The Forbidden Fruit

by S. K Munt

  ‘Well, I got a ninety-nine in combat my last time around, and Rosa Barachiel is just one of my many hard-assed ancestors,’ Adeline smiled prettily at me then winked as she pulled back to help her lover off the floor. ‘So I will kill him while he sleeps.’

  My heart skipped a beat, and when I looked up and caught Kohl’s watchful eye, it skipped another. Had he heard the exchange? But Kohl smiled, touched his necklace again and then pointed to the twelve on his steel watch. I nodded, touched my ring, and felt it on my heart.

  Tick-tock. Soon enough, the party would be over and I didn’t know if there would be a coach waiting for me after, or a rotting pumpkin.

  25.

  After dinner, the men started to move upstairs for drinks and cigars, but the women all wanted to go to bed early and embark upon the fabled beauty sleep. We’d had a special luncheon earlier that day as well, so we were all tired from having eaten so much and so well, and the next day was going to be exhausting; a parade was going to pass through the streets of Arcadia in Karol’s honour and afterwards, he would give his important (and hopefully inspired!) address to the town on the Eden common. We would be standing in the sunlight and autumn winds for at least three hours, with more drinking, eating and dancing to be done afterwards, and every woman in Arcadia wanted to look her best for it, so the lights of the city below us blinked out like stars while I watched from the dining hall window, where I’d been hiding since Kohén had come back down to re-join us. He was clearly still angry, but he’d gotten over the tantrum part quick enough to act like a prince again and schmooze away, so I gave him space to do so and watched Lette and Elfin give their first public performances as Companions, feeling as though they needed someone there watching them to admire their skill, and not just the way they looked while displaying them.

  Elfin was playing the piano, which she’d gotten fairly good at, but Lette’s beautiful scarf dance was eclipsing her accompanist’s skills. Elfin was fairly good at most things, but Lette was a natural dancer and I saw that even a few women looked impressed when she bent at the spine and doubled back slowly until her short hair swished against the floor. As she folded back, Lette cycled her pearlescent, feather-trimmed scarves above her- one in each hand- and when the tips of each touched the floor for the first time, she began to slowly raise her right leg, defying gravity by keeping her balance until one foot was flat on the floor supporting her and the other extended high above her head and pointed. We all broke into applause then and when that leg began to tilt back too, there were a few murmurs of astonishment- mine being one of them. Agonisingly slowly, she began to bend back further, and I held my breath as her foot came over her head. Her arms cycled furiously at her sides and then- she flipped in one blink with using her hands at all- ending upright again, and making my jaw drop in awe. She’d whipped her body in a perfect loop, just like one of her scarves!

  The people in the room broke out into wild applause and she smiled a lovely, smug smile and curtsied the Companion way- right fingers fanned to her chin in front of her neck, left arm over her head, wrist bent, fingers fanned to her right temple. It was the performance bow- and one more of the many things I’d yet to practice doing. And of course, because it was movement, Lette had it perfect.

  I clapped the loudest, then turned to Emmerly and cringed, rubbing my back. She nodded and whistled for her friend using her fingers (something she must have learned from her father, for Maryah would never teach anything so masculine!) and I began to move toward Lette to congratulate her, hanging back so that the men of the nobility could approach her first. I glanced around, wondering if Kohl and the duchess had come back yet (she’d taken him out the door immediately after dinner to introduce him to some long-lost cousin), and that was when I saw Kohén engaged in a serious conversation with Atticus Hartley and Elbert Yael in the corner, and not looking Lette’s way at all. I frowned, bothered by the fact that he had his back turned to his Companion’s awe-inspiring display, for it seemed very rude. She’d learned that dance to impress him! Couldn’t he have spared two minutes to watch her contort with her clothes on for once?

  Or maybe he’s seen that routine with her clothes off too many times for it to impress him anymore...

  I brushed the ‘wicked’ and jealous thought away and concentrated on trying to be self-righteous, but the longer I stared daggers at him without him noticing, the more I realised that he was beyond absorbed by whatever Elbert was saying. In fact, he was frowning deeply as though perplexed- as was Atticus. It was strange to see those two looking so out of sorts, but in comparison, Elbert seemed to be in an incredibly good mood. He was talking a mile a minute and waving his hands around, and something he said even made him laugh heartily but when he did, Atticus and Kohén only shared a look of consternation. As though suddenly aware that his anecdote wasn’t going over well, Elbert wrapped his arms around Kohén’s shoulders and smacked him in an encouraging way.

