by Ines Johnson
“Follow me.”
Emet followed the man inside, but the male stopped at the entrance to an arched doorway. Emet heard the sound of muffled voices coming from within.
“I never believed it was possible that a man could best any of the women in this household,” said the servant. A small smile played at his lips, but it was as though his facial muscles were too weary to hold the expression. He looked away and raised a hand for Emet to proceed him, and then he quickly disappeared down the hall.
Emet reached for the knob and turned. The scene inside the door stopped him from crossing the threshold, but the room’s occupants sprung apart at the creak of the door hinges. Lady Angyla grabbed at the loose bodice of her dress, her face a riot of shock, indignation, and guilt. Sister Roslyn’s pale face turned three shades past red as she scrambled out of the chaise lounge and righted her dress.
“Thank you for your time, Lady Angyla.” Sister Roslyn’s voice was the high pitch of a petulant child caught where they were not supposed to be. “I’m sure you know you must follow the appropriate protocols and take this matter before the entire council. I must return to the chambers now.”
Sister Roslyn dashed past Emet without glancing at him. Emet stood frozen in the doorway, pinned there by Lady Angyla’s death glare.
“How dare you barge into my house. I’ll have you arrested. I’ll call the Peace Keepers now.”
The threat landed hollow on Emet’s ears. He regarded the woman. Her eyes were so much like Alyss’, so much like little Dayna’s. Whenever he’d chanced a glance at Lady Angyla over the past few days, the edges of her eyes had always appeared hardened, like a gold nugget. But now there was a liquid fire inside them. Emet caught the last vestiges of a deep yearning burning inside of her, a yearning she was quickly covering up and solidifying with ire.
“I’m sorry, my lady. I’m sorry to intrude on your private moment-"
“You saw nothing.” The liquid flame vanished and solidified into metallic ice.
“That’s not true.” Emet’s voice was gentle, compassionate. “I saw something you need not hide. Something you need not keep in a quiet, dark corner.”
“If you think to black mail me-”
“I thought no such thing. You’re free to express what’s in your soul. Its not my place to quiet your desires, or to make them public.”
Her eyes were flint ready to strike. Emet saw she didn’t believe a word he’d said.
“All I want is Alyss.”
Lady Angyla’s eyes caught fire at the mention of her daughter’s name. “Alyss doesn’t live here any more.”
“But she left with you, this morning.”
“No. She did not.”
Emet looked around the room, up at the ceilings, as though he could find Alyss through the concrete. If she wasn’t here, where was she?
Chapter Twenty
Alyss surveyed the sparse wardrobe before her. Her clothing choices were limited. Art supplies took up over half the closet; blocks of clay, an assortment of brushes, and vials of paint for every color in the spectrum. Alyss felt like a kid let loose in a ripe berry patch.
“Alyss does this bow go with this top?”
Alyss turned to peer at Eryka. The young woman stood before a full length mirror dressed in a pale blue top that matched her eyes. She held a dark blue bow next to her flaxen hair.
Eryka had let Alyss into her home a few hours ago. Her home was a studio flat. Her bed was in a corner. A small kitchenette sat in the west of the apartment. And on the east side, where the sunlight was best, there was an urn and paints. Eryka’s pottery lined the wall on full display, in the prime light of the room.
Alyss turned away from the art nook and picked up a gold bow that matched the highlights of Eryka’s hair. She placed the bow in her friend’s hair explaining the selection. Eryka smiled at her reflection. Alyss couldn’t remember the last time Eryka had cared about her wardrobe or her appearance.
“I have to head in now,” Eryka said. “Why don’t you come in with me?”
“I have no place in the Sisterhood any longer.” Alyss waited for the crushing weight of dashed dreams to settle on her shoulders. It never came. “I have absolutely no desire to return to the Chamber of Science and Health. I feel free. And lost at the same time.”
“What will you do?”
Alyss looked in the east corner of Eryka’s flat. Her hands ached to reach for the brush in a tin can. Then she realized, there was nothing stopping her.
