“Would you? This is so disappointing, Master Ninsidos. The family Corceus were once a noble and honorable clan. Even in their darkest hours toward the end, many of them held themselves accountable for the family’s failings. They knew when it was over and knew that they were the instruments of their own destruction. My grandmother told me stories of Corceus. Although generations of the family did horrible things, nearly destroying Oranto because of their endless and petty internal squabbles and their ill-fated attacks on other royal families, she found something to admire in some of the Corceus. They were willing to stand up and admit their failings.”
Gerion laughed and shook his head. “Pardon me, madame, but I have no idea what you are talking about. I’ve heard of Corceus, of course, but—”
The Matriarch barely let him get in those words as her lip curled up into a sneer. “The Corceus name has become a bit of a joke, hasn’t it? Occasionally, in the briefings my security services give me, there is mention of some Corceus or another, some descendant with delusions of grandeur, plotting something. The family Kayembe recently executed several Corceus descendants who were caught plotting a coup.” The Matriarch chuckled. “Apparently, the plot was comical, as most of the Corceus attempts at a return to respectability are. They’d do well to simply accept that there will be no glorious return to riches and power. Some of them have done quite well as salt marsh workers and miners. A few have even become successful merchants. Perhaps that’s what you should have done, Mr. Kalon.”
At the sound of his real name, Gerion started yelling and dove at the Matriarch. He didn’t get far. He was promptly flattened on top of her desk by Eretu, who moved like a snake. The door to the private secretary’s office opened and several security service members rushed in. The Matriarch put up her hand as a command to stop.
“Can’t. Breathe.” Gerion sputtered and wheezed.
For a few moments, from his spot at the back of the room, Duga watched the Matriarch. She remained seated. Baboye stood behind her, staring at the prostrate Gerion struggling against Eretu. Again, the Matriarch smiled.
“Mr. Kalon, my son is angry with you. You blackmailed the boy he wants to make his consort into becoming an assassin. Fortunately, a very resourceful member of the Thasali household has been able to thwart your plan. It’s a pity. Master Oraj has said good things about you. He said that you were the best assistant he’s ever had.”
Baboye moved forward and leaned down. “By my mother’s order, Kalon, you will be taken to the Warren where you will be held until sentence of death can be carried out the day after the Matriarch’s jubilee celebrations end.”
The Warren, the Thasali prison, was a horrible pit that mothers threatened misbehaving children with. People who survived it came out forever changed…if they came out at all.
It looked as if Gerion was convulsing under Eretu.
“Let him breathe a little, Eretu,” the Matriarch said.
Gerion turned his head and then Duga heard him laugh. It was the sort of laugh that made Duga want to hit him. Then he heard Gerion howl in pain. Eretu must have applied more pressure on his arm or some other body part.
The Matriarch nodded and Eretu yanked him up into a standing position. Baboye came from around his mother’s desk and punched Gerion in the stomach.
“Get him out of here!” Baboye yelled.
The security service people in the office moved forward and took hold of Gerion. They dragged him out as he laughed and screamed.
“I’m not the only one who yearns to be free of the Thasali yoke! There are many, many others! This isn’t over.”
After the door had closed, Duga felt himself relax, not realizing until then how anxious he had been. Prince Baboye was rubbing the knuckles of the hand he had used to punch Gerion. Eretu looked as if her scuffle with Gerion had hardly strained her at all, and not a hair was out of place. She smiled broadly when she saw Duga.
“You did good work, Rigers. With some fine tuning, you’d do well in the security service.”
“No, no. He’s too valuable to me as my adviser,” Baboye said, grinning.
Then Duga heard the Matriarch clear her throat. “Don’t get too far ahead of yourselves. Rigers hasn’t yet completed his assignment at the harem,” she said. “You will remain undercover until after the revels are over, if for no other reason than it would prompt more questions than I’d like if we pulled you out. Eretu’s people are meeting with Master Oraj now to brief him on Ovech Kalon’s arrest.”