  Then it happened- Kohén felt my eyes on him and lifted his head and as soon as he did, Atticus and Elbert did too. My tummy clenched up, but before I could begin to worry that they were discussing me, Elbert made it clear by grinning broadly and going:

  ‘Ahh! There’s my girl now!’ He handed his champagne flute to Kohén and turned, widening his arms. ‘Larkin! I’ve been waiting all night to-’

  ‘Excuse me for one second, I’ve been waiting to tell her how lovely she looks all night, so before you bore her with business stuff…’ Atticus stepped under Elbert’s widening arm and then strode toward me, his face fixed in a polite but obviously forced smile.

  Business stuff?

  Elbert frowned in confusion, but Atticus did not give him the chance to say a word before he swept me up into a hug and whispered into my ear: ‘You haven’t agreed to sign a contract with him yet, have you Larkin?’ And I was so shocked that my ears popped so that for a moment all I could hear was the far-off sound of the piano playing, and the sudden pounding of my heart.

  ‘What?’ I squeaked, pulling back from the general and staring at him. ‘Signed a contract for what?’

  ‘To obtain land from him once you’ve been released.’ Atticus spoke quickly and fervently, keeping his voice low and his grey-blue eyes focused on me and bright with warning. ‘You do know that you’re not allowed to sign anything while you’re Kohén’s companion, right?’

  ‘Of course I know that! Why would you think otherwise?’ I glanced over at Kohén, who was now talking heatedly to Elbert and felt my paranoia flare up like the battle injury that it was. Oh my god, was I in trouble? Had Elbert said something to get me in trouble? I felt weak.

  ‘Yael just seems so damned certain that he has you in the bag,’ Atticus said, looking more relaxed now that he’d offloaded his anxiety -onto me. ‘He went as far as to say that as precious as the gems in Pacifica’s treasure chest are, he has the true jewel of the crown in his hands: you.’ He contorted his rigid features to demonstrate distaste. ‘And we are old rivals, Yael and I, so those were not glad tidings at all!’

  My brows shot up. ‘I’ve not spoken to him since last June! And we discussed raising cotton there yes, but there were no deals made...’

  ‘Well, whatever you said to him has made a lasting impression, and he sees you as cohorts for Yael’s future. I didn’t think you’d agree to such a deal, but seeing as how you turned down the land in Pacifica-’

  ‘I didn’t turn down land,’ I said sharply. ‘Kohén didn’t tell me that he was intending to give me land, until after he’d changed his royal mind about doing so.’ Lace’s salt and pepper eyebrows lifted in surprise. ‘And what does my defunct birthday present have to do with signing contracts with Elbert Yael? I am in no one’s bag until Kohén let’s me out of his sack of whores. So now that THAT’S all cleared up-’ I turned to move away, but Atticus cupped my elbow and moved me back.

  ‘Kohén took the land back? He said you didn’t want it yet!’

  ‘I don’t want it,’ I said sourly. ‘Not now.’

&nbs
p; Atticus frowned again. ‘So you really are seriously considering farming in Yael, not in Pacifica with Kohén?’

  ‘There is not enough arable land cleared in Pacifica, Mr Hartley,’ I said wearily. ‘I have explained this to Kohén but, like with most things, he refuses to-’

  ‘There’s a whole island,’ Atticus shuffled closer. ‘And by the time you are free, it will be arable- and all yours if you agree to sign a contract with me.’

  ‘A whole…?’ my voice trailed off as I developed an instant headache. I didn’t know what Kohén was up to, but he’d left me out of plans that apparently revolved around me and that was so frustrating and confusing that I wanted to cry. ‘Prime Minister, it is lovely to see you again but I’m afraid that I was already a little inebriated and completely exhausted before you started speaking in riddles so, can we perhaps pick up this conversation in the morning?’ I was growing hot from the fireplace and lifted my ironed hair off my neck to fan myself. ‘From the beginning this time?’