“You’re welcome to stay here if you’d like.”
Eryka had struck off from her Mother’s home as soon as she’d turned the legal age of eighteen. She’d sold her pottery to pay for her flat until she became an apprentice in the Chamber of Arts and Culture. Contrary to Lady Milysa’s beliefs, Eryka had received offers from males looking to bond, but she’d declined each and every one. Alyss had always been in awe of her friend for her independence from her Mother’s support. Ladies without wealthy Mothers would rely on their bondmates to work and financially support them. Alyss had once asked Eryka why she hadn’t chosen that route. Eryka had told her that the only thing she’d give up her independence for was love. At the time, Alyss had thought Eryka ridiculous for willing to give it all up for something so trifle.
That was then.
“Would you help me bring in this piece? I’ve been restoring it for Sister Mychelle. I’ve had to work on it here at home because the law deems it obscene.”
The clay sculpture was of a woman, her breasts bare, her legs spread, and her head thrown back. It didn’t look obscene to Alyss, not after what she’d experienced last night with Adom, or the night before with Emet.
“It's not obscene, it's beautiful.”
“I agree with you,” said Eryka. “But it wouldn’t pass the Chamber of Worship’s tests of decency. First, it depicts a nude woman. And secondly it lacks any literary, political or scientific value. All that adds together to deem it offensive and we now have to hide it away in the basement of the Sisterhood compound. But that’s better than having it destroyed. It’s over a thousand years old.”
The Obscenity Regulations had never made sense to Alyss. Nude depictions were allowed in science textbooks, by not in any history books. There was only a handful of art classes in secondary school, and many of the depictions of nudity and sensuality were kept under lock and key.
Alyss helped Eryka carry the artwork down and into her conveyance. The sun was high in the sky dipping in and out of the clouds. A butterfly flitted into her periphery. Alyss watched as it landed on a purple violet. The butterfly’s black and orange wings contrasted lovely with the purple. Alyss ached to show Adom.
As soon as the thought came to her mind, she pushed it back down. It hadn’t been a full day, but she missed him terrible. Emet, too. A large part of her was angry and hurt they’d turned her away, but another part understood their decision. She knew that a relationship with the two males couldn’t be. Not with her Mother out for any reason to have them arrested. Though Alyss hated it, she knew they were right to send her away. She would bring them nothing but trouble. And she would not run back to her Mother. She would just need to take her friend’s hospitality until she found a way to support herself. In their matriarchal society wealth passed from Mother to daughter, and Alyss knew her Mother had no intention of supporting her choices.
With the painting loaded into Eryka’s conveyance, Alyss turned back to the door to the flat. She realized she no longer wanted to be alone, so she accompanied Eryka into the Sisterhood. She could spend the entire day inside the Chamber of Arts and Culture, taking her time, perusing the artwork there.
When they arrived at the Sisterhood, Alyss helped Eryka carry the covered piece down the hall to the Chamber of Arts and Culture. Since her last visit, the room had filled with even more wonders. There was a wooden sculpture of a woman clutching at a man’s thighs while his phallus impaled her mouth. There was a portrait of a man taking a woman from behind, her face thrown back
in ecstasy. Another photograph caught and held Alyss attention. It showed a woman bound to a cross, her hands tied in artful knots that Alyss knew all too well.
“It’s called Shibari.”
Alyss turned at the sound of Lady Mychelle’s voice.
“It's an ancient art form from one of the Asian lands, we think Japan. We knew it flourished in the 21st century and became part of a grouping of sensual art forms known collectively as BDSM, or bondage, domination, sadism and masochism. Most of the writings and depictions were destroyed after the Great Destruction as a part of the Purging. The art form died out as men lost any form of domination over women. This is one of the only photographs left.”
Alyss wanted to tell her that not all of the art form was lost. She rubbed her hands over the fading markations on her wrist.
