Bloodkin (Jaseth of Jaelshead)

by Ashford, Cathy

  “That’s what you and Coco need, eh ‘Litha?” She blushed bright red but Aliakh pointed a finger at him sternly.

  “These are not just for use by lesbians, Telgeth, although with that attitude you might find it difficult to find a girl to enjoy using one with!” Everyone laughed as Telgeth slumped back in his seat.

  “Ouch! Oh Aliakh, I am sorely wounded!”

  After the physical prophylactics, Aliakh moved onto the Hầұeӣ ones. These involved creating fluid-proof shields in the air directly around one’s genitals, or “penises and cervixes” as Aliakh insisted on using the medical terms for them. She warned us that these Hầұeӣ contraceptives took a lot of practice and were not a replacement for physical ones, especially until we had undergone a Black-smoking ritual. Still, that afternoon we had to practise creating these shields. Aliakh thought it prudent for us to do this in private, so after lunch we got to stay in our rooms.

  The next day and for the rest of the week we concentrated on something more surprising. As we had all found before coming to the Academy, Nea’thi-Bloods tend to set things on fire when in a heightened emotional state. Needless to say, having sex constituted a heightened emotional state, and we spent the next few days learning how to effectively “turn off” our Hầұeӣ, so we could be intimate with someone without burning them to death. At the end of the week I reckoned I had got my Hầұeӣ under control, and Aliakh was satisfied with our progress.

  “Now, there are a lot of other things you can do in the bedroom with Hầұeӣ,” she giggled quietly and wrote the name of a book on the board. “It’s deemed inappropriate to teach these things in such an esteemed educational facility as this Academy, but I’ve made sure the bookshop in the Quarter has at least eight copies of this, if you are interested in further reading.” She tapped the name on the board. “Thank you everyone, I hope you have had an enjoyable week. But please remember, now that you can have sex, doesn’t mean that you have to. There is a right time for everyone, and I hope you will all trust your instincts and wait until then. Have a good weekend!”

  When we got outside, Telgeth raced off. “I’ve got the longest legs, I can get to the bookshop before it closes!” he yelled over his shoulder.

  He returned with a huge shopping bag as we all hung out in the common room, deciding what to do with our Friday night.

  “Got them!” he cried gleefully, handing them around. “And you’ll never guess who it’s by!”

  I looked at the front cover of my copy. Sex and Hầұeӣ by Aliakh of Lille! Inside the front cover was a reproduction of a portrait of Aliakh by none other than Ashlu. She was sitting up in a bed strewn with pillows and was smiling that coy, dimple-cheeked smile.

  “Telgeth, how did you pay for these?”

  “I, uh, put them on the Hall account. I figured if Myn Eve complained when she got it, we could pay her back then.” Thomas only had to raise an eyebrow at his Bloodkin. “Fine, fine, we’ll pay it now. The price is on the front, minus the Hall’s 10% discount, so I guess you have to give that to Myn Eve… It is an academy expense Tommo!” he grumbled, in a last half-hearted attempt to get out of paying for the book. Then he brightened, seeing the picture of Aliakh on the inside cover.

  “Shit, I dunno about you guys, but I’m off to bed!” He galloped from the room and Lolitha wrinkled her nose.

  “Ew.”

  It was, kind of, but I was half-inclined to follow his lead. I was intrigued by what techniques there were for making love, I could imagine using them on the Queen…

  Oh hell, stop it! I already had a girlfriend, I should be thinking about her. But I simply couldn’t get Thaelique out of my head, and if I was totally honest, I didn’t want to try.

  In the weeks that followed, I felt myself pulling away from Sallagh, and she must have felt it too, because as a result she clung tighter to me. Walking to and from class, at mealtimes, she even came to try and study with me at nights. Once or twice she had shyly suggested that maybe we could try out one of the techniques from Aliakh’s book (which I had already read, cover to cover, twice) but I managed to fob her off with one excuse or another. She told me she loved me a few more times, and while I reciprocated in kind, she must have sensed that my heart wasn’t really in it.

  Things came to a head one Saturday in early April. Spring had finally chased winter completely away, and while it had rained a fair bit, the days were getting noticeably longer and there were a few sunny, warm days, like this particular Saturday, when Sallagh came to see me in my room.