  ‘I’m sorry Larkin, I guess I have confused you. I didn’t mean to I just…’ he rubbed his square chin and then turned back to me. ‘Don’t make any agreements with Yael until we’ve spoken about the matter in detail, okay? How does tomorrow night sound, after Karol’s address?’

  ‘Spoken about what matter?’ I asked, my concentration lapsing when I saw Karol help a beautiful blonde up from her seat by an old couple. The girl was tall and slender- so tall that she was a match for Karol in heels and when he kissed her hand, his green eyes lifted to hers and sparkled in that ‘woo’ way the Barachiel’s had down, and I felt a shiver of excitement. Karol had been going out of his way not to make eye-contact with a single woman in Arcadia for months for fear that they’d misinterpret it as encouragement, so to see him pulling out his toothiest smile and most ardent eyes was thrilling. Could this be a potential wife?

  She turned to the side, allowing him to guide her out of her seat, and the sight of her profile screamed: ‘Wife!’ all right. She was elegant looking, with patrician features, dark golden hair, like a cross between Elfin’s, and mine and deeply bronzed skin- only slightly fairer than mine had been since I’d returned from Pacifica. Her hair had been smoothed into a chignon without a single strand out of place, and her dress was very similar to the one that Kelia had worn to the ball- a sweetheart neckline, sleeveless, with a cinched waist and a full-length skirt that had been puffed up with frothy petticoats from beneath. The design of her gown was becoming common, but what set it apart from the others I’d seen on the common, was the fact that the fabric did not ooze like oil, but looked soft and slightly creased. I sucked in a breath as I understood- her dress was cotton with stamped lace trim! Black was the colour warn by Rabian dignitaries to signify their national resource of coal, and her fair colouring suggested that she lived in a country that saw more summer than winter, and that was Rabia! She had to be the president’s daughter, Ora Camden!

  ‘Wow!’ I whispered, pulling on Atticus’s sleeve. ‘I’ve been lying low for a few weeks and trying not to hear gossip- but tell me now! That’s Ora Camden, yes?’

  Atticus stared at me, confused, then turned and nodded. ‘Yes that’s her- lovely girl, I’m told. It’s her first time abroad of course, because she just turned eighteen… But what do you mean you’ve been laying low? Larkin, what on earth has come over you since I saw you last? I just offered you an entire island, and you’re more distracted by President Camden’s daughter and the prince’s love life?’

  I looked Ora up and down with greedy eyes as she and Karol drew nearer. Yes, I’d heard that she was lovely too and yes she was the most beautiful girl in the room and yes- I was going to throttle Karol if he blew this by hanging out with Adeline all week! What had the duchess been thinking by seating him at the opposite end of the table to such a beautiful creature? Karol HAD to marry Ora! Surely a woman from a republican country would have the stones to sort out a monarchical man like Karol, right?

  ‘…I’d love to go for a walk with you,’ Ora said, taking Karol’s arm and smiling gently- but not at him. Nothing about her countenance suggested that she was going to stare blindly into his eyes all night and batt her lashes, and the next thing she said made me adore her more: ‘But I’ll be taking my shoes off the moment we’re out of sight of all the stuffed shirts, okay?’ She grimaced and pointed her toe. ‘Tall as I am, I’ve never gotten used to high heels.’

  I grinned. She wasn’t a prissy princess, and that made her immediate front-runner for queen in my eyes! And her accent and casual way of talking made me beam even more brightly, because it reminded me of Kohl’s demeanour: laid back and un-pretentious. Unspoiled. I fanned my neck and said to Atticus without turning to him: ‘Gotten into me?’ I echoed. ‘Nothing’s gotten into me, aside from champagne and stress, that is. I’m just-’

  Karol glanced down at Ora’s feet and chuckled and looked up to say something, but when his eyes locked on mine, his expression changed. His smile died, but his eyes darkened to emerald velvet, making me feel as though he’d pinned me to the wall. I stopped fanning my neck and dropped my hair, but Ora’s gaze followed his quickly and when her over-sized eyes latched on mine, her smile glittered like polished crystal.

  ‘You! Oh, you’re Larkin, right?’ she hurried over to me and shook my hand with both of hers. ‘I’m so glad to meet you at last! Calliel’s own Helen Of Troy!’

  ‘Buh?’ I asked, sliding a look at Karol and relaxing when I saw that he’d gotten his odd hiccup in composure back under control. What had that look been about? Why were the hairs on my arm lifting?

