by M. Gregg Roe
Saxloc smiled and raised his cup. “Then I wish you luck, Mistress Cinda.”
22
‡ Conversation ‡
If the cleaning crew hadn’t been scheduled for the day before the party, Audrey would never have been able to finish her dress. Elina stayed behind after the others left and helped with the final adjustments and fitting. Afterward, Audrey admired herself in the mirror. She had left the collar from the original design, but had reduced its height and added decorative stitching. A large oval cutout now displayed a portion of her back. A smaller one in front displayed ample décolletage, as Cinda still insisting on calling it. The waist fit her snugly, and she had slit both sides of the skirt to above the knee. Some of the decorative stitching she had done with the silver thread was a bit uneven, but she thought it looked nice against the dark blue fabric.
Almera had driven them all crazy in the days leading up to the party, and she was furious that Draymund still hadn’t returned. She and Cinda traveled all over the city, seeking the cooks and waiters they needed. Saxloc ended up having to ask Gabriel to help him. They rearranged the parlor and brought up numerous tables and chairs from the storage area below.
Draymund finally returned on the morning of the day of the party. He apologized profusely to his wife, explaining that the one small red dragon he had been hired to slay had turned out to be four nearly-identical dragons from a single litter. He had been forced to track down all four, taking much longer than he had planned. Almera looked angry, but Audrey could tell that she was relieved by her husband’s safe return.
Saxloc had been noticeably more friendly to her since returning from his trip, and he was very polite to Cinda. Audrey wondered if it was a permanent improvement, or if he would return to his usual behavior once Cinda moved out. Either way, it was a welcome change.
Cinda came to her room in the afternoon and helped her to don her dress and fix her hair. When Audrey offered to do the same for her, she smiled and said, “I shall not be attending. I do not wish to explain my situation to others. I shall remain in the kitchen and supervise the staff so that Lady Almera may freely mingle with her guests.”
Audrey was disappointed, but she understood. “Okay, but I’ll bet Almera makes a least a dozen trips to the kitchen during the party.”
“She will certainly try, but I shall simply send her back to the party. Now I must go and begin my duties. Please to enjoy yourself, Mistress Audrey.”
“I shall try, but it will be most difficult without your comforting presence, Mistress Cinda.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey went downstairs and was surprised to see that some guests had already arrived. Saxloc was standing off to the side of the parlor speaking with Gabriel, but they stopped and stared at her as she walked toward the front of the mansion. Saxloc looked stunned, and Gabriel’s face was turning red. She was secretly delighted by their reactions, but also a little embarrassed.
Draymund and Almera were speaking with Medea and a man who had to be her husband Mardan. He was tall and handsome, with short dark hair and piercing blue eyes. Their daughter Marryn was standing nearby, frowning and fidgeting. She was wearing much more expensive clothing than the rest of her family—a form-fitting dark green dress with a daring V-neck and a slit skirt much like Audrey’s dress. Medea’s dark brown dress had a more conservative design, but Audrey thought she looked good in it.
Audrey walked up and said, “Good evening, Marryn. That’s a lovely dress and it really suits you. Where did you get it?” Her eyes went wide and she was clearly disconcerted. Audrey suspected that she hadn’t even recognized her as she approached.
“Uh … good evening … Audrey. I got it from a friend who was throwing it out. Then I had it altered.” She looked embarrassed now. “Where did you get yours? It’s … uh … nice.”
Audrey’s smile was sly. “Thank you. I made it myself. This is the first time I’ve worn it.”
“Oh … uh … excuse me.” Marryn looking unsettled as she practically fled.
Draymund and Almera walked up to Audrey. They were arm-in-arm, both clad in deep purple with gold accents. Almera grinned and said, “This is the dress that you’ve been spending so much time on? It’s lovely, but it’s not what I was expecting.”
“I thought you didn’t like men to stare at your chest, Audrey,” said Draymund with a smirk as he pointedly stared at her chest. Almera elbowed him in the side, and he raised his gaze.
