She had a point, and while I had no intention of keeping it from Nan, she deserved to know.
“You can tell her if you like. I didn’t keep it from her because I didn’t trust her. It just never came up.”
“What about the rest of your plan?”
I shrugged. “Tell her. Though I doubt she’ll believe that even I am stupid enough to try it. Besides, I think the look on her face will be priceless.”
“You don’t think she will react badly and ruin everything?”
“She’s too experienced for that. She’ll let me have it later, though.”
“Why did you tell me? Did you think I would give it away?” Shani asked.
“It wanted to prepare you, true, but I mostly wanted your opinion on it, if it was likely to work. Nan is Arulean. You are not. She may understand the Trulari, having lived here for so long, but you are Trulari.”
Shani thought about it for a moment. “It’ll either be the most brilliant political play in history, or The Pearl will be a pile of ashes come sunrise.”
“I just hope it works,” I said. “If it doesn’t then I don’t know how I will find the girls.”
We had entered a less tamed area. The well-maintained orchards gave way to wilder scrub and deciduous trees. The leaves were just showing the signs of having given up their summer greenery, deciding instead to go out in a blaze of color before the winter snows fell.
“Where are we going? Are we almost there?” Shani asked.
“We are close, I think. I have never been here, but I was told there was someone who may be able to help with our urchin infestation.”
“And just who would that be?” she asked.
“When I first came to Jerea, I considered posing as a traveling Priest and taking a spot in the local temple while I looked for the girls. I was told there was no temple to Hessa, but a few said they had heard of a Priest who maintained a small shrine to the goddess just outside the city. In Arul, the temples are always willing to take in orphans.”
“What makes you think you could pose as a Priest?” she asked.
“Because I am a Priest.”
“Nan said something about that, but I thought she was joking. You mean to tell me you are a Guardian, this Aspect Andvari creature, and a Hessian Priest? What aren’t you?”
“Married,” I said.
Shani stuttered to a halt.
“Did you just propose to me?”
I smiled down at the startled woman. “Come back with me to the Empire when all this is over.”
“And do what? Settle down with you and raise little Aspect pups, or whatever it is you call them? They’d eat the furniture.”
I tripped. I had never before considered passing my Aspect on to a child. Hessa’s tits.
“Are you alright?” Shani asked.
“Yes. I’ll…be fine. You caught me off guard is all.”
“Well what do you call them? When you are like…that, you look like a cross between a wolf and a giant cat. Would they be puppies, or kittens, or what? Then there are the claws. The teeth alone would make nursing a nightmare.”
I started to get angry. It had never occurred to me that she would refuse me because of my Aspect. It was a part of me that I couldn’t deny. That meant she would deny me because of who I was, not how I was. It hurt. I knew I was different and I supposed she couldn’t be blamed for her aversion to me. Hessa’s tits, even I was at times.
“I’m kidding,” Shani said, smiling that smile. It was the smile that I would do anything to see again. The one that told me she loved me, even though the words were never said. So long as I got that smile, I didn’t need to hear them. “I am sorry. You surprised me. It isn’t the first time someone had proposed to me, as you know, but it was the first time someone proposed to me and meant it—really meant it. I could tell you did. It frightened me.”
I lost my anger and considered my response.
“As far as I am aware, I am the only one like this. The prospect of my passing my Aspect on to a child has never been tested. But I meant what I said.”
“You’re sweet, Evan. You really are. But the girls will need me when Nan leaves, and my work is too important to leave off, especially if your activities here lead to the Prince’s demise. Isn’t that your intention? If you kill him, the whole country will be in upheaval. An assassination of a Prince will have very serious consequences, not only for Jerea, but the kingdom as a whole. I hope you understand that.”
I did. It would leave a vacuum of power in Jerea that would have everyone scrambling for their piece. I still didn't know the extent of the Jardir and Mata’s involvement in everything. I would have to give this some serious thought before I went after the Prince. I wanted to accomplish my goals, but I didn’t want to destabilize a country in the process.
“I haven’t decided yet,” I said. “We’ll see once I find the girls and talk to them, assuming they are still alive. I have little hope that a man would buy three girls and not have perverse intentions, but I have been wrong before. Regardless, the offer is open. You don’t have to raise any puppies if you don’t want to.”
Shani smiled, and as we rounded the bend, our destination came into view.
The shrine was just as described. It lay just off the road in a wide spot surrounded on three sides by low stones. The open front faced the road, and in the center, near the back of the stone semicircle, stood a life-size statue, a near perfect representation of those from my past. But this statue was different from those at other temples I had visited.
Hessa, her face bearing a warm smile, greeted us. Her robe revealed one bare breast, a symbol of the nurturing, life-giving nature of the Great Queen, a promise to mothers that they would forever be able to feed their children. The baser among humanity saw it as something else entirely. At times, I had to admit, I did as well at times, as I often cursed by those breasts. But one bare foot, instead of dipped into water, as was represented at the Grand Temple, rested on a human skull. It was a reminder that she trod among the dead. Her outstretched arms welcomed all to her embrace.
I smiled.
