Nisim helped her dress and then stepped back to admire the results. By the God she was wonderful. Nisim hardened at the sight of her in clothes and wished she were for him and not some stranger.
“We had better go up. The mistress will be opening the doors soon,” Trista said and Nona went out the door first.
Nisim collected the paints and quickly put them under Dagmar’s pillow where she would be sure to find them. Trista and the others were gone when he turned back so he hurried up the stairs to find a crowd admiring Nona. He slipped along the wall and sat in a quiet corner out of harm’s way. He didn’t need the mistress’s regard tonight. He hadn’t touched Nona, well not very much, but he wasn’t willing to put himself forward in case she disagreed. Nona basked in the adoration heaped upon her. He was glad for her and hoped she wouldn’t be disappointed with her night. He would do anything to guarantee it for her, but all he could realistically do was hope for the best.
The mistress was beaming at everyone. She was well pleased with Trista for transforming Nona into a princess. She examined Nona from all sides and said something to her that had Nona blushing and smiling at the same time. Nisim watched as his friends chattered excitedly, but he took no part. How could they be so friendly with that woman? They were talking with the mistress as if she were one of them, but she wasn’t and could never be! Mistress Lakshmi was born a free woman—a commoner true, but still free.
The mistress said it was time to open and shooed everyone into place. She looked around the room once more, looking for Nisim perhaps, but he eased back further into the shadows. She didn’t see him. She turned away with a puzzled frown to open the doors.
That night was busy for Nisim. He had two women to pleasure as soon as the doors opened. They had heard about his brand and that he had been Talitha’s personal slave. He managed both of them, and they left satisfied, or so he thought. The mistress seemed happy with the fee anyway, but two was his limit for a while. He drank the brew all the males had to drink and waited for it to work.
Nona hadn’t been chosen once in all that time.
The mistress—the stupid bitch—had overpriced her. There weren’t many men willing to pay ten gold for a girl, even if she was a virgin. The poor thing sat in quiet misery as Magda went up then Trista. All the girls had been up at least once before things started going horribly wrong. Nisim knew something wasn’t right when the mistress began bowing and scraping in the extreme. He craned his neck to see what was happening but what he found was a puzzle. A woman like any other had come in with a man following her like a bodyguard. She was ugly, ugly, ugly!
“The first prince’s daughter!” Magda said. “The mistress is honoured indeed.”
“Oh? Maybe the mistress will do the honours then,” Nisim said grumpily.
Trista laughed but covered it when heads turned toward her. She needn’t have worried. The mistress beckoned Nisim and Nona, and they went forward to their doom.
“Lady Mireya, this is Nisim.”
“Show me,” Mireya snapped.
“Show her the brand, Nisim,” Lakshmi said.
Nisim gritted his teeth and pulled his shirt down to reveal the mark.
“So it’s true,” Mireya said. “How does it happen that a common brothel owner buys such a treasure?”
“The Matriarch’s Chamberlain is a friend, Lady. When our beloved Matriarch tired of the boy, Jarek remembered me.”
“I see. I will give you twenty gold for him.”
“I’m sorry, Lady Mireya. Nisim is my prize, he’s not for sale.”
Mireya’s eyes bored into Lakshmi. “Thirty gold.”
“No.”
“Fifty.”
“N-no,” Lakshmi said sick at the thought of turning down such a sum.
Nisim was pleased. Maybe he had misjudged Lakshmi after all. Could it be that she was protecting him as Jarek said she would? Surely not. Why beat him then? No, she just thought to earn more from working him here. That must be it.
Mireya’s eyes glittered at being balked. “I will take him for the night then. The girl is for my man.”
The mistress bobbed her head, and the deal was struck.
Nisim led Mireya to a room while Nona did the same for the guard. He hoped everything would work out for her, but he had his hands full—literally—with the first prince’s daughter. Mireya was all over him the moment Nisim closed the door. She ripped his shirt off and drew blood with her nails. He hissed as she bit his nipple, but he didn’t backhand her as he wished to. He was all control, control, control tonight!
