Gareth ha
d told him came back to him. “Do you know he’s going to be the entertainment?”

  Luka couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she said, “That’s the other reason for going.” Let him make of that what he will.

  When he looked at her, his face was questioning, but he didn’t ask what her comment meant. Instead of satisfying his curiosity, she changed the subject.

  Kwin joined in for a while, attempting to steer the conversation back to Gareth, but Luka masterfully managed to avoid the topic. She could see that she was driving Kwin crazy by deflecting his efforts and it gave her a small thrill.

  Eventually Kwin gave up the verbal interplay, admitting defeat. He said he was going to check on the horses, as Luka had said she wanted to go riding later, but Luka suspected that he just wanted to get away from her. She couldn’t help smiling at his departing back.

  Until the day of the party, Luka made some reference to Gareth at least once a day in order to tease Kwin, who still seemed uncertain as to her real motive for attending the get together.

  The day arrived and just before they were due to depart, Luka placed a bottle of ointment on the shelf so she could easily access it through her bag.

  “What’s that for?” Kwin asked.

  “Let’s just say I have a feeling it will be needed.”

  Kwin opened his mouth to ask more, but changed his mind. Instead he just shook his head, as though he had resigned himself to Luka telling him no more. Something told her that he would not give up that easily.

  The journey took a while. Luka had purchased new clothes for herself and Kwin for the event and, for once, she hadn’t let him choose the outfit.

  Though the colour suited him, and Kwin reluctantly admitted that he looked good in it, he found the collar too restrictive and kept pulling at it during the carriage ride, attempting to loosen it without actually undoing it.

  “Stop playing with it,” Luka said. “I made you wear it for a reason.”

  “And that is?”

  “It hides your collar and bracelets. Some of the women who will be at this party are going to be looking at you very closely and I’m worried that they may spot that you are wearing fakes.”

  “I take it I have to keep my clothes on then.”

  Luka shrugged. “That’s up to you. If you want to sleep with any of them, that’s your decision to make. I won’t stop you. After all, I may have to make use of Gareth while I’m there, just to keep up appearances.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Kwin said, then went a deep shade of red as he realised that Luka had just been teasing him and he had fallen for it.

  “How is he?” Luka asked, pretending not to notice his embarrassment.

  “A little nervous. He’s not sure exactly what Ofar has planned for him. She keeps dropping hints, but nothing more.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much,” Luka said as she relaxed back into the cushions and closed her eyes. “Ofar may be demanding and have a high opinion of herself, but she’s nothing like my mother. The way she will use Gareth as entertainment will be nothing like what happened to Henna.”

  Feeling Kwin looking at her, she opened her eyes again. “If I’m wrong, I give you full permission to use your magic to help him. I have my controller covered so it won’t be noticed that it doesn’t light up.”

  “Thank you,” Kwin said.

  “Try not to kill her though. It’s bad manners to kill the host.”

  Luka closed her eyes once more and dozed for the rest of the journey.

  ————————————-∞————————————-

  Kwin shook her awake as the coach turned into Ofar’s driveway. “I think we have arrived.”

  He couldn’t help smiling as Luka stretched and yawned. Sometimes she acted very unladylike and it made him like her all the more. She was very good at putting on an act when she needed to, but deep down she felt as uncomfortable being nobility as he was. Under other circumstances they would have become good friends.

  Then it hit him like a bolt of lightning. What did he mean ‘under other circumstances’? They already were good friends, very good friends, who would trust each other with their lives.

  “We’re here,” he mentally said to Gareth. He had already let his friend know that he and Luka would be attending the party and Gareth seemed as eager to meet Luka as she was to see him. This made Kwin feel uncomfortable for some reason he couldn’t explain.

  “About time too,” Gareth’s voice sounded in his head. “The party started hours ago.”

  “We did have a long way to come. Where are you?”

  “In the ballroom. The ‘entertainment’ hasn’t started yet.”

  “Good. Luka’s been looking forward to it. I’m glad we didn’t miss it.”

  “Thanks,” Gareth said dryly.

  “Gareth is in the ballroom,” Kwin whispered to Luka as he helped her out of the carriage.

  Luka gave no indication that she had heard him, other than a slight nod of her head.

  She instructed their driver to park the carriage then head to the kitchen for some food. She would send someone to find him when they were ready to leave.

