She chuckled before deciding to redirect the flow of conversation. “Curiosity inspires me to inquire something of you before I embark on this journey.”
Vasiliki Akantha chuckled. “I do not believe you allow your curiosity to go unsatisfied. Ask your question.”
“Has the love between you and the king dwindled due to your lack of conceiving an heir?”
The question burnt in her throat just as grief smoldered in the queen’s eyes. The silence stretched on. Kyra allowed the older woman the time she needed. Finally, after a deep breath and answered, “It would have been a mercy had that been true. However, I will be truthful and admit there was no love to begin with. At least, the love was not reciprocated. My heartstrings longed for my love to be returned even a small measure, but I believe my husband’s heart was already given prior to our wedding.”
Kyra felt great sympathy for the heartbroken woman. It must be daily torture calling a man “husband” knowing he would offer no more than his name and wealth in return. That alone was a cold bedmate. She whispered, “Why? Why then would he marry, if not for love?”
Tears glimmered in the older woman’s eyes as she replied, “Honor. Duty. Prestige. Take your pick. I come from a wealthy, long line of royalty. For all I know this unknown female that holds his heart captive could be a common serf, forbidden fruit to a king. But I had held hope in the bearing of our first child, praying at least some love could be spared at least in that quarter.” Her voice broke in frustration. “Unfortunately I lack even that. The Gods have not seen fit to bestow me with a product of my one-sided love. Were I to lose all hope, I would surmise the blessing of a child only being granted to couples who both possess the gift of love from each other. The Gods have not been merciful.”
Kyra raised herself from the bed. She scooted off the high kline and made her way silently to her dresser. After sifting through the mess the slave girls had left in their haste to retreat due to her frustrated shouts for them to leave, she returned with an object in her cupped hands. She extended the object to the grieving woman. “I was late in arriving for the banquet as I was wandering through the orchards. This is the biggest, juiciest pomegranate I was able to find in the fading light. Offer it to the Goddess of Fertility when next you return to the temple, and remember your advice to me. I kardia’ akolouthei’ kane’nas kano’nas. The heart follows no rule. If the heart is meant to follow suit, then nothing shall halt their joining.”
She smiled in encouragement as the queen slipped quietly out of her room. Her thoughts turned once again to the adventure awaiting her in the morning. She wondered if the queen had been correct in her assessment. Was she attracted to Eris because he posed more of a challenge? She grumbled in indecision and turned onto her stomach. If she was to get any sleep this night, she should take some of her own advice. If indeed their hearts were meant to join, they would. Spending the night tossing and turning, seeking answers, would not solve her dilemma. She closed her eyes and allowed the slumber to overcome her. Her lips tilted slightly as her dreams carried her away and Eris appeared in the distance, welcoming her.
Chapter 5:
SAGA Pe’nte
The heat would have been unbearable had Eris not had the foresight to gift Kyra with two soldiers on either side of her horse, bearing shelter from the sun’s striking rays. She smiled her thanks at them as they held the overlapping construction, the cool cotton above curtaining her. She suspected her escorts had a dual purpose. She had caught Eris in the process of addressing them this morning as she had alighted from the palace doorway. While she had been out of earshot, his hand gestures were not difficult to interpret. He had placed them at her sides for both protection from the sun and protection from any enemies. She had smothered her laugh. He appeared so dramatic, she was sure he issued explicit warnings. Judging by their constant presence, he had been successful in drilling his instruction into them.
Kyra peered behind her. The number that escorted them was far less then she had anticipated. Added to the warriors on horseback, there were also a number of slaves. They rode as well, but each controlled a second beast, laden with their provisions. Kyra blushed slightly as she realized that five of those beasts bore the load of her clothes alone. The queen had been overly generous, and she had been overly accepting. She could not bear to exclude any one of the garments that had been forwarded to her from the queen. Kyra turned her attention to the army once again. They remained alert and ever vigilant. Unlike the slaves, who chattered and laughed constantly, they remained quiet, always focused on the distant horizon. Kyra huffed. There would be no entertainment in that quarter. Her eyes scoured the multitude of slaves. Eris had included a single female slave for her company. She quickly halted her horse and bid the young girl forward.
