by Abby James
Miss Tule sat at the head of the table, dressed in red this time. On both sides were a row of young women. All except two, which included me, wore white jumpsuits cinched loosely at the waist by a brown belt.
“Malachi, you may sit next to Maya.” Miss Tule indicated a blonde girl on her right with the biggest blue eyes I’d ever seen. I headed her way, my skin prickling under Miss Tule’s scrutiny. No doubt she was assessing my stained, sensible clothes and sturdy man’s shoes, or maybe it was my hair or the way I moved. I’d only ever felt less than perfect under Marion’s eye, but that never worried me. Even Shacks didn’t seem to care that I usually dressed like a man, with grease under my nails and hair pulled half-loose from its ponytail.
Once I sat, Maya turned and winked at me before giving me a wide, toothy grin. She wore the same white jumpsuit, her blonde hair pulled into a neat bun at the back of her head and a faint trace of eye makeup, which enhanced her stunning blue eyes.
“Girls, tonight is an informal gathering.” She addressed me. “You are probably tired after your journey and so we will restrict our conversation and eat. Tomorrow is a better time to get to know one another.”
On cue our food arrived in steaming dishes, a selection of meats and vegetables in thick gravy, with colorful salads on the side, a bounty compared to dinner back home. The smells that wafted from the center of the table tortured my empty stomach. I’d eaten little during our stopover of last night and nothing this morning before we’d departed. My stomach grumbled and gurgled. I glanced sideways at Maya. She winked at me before looking at Miss Tule. I followed her cue, noting how the other recruit stared longingly at the food. Where had she come from? Not a harvest truck like me, for Norella and I were the only ones in the square.
“We will be served tonight. A small gift from me to you. As of tomorrow, you will each take turns in serving the others.”
Any conversation was held off long enough for the food to be served, a small portion on everyone’s plates. I wanted to tell the young woman to keep that ladle scooping, but held my tongue. Everyone waited for the serving to be done before they began eating. Maya took polite mouthfuls, chewing with slow care and swallowing before repeating with another small mouthful. All the girls were eating likewise, but the other recruit sat motionless in wide-eyed panic. I wasn’t a slob, but table manners in our house stretched to eating with your mouth closed and no more. Seb was one for heaping the food in mouthfuls, then disappearing from the table before any of us were halfway through our own dinner.
Thinking of him stabbed a sharp pain in my chest. I tried to fill my head with other thoughts when my throat began to feel thick. I wasn’t the crying type, but losing all my family in two days, perhaps I should forgive myself this one weakness.
“Seems silly introducing myself now, seeing’s you already know my name, but it’s nice to meet you. Malachi. That’s a great name. Mine’s pretty boring. There were at least four Mayas in our village.”
“Hi,” was all I managed to say.
“Where did you come from? You look washed out, so I’d bet it was somewhere far. I had to travel for two days to reach Fortescue and it was pretty overwhelming, I can tell you. My village was small, so you can image what I thought when I first arrived here.”
“Maya.”
Maya slapped her lips shut and turned to Miss Tule. “Miss.”
“Leave Malachi to her dinner. Tomorrow there will be plenty of time.”
“Yes, Miss.”
I couldn’t help a small smile. I’d known Maya less than a few minutes but already I liked her.
Maya leaned over and whispered, “How many came from your village?”
I glanced at Miss Tule, who was busy cutting her meat, then ducked my head to whisper, “A handful of boys and another girl.”
Maya’s eyes popped. “She went to Madame Lorraine’s?”
I nodded.
“You’re lucky you escaped that noose.”
“Noose?” God, what was Norella in for? I shouldn’t care what happened to her, and I didn’t really, but I wasn’t so mean as to wish a bad life on anyone.
“Courtesans.”
“As in…?”
“Madame Lorraine was said to be one of the best in her day. Her girls are reputed be to highly skilled.” She winked at me.
All I could do was stare.
