by Susan Wright
The number came to me instantly. "Six."
He didn’t believe me. "And you claim they’re being pursued?"
"Yes, by at least a dozen vessels." I closed my eyes and described the shape of the boats and the swarthy men with flashing white teeth who manned them.
He tapped the map briefly. "What is it you expect me to do?"
"Whatever you think is best."
He considered that. "I want you to say here until I find out more about this."
I smiled. "If that is your wish."
With a slight bow of my head in respect to the doj, I followed the servant he summoned to a cramped room on the lower level. There were no windows. Two fat candles illuminated a simple bed, a table, and two chairs.
When the door closed behind the servant, I wasn’t surprised to hear the latch fall shut with a click. I tested the door and found I was locked in. I could have called an olf to open the door for me, but I was exactly where I wanted to be.
I sat down and began to wait.
I didn’t see the doj for two days. The servant brought me food and a plain shift to wear, but refused to tell me anything. I couldn’t speak to the sea spirits from the enclosed room, so I had no way of knowing what was happening to the Veneto fleet. The olfs that popped in and out were more preoccupied with what had been served at the expansive table rather than discussions of fleet movements by the councilors.
I wondered what Lexander would think when he came to the cellar and found me gone. Likely he’d believe I was out wandering in the city.
Then the door creaked open and the doj finally appeared. I blinked at the addition of two more candles, brightening my room. Then he sent the servants out, shutting the door behind them.
From the intense interest in his face, I knew. "Your ships have returned."
"Yes. My perimeter fleet was cut to a third of its size by the Cileans in a lightning raid. Nobody could have returned faster with word of it." His eyes narrowed. "If I had not sent ships to meet them, the Cileans might have challenged the defenses of the home fleet, as well. But in the battle that ensued, the enemy lost two ships and was driven off. How did you know?"
"I told you, the sea spirits speak to me." He still didn’t believe me, so I added, "What does it matter, if my information is sound?"
"Perhaps." Silvo gestured and we each sat in one of the chairs. With my hair demurely coiled at my neck, I must have looked like one of his servants. No wonder he was perplexed by me.
"Who are your people?" Silvo asked. "You speak like a native of Veneto, but you’re far too fair."
"I came a great distance to get here. I followed the peregrini path across the summits to reach your city. When I arrived, I knew that I had not been called here by Kristna. The sea spirits spoke to me instead."
"A young woman traveling alone in winter? Have you no family, no one who can guarantee your word?"
"My companion was a young man," I said. "We stayed in the sanctuary here until . . . he was caught rutting with one of the clerics. As I said, we were not called by Kristna."
Silvo raised one brow. "Where is this companion?"
I could not mention Castropiero. "I know not. He disappeared into the streets a few days ago. I can only hope he has found a patron worthy of him."
Silvo nodded, obviously prepared to check my assertions with the clerics at the sanctuary. "What else have you foreseen for my city?"
"I can hear nothing from the sea locked in this room," I countered. "I need my freedom in order to speak to the spirits."
He nodded shortly. "You can go wherever you desire. What else do you want?"
I stood up, knowing it was not what he expected. I went to the door and found it open. On the other side was a long corridor with rooms opening off of it. There were many voices and people hurrying about.
I turned and smiled at him. "First, I would like to bathe. Then I would like to join you at this evening’s meal."
19
I spent the afternoon swathed in luxury like nothing I had experienced before. I was shown into a cool, spacious chamber filled with a dappled reflected light from the channel. The tub of hammered silver held frothing hot water that soothed me down to the bones. The servants were quick to fetch anything I desired, bathing me as expertly as Helanas could have wished and rubbing me with fine scented creams. Several beautiful dresses were brought for my approval. I chose a gown of supple weave that clung to my body and flowed in an amber swirl to my feet.
When I was dressed in my finery, I returned to the boat launch. I pulled back the flared sleeve and plunged my hand into the water. A servant had followed me, and likely would report everything I did to the doj.
