The Priestess and Her Boy

24 - The Emperor's Plan

When Kamhet woke again, Hanja gave him more tea and bade him look at her.

"Are you in pain Kamhet?" she asked. "We will take you to a physician in Cana soon."

"Thankyou Priestess Hanja," he replied.

"How do you feel about me Kamhet?"

"I love you."

"But that is ridiculous, boy, you do not know me."

"Nevertheless it is how I feel." he replied.

"And do you wish to please me? For I am disappointed with you at the moment."

"I very much wish to serve and please you. Tell me how I have disappointed you!"

"Address me as Mistress, Kamhet! You lied to me in the tavern when I asked about the picture of the ship on your herb pouch. I could tell. What are the black objects? If you lie to your Mistress again she will be displeased and leave. Perhaps the other lady will come back and put you on the frame again. Is that what you want?"

And so Hanja continued, coaxing the truth from poor Kamhet, who was quite befuddled by the herb and wished only to submit completely to the feminine form before him. And she recalled the words of Priestess Ashala on the day she had left the Temple; 'In truth, this is the herb from the Book of the Prophet'. At Hanja's soft command, Kamhet spoke of his homeland and of its weapons, of the size of its armies and navies, and of the Emperor and his ambitions. And as he spoke, Hanja and Nikah felt a darkness in the room, although it was still morning. They stared at each other and held hands as the full consequence of Kamhets words became clear to them. And finally, when Hanja had no more questions, and there was silence, Kamhet spoke, "I will protect you when my countrymen come, Mistress. They shall not have you."

****

Hanja went to look for Javka, eventually finding her sitting by the window of her bedchamber, staring out across the water at the hills above Cana. She did not look around as Hanja entered.

"I know what you must think of me, young Priestess."

"You are not beyond redemption Javka. No one is. But the Temple has changed in the summers since Tajorg. The Goddess was not with us then, but now She is. Can you not feel Her? She stands for love and light, not for darkness, violence and torment."

"No, I do not feel Her. I am lost, abandoned. I know it."

"Javka, you will not be safe here. Kamhet spoke to me. Everything we suspected is true....no, it is worse than we could have imagined; the Emperor is crueler, his armies larger, his weapons more powerful. And he will be here in less than three moons! We will go north and raise the alarm - you must come with us."

"No. The boatman will not take me. His loyalty to the Temple comes before obedience to his Mistress. And I would rather stay here, Hanja - I am no longer young and this is my home. I will try to make peace with my Goddess in the time I have left, and with my boys, whom I have been cruel to. Do not worry, Hanja, the men of the east shall not have me."

"Oh Javka," said Hanja, tears in her eyes. "You have poison?"

"No. A rope. As it should have been fourteen summers ago in the square of Vosgir. But you must go now. There is no time to lose; for you at least. Go first to your mother! She will give you horses and provisions for your journey. