The Vestal's Steward

by Ailx Nichols

  Voqras believed an enforcer squad had been sent to Hente to spy for LOR’s Colonel Yaggar.

  The Goddess knew how long they’d been in Eia before the events of that night! It went without saying that no organics, no matter how well trained and how numerous, could’ve eliminated two hive cyborgs.

  The other good news was that Rhori, treated by his “second Mother” healer vestal Reverend Goyyem, had recovered fully and in record time. Not only was he coming to the wedding today, he was going to be Iyatt’s groom-guard during the ceremony.

  Maggi was to be the bride-guard.

  Unfortunately, they’d have to forgo the handfasting ritual. In the absence of family on either side to tie the cords, no one else was allowed to do it.

  In another bit of regretful news, most of Iyatt’s friends including Jancel Heidd, who was like a brother to him, couldn’t attend the wedding. Jancel hadn’t appreciated Iyatt’s not telling him about Haysi’s abduction. That being said, he knew why Iyatt had sidelined him.

  “You would’ve come out of hiding to help me,” Iyatt had told him. “That’s a huge risk for the realm’s most wanted criminal. The bounty on your head keeps growing, and every dirtbag in the realm from hive cyborgs to inn flies dreams about catching you.”

  Jancel had waved the argument off.

  What helped both men get completely over the silly quarrel was when Nyssa told them that she and Dame Heidd were going to throw a party for the newlyweds at the Refuge next week, right after the Fulcrum meeting.

  Incidentally, Nyssa and Haysi had a lot in common, so it came as no surprise that Nyssa became Haysi’s first real female friend.

  When Iyatt and Haysi arrived at the temple and ascended the stairs to the star-shaped nave, Haysi saw that all their friends were already there. So were the vestals including young Prioress Aynu Eckme, looking magnificent in her ceremonial gown. Reverend Zammi and Abbess Fo, who were to conduct the ceremony, stood by the altar. Their stewards stood behind them.

  Haysi felt a pang of guilt. She and Iyatt hadn’t been tardy, strictly speaking, but they’d arrived with no margin whatsoever.

  Reverend Zammi directed them to stand in front of each other.

  “Is the bride entering this marriage without compulsion?” she asked Haysi.

  “Yes, Your Glory.”

  After Iyatt answered the same question in the affirmative, Haysi expected the vestal’s steward to come forward with the honey-wafer-water combination.

  Reverend Zammi had walked Haysi and Iyatt through the ceremony a week ago, and they’d agreed she’d move straight to the vows at that juncture. Except, neither of stewards budged.

  The abbess turned to the guests with the question she wasn’t supposed to ask. “Has the family brought the wrist cords?”

  Panicking, Haysi glanced at Iyatt who was staring at Reverend Zammi with a mixture of surprise and concern.

  “Yes, Your Glory,” someone behind them said. A woman.

  Turning around, Haysi saw a middle-aged woman walking to the altar, wedding cords in her hands.

  “It’s my mother,” Iyatt whispered. “And my sister, behind her.”

  Iyatt’s sister was in her late twenties and had Iyatt’s mouth and hair. With her gaze downcast and her face flaming from the crowd’s scrutiny, she followed in her mother’s tracks toward the altar.

  Iyatt shot a look at Reverend Zammi who murmured, “Do you mind?”

  “No,” he murmured back. “But you should’ve told me.”

  “There was no time. Your mother came to see us just before the ceremony, and you hadn’t arrived yet.”

  When the pair planted themselves next to Reverend Zammi, the vestal turned to Iyatt’s mother. “Dame Martenn, are you ready to bless the cords?”

  Nodding, Dame Martenn tied them into a loose knot. “My children, this represents the joining of your lives. From now on, you’ll share your sorrows, joys and dreams. May the Goddess look benevolently upon your union.”

  She took a breath.

  “Go on,” Abbess Fo encouraged her.

