by Jacob White
“Les, are you okay?” Her tears were on the brink of flowing over her lashes. “I am just horrible with women altogether. They keep crying around me.”
“I’m fine. I’m just…”
“It’s okay to talk to me.”
“It’s Just that. Weaver, he is going to kill you and take everything from you even if it means me.” Her Tears no longer kept at bay. She turned her back from the social area.
“I won’t let it happen. Plus, I have your sworn protector here to help out.” She laughed, and the tears appeared to come to a slow stop. I ran my thumbs along under her eyes to clear the straggling tears. She smiled and kissed my hand.
“Let me clean all this up. We can talk later, or not. It’s up to you.”
“The or not… do I get to replace it with something less… talkative?” I asked with a brow up. Her hand clenched the fabric of my tunic.
“If it pleases my Lord, I shall make him as happy as one could be.” She walked away and gently grabbed the only other inheritance I received from my family and continued walking.
“I’m going to die; this woman is going to be the death of me.” I told the walls of the Yezmon. Luckily the other girls were smart enough to fill our guest’s hands with ale Helping them to forget what had just happened. I was grateful because the gods knew I had way too much energy going through me to keep a mug still while filling it with ale.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lavender’s Lie
The sun started to rise, and there wasn’t even one complaint after our fun show for the evening. After myself and the two hired men were the only ones left, I felt as though I could breathe. I also had to fill in the gaps leading up to tonight to our mercenaries. “So, about before…”
“Let me stop you right there.” Said Dirk. “I’m here to guard, not make judgments. But from my point of view, I’m surprised he isn’t dead.” Ralph grunted at his comment. “Couldn’t agree more.” I wasn’t sure how Dirk interpreted that from Ralph response.
“Okay, now that’s out of the way. Ralph, please feel free to find an empty bed if you can.” I got up and started walking.
“Weaver,” Dirk called.
“Yes, Dirk?”
“I’m I allowed to find a bedroom as well?”
“I already have one for you Dirk. I’m headed back to clean one of the tubs right now.” Ralph gave deep laugh and slapped Dirk’s back.
“Well now, I appreciate the kind thought. But now I seem to have forgotten that I have my own accommodations as well as Ralph. One of us will be here around the clock to keep an eye out. If something happens, we know how to message each other quickly.” I nodded with a smile.
“Okay then. I’ll see you later. Also…” I paused without turning around. “Thanks.”
I didn’t hear any other responses as I went to the back to start getting a nice warm bath together. Much to my surprise, there was one already drawn but empty. I looked around and didn’t see anyone, so I went ahead and started taking off my clothes. With my tunic over my head, another set of hands came to help. I jumped.
“It’s just me, no assassins here... Yet.” Les said.
“Well, that’s reassuring. I just hope I’m clean by the time they come around.”
“Oh, you will be.” A small chuckle escaped from her. The tunic finally gave way to a naked Les.
“One of these days I need to help you undress.” I said.
“Just as soon as you stop having death threats thrown out you.”
“Oh? Me being valiant makes you ungrateful?” I teased. I could tell she picked up on it and lowered her eyelashes.
“My Lord, I only wish to serve and commend you on your efforts.”
“I will allow you to continue your praise.” A small jab found its way into my gut and we both laughed. We were both able to comfortably slip into the tub being slightly bigger than the ones at Tarnished. “Lavender!” I blurted out
“No… it's Les, remember?”
“No. I keep forgetting about the sheets and your lavender trick.” She was laying on my chest with my arms around, but I felt her start to giggle. “What? I like soft sheets.”
“I am so sorry, Weaver.” She managed to get out between her giggles. “I made that up.”
“But how, the smell was lavender.” I said with slight sadness. She continued to laugh.
“We have them taken out to be washed, but the lady who cleans them uses lavender, but the sheets were already soft.”
“I’m pretty sure I hate you.” She sarcastically gasped.
“Weaver, I’m sorry please accept my most humble apologies.” I couldn’t help but smile.
“I suppose, but it will cost you dearly.” Her eyebrow raised with curiosity. “I shall require a thousand kisses before you can right this wrong.”
“If this is the price I must pay to earn your forgiveness, then so be it.” She turned full around, and now her total nakedness hit me. I felt her breasts and hard nipples push against my own skin. She looked at my eyes and slowly began to kiss me, and with each passing second, the kiss became deeper and deeper. She must have noticed my better half being peaked as a moan whispered out of her mouth. It only drove my hunger for her and pressed her closer, so she could know what she did to me.
“Weaver,” she said my name only as a whisper but at the same time a plea for more. My hands were gliding over her back then stopped and pushed her back away gently. It was the hardest choice of my life but felt it was the right one.
“Do not misunderstand, I want you more than you can possibly know.”
“Then take me. I’ve never had the option of choice, but now I choose you if you want me.” She looked away and laid her messy bun into the crest of my neck.
“Les, there isn’t anything I want more, but you know, I have never done this. I want it to be special the first time. I know it sounds strange coming from a man who now runs his own whorehouse but still. I want to show you beauty and for you to know how important this choice is for me. That I’m giving it to you. I’m not even sure I’m making sense.” She pulled away and looked back into my eyes.
