Diplomat

by Robin Roseau

  She paused then nodded. “All right. Beyond ensuring you remain ambassador, I very much want you a full member of Ressaline society. Also, by our current laws, you may not own permanent slaves. That’s something I want to speak to Queen Lisdee about, but not via dispatches. The more you are seen to completely embrace our culture, the easier that conversation will be.”

  “I don’t need slaves, Olivia,” I said. “I have staff, once you give them back.”

  “That’s a conversation for the future,” she said. “For now, I intend to continue to enjoy your company. I intend to work on Ressaline’s economy. My one woman at a time plan is a significant part of that. I intend to use a close relationship with Flarvor to leverage similar relationships with our other neighbors. But remember through all this: we are friends. Regardless of the rest of this, I would want you here.”

  “All right. Thank you for explaining.” I grinned. “So more of the same?”

  “Yes. I should go.” She released her arm about my waist, but then she stopped and turned. “Allium, does Flarvor work all the available land?”

  “Farming? I don’t know how to answer that. You’ve seen. We have forests. They’re necessary, though.”

  “Do you have abandoned farms?”

  “Oh. Probably here and there, but if a farm stays abandoned for more than a year or three, there’s probably a good reason.”

  “Such as?”

  “Particularly poor land. Or maybe the land floods more than anyone wants to tolerate. In a few places, the water is poor or the land is otherwise too dry.”

  “So a farm would remain abandoned because there are good reasons to leave it that way.”

  “Right.”

  She turned, looking down the street in the direction our carriage had gone. She turned back. “There is time for a dispatch to catch up.”

  “Yes?”

  “We have fallow farms,” she said.

  “Nine years ago, you evicted half the people of Charthan.”

  “About, yes. We’ve had movement from other parts of Ressaline into Charthan, some from Ressaline City, some from harsher land further north. No one who moved into Charthan knows very much about farming, but the women of Charthan do.”

  “Okay,” I said slowly.

  “We have land to spare,” she said. “I wonder if you have farmers to spare.”

  “Are you offering some sort of land trade?”

  “No. I am perhaps offering economic opportunity for some individuals of Flarvor.”

  “Did you just think of this?”

  “Yes. I don’t know what shape such an agreement would take.”

  “Women only, I presume, and they would need to undergo their first time.”

  “Yes,” she said. “I am unwilling to sell land unless she becomes a subject of Queen Lisdee.

  “At which point she could readily find herself another slave, and I don’t think you want more slaves.”

  “If that happens, I’m not going to complain, but that’s not what I’m trying to plan.”

  “So you are offering to let Flarvorian farmers into Ressaline as sharecroppers.”

  “I don’t know that word.”

  “Tenant farming?” I suggested. She shrugged. “Most farms in Flarvor are owned by the family who works the land, but in some cases, there is an absent landowner, and he leases the land to the people who will work it.”

  “Tell me more about that,” she said.

  “I’m not an expert. The farmer pays the lease either in cash or with a portion of the crops produced. There can be a variety of arrangements depending upon… Golly, I don’t know. I suppose who owns the equipment and draft animals. I don’t know much about this, Olivia.”

  “Well, yes, that is what I am offering. Is Flarvor interested?”

  “How many farms are we talking about?”

  “I don’t know. A third of the farmland lies fallow, either because the entire farm is now abandoned, or because there isn’t enough labor to work the entire farm. Of the land being worked, I have one citizen overseeing anywhere from one to as many as five farms.”

  “That’s sparse.”

  “Primarily they manage the slaves,” she said. “Farming slaves don't need the sort of attention you’ve seen here, but they still need attention from their owners or they become deeply depressed.”

  “Work suffers?”

  “They suffer,” she said. “Our entire society works because of the care we give the women who become slaves.”

  I nodded. “So that puts a limit on the number one woman can own?”

  “Yes,” she said. “And the number is lower for people who are otherwise spread thinly. This is one reason I keep fewer than a lot of women. Claary has been struggling with this, but she solves it differently than most.”

