by L. M. Roth
Never once had he mentioned the defection of Fanchon since they left her at Gaudereaux: yet clearly Dag was thinking of her at this moment. It grieved Marcus to witness Dag’s silent suffering. But the stoic Trekur Lender refused to speak of her. Marcus silently prayed that Dominio would heal the hurt, and that his friend would yet find wedded happiness in this life.
Kyrene and Felix gasped from their laughter, and it slowly died. Felix then turned to Elena.
“Ah, and what of your land, fair Elena? Have you any strange customs you may tell to amuse us?”
Felix asked the former slave girl with a sparkle in his rich brown eyes, but she answered him with a flash in her own bird-like black ones before she lowered her gaze, not however, before Marcus noted that she clamped her lips together tightly, as if to squelch whatever she had been about to say.
“I do not think the customs of my land would amuse you, my lord,” she answered in her honeyed voice. “Nor would I wish to make sport of my people by provoking your laughter.”
“Oh, come now,” Felix smiled in his most winning manner at Elena, “I mean no harm. It is only that the voyage is dull and I wish to find a pleasant way to pass the time. Tell us, fair lady, how do your young men court your maids?”
Mollified by his importuning, and softened somewhat by his engaging charm, Elena relented.
“Very well, my lord,” she replied in her sweetest tone. “In Esperanza when a young man wishes to wed, he must first ask permission of her father to seek her hand. If her father grants it, then he may woo her, but always in the presence of her attendant, who keeps a discreet distance. Never are they permitted to be completely alone, for to do so would compromise the lady severely.
“If he asks for her hand and she grants it, then he must go to her father and agree to pay the bridal price. It must be paid before the ceremony to her father. It is to compensate for the loss of his daughter, for our women are highly valued in my country, and treated with the greatest respect. Brides are prizes to be won, and treasured with the utmost care.”
There was a silence as Elena paused. Marcus thought of Tullia and how he adored her. How he would treasure her if she would only let him!
Kyrene turned slightly in the boat toward Elena.
“Elena,” she began in her low velvety voice, now soft in its gentleness of tone, “in some ways you are a stranger to us still. Will you tell us your history? How came you to serve in the household of Pascal and Gaelle?”
Kyrene gave the girl an encouraging nod and a smile but Elena frowned as though the question roused unpleasant memories.
“How I came to be a slave, you mean?” she responded in a hard voice that little resembled her usual dulcet tone.
The others fastened their eyes on her, and waited for her to continue.
For a moment she sat erectly with her lips pursed together tightly and her smooth brow furrowed in reverie. Then she sighed and the tension left her body. She closed her eyes for a moment; then began to tell her story.
Chapter XXXI
Elena’s Story
“Esperanza is a land that is old in dignity. Our kings have a long line that go back farther than the memory of their names. Long have we ruled the mountains and desert places of our realm, our horses taking us wherever we wish to travel. If we fancy snow from the mountains to make ices to cool us, we take it. If we want to cross the hot desert to pass through to the cool sea coast, we brave it. There is nothing we fear, no enemy we dread.
“I lived in one of the great casamas with my father and mother, my sister and brother. For many years my family possessed a rancheno, and we produced many fine horses from our stables that we sold far and wide, even to kings of far away kingdoms. For our horses were coveted all over the world, and many came to our land seeking them; they were valued above all other possessions, granting freedom to any who owned them.
“All was well with my family: my father was rich, his wealth provided for our every requirement and comfort. My mother was one of the fairest ladies in the land, and it was said that my sister and I inherited her beauty. It would not be difficult for husbands to be found for either of us, for there were many young men who sought our favor.
“It was my brother who brought us to ruin.”
Elena pronounced this statement in a brittle tone of voice, a heavy emphasis on every word. She paused as she shook her head slowly, as if reluctant to revisit her memories. Then with a shudder she continued.
“Emilio was a dashing young man with a quick tongue and a hot temper. An idle word was all that was needed to rouse his ire. Yet it was not that which brought about his downfall: it was his love of money.
“Some of the young men enjoyed a game with dice which they played to pass the time. Then one day it was proposed that they play for a prize. So they began to place bets on the roll of the dice. If a man won, he collected money from his fellow players. If he lost, he must pay the others.
“In the beginning they were content to play for small amounts. But as time passed, it seemed that a passion took them, and they played for greater and greater sums. On no one, it seemed, was the fever higher and hotter than my brother Emilio. He played recklessly for higher stakes, as one possessed and out of control.
“On occasion he won and amassed large sums of money from his friends. These successes only spurred him on to greater daring, and he wagered with increasing abandon, always hoping to add to his winnings.
“Then one evil day he met his nemesis. The son of a foreign ruler visited from a distant land. He also liked to play the dice, but with a cool head and an icy heart. He decided to make sport of our young men and challenged them to a game.
“The bets were modest at first, and many won sums from one another. The Prince, however, was hungry for larger prizes and suddenly announced that he would wager his father’s estate. There was a gasp from all assembled at the daring of such a wager. For if one bet a stake, all who played must do so as well. One by one the young men declined to play rather sheepishly. When the Prince came to Emilio, however, my brother looked him steadily in the eye and agreed to meet his wager.
