by Astor, Jade
“Yes, of course,” Charis said. Assisting with the sales was part of their bargain, as he well knew, but in a way he was eager to get started. He’d never seen a marketplace quite like this one, and he looked forward to experiencing what it had to offer. He could see why people traveled great distances to trade and shop here.
The next few hours were busy with moving merchandise into the biggest selling area Charis had ever seen, unrolling large sheets of cloth, and displaying them on tables for the buyers that quickly flocked to their selling stall. Since Charis knew little about the various fabrics or their prices, he referred buyers to Zav or his brothers. They had started somewhat late in the day, but they did a good brisk trade all the same. Gradually Charis learned things and by the end of the day, he was able to answer a few questions himself. And he realized that Zav had been correct about the temperature inside the dome. He did not feel himself uncomfortably warm at all, and no bad odors offended his nostrils, though he did catch a few whiffs of spicy foodstuffs that made his stomach tremble. Since Zav had not mentioned breaking for a meal, though, he didn’t bring it up either.
“You did well, especially for your first time on the floor,” Zav said as the twin suns finally went down, sending dazzling reflections and optical illusions across the transparent top of the dome. Charis felt pleased by the compliment. “We’ve earned a little reward for ourselves now, I would say.”
Charis raised his brows, hoping Zav meant a meal of some kind, but didn’t dare make any demands. He noticed that Zav was looking at his brothers, who stood at the other end of their selling stall flirting with some women who looked ready to entertain them for the rest of the evening.
“They’ll be busy tonight, I would say. But that will work out well for us.”
They closed up the stall and transported the rolls of cloth back to the wagons for the night. Long before they were finished, Zav’s brothers disappeared along with the women.
“I hope you’re as hungry as I am,” Zav said at last, while Charis nearly wept with relief. He felt as though he hadn’t eaten for days, though of course that wasn’t true. Working the stalls had been much harder work than he’d grown used to in the harem.
Of course, thoughts of the harem brought up other types of yearning, even more painful than hunger and thirst. He pushed those back stubbornly. Once he got through this ordeal, he would tell Prince Vidnar all about it—the prince might even be interested in visiting the dome sometime, assuming he hadn’t already done so. Meanwhile, he would stay focused on the tasks in front of them.
“You’re in for a treat,” Zav said as he finished securing the two wagons. He motioned for Charis to follow him toward an arched doorway to the left of the one they used to enter the selling area. “People don’t just come from all over to buy cloth here, after all. They also come to experience the Dome of Delights.”
“What sort of delights?” Charis asked skeptically.
Zav winked. “You’ll see.”
*~*~*
Charis wasn’t quite sure what to expect as Zav led him through another long corridor and into a part of the domed structure he hadn’t seen before. There, a variety of entertainments were on display, including exotic victuals and performances by ballad singers, dancers, and tumblers of various sorts. One brave and astonishingly talented juggled tossed flaming sticks into the air and caught them all without so much as singeing his fingers. Zav generously purchased great quantities of various foods for both of them to sample, and in no time Charis’ stomach felt full and satisfied. He wondered if Zav would suggest they go back to the wagon and sleep in preparation for the next day’s labors, but Zav had a different suggestion.
“I thought you might enjoy a trip to the theater,” he said, catching Charis off guard. He had never actually been to a theater, but the ones he had heard of operated only during the day and in disreputable parts of the city as well. The only ones considered fit entertainments for members of the royal family and harem personnel were those held on festival days and supervised by governmental officials. Charis had never been invited to one of those, however.
“What do you say?” Zav prompted.
“I accept your offer—and thank you,” Charis said, bowing a bit. Zav was, after all, his master now, even if he tended to forget to show him proper deference at times.
“Never mind all that,” Zav grumbled. “You’re my assistant, remember? Not my servant. Anyway, come on. We don’t want to miss the beginning of the show.”
They joined a growing throng of people who were streaming through a wide doorway into a kind of courtyard. There, a large stadium-like structure awaited them. A round, flat surface lay in the center, while rows of seats rose on three sides in a bowl shape. Charis had wondered how a theater would be able to illuminate a nighttime performance, but he saw that rows of tall torches flanked the area, giving off nearly enough light to emulate daytime. The heat that rose from them warded off the slight chill of the night air as well as any nuisance insects.
Zav paid a few coins to an attendant as an entrance fee and led Charis into the rows of bench-like seats. They were able to see the stage area perfectly, and the shape of the theater enabled the sound to rise from the platform.
The spectacle began with a few tumblers cavorting about in a humorous pantomime while a piper and a drummer provided background music. Charis found himself only mildly diverted by their antics, though the audience members around him seemed to enjoy them immensely. At last, the tumbling ended and the main show began.
Right away, Charis was caught up in the story, about an arrogant prince on a journey far from home. Over the course of his travels, he was swindled out of his money thanks to his own shortsightedness and had to win it back through acts of kindness toward others. The majority of the play entailed his efforts to earn the favors of both the people he met and the gods until at last, he was able to return home in triumph and with an important lesson learned.
