Now the white palaces and temples of the capital filled her horizon on both sides of the river under a clear blue sky.
As the barge approached the first buildings, more familiar smells reached her nostrils – food, trash, stray animals, artisans' workshops of leather and wool – and even the noises were less daunting. No roars or unknown bird calls, just the usual hustle and bustle of cities.
Briella was excited at the prospect of finally seeing in person the works of art she's studied at the Art School. Her mother, a potter, had made many sacrifices to send her there, but when she'd seen how Briella decorated the vases and plates and jugs, and the ease she had with brushes, Adele had decided her daughter was a painter more than a potter and had done her best to allow her to study.
Briella was forever grateful for the opportunity. She loved working with clay, but painting was indeed her passion, especially portraits of people. Now that Adele had passed away, Briella had sold the pottery shop and decided to move to the capital in the hope of living off her art.
If that failed – but she was almost certain she could find work, if not with the Queen, with the many wealthy Aristocrats of Maadre – she could always open a pottery shop in the capital. She was thirty and had no children to take care of, therefore she could move freely throughout the Queendom of Maadre.
The barge docked in a busy fluvial port on the commercial side of town. Traders and artisans came to unload their goods as Briella disembarked with her travel bag on her shoulder.
It was early morning and she had all day to find a place to stay. She doubted the center inns were cheap, but she needed to get an idea of the town before figuring out where to sleep. Maadre was so much bigger than Fianna, that she hoped she wouldn't get lost in the street maze.
The narrow streets near the river soon opened up into wider and straighter roads that allowed traffic of carts and wagons both ways. The center itself had a big rectangular square with the Queen's palace, the Temple of the Goddess, a Public House, a very expensive-looking inn and a couple of smaller palaces.
The temple and the royal palace made an angle of the square. The temple had a luxuriant garden right behind it, a square facade with a crenelated top, three steps leading to the plinth, and an entablature held by four marble columns, with mullioned windows on what looked like a first floor but was actually still part of the huge room where prayers and ceremonies were held. Dragons curled and fought, carved on the wall around the door that was taller and wider than usual, big enough to allow the passage of an elephant.
The palace had stairs leading to the main portico, with ten columns, one main door in the center and two smaller, service doors on the side. Above the plinth there was another floor and Briella could see the top of the trees of the royal garden hidden inside.
All the streets were paved and the buildings usually had two floors in the suburbs. The palaces of the Aristocrats were bigger and higher, though they were all dwarfed by the palace and the temple. Only the Arena was as big, but it was on another square. Not all the Queens enjoyed watching Gladiators fight.
Briella admired the statues and the fountains and the gardens and parks behind the two main buildings of Maadre. She had lunch at a food stall on the main square, but considering the price of a single meal, she headed back for the suburbs to find a place to sleep. Even Maadre's famed flatbread with olives was probably cheaper away from the main square.
The Artisans' streets looked more affordable. She found a small inn with an overall quality that seemed fit for a lady, with fair prices. The single room was small but clean and she thought it would have to do until she explored more and found something better – maybe a boarding house or a rented room.
She left her travel bag on the small bed and went back downstairs for dinner. The tavern was filled with a healthy crowd, quiet but cheerful. Since Princess Miria had married the Varian Emperor, many more foreign men had access to the Queendom of Maadre and some of them were staying at the inn, probably merchants who had come to buy the Amazons' goods.
The only openly armed patrons were a group of female soldiers of the Queen's army who were also quite drunk and kept whistling and catcalling at the two dancing young men the innkeeper provided as entertainment.
"Welcome to Maadre," the innkeeper said. She had green eyes, a pudgy build and pasty skin. "What will you have tonight?"
Briella stopped looking around the main room to concentrate on the menu. She was tired by now and looked forward to trying her new bed.
***
Briella found an art store and bought herself a foldable chair and an easel. She also found good watercolor paper and bought a folder to put it in. She already had her colors and her brushes, so she took everything to the main square and started sketching passersby and architecture, just to keep her hands busy.
Soon people stopped to look at her work, then asked to be portrayed. By the end of the day, Briella had earned back what she had spent in the art store and then some. She went back to the inn. She'd need more supplies the next day, but things looked good.
The following days were spent between the main square and the inn, drawing, sketching and painting on the fly. Then came the Day of the Goddess and she left everything in her room to go to the temple. She was impressed by the inside with its columns and frescoes depicting the Goddess and the first queens, including her daughter Amazonia.
She wondered what it would be like to paint on a wall instead of canvas. But she didn't know any Aristocrat who would let her inside her palace to try such a feat. The temple itself was already fully painted, although she could check the smaller ones.
From that day, on rainy days she went inside the temple to study the frescoes or to the capital's art school to follow courses to increase her painting skills. Her mother's inheritance allowed her to pay for the further education, and she found a cheaper room to sleep in right behind the main square, opposite the palace.
And then the Summer Solstice Celebration came. Briella had been in town all summer already and made a living doing sketches and portraits on the main square, unless an Aristocrat called her to portray her or her daughters in their palace, which took longer but paid much better.
