“I made you bacon and eggs.”
On the other hand!
I turned and tried to open my eyes. The motion made my stomach lurch, and I realised that if I didn’t get up and out of bed in the next ten seconds, I was going to cover it with last night’s dinner. I jumped up, ignoring the throbbing in my head that had turned into a full force migraine and ran to the bathroom where I threw up pretty much everything I’d eaten the night before.
The voice came again, this time through the bathroom door. I remembered it was Bryony.
“You sound awful. I’ll make you a coffee.”
“Thanks!” I managed to say with a croaky throat. My stomach acid had burnt it as it came up.
I opened the door to find a very chipper-looking Bryony placing a cup of steaming coffee on the table next to my breakfast. I didn’t think I’d ever seen anything more welcome or, indeed, more welcoming.
“Why do you look like that, and I feel like this?” I didn’t need to look in a mirror to know that my hair was all over the place, and I was pretty sure my skin had turned a pale shade of green, which sometimes happens to Clubs when they are ill or drink too much.
Bryony, though, was a perfectly healthy pink colour and had a smile on her face. What on earth was wrong with the woman? I was pretty sure she drank as much as I did the night before.
“Why are you so…so…so…?” I couldn’t even get the words out. Luckily, she understood what I was trying to get across.
“I don’t know. I’ve heard that alcohol is supposed to make you feel ill the next morning, but I feel fine. Maybe I’m immune to hangovers?”
“Monsatsu, I hate you right now.” It was rare I mentioned the Club deity, mainly because I believed in a whole universe of gods and goddesses, not just the one I was brought up to believe in.
“No, you don’t. Here, have another slice of bacon.” She passed me another slice onto my already burgeoning plate and grinned.
“Ok, I don’t. Keep it up with breakfasts like these, and I might just forgive you for looking so good after a night of alcohol-fuelled rage.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” she replied. “I’m sure we only went as far as angry and irate. I’m not sure we actually made it on to ‘rage’ as such.”
I had to smile
“Thank you, though. I mean it.” I drained my coffee and felt a million times better. I’d forgotten just how good coffee tasted.
“I’m only doing my job,” she replied nonchalantly.
It was a big deal that she was being so nice to me, knowing just how much ‘only doing her job’ was really costing her. I made my mind up to make her breakfast tomorrow. It was the least I could do for her.
“The dress,” she said, spearing a slice of bacon and popping it into her mouth.
The dress! Oh crap, I couldn’t bear to think about it. Making the dress was one of the biggest jobs of the bond helper, at least, for the girls. I think that the main job of the male bond helper was to spend the week calming the nerves of the man due to be bonded, and even though it wasn’t really allowed, getting them drunk in much the same way Bryony had done for me.
Some bond helpers bought a dress if they weren’t the best at needlework, but I had a feeling Bryony would want to make mine, which was the more traditional route to take in such matters. I wasn’t wrong.
“I will measure you up this morning and go and get you some material. I’ll have to work quickly on it, though.”
“Can’t you just buy one? I honestly don’t care. I can’t have you doing all this for me.”
“No, I know it’s not your fault this is happening, and despite everything, I still want you to have a day to remember. It’s going to be the biggest day of your life, and I want you to feel special.”
I don’t think I’d ever felt less special.
“If I was in your shoes, I’d been poisoning your bacon right about now,” I said.
“You are in my shoes. We are both losing the ones we love through no fault of our own. Besides, who’s to say I didn’t poison your bacon?” she grinned and winked at me, but underneath the airy manner, I could see the pain in her eyes. She was a truly remarkable woman—much better than I!
Usually, in the morning, I would go to temple and meditate, but as that was not an option, I let Bryony measure me for my dress. A traditional Club bride always wears white to symbolise purity (ha!), but here in Yelpish, we always wear green to symbolise nature and fertility (ugh!) As I wore green dresses all the time, I was quite happy to wear something I already owned, but I knew Bryony would shoot that idea down just as she had my suggestion about buying a dress. This time, I didn’t have to give her any money. The temple pays for things like girls’ bonding dresses. I knew she’d have to speak to Mali to get the funds, which could sometimes turn out to be quite considerable.