“Yes. Of course, madame.” Duga paused. “Madame. I want to reassure you that the young man whom Gerion, or Ovech Kalon, recruited to be the assassin was in no way willing to murder your son. He—”
“I have read the file, Rigers. I believe you. The ceremony in which the boy will become Baboye’s consort will go ahead as scheduled. Anything else, Rigers?”
“Only this, madame. The boy’s name is Eyakan. I bid you good fortune, madame.” Duga nodded at Baboye and Eretu as he left. Eyakan’s name was probably in the file she read, but Duga felt he at least deserved the dignity having his name voiced. He wasn’t just a boy. He was Eyakan, and he was about to become the crown prince’s consort.
*~*~*
A note from Shebi awaited Duga in his room upon his return. Once decoded it read that Shebi had received word from his crew that Eyakan’s family was safe. The crew had driven off the mercenaries who had been sent by Gerion to terrorize Eyakan’s relatives. It hadn’t been all that difficult to get the better of them once the mercenaries decided they weren’t being paid enough to die for their employer.
Duga then met with Eyakan to tell him that no one would bother him again about assassinating the crown prince. He added that Baboye would give him more details after the consort ceremony, but the threat was over. Eyakan was visibly relieved.
“They really are safe?”
“Yes.”
Eyakan hugged Duga tightly. Duga felt his dick hardening, so he gently backed away from Eyakan. He kissed the young man goodnight.
For the first time in several nights, Duga slept a nourishing, dreamless sleep.
*~*~*
One of the kitchen’s underservants brought Duga his breakfast. Considering the jubilee and the loss of Gerion from the harem staff, Rilas, who had brought Duga’s breakfast for several mornings was probably too busy. The servant, a boy of about fourteen, set the tray on a small table in the sitting room. He was about to leave when Duga called to him. He held up a slip of paper for the boy to see. The paper had been on the tray.
“Where did you get this?”
“It was in your office, Master Menasta, on the floor when I came in with the tray.”
“On the floor?”
“Yes, sir. It looked like someone had pushed it under the door, sir.”
Duga, still puzzled, dismissed the boy and started to read the note. He immediately sat down. The note was brief: This is not over. Corceus forever.
Chapter Seven
As soon as he could, Duga found Gyles, who was still in place as part of the cleaning staff. They met up in the little room behind the library where Duga showed him the alarming note. Duga urged him to get it to Eretu and request that she make more security available for tonight’s banquet and revels. Duga went through the day roaming around the harem, making himself available to any of the boys needing last-minute tutoring, but they were too busy with other preparations. They really didn’t have time for him. He observed Eyakan briefly but saw no sign that he had been approached again about carrying out the assassination today. Indeed, the young man looked happier than he had ever seen him.
Although Duga couldn’t think of who else might be in a position to carry out an assassination, he did know one thing for sure. He couldn’t trust anyone in the harem, except maybe Gyles. Duga could not let down his guard.
*~*~*
Late in the afternoon, Duga put on his ceremonial suit. The soft silk brushed against his skin like the feathers of the gillotin bird. The fabric displayed a de
licate sheen every time the light hit it. Baboye had insisted that he attend the jubilee banquet and revels before he left the harem. Duga was proud that he had unmasked Gerion as Ovech and saved the boys, but he felt ready to leave. He wasn’t sure what more he could do.
He stepped out of his office and couldn’t help but be caught up in the excitement. It had been years since he had been to one of the Matriarch’s big parties, and he had never participated in a jubilee. The last party he had attended was when the Matriarch had thrown herself a huge birthday party. The revels after the birthday banquet were almost fantastical in the number of harem boys, harem girls, Thasali royals, visiting royals, dignitaries and merchants having sex at the same time in the same room. The floor had been slick with elodie oil. The air had been rich with moans of ecstasy.
This event promised to be even bigger, and harem boys were dashing to the tailors for one last alteration. They were lined up for tweaking by an aesthetician. They glowed with youthful excitement. It would be their first jubilee, and Duga hoped it would be a good one for all of them. He hoped they would, like Eyakan had this year and like Duga in the past, find a royal family member who would help them move on to better things.
