Heroine of Zenina

by Giselle Marks

  She would kill Kerina and Marina in one blow. Then she could dispose of Plavina at her leisure. Zadina would triumph at last. Kerina had children with Kabaneev. Perhaps the only reason she had been unable to bear living children was she had the wrong sire. Kabaneev was still fertile after all these years. She might yet have daughters, Golden daughters to reign after her. She, Zadina would found a new Dynasty and the Fertility Cult would once again be powerful in Zenina. She would wipe out every trace of the alien religion. She would kill every Christian. She would force obeisance from every Zeninan to the Great Goddess Demina. She would have power at last, power to make Zenina in her own image.

  Chapter Fifty - Match Fixing

  Marina returned Neman to the waterfall and went to dress for Klivina’s party. She felt stiff and sore. Other ways to spend the night came to mind. Her first idea consisted of an early night with a good book and a slow massage. Charles entered the room as she was deciding between half a dozen garments which she had strewn over the room. Marina looked twice at Charles before realising who he was. She stared at the light brown hair artistically streaked with silver highlights, the deeply tanned skin and the subtle but ostentatious suit. She whistled and he laughed.

  “Do I look the part?”

  “Just right! Do you need money?”

  He removed the clip from his pocket and rustled the fold.

  “Where did you get it from, Charles? You never ask me for money. Did you sell something?”

  “Only my body, don’t look so disappointed. I hate asking for everything and you’re away so often. I have to keep exercised. Sometimes there aren’t many of my acquaintances around, so I take a room at Jazna’s for the afternoon. I get bored when you’re gone.”

  “How much more of that is there?”

  “Enough to set me up in Ziga, if I should ever have to go.”

  “You’ve been preparing for a long time.”

  “Not as such, but I have to face facts. I’ll get too old eventually and what can a slave do when he’s too old? Act pensioned off? I’ll go home to Ziga, get myself a couple of pretty doxies and try to spend my money slowly. Go into business of some kind, I expect.”

  “I doubt you’ll settle back to life in Ziga but you may prove me wrong.”

  “Drop me off at the hotel, please?”

  “Sure, which should I wear?”

  “For Baraneev, that spangly thing. It looks sexy but expensive. No I know it’s not your taste, but it’ll do for the purpose.”

  “And which would you prefer?”

  “The black silk,” he paused for effect. “It would rip the easiest.”

  “OK, the spangly thing it is, hook me in please.”

  The spangly thing resembled a dress, except there was not much of it. It was very tight and made of small chains and gemstones. Only a masochist would sit down in it, or someone whose muscles allowed them to sleep on a bed of nails. Marina groaned as she moved.

  “Neman?”

  She nodded.

  “Sore?”

  “Very.”

  “Well get back on the bed and I’ll fix you up. Come on or you’ll be late for lover boy.”

  She lay back on the bed hooking her knees up close to her chest. Charles worked very gently applying an analgesic salve inside her. There were a couple of slight tears where she had resisted his entry.

  “He’s really that big? I did wonder. Folada always looks glassy-eyed whenever his name is mentioned. Was he good? Better than me? Well you can’t win them all. Does that feel more comfortable? Physician heal thyself and quickly. If you think I’m looking forward to publicly making an idiot of myself tomorrow with that cloud-head Nerova, you’re wrong. If I didn’t know you’d be here to come home to tomorrow, there’s nothing they could do to make me.”

  “I told them you couldn’t be ordered. That perfume you’re wearing is foul.”

  “I know but I bet “Miss Zigan Sex Queen” will think it is fine.”

  “Is she that bad?”

  “She’s worse, artificial, hard and with a voice like a buzz saw. No wonder Baraneev prefers slavery.”

  “He’s courting it seriously, well after tonight he should have plenty of would be owners.”

  “Who’s invited?”

  “Riyal, Chilka, I’ll pick her up after I’ve dropped you off, Jarminza, Letinza, Lamaza, Folada, Plavina, Calzina and Serengia and a few of Klivina’s friends and half a dozen slaves or so.”