“There was great excitement as the young men formed a circle around the two players. The Prince permitted Emilio to make the first roll. He confidently shook the pair of dice and rolled them. He drew a four and a six, to the relief of his friends. Their attention riveted on the Prince. Would he have to hand his father’s estate over to Emilio? For surely he could not hope to better Emilio’s throw!
“The Prince took the dice in a languid manner, as though the outcome was of little concern to him. He smiled as casually as a lazy cat at Emilio then rolled the dice. He was rewarded with a five and a six.
“All gasped and Emilio paled as he comprehended what he had done. He blinked his eyes, and staggered to his feet. The Prince rose with him.
“‘I have won,’ he announced. ‘You may give me the key to your father’s estate for my immediate possession.’ ”
“Emilio attempted to pass off the wager lightly.
“‘My lord,’ he laughed weakly, ‘I thought you made the wager in jest. I would not bet my father’s estate in earnest. Come, we have had our joke; let us shake hands and be done with it.’ ”
“The Prince did not move nor did his face change expression.
“‘The key to your father’s estate, please,’ he repeated. ‘I did not jest, and you will pay the wager.’ ”
“Emilio stood as if frozen on the spot. He attempted to speak, then suddenly ran from the presence of the prince.
“‘After him!’ the Prince shouted. ‘I will not be defrauded! Who is this blackguard who breaks his word?’ ”
“Emilio’s name was given to the Prince. But the pursuit was in vain. Emilio fled and was never seen by any of his friends again. Nor did he risk a return to his home.
“The first inkling of trouble came when an armed contingent arrived at our estate. The Prince rode at the head of it, and he announced that the estate was now in his possessi
on and we must vacate the premises at once.
“My father demanded to know the meaning of such an outrage. The Prince related that he had won the estate from his own son Emilio, and we were to surrender it to him. My mother and sister had joined us by now and added their cries of disbelief.
“My father refused to surrender the estate and ordered the Prince off his land. The Prince was at last angered by the defiance and gave one last warning to my father.
“‘My land!’ he insisted. ‘For it was your own son who lost the wager and gave it to me. I command you to leave at once!’ ”
“‘And I order you to get off my land,’ my father stated calmly in his most dignified manner.
“The Prince looked from my father to the head of his Guard.
“‘Kill him,’ ” he uttered in a voice that dripped with ice.
“And before anyone could utter a word of protest, a solder ran my father through with a sword. My mother screamed and threw herself over his body. Then she lunged at the soldier who killed my father, and he slew her as well.
“My sister and I clung together and sobbed in dismay, but to our horror they came for us. But they did not kill us. Oh no, they had a worse fate in store for us.
“The Prince sauntered over to where we stood and leered at us. He drew us out from the shelter of our porch, and then in front of his entire Guard he raped us, having one of us held while he violated the other. My sister begged for mercy, but I did not beg. I despised the Prince for the dog he was, a man without honor, without decency.
“My sister was of a sensitive nature, and the evil of the day was too much for her to bear. After the Prince had his way with her, she snatched a dagger from his weapons belt and plunged it into her heart. Even as I looked on in shock, I told myself that she had taken the life of the wrong person. I would have plunged the dagger into the Prince’s heart and thereby avenged my parents.
“When it was over, I alone of my family was left. The Prince left men to occupy our home while he prepared to go abroad. He took me with him, and forced me to endure more of his brutality, and my hatred of him grew with the passing of every day. How I longed for the chance to rid myself of him, and to avenge my family!
“We journeyed for six months and traveled in lands that I had never dreamed of. I saw magicians and other strangers who practiced the dark arts. They were employed by the rulers in whose palaces we stayed. They were honored and considered prized entertainers, performing nightly at banquets and feasts. In these lands I also saw women treated like horses whose only value was to breed offspring. They had no merit that was recognized.
“At last the day came when the Prince said he must return home. He said his wife was of a jealous nature so I could not accompany him. My heart sang at the thought of freedom, but alas, I was not to be granted it.
“We passed through the land where the Prince lived and ruled. He put me up for auction on the slave market. I was glad in the knowledge I would soon be free of him, yet terrified that a worse fate might befall me.
“The day of the auction came: there were many men looking for slaves, some of them leered at me and patted my flesh before the bidding began. But there was one man with a kind face who asked my history. When I related my background, he decided I would be a valuable household servant. The man was Pascal.
“During the auction many men bid for me, many of them those who had ogled me. But Pascal kept bidding higher until at last no one matched his price. I was released from the Prince and sold to Pascal. That was more than two years ago.
“And that,” Elena stated in a voice dripping with irony as she tossed her black hair, “is how I came to be a slave in the house of Pascal.”