“We’ve rescued all of this art.” Sister Mychelle swept her hands to encompass all the sensual depictions in the room. “It was heading for the incinerator. I’m petitioning to have a special license from the Chamber of History to show this work to the public before I have to place it in the dungeon under lock and key.”
“Its all too beautiful to hide,” said Alyss.
“I heard that you no longer have a position within the Chamber of Health and Sciences. I have to say I’m glad. It frees you up to come and work for me.”
“For you? Here?” Alyss looked around at all the art about to go under lock and key and not see the day of light. She’d only planned to spend the day here, not all of her days. She turned into the expectant face of Sister Mychelle. But before she could answer, she heard someone clear their throat. It was a deep clearing of the throat to indicate the presence of a man.
“I beg your pardon, my lady.” The Male Voice stood in the doorway. His eyes rested on Sister Mychelle, but they slipped over to Eryka who stood beside her.
Eryka ducked her head, but only slightly. Her eyes came to rest on the Male Voice and she didn’t turn away.
“Twice in one week Lord Willym.” Sister Mychelle smiled mischievously between the Male Voice and Eryka. This time Eryka blushed and look away. “What can we do for you?”
The Male Voice’s eyes settled on Eryka once more. “I had come looking for Lady Eryka’s help.”
Eryka smiled brightly. But then the Male Voice’s eyes turned from her and landed on Alyss.
“I had hoped Lady Eryka knew where I might find Lady Alyss.”
“Me?” Alyss said.
He nodded. “Yes, my lady. I was hoping you might know the whereabouts of one of my advocates; Emet.”
“I…no. No I don’t know where Emet is. Did you try his phone?”
The Male Voice nodded. “He’s not at home.”
“And his bondmate, Adom, doesn’t know where he is either?”
The Male Voice hesitated.
A feeling of dread climbed up Alyss’ spine. “If Adom’s not at home, he’s likely at the Jayne Austere Gallery. He has a showing-"
“Adom won’t be showing,” interrupted the Male Voice. “Perhaps we’d better talk in my offices.”
“It’s my Mother isn’t it? She’s had them both arrested.”
“Adom has been arrested. But I don’t think your Mother had anything to do with it. He’s been taken into custody for producing pornographic art.”
“What? No. None of his work is obscene.” Alyss looked to Sister Mychelle. “I’ve seen it all. It's all wonderful. It's-"
“There’s one piece that’s a depiction of you,” said the Male Voice. “As a butterfly. But you're posed in a…sexually suggestive way.”
“But Adom didn’t paint that.”
“He’s taken responsibility for it. If you know the true artist, my lady, you’d best unmask them. Otherwise, Adom will face life in prison for not only painting a lude picture, but a lude picture of an unbonded woman.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The confinement didn’t bother Adom. He had always lived in small, cramped places. First as a discard in the overcrowded shelters for boys. Then again as a monk in training sharing a room with his brothers Emet, Jaspir and Jian. So, no the small jail cell didn’t phase him.
Neither did the cold. He and Emet couldn’t afford to heat the entire storefront in the harsh winter months. They relied on each other’s body heat to keep warm during the cold winter nights. So, no the chill in the air didn’t trouble him.
It wasn’t even the monochrome walls that disturbed him. Adom’s imagination was too vivid to ever let monochrome bring him down. There were a myriad of cracks and water stains in the wall to call the wall drab. So, no the dullness of his conditions didn’t hassle him.
Adom shifted on the metal cot. He winced as the metal frame met with the metal handcuffs around his wrist. The cold, gray shackles bit into his skin drawing blood at the place it rubbed raw. For all his years of binding body parts, Adom had never drawn blood nor had he once elicited a grunt of pain from a participant. Unlike the dead steel, ropes were alive.
When he didn’t follow behind Lady Jayne to her bedroom, she’d stared him down and then reached for a phone. Adom didn’t budge from his position. He didn’t move when she pressed buttons. He didn’t break as she continued to try to seduce him up to her room up unto the time the Peace Keepers came to the gallery door. During all that time, his mind had been on Alyss.