Maya smirked. “You look shocked. You’ve heard of courtesans, right?” She stuck her tongue in the side of her cheek creating a bulge and ran it up and down, giving the bulge the appearance of moving in and out.
When I continued to gape at her, Maya said, “Blimey, are you a virgin?”
“Umm…what?”
“Oh, sorry.”
“For what?”
“I see I’ve got a lot to teach you.” She giggled. “It’s not part of Miss Tule’s schedule, but I’ll offer it free of charge.”
“Don’t bother. I could probably teach you a thing or two.”
Maya’s eyes saucered, then she nudged me. “I’m glad Miss Tule sat you next to me.”
“I’m just wondering how Norella will go.”
“She a friend of yours?”
“No. Definitely not.”
Maya nodded, understanding the finer detail of Norella’s and my relationship from the tone in my voice.
“Courtesans are a cultural tradition. They’ve been around since the ancient times. Madame Lorraine’s Gilded Home will endure long after everything else has turned to relics. The courtesans are a much-desired commodity within the ranks of the elite. Is your friend beautiful?”
“By Ladec standards? Yes.”
“Then if she gains the right skill, she will go far. As far as a good marriage to a council member, wealthy businessman or someone high within the ranks of the military.”
She grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Even the commnder-in-chief. That’s about as high as you can go up the ranks. In fact, the current commander-in-chief is a product of such a marriage. Although his father was only second-in-command, his mother was a gifted and beautiful courtesan.”
“To me, the best a woman should aim for is to be important on her own. I’m not interested in gaining rank by marriage.”
“Huh. You say that now, hon, but you might feel differently in a few years. Besides, women can’t enter the council, nor do they rise to high ranks in the military.”
“What about wealthy businesswomen? What about Miss Tule? Is she important?”
“Very. But who wants to be on their own?”
Maya was about to say something when a throat clearing clammed her mouth. We both busied ourselves taking another mouthful.
Maya darted a look at Miss Tule, then leaned over. “Once Madame Lorraine wrote a petition demanding a change to the laws regarding marriage to courtesans. She was backed by many of the high-born women, who felt overlooked by their more beautiful rivals. But the petition was squashed.”
“That’s because the council is made up of men.”
She giggled and rolled her eyes. “It’s amazing any of them get anything done. But seriously, your friend will be pampered. No one would dare mistreat Madame Lorraine’s girls or they have to face her. And all the men in this city desire courtesans. They wouldn’t dare do anything that could close the house down.”
“Norella’s going to love it. So what do we learn at Miss Tule’s academy?”
“How to be servants.”
Oh.
She smirked. “That is the beginning. If you follow everything Miss Tule tells you and learn your instructions well, then she’ll show you a whole new world.”
“Which is?”
Maya winked. “You’ll find out if you ever reach that far.”
We did the rest of the meal in silence under the watchful gaze of Miss Tule. Thankfully the small portion we were given at the start did not mean that was all we were allowed to eat. The food kept coming until I felt ready to pop. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d felt so content and full.
Miss Tule d
abbed at mouth with her napkin as the serving ladies removed the dishes. “Now. I suspect our new recruits are keen for their beds. Tomorrow we start early. I expect you all to be at breakfast by six. Any latecomers will miss their breakfast and spend the day in the kitchens with the cook. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Miss Tule.” We weren’t all in unison.
She eyed us newbies. “You each have an assistant assigned to you for the initial settling-in period. She will teach you the sort of personal care I demand of my girls. You are to be respectful at all times. I don’t want to hear of any grievances due to lack of cooperation.” She eyed each one of us in turn. “Good.”
When she rose, everyone else followed. “Good night.” She marched from the room, leaving us all standing behind our table settings.
Maya grabbed my arm. “Come on then. No point remaining here.” She pulled me along with her, back out the double doors into the walkway. “You seen the pool?”
I nodded. “I hope I have time tomorrow to use it.”
