Tiara- Part Two

by Robin Roseau

  “I think we should do an announcement, too,” Dee said. “Please, Darfelsa.”

  I laughed. “Fine.”

  So we worked on that, too. Once we were done, Olivia said, “I’ll have a printer do these. Meet me for lunch, and we’ll sign them. They’ll be up by mid-afternoon.”

  “How many are we doing?”

  “Not that many,” she said. “Perhaps two dozen.”

  “Fine, fine.” And Dee clapped happily.

  Then there was nothing to be done except to hand-deliver our invitations. It wasn’t that late. We started with Mellta and Wells. Mellta wasn’t home, but her house slave said she’d ensure she got it. Wells was home, invited us in, read the note, and smiled broadly. “I’d love to come! I want a free ticket for two.”

  I laughed and said, “If that isn’t done, I’ll buy them for you.”

  “Deal,” she said, hugging us both. “You thought of me. Who else?” We told her the list, and she nodded. “That’s good. And formal besides. I love formal. Thank you for inviting me. I’ll send a formal acceptance in the morning, but assure Olivia I’ll be there.”

  “Thank you, Wells.”

  Together, Dee and I headed to The Baby Blanket. “Claary went home a half hour ago.”

  That was just around the corner. A house slave let us in, and a minute later, Claary came to the door. “Darfelsa. With Dee.” We got cheek brushes and hugs. Dee got a kiss.

  “We have an invitation for you and Gigi,” I said.

  Dee handed them both over. Claary picked hers, opened it, and read it. She began laughing. “Gigi!” she yelled. “Get your ass in here.” There was noise from deeper in the house, and then Gigi appeared, dressed in red. Claary handed over Gigi’s invitation and told her to read it.

  “This was supposed to be a week,” Claary said. “I’ll either free her the night before, but add us to the schedule on Saturday for a very one-sided repeat, or I’ll bring her like this.”

  “I don’t mean to cause trouble.”

  “You aren’t,” she said. “This is going to be fun. Gigi, hugs and kisses. They have more of those to deliver. We’ll be there. Tell Olivia.”

  This time, I got a kiss. Dee got a better kiss. I offered her my arm, and we took our leave. Dee was quivering with her delight. “I love Claary so much. I want to see Gionna in red now.”

  “They might be occupied.”

  “We can join them,” she said. I didn’t comment on that.

  They were occupied, but not that occupied. Allium opened her bedroom door, and she was still mostly dressed. She raised an eyebrow. “There’s a good story to tell.”

  “You have Gionna with you, I presume.”

  She opened the door more widely. Gionna was standing behind her, wearing red resin.

  “I wouldn’t normally barge in, but this is for Friday.” Dee passed over the last two invitations. Allium gave Gionna one and opened the other. She began laughing halfway through the note. Gionna smiled broadly.

  “We’ll be there,” Gionna said.

  * * * *

  As arranged, I arrived early to help welcome guests. Dee kept my arm, and Bee stood with Olivia. Gionna, of course, was already there and muttered how she should have obtained her own slave. But she looked absolutely stunning in her gown, and I thought I looked good, too.

  Wells was the first to arrive. She was quivering with excitement, and when Gionna asked her, “Will you be my escort tonight?” she squealed with pleasure. It was sweet, and Gionna looked quite pleased.

  Mellta arrived alone. Claary and Gigi arrived with a musician slave, Gigi in leather, not resin. She whispered something to Olivia when they greeted, and a minute later, Claary attached herself to Mellta. Gigi kept the musician.

  Allium and Valsine arrived last, both in gowns, and my eyes bugged out. They both looked amazing, but Valsine had outdone herself and was absolutely stunning. She beamed with the appreciation, and she remained on Allium’s arm for the first half of the evening, anyway.

  Dee and I agreed we wanted Olivia to handle creating the game, so she said, “I imagine everyone is excited and came with fabulous ideas. What we’re going to do is share ideas until the end of dinner, or perhaps hold other conversations, but we’ll get serious about it over dessert. There’s dancing if we can create our game in time, but knowing all of you, you’ll want to discuss all night.”