  “Oh?”

  “She dresses most of her slaves with red piping and encourages them to enjoy each other.”

  I laughed. “Ah. So they get attention through surrogates.”

  “Just so,” Olivia agreed. “The ability to apply two colors is uncommon. So. Tenant farming.”

  “I am almost certain there would be some interest,” I said carefully. “But this is complicated, and I’m not an expert. I don’t know if there would be official attention or only that of individuals. Does that matter to you?”

  “Probably not, but I would prefer to involve King Leander, if he wishes to be involved.”

  I nodded. “I’ll draft something quickly and catch up to the carriage myself.”

  “I’ll saddle your horse for you.”

  “I’ll just be a few minutes.” I ran into the embassy and to my desk. I wrote a quick note, apologizing for the informality, but briefly explained the situation to the king and asked him to advise me. I quickly sealed an envelope and then ran back outside. Olivia had my horse. I gave her a quick peck and said I’d see her for dinner.

  It took fifteen minutes to catch up to the carriage. Bridgie was driving with the other five inside. She brought the carriage to a stop, and I moved closer, holding the envelope to her. “For the king,” I said.

  “I’d prefer it be sealed properly.”

  “I didn’t have time,” I said. “I can give it to Valsine instead.”

  “No, this is fine,” she said. “Are the contents secret? Could you tell Valsine?”

  “Of course. Valsine, could you poke your head out?”

  A moment later, her head appeared, hanging out the window. “Did you miss us already?”

  “Terribly,” I replied. “Valsine, I have just given a letter for the king to Ms. Tourmaline. Olivia asked me if there would be any Flarvorian women who may wish to become tenant farmers in Ressaline. They have significant opportunity here.”

  “And you’re telling me? I don’t want to get near a plow. I may be new and improved, but you don’t think I’m going to actually work for a living, do you?”

  I laughed. “The letter is not in a diplomatic pouch, and Ms. Tourmaline asked for a witness as substitute.”

  “Oh. Sure. Ambassador Cuprite kicked us out of the embassy, and we haven’t seen her since.”

  I laughed. “Perfect,” I replied. “Ms. Tourmaline, I’ll see you in a few weeks. Ms. Sapphire, I imagine we’ll meet again.”

  “Count on it.”

  * * * *

  Dinner was lovely. Olivia invited several guests, including Bess, Claary, Gigi, Lassa, Li-li, and a few other women. It was over dinner that Bee said, “Allium, I wish to offer a practice challenge.”

  “Do you?” I asked. “What duration do you propose.”

  “A week.”

  “All right, if we can agree on an event.”

  She smiled broadly.

  Li-li whispered to Lassa, who said, “Bess, Li-li would like to challenge you.”

  “Oh?” Bess said. “For a week?”

  “She doesn’t want a handicap, so we’re asking for odds instead. If you win, then you return her in the morning, two days hence.”

  “And
if she wins?”

  “A week.”

  Bess laughed. “Three days.”

  Lassa and Li-li whispered to each other for a minute, and then Li-li said, “Then I get to pick the event.”

  Bess considered. “What color would you make me?”

  “Blue,” Lassa said.

  “And I’d work in your bakery?” Lassa nodded.

  Bess didn’t look convinced. Claary watched all this and then said, “Lassa, I can convince her to give you a week if you win.”

  “You can, hmm?”

  “I can,” Claary said.

  “I doubt it,” Mellta said.

  Claary turned to her. “Care to put your body where your mouth is?”

  Mellta shook out her head. “Sure.”

  “Assuming Lassa lets me negotiate for her, if Bess agrees to my proposal, then you accept my challenge, three days, and I pick the event.”

  “And if she declines, I pick?”

  “From standard events,” Claary confirmed. “Yes. But you don’t turn around and bribe Bess, or you’re in default.”

  Mellta laughed. “Agreed.”

  “Okay, Claary,” Lassa said. “Am I going to be unhappy with your bribe to Bess?”

