by Robin Roseau
“No,” I whispered. It felt nice.
We didn’t talk after that, although Dee kept her mouth near my ear for the rest of the dance. It was intimate, and being held by her felt amazing. We had our two songs, and I thought I might be a little flushed. But the song came to a close. Dee spun me out, and then I found myself facing her twin, who collected me as I came to a stop.
I actually had to look over my shoulder, and I saw Dee collected by the Ressaline woman who had so graciously given me the previous dances. I turned back to Bee and smiled, letting her pull me into the complete embrace of their dance style.
“I’m glad my sister gave you to me,” she whispered to me. “But before we can dance, you have to ask.”
“You’re already holding me.”
“I may not ask anyone to dance,” she said. “But I may accept anyone who asks.”
“Would you dance with me, Bee? You are Bee, aren’t you?”
“Yes, and I’d love to.”
And we did.
* * * *
It was some time later. I’d danced with nearly everyone it seemed, including both of the soldiers who had admitted me earlier, as well as Lady Olivia. She only asked whether I was enjoying myself and expressed her own pleasure. Then I found myself back with Claary. We got one song before there was a brief break in the music. Claary led me to the side of the room and then said, “I didn’t know we were playing that game tonight.”
“What game?” She turned me, but slipped an arm about my waist, then gestured. And I saw Bee and Dee rolling in a metal clothing rack. Hanging from the rack were scarves in a variety of colors. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s a dancing game,” she said. She gestured with her nose. “Those are blindfolds.”
“I’ve been dancing with my eyes closed.”
“Well, this is a game,” she repeated. “If you decide to play, you may wait right here, or you may go collect a blindfold. Once you do, you find someone and you hand her the blindfold. You may, if you like, tell her you wish to be the hunter or the prey.”
“What?”
“Or you may say nothing, and she may decide to wrap the scarf over her eyes or your own. For that matter, the choice is hers, and if you give a scarf to Olivia, it won’t matter what you tell her; you’ll be wearing the scarf.”
I laughed. “I imagine that’s true of anyone wearing leather.”
“Not at all. Bess is happy to play either side and won’t admit to a favorite. And this is a Ressaline game. It wouldn’t be much of a game if no one was willing to be prey.”
“So, what does that mean? I’m not sure I want to be prey.”
“Well, if you play, you’re prey, because you won’t know the rules as a hunter.”
“I don’t know the rules for prey, either.”
“You don’t have to beyond the basics. Anyone who wants may dance with you. The musicians will play for a long time, but when the music ends, you belong to whomever has you. The hunters will fight over you.”
“Are you serious?”
“Not fight, fight. Dance fight. The rules are complicated. So. How brave are you?”
“I’m not sure I want to belong to anyone.”
“Chicken.”
“That’s very mature of you.”
She laughed. “It’s tame. You spend the remainder of the evening with her, and she is allowed to steal kisses, but more than that requires your consent.”
“This entire game sounds like something we play involving a bottle.”
She laughed again. “Charthan teenagers play that game, too. Did you ever play?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I wasn’t terribly popular.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Would you have enjoyed playing?”
“Frankly, I doubt it.”
“So, you won’t play tonight?”
“I imagine you hope I’ll collect a scarf and hand it to you?” I challenged.
“And if you do, you’ll be wearing it,” she said. “But there is no guarantee I’d win you. I’m the only girl of Charth here. Those originally from Ressaline City all are born to these games, and they typically beat me. I don’t mind. It’s in fun. But I’ll offer you choices.”
“Yes?” I prompted.
“I’ll escort you from the room. That’s your first choice. It’s my least favorite.”
“We can’t stay and watch.”
“No. Anyone in the room is playing. The rules allow hunter to become prey, and so you would still find yourself blindfolded, as you don’t know the rules.”
“That seems…”
“Like part of the fun,” she finished for me. “Choice two. You could either hand me a scarf or ask me for a suggestion of someone else to give the scarf to.”
“Those are my choices?”
“Choice three. If you ask, we’ll both pass out scarves, and we’ll both be prey.”
“You’d do that?”
She didn’t answer. Instead she gestured, and I watched as Major Bess handed a scarf to Dee and then laughed as Dee wrapped it over the major’s eyes. “What just happened there? She’s a military officer.”
“Tonight, she is just Bess, and I imagine she asked Dee to decide.”
“The slaves are allowed to be hunters?”
“Yes, and while they are also born of Charth, they’re particularly good hunters. They tend to work together, and they particularly enjoy catching me.”
“Do they?” I asked, somewhat rhetorically. “I have to let her catch me.”
“Intimidated?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then I’ll add to it. You can be caught by more than one person, and if that happens, you have to let them kiss you. It is also understood you’ll be generally cooperative, but you don’t need to allow anything more intimate than kisses. No one will maul you, unless you invite it.”
“That seems…”
“Debauched? Absolutely.”
I laughed. “You’re going to play?”
“I did offer to escort you from the room.”
“You’re itching to play.”
“You better believe it, and I really hope you’ll try it.” She gestured, and I saw Rishia and Kylia approaching us, both holding scarves. “If we dilly-dally, the option to leave escapes us.”