  “Not at the expense of dancing!” Allium said, aghast.

  “Perhaps,” Olivia said. “We could have three songs now.”

  “Yes, please,” Allium said.

  We headed for the ballroom. The musician set up. Gigi was left out, but we danced a single dance with our current partners, then rotated around. I simply waited to see who would come to me, and so I danced with Dee, Gionna, and Olivia. I paid little attention to everyone else. But then Dee claimed my arm again, and we moved to the parlor, everyone wearing smiles.

  Olivia got us seated and said, “We have a basic idea. This is to be a catch and release, catch and release event. Darfelsa?”

  “That part was Dee’s idea. We were going to have it one long event, but I suggested we go first and then release, then third, and release. But maybe that won’t work. And we can’t keep someone tied in resin that much, or she’ll be worthless.”

  “We discussed a handicap for losing,” Dee said. “We also discussed a handicap for winning instead. That could be abused. Let the other person win the first few to build a large handicap.”

  “But unless we’re only doing two or three, if we handicap the loser, the handicaps need to be small enough that winning the first two doesn’t lead to a foregone conclusion for the rest.”

  “And that’s as much as we’ve discussed, until Olivia suggested this group talk about it.”

  “So we open it to your ideas.”

  And they had ideas. Oh, they had ideas.

  * * * *

  We didn’t have time for hunters and prey, but we built a series of games, and then we got an hour of dancing. My final dance was with Dee. She led, and she felt so amazingly good. When the song ended, I laid my head on her shoulder and kissed her neck. She wrapped around me, and we stood on the dance floor, holding each other.

  “Darfelsa,” she whispered. “You know I have my favorites. It’s not a long list. You’re one of them.”

  “When I didn’t think I was coming back, the idea of never seeing you again nearly broke my heart,” I whispered back.

  “You’re never talking about not coming back again,” she said. “Promise me.”

  “We have our lifetimes ahead of us,” I replied. “I promise.”

  “You’re the only one of my favorites who goes away. Allium goes away, but she always comes back.”

  “Dee, how sure are you that you’ll win tomorrow?”

  “I think I can win, even if you win every capture, but even if you win tomorrow, I’m going to win the rest. But I’ll teach you. Tomorrow isn’t a lesson, though. Tomorrow is a real challenge, and I’m not helping you. Your next lesson is Sunday morning.”

  Then she brushed my cheek and kissed me. We hugged once more, and then she walked me to the door.

  I walked home with Allium and Valsine. They were in a good mood. I was quiet, and Allium asked me if anything was wrong.

  “Not one single thing,” I said.

  “Tomorrow is going to be utter chaos.”

  “I’m glad I’m not the one running it.”

  She laughed.

  * * * *

  The stands were full, absolutely full. Every ticket had sold.

  Olivia’s box was crowded. I’d bought tickets for the people from the party, two tickets each for Wells and Mellta. We all collected in Olivia’s box. I knew everyone else from the embassy was here, too, but it took me a while to find them.

  I found Gretchena first, and she was staring in my direction. I did my own staring before turning away. I finally identified Renalla and the others before turning my attention to Dee.

  She was quiver
ing with excitement. I probably was, too.

  “I love dressing like this,” she said. She wasn’t in resin. We both were in spring sun dresses and hats, as was everyone else in Olivia’s box and the group from the embassy.

  “You look very elegant,” I told her.

  “I love my resin,” she said. “But it’s fun to dress like this once in a while.”

  We talked easily for a while, and with the others around us. But then Olivia said, “It’s time.” Five of us stood and headed from her box.

  Dee and I remained in shadows as Olivia, Gionna, and Allium strode into the sun. The audience went crazy; the sound was deafening. The three walked the arena, offering a variety of greetings, then finally assembled at the center, each facing a different direction.

