Galatzi Trade

by Robin Roseau

  But then late that night, I was awoken by a fierce howling outside. My fire had faded, and the room was frigid. But it was the howling that woke me. I ran to the window, and as soon as I unlatched it, it slammed open. Snow and bitter cold blasted into the room, and I struggled to close the window against it.

  It wasn't just a snowfall; it was a blizzard, and as far as I could tell, a very fierce blizzard.

  And Sartine was out in it.

  The thought brought a howl to my throat.

  After that, I couldn't sleep. I sat in bed for a while, rocking in my worry, but even with the fire built up, the room remained frigid. I brought most of the blankets with me and wrapped up before the fire, careful of sparks, but bundled up in the blankets, finding what warmth I could.

  I didn't sleep another wink. I stared into the fire and tried to stay warm.

  But I was frantic with worry. Frantic.

  That was where I was when Kilarn found me.

  "Good morning, Cecilia," she said cheerfully as she entered the room. I looked over my shoulder at her then turned back to the fire, staring ahead.

  "Oh child," she said. She set the tray down, right on the floor by the door, and hurried to me. "Were you cold?"

  "I am not a child," I said dully. "Where is she? Kilarn, where is she? Is she dead? How could anyone survive that storm?"

  "She's fine," Kilarn assured me. "It is a fierce storm, but not so bad. She knows how to hide from it. We all do, long before we're adults."

  "She's not hiding from the storm. She's hiding from me. I don't think she went anywhere. I don't think you had the authority to give her galatzi prisoner an endless stream of guests to her private bedroom. I think she has been here the entire time, authorizing this and authorizing that, and she's just afraid to come to see me."

  "No, Cecilia. I overstepped my bounds. She wasn't making any decisions at all, and someone had to, so I did. She ran, but she is going to be come to her senses. She will be back, and she will be deeply embarrassed and beg your forgiveness."

  "I don't believe you," I said. "Maybe she ran, but she wants nothing to do with me." I sighed. "Am I so frightening?"

  "You are a little frightening," she said. "But perhaps not this frightening. Do you want to tell me what you told her?"

  I thought about it. "I do, but I can't. I don't think it would help her if you knew."

  "Are you, oh, I don't know. A murderer or something?"

  "No, nothing like that. They don't give diplomatic missions to murderers."

  "That's not true. Maybe you were some sort of soldier."

  "Nothing like that," I said. "Please don't ask. Kilarn, where is she?"

  "She'll be back, Cecilia. Not for a few days." She paused. "Whatever happens, you are now stuck here until spring at least. You understand that don't you."

  "Is that why she stayed away? To lock me in with the snow?"

  "I don't know. Maybe."

  "Now that I can't leave, does that mean my privileges expand?"

  "If I allow that, when Sartine returns, we'll have made the decision for her. Is that what you want?"

  "No."

  "She could expand your privileges. But I cannot."

  "I am not sure I believe you, Kilarn," I said. "There is a part of me that believes she is here, somewhere, hiding from me."

  "She's not."

  "You tell her she has a week, and then I take this decision from her."

  "She is not here to tell."

  "How long will the blizzard last."

  "It will let up by morning, but it will be difficult to travel afterwards."

  "She has a week. If she is hiding here, she has a week. If she is out in this weather, she has a week. If she is later than that, then I will perhaps forgive her if she comes back partially mauled by a bear or limping on a broken leg. I will perhaps forgive her if she has a real reason she could not return more promptly than this. When this weather relents, if she is truly not here, you will send people looking for her."

  "Cecilia..."

  "If she has not returned willingly, then it is either because she is hiding from me, and there is no further need to do so, or she is hurt and needs help."

  "You said she had a week. Now you say there is no need to hide?"

