“Prepare the guest room,” he said, gesturing to the door on the other side of the library. “We have a visitor coming.”
“I've already cleaned it.”
“Then clean it again!” Giriraj snapped. “I'll not have it smelling like Ceara just had a romp with her boy in there!”
Amethyst frowned. “I've cleaned it half a dozen times. Would you like me to burn some incense?”
Giriraj rubbed his temples. “No. Adrik hates incense, unless he brings it, then it smells like wet ashes. With any luck, we can conclude our business quickly, and he won't be staying.”
“Who is Adrik?” she asked, setting the book on the table next to the chair.
“He is one of the Masters of the Council, the Master of Destruction. He has recently struck a bargain with Cedric, and he needs my help.”
Amethyst nodded. “And we're going to help him?”
Giriraj looked down at her and scoffed. “I am going to help him. That's what we do, for the most part. You do not want to assist him in any way, trust me in this. The only way you could be of use to him is tied to a rack while he uses your flesh for his own twisted pleasures.” He shook his head. “No, you're going to stay out of sight. He is fond of fair skin and dark hair; there's no reason to let him take an interest in you.”
Amethyst folded her hands in her lap, sobered by Giriraj's words. “He sounds more like an enemy than an ally.”
“He is a selfish man, out for his own gain, and nothing else. If he can maneuver his way into more power, he will, no matter the cost.” Giriraj scowled. “There have been better Masters of Destruction, more dedicated to maintaining the balance, and there have been more ruthless Masters of Destruction, but none quite so distasteful as Adrik. He's only gotten worse since his apprentice left him.”
Amethyst raised an eyebrow as she stood from the chair. “His apprentice left?”
“Yes. He's crawled into some hole in the Northlands. However, that is unimportant. I want you to make absolutely sure the guest room is presentable, then you are to stay in my bedchamber until I tell you to come out.”
Amethyst nodded. “Yes, Giriraj. Right away.” She paused and turned back to him. “It's been a few days. I think you should have a bath.”
“I do not have the time.”
“I think you do,” she said. “Unless Adrik is on our doorstep, I think you do.”
Giriraj turned back to her, an irritated look on his face, but then he stopped, closed his eyes and sighed. “You are correct. I could use a bath. Perhaps the hot water will untie these knots in my shoulders.”
Amethyst prepared the soaps and oils that Giriraj preferred, as well as two towels, and waited for him in the bath chamber. She helped him disrobe, noticing that he was moving a bit more stiffly than usual. Though he was well muscled, strong, and healthy, she was acutely aware of how old he was. If Ceara had been telling her the truth, he was much, much older than he looked.
As he stepped into the water, she slipped out of her robe and trousers, keeping her undergarments on. She brought the soap and oil with her, sitting on the step just behind Giriraj, and started gently washing his back and shoulders. As she worked, she took a moment to rub out the knots in the muscles of his back, and she could see him visibly relax. He was silent for a while as she worked, leaning forward to brace against her hands.
“Thank you, Amethyst,” he said as she rinsed his back and moved on to his arms.
“It is my duty,” she replied as she ran the cloth down his arms, washing away the soap. She moved to his hair, and he tipped his head back.
“Perhaps someday it will be less of a duty and more of a pleasure,” he said as he closed his eyes, breathing deep. “I would prefer that my company brings you happiness.”
She had moved around to wash his chest, and as she ran the cloth over his skin, he set his hand on her lower back. She paused for a moment before resuming her work, and he ran his hand down to cup her backside. Gently, she reached down and moved his hand back to his knee. “It has been less than three months, Giriraj,” she said quietly. “As you say, that will come, but I just need some more time.”
“Time,” he said, the word coming out as a rumbling sigh. “We all need more time. That's all anyone wants... and when it's all gone, and there's no more to be had, it will never be enough.”