“Do you wish something, Lady Kyra? Perhaps some cooling water or a snack to chew on?” the young girl inquired as she approached Kyra.
Kyra smiled. “I lack nothing but company. Ride beside me and allow me some diversion. Come. You may ride closer. There is shade enough for two.”
The girl hung back in uncertainty at first but, upon seeing no reaction from the warriors at the sides, obeyed.
“You look truly wilted from the striking sun. Do not be afraid. I am sure Eris would not find fault with you riding within the shelter of my shade. You are, after all, a mere girl, not a hardened warrior or toughened slave man.” Kyra waited, but the girl remained silent. She frowned. She had been thankful Eris had not been presumptuous in obtaining a mute slave girl, but this girl seemed stoically silent nonetheless. “What is your name?”
Finally, after a long silence, the answer came. “Clarisse, my lady.” Thankfully that proved to be the opening of a flood gate. The girl began to chirp about nonsensical things, as Kyra had expected from such a young, enthusiastic girl. She proved to be a fountain of knowledge as well. Her tales were bright and engaging. Soon the hours began to fly by.
The hair at her nape prickled. Kyra looked up and straight into the eyes of Eris, who rode the lead of the party. He seemed to be assessing the company she had commanded to her side. Finally after a short deliberation, he seemed to dismiss any argument and once again faced the horizon.
Kyra leaned toward Clarisse and whispered, “What diverting tales have you to share about Eris?”
The girl quickly glanced at the men riding at their sides and shook her head. “I have nothing of note to say.”
Kyra nodded in understanding. Eris commanded the respect and loyalty of his men. The girl would not utter a word about him within their presence. She made a mental note to inquire when they were in private. The thought brought on a fluttering of uncertainty to her belly. She was not sure if she would be awarded privacy. During the day, her guards would surely be a constant shadow, literally speaking, but at night… This was where her mind began to race.
She glanced up and noticed Eris sending a man ahead of them. Curiosity stirred within her. She turned quickly to Clarisse and spoke in a loud voice for the benefit of her escorts, “Stay here, within the shade, until I return.”
The guards turned toward her, and she quickly added, “I shall ride a while with Eris, up front.”
Without awaiting their approval, she dug her heels in and vaulted forward. She refused to slow her steed until she reached his side.
* * * *
Eris turned on her with an impatient scowl. “I provide shade for your cooling, yet you prefer to ride here, exposing yourself to the blistering heat.” He tossed a scalding glance at the soldiers she had left in her wake. His instruction had been clear enough. Shadow her every move. Allow anything to happen to her and they would pay with their lives. Yet here she was traipsing alone, without a care for her own safety.
Kyra tossed her long hair, suspended in a tight ponytail, over her shoulders. The simple emerald ribbon headband made her eyes flash more green then gray. “I prefer to ride where it pleases me.”
Eris grunted his disapproval and returned his attention once again
to the far horizon. Kyra’s disgruntled quick click of her tongue showed her opinion on the matter clearly. She did not like being ignored. She inquired in a bright voice, “Where have you sent your man?”
Eris looked at her in surprise. He glanced back and noticed the threesome she had evaded in the far distance. “You miss little, curious Kyra.” He sighed as she remained silent, awaiting his answer. Finally he explained, for no other reason than to appease her curiosity with the hopes that she would once again return to her place in the shade, “I have sent a man in seek the nearest village or dwelling. He is to procure shelter for the night. Every evening, when the sun is approximately at that angle”—he pointed to the orange ball in the lower sky—“I shall send a man to seek shelter for the night.”
Kyra nodded. “But are you not familiar with the lay of the land? How would you not know where the nearest dwelling lay?”
Frowning, Eris stared ahead as he replied through clenched teeth, “I know the lay of the land judged by the speed of my horse, not the speed of an entire entourage.”
