by Robin Roseau
“You’re serious.”
“Yes. This goes back even further. Twenty-two years, maybe twenty-three. Wow, I haven’t thought about this in a long time. It wasn’t my estate. It was my mother’s. She’s gone now.”
“I’m sorry.”
“A decade and a half ago,” she said, somewhat offhandedly. “Mother and I had one of our fights, and I’d run away to her estate outside Gibbon.”
“Where is that?”
“Northwest, near the border to what was still Ressaline and Charth.”
“How did Queen Lisdee find you there? Did you wander?”
“No. I don’t know this for a fact, but I have my suspicions.”
“Oh, this sounds juicy.”
“I think she told Mother she could teach me a little respect. No one complained that I was gone for four months. No one.”
I laughed. “Seriously?”
“She kept me drugged all the way to Ressaline City, and then I had my first.”
“With her?”
“No, actually. A woman named Jessla.”
I began laughing. “You know someone living in Charth.”
“Jessla is in Charth?”
“If we mean the same woman. She’s a judge.”
“She was a lawyer when I knew her. Jessla’s in Charth.” She took on a distant tone for a moment. “I wish I’d known.” Then she pulled my face towards me and kissed me soundly. “If you can bear it, give that to her, from me, the next time you see her.”
“I will,” I whispered. “You could visit.”
“I don’t know when. I think if I lose the election, I might. Will you be there?”
“Unlikely.”
“When you go back, I want you to write me. I’ll come then. I’ll find a way.”
“Just to challenge me?” But I squeezed her hand. “Four months?”
“I had my first, and I recovered. Queen Lisdee claimed me for a week. That was intense. And then she sent me home but told me I was always welcome. I’ve been back twice, and I’ve meant to keep going. We’ve lost touch. But I came back a changed woman.”
“Did you still fight with your mother?”
“Yes, but the reasons were better. I came back with a far better understanding of who I am.”
“I have to ask about timing.”
“Timing?”
“You have two daughters, and they are from about the same time.”
The coach came to a stop, but Alexi didn’t move to exit. We sat still, and then she said, “No one else has ever guessed.”
“No one else would. Is Lisdee their other mother?”
“Oh, no. Not Lisdee, and not Jessla. Two different women, though.”
“I’m surprised you left.”
“Times there were very difficult. I wouldn’t have wanted to raise my daughters in a city that routinely experienced starvation.”
“Do they know?”
“They do, and now you.”
“I’ll never do anything to give anyone else any ideas.”
“I know you won’t.” She kissed my cheek then laughed. “This is an uncomfortable feeling for me, regardless. Normally I am the one learning secrets.”
“Does it need to be a secret?”
“No. I’ve done nothing I’m ashamed of, but I’ve just never told anyone.” She laughed again. “Don’t think this means I’m going to go easy on you the next time you’re in my power.”
“I’m in your power right now.” I touched the blindfold.
“Yes, but I’m talking about the next time. I’m not at all going to go easy on you this time, either. Ready?”
“No.”
She laughed and drew me from the coach.
After that, she led me… somewhere. I could tell when we stepped inside, and then she removed her own coat before helping me with mine. Then she wrapped an arm around my waist and led me forward.
It was quiet, and there was a short flight of stairs. There was a familiar scent I couldn’t quite identify, and from the sounds, I thought perhaps it was a large room, but I couldn’t place it.
I should have.
We reached wherever she was taking me, and then she turned me around several times before helping me onto a tall, high-backed stool.
Alexi moved behind me, then lowered her mouth until it was beside my ear. “I have a game planned.”
“I thought you might.”
“I could have given you a blindfold you can’t remove.”
“I’m fairly sure in a physical tussle, I can take you.”
She laughed. “Would you have resisted? I think I could have talked you into it.”
“I guess we’ll never know,” I said.
“I think I could have. I want you to behave. You’re going to be tempted to remove this.” She brushed the scarf. “I want you to keep it until I remove it for you, no matter the temptation. Will you do that for me, Darfelsa?”
I nodded. “All right.”
“Thank you.” She kissed my ear, my well-kissed ear. “There are rules to my game. Rule one. The blindfold stays until I remove it. Say ‘Yes, Alexi’.”
“Yes, Alexi.”
“You remain on the stool until I invite you from it.”
“Yes, Alexi.”
“You otherwise will do anything I tell you to do.”
“We’ll see, Alexi.”
She laughed. “We’ll see,” she agreed. “I thought about tying you to the stool. If you break my rules, there will be consequences. You won’t like them, but I’ll enjoy them immensely.” But she wrapped arms around me and hugged me from behind.
Then she straightened, lifted her voice, and said, “One. Two. Three.”
And, from seemingly every direction, a multitude of voices yelled out, “Happy birthday, Princess Darfelsa!”
It was quite loud, and it startled me besides. I turned my head over my shoulder, towards where I thought Alexi was. But I stayed on the stool and didn’t touch the blindfold. Still, she wrapped arms around me again, and her lips were at my ear. “Surprised?”
“Entirely. We’re at Bashful.”