When she had gone, I decided to meditate at home instead of the temple, but after five minutes of trying to empty my mind, I gave up. It was too crammed full of everything that had happened over the past few days. For the first time since entering Yelpish, I couldn’t let everything go. It was strange how, in the space of a couple of days, I’d turned into the very same type of person I’d come to Yelpish to avoid. I was drinking, eating meat, swearing, not meditating, eating chocolate, etc. I was beginning to find I was quite enjoying it too!
Suddenly, Yelpish wasn’t the wondrous haven I always thought it would be.
To take my mind off it, I decided to pay Bryony back for the wonderful breakfast and begin preparations for lunch. I’d make her something special. I was still really full from all the bacon, but I didn’t expect her back until lunch time anyway.
I opened all my cupboards and brought out everything that looked like it might make a nice meal. I noticed that she’d bought some sozelle meat, a luxury item in The Club Kingdom. It was a specialty of The Diamonds who raised Sozelles for transport and meat. I’d only eaten it on a couple of occasions. It was delicious. I decided to roast it along with some potatoes and veggies. Vegetables were few and far between at this time of year, but I managed to find some carrots and parsnips, which I peeled, chopped, and threw into the roasting tin with the sozelle joint. I found some oil and poured it liberally over the lot, adding some herbs along the way, and threw it into the oven. I turned it on low, knowing it would take a few hours to roast and did the washing up, picking up half-empty crisp packets and bottles of alcohol we’d left lying around from the night before.
After two hours of cooking and cleaning, I found myself at loose ends once again. After pacing up and down my living room a few times, I decided to do the one thing that was completely forbidden. I decided to leave the house.
Finding a dress that I’d not worn for a while, I slipped it over my head and for good measure, added a cloak with a hood. If I kept the hood up and covered my face as much as possible, I might get away with it.
I opened my door and stepped outside. The complete disregard for the rules was exhilarating. I’d never done anything naughty in my whole life, but after last night, I was beginning to enjoy my new deviant attitude. I’d never known anyone to leave the house during pre-bonding week, so I had no idea of the punishment should I get caught. Punishment was a rare thing in Yelpish because everyone, by and large, stuck to the rules. For petty things, like being late to meditation, you might get a talking to by Mali, but for something more severe? I once knew someone who was thrown out of Yelpish and told never to return, but he’d been caught stealing from the other villagers. I had no idea where my infraction would lie on the scale.
I had no intention of being caught, though. I just wanted to see Mali. The temple was just in front of my house, so I’d not even have to go through the village to get to it. If I kept in the shadows of the trees and was careful, there was every chance I’d get away with it. I couldn’t chance going through the front door of the temple. Mali and the other villagers would all be in there, and even though they’d all be meditating, the opening of the door might cause someone t
o look up. Instead, I crept through the back door into Mali’s office, comfortable he’d be in the main part of the temple. I was right. The office was empty. The door at the other side led to the main hall, and it was my intention to look through the stained glass in it to see Mali. I knew I was being pathetic, but I missed him so much, it felt like it was killing me. Despite my laughing at Bryony telling me he was old and ugly, I still loved him with every ounce of my being. I tiptoed across the office toward the door, passing his desk as I did. I glanced down at all the paperwork on the desk, paperwork that usually I’d sort for him, and spotted something strange in the pile. Along with the usual letters of praise and written requests from people asking if they could consult with him or move to Yelpish, was a card in a pink envelope. I couldn’t help myself; I picked it up and opened it. I could see that it had already been opened, so Mali wouldn’t know I’d had a peek.
Mali, my love,
I have thought long and hard about your invitation. As you know, this decision has been a difficult one. I have my husband and children to consider, but my love for them pales in comparison to the love I feel for you. When I met you last year when you came to consult with me, I knew instantly I had found my soulmate. This year has been harder than you could possibly know, only being able to snatch brief moments with you. The time has come, my love. I’m telling my husband and children tonight and will be with you by the end of the week, once I’ve got my house in order. The time has come that we can finally be together.