  She kissed my hand. ‘Don’t tell me you don’t know about that little nickname getting around? Only instead of launching a thousand ships, you got a statue on the move after a seven hundred year nap.’ The lissome girl stepped back to Karol and linked her arm with his again. ‘I got a ninety-one point-seven on my exams, and I was pretty impressed with myself. But you!’ she shook her head and sighed, turning to Karol and asking: ‘Just so you know that if we get hitched- I’m kicking her out. Not only can she serve a far better purpose than on her knees to your baby brother, but I don’t want her anywhere near you.’ She extended her hand to me and touched the tip of my nose. ‘Divine! That’s real, isn’t it?’

  I touched my nose. ‘Uh…’

  ‘Mine isn’t,’ she winked at me. ‘Larkin we have to catch up while I’m here, okay? My little sister will be so jealous when she hears that I got to meet you. In fact- sit next to me at the parade tomorrow?’ She jerked her thumb to Karol. ‘If his speech is as deadly dull as they all are, you can use the opportunity to tell me all of the goriest gossip concerning him.’

  ‘I don’t think so!’ Karol expelled quickly, then tried to cover his panic with a laugh.

  ‘Sure!’ I said quickly and almost too eagerly. She had a sister? Two girls from one bloodline? The good news just kept coming! And if she was eager to hang out with a Companion, then she was nothing like the snotty Amelia-Rose and that was beyond encouraging. ‘That would be lovely. I’ve been dying to meet you too!’

  ‘Then we’ll be the best of friends!’ she declared brightly then shielded her mouth to whisper: ‘Ugh, once you’re no longer in this scoundrel’s reach, anyhow- I’m awfully threatened by the size of your bust.’ She motioned to her pancake flat front, which was lovely in a ballerina- like way. ‘Don’t be shocked, but these are real!’ and I laughed. What an effervescent girl!

  ‘Okay! Someone’s had too many fizzy drinks,’ Karol was beet red as he started to pull Ora away. ‘Atticus, Larkin, good evening- and good night!’

  Ora turned back to me and stage-whispered: ‘We have to go sniff each other out like dogs,’ she wriggled her fingers at me. ‘Tomorrow?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ I said, turning to watch her go and feeling a little star struck. ‘Bye!’

  ‘Bye!’

  I watched them leave the room, and wasn’t aware of anything except for how much I liked her until Atticus jogged my arm again. ‘Uh… Lark
?’

  I turned back to him, blinking heavily. ‘Yes? Oh, right. We were talking about…?’ I frowned, then glanced after Ora again. What had we been talking about?

  ‘Your future,’ he said, sounding none too impressed with my lack of focus. ‘In Pacifica and not in Yael- hopefully. If Kohén releases you from his service after your twenty-first, I would very much like it if you would consider transferring there to work with the Pacifican government, and if you come with Kohén as his, well, I’m not quite certain-’

  ‘Let me stop you right there, because I’m feeling sort of drunk and inclined to be very honest. So if you listen carefully, you’ll need not book a time with me tomorrow but comprehend my plan fully right now.’ I put down my champagne glass and took his face in my hands, struck for the first time by how much taller and broader the silver fox looked in his formal Corps uniform. ‘I have no future beyond tomorrow Atticus, or the day after that or the day after that.’ I released his face and pulled on my skirt. ‘That’s part of the deal. I’m here to be Kohén’s Companion and not a businesswoman. IF I make it out of here I would be thrilled to talk plantations with you- and with Elbert Yael and with anybody who wants to see if I’m good for anything besides standing around looking vacant and laughing at bad jokes.’ I smiled tightly. ‘I’ll be a supreme business woman and a masterful advocate for agriculture, and I will wheel deals until one of you hands over exactly what I want and makes a lot of money from me for it.’ I patted his shoulder. ‘You will be dazzled, sir. Dazzled and wearing cotton trousers if you play your cards right, and smartly.’ I swayed a little when I saw Kohl poke his head in through the door, and then beckon to me to follow him out of the room. Suddenly feeling very vulnerable, I balanced myself on Atticus’s shoulders and locked my eyes on his. ‘But if I don’t… if Kohén…’ tears came to my eyes and I looked down, knowing that I had to leave the room, and fast.