Amethyst was quiet as she finished washing him, rinsing out his beard and rebraiding it to keep it in check. She put two braids in his hair as well, at either temple, and pulled them back with the rest of his hair into a tail. She rubbed the oil, which smelled of cedar and sandalwood, into his skin and wiped away the excess with a clean cloth. She also oiled his hair, then tied it with a leather thong and fetched his towel for him.
Giriraj stepped out of the bath and let her dry his legs, then wrapped the towel around his waist as she stood by. He paused, his eyes lingering on her wet undergarments before he turned away.
“You should get a bath yourself,” he said. “It is likely that you won't have the opportunity this evening.”
“Yes, Master Giriraj.”
“I do feel much better, Amethyst. Thank you.”
She bowed her head in acknowledgment. “You are welcome.”
With that, he went back to the library, and she quickly disrobed, wading into the pool to wash herself. She did not know when Adrik would arrive, but from the way Giriraj spoke of him, she did not want to be caught unaware. After scrubbing herself with the soap and cloth, she dove into the pool, swimming to the far end to rinse off. Turning around, she pushed off the stone steps, gliding across the bottom of the bath until she reached the other side. She surfaced, brushing the water out of her face, and was startled to see Giriraj standing in the doorway again. He had his trousers on, with the broad leather belt that he had worn the first time she had met him at the end of her trial.
“Adrik will be here within fifteen minutes. You should be out of sight by then.”
She nodded, holding her arms over her chest. When Giriraj left the room, she hurried to wrap herself in a towel, quickly scrubbing herself dry. Without bothering to go back to her room to retrieve clean clothing, she put on her old clothes, wrapped her undergarments up in her towel, and made her way to Giriraj's study.
He was seated at his desk, writing with his feather quill. He pointed to the door of his bedchamber without speaking or looking up, and Amethyst slipped silently through the door, closing it behind her.
The ambient light in the room was dimmer than in the rest of the underground complex, making the bedchamber seem warmer, a little more inviting. Instead of the hard gray stone that formed almost every other surface, this room was paneled in dark oak, while the floor was covered in deeply worn pine planks. Overhead, arches of white marble crossed the ceiling, contrasting with the flat gray of the mountain.
Books, vials, specimen jars, crystals, and all manner of odds and ends filled the shelves lining the walls. Amethyst finished drying her hair as she walked around, marveling at the complete change in décor from the rest of the rooms and passages. On one shelf, there sat the skull of a troll, its wolf-like snout still bearing dozens of teeth, long canines protruding past its lower jaws. She had never seen one up close before, so she examined it out of morbid curiosity.
In the center of the room stood an enormous bed – the biggest she had ever seen – covered with an equally large quilt. The headboard and footboard were made of thick timbers, carved and fitted together to hold the massive mattress. Dozens of cushions were spread around, concentrated near the headboard, but also strewn about here and there. It was neatly made, despite the haphazard arrangement of pillows, and when she pushed on the edge of the mattress with her hand, she found it firm but supportive. Even her bed back in Lonwick hadn't been as comfortable. The straw mattress in her chamber, by comparison, was lumpy, uncomfortable, and not nearly as restful to sleep on. She wanted nothing more than to lay down, but instead, she smoothed her handprint out of the quilt, leaving the surface untouched again,
and found a chair.
She had been in the room for ten minutes when she heard voices coming from Giriraj's study. She knew her master's voice, but the other was unfamiliar to her. It was thickly accented, and from somewhere she did not recognize. It had some elements of the Northmen's speech, but also something more exotic, sharper and a bit rougher.
“So Ceara has come and gone, then?” said the other man, who she assumed was Adrik.
“She has.”
“What did she want?” There was a sort of superiority to the man's voice, as if he were talking down to an inferior.
“Our business is our own, Adrik. I have invited you into my domain to discuss matters between us. What do you need from me?” Giriraj's words were a bit sharper now. It was clear that he didn't like the other man.
“Perhaps if you engaged in a little more conversation, you would have more friends in the council. I seek only to chat before we cut down to business.” Adrik's tone changed, becoming superficially more friendly. “I hear you have come across another apprentice, yet I have seen nobody else. Is it true? Have you taken on an elf?”