“Undress me.” Mireya said stepping back from him.
Nisim jumped to obey. It was better than having her rip him to pieces. He had her naked in no time flat and pretended to like what he saw. He hadn’t had much practise at pretending. The women he serviced were generally young and good looking. Not so Mireya.
“Strip!”
Nisim did that, all the while pretending he was doing it for Talitha. To his surprise it began to work and he hardened ready for what was to come. He moved forward to do his duty but he was a little confused when she lay not on the bed but knelt on the floor.
“Down here. Behind me.”
Nisim took a deep breath and moved into position. At least this way he didn’t have to look at her ugly face. By the God, he wished he were with Nona!
“Well?” Mireya snapped. “What are you waiting for?”
Nisim gritted his teeth and fitted himself against her. A slight push and he was in and moving. He closed his eyes trying to see Talitha, but Mireya ruined it with her grunting and groaning. Talitha never did that, she sort of purred. Yes, purred like a big cat, and moved like one as well. Very sensuous it was, but this fat sow sounded more like a pig wallowing in the mud. Not that she was fat really, but she carried herself as if she was. Sort of droop shouldered and slovenly.
“AEiii, Nisim!” a voice screamed and sobbed, “No, no, noooo!”
“Nona?” Nisim said turning toward the door. “Nona!” He jumped up and ran out the room naked as he was.
“Slave!” Mireya roared in anger.
Nisim slammed into a door but it was the wrong one. The room was empty. He spun on his heel and ran back the other way. He shouldered another door open. Inside he found Nona naked in the corner and crying fit to break his heart. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the blood on the sheets, but then his world seemed to haze red and a roaring filled his ears when he saw the bruises. Nona’s face was a mass of bruises on one side, and her breasts were badly scratched and bitten. One eye was swelling shut. She reached for him like a child seeking comfort. The world slowed as he turned to find the bodyguard calmly dressing. He had his uniform on but unbuttoned and his armour lay discarded at his feet. The man was turning toward him.
“You bastard!” Nisim howled in rage and launched himself to slam the man against the wall. “I’ll kill you!”
And he did. It took him just one punch.
Nisim was strong, but not that strong. The man had flinched when he saw the punch driving in and caused Nisim to miss badly. His fist, aimed for the bodyguard’s jaw, smashed the man’s larynx instead. Nisim stepped back and watched the guard flail around trying to breath. He watched him die and wished he hadn’t needed to kill him. The bastard had deserved it, but now he was stained with the man’s blood.
“He hurt me,” Nona sobbed. “He laughed at me and hurt me…”
Nisim nodded and waited for the Lakshmi to come. He would be executed for this, he had no doubt.
“It’s all right now. He won’t hurt you again—not ever.”
* * *
“—and all of our ships have returned safely,” Chamberlain Jarek said and leaned back a little to massage his left arm.
Talitha frowned. Jarek seemed to have a cramp of some sort. She frowned at one of her slaves. Instantly the girl jumped forward with a cushion for Jarek, but Talitha was still annoyed. She should not have to tell her girls how to serve.
Jarek was still waiti
ng for her comments.
“That is good, very good Jarek. Have we estimates on the damage inflicted?”
Jarek nodded. “Our strike leaders report ten small towns, sixteen farms, and twelve villages completely destroyed along the border. The fleet reports significant damage to two port towns also. We have booty and slaves to cover the costs of the expedition five times over.”
“Only five? That doesn’t seem very good.” Talitha said but she noted that Jarek disagreed. “All right what am I missing?”
“Nothing Matriarch. Five times is fine. The idea was to hurt Vexin not to make money. Tanjung has lost twice what we gained because they need to replace it all. Even that’s not the best part.”