I turned to her. “Promise me I’m safe.”
“You’re absolutely safe, Allium.”
“I’ll be prey if you are.”
She laughed and gestured again. Kylia and Rishia came to a stop facing us, each holding a scarf out to us. “Playing?” Kylia asked me.
“Are the two of you hoping for particular roles?” Claary asked. “Allium doesn’t know the rules, which I bet you both know.”
“You know the rules,” Rishia said.
“And I agreed to be prey with her.”
“Sounds good to me,” Rishia said, holding her scarf out even further.
“What do I do?” I asked Kylia.
“You can tie it yourself or you can ask me to do it,” she said. “This doesn’t mean we’ll necessarily catch you.” Claary laughed at that. “Okay, fine. It is very likely we’ll end up prey, anyway, but we’ll be trying to keep you.”
“That won’t last,” Claary said. She turned around, and Rishia stepped closer to begin tying the blindfold.
I took the one from Kylia and fingered it for a moment. It was sleek and felt good. Then I handed it back to her and turned around. She stepped behind me, actually pressing against my back, and carefully tied the scarf. I held absolutely still for her, and when she was done, I used my fingers to adjust it. Kylia turned me around and then said quietly, “It’s poor form to lie. Can you see anything at all?”
“No.”
“I close my eyes anyway,” she said.
“What do I do?”
“You dance. All you need to do is follow anyone trying to lead you.”
“We have another minute,” Claary said. “The two of you should
show her. Do you think you can steal her, Rishia?”
“No, but I can try,” Rishia said.
Kylia took me in her arms. We began dancing, and then I felt Rishia step up behind me. While Kylia and I were pressed together, Rishia pressed behind me. And so Kylia was actually leading both of us for a moment. But then I felt Rishia apply pressure to my hand, trying to pull me away from Kylia.
And Kylia let her. Rishia managed to turn me partly out from Kylia, and I think she tried to step into place, but then Kylia slipped into place again, and then she turned me, and Rishia was left behind.
“I’m really bad at this,” Rishia said.
“Let’s do a tug of war,” Kylia said. “Go where you’re pulled, Allium. Let it happen.”
“I’ll try,” I said.
It took a moment, but then Rishia took my arm from Kylia’s shoulder, set it on her own, and then spun me out slightly and herself in, my front to her back. But then she unrolled, and I found my arms stretched in both directions.
Kylia pulled on me, and I felt myself drawn to her. And then Rishia pulled me back towards her. And I was tugged back and forth before Rishia managed to step into dance position in front of me. “I did it!” she said.
“Congratulations,” Claary replied. “Now give her back and come get me.”
I found myself back in Kylia’s arms, and it was just seconds later when the music began. We danced normally for several measures before I asked, “How many people are playing?”
“Hmm.” I felt her look around. “It looks like all the Ressalines. Oh, and my mother is here. I didn’t see her arrive. She’s prey. I don’t see Pelnie.”
“Who is she?”
“My sister-in-law. Oh! There she is.” She began laughing. “She lasted as a hunter for less than a minute. Bee and Dee helped to catch her.”
“This is a very confusing game,” I said.
“It’s about to get more confusing for you,” she said.
“I’ll take her from you,” I heard Lady Olivia say.
“You can try, Duchess!” Kylia said, and then spun us around, moving quickly from the duchess. But then I felt someone step up against Kylia’s back. “No!” she complained.
“You won’t get better without practice.” I didn’t recognize the voice. But for several measures, I felt the third woman’s presence, and then it felt like Kylia had relinquished the lead, although I’m not quite sure how I came to that conclusion.
There was a fresh presence at my back, and then there were four of us dancing. I felt lips near my ear. “Do you understand your role yet?” It was Olivia.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’m supposed to follow as best I can.”
“Yes,” she said. “So, you don’t fight me when I do this.” And I had no idea what she did, but I slipped from Kylia’s arms and then was dancing with Olivia, still behind me, but she turned me around, and I found myself in her arms.
We danced without interference for a minute or two. It was nice, and I sighed with my pleasure. “Thank you,” she told me.
“For enjoying the dance?”
“Well, for playing, but yes, that, too. And for staying tonight. I wasn’t sure you would.”
“Neither was I,” I admitted. “Is no one trying to steal me because no one wants me or because they don’t steal from a duchess?”
She laughed. “Neither. Everyone is busy. It won’t last. Everyone loves stealing from me.”
“So, they’ll steal me just to steal from you?”
She barked a briefer laugh. “Are you actually serious?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“This game goes poorly if there are too many or too few prey,” she explained. “It is possible for one hunter to catch two prey, but it’s far more fun when there are just a few too many hunters.”
“Fighting over insufficient prey?”
“Exactly,” she said. “Dee and Bee nearly always operate together, sharing prey, but that is otherwise uncommon.”
“And the ratio tonight?”
“Well, it had been properly unbalanced, until Kylia and Pelnie were converted. If there are too many prey, there are rules that allow them to become hunters again, or I could shake things up.”
“How?”