Chapter XXXII
Arrival In Valerium
The port lay before them. The sea had narrowed into the river channel that flowed through the heart of the city of Potentus, the magnificent capital of the Valeriun Empire. Stone bridges with carved arches spanned the waters. Sailors from passing boats called greetings to one another. The larger ships satisfied themselves with ringing bells as they entered the harbor. Passersby leaned from the bridges overhead to salute the sailors on their safe returns from their journeys; for every voyage was fraught with danger from storms or pirates, and Valerium honored those who fearlessly risked their lives to bring back goods and merchandise to its citizens.
No glad welcome awaited the little band of pilgrims, for their mission had been secret. Only the parents of Felix and Marcus knew of their setting out; none knew of their return.
For Marcus it was a strange homecoming. So much had befallen him on his journey that he knew he was changed. The joy of those greeting returning travelers only served to deepen the sense of loneliness he carried within him. For those he loved best in all the world were not here to greet him; his parents imprisoned, and his own love spurned by Tullia. How did they fare now, he wondered? Were his parents in good health after their long imprisonment? And Tullia, did she regret her answer to Marcus? Or had she already pledged herself to Decimus?
They had entered the harbor, and having docked their small boat at the pier, proceeded to make their way to the house of Felix. What an odd procession they must have seemed, thought Marcus, as they walked through the streets of the city: Felix and himself two tall, patrician Valerians clad in the fashion of the city, followed by the graceful Kyrene in the modest attire of a tradesman’s daughter, the exotic former slave girl Elena with her bowed head, one small boy bouncing in his excitement, and the mighty Dag in his rough homespun clothing towering over the others as he brought up the rear.
Through the city they strolled, but took no time to satisfy the curiosity of their foreign friends by exploring the great city. For Marcus wanted to arrive safely at the home of Felix before the Empress learned of their return through a chance encounter with an acquaintance. He must prepare himself to tell her that he had failed in the task she had set him, the task on which his own life and the imprisonment of his parents hung in the balance.
They were warmly greeted by Justus and Silvia, Felix’s father and mother. Justus calmly greeted his son with the typical detachment of a man of Valerium, as if he had seen him just the other day. He contented himself with giving his son a warm handclasp and slapping Felix on the shoulder. Felix returned the handclasp and the slap as one man to another.
But Silvia, a petite and pretty matron from whom Felix inherited his auburn curls and rich brown eyes, forsook the usual Valerian reserve and clasped her son to her bosom as though he had just returned from the dead. For several minutes she clung to him and cried over him, until at last Felix, in an agony of embarrassment, begged her to please let him go. She laughed apologetically and composed herself.
They then turned to Marcus, who was quickly caught up in a tender embrace by Silvia, who patted his cheeks as she took his face in her hands. The gesture reminded Marcus of his own mother and tears sprang to his eyes, only to be just as quickly repressed.
Justus noted his embarrassment and gave him the same handclasp he had given his own son, and said how good it was to see them both again.
Marcus turned to their companions and introduced them one by one. The eyes of Justus and Silvia widened as they took in the young people and their unusual garb, but Justus bade them welcome and offered them the hospitality of his home.
Kyrene demurred politely and said they would lodge at an inn, but Justus dismissed the notion.
“Come, you shall stay here, as long as you like. For my house is large enough to accommodate many, and you are friends of my son and strangers in a strange land.”
The hospitality was gladly received, for truth to tell, the Trekur Lenders were a little overwhelmed by the sight of the Imperial capital. True, they had explored the cultivated Lycenium and the fabulously wealthy Koohyaram, but there was an impersonal coldness to Potentus that intimidated them.
Silvia bade them to go to their rooms and rest, which found no cry of protest from the weary band. Each was given a room of
their own in a quiet wing of the palatial villa.
After Marcus stowed his bundle containing his belongings in a cupboard, he divested himself of his travel-stained clothes and dropped into a bed under a roof for the first time since their departure from Gaudereaux nearly two months before.
How heavenly, he sighed as he sank into the bedclothes. It was his last conscious thought before sleep took him.
Chapter XXXIII
News From Afar
Marcus slept through the day. He was roused from his slumber at last by a slave who informed him that it would soon be time for the evening meal, and his mistress was certain he would be hungry.
Marcus thanked him and roused himself at last. He made his way to a small table containing a pitcher of water and a basin. He splashed water over his face and neck, and ran a comb made of whale bone through his luxurious mane of thick dark waves. He rummaged the cupboard for a suitable robe, and donned it quickly.
Seeing no sign of his friends in the corridor, he descended the broad staircase of ivory marble to the atrium below. He stood for a moment basking in the last rays of sunlight streaming through the roof opening, then sauntered to the dining hall which was located down a corridor from the atrium.
Here, geniality and an air of welcoming awaited him. Marcus had always loved this room. The same ivory marble was repeated through the house, but the floor mosaic contained tiles of amber and gold that warmed the effect. The long tables of dark green agate were unusual items of furniture in a city where most dining tables were made of white or black marble. But Silvia had seen the tables in Lycenium and at once fell in love with them. She added plump cushions of bronze silk to the tables’ accompanying couches, and hung moss green draperies against the ivory walls.
The overall effect was inviting in its sylvan coziness. It was a room that contrasted starkly with other Valerian homes, where the predominant colors were black or white marble with red or blue accents.