As they lined up for the jubilee procession and waited for the suns to set, Duga kept scanning the crowds even though he didn’t know what he was looking for. Lamplight hit and they marched out into the cool night air. As the procession of harem members and staff moved along, he saw people laughing as they strolled in their glittering finery. Each hat was slightly bigger and more ornate than the next. Each robe was slightly more billowy and made out of ever richer fabric as everyone tried to outdo each other. He hoped this morning’s note didn’t necessarily mean an attack today and was referring to some vague and as yet unplanned date.
The procession was met at the palace entrance by the chamberlain in ceremonial dress who led them to the magnificent banquet hall decorated with gleaming ice sculptures and filled with music played by the best orchestra on the planet. Dignitaries, merchants and lesser Thasali royals were already there. They stared at the entering harem beauties with open mouths. The harem boys and girls as well as faculty were seated at two tables in the center of the room. The Matriarch and her immediate family—her four sons, including Baboye—entered only after everyone else was seated and sat at a table at the head of the room. The royal table was slightly raised to give the royals a better view of their guests and the harem boys and girls.
Duga sat near the front of the room next to Eyakan, who was wearing a suit that accentuated his smoky eyes and dark brown hair. Duga was close enough to the royal table that he could see Baboye’s eyes. They glowed. He looked like he was no longer in heat. He must have had some of his urges satisfied, although he would have more satisfaction at the revels after the ceremony.
The servants first brought them cool water from the springs deep in the Jehenne mountains. The water was sweet and highly prized. The meal then started with cold bettrys soup. The savory liquid slid down Duga’s throat. They were then presented with grilled sallabeast with a side of doda bimbenet sauce and an array of vegetables that had been roasted over an open flame. The meal finished with burninga ice cream drizzled with a few drops of pagvee berry brandy. All the while, the wine flowed. Their glasses were never empty, but Duga didn’t drink that much. He had a gut feeling that his job was not quite finished, even with Gerion/Ovech locked away in the Warren until he would be executed tomorrow.
As the servants took their dessert plates away, the ceremony started. The crown that the Matriarch had been wearing for the past twenty-five years was replaced with one that had even more crystals. She would wear this one for the next twenty-five years. The Matriarch’s children gave short speeches honoring their mother and thanking those in attendance. When Baboye approached the podium, he announced how much he loved his mother and said how grateful everyone was for her rule. And then he locked eyes with Eyakan.
“Tonight, I take a new consort,” he announced. The crowd, drunken and well-fed, hooped and hollered as Eyakan got up and joined Baboye by his side. They circled each other seven times, getting closer and closer until their lips nearly touched.
“I approve,” said the Matriarch, and Baboye and Eyakan kissed. A shower of gold powder rained down on them from the ceiling.
Duga tried to pay as much attention as he could to the ceremony, but he was distracted by all the people. The main threat was over, but he just couldn’t relax.
The jubilee consort ceremony was beautiful. All eyes had been on the handsome crown prince and the young Marqashian man. Banquet attendees surrounded Baboye and Eyakan, offering them blessings and good fortune. The crowd swelled as more people came forward to offer their congratulations, some of them probably wanting to at least get a fleeting touch of Eyakan. A jubilee consort was supposed to be very good luck indeed.
Duga stepped a bit farther away from the crowd to get a better look when he saw Rilas, but something did not seem right about the harem assistant. A visiting royal moved in front of Duga, briefly obscuring his view. When Duga saw Rilas again, he noticed him moving quickly with one of his arms held rigidly at his side. Duga edged closer to him, nudging onlookers out of the way. He saw a glint of metal as he got closer to Rilas’ side. Duga grabbed Rilas’ arm, moving his hand along the length of Rilas’ forearm. He discovered that Rilas’ hand was clasped firmly around the hilt of a knife.
“A word with you, Rilas,” Duga said, plastering a cheery smile on his face. He felt chilled to the bone at the realization that Rilas was only a few feet away from Baboye when he had intercepted him.