“We certainly are, and you, my dear, are the prime entertainment. All. Night. Long.”
I laughed.
Then she straightened, but she kept her hands on my shoulders, and she would for much of the evening, she or someone else, not to hold me, but just for the comfort of touch. “I do believe we have successfully surprised our guest of honor. I want to congratulate all of you. Not so much as a single cough, not a single shifting in your seats. Well done, everyone. Very, very well done.”
She offered applause, and I joined in that. And then Alexi said, “She’s agreed to behave, but is probably wondering who is here. So our first game is this. You have to guess, but we’re going to give you a clue.” Then she moved around in front of me. One hand touched my cheek. “You have to guess who this is.” Then she lowered and kissed me. I returned the kiss, then when she separated from me, I laughed. “That was Alexi.”
“Very good, Princess,” she declared with a laugh. “You won a point. Now, I know nearly everyone here wants their chance, but we’d be here for a week, so most of you get to stay in your seats. But who is next?”
“Wait!” I said. “What happens if I guess wrong?”
“Then I get a point.”
“And?”
“And the winner of this game gets to pick someone to wear one of our special prizes.”
I laughed. I was well aware of her special prizes, and I had a pretty good idea who was going to win.
“You have one point. Next.”
Alexi moved behind me again, now with one hand on my shoulder. I felt a touch on my cheek, then a second hand on my chin, lifting me. A sweet, delicate kiss at the corner of my mouth, then the woman pulled away, but only a short distance.
“Who?”
“Castia.”
The woman brushed cheeks, kissed my ear, and whispered, “Salle.”
I lifted a hand to her cheek, just to ho
ld her where she was. “Thank you for coming.”
She brushed cheeks again, drawing away, then Alexi said, “Well, it is now one to one. Next?”
I became well-kissed. About half the women kissed my lips. Others simply kissed my cheek. There were a few men as well, and they all kissed only a cheek. Of those who kissed my lips, some were quite chaste. Some were quite… not chaste. I fanned myself several times.
For the first man, I guessed, “Blaze.”
“Not quite.” It was Belolad. He squeezed my hands.
I failed to properly guess Blaze and offered a woman’s name. He laughed, and said, “Alexi taught me how to fool you.”
I did guess for Mariya, and two people later, after receiving a scorching kiss, I had no doubt. “Flame.”
“Hello, Lover,” she whispered into my ear. “We’ve planned this for weeks. Weeks and weeks.”
Alexi stopped reporting the score. I didn’t get any others, and then she said, “We have our last kisser.” I heard boots approach, a touch on my cheek, and then a sweet kiss just to the side of my lips, and a second near my ear.
“I’ve lost track,” I admitted.
“You have to guess,” Alexi announced.
“This is someone I know?”
“Yes,” she confirmed.
“Hmm. One of the Royal Couriers,” I decided. “Bridgie or Marga.”
“You have to pick one.”
“Bridgie.”
“Well, you got it partially right,” Alexi said. “She’s a royal something.”
At that, I thought it was one of my guards, or just a play on words. I was wrong. Lips moved to my ear. “You look cute, Sister.”
Immediately, I began crying. “Ahlianna.”
We threw arms around each other. I stayed in the stool, but we hugged tightly. I cried freely, damping the blindfold. “When did you arrive?”
“Yesterday. I’m only staying a few days. Father thought you could use someone to talk to, and sending me was less disruptive than bringing you home.”
I held her for a long time, but finally Alexi said, “We could be here all night, but you know that’s not the plan, Princess Darfelsa.” But she leaned closely. “Do you need to clean up?”
“I’m fine,” I said. Ahlianna kissed my cheek and then moved away, but she slipped to my other side. I brushed away the tears that had escaped.
“My sister is a little undone,” Ahlianna said, projecting for the audience. “On her behalf, I want to thank all of you for coming tonight.”
“Try to keep us away!” someone yelled.
“Quite,” Ahlianna agreed. “I am curious as to the name of this theater.”
I began laughing, and no one explained it to her.
After that, yes, Alexi turned me into the entertainment, although not necessarily me alone. Ahlianna was gracious. Half of the people who had kissed me received attention, although she was careful with Belolad. Flame took nearly as much attention as I did, but she spent most of the time laughing.
Eventually, Alexi removed the blindfold, but not until the evening was half over. She’d already wrapped me in some sort of shroud and had people take turns feeding me cake. The way they chose to do it would have destroyed the gown, but it remained unsullied. Several other of her games were equally immature, but I found myself laughing, even while blushing.
I wouldn’t say it was necessarily the best birthday party I’d ever had, but it was definitely the biggest surprise, and I’d never laughed so hard on my birthday.
Eventually, the show concluded. I publicly thanked Alexi and found something to say about many of the other guests.
And then a much smaller group climbed into waiting carriages, heading for the embassy.
* * * *
We stayed up late, Ahlianna, Flame, Alexi, several members of my staff, as well as Salle and Blaze. Somewhere during the evening, and I wasn’t quite sure where, I stopped being on a date with Alexi and found myself with Flame, and so she and I sat together, holding hands.