Amethyst crept from her chair, walking softly across the room to stand closer to the door.
“Again,” said Giriraj, his voice measured and even, “my business is my own. You will meet my apprentice in the Citadel. There is no need for that at this time.”
Adrik laughed. “You worry for what I would do or say. Very well, I can't say it is unfounded. So business it is then.” The Master of Destruction sighed, chuckling slightly. “I am here simply to request access to your lands. Valtheim falls within your borders, does it not?”
“It does.”
“It is odd to me that Cedric's apprentice lives so close to your mountain, counter to your element though she is.”
“I have allowed it while maintaining my control. What of it?” Giriraj's irritation was rising again.
“The Master of Air pines for his apprentice when she is away from him. He has asked my assistance in... removing the ties that bind her to the city. She leads two lives, one with him and one with another. He has asked that I deal with the other. I am coming to you as a courtesy before I take action.”
There was silence for a moment, then Giriraj scoffed. “What you suggest would greatly impact this region. The Northmen are a superstitious people. Having one of their own drop dead – especially the husband of Cedric's apprentice – could cause an uproar that will echo through the ages.”
“Eh,” said Adrik dismissively, “the affairs of men are of little concern to me.”
“You must remember that we are still men.”
“You know better than that. You know better than that, better than the rest of us.”
There was another period of silence, and Amethyst leaned closer to the door, straining to hear.
Giriraj sighed. “I will allow you to do what you need to do, provided you make it seem natural. No shadows prowling through the streets. No clouds of darkness strangling the lives out of men, women, and children. Nothing that will raise suspicion towards us. The Northmen already distrust us enough, and adding to that sentiment because of carelessness or bravado is foolish at best. If they knew that their city lay within my realm, then I would be defending my mountain from marauders night and day.”
“Oh, no, nothing like that,” said Adrik. “He is an old man, and old men fall ill with tumors. He will have rak, eh, karkinos, cancer in his chest. It will come upon him swiftly. The Northmen burn their dead, so there will be no body to examine.” Adrik chuckled again, a chilling sound. “He will be dead before midsummer, Cedric will be free to live with his apprentice, and none will be the wiser.”
“That's a bad way for a man to die,” Giriraj said. “I do not like it, but I will allow it. Do as you must. You have until midsummer to conclude your affairs. I will not intervene before then.”
“Excellent. You have my gratitude, Master Giriraj.”
“Quite,” said the Master of Earth, the distaste in his voice still plain. “Will you be staying this evening?”
“No, I have some things in my land that demand my attention. A replacement apprentice, for one. I think I will take on a girl this time. Drakhus was skilled but... there's something about being able to fuck a magical woman that is just so much better.”
“If our business is concluded then...” Though he didn't finish his sentence, Giriraj's meaning was clear.
“Of course. I will leave you to your domain, and your own apprentice. Thank you for your hospitality, Giriraj. I will be in touch.” There was the sound of chair legs being pushed across the stone floor, then footsteps followed by a door closing. She could hear the two men speaking as they walked away, their voices growing fainter as they moved back through the complex.
Amethyst stood in silence for a moment, a chill creeping up her spine. She had just heard the casual conversation of a man's death being plotted, all for the benefit of one of the Masters. She returned to the chair, taking her seat and pulling her feet up into the chair with her. It wasn't long before the door to the chamber opened, and Giriraj entered. He looked exhausted, his broad shoulders seeming to sag under their own weight.
He looked at Amethyst. “How much of that did you hear?”
She looked down. “All of it.”
Sitting on the bed, Giriraj kept his eyes on her. “And?”
Amethyst shook her head. “I do not understand why a man has to die so that another man can take his wife. That seems wrong to me.”