Alyss, who had just woken up and come into her true self. Adom had been apart of that. Because of his bindings she’d finally cracked the cocoon of her former self and emerged. He wouldn’t allow her to be confined again. It was the least he owed her after being complicit in turning her away at her dawning. His penance would be to sit in this cold, dead cell, shackled with that shame.
“You have a visitor.” The guard’s gruff voice startled Adom from his reverie.
A pang of guilt wracked through Adom’s chest. For the last few hours of this ordeal, he had thought little about what this would do to Emet. But he’d known Emet would come, would try to rescue him once more. Adom knew Emet would use his oratory prowess, his connections, any and everything at his disposal, to free him. But the only way to free him would be to offer the true artist to the authorities. And Adom would not do that.
Emet couldn’t rescue Adom this time. And when Emet went home alone, there would be no one to bind him, to free him from his stress, to free the weight of responsibility he added to his back every day in the name of justice for all.
They would all be alone. Alyss, set adrift in the world with no one to support her creative needs. Emet, weighed down by the pressures to balance the scales of justice. And now, Adom would be confined to this cold, gray cell. Each of them had only wanted to spread joy in the world, but they each were pushed down by the powers that be.
“You look cold in there. I’ve brought you a blanket to warm you up.”
The metal on Adom’s wrist chaffed as he turned away from that voice.
Lady Jane leaned against the cell. “I had come prepared to drop the charges.”
Adom looked up, surprised. But the smile on her face told him what the price would be.
“You can leave here and come straight to my home.”
“I’d rather stay here, thank you.”
The door opened, and the guard entered. “It’s not policy for a prisoner to have this many visitors at once. But your advocate and representatives from the Sisterhood are here. So we’re making an exception, this once.”
Adom watched the Male Voice enter, followed behind by a woman dressed in the deep purple robes of the Sisterhood. He looked beyond the two for a sight of Emet, but instead saw someone whom he least expected.
Alyss rushed to the bars. Adom was so overjoyed to see her he made the ill decision of trying to stand. He let out a howl of pain when he the chain linking his cuffs to the railing jerked him back to the metal cot.
Alyss turned her molten eyes on the guard. “How dare you chain him like an animal. I demand you release him at once.”
The guard swallowed under her glare. “I’m sor
ry, my lady. But I can’t. He’s accused of defaming a woman through the means of criminal art.”
“You imbecile. Art is not a crime. The woman in that painting is me. And I filed no such complaint.”
“Lady Jayne filed the complaint when he tried to show the painting in her gallery.” The guard pointed at Lady Jayne who had slunk into the corner as she gaped at the crowd of officials gathered before her.
“It's…” Lady Jayne’s voice wobbled. “It's illegal for any man to capture the likeness of an unbonded woman.”
“He didn’t paint it. I did.”
Lady Jayne smiled so wide Adom felt certain she would devour Alyss whole. “Then you’ll be arrested for obscenity.”
“You must prove it.” This came from the Sister who stood next to the Male Voice. “I’ve seen the painting. I found it to be a bold political statement about the rights of young women to chart their own path, outside the confines of their Mother’s home. As a gallery owner, I’m surprised you didn’t see it yourself.”
Lady Jayne balked. She opened her mouth to speak, but Sister Mychelle continued.
“Of course you have the right to dispute Lady Alyss’ interpretation. And if you do, we’ll take the matter before chambers where we’ll be joined by Lady Angyla.”
Lady Jayne’s mouth clamped shut.
“And while you’re proving that,” said the Male Voice, “I’ll have charges brought up against you for false imprisonment of my client. The charge might not hold, but it will be bad publicity for your gallery.”
Lady Jayne turned on Adom, the lascivious smile gone. “I expect you to have all of your garish art out of my gallery before morning.”
The glint in her eyes told Adom that she aimed to take pleasure in denying him this once in a lifetime opportunity. Instead, Adom felt grateful to have his precious pieces removed from so vile a person. With that door closed, Adom was surprised to hear another creak wide open.