by P J Berman
‘Remember Prince Shappa’s name,’ Yathrud continued. ‘Because you soldiers will be cursing it tomorrow when you see the emergency training regime that he and Invicturion Wrathun have drawn up for you.’
This prompted a laugh from the crowd, including Shappa. Silrith was pleased to see that he could take a joke, though she was disappointed when she looked further down at the other end of the table to see that Gasbron evidently couldn’t. His smile seemed much more forced. Silrith couldn’t stand people who were too focused on their pride.
‘Now,’ Yathrud went on. ‘As you see there are others on this stage and I’m sure you are all eager for me to hand over to them and begin the night’s merrymaking, so without further ado, I present for your viewing pleasure, Ezrina and Jezna.’
A cheer went up and all now focused their gaze on Ezrina and Jezna, who were getting into position on the stage, neatly presented in new dresses provided by Silrith.
This must be the largest crowd we’ve ever performed for, thought Ezrina. There had to be at least five hundred people watching.
Their short brown dresses had been brought to them by some of Lord Alyredd’s servants and had now been adapted so that they were now only thigh length, making them similar to the Hentani ones that she and Jezna had travelled in. The look still produced the desired effect, especially once the red and white feathers had been added to their hair, necklaces, bracelets and anklets. The fire behind them emphasised their sultry appearance, seeming to light up the red ochre patterns on their bodies.
With the stage now clear of all but Ezrina and Jezna, they stood very close to each other, face to face, before both stepping back a few paces and taking a moment to breathe; a moment of calm before the storm.
Off to the right of the stage, the music started, with a strong beat of the drums. The girls shot out their arms in time to the music, mimicking each other’s movements, before moving them more gracefully in circular motions around their heads and upper bodies, coming close but never quite touching each other, as the music became more tuneful and the string instruments were brought into play.
Their movements were totally in time with each other, yet it felt so free and effortless; as if they were in a trance. As the music of the string instruments grew faster and more intense, she and Jezna moved closer to each other again, still making their circling arm movements, yet it was as if they were unaware of all but themselves.
With a sudden movement, Ezrina reached around Jezna’s waist, with Jezna dipping backwards into hold; arms outstretched, both of them turning so that Jezna’s upside down face could be seen by the crowd, but most of them were only looking at Ezrina’s face buried between Jezna’s breasts in what they must have thought was only mock passion. Her hands were all over her lover’s sweaty body until she snapped her back up into an upright position, all in time with the music.
She still held Jezna’s hand and Jezna allowed herself to be spun back into Ezrina’s arms, her back to her lover’s chest. Ezrina now forced her face between Jezna’s chin and shoulder, as if to cover her neck in kisses, before Jezna spun away again as if tempting Ezrina with her body, then repeating the movement to cheers from the audience.
As the music briefly returned to its original tune, they fell back into their former positions, doing the same arm movements as before, but with the sexual tension between the two of them far higher this time and the pace far quicker. The music dropped to a single constant beat with little accompaniment, but as it built back up, the girls moved towards each other again.
Passing, then turning to face each other, they came almost kissing close; both sensually running a hand through the other’s hair, still mimicking each other perfectly, before Jezna again pushed away; the music rising as she did. But the constant pulse-like beat symbolised Ezrina’s persistence and she again spun Jezna back into her arms, this time with the two landing face to face; Jezna dropping her head and arms back violently, thrusting her breasts upward and clamping her leg around Ezrina’s waist, as if giving herself to her, while Ezrina herself held her around her back as the music hit fever pitch, then died.
The crowd roared. Jezna whooped and clapped, jumping up and down like an excited child – a total transformation from the exotic temptress she had been only moments previously. Ezrina smiled with genuine pleasure as she caught her breath. Jezna threw her arms around her and held her tightly in celebration. Both of them were dripping with sweat from the exertion of their intimate performance, as well as the heat of the fire behind them, but Ezrina didn’t care. This was something that she and Jezna shared; a way of life they faced together and she was glad beyond measure to have her dearest love with her in these unfamiliar surroundings.
