Did I come to assess him or to tell him goodbye?
“Una.” He lifted my chin to look into my eyes. “I am more in love with you now than I ever have been.”
You were engaged.
I moved my chin off his finger.
He knelt before me. “I had no intention of ever marrying Merci. I never even touched her hand on my own accord.”
I wanted to believe he spoke the truth, but I trusted my judgment less than his excuses. There was only one way to know for sure. After all, it was the reason I came, wasn’t it? “I want you to do something for me.” I wiped the tears from my cheeks.
“Anything. You name it, and it’s yours.”
“Grant me permission to see your past.”
“You have it.”
I lowered myself to my knees, unsure I would ever be ready to see his truth. “Give me your hands.”
Calish held them out. There were blisters in his palms and crimson scratches that extended into the cuffs of his black Authority shirt. Father would have called them the hands of a working man, and I wondered what work he had done to earn wounds so fresh. Whatever took its toll with his flesh also did with the dark rings of fatigue in his sunken face.
Questions for a different time.
“Where did you learn to do this?”
“A friend,” I answered. “Now close your eyes, and relax.”
He squeezed my hands. “Una, I—”
“Don’t say anything. This is going to be hard enough as it is.”
I closed my eyes and cleared my noisy mind. The energy flowed between our hands as I drifted from my knees into the memories I’d come to find.
* * *
Calish entered the Authority Building with Kawl where a team of people were waiting for them in the entry. They whisked him away from curious eyes, cut his hair, shaved his face, and trimmed his nails before escorting him to another space to fit him for a uniform. After issuing him with both a blade and baton, and a once-over by the woman in charge of his appearance, he was presented to Reinick.
His grandfather toured the grounds with him, proudly introducing him to everyone he met. Over the next few days of his training, he told volumes of tall tales centering around Calish’s contrived upbringing and gushed over accomplishments his cherished grandson never truly made. “The day he was born, his fists clenched with the gifts of the gods themselves. I protected him from the contamination of public office until the time came, when these hands could open for the benefit of my people,” he declared.
Calish played along, turned on the charm, and pleased Reinick, surpassing his expectations. When it came time to modify Blue’s Petition, his request appalled Reinick. “Incest is a vile abomination of all things in this life and beyond. I will have your head by Kalin’s sword before I allow you to humiliate me with an act of such treachery. Make her a free slave to be another’s wife, or I will remove the threat of sin on your behalf.”
I wonder if this is the chain of memory I’m searching for. Narrowing my focus to the events tied to this, I ignored the day-to-day happenings to continue my assessment.
Eager to feed Calish’s hunger for marriage, Reinick brought pretty young women desperate for a birthright to have an audience with his grandson. Tall, short, slight, or robust, Calish gave them the privilege of staying in the guest room instead of his arms. Mature and experienced women were led to his doorstep, and when they were turned away, Reinick brought girls still years from Crimson. Hiding his disgust at the lengths his grandfather reached, he politely declined the offers made without confessing the true reason why. When all else failed, young men began to appear at his side, making the most of the opportunity to seduce him. After every effort made not to offend anyone unnecessarily, his patience wore thin when he came home to find prostitutes waiting for him in his bed.
It wasn’t until one of the High Priest’s illegitimate daughters came forward that an arrangement for Calish’s marriage was set against his will. It satisfied Merci’s need for status and Reinick’s goal of preserving the bloodline. A fight ensued between grandfather and grandson, each with much to lose.
“You cannot marry your sister!” Reinick roared. “We don’t do things for personal gain. We do it for the Citizens we serve! Consider this your first duty as Junior Lord if you must.”
Calish tried to find a way out of his arrangement, but no one of higher status showed any interest in the unknown woman of questionable stock. Eventually, when Merci took residence in his home, Calish would go to the observatory to gaze at the stars. Even when the sky hid behind clouds, he slept on the stone floor to avoid Reinick’s bride-in-waiting. On one of those darkened nights, an Observer confided in Calish about the assault coming from the heavens above.
Wait. The assault from above? Did they mean those things flying across the sky the day of the slides? While it wasn’t what I came to see, my curiosity got the best of me.
In studying the sky each night as they did, they noticed an anomaly, a large mass heading toward us, although not close enough to hit us directly, according to their calculations. They claimed its pull caused the underground aquifers and springs to draw up the river’s water to new heights along the bank. The results of its influence flooded the valley, displacing families and farms. They warned the giant would bring a tail of loose rock and bits from beyond, although they didn’t know when. Parts of the tail, they feared, would indeed enter our skies. The Observers said while most of the pieces would be the size of a river pebble, others could be bigger than a carriage. A large one, even if it hit a great distance away without being seen, would cause the whole world to shake upon impact.
“Large or small, together they could level the terrain. We believe that what comes for us is something not even the gods themselves can control.”