I cannot wait.
All my love,
Sandy
.
He was having an affair! With a married woman! A married woman with children, no less! The hypocritical ass. He preached love and fidelity. Yelpish was founded on those values, a place to escape the immorality of the heathens on the outside, and here he was, sleeping with a married woman!
My hands shook as I inserted the letter back into the envelope. I could barely breathe with the pain of it. I guess I now knew why I was to be bonded. He wanted me out of the way whilst he set up home with this Sandy woman. Sandy…the name rang a bell. She was a Spade woman whom he’d gone to consult with last year. He’d been a few times. I usually went with him when he went to consult, but I remembered that I’d been ill the first time, so he’d travelled to the Spade Kingdom by himself. After that, he’d told me not to come because the journey was too far and too arduous for me. And I’d believed him like the fool I was.
“Iris!”
I jumped a mile and dropped the pink envelope back onto the desk. Turning around, I saw Bryony peeking through the door.
“What are you doing?” she whispered. “You shouldn’t be in here!”
I followed her out, and she half-dragged me back to the cottage. The smell of the sozelle meat cooking filled the air with a delicious aroma, but I couldn’t care less about the food.
“What on Vanatus were you doing out there?” Bryony laid into me, not bothering to keep her voice down now that we were out of earshot. “You could have got both of us into big trouble. I’m supposed to be looking after you. Do you want both of us to be thrown out of the village?” She was red with anger.
“Mali is having an affair with a married woman!” I replied miserably
So inconceivable was this news to Bryony that she completely forgot she was mad with me and replaced her angry face with one of pure bewilderment.
“What?”
“That’s what I was looking at before you found me. It was a letter from her, saying that she was going to leave her family and come to Yelpish.”
“But…but… he can’t be having an affair, he just can’t. Who would want him?”
“I did!” I replied and burst into tears.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she put her arms around me and held me tight. “I didn’t mean…I just…I can’t believe it; that’s all. Did you see the date on the letter?”
“I didn’t look at the postmark, but I think it’s safe to assume that the letter was what prompted this whole bonding fiasco. It had nothing to do with fate or the stars and everything to do with casting me aside.”
“Well, what a bloody idiot he is! You are better off without him.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” I certainly didn’t feel like it.
“I bought us some more chocolate when I was out getting your fabric.” She said. “Do you want to come and have a look?”
I didn’t really, but as she’d gone to the trouble of getting it for me, I thought I probably should.
The bag she’d put the fabric in was much bigger than I’d anticipated.
“Just how many dresses are you planning to make?” I asked.
“Just the one, but I wanted it to be really special and needed a lot of material.”
I opened the bag and pulled out the most breath-taking material I’d ever seen. It was of the palest green, which shimmered in the light. Swathes of gossamer thin pink material came after and then, finally, the most delicate white opalescent material. There was also a large bag of crystals.
It was going to end up the most amazingly decadent over-the-top bonding dress of all time. I was going to absolutely hate it.
“I love it!” I said, trying to spare her feelings. My life was already a complete disaster, what would one outrageous dress matter in the grand scheme of things?
“I have to get started on this right now, or I won’t get it finished in time,” she said. “Will you help me?” I knew she was only trying to take my mind off Mali, but I was useless at sewing.
“I think I’ll just get lunch ready instead,” I replied. “I thought we’d have a big meal in the early afternoon and just a snack for dinner.”
“Ok, I’ll get this started on my own then.” She took the material and sat in the living room with it all on her knee. I watched as she separated everything into piles and began to mark out a pattern on the material.
I’d said I was making dinner, but there wasn’t much to do. Everything was already in the oven, and all I had to do was wait until it was cooked. I checked on how the meat was cooking for the sake of trying to look busy and made us a rice dessert with milk and cinnamon ready to put in the oven later. I didn’t feel remotely hungry, despite the amazing smells coming from the oven, but it was either cooking or sewing, and I didn’t want to do that.
I noticed that Bryony had also bought today’s copy of the Club Gazette.
“Do you mind if I read your newspaper?” I shouted through to her.