Shappa turned to Silrith.
‘So, what did you think, my Lady?
She looked at him for a moment before responding slowly.
‘It was…an eye-opener,’ she said as she burst into a fit of giggles.
That exotic performance began a long night of partying. Nobody knew when they’d be able to relax like this again. After Ezrina and Jezna’s Hentani demonstration, there was dancing of the Bennvikan kind, though this was a group affair, where every woman present of whatever rank, including Silrith, Kintressa, Ezrina and Jezna, chose a man to dance with. The dance itself featured long periods where the two partners were in hold, as well as shorter, more energetic ones where they faced each other from a short distance, furiously tapping their heels and toes on the floor in time with the music, while keeping their upper body still, hands on their hips, with all their movement below the waist.
Though out of uniform, wearing a black tunic and grey breeches, Gasbron was entitled to a seat on the main table, through being the Alyredd’s Chief Invicturion, but he had been the wrong side of Yathrud for him to stand much chance of any proper interaction with Silrith. In fact, Yathrud, Bezekarl and Kintressa were all between him and his Queen and it still surprised him how sorely Shappa’s easy conversation with her grated on him.
Silrith, of course, chose to dance with Shappa, much to Gasbron’s annoyance, though the emotion was abated a little when he was approached by one of the Hentani girls. After the girl, Ezrina, introduced herself, Gasbron reciprocated and accepted her offer.
She took his hand and led him to the dance floor. They began a slow dance, in hold, surrounded by all the other couples.
‘You speak our language well,’ Gasbron observed. ‘Do you come from Rildayorda?’
The city’s population these days was a vibrant mix of Hentani and Bennvikans.
‘No, I come from a village called Sagorno, near Lithrofed. My sister and I arrived with the army.’ Gasbron’s interest was piqued further. Conversely to the more numerically equal demographic of Rildayorda, almost everyone in the cities of Lithrofed and Intei were Hentani, so surely one could easily get by there without learning Bennvikan at all? That had certainly been Gasbron’s observation when he had been to those cities in the past. Yet this girl’s command of the language was perfect.
‘You surprise me. Many of your nobles and Princes require translators. How did you come to learn Bennvikan?’
As they began to move, Ezrina began to rub her body against his.
That isn’t normally part of the dance, Gasbron thought.
‘The invasion by Bennvika is still recent enough to cast a long shadow, especially for the elder members of our society. Our royals and most of our nobility feel that for them to learn Bennvikan would be a symbolic act of submission. Our language is part of our identity. We must keep it alive, lest it be supplanted. However, many younger people such as myself accept that we are now governed by Bennvika whether we like it or not, so it also pays to know a little of your tongue, sometimes literally.’
Gasbron gave a thin smile.
‘Ah, business. It’s what makes the world go around.’
‘Quite. If you can only manage to learn one foreign tongue, make sure it is the one that is most useful. I myself seem to have an ear for languages.
It’s all about using your ambition and every skill you have to get ahead in the world and to make a better life for your people.’
‘And also for yourself surely?’
‘Of course. Don’t you have ambition, Gasbron?’ Ezrina asked, deliberately grinding her pelvis against his, pushing her thigh against his groin and almost whispering straight into his ear.
‘A soldier does what he is ordered to,’ he replied, trying to ignore her movements, but he couldn’t control his reaction down below and he was sure she knew this.
‘But you must have free will?’ she enquired in a conspiratorial tone. ‘Isn’t there something you want?’
Subconsciously at this moment, Gasbron looked over at Silrith, who was clearly having a wonderful time laughing, flirting and dancing with Shappa. This wasn’t lost on the sharp-eyed Ezrina.
‘Ah, I see,’ she said mischievously. Gasbron kept a cold silence and stopped moving, giving away his discomfort.
‘I can’t say I blame you,’ Ezrina went on seductively. ‘She’s exquisite, isn’t she? Very lovely.’