  Dame Martenn untied the knot and then fastened one of the cords around Haysi’s wrist, telling her how honored she and her daughter would be to get to know her.

  Then she turned toward her son. “I wish you all the happiness in the world, my boy.”

  His eyes were riveted to her face, his chest heaving.

  She wrapped the second cord around his wrist, tied its ends, and breathed out, “I hope you can forgive me one day.”

  “It’s time for the vows,” Reverend Zammi said.

  Her steward stepped forward with his tray as Dame Martenn retreated.

  Taking a small wafer, Iyatt dipped it into the honey pot and brought it to Haysi’s lips. “Wife, my biggest goal from now on is to make your life as sweet as this honey.”

  After eating the wafer and fighting the urge to lick Iyatt’s fingertips, Haysi lifted a glass to his lips. “Husband, my love for you is as pure as this spring water.”

  He drank.

  “Your souls are now bound together in sacred union,” Abbess Fo said.

  Thankfully, neither vestal spoke about the part of the wedding ritual where the bride and groom wore patience knickers for a few hours on their first night. Haysi doubted they’d be allowed to skip it altogether. But the vestals didn’t seem to believe that tonight would be Iyatt and Haysi’s first night. To Haysi’s delight, that fact didn’t seem to bother them.

  “So be it,” Reverend Zammi said, looking from Haysi to Iyatt.

  “So be it,” they repeated in unison.

  Maggi’s voice reverberated under the dome before the rest of the guests joined in. “So be it.”

  During the feast held in the temple’s celebration hall, Maggi and Rhori ran the show, taking their respective roles as bride-guard and groom-guard very seriously.

  Thanks to their efforts, great food and wines abounded as did music and laughter. Haysi and Iyatt danced a lot. Maggi delivered a beautiful speech. As shy as ever, Rhori kept to the background, an ever-watchful eye on the platters and pitchers that needed replenishing.

  When Iyatt’s mother and sister made their way to the bride and groom, Haysi chatted with them for a short while before finding a pretext to walk away. The three Martenns had a lot to say to each other, and Haysi wanted them to be completely at ease.

  She plonked herself into a chair next to a huge potted plant and sipped her drink.

  On the other side of the plant, Rhori and a towering man in his fifties stopped for some small talk. They appeared to know each other from before, and their conversation sounded in no way private.

  What a relief!

  After all the emotion, dancing and talking to so many people, Haysi was too tired to pull herself up and look for another quiet spot.

  “I’ll be resigning soon,” the older man said.

  “Really, Leehash?” Rhori laughed. “You still look fit for the job, not old or tired or anything.”

  Leehash tee-heed. “Appreciate the compliment! But I’m a family man, and I don’t see my children and wife nearly as much as I’d like.” He let out a sigh. “Being a vestal’s steward is harder than you think.”

  “Too much travel?”

  Leehash nodded. “Especially with Her Royal Glory.”

  Ah, so Leehash was steward to Prioress Eckme. Granddaughter of a king, she was the only vestal with the honorific “royal” in her title.

  “You see, she’s no regular vestal,” Leehash said. “She reports directly to Superior Dienoma and is not attached to any specific temple. So, she gets sent to temples all over the realm. She’s the Seat’s envoy for special events, when Superior Dienoma can’t attend herself. She investigates if there’s a complaint, and she fills in for local abbesses when necessary. Sometimes we’re gone for a few days, other times for months.”

  “I can see the problem.”

  “Yeah.” There was a silence before Leehash continued, “I would’ve resigned sooner, but Her Royal Glory has had
a hard time finding a replacement.”

  “Is she…”—Rhori swallowed—“recruiting?” There was an unusual edge in his voice.

  Leehash surveyed him. “Why, are you interested?”

  “Maaybee…”

  “Well, you have the right size and I know you were a prizefighter before you trained as a carpenter,” Leehash said. “So, there’s that.”

  “Do you think I stand a chance?”