Talitha thought for a moment and then grudgingly acknowledged Jarek’s words. Vexin himself was weakened by this raid, which was worth far more than anything gained through slaves and booty. Being Emperor of Tanjung was a precarious position to hold, but one Vexin and his father before him seemed suited for. That was not to the benefit of Japura. No Matriarch wanted a strong and united empire on her border, but Tanjung had shown a distressing trend toward stability over recent years. In the past, the noble houses had constantly feuded with each other, thereby fracturing and weakening the empire, but now things were changing. Feuds were still ongoing, but they tended to be political rather than the full-blooded mini-wars of the past. Assassination was an art form in Tanjung, and it was used to good effect in politics there. Talitha had ordered the raids against Vexin last year in retaliation for the piratical acts of one of his lords upon her coast. History had taught Japura that the only thing Tanjuners respected was force. Counter-raiding was the only way to make Vexin sit up and take notice.
“What are the chances of Vexin’s assassination over this?”
“Three to one against I would say,” Jarek said. “Vexin has an able spy master in Keppel. Any attempt would be anticipated.”
“A shame.” Talitha said and sipped some of her Pella juice. “Still, Vexin’s position will be weakened somewhat. That’s better than nothing. Will he talk do you think, or try another raid?”
“As I said before we sent the fleet, Matriarch, Vexin was probably not aware of the raids against us. He has other concerns right now. Deva for one.”
“Yes, yes,” Talitha said in annoyance. “I remember, but will he talk?”
“Hard to say. Vexin has shown more willingness to talk than fight over the years, but his war with Deva shows that he is willing to fight on occasion.”
“Hmmm yes. I want an eye kept on that army of his. In Tanjung Karang is it not?”
Jarek nodded. “We have eyes in all the cities. I do have a few at the fortress.”
“That is good, very good. Maybe we should kill the Strike Leader in command there.”
Jarek didn’t like that idea. “War Leader Barthan is an able warrior, but he’s our best friend where Vexin’s army is concerned.”
Talitha noted Jarek’s subtle correction. Tanjung didn’t use Strike Leaders. They had War Leaders instead. The title mattered not, the function was the same. Barthan was Tanjung’s greatest warrior, but Jarek was right. Barthan was as much stupid as he was a good fighter.
“Assassination is a bad business, Talitha. You assassinate theirs they assassinate ours. Where do we draw the line—anywhere? We assassinate Vexin. They assassinate… you.”
Talitha shifted uncomfortably at the thought of the Dark Brothers coming into Japura. She glanced at the reassuring sight of Force Leader Tymek. His men were always present. Tymek himself was on duty today, but half his men were always here with her. The other half were asleep and would be with her at night. Tymek alternated between the two to keep his eye on both halves of her guard. She was never alone, but she felt separate from everyone.
Talitha sighed. “It’s at times like this when I wish we had sorcerers like the Protectorate.”
“They’re more hindrance than help, Matriarch. They can do marvellous things I will admit, but they’re completely un-governable. Would you really want a new class living in Japura—one with abilities the Matriarchy lacks?”
“You forget yourself Jarek! The Matriarch is perfect, I can therefore lack nothing.”
“This is true little one,” Jarek said soothing Talitha with his pet name for her. “You are perfect and lack nothing. Therefore magic cannot be desirable. If it was you would already have it.”
Talitha mumbled grumpily. Japura was the oldest nation in Waipara. It had flourished under the rulership of the Matriarchy for thousands of years. Everyone was content in the knowledge of who his superiors and inferiors were. The Matriarch was perfect and therefore superior to all, princes were superior to all except the Matriarch, domain-lords were superior to commoners only, and commoners were just that… commoners. Slaves of course were slaves. They had no inferiors, they had no place except to serve their betters.
“Prince Ranen arrived in the palace last night,” Jarek said in an off-hand manner.
Talitha smiled. “I heard. Do you know what he wants?”
“He said he would like a private interview with you, Matriarch. I said I would enquire,” Jarek said with a smirk.
“Oh you!” She threw a cushion at Jarek but he ducked and it landed at Tymek’s feet. The force leader ignored it of course.
“Do you like him Talitha?”
