In Riga’s room in Aghadine, the thin sheet moved as the bodies beneath heaved and moan in their own direction, with the late day sun filling the room. A warm breeze wafted into the room from the open arched windows, as Riga lay next to his bed slaves in the large oval bed.
"Master, Riga! The Dami Uiten speaks Master Ru'ark has news! Master Riga?" Peering into the room, he waited for an answer.
"Move, move now!" Riga filled with impatience forcefully shoved the two women off him. “The next time I say move, it had better be with more haste or else you’ll find yourself becoming one of my toys.” He swung his heavy legs over the side of the bed.
“Your robes Master Riga,” The tall man held them out for his Master to don.
Riga slipped into the waiting garment. "Fix me a basin, I will be clean before I speak with my son." Tying his robes around himself, he trailed behind his slave, making his way down the hall darting past the tall dark-haired twin brother of Ru'ark.
Malark, standing over a head taller than Riga stepped in front of him. “Father, how long has it been this time Father a full ten moons?” He stood with his arms folded over his chest.
He shook his clean-shaven head. “Not today Malark, I don’t have time to indulge your wild speculations about your brother,” using an off-hand he nudged past Malark’s towering body moving around him
Malark fell in step behind him. "Father, I know you do not believe what I say but, his freedom in this new World has polluted him. We must find an alternative." The hallway came to a turn with Riga cutting off to the right to the open door. The slave heaving a large pitcher poured water into the raised basin.
Riga splashed water on his face. “What would you have us do?” He grabbed a drying cloth patting his face dry. “Do you know of another Clasu'trum? Even if you did, you could not guarantee that you could pull off the same trick your brother did."
“He will show himself Father, I just hope that on that day my words are not heeded too late," his sneer made the skin between his eyes crunch. “At least take my warning to the council and let them have their own mind about it."
“Until the day comes, where you can produce more than blind accusations, I’ll continue to place my trust in your brother.” Smirking at Malark he folded his arms, “And the Council? They’ll never hear a word of it, this is the closest we’ve been to gaining our freedom from the waste.” He clasped his hands together. “They look at him with God like admiration.”
“Non solm conquestium,” Malark muttered it under his breath.
“Your brother is waiting on me.” Riga left Malark to stew in his jealousy of Ru’ark, which was nothing new between his two children.
Riga with hurried steps made his way to his private speaking chamber. The door moved similar to a curtain opening up for him. Once inside, he moved in front of the mirror.
Ru’ark’s thoughts drifted while waiting for his father, he had seen many voluptuous women in his long life, but this slave from the lower kingdoms kept pulling at his thoughts, and not in his intended way. The lingering image of the curve of her thigh and the soft touch of her skin accompanied by the desire to take more than a taste was disturbed when he heard his Father’s voice ring out.
“My son, I hope the news you bear is as great, as the wait the council and I have endured at your hands has been a long one." Riga did not hide his displeasure with Ru’ark.
“Greetings Father,” He snapped out of his own daze chastising himself, knowing he should have been more aware. “Indeed, you can tell the council that I’ve found her, our vessel for the Nivecus Waraeu."
“Is that so? A woman no less,” with a devious smile, he ran his thumbnail across his brow. “Will this change anything?”
“Not that I can foresee, you can tell the council with confidence that I am ready to move forward.” Ru’ark, well aware of the Council’s temperament figured this bone would placate them and his father, to alleviate their ruffled feathers.
“What of the Arx Senentia? Has it been found?” Riga was asking because finding it meant that another Magus could join Ru’ark.
“No, it’s lost, and from what I have learned it was removed some time prior to the forming of the kingdoms but after Danthamore’s founding." It was not the truth, the manacles hung on the wall of the throne room. In the days of old, the Arx Senentia had the purpose of restraining someone with abilities and powers like his.
Riga tilted his head. “A shame, it would have saved much and guaranteed more."
“Perhaps, but I would not have wanted to try to find warriors to take me through the waste without being able to harness the Waraeu which would lie dormant within me.” He shrugged. “Aside from that, trying to send it with soldiers from here would not guarantee its safe arrival in Aghadine.”
“You make a point, and I doubt they would fare any better than your Amicus Adar did in crossing the waste.” He sighed, “I do not only speak for myself, but for the whole council. The time you tend to take between reports gives them a reason to have concern, and your brother does not help matters. Increasingly of late, he presses myself and I assume other council members as well that these absences of yours are more than your unwillingness to speak when you have nothing to say."
A flash of anger ran across Ru’ark’s face. “What is it you all expected? Why report when there is nothing of any value to relay? Here I am after all when there is something to say telling you about it.”
“My suggestion is that you do not wait so long to reach out to me next time. You can be rest assured the council will have questions, I do.” His grin was wicked. “For one, I would like to know our Savior’s name?”
“Nelina,” saying her name aloud brought her image to the forefront of his mind. “She needs to survive in order to get to the Ortus chamber. I have her being trained in combat by my Captain of the Guard, Elian to travel to what remains of the ancient City of Siltaran.”