“It makes perfect sense, and all joking aside, Weaver. Your words just now have rattled my heart in a way it has never been. I thank you for your kindness, but I’m scared of something.”
“If it's Edmund—.” She put her hand on my cheek.
“No, not Edmund. Me. You're making me fall for you as if love wasn’t so far from my grasp anymore.”
“Les…” I was at a loss for words. She could see that and saved me from my own head. Kissed me once again, this time not with passion but tenderness.
“You have done a great many things for me Les, as you know. This simple gift I intended to give you… should tell you of the feelings beginning to stir in my own gut.” I’ve never seen a bigger smile on her before now, and I was grateful I was the one responsible for it. She threw her arms against me and put pulled me into a tight embrace. Once again, her closeness shot another feeling of want through me. She knew exactly what she was doing I realized as she continued to shift around my waist with her stomach.
“Have I mentioned that you’re evil?”
“I seem to remember a phrase like that.” She laughed and went back to the position we were in before I had decided to become a fool with morals. I kissed her ear and her body started to shift and arch towards me at my touch. I realized I too could be evil. The reaction was satisfying now that I knew I could torture her as well. The sound of her quiet moans trying to urge me forward. I whispered in her ear.
“You owe me nine hundred and ninety-seven kisses. We will call it an even nine hundred.”
She laughed and looked over her shoulder.
“No, you need to remember a debt is a debt, and I willingly pay this one.”
“Not to ruin the mood but you remind me a bit of my mother.”
“How so?”
“Well, she wasn’t like you emotionally. In that regard, she was pretty closed off, even to me.�
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“Well you would be happy to know that I am only like this with you. I imagine now your mother and I were similar in that regard.” She said.
“Well okay… but more than that, she never second-guessed herself. She picked a path and went on it. For example, one night she mentioned to me that we would all be learning to read and write. Just out of nowhere but it happened the next week. Two years later every person here could read and write. Of course, Anna was the best, always trying to beat me in everything. The point is, I envy you. All I do is think about if this is wrong… or is this right…”
“Well, it’s you I envy. The whole picking a path and going example applies the same. Sometimes when you don’t think about circumstance you end up creating worse situations.”
“Well, if you keep me in line, I will do the same for you.” She smiled at the words.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Yezmon’s Choice
The mood in the Yezmon hasn’t been like this for the longest of times. Even though I couldn’t do much for these girls, at least I know Dirk made them happy to a degree. Careful not to boost his ego, I could never tell him that. Winter was coming to a close. Heavy cloaks were put aside, and the longer days caused the snow began to melt on the cobblestones. Much more activity started to happen at the town squares and it also grew my excitement for more outings with Les. At the end of the week, there would be massive celebrations to usher in the new spring. I always thought of it as a castration of winter, but I thought it was fair considering I was tired of freezing my balls off. I decided the night of the celebrations would be the best time to be intimate with Les. As the days got closer and closer so did my nervousness.
Never thinking about it before, I couldn’t help but wonder if this is how women felt as well before their first time. Afraid I might turn into one, I let the thought go and reinforced myself with false bravado. Everyone could pick up on it as I received question after question over my well-being.
A week before the festivals started, I took Les out for some shopping along with the other girls to pick up what they wanted for the festival. It was almost as if Les and I were watching over our children roaming the capital streets, trying to find sweet candies and dresses. I couldn’t help but think these women were important to me just as a family would be. I wasn’t even sure when that had happened or if it had always been that way. I could even tell that Ralph had some degree of closeness with them as well. He protected Flo constantly knowing she was an unspoken leader of the Yezmon. Warmth swept through me seeing everyone smile and more importantly wondering what Ralph sounded like in a full conversation. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself as I imagined Flo and Ralph grunting back and forth.
We made our way into one of the trade markets for some meats and spices for the festival. On our walk here, the need to take in the city returned to me. I felt the stone roads beneath my feet and looked at the buildings surrounding us one after another. It would be different if we found ourselves walking in the more profitable areas of the city, where some houses were even surrounded by grass. I remembered that I ran a pleasure house and not my own trading company. I left my fantasy of having a home of my own behind and focused again on why we traveled here in the first place. After buying what I needed, my eyes looked for Les. I spotted her at a jewelry shop looking at a simple, beautiful necklace that seemed to have a sapphire teardrop help by a silver chain. I stood back and let her look and walk off. I made a note in my head for later and went back to her side.
Then voices got became louder ahead of us. The crowd appeared to be splitting in half as I saw horses walking up the cobbled stone. After about ten rows of two riders, people began to kneel as the royal crest came into view. Before I took a knee, I could see it was prince Aden. His attire didn’t scream royalty but more of a common foot soldier showing his practicality.
“He is likely returning from the Twins” two men mumbled to one another in front of me. I recalled the city farther south that had a mountain that matched ours behind our own city. “There had been rumors of a rebellion uprising in the south.”