  Charlie had taken Anna on a picnic to Nallow that morning, so we didn’t have our lessons with her. They were going “just as friends” but I knew he was hoping for something more, just as I knew he wouldn’t be back until much later that evening. I was sure Sallagh was going to ask me to sleep with her, and I was fully prepared to accept, but she had something quite different in mind.

  “Jaseth, I think we should go up to my parents’ place for dinner tonight.”

  “Um, I can’t, I’m going with ‘Litha and the boys to the Thistle.”

  “Oh, but Mama will have bought all the food already!”

  “What? You organised it without telling me?” This was not good. This was so not good. I didn’t really care about going out with my friends, but I definitely did care about meeting Sallagh’s parents properly, and her having organised it without telling me!

  “Well, yes, I didn’t think there would be a problem!”

  “You can’t just… Just organise stuff without telling me!”

  “Well I’m sorry! Don’t you want to meet my parents?”

  “No, it’s not that. It’s just…”

  “Well what’s the problem? Don’t you love me?”

  “No, I—” and there it was. My opportunity. Come on man, grow some balls! “Look, Sall, you really are an awesome girl, but…”

  Her head snapped up. “But what?” she said very quietly, the glimmer of unshed tears beginning to swell in her eyes.

  Argh! Oh sweet Lilbecz, this was hard. Deep breath.

  “I don’t think we should be together anymore.”

  “What?!” she almost shrieked and stepped towards me. “How dare you?” And then before I knew it she pulled her hand back and slapped me. “You effing khunst! After everything, you’re dumping me! You’re dumping me!”

  “I’m sorry, I really do like you, but…”

  “But what?” she wailed, tears flowing freely now.

  “But I just can’t… I’m sorry!”

  “Yeah you effing will be! You bastard!” she screamed at me, then turned and fled from my room.

  I let out a huge sigh and fell onto the couch. Shit, it was done. Now I felt a bit weepy too. And my face hurt. Oh, poor Sallagh, I hadn’t meant to hurt her. But I had to. Ugh, this girl business sucked. I figured I should go get Emma, so I blew my nose, rinsed my face in the bathroom and went upstairs to find her. She was sitting at one of the tables in the common room, reading the paper.

  I cleared my throat. “Um, Emma, can I have a word?” She glanced up at me in surprise, took one look at my face and sighed.

  “Are you and Sallagh alright?”

  “Er, no, not really.”

  “Ah.” She stood and walked with me out to the stairwell. “So what happened?”

  “I think I just broke up with her.”

  “Is she terribly upset?”

  I nodded glumly. I thought Emma would be furious, but she patted me on the arm gently.

  “You poor boy, rough was it?” I nodded again. “I suppose I should go and see her then. I’ll need supplies.”

  “Supplies?”

  She laughed quietly. “Yes, supplies. And seeing as this is your fault, you can go and get them.”

  I was confused. “Like what?”

  “Oh, you know, the stuff girls need when they’ve just been dumped. Cake, chocolate, wine— No, brandy is better.”

  “I hardly think she’ll want them from me. She called me a khunst.”

 
Emma grimaced. “Gosh, she must be upset. Well, she won’t know they’re from you. When you get back, give everything to Lolitha and Mantilly and send them down to our room.”

  “Um, okay.”

  Emma sighed. “What happened Jaseth? You two seemed really good together.”

  “I don’t know, it’s just… stuff.”

  “Is there someone else?”

  I felt myself blush. “No, no, it’s not like that…”

  “Oh, well, it’s none of my business really. I’ll go see to her now, you hurry up and go get the things I mentioned. And try to, you know, keep away from her for a bit. She needs time to grieve.”

  Well I didn’t have to be told that. I followed Emma down the stairs and ducked into my room to grab my coin purse. When I passed Sallagh’s room I could hear the muted sounds of weeping and Emma’s comforting voice. Ouch, I felt more than a twinge of guilt and I hurried past, down the stairs and out into the spring sunshine. In the wine-merchants I bought the biggest bottle of brandy I could find, then I walked quickly further into the Quarter to the best confectionnaire, choosing a big box of mixed chocolates and a large chocolate and cherry gateaux. As I handed over the considerable amount of coins they cost, the confection-naire smiled at me.