Riga rubbed his chin. “You need to be cautious if she perishes, it could be another forty years before finding another suitable host.”
He pursed his lips together in an effort to keep his anger at his father at bay. “I do realize how delicate she is until she has taken the bond, however, it will be successful. Just as I was able to escape the Waste, I will harness the power of the Nivecus Waraeu, and through her I will penetrate the Waste and upon my return she will release us all."
“The Council will be pleased with your report regarding the path to our salvation. You would do well to keep in mind that the other council members will have questions, keeping them waiting for close to another year would not be to your advantage.” For his son’s sake, he hoped he would heed the warning.
Ru’ark smiled. “Indeed, Father, but do make clear to the Council that I will speak to them when I have time and when there is something speak of, and not before then. Until that time, I take my leave and wish you well Father."
“Farewell my son,” Riga’s form vanished from the mirror.
Sighing and rubbing his forehead, he threw the shroud back over the Dami Uiten grateful his conversation was over.
Nelina’s hand brushed across the sheet, which was still warm from where he had lain. Ru’ark had made his departure, once again before she had awoken. 'Not long this time,' she thought. She moved over to his leftover warmth. ‘Why can’t you be here one morning?’ she could not help thinking and wishing that Ru’ark was with her. She curled into a ball, it would only be a moment or two before the hand she dreaded would be there to wake her. She forced her eyes open to find a glow from the candlelight filling the room. Lying over the back of a chair was a smaller version of men’s doeskin breeches and a black tunic. A bowl was also waiting with her breakfast. She pushed the bedding off making her way to the table. The small plate with bread was not there, only the putrid bowl of disgusting slop. The meat on the bones the dogs ate appealed to her more than this gruel. “Don’t think so.” It was apparent that Gwen figured out she was eating just the bread. Picking up the bowl, she walk
ed over to the window ledge to dump it out.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Gwen snarled, “You’ll not be skipping your morning meal.”
“I’m not eating this,” the offending mush was foul in smell alone. “It will give me a sickness.”
“You will,” she took several steps closer. “Or, I will shove it down your throat.”
Taking the bowl and leaning it over the edge of the window, Nelina dumped out the sludge with an icy stare and then threw the bowl and the spoon at Gwen’s feet. “Get out,”
“How dare you?” For several weeks, she had kept Nelina where she had wanted her with Lucas’s help. “You’re lucky I allow you to bathe in the cold water I give you.”
Nelina inclined her head to Gwen. “The line is drawn here,” she motioned directly in front of herself. “Don’t cross it.”
A mocking laugh sang out from Gwen’s mouth. “I’m supposed to be afraid of you? I’ve already landed more than one punch on you since your stay here.”
The threat brought Nelina to the point of calmness. Gwen lashed out at her with an angry fist. With little effort, Nelina shifted her weight dodging the blow, while moving in to grab Gwen’s arm and pinning it behind her back. “Leave me!” She shoved Gwen away from her.
“I’m not going anywhere.” Gwen lunged for Nelina, not with a punch, but instead tried to tear at her face with her bare hands and nails.
Without even thinking, Nelina dropped her weight to swing low and knocked out Gwen’s legs from underneath her. As she had expected, it sent Gwen slamming down to the floor in a painful landing on her back.
Gwen rolled on her side, clutching her belly. “He doesn’t want you,” she gathered her footing. “Ask, yourself, when was the last time the Magus had breakfast with you?”
The words had their intended effect, leaving Nelina stunned and taken aback.
“Oh, I see the Magus hasn’t considered you important enough to tell his liaisons to?” She licked her lips. “He enjoyed me that morning, he didn’t even think about you, the second you were gone, he could not get up my skirts fast-”
Nelina backhanded Gwen with her closed fist in a rage that before this had been foreign to her, she was shaking in a way she did not anticipate.
Gwen fell to her knees, her hand went to her cheek while staring at the floor, she tasted the blood in her mouth. Nelina squatted down low. “Perhaps the Magus does enjoy you, but do keep it in mind that whatever he has me for, he’s training me to fight like a man.” She smiled with a shrug. “Imagine, since I am a woman, if I said that my emotions got the best of me and one day and I hurt you?” Standing upright, Nelina stepped backward with her arms folded. “You’ve wrecked my morning, you’d better leave as I asked you to do the first time.”
Pulling herself up, Gwen stood proud wearing her bruises. “My back is hurting, other slaves will have to carry my work.” she laughed, “Wait, until Lucas finds out.” Gwen turned from Nelina and limped out of the chamber.
After she was gone, she locked the chamber door, then made her way to the other side of the room, where she collapsed on the floor crying. She allowed herself these few precious moments to cry, to release the pain, the fear, and the stress. She chided herself, ‘Time to get up,’ her sadness was short lived, she could not be late to meet Adar, or he would suspicious. She also had to hide what happened, the thought of the Magus asking her about any of it and having to admit to her anger after finding out Ru’ark had been with Gwen was too much. She had no right to have those feelings for him, let alone to strike a woman whom he had taken to his own bed. Her eyes would remain a little red at most. ‘Easily explained away by a bad night’s sleep,’ at the filled basin, she splashed her face with some cold water. Her uncle had made her cry enough that she learned a long time ago how to fix a tear stained face.