“Don’t believe every rumor you hear.” The other man said. I took my knee mimicking everyone else.
He knew how to excite the crowd as he continued to tell everyone to rise. Then the cheers started all over again. His smile was almost infectious as he looked under his black locks and waved to the crowd. The end of the procession came into view where the mages formations were. A sudden burning of hot pain erupted from my palm, and then it was gone. It was enough to make me drop my crate of goods and receive a look from Les. My hand throbbed in pain. I bent down to gather up my purchases of the day. Les helped but after we were done she clasped my elbow.
“Weaver, are you ok?” I couldn’t see any injuries, but the outlines looked as if it was bulging out of my skin. I took another glance and it shook my head.
“No, I’m fine.” Must have been my imagination as the scars were back to normal blending into my own skin. The excitement had come but it faded quickly. We met up with everyone else to head back.
We all walked inside the Yezmon only to find Dirk scowling at us all.
“I am so sorry, my fair ladies, I have done you a grave disservice by not accompanying you.” Les and I snorted, with the others played into it. “I know how important a man’s opinion is when ladies of beauty choose a dress. Please forgive me. To make up for this grave crime, I will willingly give any who seek it, my opinion on all their new changes of clothes. Just let me know when I should arrive at your room.”
“This guy doesn’t stop does he, Ralph?” I turned and found my face looking into his hairy knuckles as his arms were crossed.
“You have no idea.” He replied in a deep, booming voice. We couldn’t help but laugh as we saw Dirk fawning over the ladies once again trying to apply his charm.
“Les, could you come to the back with me?” We walked past the current scene of gallantry and went to our back room. When the door was shut, I sat down on the bed and ushered her to do the same.
“Les, I need your opinion on something I’ve been thinking about. It’s about a life-changing decision, and I need to know that it will stay between us.”
“Weaver, you should be aware by now that you could tell me to go stab a city guard and not tell me the reason. I would do it because I trust you and would assume the same for you.”
“Of course, I do. Sometimes I feel like it needs to be said.” Then trying to lighten the mood, I leaned into her.
“I need you to walk up to Dirk, step on his foot, punch him in the gut, then yell out, ‘How am I supposed to support our baby with you flirting with every pair of legs’. Right in the middle of our busiest hour.” She laughed, and relief filled me.
“Why in the world would you want me to do that?”
“Just because I know it would be rather humorous. I take my wins where I can get them.” Both of us were now smiling, and I could tell she was being polite and just waiting until I said what I needed to.
“Okay, here it is, just allow me to finish before you say anything.” I took a deep breath looking at Les’s beautiful patient face. “I am horrible as pleasure house owner, I’m pretty sure we both know this. It hasn’t even been half a year since my mother’s death, and we are no better off than we were. Sure, the silver is great to have, but I fear for the futures of everyone here. Between your father and the endless ordinary I have come to hate, I sincerely wish more for them. I’m having a harder and harder time looking at them knowing what they have to do to make a few coins.” I tilted my head to the room beyond. “Tomorrow night I was going to give them time off for the festival. Before everyone leaves, I’m going to tell them that whatever debts they owed my mother or me, are considered paid.” Looking back, I saw tears gathering in Les’s warm brown eyes.
“Weaver, I’m not sure what to say, other than I’m sure now more than ever, I do not deserve the man in front of me.” She gave me a weak smile as a tear rolled down her cheek.
> “I assure you, it is I who is gracious towards your feelings for me. What I am more afraid of is leaving them with nothing. I have known some for a long time, and I don’t want to abandon them to the open world. I wish to teach them a trade or maybe just turn this place into a large tavern and be done with it.”
“I think that you should tell them both ideas and let them decide. If it’s to keep the Yezmon as it is, the tavern, or learning the fact that you’re giving a choice is more than most have had.” She came to sit beside me and ran a hand up and down my back, feeling the tension I stored there.
“I’m glad we blessed my mother’s grave because I’m sure she would be haunting me right now.” We both smiled as I continued. “After each day goes by, I feel more sorrow for everyone’s situation here. I’ve done my best to keep them happy, but I don’t want to end up like Edmund lacking all compassion. The night I hurt him something changed in me, like my soul became a bit darker. To make my guilt worse, I’m making money from their actions, and I can’t do it any longer. Everything has changed since I met you, and Anna left. I want a different life one I hope you can be there to share with me.”
“Weaver, are you ask—” I laughed and held up a hand
“No, no, I’m not asking you to marry me. Mainly due to the fact I’m going to be broke by the start of summer.”
“Well I do like nice things…” she trailed off looking at the ceiling as if she was contemplating. I snorted and stood.
“Well you stay here and think, I have meat to prepare for smoking. I’m sure there is going to be a celebration worthy of kings and queens come the weekend.” I left to her laughing on the bed, and I set out to tend to the meat.
Later that night the feeling of remorse hit me hard as I watched the patrons put hands on these women who do this to keep themselves afloat and fed. As though sensing my internal battle, Les placed her hands on my shoulders and massaged away the ache.