  “If you are, then I concede my wager with Mellta. No bribing her, either, Mellta.” The woman laughed, and Lassa agreed.

  Claary turned to Bess. “If you agree to a week and lose, Lassa will make you blue, but I’ll add red, and you’ll spend your nights in their bed. You’ll let Li-li pick the event, but it must be fair.”

  “Oh,” Bess said. She collected her hands to her chest. “Olivia, our Claary is all grown up. She’s encouraging her own sister to engage in hedonistic pleasures. Agreed. Lassa?”

  In her joy, Li-li began clapping encouragement, and Lassa immediately agreed.

  In the resulting events, Mellta and Claary’s began with a physical challenge, similar to my first arena event with Dee, but in Olivia’s home. Claary easily subdued Mellta, and then rather than a two-ended device, she used a single-ended one. Dee whispered to me that some women would still get lost while taking their slave, but not someone with real experience. Mellta fell to Claary, and she looked amazing in red resin with swirls of orange.

  Li-li defined an entirely different event. It was touch and go for both of them, but ultimately, with Li-li straddling her lap, Bess called out her name. Her resin was all blue, but once she had recovered, Claary stepped over and swirled the resin, adding red. The blue and red didn’t necessarily go well, I thought, but Bess didn’t seem to mind. Li-li, of course, clapped happily before ordering Bess to kneel to her.

  Bee and I negotiated. I tried to duplicate Claary’s event with Mellta. She put on the most hurt expression, and I crumbled instantly. I didn’t entirely allow her to dictate the event, but she mostly got her way. I didn’t mind at all, and while I did my best, she beat me easily and took me very, very deeply besides.

  I spent a week belonging to her, and I loved every minute.

  * * * *

  Three of us cuddled after they freed me. I was still blissed from what we’d done, although I felt the loss at the same time. It wasn’t bad, though, and when I asked for affection, I received it. But then Dee said, “Allium, you can’t let your opponent dictate the event.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “You barely negotiated. You let Bee direct you away from any of your strengths.”

  “Dee, I didn’t come here last week to win.”

  “We agreed that’s what I’m teaching you. Allium, the event doesn’t start when Olivia says ‘Begin’. It starts the moment you begin to negotiate. The negotiations are at least as important as the event.”

  I looked at her for a minute. “I can’t say ‘No’ to either of you, Dee.”

  “Do you think we can say ‘No’ to you?” she countered.

  “Dee, I can’t take either of you from Olivia.”

  “It’s temporary.”

  “I don’t care. Maybe for a single night I could take one of you back to the embassy, but I bet Olivia would rather I stayed here with you.” I looked to her. “Wouldn’t you?”

  “It would be your choice, Allium. You would be welcome to stay here.”

  “Do you really want me winning Bee for a week and taking her back to the embassy?”

  “Not particularly.”

  “Dee, do you want to be separated from your sister for a week?”

  “That’s not the point.”

  “I came here to lose,” I said. “I fully engaged in the event.”

  “No, you half engaged,” she said. “Because you didn’t negotiate properly.”

  “Fine. I let Bee play away from my strengths.”

  “She pouted, and you gave her whatever she wanted. Do you think either of us doesn’t know that works?” I snorted, but didn’t otherwise comment. “Don’t you want to win?”

  “I’d like to get better,” I said. “I think I’d be proud if I were to win honestly. I think I would enjoy what came afterwards. But if my choice is to win and take one of you home or lose and stay here, I’d rather lose.”

  “From now on, you have to play to win, from the beginning, or Lady Olivia won’t let us continue to play.”

  I snapped my gaze to the duchess. She gazed at me calmly. “I’m overwhelmed by my position,” I said. “I don’t think that’s going to disappear for a long time.”

  “I can understand that,” Olivia said. “I feel that way often, too.”

  “And that means there are going to be times I tell you what I told you a week ago, that I want to lose, and I want to be taken hard. And now you’re telling me that’s wrong?”