Gwen, making her way through the hallway of the palace, with a hand on her back, pulled open the door to her private chamber. “Let some other slave spend their mornings with that bitch.”
“Gwenny!” Lucas, concerned, stepped over to her as the door closed shut. He checked over Gwen’s badly bruised, cut cheek. “Did the Magus do that?” From the look of her, a man with decent strength had struck her.
“No, it was that bitch, Nelina,” Gwen’s tears stung trickling down her split open cheek.
His dark brown eyes were wide with shock that a woman could inflict such violent damage upon another woman. “But, she’s a woman,”
“She’s not a decent woman, she does not deserve that consideration, she is too dangerous, and we have to be rid of her.” Gwen sat down in the chair at the table.
Lucas brought her over to the small table taken in the back of the room. With their morning meal set out for two, he offered Gwen a plate which had small cuts of meat and cheeses while filling her cup with the honey mead. “Are you okay to eat?”
She nodded, “She knocked out one of my teeth from the far back, but I can eat using the other side of my face.”
Lucas moved closer to hug her. “I can go to Elian, he might-”
“No,” Gwen frowned disgusted. “Have you seen how much the Captain seems to enjoy his training sessions with his new recruit?”
“Um, no, I,” In truth he had not witnessed his Captain’s lessons with Nelina.
“Well, I have watched,” Gwen drank down a gulp of her mead. “She bewitches men, and your Captain respects her, and you can see it in his eyes. Make no mistake about it.”
“Then what do we do?” Lucas ate his food since he did not have long before he needed to get to his post.
“Rumors, gossip, and more, we need to destroy everyone’s view of the flaxen haired bitch and poison them against her.” She took a small bite of one the softer cheeses.
“Most of the City Guard doesn’t know what to make of the Magus’s whore.” He gulped down half of his mead. “Going with that, spreading that she is too friendly with the Captain should be easy.”
“Good, and in the meantime, I will make certain the Magus hears my words before Nelina’s.” She gave up on eating all together because of the pain and finished the rest of her drink while talking with Lucas until he had to leave.
The light breeze off the Torbian Sea slipped in through one of the many open windows yet left the small stacks of papers and books untouched on the polished wooden desk with its carved corners. Gwen glanced over to one of the many books written in a language she had never seen before she approached the Magus Ru’ark. She found his study to be peaceful, and with his mid-morning tea in hand.
He blinked in disbelief from seeing her face. “What happened to you?”
Gwen’s light blue eyes spilled over with tears gazing up at his “Because you have given this slave woman privileges, she has done this out of jealousy with how well you treat me.”
Ru’ark clenched his jaw, “Do explain.” He stood up from his desk moving closer to her
“While serving her the morning meal, she accused me of keeping you from her,” She was sobbing into the palm of her hands before looking up at him. “She’s possessive of you, Master,”
“Is she?” What a thought that was, that Nelina cared for him. His thumb, which rested gently on her wound, now pressed hard on it. “Her violence against you intrigues me.”
She pulled away upset. “I am loyal to you, you don’t need her, cast her away from your grace, burn the finery she wears, and show her that you will not tolerate her treating your slaves or me, this way.”
Ru’ark glared, “You will not bring me another petty problem again. For if you do, I’ll have to see if there is not someone more qualified to hold your position.” Turning back to his desk and taking his seat in the large chair, his attention returned to his tea and the books he was reading before Gwen’s interruption. “Leave me.”
The sun was setting with a dusting of color when Nelina stepped into the ice cold bath, it was never warm. Ice was a luxury that was imported into Danthamore from the Lower Kingdoms. Ru’ark’s kitchens had
a small storage area for ice in the eastern wing of the palace, which was how Gwen managed to make her bath water freezing. She endured it too, because she wanted to be clean when she was around Ru’ark. She brought up her knees to her chest, and after a few minutes she heard the door open to find Ru’ark standing near the tub. Trying to pretend that the water was not freezing was impossible to do as she shivered. “I am sorry,”
“For what?” He pulled a wooden stool over by the tub.
“Shivering, for being cold,” she was nervous he had never visited her when she bathed.
“You mean ice baths aren’t your preference?” He kissed the curve of her neck while his fingers glided in the water where it created its own heat as if it had been freshly poured.
“They are not,” she reached over to touch his face with a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
He ran his hands down along her shoulders. “Indeed, you are most welcome, Sweetling,” He watched as she unfolded her body to relax in the pleasant warm water. “I’ll leave you to finish washing I look forward to seeing you at the evening meal tonight.” He was glad he had checked if she was in her bath before having some of his things brought into the room.
“I’ll not be too long,” smiling in appreciation she closed her eyes to savor the temperature of the water she had been denied by Gwen for weeks on end.
The Magus (A Chronicle of Rebirth Book 1) Page 4