Briella had seen many celebrations in her hometown, but the capital proved once again to be different, and not just bigger and better. The temples of the Goddess throughout the country did have dancers, but – at least in Briella's hometown – they weren't as good as the group of dancers of Maadre.
Dancing was one of the few jobs allowed to the men of the Queendom, although they didn't get paid for it. The Dancers of the Goddess of Maadre mostly lived inside the temple, unless they had Aristocrat mothers who kept them at home and sent them to the temple for rehearsals and celebrations.
Briella was really impressed by the ten young men moving flawlessly with the ten women led by one of the Priestesses who was about Briella's age. The Priestess's partner was particularly handsome and particularly good. He was slightly younger, probably in his early twenties, but moved his body in ways Briella didn't think physically possible until she saw him.
He was dark-haired and blue-eyed, with a perfectly toned body and a dazzling smile. Briella was almost sure he was also used as a Public Man. Priestesses were usually barren women, but they didn't take a chastity vow, therefore they might have used him too.
When the celebrations were over, Briella approached the Priestess, whose name was Maressa.
"I am interested in one of your dancers," she said.
"Let me guess. My partner," Maressa replied with an amused smile. "He is the most requested of the lot."
"Um, yes, it's him, but I don't want him to breed," Briella said, blushing at the thought. Maybe he would be great in bed, but she wanted to paint him, not have sex with him. For now.
"Oh?" Maressa was clearly surprised. "He's good breeding stock, he's the Queen's son."
"Ah, I see... Why doesn't he sleep at the palace, then?"
"His mother sent him to the temple whe
n he showed he had rhythm. He was barely a teen, I don't think she has talked to him since. He's happy here. His name suits him anywhere."
"What is he called?"
"Amore della Casa, or simply Amore."
Love of the House, or simply Love. How fitting. He did look lovely. And lovable. And she should stop drooling over him. What the hell was wrong with her all of a sudden? She wanted a model, nothing more!
"Well, I would like to paint his portrait." Briella tried to get back on track. "I'm a painter and I like to paint people. He'd make for a gorgeous model."
"Naked or clothed?" Maressa teased.
"I think clothed would do for now."
"Right, he can be very distracting when naked." Maressa chuckled. "Do you want to paint him in his room or in the temple gardens or..."
"I think the gardens are a great place with a lot of light," Briella answered. "How about tomorrow I bring canvas and brushes? Is he free?"
"Yes, tomorrow he is free. We will resume dance rehearsals in a couple of days. Will that be enough for you?"
"More than enough." Briella felt relieved. "Thank you, Maressa."
***
Briella's heart beat faster as she stepped into the walled garden behind the temple. The honeysuckle sprawled and crept along the hedgerows that sided the gravelly footpaths with its fruity and warm scent. Fruit trees and birches gave it enough shade to prosper.
The footpath ended around a manicured lawn that gave an opening in the vegetation in front of the temple back-door. A fountain with a dolphin stood at the center of the lawn. Two gazebos had been built on both sides of the fountain, since the area had no trees to shade it.
Amore lay on the bench in one of the gazebos, eyes closed, as if he were asleep. But her steps on the gravel had obviously made enough noise to make him open his eyes and sit up to check who was coming.
As she walked to the gazebo, Briella gulped and tried to calm her heartbeat. She was a grownup woman and she wasn't going to be intimidated by a male model, even though he was the most gorgeous she'd ever seen.
"Hello," she greeted, stepping into the gazebo. Up close, she noticed he had green eyes. Might be because of all the green plants around them, though.
His lips slowly curved into a smile. "Hello, my lady. Maressa told me you're a painter."
"Yes." Briella cleared her throat, since her voice wanted to betray her. "I would like to paint you."
"Where do you want me to sit?"
"You can stay there, and lie down again, but I'd prefer if you kept your eyes open," she said, setting up the easel and foldable chair.
She took out the canvas and the brushes under his curious eyes. He hadn't moved. She took the charcoal to make the initial sketch and decided if he could keep that pose, he'd come out great.
"Can you be still as you are now?"
"Yes." Another flashed smile. He didn't move until she told him he could.
She was impressed by his self-discipline. Maybe it was total control of his body, something she sometimes lacked.
The sketch was quick, but painting took longer. The sun moved in the sky, and the shadows on his face also changed with the light.
At some point another young man came out of the temple with a tray of food for two, and both were happy with the interruption. While they ate, Amore asked her some questions and she dared ask some in return. She usually didn't like to pry into other people's lives, but she was curious.
He was twenty-two and had been a Dancer of the Goddess for almost ten years. He felt lucky and loved even though he didn't see his mother much, but then, she was the Queen and he was just a son, not a precious daughter.
Unlike his cousin, who would inherit the Varian Empire upon his father's death, he had no rights. But he was happy anyway, even though sometimes he dreamed of traveling and visiting his aunt and cousins in the lands beyond the ocean.
He seemed to be very down-to-earth but at the same time cheerful. He asked her if she had daughters and why not, and seemed surprised to hear that some women in the Amazons Country couldn't really afford to have children. He listened wide-eyed at how she'd had to struggle to get an education and follow her talent and passion because she was just an Artisan's daughter.