But then Blaze and Salle left together. My staff excused themselves. Alexi stood and said she’d see her way out, but I jumped to my feet and pulled her into a tight hug. I didn’t have words. We simply held each other. And then she brushed cheeks before pulling away, leaving me with my sister and my lover.
“An amazing woman,” Ahlianna said.
“She is,” I agreed.
“Sit back down,” she said, so I did. Flame took my hand.
“Do Mother and Father know?”
“I don’t know. It hasn’t come up.” She gestured. “How serious is this?”
“Temporary,” I said.
“We’ll see,” said Flame.
“I didn’t come looking for a suitor.”
“And I’m not a suitor. I’m your girlfriend. Have you shared your bed with anyone else?”
“I’m not sure I want to talk about this in front of my sister.”
“I do,” Flame said.
I looked into her eyes then nodded. “No. There was doubling up when we first arrived, but that was entirely innocent.”
“Doubling up?” Ahlianna prompted.
“Five of us in my bedroom,” I said. “Three beds, and it was Sergeant Felist that slept alone nearest the door.”
“Ah.”
“It was crowded here.”
“And you led by example. That wasn’t in any of your reports.”
“A minor detail.”
She nodded. “The two of you were discussing sleeping arrangements.”
“Flame, you know I’m leaving eventually.”
“And you told me if I present myself to your mother as a suitor, you won’t turn me away.”
“I also warned you I didn’t know if she would.”
“And you’re going to do what your mother says?”
“Flame,” Ahlianna said. We both turned to her. “She’s not just anyone.”
“Are you telling me I’m not welcome in Barrish?”
“No. I’m telling you that if Father forbids a relationship, she has exactly two choices.”
“Which are?” Flame asked frostily.
“Obey or abdicate her position. If she abdicates, she has nothing. She would leave the country with the clothing on her back. I have no doubt she could make a new life somewhere else, but she’d be starting with nothing. And it’s not like a daughter estranged from her parents. It’s far more than that. Far more.”
“She’d have a home here.”
“I imagine,” Ahlianna said. “But she’d give up her life’s plans, and it’s not like she’d have a position with the embassy. She’d be living on the good graces of your family, but with no income and no resources of her own. Maybe she can build something of her own here, but she’s spent her life learning the halls of government, which are not the same as industry or business. Furthermore, she’d be, in effect, your property.”
“Excuse me?”
“If she falls out of your good graces, she’d be left entirely destitute.”
“She’d land on her feet, and that wouldn’t happen.”
“You are both young.”
“We’re all young,” I said.
“Fine. We’re all young. But your relationship is based in part because she is the princess. She wears fine gowns and hosts lovely parties. It is not Darfelsa’s nature to take charity. She’ll want to find a place for herself. But it’s not like your father can give her a position. It’s not like she would carry influence in Barrish after leaving that way. And we’re young. You’re an artist, and as I’m told, fairly good, but are you supporting your lifestyle on your own merits?”
“No,” Flame admitted.
“All right, then,” Ahlianna said. “There are a limited number of ways this relationship becomes durable. One: Darfelsa asks for the ambassadorship. I am opposed. I want her back in Barrish. If she begs me, I’d release her, but I really don’t want her to beg.”
“I won’t,” I whispered. “Your right hand.”
�
��Two: you follow her to Barrish. Maybe she adds you to her staff. You hide this relationship from our parents. I won’t tell on you, but is that what you want?”
“No,” Flame said. “I intend to present my case.”
“And that is number three. Darfelsa, is this just a fling?”
“It was supposed to be,” I said.
“And now?”
I looked up and tried not to cry. “What happens to your position if I take an untraditional choice?”
“Don’t worry about that.”
“How can I not worry about that?” I asked. “You’re going to have a hard-enough time. I’m already making it harder for you.”
“No, Darfelsa, you are not.”
“But…”
“Listen to me very carefully,” she said. “I didn’t come here to make this relationship more difficult for you. I’ve come with my blessing.”
“You have?”
“Of course, I have,” she said. “I would have supported Gretchena.”
“She’s that woman from Charth?” Flame asked.
“You know about her,” Ahlianna replied.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard her name,” Flame said.
“I don’t talk about her.”
“The two of you need to be realistic,” Ahlianna said. “I have no idea if Mother and Father know about this. This would be easier five years from now. I am opposed to you remaining here for five years. You’ve been gone long enough.”
“I know,” I said.
“I’m bringing you back as soon as I can,” she added. “And then I’m sending you all over Flarvor. Some of it’s ceremonial.”
“Showing the flag.”
“Just so,” she agreed. “I need to ask. How has it gone, putting on the princess?”
“Well, I think.”
Flame snorted. “She’s all anyone talks about.”
“Complimentary?”
“Yes, except from those people who are never happy.”
“You can’t please everyone,” Ahlianna observed. “And you? Do they talk about you, Flame?”
“Yes, but no more than some of the other people.”
“I’ve been sharing my attention,” I said. “Alexi not least of all.”
Ahlianna nodded. “I think I have an understanding. So, Flame, it is your intention to present suit?”
“Yes.”