Days before the landslide, Reinick traveled away to see the Governor, leaving Calish in charge. Since Calish survived and the Lord was missing, the townspeople relied on him for guidance. Although the catastrophe did not come as a surprise, the aftermath proved far worse than anyone imagined it would be. Calish watched the hills crash into the valley, destroying all that lay within. It didn’t matter if he had training or not; he held the highest office until his grandfather came back. If Merci had been a victim of the slide, his best chance of saving me was saving the people of Ashlund and keeping control until Reinick returned. If he did. At the Remembrance Gathering, almost two moon cycles since the disaster, Calish saw his grandfather for the first time.
* * *
Calish sat still, silent before me, his eyes shut tight. Even in his uniform, he appeared humble, a characteristic undoubtedly noticed by the people. His hands were worn from the hours of work digging for survivors, his exhaustion from crying with the families of the victims. He never intended to cause me pain. Everything he’d done was a measure to prevent it. How could I have judged him so unfairly? I knew what Reinick was capable of, yet never did I seek another answer but to blame Calish. Shame of my unfaithfulness filled my lungs, making it hard to take a full breath.
“I’ve finished.”
He pulled back his hands. “Now, can I explain?”
“There’s no need. I saw the arrangement, and how it transpired. My assumption of the situation was wrong. I should have trusted you, Calish. I’m so sorry.”
He chuckled through his tears. “You’re sorry? My gods, woman, would you come here?” He pulled my arms around him and held me tightly, kissing the side of my head. “I feared you’d never speak to me again.”
“I considered it.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Spite. Perhaps the thirst for blood.”
He nodded, with a smirk pulling at his lips. “Ah. Are things going to plan?”
“Not really.” I blushed.
Calish stood and lifted me up to his embrace. “I’ve missed you.”
I laid my head on his beating heart and felt his warmth against me. “I know.”
Cradled in his arms, he car
ried me up an elegant polished stone staircase embellished with decorative iron railings. His kisses in the hallway distracted me from counting the doors on either side as he made his way to the other end of the house. With a little push of his toe, the last of the doors opened to a room bigger than the house we grew up in. He set me down in his private quarters on a carpet plush with loops of various shades of brown, gold, and tan. It extended from one wall to the next under a thick bed covered in tasseled pillows, sparkling with threads of silver and gold, and blankets of silk and fine linen.
There were matched dressers, some small next to the bed and some large against the walls, which were painted with murals of places I’d never seen. Windows reaching from floor to ceiling made the back wall invisible except for the rich curtains pulled off to each end.
“Do you want to see something amazing?” he asked with a sparkle in his eyes.
What could be more amazing than this room?
He took my hand and led me to a door on the wall opposite of his bed. “Look.” He turned the glass knob, pushing it open as not to obstruct the view.
“Is this a washroom?” I gasped, and he nodded. “But there’s a pool in the middle.”
“I’ve been told it’s an oversized tub.” Calish slipped past me to tend to it.
The chandelier in the center of the room reflected the flicker of light from the single lantern within its crystals. Honed rock in geometric patterns tiled the floors from the tub outward, reaching the glass enclosure of a shower and the spacious sinks and vanities. The room, large enough to bathe an army, had a sort of couch, complete with an end table, books, and pillows.
Is this a place used to entertain?
As I touched the textured walls and gem-encrusted basins, Calish began filling the tub. I glanced at him through the vanity’s mirror, noticing him pour the contents of a little vial into the rising water. He stirred the hot water with his hand, and a lovely scent filled the room. When the bubbles formed across the tub’s surface, he invited me in.
“I’m going to go get you something from downstairs while you undress. When I return, I expect to see you enjoying that bath.”
The door latch clicked, and I took off my clothes, setting them to the side. When I stepped into the tub, I found the water a bit too warm, so I adjusted the incoming flow to cool it down. Stirring the water with my foot, I waited for it to temper while covering my breasts with my arms.
The door opened, and Calish stood at the threshold a moment longer than necessary. “My gods,” he said, staring at my profile.
He set the plate on the counter, uninterested in what he brought. Kneeling on the steps leading up to the tub, his eyes level to my abdomen, he took my hips and turned me to face him. Timidly, he touched my firm, extending belly.
“Una, you are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.”
I bit my lip as he caressed my stomach with his fingertips. He kissed me just below my navel and, with his lips still slightly touching me, spoke to our unborn child. “You are so lucky, do you know that? Your mother is incredible. For your sake, I hope you’re a boy…”
He wishes for a boy?
“…she doesn’t like competition.”
I smacked him playfully on the top of his head. “Not funny, Calish.”
“Not to you.” He stood up and pressed his forehead against mine as he caressed the sides of my body.
I’d forgotten the way he made me feel: comfortable and unashamed. Every curve and edge of his body reminded me of how perfect he truly was. The scruff of his unshaven face and the warmth of his breath on my skin made me desire him more than any woman should need a man. As strong as I had become, Calish, in his loving presence, let me be vulnerable.
Shedding what remained of my modesty, I let my arms fall to my side. “Aren’t you going to touch me?”
“I am.” His hands found their way around to the small of my back.
My hand migrated down to his belt, feeling his strength through the black fabric of his uniform. “I mean touch me.”
He took my hands and lifted them to his lips. “No.” He kissed each of them. “This moment is the most perfect one I’ve had in all of Hytalia, and I want to stay in it. I’m afraid if I move from this very spot, I’ll ruin it.”
