The Royal Companion

by Tanya Bird

  ‘What’s with the blue wall hangings?’ Sapphira asked, looking about the room.

  ‘I feel as though I am under water,’ Hali added. ‘Did I mention I get seasick?’ She was calming herself with slow breathing. Her hands opened and closed, her fingers stretching each time. A taught technique used to calm one’s nerves.

  ‘Blue is Zoelin’s royal colour,’ Aldara whispered. ‘It is all for them.’

  Sapphira did not lower her voice. ‘Seems a bit over the top if you ask me. This is Syrasan, is it not? We should be proudly displaying red.’

  ‘No one cares what we think,’ Aldara replied. ‘We just smile neutrally.’

  ‘There seems to be a lot of that,’ Sapphira said, keeping her eyes on the door.

  The hunting party arrived first, spilling into the room, drowning the polite hum of conversation with their loud voices and drunken laughter. Aldara and Hali exchanged a knowing glance before turning their smiling faces towards the guests.

  ‘Perfect,’ Aldara said, barely moving her mouth. ‘They had an opportunity to drink, but not bathe.’

  Hali did not have time to respond. Pandarus entered the room, flanked by Pollux and his silent friend. His gaze swept the room, landing on Hali. She curtsied slowly, her breasts bulging at the top of her dress as she bent.

  ‘Show some class,’ Astra said to her as she glided towards him.

  Hali maintained her position until Pandarus turned his attention from her to Astra. ‘I have to play my strengths,’ she said as she returned upright.

  ‘I wish I could say you are wrong,’ Aldara whispered.

  ‘Am I the only one who thinks that man is a pig?’ Sapphira whispered. No one replied. ‘I am going over to sniff Stamitos and make sure that odour is not coming from him,’ she said, before walking away.

  The men grinned appreciatively at the women dotted about the room. It was amazing what copious amounts of wine did for their confidence. The servants brought out silver trays filled with pigeon, chicken, and hard-boiled eggs covered with saffron. They laid the trays on the buffet around the colourful centrepieces, which were also blue. Lord Yuri was the only man to wash his hands upon entering the room. Afterwards, he stood in Pollux’s giant shadow and looked about the room. His eyes stopped on Hali, and his face softened into a smile. Hali’s body relaxed at the sight of him. She raised a hand in greeting. Aldara glanced at Pandarus, hoping he would not witness the moment between them. She need not have worried because Queen Eldoris and Princess Cora came through the doors, snatching the attention of the entire room. Men bowed before them, women lowered themselves all the way to the ground. Even Pandarus was forced to put his own importance aside for a few fleeting moments. The other men were happy to watch Cora saunter past, draped in an open-back lavender silk dress. The royal women nodded at the noble guests as they passed by them. As usual, Cora refused to acknowledge the Companions. She kept her eyes ahead. Eldoris gave a small nod in their direction, but she did not let her eyes rest on them for long. Idalia curtsied low as Eldoris passed her, holding the position for some time. As she had explained once, it was her small way of showing respect to the woman she disrespected every day.

  ‘Lord Yuri appears well,’ Hali said, once the royal women had taken their seats.

  Aldara smirked at the floor. ‘Very well.’

  ‘You should go and socialise with the Zoelin guests. They have not taken their eyes off you since they arrived.’

  Hali’s expression gave nothing away of their conversation. Aldara glanced in the direction of the men who were indeed looking straight at her.

  ‘They are literally twice my height. The conversation is awkward, and my Zoelin is weak.’

  Hali turned to her. ‘What’s wrong? Were they rude to you earlier?’

  Aldara shook her head. ‘No. The opposite actually. They were…attempting to be charming, I suppose.’

  Hali laughed. ‘Ah. They were flirting. No wonder you’re confused. You are used to Prince Tyron’s indifferent glances.’

  His name hung in the air for a moment. Aldara tried not to inhale it. She accidently made eye contact with Pollux and he immediately walked towards her. When he stepped up beside her, his body odour made Aldara want to cover her mouth. Hali curtsied and excused herself. Aldara wanted to take hold of her arm and stop her, but she was required to behave like a grown woman.