“This is partly Cinda’s doing,” she told them. “But I don’t mind it as much as I used too.”
“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?” asked Almera with a compassionate look.
“Yes. I hope she made the right choice.”
“So do I, but I respect her for taking control of her own life.” Draymund nodded his agreement.
Audrey was very worried about her friend. She could tell that Cinda wasn’t nearly as certain of herself as she appeared.
She suddenly noticed Draymund looking toward the entryway with a startled expression. Celebern and Hankin had arrived. Hankin hadn’t brought a date, but Audrey instantly recognized the gorgeous half-elf clinging to Celebern’s right arm. It was Lilina, and her pure white dress exposed an amazing amount of skin. Just looking at it was giving Audrey ideas.
Draymund and Almera walked up to the two of them, and Hankin headed over to where Saxloc and Gabriel were both standing and gaping. He gave her a smile and a wink as he walked by, and she smiled at him in return. He was wearing all black as usual, but it was expensive and well-tailored.
A few moments later, Audrey was startled when Lilina walked up to her with a serious expression. “Lady Audrey, where might I find Lady Cinda? I wish to converse with her.”
“She’s in the kitchen supervising the staff,” Audrey told her. “I’ll take you. Is everything okay?”
Lilina smiled, showing her perfect teeth. “Yes, Lady Audrey. All is well. I merely sought to speak with her during our short visit. Lord Celebern has other events to attend this night.”
“Okay. Just follow me.”
As they walked down the hallway toward the kitchen, Audrey realized that taking Lilina into the kitchen was a bad idea. Her appearance would be disruptive, and she probably wanted to speak with Cinda privately. She asked Lilina to wait in the library and then went to get her friend. Cinda was delighted to see Lilina, and Audrey left the two of them alone to talk.
Back in the parlor, she helped herself to a goblet of rice wine and some cheese. Lilina returned a few minutes later, and she and Celebern departed not long after. Hankin remained behind, standing off in a corner chatting with Gabriel and Saxloc.
Grasapa and her husband Dulls arrived, both plainly dressed. Audrey had never met Dulls before. He was slightly shorter than his wife, with a muscular build, short brown hair, and a neatly-trimmed beard. Grasapa introduced her husband, and Audrey spent some time chatting with them, hoping that Saxloc wouldn’t notice.
Almera walked up along with Ermizad and Wilawin. Wilawin was dressed exactly the same as when Audrey last saw her, and just as alert. Ermizad was wearing a lovely green dress that matched her eyes. She nodded and said, “Audrey.”
Audrey bowed. “Good evening, Lady Ermizad. Wilawin.”
Almera walked off as Ermizad said, “I am surprised at the decision your friend made. It appears that she did not trust me to take action on her behalf.”
Audrey didn’t care for the irritated look on Ermizad’s face, and she wasn’t going to back down. “I think she made the right choice. Cinda doesn’t have any ordinary skills, and she isn’t going back home to her parents. She really didn’t have a lot of choices.”
Ermizad stared at her briefly before slightly smiling. “Perhaps you are right. For certain you are her friend.”
The two of them walked away, and Audrey felt very relieved. She visited Cinda in the kitchen, admiring the way that she was handling things there. Cinda told her that Lilina had simply wanted to reassure her, but Audrey could tell t
hat her friend was still anxious. She would have been too in her situation. She told her about her encounter with Ermizad.
The party ended well after midnight. Audrey had received many compliments on both her dress and her appearance, really an embarrassing number. She had also managed to control her alcohol consumption and not embarrass herself by becoming drunk. She went up to her room feeling well-satisfied. It had been an interesting evening.
♦ ♦ ♦
She didn’t find out until the following day, but the awaited edict was published on the first day of the new year. It banned all arranged marriages henceforth and threatened severe punishment for those who flouted it. It also made it easier for those already in arranged marriages to seek a divorce. There was even a provision for a third party to call for such a divorce, protecting anyone unwilling or unable to seek help for themselves.