  “Have fun, shouldn’t we go?”

  They stopped for Riyal who was dressed in Zeninan style and drove straight to the hotel. Marina dropped Charles off before driving up to where Baraneev was walking up and down impatiently, but smiled as Marina walked towards him.

  “I’m sorry Bary but I’ve got to go to this party at a friend’s house. Do you mind very much coming too?”

  “I’d love to Princess though I’d prefer to have you to myself.”

  Charles sauntered past Marina as if they did not know each other and walked to the bar. Miss Zigan Sex Queen was not around. He went over to reception, ordered a bottle of Zeninan Sparkling wine and sent it up to her room with one of his business cards. On the back he wrote, “I’ve admired you for a long time and saw you tonight in the bar, please honour me with your company.” He signed it Zigeneev Zablonsky.

  The receptionist had it sent up and Charles ordered himself a mineral water with ice and lemon from the bar to make it look like he was drinking. He waited at the bar; she did not keep him waiting long.

  Chapter Fifty-One - Pass the Parcel

  Marina arrived at the party with Chilka, Riyal and Baraneev in tow. Everyone else was already present, but the party looked quite innocuous. Klivina offered them drinks but both Marina and Baraneev asked for only fruit juice because they were competing the next day. Marina introduced Baraneev around and Chilka did the same for Riyal. Klivina started the party by laughingly stripping Riyal “to see what he was made of,” Marina had not explained to Riyal what was going on, but he caught on quickly. He was surprisingly unembarrassed about making love to Klivina whom he had only barely met in front of all the other guests. Other couples followed their lead.

  Marina turned to Baraneev and said “I shouldn’t have brought you. I’d better take you back to your hotel.”

  “Look I don’t mind joining in if you don’t. They don’t have parties like this on Ziga. I wouldn’t like you to offend your friends.”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind? I don’t want you too tired for tomorrow. I have such high hopes for you. I’ve been telling my friends you’ll win.”

  “Is it true the Zeninan favourite Nerova’s partner has been scrubbed?”

  “Yes, but she’s got several offers of substitutes. She’s thinking of using my slave Charles. I mentioned him to you, didn’t I? He’s pretty good.”

  Marina was unbuttoning Baraneev’s jacket and slipping it off his shoulders. He undressed the rest of the way and a servant took his clothes and stored them somewhere.

  “How do you get out of this?” he asked.

  “Oh you just unhook a few hooks, here and there. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

  “I thought it was bad manners to undress a Zeninan woman. My Ambassador said I shouldn’t do it.”

  “It’s not bad manners, Bary, Zeninan women see it as a sign the man is seeking slavery. I thought you wanted to be a slave?”

  “I do Marina, very much.”

  “Then you might as well start learning.”

  Baraneev took some time to unhook Marina, but their verbal conversation had been avidly listened to by those in the room. Riyal had taken the precaution of wearing Marina’s badge but Baraneev had not known enough to ask for it. Certainly Baraneev put on a good show and was so aware of his audience’s approval he hardly noticed Marina’s lack of enthusiasm. Klivina came forward and claimed him next as host’s prerogative. She picked up on Marina’s low libido and lethargy and enquired mentally as to what was the matter.

  “Neman claimed
his rights of treaty,” said Marina. ”Charles had to lather me in analgesic cream for me to get this far.”

  “Take a rest for a while, we can keep Baraneev amused.”

  “Bary, I’m going to get some fresh air, I’ll be back in a while. Enjoy yourself.”

  Which he did.

  He was beginning to tire by the time Chilka finished with him. Then Plavina got to work on him and he got his second wind. Riyal was likewise doing the rounds but there was less pressure on him. After a while he excused himself and found Marina. She was quietly asleep in one of the bedrooms. He sat by her for a few moments and she woke.

  “Are you all right, Marina?”

  “Bit tired and sore, Riyal.”