  ‘You have gotten more beautiful since this morning. How is that possible?’ he asked.

  Aldara was having difficulty holding her smile. ‘One always looks better in a room lit by lamps.’

  And so it began.

  The evening was slow. At least for Aldara, whose invitation had been for the sole purpose of entertaining the Zoelin guests. She saw that it was part of Pandarus’s punishment. She had never seen him so pleased with himself whenever he glanced at her. The more Pollux drank, the more he touched her. The more he touched her, the harder it became for her to laugh and smile. Soon the two men were so intoxicated she had to direct them to their seats. All of her efforts at conversation were lost on them. They were so drunk they exchanged vulgar comments in Zoelin, forgetting she could understand every word.

  ‘I am afraid I am boring you,’ she said, thinking through her exit. ‘Perhaps I should organise a change in company.’

  Pollux stilled for a moment and looked at her. ‘There is no need for your words. I am satisfied viewing you. Though once again I find myself wishing you were not so covered up.’

  ‘That is the wine talking,’ Aldara replied, careful to keep her tone light.

  Pandarus, who had a knack for appearing at inconvenient times, staggered up next to her, intoxicated and dishevelled. ‘No. It definitely sounded like our guest talking.’

  Inwardly Aldara jumped at the sound of his voice. Her outer self was perfectly still. She stood up and curtsied before the looming prince. Pollux placed a large, damp hand on her face as she rose. It spanned her cheek and neck. She remained still beneath it, a calm expression on her face. He leant forward, stopping inches from her face without need to stand.

  ‘I am told Pandarus is more generous with his hunting horses than with his women,’ he said to her. ‘I hope that is not true.’

  Aldara swallowed, feeling the hand move against her throat. ‘I am afraid you will have to ask one of his Companions about that.’ She forced herself to maintain eye contact. Pandarus appeared to be sobering up in her presence, and that made her nervous.

  ‘I have no claim on this one,’ Pandarus said, his voice low.

  Aldara stared up at him. Pollux’s hand fell away as she turned. She knew what was coming next before he spoke the words.

  ‘Aldara, please escort our guests back to their quarters. They are not familiar with the castle, and they are in no state to find their own way.’

  She kept staring at him. She did not want to plead, but that is what her expression said to him. Please. Don’t. Pandarus just turned away from her, but not before seeing the slight tremble in her hands as they joined together in front of her. She swallowed again and glanced at Pollux. He appeared to grasp the situation well for one so drunk. She tried to take back control of the situation.

  ‘Of course, my lord. Though you shall all have to excuse me for a moment while I speak with Fedora. As you know, she likes to be kept well-informed of the whereabouts of the women.’

  She tried to bring volume to her voice—she really tried. Pandarus was having none of it.

  ‘Let me take care of Fedora. Do not keep our guests waiting.’

  And just like that, Aldara was a gift for someone else.

  The two men followed Aldara to the door. She was unsure how her legs were even moving. She was aware of Hali watching her from the safety of Lord Yuri’s side, but she did not raise her eyes to the others, not even when Sapphira took a few steps in her direction before stopping herself. She did not dare look at Idalia, who stood among gentlemen, protected by the bed she shared. Their pity would break her. As she walked down the long corridor that
suddenly did not seem long enough, she tried to tell herself she was helping maintain a union between two kingdoms. She reminded herself it was the purpose for which she had been bought. However, as she stood outside of Pollux’s chambers, she had to admit to herself she was not stopping a war. And she had been bought for another.

  ‘Well, my lords, I bid you goodnight.’

  It was her final attempt to leave them. She had to try.

  Pollux took hold of her wrist and pulled her closer. ‘Let us make it a better night,’ he hissed into her hair. He pulled her through the door, and his voiceless friend followed them, closing it behind them.