  On a signal, they held their hands up. It took a little time, but once she could be heard, Olivia said, “All right, you lot. Quiet down.” They settled a little further. “I imagine you’re all here for the rather intriguing event we announced, and we have a full schedule today as well. So we have a special rule today. When I lift my hand, you get five seconds to shut up. Anyone making noise after that gets pacified!”

  They laughed at that.

  “I’m serious!” she said. “Look around. You do, perhaps, notice all the guards, standing in back.”

  They did, indeed, look, and it grew a whole lot quieter.

  “That’s better,” she said. “We’re all here to have fun, but I want to be home for dinner tonight, and the people in the back want to be able to hear. In case any of you don’t recognize me, I am Lady Olivia, Duchess Charthan.” She doffed her hat and offered an elaborate bow. They cheered for that, but then grew quiet the moment she raised her hand.

  “You perhaps recognize Princess Gionna.” Gionna turned around, waving to applause. “And Lady Ambassador Allium Cuprite.” Allium bowed. “They’re here to keep you lot in line. There are no warnings. If they point at someone, that person will be getting pacified. We’ll allow small interruptions, and of course, we expect your usual exuberance for our challengers today, but when I raise my hand, you quiet down. Or else.”

  She gave a glare around.

  “All right then,” she said. “First, we have a very complicated event today that should span the entire day. Princess Darfelsa and Dee, please step out here.”

  With Dee on my arm, we strode forward. The audience cheered for us. We stayed together this time, doing a single walk-around before turning for the center. Olivia raised her hand. Five seconds later, Gionna and Allium each pointed at people, two each. There had been far more who continued to make noise than that, but guards worked their way down. Gionna called out, “Black hair! No. The one in front of that one. Yes. Her.”

  The two guards grabbed the woman, pulled her to the aisle, tipped her backwards, and poured a potion down her throat. In the meantime, Allium directed her two guards, and Gionna shifted to the other one she was calling out.

  In all, four women were pacified. No one spoke. The guards waited, and then they said something to their women.

  And a minute later, they walked out onto the field and knelt to Olivia.

  More guards appeared. They collected the women and moved them to a cage, located near the wall opposite Olivia’s box. Once they were settled, Olivia turned around. “Did anyone think we were kidding?” She paused. “Princess Darfelsa and Dee, please explain your event.”

  I gestured to Dee. She took off her hat, smiled, and said, “This is to be a catch and release event.”

  “Dee and I will have fun little events in between each of the other events,” I said.

  “The loser of each event will take a handicap affecting her for future events,” Dee said. “Which I will explain when I apply it to Darfelsa at the conclusion of our first event.”

  They laughed at that, but it was brief.

  “Later in the day, there will be a second type of handicap,” I called out. “Which Dee will be modeling.”

  “Now, these two will go prepare,” Olivia called. “We’ll see them again shortly.”

  I hooked arms with Dee, and together, we strode for the gate one of the guards held open for us.

  * * * *

  My heart was pounding. Dee’s eyes were alight, which wasn’t much of a surprise. We waited together, just inside one of the closed doors. But then it opened just enough for Allium and Gionna to slip in. They both grinned. I turned to Dee. We brushed cheeks and kissed, then Allium and Gionna separated us.

  And Allium used a scarf to blindfold me. “Hey!” I complained, but I didn’t resist. Dee giggled. “She better be getting one of these, too.”

  “She is,” Allium said. “This is temporary. You’ll see your first event together.”

  We knew the events; we had planned them all together, after all. But we didn’t know which order they would appear. So I laughed. “That’s all right, then.”

  Allium checked the blindfold. I could tell when the door opened, as the sound grew significantly louder. And then we were striding forth.

  Yes, they were loud, and grew far louder as Dee and I were led out. Allium led me somewhere, and a moment later, the audience began to still. Then Olivia said, “Their first event is a game of skill.” Allium withdrew my blindfold.

  We were at the center. Across the circle from me, Dee stood, blinking in the light. And between us at the center of the circle was a collection of bottles.