Breakfast was late the morning following the party. Cinda appeared calm, but she barely ate anything. She would be moving to Desires that morning and giving her virginity to a total stranger that evening. Audrey couldn’t help but worry for her, and she could see that the others were also concerned.
After breakfast, she accompanied her friend to her room. Cinda put on her favorite red-and-black dress and then began working on her hair. Audrey packed up the few things that Cinda would be taking with her. The majority of her clothing would be put into storage beneath the mansion.
When Cinda was ready, she ran up and hugged her. She was trembling, and Audrey tried to reassure by saying, “I’m sure it will be fine, Cinda. I’ve been praying to Lasrina for you every day.”
Cinda stepped back and smiled through the tears now welling in her eyes. “And I have prayed to Lord Dukane. Thank you, Audrey. You are a far better friend than one such as I deserve. Let us go now. I would begin my new life forthwith.”
They found Draymund and Saxloc disassembling the tables in the parlor, and Cinda hugged and thanked them both. Almera accompanied the two of them to Desires, and Audrey was grateful. When they arrived at the back of the large and stately mansion, nearly twenty people streamed out to greet Cinda. They were of both sexes, and ranged in age from around fifteen to nearly fifty, although most appeared to be in their twenties. Audrey knew that they were all courtesans. She and Almera said their goodbyes to Cinda and then returned home.
Audrey was exhausted, and she ending up sleeping all afternoon. She didn’t sleep well that night either.
♦ ♦ ♦
“Wake up, Audrey. You missed breakfast, so I brought you up a tray.”
“What?” she asked blearily. “Uh … thank you.”
Audrey opened her eyes to see Almera standing at the foot of her bed slyly smiling. A glance at the windows revealed that it was mid-morning. She climbed out of bed and went to the wardrobe to put on her robe. That reminded her that she still hadn’t done anything with the robes she had made. She turned and saw Almera holding out a folded piece of pink paper for her to take. She hadn’t even known paper came in that color.
She took the paper, unfolded it, read it, and then burst out laughing. The note was written in Cinda’s beautiful handwriting, and it was brief and to the point: “He was most gentle. We copulated three times! I am now ahead.”
She handed the note back to Almera, who then read it and laughed. “And Cinda will soon be even further ahead of you in copulation,” she said with a devilish grin.
“Sadly, yes.” Audrey frowned and asked, “Wouldn’t three times have hurt Cinda?”
“The first time undoubtedly hurt, but they provide a healing potion to use afterward. I’m certain the next two times were much more pleasant. I don’t suppose Saxloc offered to heal you after your first time?”
Audrey hesitated. “No, but he was concerned. I’m sure he would have if I’d thought to ask.” She gave Almera a pleading look. “Almera, can we please just tell him that the engagement is off? I’m tired.”
“I know you are, Audrey. Draymund and I are tired as well. I never thought the situation would last this long, but this very morning he asked me how much your dress had cost us, and even suggested sending you to Desires so that you could be with your friend.”
Audrey sighed and gazed at Almera sadly. “How thoughtful of him. I’m going to get dressed and then go downstairs and kill him. You and Draymund can haul his lifeless body to a temple while I pack up to leave.”
“You’re too late, Audrey. Saxloc and Draymund have already left.” She grinned. “But Draymund is taking me dancing this evening. Maybe you can do it then.”
“I’ll see if I can fit it into my schedule. What did you tell him about the dress?”
“I merely told him that I did not know how much it had cost, which is true. That appeared to confuse him.”
Audrey nodded and said, “Good.” She thought for a moment before confessing, “I’ve been neglecting my reading. That’s what I’m going to do today.”
“It’s not a problem. We have all been very busy, what with Cinda and the party. I am pleased that you still want to learn.”
“I do. I still have a lot to learn. I would like to learn more about magic next.”
“I’ll see what I can find. Um … Audrey, why are there three robes in your sewing room with our names on them? I’m sorry. I was just curious and happened to see them.”