  Aldara tried to still her mind as they pulled down her dress. She tried to numb her body when she felt their hands clutch at her small breasts. When she was unhelpful, Pollux lost patience. He pushed her face-down onto the bed. She panicked and tried to get up, so he held her shoulders with one hand and did as he pleased. A searing pain shot through her core as he pushed himself inside her. She began to cry, but he seemed oblivious to her discomfort. When he was done, he held her by the hair while his companion took his turn with her. She was shaking, but she was also hopeful it might be over. They each took another turn. Ashamed of her tears, she buried her face in the linen. They saw then, but they did not care.

  As the shock wore off, Aldara became aware of the physical pain. Her instincts drove her to resist them. That angered Pollux. He flipped her onto her back and took a fist to her face. She went still again, forced to watch him this time. She was terrified the night would not end, that the sun might not rise. Her face was wet with tears, no not tears, blood from her nose. She used a free hand to try to stop it, but it poured freely. They were angry at the mess and the inconvenience to their moods, so they covered her face with a pillow and continued.

  A little before dawn the sobering men fell asleep in a twisted pile of bloodied linen. Pollux’s wet head was pressed against Aldara’s back as she lay shivering at the edge of the bed, hoping they would not wake. When she was sure they were in a deep sleep, she slipped from the bed and collected her dress. She stepped into it and pulled it up with trembling hands. She did not bother with the buttons, instead securing it with a clenched hand. She stepped over the undergarments and fled the room.

  As she stumbled down the corridor, her eyes remained on the ground in front of her. She may have even been running. If she passed anyone, she was unaware. At one stage she thought she could hear whimpering nearby. It was not until she felt Fedora’s hands on her shoulders that she realised the sound was coming from her. She looked up into Fedora’s blazing eyes. It was too much, so she looked down again. Fedora secured an arm around her shoulders and led her to the bathing room. She waved away the maid and went to fill the tub herself. Aldara sank down onto the floor as soon as there was no one holding her up. Fedora fetched a stool and placed her on it while she added jug after jug of steaming water to the tub.

  ‘Hali came to me,’ Fedora said. ‘I went to see Prince Pandarus myself, but he would not see me.’

  She lifted Aldara to a stand and tried to pry open the hand holding her dress together. Aldara shook her head and tightened her grip. ‘No,’ she said, her eyes welling up.

  Fedora took hold of her shoulders and turned her so she was facing her. ‘You are safe. We need to clean you up.’

  Aldara closed her eyes and let go of the dress. She let Fedora guide her out of it and help her into the water. Fedora sat down on the stool next to the tub and watched her tremble. The water was tinted red.

  ‘There are strict rules of conduct. I am sorry those rules did not protect you.’

  Aldara tried not to listen. She focused her eyes on the clumps of hair floating in front of her. She could almost feel the large hands pulling at the back of her head. Her eyes moved to the purple rings around her wrists that were wrapping her knees. Beyond that she did not look—could not look.

  ‘This should never have happened,’ Fedora whispered into the steamy air. She also did not want to see. ‘A virtuous Companion is valuable. They are not given to guests as play things. His actions make no sense.’

  ‘It does not matter now,’ Aldara said, jumping at the sound of her own voice. ‘It is done. My value was decided by Pandarus long before last night.’

  The other Companions began to return from their own engagements. They spoke in hushed tones around her. Aldara remained in the tub, protected by its warmth. She did not look up. Somewhere nearby Hali was crying. Not somewhere, next to her. She was bent over the tub crying into Aldara’s wet hair.

  ‘I should have just gone after you,’ she sobbed.

  Aldara said nothing. She did not move.

  When Tyron arrived at the stables, he could feel the sombre mood of the castle. He was grateful to have missed the hunt, the feast, and the glances from his well-meaning family. They had ridden overnight, enjoying the quiet and absence of people. He could be anybody under the cover of darkness. He almost forgot about the men riding next to him. There was no one to greet him along the way, no reason to stop, no reason to parade their flags.

  As he walked up the path towards the castle with a tired Pero trailing behind him, he tried not to let her back in. He thought about food, a wash. Sleep. It was helpful to focus on the simple things. But that is not what awaited him. Instead, he found Leksi standing at his chamber door, with an expression that could only mean bad news. They walked inside without need for pleasantries.