  Kwin held out his arm and Luka took it. They entered the ballroom like a Lord and Lady rather than a Lady and her pleasure slave. The man announcing each new arrival seemed unhappy about calling Kwin ‘Lord Kwin’, but he did so anyway, not wishing to displease Luka.

  Kwin winced when he heard the title he had been given. He momentarily thought letting Luka know about his relationship to the king had been a mistake, then he realised that she would have made the man announce him as such even if the title hadn’t been correct. She just enjoyed making the man squirm.

  “Not a nice man I take it,” he said quietly as he led her into the room.

  “No. He looks down on anyone who doesn’t have a title and he absolutely hates everyone from Tippet. He thinks we should invade the country and make the entire population our slaves. After all, we are the superior race.”

  It was impossible for Kwin to miss the bitterness in Luka’s voice. She had obviously had a run in with the man before. He wisely chose not to ask her about it.

  Luka looked around the room. “There’s Ofar,” she said as soon as she spotted her.

  Kwin looked across the room to where Luka indicated with her head and saw a group of women surrounding Gareth.

  “Which one is she?” he asked.

  “The short one.”

  Kwin fixed his eyes on her. She had her back to him, so all he could make out was that she was a little overweight and that the dress she was wearing didn’t suite her figure. Her long hair had been tied back in a style that seemed to be popular, based on the ladies in the room, and he was sure that silver was not her natural colour. He decided to ask Luka.

  “She says it is,” she replied, “and it has been that colour ever since I have known her, but rumour has it that she had a magic user change its colour when she was very young. She instantly regretted it, but nobody has been able to change it back.” She paused before adding, “Part of me wants the rumour to be true.”

  “I’ll have to ask Gareth,” Kwin said.

  Luka frowned at him. “How would he know?”

  Kwin grinned at her. “I don’t know if it applies to Wayvern women, but in Tippet, the hair on a woman’s head is the same natural colour as the hair down below.” He pointed to his groin as he spoke. Luka burst out laughing.

  “In that case, why don’t you find out for yourself,” she said with a gleam in her eyes.

  “Maybe I will.”

  He wanted Luka to protest that she was only joking, but all she said was, “Let me know how it goes.”

  “Come on,” he said and led her across the room to where Gareth and Ofar were.

  Upon hearing Luka call her name, Ofar turned around, revealing a surprisingly pretty face. The plumpness of her face gave it a friendly quality that would have been lacking if it had been less round.

  She greeted Luka warm
ly, then gave Kwin the once over. “I heard you had purchased a pleasure slave,” she said. “I was expecting something a lot more desirable. He’s nothing compared to my Gareth.”

  She didn’t see Gareth grinning behind her, but Kwin did.

  “I agree,” Luka said. “Gareth is stunning.”

  Kwin didn’t want to hear more about how attractive Gareth was so he took hold of Ofar’s hand and kissed the back of it. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said. “And I apologise that my appearance does not please you, but most men come off second best to Gareth.”

  The colour draining from Ofar’s face was very satisfying.

  “I didn’t mean to imply...” she stammered.

  Kwin kept a perfectly straight face as he said, “No offence was taken my Lady.”

  Luka introduced herself to Gareth. “My name is Luka. I am delighted to finally meet you. I have heard a lot about you.”

  “Gareth and Kwin know each other?” Ofar asked curiously.

  “Yes,” Kwin said. “Gareth and I know each other well. It was a pleasant surprise when I spotted him.”

  “Kwin has told me a lot about Gareth’s exploits, especially with women,” Luka said to Ofar. “You will have to let me know sometime if he is as good in bed as he always makes out to Kwin.”

  Kwin noticed that Luka was looking at Gareth as she spoke and it was entertaining watching his friend struggle to keep a straight face.

  “We will have to compare notes,” Ofar said, looking suggestively at Kwin. “But later. Right now, I have other guests I must see. Please excuse me.”

  “May I keep Gareth for a few moments?” Luka asked.

  “Of course,” Ofar said. “It will be a little while before I need him for this evening’s entertainment.”

  Luka and the two men watched her walk away.

  “Come with me,” Luka said as soon as Ofar was busy talking with a lady who had just arrived. She led them out of the ballroom and into a small reception room. It was empty and as soon as the door was closed, Kwin and Gareth greeted each other warmly, hugging each other as though they were brothers.