“It’s fine.” Audrey went to the sewing room, put the folded robes into a single pile, and then handed them to Almera, saying, “I’ve been meaning to give these to you as thanks for helping me so much. I did everything but the names. Elina did those for me.”
Almera put the pile down on a chair and held up one of the robes to examine. “Thank you, Audrey. These are very nice. But why did you make one for Saxloc?”
Audrey shrugged. “I’m not really sure myself. Maybe we can use it to wrap his corpse after I kill him.”
Almera chuckled. “All right, Audrey. I’ll put it in his wardrobe and see if he notices.”
♦ ♦ ♦
That evening, Audrey walked into the parlor carrying her huge history book. Saxloc was sitting in a chair drinking from a silver goblet. He looked very tired and sweaty, so she assumed that he must have been working out in the training area downstairs. He was certainly dressed as if he had been. She hadn’t even known he was in the house.
He looked up as she walked in and asked, “Are you reading that or carrying it around to build muscle?”
She placed the book on a side table, sat down opposite him, smiled broadly, and replied, “Both.”
He laughed and said, “Well, you are in the right place for when you finish that book. There is more to Andoran’s story than that. You should ask my parents.”
“I will, but I already know that Andoran is dead.”
“Hardly anyone knows that,” he said, surprised.
“I know, and I haven’t told anyone. Your mother accidentally let it slip one day, and I was shocked. It was like hearing that one of the gods had died.”
“Andoran wasn’t a god,” he told her seriously. “But he was incredibly powerful. His death disrupted and then changed the very way magic works.”
“Really?” She still wished that she could do magic.
“Yes, but it was before either of us was born. I think. How old are you, Audrey?”
Audrey frowned at him. “I’m seventeen. I’ll be eighteen later this month.”
“Oh. In that case, it happened when you were a baby. It wasn’t the kind of thing that anyone there would have noticed anyway. But spell-casters like my parents definitely noticed it.”
“Yes, I’m sure they did. Uh … what do you want for dinner?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, looking puzzled. “I’ll eat whatever my mother has made.”
Audrey rolled her eyes. “Your father took your mother out dancing. I think he’s still trying to apologize for being gone so long.”
Saxloc looked uncomfortable. “Oh. I think I do remember hearing something about that during breakfast. Don’t worry about din
ner. I’ll just go out somewhere after I clean up.”
Audrey stared at him and sighed. “Fine. Maybe someone will break in here while you’re gone and put me out of my misery.”
“No one is going to break in here, Audrey. This house is protected.”
“By who?” she asked scornfully. “Novox? I don’t ever see any of their people around.”
He looked exasperated as he gestured and said, “No one in their right mind would break into this house because of my father’s connection to Celebern. And anyway, this house has magical protections.”
“Really? No one ever mentioned it before.”
“My parents never mentioned it?” He looked surprised.
“No, and now I’m worried. What happens if I accidentally set it off?” she demanded.
Saxloc suddenly looked guilty. “Uh … it would probably kill you.”
Audrey sprang to her feet and angrily exclaimed, “And no one thought to mention this to me? Were you just planning to drag my body off to a cleric if something happened? I may never leave my room again!”
“Audrey, you are overreacting. I don’t know why my parents didn’t mention it to you, but you are perfectly safe. It knows who you are, and it won’t attack.”
She was startled. “It? It’s alive?”
“Kind of. It’s complicated.” He paused a moment to think. “I’m hungry. I’ll go get cleaned up and then we can go out and get something to eat. I will explain to you how our magical protection works.”
Audrey was pleasantly surprised by his invitation, but she didn’t let it show on her face. “Okay. I’ll meet you back down here in a few minutes.”
When she reached her room she decided to change clothes. He would probably be wearing something expensive, so she decided to wear her new dress. It was the only cold weather dress that she owned.
Audrey arrived at the entryway first and quickly donned her warm cloak. Saxloc soon arrived, and they departed as soon as he donned his cloak. The moonlight was softly illuminating the falling snow, and she thought it looked beautiful. She had an urge to take his arm, but she resisted it and simply walked along beside him in silence.