  “This is a bottle toss,” Olivia declared. “We’ve seen them at the various festivals. But there is a twist!” She explained the rules. Olivia grinned. And then Allium and Gionna handed each of us small wooden hoops we could throw. Mine were green; Dee’s were red. But then they buckled a belt around each of us, and to the belt, a rope attached.

  Well behind each of us were two tall poles, secured with wires, and a stout pole between them. The rope went up through a pulley and then descended to the ground behind a small wall. And I’ll explain the rest as we go.

  “Begin!” Olivia said.

  “After you,” I told Dee. She aimed carefully and tossed her hoop. It bounced off the bottles and landed in the grass. She took one step forward. I tossed and did no better, so I took a step forward.

  Dee and I were both really bad at this. We both missed several times, but then she got one to land around a bottle. Mine nearly did, but it fell off. Dee grinned.

  I took my step forward. She stayed where she was. But I looked over my shoulder. I saw Viella and Renalla doing something on the other side of the wall, and the rope tightened.

  They had added weight to a loop in the rope. Each weight they added would be more. This was just enough to draw the rope taut, but with no extra pull.

  We each ringed a bottle, and so we stayed where we were, but I received a second weight, and Dee her first.

  The game lasted several minutes until the weight pulling me backwards became a distraction. Dee struggled with it longer than I did and let herself be pulled backwards, but only about one big step.

  And then her rope went slack, as the weight being added reached the ground. New weights would be added to the next hoop up.

  I remained more stubborn, which may have been a mistake. I was leaning against the weight, and it ruined my aim. Dee caught me with two more to the one I gave her, and I finally accepted being pulled backwards.

  But now the rules changed. If either of us missed three times in a row, we received weight. The game wouldn’t last all afternoon.

  Dee, giggling, played one way. She stayed at the limits of the rope only until it became a hindrance, and then she stepped backwards. I fought it, hoping the closer distance would make up for being off balance. She ringed a bottle more than I did, and so I took more weight, but we seemed to be getting pulled backwards at a similar rate.

  Dee was pulled outside the initial circle sooner than I was. Gionna gave her larger hoops to throw. She made her next three. I missed two but got the third one. She got two; I got none, and it was too much.

  It was a sill
y game. We each began missing more and more often.

  The further we got, the more we missed. But I grew more stubborn, really leaning into the rope, and I managed to pull Dee further back than I was getting pulled.

  But after that, skill stopped being a factor. We were both missing most of the time.

  Then something changed. I couldn’t tell what. But I took a step back, and the weight didn’t settle. I took two back, and a portion of a third, before the weight on the rope lessened. I looked around. Renalla blew me a kiss.

  I couldn’t see, but I could only guess they were hooking the weights higher on the rope. I waved a finger.

  Dee got a couple of lucky tosses. I took four more weights. And that was the last time either of us ringed a bottle. I gave up really trying and just did what I could to avoid being pulled faster than necessary. It took more times for Dee, as well. I worked harder and harder at it.

  But then I missed. I felt the weight. And then my feet left the ground, and I found myself dangling, several feet in the air.

  The crowd went insane. It took a minute, but they released Dee. She grinned as she stalked closer to me. She reached up and pulled my head down, kissing me. “I won,” she whispered. “But they cheated. I saw. You should have won. What do you want to do?”

  “Nothing.”

  “No,” she said. “We cannot allow cheating, Darfelsa. You will take the handicap, but so will they.”

  I laughed. “If you can talk Olivia into it.”

  “Let down my opponent,” she called. They did that by two guards stepping forward and pulling me down. They unhooked my rope and then let it out slowly, letting the weights down.

  Olivia came forward with the bottle and a small glass. She held them up, and Gionna lifted her hand. “This is not pacifier,” Olivia said. “It’s aphrodisiac.”

  The crowd loved that. Olivia poured the glass. “Hold her,” Dee said. Gionna and Allium grabbed my arms, crossed them behind my back, and then tipped me backwards. I opened and let Dee pour the tonic into my mouth. She then held my mouth closed until I swallowed.