  "If she returns before a week is up, and she apologizes for being gone, and for scaring me so badly, and for leaving me in this little room so long, and for not letting me do my job, and she apologizes very, very well, I will forgive her and then listen to her decision. In a week and one day, this becomes my decision, and it does not matter what she decides. In a week and one day, if she has not returned, I am leaving this room, either through a door you open or a door I make."

  "If you leave that way, and then she returns on a broken leg, it will kill her. You must remain her galatzi prisoner at least until we know."

  I paused. "I will consider that course of action." I paused. "I used most of the firewood."

  "I will have more brought in, and I will show you how to keep the room bearable with less wood. If you hide under the covers, you will stay warm."

  "I was frightened and couldn't sleep."

  "I am sorry about that. I should have come last night when the blizzard hit. I hid in my own bed, not even thinking of you. I am deeply sorry and embarrassed."

  "I would perhaps have done the same thing," I said. I sighed. "I'm fine, for now."

  Return

  It took Sartine the entire week I had given Kilarn, and then a few hours besides. It was Haltarn, the woman who had served as decoy during our river crossing while fleeing Sudden, who delivered my breakfast. She stayed for a while and tried to calm my mood, but I was a wreck, and I eventually begged her to leave, apologizing I was poor company.

  I hadn't slept much for the last three days, especially when a second blizzard arrived.

  Lunch was late, and then past late. I was sick with worry. I was sick with the remnants of rejection-fueled anger. I prowled my room, unable to sit for more than a few minutes at a time. But I was standing at my window, taking peeks outside, but there was little to see, when my door opened.

  I didn't even turn it around. "I'm not in any mood for company today," I said. "Just leave whatever you brought."

  "Cecilia Grace, I am sorry."

  I spun around, and Sartine was standing in the doorway. She was still dressed in her outer clothes, although they hung open in front. There was snow dripping from her boots and hanging from the fur of her winter parka.

  I stared at her then turned away to the window. "Take all that off. I do not want to be distracted later while I am busy screaming at you."

  I ignored her as she kicked off her boots and other outerwear. Then I heard her approach on her bare feet. She came up behind me, but she didn't touch me.

  "You're late."

  "I interpret the deadline you gave Kilarn as ending tonight."

  "Have you really been gone, or is this all a show for me."

  "I went too far. I got caught in the first blizzard twenty kilometers away, and it has taken this time to get home. Cecilia Grace, I am sorry. I have treated you very poorly."

  "You left me here, in this one room. You should have taken me with you. I would have liked to have seen more of the mountains before the snow. I would have liked that for myself and for my official duties, duties you promised I could perform from here."

  "I needed time."

  "I have given you time. I am still in this room. I now need to know if I am still your galatzi prisoner. I will accept no further delays."

  "You have not taken the decision from me?"

  "We have had a severe setback in our relationship. If you thought I would make you work hard before, you can imagine how I will make you work now. I require an answer. Now."

  She didn't answer. I waited, and then I sighed.

  "You were too cowardly to face me, and now you are too cowardly to admit you don't want me. Go away. Do not lock the door."

  "Wait!" she said. "Just please. You
have waited this long. Can't you wait just a little longer?"

  "No. Today."

  "I meant an hour, not more days. An hour."

  "Why do you need this hour? You already know your heart."

  "I do, but I don't know how to tell you."

  "Am I your galatzi prisoner? Yes or no. One word. How hard is it?" I still hadn't faced her.

  "I need two words from you, Cecilia Grace. Two words."

  I thought I knew, and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then waited.

  "I need to hear you say, 'My Vendart'."

  I counted to ten before turning to her. "How dare you?" I said in a low voice. I fought to control my words. "How dare you?" I asked again. "You have not acted like a vendart. You have acted like a petulant child. You are a better leader than this. I have seen it. A term like that is a mark of deep respect, especially from me, and love besides. You know you haven't earned that." I stalked after her, and she backed away from my anger. "How dare you try to blame me because you can't handle it? You had earned the title Vendart from my lips, but you threw that away when you refused to face me. You threw that away when you treated me the way you have. And now you have to earn it back. But 'My Vendart'? Seriously? You knew the day we arrived you were going to have to earn that, and you haven't done one single thing to do so. Get out. Do not lock the door, or I swear, I will burn this village to the ground when I free myself."