"I guess it's tough for everyone," he said at last with a little shrug. "If one doesn't have family wealth, I mean."
"I'm sure it's the same in the Varian Empire," she replied. "Can you resume the pose? I hope to finish this today."
"Oh, so I won't be seeing you tomorrow?" he asked, worried.
"I think I'll come back and di another painting." She grinned. "You're a wonderful model, I could paint you for days on end."
Again his smile blossomed and he dutifully resumed the pose. When the painting was finished, she turned the canvas so he could see it. He gaped at the portrait before saying, "Is this really me?"
"Don't you ever look at your face in the mirror?" she teased. "Are you having somebody else shave you?"
"No, no, I do shave myself, but I don't think I'm like this," he protested, blushing.
Maressa came out of the temple to see how they were doing and he asked her if she thought the portrait was accurate. The Priestess observed the painting for a moment, then nodded.
"It's strikingly lifelike," she said admiringly. "I would love to have a portrait of myself with him. I'd pay you, of course..."
Briella bowed. "Then I shall come back tomorrow with a bigger canvas. Will the garden setting suit you? If you'd rather have the temple in the background, please find a room with big windows..."
***
Briella had fallen asleep looking at the portrait and she had dreamed of Amore all night. She was very happy to have another opportunity to painting him.
"I am fascinated by people's faces," she said as she quickly sketched Maressa and Amore seated together in the gazebo. "But sometimes I enjoy painting the whole body."
"Could you paint us while we dance?"
"If you let me see the rehearsals, I might be able to do it."
"That could be done." Maressa smiled.
Thus Briella completed the double portrait and started going to the temple every time it poured in the main square to sketch the Dancers of the Goddess. And since winter was approaching, she had more and more occasions to enter the inner part of the temple where they lived and rehearsed.
She did another portrait of Amore in the garden that had turned to the colors of the fall. The red and yellow and orange of the leaves changed Amore's eye-color to honey. This portrait was a close-up of his face and it was more realistic than ever.
"You like painting men, don't you?" Maressa commented, observing her latest work. Briella had brought it to the temple in the hope of having another day with the young man to do a third portrait, instead of sketching his full body when he danced.
"Shouldn't I?" Briella wondered. True that in the Queendom there were more statues and paintings of women, since they were the rulers, but still... Men were less mistreated, compared to ancient times, since Princess Miria had married a foreign man.
"You chose a difficult subject," Maressa replied. "The other artists I spoke to prefer painting women because they can represent something familiar. They can mirror themselves in the model."
"I don't want to mirror myself in the model," she replied. "And I think men are fascinating creatures."
Maressa chuckled. "And they are, indeed! You are a strange woman, Briella. Why don't you have any children?"
"Because for one I can't really afford them," she answered patiently. "And then... I like men, but not that part of them. I think it's actually quite ugly to look at."
"So yours is a purely aesthetic love."
"I like beautiful things, and men are often some of them."
"I see. And Amore is indeed one of the most beautiful men of Maadre."
"I could paint him every day of my life."
Maressa grinned. "And you may actually end up doing that."
"What?" Puzzled, Briella stared
at the other woman.
"The Queen would like to see you," Maressa said. "She has seen my portrait and she was very impressed... but she will tell you herself. She's expecting you tomorrow morning at the palace."
"Oh!" Briella couldn't believe her ears. "So she liked the portrait I did of her son?"
"Way too much." Maressa smiled. "Show her the other paintings of Amore. I'm sure she'll purchase at least one, and commission more. Apparently Amore has become exactly like his father."
Briella nodded, thoughtful. Queen Doriana must have loved Amore's father very much if she had recognized him in the son. Or maybe the Amazons were starting to see men in a different light. Not as just objects or possessions anymore, but as living beings. Not just pets but humans.
"So... can I sketch him again today?" she asked.
"He's not here anymore." Maressa gave her back the painting she'd been observing closely. "His mother called him back to the palace after seeing that other portrait. You will see him tomorrow, I'm sure." She patted Briella's shoulder. "I think you just got yourself your wealthiest client."
Painter of the Queen! Still incredulous, Briella went back to her room. She put the two portraits of Amore next to each other and looked at them, remembering how sweet he was. It would be wonderful if the Queen allowed her to paint Amore for the rest of her life.
She spent the day putting her sketches and personal works in order. She wanted the Queen to peruse her full portfolio, just in case. Maybe she'd land a permanent job as court painter. And if Queen Doriana had brought Amore back to the royal palace...
Briella was so excited it took her some time to fall asleep that night.
***
Queen Doriana was approaching her sixties, but she was still very beautiful. White strands mixed with the gold in her hair, which meant her mane was lighter now than in her youth. She lay on a triclinium with a rich blue gown and golden jewelry with sapphires that matched her colors.
Amore sat on the carpet and rested his back against her triclinium. His eyes must be colorless, since they were now as blue as his mother's tunic. They seemed to change color depending on the light and the surroundings.
Tales of the Queendom of Maadre Page 21