I sank into the rhythms of the sea, feeling the spirits welcoming me. They showed ships plying the waters near and far. Many were winged ships skimming the waves, while the heavier merchant vessels plowed through the water with stately majesty. It was difficult separating the images, but at length I settled on a pirate ship putting into a cove. The landmarks were distinctive, and I envisioned the map the doj had shown me, moving my finger down the imaginary line of the bay. The spirits indicated which island the pirates used to resupply their ships.
It was something that might or might not interest the doj, but that was not my concern. My intent was to become a veritable fountain of information flowing from the sea.
When the doj joined me at the table, he said not a word about Bene or the Kristna sanctuary. Yet he must have verified my tale with the clerics. If Bene had still been with me, I would not have risked it for fear they would try to punish him for seducing the cleric. But I had not done anything amiss.
I maintained my status as guest, while deftly serving the doj during our meal. I held the bowl of water for him to wash his fingers after every course, and then wiped his hands with the white napkins. I trusted the mix of intimacy and mystery would be intoxicating.
He asked about my travels and I told him of the beauty of the frozen mountains and the clean, rosy-cheeked people who lived there. He had sailed to many parts of the great Azure Sea, but he had never ventured inland to the heights of the summits.
Etien’s lessons served me well with the doj. He was a political man, accustomed to thinking about trade with nations and expanding Veneto’s authority. Thanks to Montplaire, I understood the fundamentals of the regimes of the Auldland.
Olfs played on the table throughout the meal, once snatching a bit of food from the doj’s fingers. He didn’t see the olf, but he noticed me watching him closely when he sprinkled a few drops of wine on the tile floor, his lips moving as he made the customary offering. The olfs clearly approved of the city’s ruler. Yet I had discovered from Overlord Jedvard that a sovereign could be ruthless in upholding his benevolent rule. The doj’s interests coincided with mine at the moment, but I had no doubt that he would be merciless in defending his city, at my expense if need be.
I set out to intrigue the doj, but slowly I became captivated. I admired his subtle questions and assertions, so unlike the brazen ways of most men. He quietly received my attentions like he was accustomed to being served. When I told him about the pirates’ lair, he nodded graciously.
Silvo was certainly a dominant man. It gave me a secret thrill to feel his appraising gaze. He picked out the choicest pieces of meat and the ripest fruit for me, urging me to eat and concerned about my slender form, worn from my long journey. He made sure I wanted for nothing and was quick to anticipate my needs. His address was ever courteous.
It reminded me of how Lexander used to treat me . . . but now was not the moment to be distracted. I needed the doj to desire me. I was excited by him, went flushed and heated when he looked at me. Yet I remained demure, lowering my eyes and touching him lightly only while serving him.
I found myself wondering why Silvo’s consort avoided his company. But the olfs whispered to me that she was preparing to pass through to the Otherworld. They could feel her inua very strongly, though I got the impression from them of a wast
ed body, her yellowed skin stretched like gauze.
My gasp made the doj lift a brow. "Yes?"
I could not lie. "Your consort . . . she is very ill."
He avoided my eyes. "All of Veneto knows how she has suffered. Some say it was bearing too many children. But she loves the babes so."
His consort and their children lived in the other end of the mansion. I couldn’t tell if he felt sorry for her or was repulsed by her illness.
After we had partaken of the ices at the end of the meal, I made a show of rising. "Thank you for your hospitality, Domen Silvo."
"You’re leaving?" His quick glance was shrewd. He understood gratitude and was comfortable being the provider, so it bothered him that I had asked for so little.
I smiled. "You said I was free to go as I will."
"Yes, certainly you may. But must you?" Silvo stood up and joined me, taking my hand. "I can give you a chamber to use as your own."
"With a guard at the door?" I teased. In truth, I would rather not return to the cellar.
Silvo gave a shrug. "If you wish to leave, I will accompany you to the boat that will convey you to your destination."