Kyra gasped, obviously affronted. “You should have considered my apparent slowness before insisting on my inclusion on this journey.”
Eris stared at her hard. Before he could comment, she inquired, “And what will we do if your man is unable to find accommodation before nightfall?”
He blinked at the speed at which she changed both conversation and her moods. He chose to ignore her earlier statement. He thought she rode quite superbly for a female. Her thighs gleamed pale and creamy in the sunlight, as they clutched the animal’s flanks. He took time to admire her bouncing breasts as the horse trotted beneath her, before looking away. No. He would not compliment her riding nor her appearance mounted astride the great beast. He would give her ego no more fodder than it already possessed. He answered her question curtly.
“Should we fail to procure suitable accommodation before nightfall, we shall set up tents and sleep beneath the stars, taking shifts at guarding the perimeters.”
He expected her to turn her nose up haughtily at the very idea of sleeping upon the ground, but to his surprise and reluctant admiration, she simply nodded. Before he could award her a compliment for her silent endurance, she stated offhandedly, “Whatever accommodation is afforded my aching rump is acceptable. I find the mounting upon this beast, the width in specific, not pleasing at all.”
With that curt statement, she wheeled her horse and raced back to her place. Eris could not hold back a retort. He threw it over his shoulders. “It would be my pleasure to reward your hardship with a more pleasing mounting and ride every night.”
Her responding laughter brought a smile to his lips. The image that followed, him mounting Kyra in every imaginable position, broadened his smile. She was a persistent and outspoken little imp, but between one haughty response and another, his body was powerless against the allure of her curves. He could happily endure her scalding tongue by day and placate his ravaged ears with her sweet moans and soft sighs by night. His cock stirred. He placed his hand beneath the chiton, the tunic reaching midthigh, and adjusted his swollen apparatus. He looked forward to appeasing his eager lance as soon as the stars lit the sky.
* * * *
The place they eventually rode into less than an exhausting hour later was not a great deal more luxuriant then lying upon the bare ground. In fact, by the looks they received as they passed idle vagrants lounging in the dark shadows, it appeared a whole lot less safe. To make matters worse, the sun had been speedy in its retreat, shrouding the place immediately in darkness. Kyra shivered and drew closer to the girl beside her as they approached the entrance of what appeared to be a rundown lodging house. A great portion of the structure before them seemed to have long since been destroyed, and it had never been repaired. Dark patches of mold clung to the outer walls, and overgrown weeds crept along the edges. She sat motionless in her seat as Eris dismounted. She could hear his low cursing beneath his breath. Looking around her anxiously, Kyra could feel many eyes watching her, hungry eyes. The girl beside her appeared to be just as uncomfortable.
Eris left his horse in the care of his commander in arms and approached the women. Clutching Kyra firmly around the waist he helped her dismount and whispered. “Keep your head low and remain silent.”
Kyra felt no compulsion to argue with him. She clung to her horse for support against her weak knees as he helped Clarisse down as well. Thankfully he noticed Kyra’s ungainly steps as she left the support of her mount. His hand darted out quickly to prevent her falling. As they proceeded with extreme caution up the unsteady stairs, Eris shouted out orders to his men. They were to house and see to the horses before seeing to their own accommodations. Kyra did not miss the fact that he said nothing of his accommodation.
Eris did not argue the price for a room. By the way he shadowed Kyra with his great height, it was apparent he was eager to get Kyra out of eyesight. Paying with a single gold coin, he procured a single room with an attached half chamber. He remained adamant in his choice of the room, against the suggestions made for a more comfortable abode. Kyra quickly noticed the room he finally settled on was situated at the corner. No rooms sandwiched it on either side. The keeper, a portly bald-headed man with more teeth missing than present, smiled way too much. Kyra surmised he had perhaps a great deal more missing from his head than just hair and teeth. She hurried into the dark room, and Clarisse followed quickly.