  "You wouldn't!"

  "Do you care to test my resolve? I am a ninety-seven-year-old woman, scorned in the worst, most petulant way. Do not test my resolve!"

  She backed away, almost all the way to the door, then she stopped and she straightened.

  "No," she said. "I am vendart, and you will do as you are told. You will call me vendart, and you will do so immediately."

  "You have not acted like vendart, and you cannot demand respect. You can only earn it."

  "You're right," she said. "I haven't acted like vendart."

  And then we stood, staring at each other. I waited, wondering when she would blink.

  "You're right," she said again. "I have not acted like a vendart with you. I have acted exactly like the petulant child you called me a few minutes ago. But I am not a petulant child, and that behavior ends here and now."

  "Good," I said. "It's about time."

  "I am vendart, and you are my galatzi prisoner, and you will remain my galatzi prisoner."

  I raised an eyebrow. That actually stopped her. "How do you do that?"

  "Seriously? You want to learn how to raise an eyebrow? Now?"

  "Maybe another time," she said. She looked away, shook her head for a moment, then stood up straight, staring into my face. "I am vendart."

  "Act like one," I told her. "And maybe, just maybe I'll call you that again."

  "You are my galatzi prisoner."

  I thought about it.

  "No," she said. "Do not deny it. This is my decision, not yours, and it remains my decision until your marines come and take you from me. That is what 'prisoner' means."

  "Oh, look who finally has a backbone," I said. I advanced towards her again, but she held her ground, which surprised me. "We both know I can leave any time I want."

  "You can leave this room, but you wouldn't make it out of the valley. You may know how to ski, but I do not believe you know how to survive a winter like ours. I could get out of the valley, but I could not get out of the mountains, not alone, not without starving or freezing to death on the way. So unless you can fly, you cannot leave Indartha until I help you or your marines come for you. Do you wish to argue this point?"

  I thought about it. "Spring-"

  "Is six months away. I will not help you leave before spring, so unless your marines come sooner than that, you are my galatzi prisoner until at least spring. And in the spring, I may still not let you leave, and so you may continue to remain my prisoner. Now, do you wish to argue this point further?"

  I lowered my eyes. "No."

  "Good," she said. "That part is settled. I will lock this door if and when I please. And you are going to promise to behave."

  "Or what?"

  "Or I will move you to the jail cells when I am not with you."

  "Define 'behave'."

  "You will engage in no destructive behavior. You will not take advantage of a lapse in security. When I take you from this room, you will obey me when I order you to return."

  "Do you also expect me to kneel at your feet and kiss them?"

  "No. I do, however, expect you to continue to try to fit into the village. I understand you have been a joy to everyone who visits, and I am very pleased to know this, both that everyone likes you, and that you appear to like them. And also that my village took my responsibilities when I failed them so dramatically."

  I stared at her. She hadn't undone her damage, but she had perhaps smoothed some of it over.

  "I am your galatzi prisoner, and I will behave as you say, Sartine. But I do not call you 'vendart', and you will not kiss me. You will not caress my cheek the way you are so fond, either."

  "You will accept my advances."

  "For now, you have a friendship to repair. Then we will see."

  She stood up to me, but then she deflated. I'm not sure what I would have done if she had tried to kiss me. A part of me wanted her to, but it was a larger part of me that was full of pride and anger.

  "You will obey me."

  "I will go where you order me to go. I do not know what other orders you will issue. I can imagine a great many I would not obey."

  "I am your vendart, whether you call me that or not."

  "And I am a very, very stubborn woman, Sartine. You may wish to try asking."

  At that, she nodded, and she took a step backwards. "Cecilia, I am weary. It was physically grueling. I have probably made mistakes today from fatigue. I am sorry for those mistakes."