“I could set you free and see who tries to claim two people,” she said. “I could help a prey become a hunter. Or I could try to steal a second prey.” Then I felt her smile. “I’d much rather keep you, but then our guests don’t get a proper introduction to our game. Maybe I should declare you a hunter.”
“How long would that last?”
“Only as long as anyone let you,” she said. “But it would shake up the game.”
“I’d rather stay in my current role,” I told her. I clutched more tightly. “And I enjoy dancing with you.”
“I’m glad,” she replied. “But if no one else does something daring, I’m going to have to.”
“Trade me for someone who would make a better hunter.”
“That’s probably my best choice,” she said. “Although claiming Claary would also work.”
“Could you keep us?”
“Perhaps.” She turned us. “Hmm. Stealing her from Rishia is a little too easy. Care to help?”
I laughed. “She’s back with Rishia?”
“She was with Lisolte for a while, but she has Bess now. I can’t imagine Rishia stole from Lisolte, so I’m not entirely sure what happened.”
“Olivia, will you do a favor for me?”
“Perhaps.”
“Don’t steal from Rishia.”
“There is no way she’ll keep Claary. If it were almost anyone else. But it’s Claary.”
“Claary is special?”
“Yes,” Olivia whispered, and I thought there was emotion there.
“Special to you?”
“Yes. Very special to me, and I’m not the only one. All right. I won’t steal from Rishia. I’ll trade with her, but not you. So, who should I give to her. Ah, yes. Perfect.”
We danced, and it was lovely, but then I felt us immediately beside another pair of dancers, and we were dancing in unison with them. Then Olivia released me, and someone moved behind me, wrapping arms around me. I found myself dancing to a new lead, and an accented voice whispered, “Good evening, Ms. Cuprite. I am somewhat surprised.”
I let her turn me into her, and then we danced. Twice I felt someone try to steal me, but my partner turned me away, and she managed to keep me.
“Will you tell me your name?”
“I am Lisolte,” she said. “I was happy to have Bess, but I think you are new, and I would be quite joyful to keep you.”
“You’re the one with the bright red hair.”
“I am,” she said. “My most distinctive feature.”
“I like it,” I said. “You’re an excellent dancer. I’m sorry I’m not better.”
“You are a joy in my arms,” she said. “Will you attempt to evade my stolen kisses later?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ve never been kissed by a woman before, well, not the way I think you mean.”
“They are only kisses,” she explained. “More of your countrymen are playing this game than I expected would.”
“I wonder if they all understood the rules.”
“No scarves were tied without explanation. Oh, no.” She spun me away, and I felt us slip around other partners, but then I felt as someone pressed into her back. “She’s mine, Bee!”
“I’m Dee,” said Dee from over Lisolte’s shoulder. “But that’s Bee.” And then I felt another body against my back. The two slaves pressed Lisolte and I together. She set a hand on my shoulder, then followed it along my arm to cup my elbow. Her other hand…
Landed on my bottom.
“I’m fairly certain that’s cheating, Bee,” I said.
She giggled. “It’s not,” she replied. “But if that’s an honest protest, I’ll move it.” She rubbed me through the gown.
And into my ear, Liso
lte giggled. “Rubbing your bottom?”
“Yes.”
“Dee is rubbing mine,” she said. “A pair of vixens. Girls, please. I really wanted to keep her.”
“You could beat one of us,” Dee said.
“But not both of us,” Bee finished.
“But I have another blindfold if you wish to be a package deal.”
That was when I felt Bee and Dee take the lead from Lisolte. She was quiet for a minute, and we danced slowly, the four of us. I became somewhat lost to it, listening to the music while listening to the three bodies guiding me.
“Not here,” Lisolte finally said. “If we were in Charth, I’d have accepted.”
“Are you giving up without a fight?” I asked.
“There are tricks we can do,” Bee said. “Are you going to make us use them, Lisolte?”
“We should teach her,” Dee said.
“Gently,” Lisolte said. “Enough she understands.”
“I slide my leg here,” Bee said from behind me, and then she slipped a leg in between mine, her other outside my left leg.
“I do the same thing here,” Dee said. “But on the opposite side.”
“And now they’re in control,” Lisolte said. “You have to follow, and even if she is subtle, you’ll follow Bee more than you will follow me.”
“You can fight us as well,” Bee said. “If you did, it’s a hint you don’t care for us.” She placed a kiss against my shoulder.
“I don’t want to fight,” I whispered.
“We know,” Dee said. “It’s fair for Lisolte to fight, but I can edge her one direction, and Bee can edge you the other.”
“It’s jarring,” Lisolte said. “Do you need them to show you?”
“No,” I said.
“Then be gentle, Dee,” Lisolte said.
“There is time to steal someone else,” Dee said. “If you hurry. Next time, do you want us to make you surrender?”
“Yes,” Lisolte said. “Back home. That would be fun.”
“Then we will,” she said.
A moment later, Bee guided me to the right, and Lisolte left me. I both felt and heard Dee draw her away, but I continued to dance, Bee guiding me. We turned slowly, and then she danced me into Dee’s embrace. “Ours now,” she declared.