She nodded, but she liked many people. What Jarek was asking was whether she thought Ranen might be the one for her. Jarek was concerned with providing the Matriarchy with an heir, which Talitha knew reflected the people’s concerns for her.
“Is he whom you choose?” Jarek said hopefully.
“I think… yes. But I haven’t spoken to him about it.”
“Perhaps this is why he is here.”
Talitha thought it unlikely. Ranen never mentioned anything about marriage. When Talitha ordered his father to kill himself last year, she had seen something she liked in Ranen. All of her princes were loyal and intelligent men. Most were handsome, but Ranen felt different to her. Was that love?
“Ranen never talks about things like that,” Talitha said. “We always talk about flowers, or poetry, or history… many other things. But we haven’t spoken about the Matriarchy with regard to marriage.”
“Perhaps today is the day to discuss such things.”
Perhaps it was, Talitha mused. “Have we more business to discuss?”
Jarek nodded. “Yes, but it’s the last. I can see you want to jump in the pool again. I swear you seem smaller each time I come in here. You really are shrinking!”
“I am not shrinking! I was always exactly one and three quarter yards tall, and I still am. You’re the one who’s shrinking, not me!” Talitha scolded but she was laughing as she said it.
“Old age does that. My replacement should be the same age as you Matriarch.”
“You’re not old!”
“Sixty is old Talitha. Ten years more perhaps and I’ll be gone. I have a man in mind. I’ll introduce you. If you agree he can take over at my death.”
“I don’t want to talk about this!” Talitha said worriedly.
Was Jarek ill? There had been that cramp earlier. Was it age or something else? He seemed fine now, but some illnesses didn’t show. She would tell Wani to make enquiries. If Jarek was seeing a healer, Wanikiya would find out. She was her personal healer and had many friends among the other healers in Pura.
“No hurry, Matriarch.”
Talitha’s face froze. She would see Wanikiya straight away! There was something wrong with him. Trying not to let her fear show, Talitha asked what other business they had to deal with.
Jarek frowned in puzzlement at the change in his Matriarch. “Er hmmm. What was it… ah yes Tindebrai.”
“What about it?”
“Verner has been receiving a great many massages over this last year.”
Verner was ostensibly a merchant who had settled in Pura from Tindebrai. What he was really doing was spying for Empress Marzina of Tindebrai. The
empire was huge. It covered most of the continent, and was extremely rich and powerful. The few remaining independent lands were insignificant in comparison. The only reason they hadn’t been absorbed was that mountain regions were of no interest to the empire for some reason.
“Ships arrive and depart all the time,” Talitha said. “There’s nothing new in this.”
“True, but the content of the messages is different.”
“In what way?”
Jarek shrugged. “It’s hard to say. Slaves and slave prices have always been of concern to them. The messages always talk about trade of one kind or another, but…” He shrugged again. “I can’t point to any one thing, but they feel different as if what I’m reading isn’t what was written.”
“That is strange, but then Tindebrai always is. Why do they prevent our traders from leaving port and going in land? What does Marzina have that we must not see?”
“That question has been asked for nine hundred years or more, Matriarch. Anyone leaving the ports to find out would disappear. It’s happened before.”
“Have you copies of the messages with you?”
Jarek rummaged in the pile of scrolls by his side. He handed her six of them.
Talitha looked through them and frowned. Amongst the trade ship names and cargoes was a section dedicated to her warships.
“They noticed the fleet was sent against Tanjung I see.”
Jarek nodded. “What do you think of page three?”
Talitha scanned the page and frowned harder. What business of Marzina how many slaves Japura kept out of the market place? These figures couldn’t be right!
“These numbers are all wrong.”
“Six million is ridiculous!” Jarek burst out. “That’s more like the entire population of Japura!”
“Yes, but what does it mean? Perhaps Verner simply made a mistake.”
“I don’t know, but the mention of warships worries me.”
“Yes I saw that, but we did send the fleet out. They were bound to take notice don’t you think?”
“Yes, but you see what I mean. They’re talking trade as usual, but the information is mostly wrong.”
Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 Page 58