Rilas refused to move, so Duga pulled harder while trying to get him to drop the knife.
“Let go, Menasta. This is none of your business.” Rilas sounded like a man in despair.
Duga jostled Rilas to the outer edge of the crowd when he made the mistake of looking away for a moment to see where Gyles or Eretu happened to be. Duga needed someone’s help. Suddenly, Rilas wrenched his arm from Duga’s grip. He brought the knife up and slashed downward. The knife blade made contact with Duga’s left shoulder and wrist as Duga brought his left arm up in a defensive maneuver.
Duga felt the blade slice his flesh. The gashes weren’t deep, but they stung. He grabbed at the knife, closing his hand around the blade as Rilas pulled it back. Duga let out an involuntary gasp. He used his right hand to grab Rilas’ arm again. Without caring if he caused a disturbance, Duga used his injured hand and his whole body to give Rilas a final push away from the throng. He had to save Baboye. Rilas started to scream and tried to stab Duga again, but then Gyles rushed in. Gyles grabbed Rilas’ hand and snatched the knife out of it with relative ease. Two other members of security grabbed Rilas.
“Get him out of here. Now,” Gyles hissed.
More security people hustled Rilas through a nearby door. Duga turned back to the crowd. Few seemed to have noticed what had just happened. The noise of the scuffle had been swallowed up by the joy of celebration. Duga could just make out the faces of Baboye and Eyakan. They smiled and accepted congratulations as if nothing had happened to disrupt their special moment, and nothing had. Everything was just the way it was supposed to be.
Gyles nudged Duga toward the door. “Come on. Let’s get you patched up.”
Duga looked down at his arm and hand as Gyles guided him through the door, which led into a small office. Duga started to feel light headed as he watched security putting shackles on Rilas’ ankles and wrists. Whatever murderous ferocity had been there was already burnt out. Rilas seemed like a ragdoll. One of his eyes was swollen shut and he was coughing.
“Sit him down,” Gyles said. He walked up to Rilas and showed him the knife. “Beautiful vines becoming serpents. It’s good work. You a Corceus?”
Rilas said nothing. He seemed lethargic.
Gyles slapped him. “Corceus?”
At last, Rilas shook his head. The door leading to the corridor opened and in stepped Eretu, followed by two m
ore security people.
“What have we here, Gyles? Rigers, you’re looking—” She looked at his arm and hand. “Get that seen to soon. You look pale.”
Duga nodded. He ripped a strip of fabric from one of the sleeves of his suit and began wrapping it around his wrist and hand, but he had to know why this loyal harem staffer would do such a thing. “Why Rilas? Why?”
Rilas gazed around the room, avoiding eye contact with the people surrounding him. “Ovech. Where’s Ovech? What have you done with him? I want to see him.”
“I may be able to arrange that if you tell us everything,” Eretu said, coolly. “Tell us why.”
“Ovech and I, we knew the moment we saw each other that we were destined to be together. We spent many wonderful nights together. He told me almost immediately after we met who he really was. He hated hiding behind someone else’s name, but he said it was all part of his plan. We even pretended not to like each other in public, but, in private, we held back nothing from each other.” Rilas cleared his throat and spat on the carpet.
“Go on,” Eretu urged, wincing in disgust at his barbaric action.
“Thasali don’t know what’s coming. None of the royals do. Ovech told me how easy it was for him to get hired on to the harem staff. He laughed about it. They’ve gone soft, he said, soft in the ways that makes it easy for Corceus. He showed me a vision of Oranto ruled by Corceus again. It will happen because Corceus know just how and when to poke at Thasali and all the other royals. And there are many people like me who aren’t Corceus but who hate Thasali and what all the other royals have done to our homelands and to Oranto.”
One of the security people laughed. Eretu glanced at him. He stopped laughing.
“Laugh all you want. Corceus will rise!” Rilas shouted, straining against the shackles.
Eretu said, “Take him to the Warren.”
Tales of the Thasali Harem Box Set Page 10