As the show ended, Charis felt tears prick at his eyes. He missed his own prince terribly. Would he be able to find his way back like the character in the play and be welcomed by those he had left behind?
Gradually he became aware that Zav was watching him as much as he was the show. He seemed to mistake the reason for Charis’ show of emotion, thinking he was simply caught up in the drama of the storyline. “I knew you’d like it,” he said, beaming. Charis felt a surge of guilt for repaying Zav’s kindness by wishing he were here with Vidnar instead. He couldn’t control what his heart wanted, though. “In fact, I have another surprise for you.”
Charis could not imagine what he meant until the applause ended and Zav led him down through the seats and around to the back of the stage. He greeted one of the stagehands by name, and they exchanged a few pleasant words. Charis wondered how well, and in what capacity, they knew one another.
“All the members of this troupe know me,” Zav explained as they moved farther behind the scenes. “I provide most of the cloth for their costumes. They, too, know quality when they see it.”
Eventually they came to an open dressing area, where various costumes, masks, and props were strewn around on tables. Zav motioned to a young man who smiled and walked over to them. Charis recognized the actor who had played the prince in the show. Again he experienced a pang of longing for the real prince, irrational as that might be.
“This is Umji,” Zav said, clearly proud of his association with the young man. Again Charis wondered just how well they knew one another. “I’m sure I don’t have to commend his talents as an actor to you. Umji, my friend Charis, here, was most taken with your performance this evening.”
Umji bowed, obviously mistaking Charis for a person of great social standing. “I am honored that you liked it.”
“Perhaps you could tell him more about how you put on such entertainments. He is unfamiliar with the theater where he comes from.”
“Indeed? How unfortunate, though I am glad we could remedy that situation.” Umji was thrilled to carry
on for quite a while about his profession. Charis found it amazing. Somewhat like Zav, he learned, Umji and his fellow actors traveled during warmer months to perform their shows in villages, for various festivals, and by special invitation. They always returned and spent the cooler months in the dome, though, away from the harshness of the winter rains. Umji considered it home.
Charis was most interested in hearing about the patronage system Umji described. Wealthy playgoers supported the actors but expected nothing in return—not even sex, Umji stressed, though he suspected they sometimes got that anyway. Charis also suspected that Zav might be one of those patrons, though his contributions were most likely limited to costuming materials.
“We are delighted to say that we have never disappointed an audience in any venue.” Umji grinned. “Have you considered acting, Charis? You are a beautiful young man. Audiences would love you.”
“Charis is still learning his way as a cloth merchant,” Zav said with a laugh. “However, who knows where he might end up?”
“Indeed. Who can say?” Umji bowed again and seemed to wink at Zav. Charis blushed. “Meanwhile, I hope you will stay for a while and celebrate the success of our performance this evening.”
“We would be delighted,” Zav told him.
Charis noticed that the musicians from the stage were getting ready to play again, this time for the benefit of their fellow cast members. Soon people began dancing all around them—young and old, actors and stagehands, even men and women together. Charis had never seen anything like it.
“Let us dance,” Umji wailed, taking each of them by the hand. The three of them spun around in a circle. Afterward, they drank strong wine brought by servers with trays. An aromatic smoke wafting through the room affected Charis in an unexpected way. It was like the wine, but even more disorienting. They danced again, and he laughed and whirled around until he was dizzy. He enjoyed feeling Zav’s hand tight around his.
Eventually Umji drifted away with other friends and left them alone.
“Well? Do you want to become an actor? You could carouse like this every night,” Zav pointed out.
“It is a bit much for me,” Charis said, suddenly unsteady on his feet. “I think I would like to sleep now.”
“I’m not surprised,” Zav said. “Let us go, then.”
Staggering together and laughing at their own clumsiness, they made their way back through the dome. The members of the theatrical troupe weren’t the only ones out partying, Charis noted. People were singing as they walked past, some carrying jugs of wine and others musical instruments of various sorts. Here, the women stayed out at all hours along with the men. Charis couldn’t help staring at the chaotic scene in awe and a little fear. Not even harem parties grew this disorderly.
Back at the wagon, Zav moved aside some heaps of merchandise and tumbled onto his bed. Unable to hold his head up for another moment, Charis fell down beside him.
“I can set up your bedroll…” Zav offered, but Charis shook his head. He didn’t want to get up again. He kicked off his slippers, and curled up beside Zav still in his tunic and leggings.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, he felt Zav’s arms slide around him. His fingers brushed against the spot between Charis’ thighs, sending a sudden jolt of arousal through him. Charis felt himself blush. This wasn’t right, he reminded himself. He belonged to Prince Vidnar. He had no right to receive pleasure or attention from someone else.
Nonetheless, he didn’t pull away. Zav’s hand applied more pressure. Delicious tendrils of want curled through Charis’ body. He held his breath, unsure what to do next.
“How I’ve missed you, Siphu,” Zav muttered in a drunken haze. Then, as though he had realized what he had just said, he started awake and his hands jerked away. He and Charis stared into one another’s bleary eyes for a moment. Soon Zav turned sadly onto his side and fell asleep.