I walked into the small shrine and knelt down before the statue of my goddess, placing my hand on her foot. “Great Queen,” I prayed in Arulean, “I do not seek my end, nor a beginning. I ask only that you grant your humble servant the strength to see the middle through. Grant me wisdom that I may know that whatever this life holds, you await me at its end, a balm to this weary soul.”
I heard a rustle. “What is this I hear? A devout of the Great Queen?” a voice said. “I had not thought to hear such a thing in all the years I have been here.”
I clasped arms with the man who had emerged from a small tent behind the shrine. “Greetings, Brother. I pray the road finds you warm and fed,” I said in Arulean. It was a common greeting between traveling Priests, who would often sleep out of doors and relied on the generosity of the flocks they tended.
The man’s head tilted, and his eyes flew wide. “Brother? You are not dressed as a Priest.”
I switched to Trulari for Shani’s benefit and smiled. “I am not, Brother. I have my robes, but I am unbound. My skills sufficed to complete my training, but my personality was not conducive to a life in the priesthood.”
The man smiled back. He was a few years older than me, with long sandy hair and a full beard that showed the roughness of his life at the shrine. It was clear he did not see shelter often, other than his hide tent.
“When I first took to the road, Brother, I might have cursed you and called you an unwashed heathen.” He said. “I have learned much along my path. A few years living here, and I believe I am the one in need of a bath.” He gave a great laugh at that and waved for us to follow.
We walked through the stones at the back of the shrine and sat with the Priest on upended logs surrounding a low fire. He poked at the coals, over which a rabbit was spitted. He gave the meat a turn. “Your Trulari is good,” he said.
“I have a dedicated teacher,” I said
with a nod to Shani, who smiled.
“Had I such a lovely tutor, I dare say it wouldn’t have taken me a year to utter my first embarrassing phrase.”
“I embarrass myself daily,” I said. “But she tolerates me all the same. Her patience is boundless.”
“Then she is a treasure.”
I looked at Shani, who clearly didn’t know what to say. “She truly is.”
“What brings you to this Shrine of Hessa, Brother?” the Priest said.
“When I arrived on these shores, I sought out a temple. Though I found none, my search led me to your shrine. I thought to see what services it offered.”
The Priest waved his hand around and turned the rabbit a quarter turn. “You see all the Queen has to offer, Brother. What were you hoping to find?”
“A place for an orphan. I grew up in such a place and had hoped to find accommodation for one much like me at that age.”
He shook his head in regret. “I can barely feed myself what with the little traffic this road sees. I could not afford the taxes on the larger routes.”
“I knew there were no temples in the city. Will they simply not allow it? Is there no tolerance for a temple in the city, even one that served as an orphanage?” I asked.
“There is tolerance enough,” the Priest said. “I believed—still do—that I could build a decent temple here, but while temples are not forbidden, it seems Trular has no need for gods.”
“It is said we murdered our gods when we discovered coin,” Shani shrugged. “Though I have heard the same said of many places, even those with temples.”
The Priest nodded his agreement. “This is true. Still, there must be much good that can be done. There is just no way to begin.”
“Perhaps I can help with that,” I said. “You see, I have a soft spot for children, you might say. I have been known, on occasion, to act in the extreme on their behalf.”
Shani nodded sagely. She knew full well that I murdered a Duke and burned a temple to the ground over some orphans. She also knew that I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“I am talking about being a sponsor, a patron, you might say. I think a temple to the Great Queen would benefit Jerea greatly.”
“Temple? An actual temple?” he asked. His excitement was palpable as he stood abruptly and started pacing. “I never imagined. The opportunity to see my dream come alive. A temple?” His face fell and a look of worry overcame him. “Oh, I just thought of something.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“A temple would mean a Celate. Only the Keeper can designate a Celate.”
I waved that off. “You will have to fill the role of acting Celate and begin the work. The Keeper can decide what to do from there. At the very least, he is likely to send a couple of young Priests to aid you in your endeavor.”
“He had better send a Celate, too,” the man said. “I am not suited for such a role.”
“I am sure you will do a fine job in the interim,” I said.
The Priest smiled and shook his head in amazement. “This is more than I have ever dreamed possible.”
“It’s settled, then,” I said and stood. Shani rose as well. “And whom should I inform the Keeper is his new Celate?”
“Acting Celate,” he said. “And the name is Balinar. Cedric Balinar.”
We exchanged grips again. His forearm was thin, but strong. “Well, Brother Balinar, I am grateful to Her to have met you before Shael’s gates. If I might trouble you, I will meet with you in a few days. I will look for suitable arrangements within the city. I will need to find someone aware of property for sale, however, that might prove difficult.”
“I know someone,” Shani said. “He is a client. I will probably see him tonight. I will mention it to him.”
“Excellent,” I said. “I will come by in a few days and let you know where we stand.”
“This is all so much,” Balinar said. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“There is no need to thank me. The Queen saw Jerea’s need and chose us to see to it. This is the result, and all the thanks I require.”
We exchanged another round of handshakes and Shani and I left the little shrine, headed back toward the city. We would make it back in time for my date with Palasia, provided there were no more delays. I had a bit of preparation to attend to before the night’s activities that largely involved a bath.