Eris entered only long enough to light the lamp attached to the wall from the torch he carried before inspecting the room thoroughly. He paused a moment at the window before drawing the dirty curtains shut. Thankfully, a cooling breeze still drifted through the dirt-stiffened material, dispensing of the lingered stench of damp and rot. “I will send up your bags, and more torches for lighting. I believe there is a bathing chamber available, but I would prefer you bathe in the sanctity of this chamber while I peruse those facilities in the interim. I shall have a tub sent up with hot water. Preferably, dining should also be restricted to these quarters.”
He reached into the inner folds of his apparel and pulled out a string. Attached at the end was a miniature hourglass. He handed the hourglass to Kyra. “Bathe and refresh yourself. I shall return within the hour, and we shall dine together.”
As he crossed the dirty floor toward the door, Kyra found her voice. “Where shall you bed this night?”
Eris turned back. A cheeky grin lifted the corner of his lips. “Right here, unless you possess the courage of sleeping alone tonight.”
Kyra’s eyes widened. “Here. I shall be fine with Clarisse. Will we not, Clarisse?”
He moved back into the chamber as the bags were hefted in by slaves. He waited until they had cleared the room before responding, “You may not be aware what this place is, but I know all too well. This is a village housing the outcasts and criminals, thieves and poachers. The first thing of value they would pursue would be the abduction of two young, fresh females. There is always a demand for fresh flesh in harems.” He eyed her from head to foot. “And you would fetch a small fortune.”
Kyra sputtered, “We could leave this place. I mind not the cold ground at my back this night.”
Eris shook his head. “It is too late for that. They would expect us to set up camp and seek it out. Fending ourselves there would be more difficult then here. We remain, but with caution.”
Kyra frowned but found no reasonable explanation to deny him access. He saw the indecision of her face and warned her, “This is no game, Kyra. The men out there are dangerous. They would stoop to anything in order to gain coin. And bear in mind more than one could be ambassadors of the immortal Cronus. I can protect you only if I am aware of your whereabouts and you remain within reach. Deliberately disregard my warning and I am useless to you. Do not venture out of this chamber.”
Finally Kyra slumped down on the bed. There was no denying he had scared her. Being a mistress to some man’s harem held little appeal for her. She nodded mutely.
&
nbsp; Eris grinned once again. “Allow no one entrance but me.”
His words resonated in her head as he strode out, shutting the door firmly behind him. It sounded very much like a double-edged sword. Kyra sighed. The emphasis he placed on himself did not go unnoticed. He was beginning to show signs of possessiveness. Kyra was not sure she liked it at all.
* * * *
Eris felt much better after a quick dip in the bathing chamber. The water had not been satisfyingly hot, but at least it had been clean. The wine he gulped down was of equally poor standard, watered down to almost clear in color. But despite all this he felt energized and excited.
He had clearly seen Kyra’s level of discomfort as they had entered the ramshackle site, despite the lack of adequate lighting. He had had an overpowering urge to plow his fist into the face of the scout he had sent out. Obviously the man had given little regard to the fact that among their cargo lay precious females. But on a positive note, he intended on using this unexpected turn of events to his advantage. And he was going to relish every moment of doing so.
He studied the closed door before him. The adjoining chamber would take care of the unwanted presence of the slave girl. Then he would have Kyra all to himself for the remainder of the night. His shaft swelled in anticipation as he heard the lock give way.
Clarisse moved back to her duties after she opened the door. Eris stood rooted to the spot. His voice left him, tight and strained. “Is the hourglass not in working order?”
Kyra sighed. “I believe it should be, however, I found no occasion to peruse it.” She half turned to glance at him over her shoulder. “The open door allows in unwelcome coolness.”
Eris shut the door quickly and leaned against it. He could not stop staring at the figure before him. Bright light shimmered off her nude body as she lay half submerged in the tub. Her back, slender and smooth, glistened with dewy droplets of moisture. Eris smiled. “I believe, be my life short or long, this is an image I shall not be easily forget.”
Tangles and Temptation Page 11