  ‘I was in a great mood until I saw your depressed face,’ Tyron said.

  He sat in the chair by the window and poured some water. Leksi’s expression did not change. Tyron put the cup down and waited. They had known each other their whole lives and had done the bad news dance many times.

  ‘What is it?’ Tyron asked.

  ‘I heard something this morning I think you might prefer to hear from me. It involves your Companion.’

  Tyron went to stand up, but Leksi raised a hand to keep him seated. He sat, listening carefully as Leksi spoke. The report took only moments to absorb.

  The opening of his chamber door sounded like thunder through the entire wing of the castle. The attending guard drew his sword in confusion as Tyron ascended like a moving storm down the corridor, his pace quickening until he reached the Companions’ quarters. There was no opportunity for him to be announced. He tore through each room looking for her. The tired women stood, surprised and unsure what to do. Fedora eventually caught him by the arm, and he spun around at her.

  ‘Where is she?’ he yelled.

  Fedora spoke slowly to encourage calm. ‘She is in the bathing room. Perhaps we should talk in private for a moment.’

  He brought a finger to her face. ‘You are meant to take care of these girls. That is your purpose here. What were you thinking handing her over to them?’

  She said nothing. His anger was misdirected, and they both knew it. His hand dropped to his side.

  ‘Take me to her,’ he said, growing quiet.

  Fedora hesitated. ‘I assure you I am caring for her, my lord. She needs time to recover from a very difficult evening.’

  ‘Take me to her,’ he repeated, in the same tone.

  Fedora nodded and walked ahead of him to the bathing room. She instructed Hali to leave. He lingered by the door, waiting for the room to be cleared. He was not at all comforted by the sight of Hali’s tear-stained face as she rushed past him without a greeting. The room was lit by only a few candles. The air was damp, and the steam made it difficult for him to see. His eyes moved from tub to tub until he saw her. She seemed so small. Like a drowned pup. Her eyes were open, but focused on the water in front of her as she sat shivering. He could already see bruising appearing on her face as he walked over and crouched down next to the tub.

  ‘Aldara,’ he whispered.

  His chest tightened. Her vulnerability at that moment was constricting it. She turned her head and looked at him. There was a moment of panic in her eyes, and a few tears fell down her swollen cheeks, turning bla
ck from the paint. He took the wet towel hanging over the edge of the tub and moved to wipe her face. She shied away from his hand, so he withdrew it. Fedora brought him a bowl of warm water.

  ‘I will be back to check on her shortly,’ she whispered.

  Tyron stared at Aldara, his eyes moving to the crusted blood around her nose. He looked at the filthy water she sat in and then away. She tucked her knees under her chin and stared back at the water.

  ‘I am so sorry,’ she said suddenly. She would have cried harder, but her face hurt too much.

  He shook his head to block the words. There was no way he would listen to her apologise. He dipped the towel into the warm water and then reached for her face again. She did not pull away this time.

  ‘I am sorry,’ he said. ‘I left you defenceless. I left.’

  He carefully wiped at her face until it was free of blood and paint. Fedora returned with a robe, holding it open while Tyron gently lifted her from the water. He averted his eyes as Aldara covered what she could of her body with her hands. They wrapped her up, and then Fedora fetched a second robe to put over the top of it in hope it would stop her shivering. He did not know what to do next. He took a few steps back from her. Fedora noticed his unease.

  ‘Aldara needs rest, my lord. I will ensure she is taken care of and update you on her recovery.’

  He stepped forward again and lifted Aldara into his arms. Her head collapsed against his chest. Fedora led him to the bedchamber and gestured towards her bed. He laid her down on it, and when he could no longer bear the eyes of the other women on him, he left. There was nothing else he could do and was unsure if anything would help. As he walked away, he realised he needed somewhere to walk to, a purpose for the long day ahead. His pace quickened as he moved towards Pandarus’s quarters. On arrival he found only Pandarus’s squire, who was very nervous at the sight of him.