  “Someone’s birthday is it?”

  “Um, no, I just dumped my girlfriend.” He frowned disapprovingly and I rushed on, “These are for her!”

  His face relaxed. “Ahh, young love is hard, no? Plenty more fish in the sea, and all that.”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  As I gathered my package I heard a chuckle behind me and spun around. I didn’t think there had been anyone else in the shop. But there in the doorway was a familiar Nea’thi woman, curiously small, and my throat went dry. What was she doing here?

  r, hello, my lady.”

  “Lord Jaseth. Not shopping for yourself, I see.”

  “Ah, no. Not quite.” Oh man, what was she doing here?”

  “I’m sorry to hear about your girlfriend. Sallagh, was it? Nice girl.”

  I was doubly surprised – I’m not sure I’d ever heard anyone refer to Sallagh as “nice”, but more so that the Queen had noticed that Sallagh and I were together. I was desperate to change the subject.

  “So, what are you doing out today?”

  She waved a hand airily. “Oh, not much, just doing a bit of shopping. The Lille Quarter is particularly lovely, and the Nea’thi are so polite and friendly, don’t you think? And you see a different side of things when not on an official tour.” Well I suppose that explained the disguise.

  “Oh, cool. Um, I don’t suppose you’d like to go for a drink or something?”

  “With you?” She sounded surprised. Oh shit, had I just asked the Queen out on a date? Stupid! There was no way she’d want to—

  “That would be lovely, Jaseth.”

  What? She agreed?

  “Oh! Er, awesome. I’ve just got to run this stuff back to the Hall, then… Can I meet you somewhere? Do you know the Shivering Thistle?”

  She smiled. “I do indeed. I’ll meet you there in half an hour. There are some things I have to pick up first.”

  So I left her to her shopping and raced back to the Hall as fast as I could without squashing the cake. Upstairs in the common room I found Mantilly and Lolitha relaxing by the fire. I thrust the brandy and food at them.

  “Can you take these down to Sallagh’s room? Emma, uh, needs them.” Mantilly looked at the cake then up at me.

  “Oh Jas, you didn’t…?”

  “Yep, pretty much.”

  “Oh poor Sall. Come on ‘Litha, let’s go cheer her up.”

  In my room I attempted to straighten my hair, and thought briefly about changing into a good robe, before I realised Thaelique would probably notice and laugh at me, so I had to make do with the cream linen. I walked back through the Quarter, my heart thudding. The spring sun had never seemed so bright or hot, and I forced myself to slow down so I wasn’t all sweaty when I arrived at the Thistle. By the time I got there, about twenty-five minutes had passed since I left the confectionnaire’s. I had a quick check to make sure she hadn’t arrived yet, then found a bench outside to wait. I realised I was looking around like an idiot, and forced myself to stare at my hands. As such, the Queen surprised me when she walked up five minutes later.

  “Lord Jaseth.”

  “Oh, hey! Shall we go in?”

  She smiled. “Let’s.”

  The tavern was quiet this early in the afternoon. O’Malley was behind the bar, as usual, reading the paper. He glanced up as we walked in.

  “Ah, young Jaseth of Jaelshead, good day to you.” He took a long look at Thaelique at my side and inclined his head slightly. “It is a great honour to have you in my establishment, lady.”

  “You’re very kind, Myr O’Malley. Thank you for the musicians by the way, they were marvellous.”

  O’Malley beamed with pride. “I am pleased my lady thinks so. Now, the roof garden is lovely today, but upstairs is free if you require more privacy.”

  “That would be most suitable, thank you.”

  “I’ll send up a bottle of our finest. White or red?”

  “Red, thank you,” Thaelique replied.

  “Of course. Now, the fire’s not yet lit, I presume you’re able to take care of that, Jaseth?”

  “Um, yeah, that’s fine.”

  “Good, I’ll be up in a minute.”

  O’Malley turned and unlocked the cabinet where he kept his best wines and I led the Queen through the curtained door and up to the lounge. It was gloomy up there, so I shook the glowbes to get them started and turned my attention to the fire.