  “I keep having this horrid imagining. There’s you and the queen and Plavina and a lot of the others on a platform, this pretty little girl comes up with a huge bouquet. The queen takes the bouquet and then everything disintegrates into blood and gore. I thought I’d better tell you about it.”

  “Yes I know about it, it happens tomorrow. I’d like you to go with Charles and Colonel Bromarsh to my farm straight after the Games before the Closing Ceremony tomorrow and stay there. If anyone comes looking for you, hide.”

  “Are you going to die?”

  “Perhaps, I hope not. You can trust Vlama or Chilka but keep out of sight until Kerina’s funeral is over, understand?”

  Charles entered the room. He still wore the Zigan trousers and shoes but had shed the jacket and shirt.

  “How did it go, Charles?”

  “All right, she fell for the line I spun.”

  “And did you pull her?” said Riyal. Charles raised an eyebrow in rebuke.

  “Sure, but I don’t know why I bothered. I haven’t been so bored on a wet day in Ziga.”

  “She’s no good then?”

  “I don’t know how she passed the preliminaries; Baraneev must be something to make her look good.”

  “Where can I watch from?”

  “Here I should think.” Marina said getting up and looking at the opposite wall. The screen switched on in answer to her thought and the downstairs reception rooms were displayed. Marina snapped from one camera to another until she got a good view of Bary’s activities. He was in a complicated tangle with Letinza who seemed full of life. Charles sat and watched for a while, then asked if she would mind taking a turn so he could get a better idea of Baraneev’s skills. She agreed and went downstairs to join the throng. Charles and Riyal watched together. Baraneev with Marina looked very good indeed, especially considering it was nearing five in the morning and he had been going without a break.

  From somewhere Marina found some enthusiasm and the display they put on for the other guests reminded many of the days when Marina was prepared to show everyone she was the best there was. For a time she even believed it herself. For confidence in one’s own ability was a prime ingredient in successful competition sex. She speeded up and Baraneev’s control was beaten by her stimulation. He gasped at the power of the pleasure he experienced, but she withdrew from him.

  “Bary I’m tired. I’ve got a long day today. I’m going home to bed and sleep. Can I give you a lift to the hotel or would you like to stay a bit longer?”

  “If you don’t mind I’ll stay on. I’d heard about parties like this but I didn’t believe they could be this good. Zenina is such a wonderful place, full of beautiful sexy women, sun and good food. What more could a man ask for? Thank you for bringing me. It feels as if you arranged it especially for me, it is like a dream came true.”

  “Call me after the Games, if you haven’t found an owner by then.”

  Marina did not say the party had been arranged for him, but he was not resenting it. He was enjoying himself too much to care about winning the Games. He had thought Katanya was something special with her talk about free love and public demonstrations of the art of sex. But now he had been with Zeninan women he knew she was a synthetic imitation of the real thing.

  Besides Marina thought as Charles drove home, Bary could always win at the next Games with his new owner, whoever she might be. Chilka and Riyal had elected to stay on but Chilka had promised to take Riyal safe home.

  “I can look after myself,” Riyal said.

  Marina had laughed. “I agree Riyal, but please humour me,” she said. Marina and Charles went to bed together and slept.

  Chapter Fifty- Two – Supplication

  The doors of St Patrick’s Cathedral were opened once more. One old man in a plain coarse cassock knelt before the altar in prayer. He prayed for the queen whose confession he had heard again that morning and who he believed would die that day. He prayed for his friend, protector and mistress whose body smashed, he saw whenever he slept and even when awake. He despised the doctrine of predestination but Marina believed it would happen and would not seek to avoid it. First he prayed to God to temper her courage with caution; then he prayed if she must risk her life, let her not die.

  “Although Marina is sinful, she does her duty to her planet and her people,” he explained to God.

  He was not sure if God would think her good or bad. He apologized to God for her sensualist behaviour. Trying to tell God the good things she did to balance it out. He told him of her healing the sick and her hard work for her people, but could not think of anything else that might mitigate against her sins.