“No, I bought it for you. I thought you might be bored cooped up here all day.”
I opened it out on the little kitchen table and read the headline.
Uprising in the Spade Kingdom causes panic amongst Clubs.
“Bryony, have you seen this?” I asked her. She looked up from her work.
“No, why?”
I read the headline out to her.
“That sounds bad, what does it say?”
I cleared my throat and read aloud to her, paraphrasing as I went.
It says that the Spade Kingdom is in complete disarray after the king had a complete meltdown and abdicated his role. His son, Leo, is away on holiday, and no one can contact him, and the queen is still missing. The Hearts are apparently using the situation to their own advantage by increasing the prices of goods to the kingdom and paying half what they used to for anything they buy from the Spades. The Queen of Hearts has issued a mandate to all the companies in The Heartlands to refuse to pay any more, and without anyone in charge in the Spade Kingdom, she is getting away with it. Apparently, it’s been going on for the past few weeks, but now, it’s getting worse. A lot of Spade businesses are going under and as they import most of their machinery from the Hearts, they now can’t afford to buy anything.”
“That sounds awful,” replied Bryony. I looked up to see that she’d stopped marking out the pattern and was now cutting the fabric. I tried not to notice how disgusting the shimmery green looked. “What does it have to do with the Clubs, though?”
I read down a bit.
“The Queen of Spades has been spotted in the Clublands, and now, they think we are hiding her. I get the impression that The Spades are blaming her for everything.”
“Well it is kinda her fault, isn’t it?” replied Bryony. “I mean, if she’d not had an affair, the king wouldn’t have gone insane, and the Hearts wouldn’t be trying to be sneaky with the Spades.”
“I don’t know, they are the biggest bunch of sneaks I’ve ever met. They were just waiting for an opportunity. You should have seen what they did to the Club River last week. The Queen of Hearts exchanged her own daughter to some weird creature for turning the river to blood. You wouldn’t have seen it here because our stream descends from mountains in the Spadelands. Thankfully, my brother managed to sort it out.”
“I still don’t understand why we should be worried. So the Spades think their queen is being hidden somewhere in our Kingdom—big deal.”
“It is a big deal, though. Their livelihoods are at stake if they don’t find their queen. They are losing money, and they are mad. The Gazette says it’s had intelligence that they are gearing up to fight.”
“Why don’t they fight the Hearts? It seems to me that they are the big problem, not us.”
“Think about it. The only way to get to The Heartlands from the Spade Kingdom is either right through the centre of Urbis or by crossing our Kingdom.”
“Or they could go the other way and through the Diamond Kingdom.”
“True, but it’s a very mountainous country. It would be a lot harder for troops to get through The Diamond Kingdom than ours.”
“It sounds to me like they are using their queen as an excuse to go through our lands to use military force on The Hearts.”
I’d not thought of it like that, but she had a fair point. The majority of the article was made up of conjecture and rumour, but it did worry me. Yelpish wasn’t on the border of the Spade Kingdom, but it was pretty close. If they did decide to invade, there was every chance, they’d come through us. I leafed through the rest of the paper. It was wholly depressing on every page. There was an article about the blood rivers. They didn’t seem to know what had caused it or who had rectified it, so it was mainly just eyewitness interviews of people who had gone without a cup of tea for three days. It made sense that The Joker wasn’t in the article. No one knew it was him except Ash, myself, and Mali, oh, and of course, that Heart princess woman whose name I’d already forgotten, Jenny or something. I wondered if I should call them to let them know that it was all orchestrated by none other than The Queen of Hearts, but seeing as we didn’t have any means of communication, I figured I’d leave it to Ash to decide if he wanted the world to know. I thought about Ash for a few minutes, wondering how he was doing. The only contact I’d had with him was through Mali’s spirit guide, and obviously, I had no access to her at the moment. I sighed. Being cooped up in my cottage was not good for me at all. For a start, I seemed to have dropped all my values in the space of two days. For the first time, I began to wonder if I was meant to be in Yelpish at all.
Six of Clubs (War and Suits Book 5) Page 4