I raised his hand to my lips, kissing him with fervent appreciation. "Thank you, my doj. You have been most . . . kind."
My lips caressed the back of his hand. Impulsively, I turned it, lightly kissing and stroking his strong, square palm. He had the roughened hands of a man who had sailed ships and hauled goods. His great-uncle had been doj two generations ago, but Silvo had not rested on the reputation of his family. It was said he had made his fortune for himself.
Silvo caressed my face lightly, drawing me back to his side to kiss me. I responded with delight. He was fascinated, true, but in his touch he revealed his eagerness to gain mastery over me.
He pushed me down on the cushioned bench, and I laid my head against the gold pillow where his arm had rested during our meal. As Silvo leaned over me, his hand on my waist, a servant entered and removed our plates. The servant’s gaze shifted away when he met my eyes.
Silvo ignored the man as he kissed me. I didn’t protest as he gradually pulled my dress down the curve of my shoulders. The servant saw it, slowing to watch. Silvo must have noticed.
He hesitated, expecting me to object, but when I kissed him harder, he tugged until my bosom was exposed.
Another servant entered and put out several of the candles. When he was through, he waited by the door, staring inward where he couldn’t help but watch as Silvo dragged up my skirt to reveal my long legs.
Perhaps for some women the humiliation of being taken before the servants would not be pleasurable, but it added to my excitement. I had always been watched during my training, and found it heightened my sensations. Perhaps that’s why Silvo enjoyed the pleasure house, where he could rut with compliant women in front of others.
Silvo grew eager at my uninhibited response, baring his teeth as if he would devour me. When he spread my legs, I was ready for him. He was still clothed with only his tarse exposed. The servant licked his lips as Silvo took me.
Other servants, men and women both, entered while Silvo thrust into me. They removed dishes and poured more wine, acting as if nothing was happening. I moaned in abandon.
Silvo was caught up in the waves of pleasure that wrenched my body and could not withhold his own climax. But when I thought it was over, he continued pumping into me, still rigid. It carried me higher and further than before. He kept plunging into me until another burst of passion made him cry out. I lay fully replete beneath him.
The days that followed were surpassingly pleasant, the sort of life that could be mine with help from the sea spirits. But I was not one to seek the finer things for their own sake.
I’m sure the doj sensed that in me. He probed me ever deeper, both in flesh and mind. In doing so, I naturally came to know him better. He was the eldest son of an impoverished line of his family. He had fought hard to elevate himself and never forgot that he had been given nothing. There was an inherent roughness in his blunt speech and lack of pretension, as if his polish was only a veneer. I saw him do nothing deceitful, but I felt sure he would bend the law to suit his needs.
So I reached out to that part of him, the wild young Domen Silvo inside the doj. Though he was the ruler of Veneto, I spoke to him frankly, without elaborate honorifics or compliments.
I didn’t mind it when he corrected me, whether it was my ignorance or a mistaken notion, and that puzzled him. I thoroughly enjoyed all of his efforts to gain control of me, knowing that even he could not plumb the depths of my submissive nature.
Yet at times Silvo knew I was preoccupied by something . . . or someone. I claimed that my abstraction was part of my ability to speak to the spirits, that meditative part of me, but he remained suspicious just the same.
I left the palace each day, taking long walks through the city. The doj had me followed sometimes, but with the olfs’ help I eluded the servants. Whenever I returned to the cellar, I changed things in the room so Lexander would know I was still in the city. More coins were occasionally left behind, and the owner of the house said my fee had been paid for the next moon.
I waited in the cellar one afternoon, since that was when Lexander had come before. I even slept there one night, hoping he would appear in the morning. But he didn’t. It was just as well since I could not give him what he desired. But I wanted to warn him about my plan.
From the doj’s palace, I often asked the olfs to go into the pleasure house to see what happened there, but they were reluctant to enter. One olf did tell me that Bene had been rutting with Lexander. Afterward, Bene fell asleep with his head on Lexander’s chest. I could almost see the sheets wound around them, revealing Bene’s shapely buttocks and slender beauty.