  Then he became angry with God in his sorrow and fear and told him he must protect her because Zenina needed her, because he Father O’Flaherty loved her. He added “as a daughter” to the sentence in case he was misconstrued. God must save her because every Christian in Zenina will be persecuted and destroyed if Marina died and because the Church needed her alive.

  He wondered if these were the right arguments to sway God in his decision, or whether he had already judged Marina and decided her fate. Whatever the outcome he would stay here and pray for Marina to live and for Kerina’s soul. He would pray for Marina to live until he buried her body or knew she had survived the disaster. He would pray for Marina and Kerina’s souls for seven years.

  As the day progressed Father O’Flaherty did not rise from his knees. Some of his converts came in unbidden and knelt behind him. Some stayed for a few minutes, some for an hour and others remained with their Bishop for the duration of his vigil.

  More than five hundred Zeninans came and prayed with Father O’Flaherty and although not all of them prayed for Kerina, they all prayed for Marina. God could not doubt the outpouring of love for Marina or their desire for her survival. Not one of them disturbed the priest, no-one told him his prayers were futile or he was exhausting himself and should go and rest. They kept him company and let their thoughts entwine with his in his plea to God.

  Chapter Fifty-Three - Ownership Dispute

  Baraneev stayed on enjoying the party. The guests enjoyed him so much when they finally let him rest long after dawn there was considerable disagreement as to who should keep him. Chilka, Letinza and Klivina were in serious contention. Klivina dropped out after the other party guests pointed out Cucat would not like being pushed into second ranking.

  Cucat had been with Klivina a long time and they were so used to each other’s ways Klivina was too lazy to change. Though neither would admit it, they were really fond of each other. Chilka and Letinza were getting to the stage of fighting over him as the Zeninan way of doing things, when Plavina stepped in.

  “Since when has any man been worth friends fighting over?”

  “If you two can’t decide, I’ll pull rank and take him myself, but the best way is to let him choose. Wake him up and make him pick from us.”

  This was thought fair by all concerned and some of the others who had backed off when it looked like they might have to fight Letinza over him said they were still interested. So Klivina woke Baraneev up.

  “Please could you settle a little argument for us, Baraneev? Which of the ladies now present would you like most to belong to? Have you an opinion?”

  “This is for
real, not a hypothetical question? You’re discussing which of you is going to enslave me?”

  “Absolutely, we’re totally serious. You didn’t think we’d let you go back to Ziga, did you?”

  “What would I want to go back for? But would this mean I can’t compete this evening? I wouldn’t want to let Katanya down. It was her idea, you see and she wanted to do well.”

  “We’ll all agree to let you compete. Now decide.”

  “You’re not offended I prefer Marina.”

  There was general laughter at this remark.

  “Everyone prefers Marina,” remarked Plavina.

  “Even Adelza,” countered Letinza. Baraneev thought for a minute.

  “Then I choose Plavina. You were all superb but I think I’d get on with Plavina best, after all I hope to be with her for a long time.”

  “Well said, Baraneev.” said Klivina, “Congratulations Plavina.”

  “Thank you Baraneev, well you best come home now, then.”

  “I’ll just get my clothes.”

  “Leave them, you won’t need them. No, better get dressed, you have to inform your Ambassador you’ve decided to stay willingly or I’ll have him making a fuss you’ve been kidnapped and raped.”

  Plavina and Baraneev left for a late breakfast and a visit to the Zigan Embassy. Padavaneev, the Zigan Ambassador was surprised by the visit from the heir to the throne. He had been worried about Baraneev’s involvement with Princess Marina. He had noticed the young man’s entrancement with her and Zenina and tried to advise caution, but he had seen it before. There was no doubt Baraneev would make a good slave and probably be deliriously happy. Despite the views of his nationals back home, Padavaneev knew many Zigan men sought slavery willingly and gloried in the sexual freedoms of Zenina.