Giriraj nodded. “I understand that. In part, I agree.” Sighing, he continued, “However, Adrik was not wrong in what he said. We may be men, or in your case an elf, but we are nonetheless apart from men and elves. The Apprentice of Air has been the wife of... a prominent man in Valtheim for a very long time, as well as the consort of Cedric. She has not chosen one path or the other, so it has fallen on Cedric to choose for her.”
He shrugged, leaning back and supporting himself with his hands on the bed. “Her husband is an old man, while she remains youthful. It is best that his life comes to an end so that hers can truly begin. It is cold, and may seem unfeeling, but it is for the best.”
Amethyst sat in her chair. “As you say, Master,” she said, neither agreeing nor vocally disagreeing.
Giriraj pushed back, climbing onto his bed. “Come here to me.”
Hesitantly, Amethyst stood and walked to the side of the bed. She paused before setting her knee on the edge, and Giriraj shook his head.
“I do not have any carnal goal in mind, Amethyst. I simply want to sleep, and I want to sleep next to somebody. You have my word that I will not push you this night. I am, however, giving you an order this time. You will sleep next to me.”
Nervously, she climbed onto the bed, the plush surface giving just enough under her weight to make moving across it awkward. She lay on her back next to Giriraj, and he pulled the quilt over them, rolling to his side to face her. Effortlessly, he reached over her and moved her to her side, causing her to stiffen. Wrapping his arm around her stomach, he pulled her in close against his chest. He was warm and much softer than she imagined him being, and as they lay there in the dim light of the room, she slowly relaxed.
Almost immediately, his breathing slowed and grew deeper, and she relaxed even more. She changed her position slightly, marveling at the comfort of the bed, and pulled a pillow over his arm to rest her head on. The quilt was heavy, warm, and comforting, and her eyes grew heavy.
This wasn't so bad, she thought to herself. If Giriraj just needed some comfort, then perhaps this was something she could do. While she didn't agree with the decision that he and Adrik had come to, she understood it. Giriraj was different from anyone she had ever met before, and with the great power he wielded came difficult decisions. He did not seem to revel in his choice, but he had deemed it necessary, so gave his permission.
She wondered what she would have done in his place. She would have liked to believe that she would have denied Adrik's request, but
would she? When she was the Master of Earth, what would she do?
She closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the mattress, and soon, sleep took her.
~~~
5th Waxing Sap Moon, Year 4368
Giriraj was still asleep when she woke. True to his word, his hands had not strayed in the night; it was if he hadn't moved at all. Carefully, she slipped out from under his arm and crawled off the bed, leaving the blanket up around his shoulders.
Quietly, she left the bedchamber and stepped out into his study, then made her way around to the dining hall and into her room. Despite having not slept in her own bed, she felt refreshed, more rested than she had since she had left Lonwick over three months ago. Even the bed that she had used in Brickenden's manor in Rockhill wasn't as comfortable as Giriraj's had been.
As she straightened up her room, her thoughts returned to Castle Lonwick. Beyond the soldiers having been sent back after her acceptance as Giriraj's apprentice, her father had heard no word from her since she left. While she often found herself at odds with him, she didn't want him to worry, and that was something he was very prone to do. She was, after all, his only child, not to mention the heir to the throne.
When she was finished, she stepped back out into the dining hall. When she had come through the first time, the table had been bare, but now a platter of bread and sliced meat sat next to a large bowl of gravy. She still wasn't sure exactly how that happened, as the element of Earth didn't seem to apply to this sort of magic, but she wasn't about to question it. Most days, the only way she could get an idea of the time was by seeing which meal was laid out on the table. Giriraj had the dwarven clock in his study, but she had neglected to look at it on her way through.
Amethyst took the platter from the table and set the bowl of gravy on it. She carried it through the bath chamber, the room that she had trained in with Rasul, and the library, setting it on Giriraj's desk. She was huffing a little under the weight by the time she made it all the way to her destination, and as she set the serving tray down, Giriraj came out of his bedchamber. She glanced at the arms of the dwarven clock on his shelf. It was about seven hours after midnight, so still early in the morning.
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