  “Typically, the steward of someone so high in the hierarchy is expected to have worked for an abbess or a reverend for at least a few years.”

  “Oh.” Rhori’s voice was thick with disappointment.

  “On the other hand…” Leehash paused, squinting. “She trusts you after Mount Crog.”

  Haysi wondered what Leehash was referring to. It had to be an event at Mount Crog, which had brought Rhori and Prioress Aynu Eckme together long enough for him to earn her trust.

  “Mind you, the decision wouldn’t be Her Royal Glory’s alone,” Leehash said. “But I do believe you have a small chance.”

  “I’ll go to the Orogate Temple and apply tomorrow,” Rhori said.

  Ooh. Haysi had never heard him speak with such firmness in his voice.

  Leehash moved to leave but then turned around and squinted at Rhori. “My advice is, weigh the pros and cons before you do. The stewards’ Vow of Devotion and Reverence has far-reaching and… um, taxing implications.”

  “What implications?”

  “Ask around,” Leehash said, sauntering away.

  Intrigued, Haysi decided she’d ask around, too.

  Then she saw Iyatt across the room, walking toward her with a big smile on his face. The sight of him filled her soul with a boundless joy she’d never known before—hadn’t even suspected she was capable of.

  My husband.

  All at once, her fatigue was gone.

  She jumped up from her chair and ran to him. He opened his arms. When he lifted her up, the rest of the universe fell away. Rather brusquely, as it happened. No “be back soon,” not a goodbye bow, no slowly fading to black. Just bam! Gone.

  All that was left was the honorable, gorgeous man in front of her. The man she loved to the twin moons and back.

  << <> >>

  XEREILL GLOSSARY

  Aheya, Mother of All — the divine being worshipped throughout Xereill

  Aheya’s Garden – the location of the afterlife, the Eternal Garden

  Bionics / cyborgs – augmented Ra-humans

  a hive cyborg, aka modified cyborg or Winged Demon, is a bionic augmented with invasive brain implants and weaponized grafts (eg. blaster arms). Both are banned under intergalactic law.

  The Book of Xereill – the sacred religious text of the Ra adapted for Ra-humans

  Cataclysm – a devastating nuclear war, occurred on Hente over two hundred years prior

  ERIGAT – Establishment for the Regulation and Inventory of Gifts and Traditions, a semi-autonomous LOR institute

  LOR – the League of Realms. Founded in 601, after the Allied Realms won the Empire War, LOR is the supra-planetary government of Xereill.

  LORSS – the League of Realms Space Station

  Menials – a Ra-human with little or no education

  Organics – an unaugmented Ra-human

  Ouroboros (a serpent coil) – a winged dragon biting its tail, symbol of life, worn as a pendant, received from parents as a toddler on the day of Nine Blessings

  Proficients – a highly educated or skilled Ra-human

  The Ra – the original humanoid race of Xereill

  The Ra-human chronology:

  Early Ra Era

  Middle Ra Era (golden age of Ra)

  Late Ra Era (decline)

  Human Infusion Era: -1129 to -625 (1930 to 1326 years ago)

  Ra-human Expansion Era: Year -626 to -1 (1300 to 700 years ago)

  New Ra-Human Era: Year 1 to Year 701 (current year)

  - Age of the Empire War: Year 538 to 601

  - Age of the League of Realms: Since 601, last 100 years

  Ra-humans – the current hybrid people of Xereill

  Religious hierarchy:

  Superior (Head of the Temple)

  Prioress (high priestess)

  Abbess of a temple

  Regular vestals, monks and hermits

  Healers (a vestal priestess or a monk)

  Novice vestals and monks

  Rich-bloods – Organics with one or more special abilities (gifts). Augmenting, or cyborg conversion, tends to suppress gifts.

  Xereill – the local name for the Andromeda galaxy.