What hurt the most was the olf’s impression of Lexander’s contentment. I wanted Lexander to care for me as he once did. But instead, he was satisfying himself at Bene’s expense.
I wasn’t sure what Lexander would think of my efforts to gain the trust of the most powerful man in Veneto. I only hoped he would heed my warning when it came time to get out of Castropiero. So far he had refused to listen to me.
That evening I whispered to the doj that his councilor of trade was using city ships for his own business. The doj listened intently, stroking my hair during our meal, more pleased with me than usual. He pressed the delicacies on me, urging me to eat more.
I basked in his adoration. But I wondered if Silvo would grow ever more possessive and try to impose his will on me. I appreciated that he was a domineering and forceful lover, but I would not allow him to command me in other ways. The fact that he was doj made it near certain he would try.
As we were finishing our ices, the servant announced, "The house of Castropiero, your grace."
Renata walked in first, followed by Lexander. The doj was not surprised, so he must have invited them. I should have known Silvo would be brazen enough about his appetites to bring them here.
Lexander was superb. His eyes widened in surprise at seeing me by the doj’s side, but he quickly recovered. Silvo was watching him closely, as he did everyone.
Two pleasure slaves followed Renata and Lexander, kneeling at their feet, gesig. I knew the pose of surrender would appeal to Silvo. One of them was a particularly stunning, auburn-haired woman.
I sipped my wine and casually followed their greetings. Renata was filled with nervous energy, twisting her fingers together and chattering too fast. I was not concerned that she would recognize me as the waif in the ragged leggings who had briefly haunted their courtyard. My face was enhanced with cosmetics as the doj preferred, and my hair hung loose and tousled. The wide neckline of my dress kept slipping off my shoulders, exposing far more bosom than was usual even in Veneto.
The doj spoke to Lexander as if they were acquainted, which meant Silvo must have gone to Castropiero since we had met. The man was insatiable!
I smiled as the doj introduced Lexander and Renata. L
exander’s eyes were shuttered tight as he nodded to me. My heart called to him, standing there so fine. But his rigid stance revealed his anger and shock, reminding me of the distance between us.
"Where have you been hiding?" Renata cooed to the doj. She came close to the table as if her intimacy with Silvo was assured. "I don’t think we’ve ever gone this long without seeing you."
The doj looked away as if bored by her presumption.
"We are pleased you allowed us to come tonight," Renata hastened to add. "We brought two of our best slaves. I believe they’re your current favorites . . ."
Perhaps she said it to make me jealous, but it had the opposite effect. I would much rather see Silvo rutting with the pretty slaves than Lexander.
But Silvo declined with a bland expression. "Many thanks, but no. I have quite enough to tend to." His hand slipped into the neck of my dress. I gasped as his fingers tweaked my nipple hard.
I leaned closer to him, as he expected. I couldn’t even glance at Lexander. The tension in the room quickly rose.
Renata drawled, "I’m glad to see you’ve been well entertained."
Silvo touched my chin, lifting my face. He licked me lightly on the cheek. "Delicious!"
Renata’s hands were clenched, when she should have laughed it off. She wanted more from the doj, something beyond his patronage. Could it be that she lusted for him? I had never seen Silvo visit Renata’s chamber, and he was not likely to rut with her unless it was in front of the others.
Renata shifted back and forth as if unsure of what to say, eyeing me sharply.
Silvo was more decisive. He pushed my head down to his groin.
I stiffened, a rare moment of resistance. We struggled for just an instant, until I gave in and began to nuzzle the velvet over his tarse.
"Suck on it," Silvo ordered in low voice.
It was not how I intended for Lexander to find out what I was doing. But it made the situation pretty clear. I unlaced Silvo’s pants and dove in, licking and drawing his thickening tarse out.