‘Yes,’ Gasbron sighed with some resignation in his voice, before forcibly moving his eyes away from Silrith and looking back at Ezrina. Ezrina laughed again.
‘Come on. Just let loose and forget about her for a while. Do that for me and we’ll both have some fun tonight. I’ll make you smile from ear to ear. You’ll forget all about her. You’ll see.’
Gasbron didn’t like the way he felt unmanned by his desire for Silrith, whereas what Ezrina was implying was more carefree, more carnal, so he allowed himself to succumb to her words.
But that would be later. For now, people danced, drank and sang. There was a rather disproportionate amount of wine compared to food, so people became drunk rather quickly. During the planning, Silrith had pointed out that drinking most of the wine during this night would mean that there was less around later and therefore less chance of some sentry being drunk on patrol when the action really started.
Events such as these could be a great leveller and as the night wore on Silrith joined the others in the singing of various folk songs known to them all, sometimes joining hands or performing actions. One told of a person whose lover had gone to war and of how they would wait for them faithfully until they returned. Another told of a traveller from lands far away and of their impressions when they came to Bennvika and a third told of a self-doubting dreamer, whom the song implores to carry on fighting; thinking of better days. After a short while Silrith saw Jezna jump back on to the stage and with the backing of the band she bounced delightfully around the place singing a joyous song of freedom, before going on to perform an equally energetic number that was supposedly about love, but also spoke of being spun out of control into a crazed zest for life. Yathrud must have specifically requested this. He must have remembered that after hearing it once, a six-year-old Silrith had requested the palace musicians to perform it time and time again at subsequent balls and banquets across the intervening years. She smiled at the happy memory as she danced.
After some hours, Silrith felt herself becoming a little more drunk than she felt could be considered dignified and so she made her excuses and left to go to bed, accepting Shappa’s offer when he suggested he should escort her to her room.
Once outside the door, they paused and faced each other.
‘Well, I think that went rather well,’ Silrith commented after a moment, slurring her words slightly and putting a hand on the doorknob to steady herself.
‘It’s been a wonderful evening, my Lady,’ Shappa replied sincerely.
‘Oh please,’ Silrith scoffed in a playful tone, ‘I do insist that you call me Silrith.’
‘Silrith, then,’ Shappa said tenderly. Normally at this point, he would be expected to kiss her hand, but drink had dulled the sense of proper form for them both. This was why when a smiling Silrith tilted her head slightly in appreciation of Shappa’s answer, she must have accidentally made herself look more receptive than she’d intended and, misreading the signals thanks to his own clouded mind, he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, placing a hand on her waist. A shiver raced down Silrith’s spine as she was caught completely off guard, but as she took a deep breath both of them were awoken from their momentary bliss as Shappa realised what he was doing and pulled away in shocked derision at his own actions.
‘Goodness. I am so sorry Silrith. I don’t-’
‘-Don’t be sorry,’ Silrith interrupted him calmingly, with a flirtatiousness that was far from her usual nature. She took his hands in hers, allowing him to feel her soft warm skin against his.
‘How can I be angry at such a lovely gesture?’ she said. Shappa looked relieved. He moved his head towards hers.
‘But you’ve had enough fun for one night I think,’ Silrith added cheekily, before quickly opening the door, darting into her room laughing, then shutting it behind her and locking it. She heard Shappa laugh from the other side.
‘Goodnight, Silrith,’ he called.
‘Goodnight, Shappa,’ said Silrith, as she leaned against the large oak frame and closed her eyes, savouring the memory of the last few moments.
She continued this as her maids, the same two that she had met when she first arrived and who appeared to have been waiting for her, began to help her undress. She went through the motions as they unfastened the ties at the back of her dress. She stepped out of it and raised her arms so that they could clothe her in her nightgown; though all the time her head was on a different planet entirely. Despite the dangers that were soon to come and the harsh life that would begin the next day, at that moment she felt more content than she had in what seemed like a very long time.