Maya laughed. “Fat chance. If you’re lucky, you’ll get time to breathe.”
“What are we going to learn?”
Maya let go of my arm and ran a short way in front before doing a twirl. “To be proper ladies, of course.” She did an elaborate bow before me. When she rose, she had an entirely different look in her eyes. “And more.” She raised one eyebrow, leaned forward and gave me the smallest peck on the lips. Her kiss astonished me. My mum might have kissed me on the lips once upon a time ago, as a gentle gesture. Marion kissed me all the time, on the cheek or in my hair or anywhere else she thought fun when she was in a playful mood. But that was all. Without seeming to notice my shock, she curled her arm around mine and pulled me along. Maya’s personality was contagious, her mood uplifting. Thank god I’d landed here.
“Malachi.” Marnena stomped down the stairs toward me. “Come, love, let’s get you ready for bed. Best you run along now, Maya.”
Maya curtsied to Marnena and leaned in to give me one more kiss on my cheek. “See you. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep or you’ll look like shit in the morning, and I don’t think that’s the kind of look Miss Tule had in mind.” She yelled all this as she ran up the stairs.
“That girl’s got to watch her tongue. Still, Miss Tule has a fondness for spirit. She’s one of Miss Tule’s favorites. I dare say that is why she has assigned Maya as your guardian.”
Marnena’s hands were like clubs, thick, strong but somehow comforting, as she took my hand and guided me up the stairs.
“Guardian?”
“All the new recruits are given a guardian to help them through the initial training and to keep them out of trouble.”
“How long has Maya been here?”
“Three years. And she learned quick. She made it beyond initiation in record time.”
“I’m trying to think of all the duties a servant will perform that would be so complicated.”
“There are a wide range of duties you’ll be required to do. You need to know how to conduct yourself in every situation.”
“Are we expected to live with any of our employers?”
“Oh, no, Miss Tule likes to keep her charges close. You’re less likely to run into trouble that way, if you understand my meaning. But you don’t have to worry too much. You’ll only be working for the elite, and they have courtesans for that sort of thing.”
Poor Norella, although I’m sure she would be thinking poor me.
“Do you think Miss Tule will like me?”
She half turned to look up at me. “Don’t worry, you’ll do very well too. In fact, you’ve done very well already.” And her smile turned sly.
“What do you mean?”
“Has Miss Tule told you of the unattractiveness of too many questions?”
“I’ve barely asked anything.”
“You’ve asked one too many, my girl. Not now. You need to sleep. Miss Tule has a long day ahead for you all.”
“So no dip in the pool then?”
“What? Oh, god no. You’ll have to wait a while yet. Now, that’s enough. To bed with you.” She smacked me on the bottom. I squealed while she attempted to hide her smile.
“Can I ask another question?”
“No.”
“Who was the other recruit? I thought Norella and I were the only ones to arrive today.”
“From the outer regions, yes. The other recruit is from Fortescue.”
“They take girls from here?”
“Of course, you silly thing.”
“But why?”
Marnena jabbed her hands on her hips and huffed. “Miss Tule’s Academy for Girls is sought after by a certain few within Fortescue. It’s primarily driven by their mothers, many of whom were students of Miss Tule’s themselves. But Miss Tule is very selective about who she accepts.”
“Why would mothers be so keen to make their daughters servants?”
Marnena winked. “Because Miss Tule has a certain…talent, shall we say.”
“I’m confused.”
“Good. Now anything you ask is a tomorrow question.” And she shooed me up the stairs.
Chapter 9
Sargon woke with the curtains billowing and a cool breeze washing over his body. He lay on damp sheets, feeling tacky from the sweat. He sat up and looked out into the night. The glow from the lights of the surrounding buildings rose up into the air, illuminating the dark, erasing the stars.