  "I will consider your apology over the coming weeks," I said.

  "I would spend the day with you, but I fear I would make more mistakes, and I do not believe you are in a mood to forgive more."

  I turned away and walked to the window. "What do you intend?"

  "Will you forgive me if I lock you in for the afternoon?"

  "After the afternoon?"

  "The inn serves dinner, and I believe the village would like to see us together."

  "And what do you wish?"

  "I wish your company for dinner and for a time after, but I will not last until late."

  "And so you will leave me at the inn when you come home."

  She barked a laugh, then apologized. "You know I won't. I will return you here, and here you will remain when you are not with me."

  "You will resolve the issue of access to the water closet," I said.

  "There is a chamber pot."

  I spun around. "No! I gave up many comforts to come here, but I will not have a smelly chamber pot in the room where I spend so many hours. You will resolve this issue. I will, for a while, accept the solution enacted while you were gone."

  "I will ask my aunt to consider seeing to these types of needs."

  "I want exercise. I want proper hot baths. I want to do my job. You will see to these needs."

  "Yes."

  "Good. I will allow you to provide a portion of my entertainment. I require a better place to charge my tablet, somewhere with direct sunlight."

  "Is tomorrow soon enough for your tablet?"

  "If you do not require me to bring it to the inn tonight, then yes."

  "I will show you where to put it tonight. There is a window in my room that gets morning sun. How many hours does it require?"

  "It depends upon the nature of the sunlight. Under direct sunlight, only about two hours. But your windows block some of the light, so perhaps longer. Maybe twice that. And longer if it is cloudy."

  "We get many days of sunlight in the winter. It is either snowing or sunny."

  "All right. That will do."

  "Anything else? I am sorry, but I a
m weary."

  "Yes. You have been gone a very long time, and if you expect me to be a willing, agreeable galatzi prisoner, I require one more thing."

  "What?"

  "I require a very, very firm hug."

  She flew to me.

  Winter

  She gave me everything I demanded, and she worked her tail off to earn my forgiveness and respect.

  Late that afternoon, she came to my room, smiling uncertainly as I looked up from the chair near the fire.

  "Greetings, my galatzi prisoner."

  "Greetings, Sartine," I said. "Is it time to go, or did you wish to visit for a while?"

  "You wish to visit?"

  "I expressed interest in the plans you have chosen for us." I set the book aside and climbed to my feet, waiting to see what she would do.

  She fully entered the room, crossing to me, but then stopped a distance apart, looking at me with an unsure expression. "Did you want to go immediately, or did you want to visit first?"

  "Sartine, you have said repeatedly you are vendart. Surely the vendart of Indartha can make such a simple decision as that."

  "I can," she said, "and I have decided I require your opinion."

  I smiled. "Sartine, if I had an opinion, do you honestly believe I would be shy about sharing it?"

  She laughed briefly. "No. We will visit, and then we will go."

  "Excellent. Now, I am about to express a strongly held opinion. Are you ready?"

  "I shall brace myself," she said.

  "You have greeted me poorly. You are able of better."

  "Cecilia? I offended you?"

  I smiled. "You have not hugged me."

  She instantly pulled me into her arms, but then she whispered, "You are a very confusing woman."

  "I know."

  We held each other for a long time. Frankly, she felt good, in spite of the strain between us, but I knew I had my work cut out for me.

  Finally she pulled away, but she lifted a hand towards my cheek. I interposed a wagging finger. "Uh, uh, uh," I said. "Hugs yes. A lover's caress, no."

  She dropped her hand, but then I felt playful, and I caressed her cheek instead. She allowed it, but then she said, "Hey! That's against the rules."

  "No it's not," I said. "I said you couldn't caress me. I didn't say I couldn't caress you." She glared at me, and I have never been more tempted to kiss someone on the nose, but restrained myself.