Chapter 7
“Who is Siphu?” Charis asked the next morning while they hastily prepared to get back to their selling stall. “I heard your brothers mention him, too, and last night you called me by his name. Was he your servant before…ah…before I came along?”
Zav paused in the middle of loading a roll of cloth onto one of the wheeled carts and sighed. “No, he wasn’t my servant. He was my partner. My lover.” A cloud passed over his face, and his words spilled out in a torrent, as though he had been biting them back for too long. “Up until lately, he was my whole world. He helped me in the business. I thought we were building something together. Then he met someone richer and more handsome than me.” Zav snapped his fingers. “And like that, he was gone.”
Charis pondered this. The other man may have been richer, but more handsome than Zav? Impossible.
“I’m sorry,” he said. He was. He knew what Zav felt. But at least Siphu had a choice to make, even if Zav thought he had made the wrong one. Charis had been torn away from the prince unwillingly. He had to keep that in mind whenever he began to empathize too much with Zav and his brothers. They had participated in his abduction.
By the time they got to the selling stall, customers were already entering the dome, eager to capitalize on morning bargains and claim first choice of the day’s goods. Charis was amazed at how hard Zav and his brothers worked. Being a traveling merchant had seemed like a glamorous profession at first, but in truth he saw now that it was backbreaking—and sometimes finger-numbing—work that left little time for the sort of pleasures he’d enjoyed even while performing his various duties in the harem.
The day passed in a blur of customer questions and orders, measuring and cutting cloth to their specifications, and folding it up so they could carry it away with them. Charis wondered if Zav would suggest another night of carousing and entertaining, but by the time the daylight faded, both of them were exhausted. They decided to eat a simple dinner in Zav’s wagon and go to sleep early.
To Charis’ astonishment, before they closed up the selling stall for the night, Zav handed him a small bag of coins.
“Your wages,” he explained as they walked back toward the wagon.
At first Charis thought of refusing, but he remembered that he could use the money to buy his way back to the city and to Vidnar.
“Thank you,” he said instead and tucked the small bag into the sash around his waist. “I will never forget your kindness,” he added and genuinely meant it.
“You’ll need to set some aside for when you go home.” Zav seemed to read his mind, but his tone made the statement seem almost a question. Charis got the sense that Zav was testing him somehow. He nodded
“This should prove very helpful.” At one time, he had some small savings of his own, but of course those coins had been left behind along with all his other possessions at the harem. Even if he had brought them to the marketplace with him on that fateful day, he suspected they would have been taken from him when he had been abducted.
“Do you have family back in Resedna?”
“No. They live in the southlands, where they farm for a living. Or at least they used to. They received royal grants when I left them and joined the harem. They may live elsewhere now for all I know.”
“You haven’t kept in touch with them?”
“No. I have discharged my duty to my parents as far as I am concerned. I wish them well but I have no desire to see them again.”
“They must have been harsh to you,” Zav surmised in a voice heavy with sorrow. Charis hoped he would take his silence as answer enough. That was one subject he did not wish to discuss with anyone.
They did not speak further until they were back at the wagon. Zav spread out some bread and cheese and produced a bottle of wine he had purchased earlier from one of the selling stalls.
“Don’t worry,” he said, laughing, as he poured them each a cupful. “This is nowhere near as strong as what we had last night. It will help us sleep, but we won’t feel like we were trampled by a herd of xoxobeasts.”
“I am glad to hear that,” Charis
said, tasting it. The flavor was mellow and fruity, and it did not burn his throat or tongue. Zav settled down beside him and munched on some bread.
“What was the harem like?” he asked after a while. “I didn’t see too much of it when I went there with my brothers. We conducted our business in private rooms, and we were escorted out as soon as our sales were completed. No one ever offered us any of the special…favors…we’d heard about, if you know what I mean.”
“I would hope not,” Charis said, not meaning to sound as harsh as he did. His old training kicked in when he least expected it, it seemed. “That particular harem is only for the members of the royal family and their guests.”
“Ah. And they don’t include the merchants in that number, I take it.” Zav grinned as Charis blushed at his haughty outburst. “Anyway, did they treat you fairly? I would hope they didn’t force you to be with…just anybody, royal or not.”
“They did not force me to do anything. Being chosen to serve there was a great honor both for me and my family! It was not a brothel in any sense of the word.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that. I’m sorry.” Zav poured himself some more wine and pondered this. “I understand your attachment to your position, though. Sometimes I feel that way when I really enjoy what I’m doing with the cloth. It’s work—hard work—but at the same time I know I would never want to do anything else. It’s like I’m doing what I was meant to do.”
“Many of the harem boys do quite well for themselves,” Charis went on, determined to separate himself from the class of common prostitutes that Zav was probably more familiar with. “One even became a highly placed minister in the royal family, a jundum. It’s a unique sort of position that is not granted to just anyone. He had to prove his worth in every way.”
Zav nodded. “I have no doubt you could do the same. The royals were lucky to have you for as long as they did. They made a huge mistake selling you off, and I hope they realize that.”