The last thing in his head before he woke was the face of Raiala, the courtesan he’d released. Her blood flowed freely over the sheets while her eyes remained open, frozen in shock. There were a few others hovering in the background. Dreams controlled themselves and this dream was stubborn, keeping those within the mental frame out of Sargon’s reach. He’d been wrenched from the dream too soon to allay his fears.
But the wild dreams weren’t a weakness. His body developed the habit of switching on the adrenaline the moment his eyes opened, carrying the tension throughout his day. His mind constantly shifted through all the possibilities, good and bad, mostly bad. The dreams were his mind’s outlet. To balance the tension and settle his mind, he chose rigorous training. But staying asleep was something else. Sargon’s mind remained alert even when sleeping, drifting on the surface, ready to drag him free if something threatened. The healers had things to offer, which Sargon tried on a few occasions, only they made him vulnerable by wiping him out for hours on end.
But of late the dreams could no longer be called something so mundane; they were nothing but nightmares. Dreams had a habit of supplanting the truth and his dreams had become fierce. They chased him, twisting the day’s events into unspeakable horrors. And just as the nightmares became his dreams, sleep was slipping from him. These days he spent most of the night prowling his apartment or staring at the ceiling of his bedroom.
The rest of the night would be wasted if he remained in bed, so Sargon rose to fix himself a drink, then drifted outside onto the balcony and let the cool of the night wash the rest of his sleep away. Fortescue was a twenty-four-hour city. In the distance the all-nighters kept the place alive, far enough away so that the noise coming up to meet him was muted.
He swirled his drink in the glass and looked out toward the sea. The lights ended at the shoreline. The dark moon left no reflection on the sea, creating a black void as far as the eye could see. An opportune moment for those from the north to make forays across their borders. Even better for Sargon’s men to spy without being seen.
With a sudden decision, Sargon headed back inside to retrieve his pod. Chett took a little longer than usual to answer. Given the time of night, it was understandable.
“You up for it?”
“Bloody hell… Just hang on a minute.”
There was a muffled shift of the sheets as Chett moved around, perhaps getting himself into a position to think better.
“You alone?” Sargon should’ve thought this through before he called. When the urge came, he needed to ac
t, but it was likely Chett had a woman in his bed. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so hasty. Sargon asked a lot of his second-in-command, so Chett deserved the medicinal luxury of a woman’s soft curves to help him sleep. “Look, forget it. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“No, I’m awake now. And I’m not alone, but Mini will understand.” His voice was groggy.
Sargon smiled to himself. Mini was new. Chett never took the same woman more than twice in a row, regardless of their prowess. Sargon suspected it was his way of preventing the woman from developing an attachment. Sargon never took a woman home. Neither did Ryker. Each developing his own way of protecting the woman from disappointment. No man chose to be alone, but their position made finding the right woman difficult. Sargon’s history tainted his idea of what it meant to share your life with a woman, to give your heart away. Although his father had died when he was ten, Sargon remembered his adoration of Merriala. Everyone else suspected Merriala’s malice, but his father was blind.
“You up for the dungeon?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You’ve always got a choice.”
“I somehow doubt that. You know I’ll always come.”
“Bring Ryker. If he’s not otherwise engaged.”
“I think he went to the ring fights.”
“Good, he’ll be ready for some ass kicking. See you there in twenty.”
“Give me a little longer. I want a cuddle with Mini first.”
“How long do you want?”
“Give us two hours.”
“I’ll give you one.”
“One and a half.”
“I want you full of action, not satiated and sleepy.”
Chett ended the call without a reply. Sargon laughed to himself as he disappeared into his bathroom, turning on the hot water. Might as well have a shower to cleanse himself before he began, since he now had the time. Allowing a woman to stave his wakeful nights was a better antidote than what he had planned, but unlike Chett, Sargon was minus the little treat. So he would resort to the only thing available to him at the moment—dark training. Ryker had coined the term, sentimentality aside, for Sargon’s nocturnal activity.