Me too.
He smiled and glanced down at the suds in the tub. “Your bath is ready.” He bent down to turn the water off before helping me sit in it. The tingling bubbles covered my chest, leaving only my shoulders and knees exposed above their surface.
Walking back to the counter, he removed his cufflinks and rolled up his shirt sleeves. In that black uniform, he stood confident and sexy, but, somehow, still Calish. My Calish. The one I would watch the stars with, the one who would climb trees in the dark to harvest the most difficult of rare fruits to lift my spirits. I thought briefly of Nik and blushed.
Thank the gods he didn’t follow my future this far.
Turning down the lantern, Calish lit a candle at one end of the bathtub before kneeling on the tub steps behind me. “Sit up,” he said, pushing me gently upright. He brought a large cup and dipped it into the water, pouring it over my head and wetting my hair. He dropped something into his hands from a medium-sized bottle and rubbed it evenly between his palms. Slowly, he worked his strong fingers into my wet hair, massaging the soap into my scalp, and sent shivers down my back.
I closed my eyes and tilted my head back for him to wash my hair as it freely hung behind me. He rinsed away the suds and repeated the process, massaging my head and hair, before rinsing it methodically into the water below. When he was done, he took a small towel and dried his hands, moving to the tub’s long side. He sat, resting his hand on my exposed knee.
I squeezed the excess water from my hair. “Why don’t you come in with me?”
He shook his head, reached between my legs with his hand, and caressed my inner thigh. “Perfect moment, remember?” He pulled my leg toward him and kissed my knee before resting his chin on the side of the tub on top of his other arm. I leaned forward and kissed his lips, but quickly found that sustaining that position with my hardened belly was more difficult than it was in the past.
“Are you comfortable?” He lifted his head.
I nodded and smiled as I reclined in the water. “Your child doesn’t let me fold at the waist so easily.”
Calish pushed my knee below the water and rested his hand on my lower stomach, letting his thumb caress my flesh underwater. “How have you been feeling?”
“I think I felt the baby move today.” I wrinkled up my nose.
He stopped moving his hand and pressed firmly. “I don’t feel anything.”
I giggled. “I don’t imagine you would. I barely felt it myself!”
“Next time you do, tell me right away.”
“Will I be able to?”
A door shut somewhere in the house.
“What was that?” I asked.
“What was what?”
Footsteps approached, but Calish didn’t hear them until a knock on the bathroom door announced the unexpected visitor. “Just a minute.” Calish’s voice changed. He snatched the towel from the counter and dried his hands. Opening the door just a crack, he addressed the man on the other side of it. “What is it? I’m busy.”
“Busy? Since when do you light candles in the washroom?” The door pushed open, and Reinick stood there, filling the doorway with judgment. “Oh! Are you entertaining? Classy.” He smirked. I sank down deeper into the tub, trying to hide behind its tall sides. “Hey, girl? Do you know he said goodbye to his fiancée earlier today?” Reinick asked before bellowing a deep and hearty laugh.
“What’s so funny?” another male voice shouted from the bedroom.
“Calish likes girls after all.” Reinick slapped his grandson on the back of his shoulder. “I started to worry,” he said, still laughing.
The door opened further. “Who’s that!”
“Get out!” Calish pushed them back.
; “Well, he’s obviously smitten with this one.” Reinick shrugged. “She’s not the pay-by-the-hour type, I can promise you that. Those girls don’t get bubble baths.”
The man behind Reinick spoke with a familiar voice. “I want to see you downstairs!” he demanded. “Both of you! As in you and her!”
Calish pushed them out and closed the door, making sure to lock it. I trembled in the warm water as if it were ice-cold. “So much for a perfect moment.” He punched the bathroom wall, leaving a fist-sized hole in it. “Come on, let’s get you dressed.”
“We’re not going down there, are we?”
He grabbed a larger towel and unfolded it. “Do you have another idea?” he asked, holding it out for me.
“Help me out the window?”
“Absolutely not. This neighborhood is crawling with low-level Authority recruits eager to make a name for themselves. I’m not putting you at risk. Believe me, our chances are better with Noran.”
I sat upright in the tub, sending water over its sides. “As in the High Priest Noran?”
“The guy’s a jerk.” He shook the towel impatiently. “Get up, and get dressed before they come back in here.”
I stood, wishing all the while I’d done the assessment outside the gates and rode back to the camp. I didn’t want to go downstairs. I really, really didn’t want to.
Calish wrapped me up and squeezed his arms around me. “Una, don’t worry, everything is going to be just fine. They need me. Hawk is out there somewhere only the gods know, and the Citizens hate Reinick for leaving them in a crisis. The people seem to like me, well, most of them, I think. It wouldn’t be smart for them to anger me right now. Besides, did I mention that I was engaged to the Priest’s sin spawn? His reputation is worth preserving at minimum.”
I shivered with fear more than from cold; his reasoning obviously meant nothing to me. The two men outside that door would kill me as soon as they saw me.
Season of Hytalia Page 37