“Did you just promise to buy that man a temple?” Shani asked once we were out of earshot.
“I did.”
“How are you going to pay for it?”
“You told me once that we all are prostitutes for different reasons. My reason is not because I need money.”
“Then why?” She knew very well why. I needed to find the girls. I supposed she wanted to see what smart-mouthed answer I would come up with. I didn’t disappoint.
“For the sex, of course.”
She hit me.
Foreplay
Shani and I arrived back at The Velvet Pearl with just enough time for us to bathe and get ready for work. I pored through my recently acquired clothing to find something appropriate for tonight's festivities. Finding nothing suitable, I called in an expert.
I had to go down one flight of stairs, as the room I sought was located midway of the second floor. I knocked on the door and I heard a ‘just a moment’ from the other side. Soon the door opened to reveal Gorge dressed in a tight gold bodysuit, complete with manacles wrapped in some animal’s fur on his neck, wrists, and ankles.
“What is it, Evan?” he asked. “My first client will be here in less than an hour, and I still have to stretch. The last time I didn’t stretch, I pulled a muscle. Do you know what’s like it is to work with a pulled groin muscle? Of course you don’t. It’s excruciating, is what it is. Just the wors—”
“Gorge, I need your help,” I said.
“Excuse me?” he said, straightening his back and cocking his head.
“I need your help, George. I have a really important appointment tonight, and I don’t have the right clothes, I think. Hessa’s tits, I don’t even know if I do or not.”
“I haven’t heard a thing you’ve said, Evan. I’m sorry. I can’t help.” He started to close the door.
I rolled my eyes and gritted my teeth. “Very well,” I said. “I’ve come to the mountain for wisdom.”
The door flew wide, and Gorge grabbed my hand and dragged me into his room. “Why didn’t you say so, man? I am more than willing to help a friend in need.”
“Drama queen,” I grumbled.
“But still queen, dear Evan. Don’t forget.” He patted my cheek.
Gorge’s room was decorated much like many of the others in terms of quality, yet more in line with a masculine taste. The decor didn’t suit Gorge at all. He had moaned about it several times over a few ales after work. But he lived in the city, so had resigned himself to decorations that more suited his clientele than himself.
The bed was monstrous, with hardwood pillars at the corners. A fireplace sat on one wall with a stag’s head mounted above it. A small weapons rack sat to one side with a couple of decently made swords. Dull, naturally. Two extra-wide chairs were positioned facing the fireplace, and a bottle of whiskey with two glasses sat on a low table between them. Personally, I thought the place was perfect, but that was to be expected..
Most of Gorge’s clients were men who were not comfortable, or politically able, to display their natural sexuality. They pretended in front of their friends and wives, then came to Gorge for what they wanted, in an environment that was familiar and relaxing. Gorge sold them what they wanted, but gave them what they needed: acceptance. That came at a premium.
“What can I do for you, my friend?” he asked.
“Someone is coming by tonight and I need everything to be perfect or everything is going to go to shit. I was looking for something to wear and none of it says what I want it to say.”
“
What do you want it to say?”
I threw up my hands. “I don’t know!” I was on the verge of panic. I had everything planned to the letter. I knew what I was going to say. I knew what I was going to do. I had anticipated every reaction I could think of and had three contingencies for all of them—but it all hinged on the first impression. And even with a closet full of new clothes, I had nothing to wear.
“Children,” Gorge sighed dramatically. “Okay, what do you want her to feel?”
I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I thought about the image I wanted to project and the reactions I needed from the encounter that I had planned. Without opening my eyes, I spoke. “Imagine you are sitting in that chair,” I pointed, “and someone walks in. With a glance you know without a doubt that they don’t answer to you, yet more than that, they will not answer to you. You know they are confident and competent enough that you could willingly surrender to them without fear of disappointment.” I opened my eyes. “That’s what I want her to feel.”
Gorge blinked lidded eyes, and he swayed on his feet. His back snapped straight with realization and he blurted, “The Mata’s coming...tonight?”
“Yes.” I winced. “Still willing to help?”
Gorge threw his head back, laughed aloud, and clapped. “Ooh. I’m an accomplice. This is so exciting. I have just the thing.” And he streaked into his closets. I heard muffled grunts as he moved things around. Random fabric erupted from the opening, and I heard him giggle and curse alternatively. Finally he emerged with a bundle of what looked to be rags and he thrust them at me.
“Here. when I wear it, it says ‘gorgeous,’ but you are bigger and more muscular and I am. It will scream dominance on you. You will have to put a bit of authority behind it, Evan, or it’s just absurd. Can you do authority?”
“I’ll do my best,” I said. “Um...Gorge,” I said hesitantly. “Are you sure about this?”
Gorge let out a loud sigh. “Ugh. You came to the mountain for wisdom and now you have it.” He turned me around. “Don’t second guess it.” He pushed me from his room and slammed the door behind me. A second later and the door jerked back open and Gorge stuck his head out.
Oathbound: The Emperor's Conscience, Book 2 Page 11