‘We use this room for when Lords come to stay and there’s not enough room in the main house for all their servants. You’ll find everything you need here ladies, or if you don’t, ask one of my lot and we’ll see what we can do.’ Gasbron said these words to Ezrina and Jezna in a matter-of-fact tone as he opened the door to the little hut. It was a small, barely noticeable place around the back of the Divisio headquarters. Its stone walls and roof linked in with those of the Divisio building and into the citadel’s outer walls. Only the wooden door marked it out as a room at all. Ezrina walked into the darkness, with Jezna following.
‘I’ll get you some light,’ said Gasbron. He fetched a burning torch from outside, followed them in and lit both of the room’s candles, one of which was near the door and the other at the far end. He then exited the room to put the torch back in its brazier outside, before re-entering.
In the dim light, Ezrina saw five empty beds, whose stained sheets didn’t look like they’d been washed in weeks, or even months.
‘This will do nicely, thank you,’ she grimaced.
‘I’m glad.’
‘I’m sorry Gasbron,’ said Ezrina, deliberately feigning weakness and slurring her words. ‘I promised you a night of fun, but I think I’ve had too much to drink and I’m feeling rather sick.’
She was surprised to see a look of relief come over his face. Still thinking of his Queen, no doubt.
‘Perhaps another time then,’ he said awkwardly. ‘Now, make sure you get some sleep and as I said, let me know if you need anything,’ With that, he shut the door and left.
‘Well, that seems to have worked. He must have enjoyed your flirting earlier. He’ll do anything you ask now,’ Jezna said, in a resigned tone.
‘I hated having to do it,’ said Ezrina, knowing that Jezna already knew this from being in a similar position herself in the past.
‘Yes, but we have to do it, my love. Think of it this way, we could have been in some tent down with the soldiers,’ Jezna said. ‘At least here we have some privacy.’
Ezrina gave a quiet laugh, then turned and walked towards her lover.
‘Oh I do love you Jezna,’ she said. ‘You always manage to see the bright side in everything.’
Jezna smiled and gave Ezrina a sultry look; her eyes surveying Ezrina’s body.
‘I know,’ she said. ‘But there’s another reason you love me too.’ She took hold of Ezrina’s hands and stepped towards her, pushing her body against Ezrina’s. She kissed her lightly on the lips.
‘And do you know what I love about you?’ Jezna said, giving her another kiss. ‘You’re a fighter, but you only fight to protect those you care about. You make me feel safe and loved. Do you know what that makes me want to do?’
‘What?’ asked Ezrina with a wry smile.
‘This.’ Jezna kissed her again and pushed her towards the bed.
There are many words that could describe how Silrith felt the following morning, all of them bad. Despite thinking that she had only been a little drunk, she awoke with what seemed to be a disproportionately large hangover. Nevertheless, she was to set a precedent for herself by training with some of her troops today, specifically Gasbron’s heavy cavalry. She had discussed this with him while he found her some weapons and armour, though she was sure it would come as a surprise to some of the troops.
Silrith had been woken by the lightening of the room as one of the maids opened the curtains.
‘Good morning, my Queen. Did you sleep well?’ she asked in a light tone.
Reluctantly Silrith extracted herself from the bed, holding her palm to her forehead.
‘A lovely night, thank you Ridenna,’ she lied, barely opening her eyes as she spoke.
Unsurprisingly Ridenna wasn’t convinced.
‘Not to worry, my Queen. Your breakfast is being brought up to you right away. I’m sure you’ll feel better after you’ve had a nice meal.’
This was different from what it had been like when Silrith had been looked after by Afayna and Taevuka. But then, although Taevuka had only arrived a few months ago, Afayna had been Silrith’s Lady’s maid for some years, so it wasn’t fair to compare her new maids to her. Anyway, Ridenna, with the help of another maid, Avaresae, who would surely soon join them, had been trying her hardest to make Silrith feel safe and at home since her arrival. She had dark hair and one of those normally plain faces that suddenly became beautiful when she smiled. Silrith guessed she was the older of the two maids by at least five years or so, making her perhaps thirty years old.