  3 of its arms have planets inhabited by Ra-humans:

  Homeland Arm (73 inhabited planets including Ramoh and LORSS that orbits around it, 99 Allied Realms)

  Baylian Arm (9 inhabited planets, 25 Allied Realms, including Tastassi and Hente)

  Silver Path (35 inhabited planets, 158 Allied Realms)

  XEREILL LOCATIONS & CAST

  SELECTED LOCATIONS

  Planet Hente, Baylian Arm of the galaxy

  REALM OF EIA

  DISTRICTS:

  Central District, North District, South District, East Upland, West Rocks, Frontier Zone

  TOWNS:

  Damoont: capital of the South District

  Iltaqa: economic capital of Eia, a short ride from Orogate, Central District

  Orogate: Eia’s capital city, Central District

  BURGS AND VILLAGES:

  Cherry Hill, Plum Orchard, Castya, Drey, Willow Pond

  HENTE’S SECOND REALM:

  Teteum (capital city: Lullum)

  OTHER LOCATIONS IN XEREILL

  Enforcer Base: a separate LORSS module for the Enforcer Corps, with its own defenses and facilities (augmenting, training and medical), and living quarters.

  LORSS (The League of Realms Space Station): Also called “Flying City”, the giant space station orbiting Ramoh is the seat of the League of Realms (LOR) and ERIGAT.

  Ambassadors, diplomats, LOR officials, staffers and their families live and work at LORSS.

  Norbal: a Baylian Arm planet where Unie, Iyatt and Jancel met (capital city: Siy)

  Ramoh: the main planet of the Original Ra people of Xereill

  Sovyda: the cradle of the Original Ra people, home to the Proto-Ra (economic capital: Garonn)

  Tastassi: a Baylian Arm planet of which Polit Horbell is recently endorsed Governor, hosts the biggest wildlife reserve and greatest biodiversity in Xereill (capital: Palm City)

  Toholt: home planet of Emperor Mastredeles defeated a hundred years ago, in 601, and of Raween Cummills

  Zeefede: a Silver Path planet with two warring realms and Xereill’s sole Zeechaa sanctuary

  OTHER PLANETS: Ittroise, Drecer, Oiru, Vanntor, Ju, Nekkior, Vouh

  MAIN CHARACTERS

  Marye Atiz: noblewoman, organic; antiques dealer, Geru Gokk’s best friend

  Aviesto Bokesse the Third - Teteum’s king

  Vetil Beyyder: proficient, organic; LOR official, Etana’s boss

  Molm Boggond: nobleman, organic; Eia’s caretaker governor

  Cemaluria Cronk: proficient, organic; LOR official, Head of ERIGAT

  Zolendarlia “Zoly” Cronk: late-life bionic; daughter of Cemaluria Cronk, Etana’s new friend at LORSS

  Raween Cummills: nobleman, organic, rich-blood; Empire War hero, former Governor of Toholt, former LOR Councilor, founder of the Circle of the Enlightened.

  Superior Silne Dienoma: vestal priestess, organic; Head of the Temple of Eia, abbess of the Orogate Temple

  Nollan Dreggo: nobleman, organic; former university professor, Lord Boggond’s contender for Eia’s governorship

  Prioress Aynu Eckme: royal, organic; only grandchild of Eia’s last king, high-ranking vestal priestess of Aheya’s Temple

  Reverend Sannya Fo: vestal, organic; abbess of the Iltaqa Temple

  Achlins Ghaw: proficient, organic; reporter, editor-in-chief of the Iltaqua Gazette

  Disree Gokk: profic
ient, organic; Hadu Gokk's wife and Geru's mother, matriarch of the Gokk clan

  Geru Gokk: proficient, organic, rich-blood; heir to one of the realm's wealthiest families

  Haddu Gokk: proficient, organic; industrialist, head of the influential Gokk family, Geru's father

  Reverend Hedensia Goyyem: vestal, organic; head of the Healers’ Order