  “Ah, the infamous home of Lya Vassalion, I have to admit, it’s not quite what I expected.” Thaelique examined the room before choosing a seat by the fire, which I was building with pieces of kindling from a bucket to one side.

  “I, ah, wouldn’t know—”

  She laughed. “It’s alright, Jaseth, I know about Anna. I cannot condone murder in any form, but there’s no way of tying her to any deaths that may or may not have been Lya Vassalion contracts. The city guards have tried, you know.”

  I sparked the fire with Hầұeӣ, adding a couple of big logs when it caught. “Do you know everything?”

  She chuckled. “Well, as much as my spymasters can find out. I must confess that I had them check on you.”

  “Me?” Even to my own ears I sounded squeaky.

  “Don’t worry, they didn’t find anything untoward, else I wouldn’t be sitting here with you.”

  I don’t know if I felt relieved or disturbed, but my thoughts were interrupted by O’Malley bustling up the stairs with two glasses and a bottle of red wine.

  “Here we go, a 583 Shiraz. Jaelshead of course. I hope that will suffice.” I fished for my coin purse, but O’Malley waved me away. “This one is on the house, it’s not every day we have such a distinguished guest.” He gave Thaelique a bow and disappeared through the archway. I poured the wine and handed the Queen a glass, taking a seat across from her so I could see her face. She had pushed back the hood of her robe and she was, even with the grey powder and all the kohl, still breathtakingly good-looking. I almost had to pinch myself. Here I had the Queen, alone, drinking with me. I had imagined this meeting so many times, but now I was at rather a loss for something intelligent to say.

  “So… Did you get everything you needed?” I indicated the shopping bag she had placed beside her feet.

  “Yes, thank you. I went to visit your friend Fiona at her shop.” Thaelique chuckled. “She knew who I was straight away, of course. They’re perceptive aren’t they, these Nea’thi?”

  “They sure are,” I said, thinking of Emma. “Did you buy some moss?”

  “Well, we mostly talked about the robbery and the missing Mingles. And about you.” Eek! “But yes, I bought some White and some Gold and a little Red. And some Green, of course. An awful lot of state occasions involve drinking vast quantities of wine, and
it’s not really the done thing for the Queen to get plastered.” She grinned. “I didn’t need any Blue, my days are so long I hardly need any help getting to sleep. No Purple either, of course.”

  “Oh?” I tried to sound politely interested, rather than disappointed.

  “Yes, well, it is forbidden for the Monarch to have children while in office, so I thought it best to not tempt myself. You sounded disappointed?” she raised an eyebrow at me.

  Damn. “Er, no, it’s not—”

  She laughed, “I’m joking Jaseth!”

  “Ha, yeah, good one. Hey, you’ve dropped the ‘Lord’ bit!”

  This made her grin. “Well now you seemed to have finished with that whole ‘your majesty’ business I don’t feel the need to use it anymore. You can call me Thael if you want. Thaelique is such a mouthful, and it’s what all my friends call me.”

  I swallowed. I guess that’s what I was to her then. A friend.

  “Oh, and Fiona made me take these, when I told her about our date.” She reached into her shopping bag and my heart leapt, so this was a date! “Here, she says it’s a new recipe.”

  Thaelique unwrapped a small parcel and handed me a generous piece of chocolate and raspberry brownie.

  “Apparently this has some Red and Gold in it. Hmm, not bad!”

  She was right. The brownie was sweet and moist, marbled with a tangy raspberry swirl, and went wonderfully with the dark berry fruit flavours of the excellent Shiraz.

  I don’t know if it was the wine or the brownie or the Red moss that we shared from the lounge’s hookah, or even the feeling of freedom from Sallagh that I was just beginning to enjoy, but Thaelique and I spent the afternoon talking and laughing. I tried out her question technique, and soon she was chatting away, gesturing expansively, and I finally saw how it worked. I started off being too self-conscious to think of anything to say, but as the Queen spoke passionately about how the government worked, I became fascinated too, and things to say or ask just rolled off my tongue. My tutors at home would have been horrified to realise I actually had only the faintest grasp of the actual mechanics of the central government. Like the work of the Advisor, for example.