  Olivia looked into my eyes. “If I believe you are doing your best most of the time, I will allow you to occasionally express a desire to lose.”

  “If I come here looking like I was just kicked by a horse and challenge one of you, it’s with the intention of losing. I shouldn’t have to spell it out. You’ll know.”

  “All right,” she said. “But you’re going to listen to what Dee is telling you.”

  “Fine,” I said.

  “The competition starts when negotiation starts,” Dee said. “Or sometimes even sooner. When you come here, and we begin showing you attention, we’re wearing your resistance down. And it works, too.”

  “Is that why you do it?”

  “No,” she said. “We do it because that’s who we are. You’ve seen us with Claary and a few others. We’re not any different. And we give you the sort of attention we give Olivia, and she doesn’t do challenges with us.”

  “I understand,” I said. “And I’m honored.”

  “We tease you,” she said. “You need to tease back, if you intend a challenge. And you need to win the negotiations. If you can’t out-negotiate us, how are you going to do with a citizen?”

  “I understand, Dee. Thank you for helping me learn.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  I turned to Bee. “I loved belonging to you.”

  She grinned. “Overnight is fun, but a week is a lot better.”

  “I agree,” I said. “But I think I should go.”

  “Soon,” she said. She shifted around, throwing a leg over mine and pressing me back to the bed. “Tell me you love me.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  There were six of us in Jessla’s courtroom: Olivia, Jessla, Claary, Bee and Dee, and me. There were two small tables pulled together, directly in front of Jessla’s bench, and all of us were seated, with Olivia at one end and me at the other.

  On the table in front of Olivia sat a small glass bottle. And I’d been staring at it. Finally, I looked up at Olivia. “Why is Claary here?”

  “She can leave if you prefer,” Olivia said. “She’s experienced this tonic. I thought you might have questions.”

  I shifted my gaze. “Were you accused of a crime?”

  “No,” she said. “You’re doing this for one reason. I accepted it for an entirely different reason.” She explained a
bout the council. “Olivia told me either I see for myself or she was done letting me argue with her.”

  I snorted. “And?”

  “Clearly I took it. I also accepted it to calm me down for my first time.”

  I shifted my gaze back to Olivia. “You didn’t do that to me for my first.”

  “We do it when someone is scared, and we’re not giving them a choice. You had a choice, but I did tell you I could help you stop being scared.”

  “Instead, Bee, Dee, and Lisolte calmed me down.” I shifted my gaze back to Claary. “With a little distraction from you.” She inclined her head. I gestured to the tonic. “Is doing this a mistake?”

  “While you’re under its effects, it’s a lot like being enslaved, although different at the same time. It’s quite pleasant, but far less intense.” Then she made a face. “Afterwards is unpleasant. Olivia, are you using the same amount you used on me?”

  “Yes.”

  I looked across into Olivia’s eyes. “I’m here for different reasons than Claary.” She inclined her head. “There are basic scenarios. The first is a woman found on the wrong side of the border.”

  “That need is dramatically reduced since our agreement.”

  “True,” I said. “But I bet not erased.”

  “Perhaps not, but I don’t anticipate a real issue.”

  “Still. You catch a woman twenty miles inside Ressaline. What happens? Can you walk me through the process? She’s walking along the road.”

  “Or riding,” Olivia clarified. “Most of my duchy is agrarian.”

  “She’s not going to get all the way to Charth.”

  “No. She’s walking somewhere, or riding, or perhaps sitting down in an inn.”

  “Right.”

  “The point is, everyone knows everyone.”

  “She stands out.”

  “Furthermore,” Olivia said. “She is almost certainly not wearing leather.”

  “She stands out twice over.”

  “Now, there’s no law that we have to wear leather, and she could be a subject, but not yet a citizen. Not wearing leather is no proof she’s from Flarvor.”

  “But the people who see her don’t recognize her.”

  “And so they investigate. Someone approaches her.”

  “Hi,” I said. “Nice day.”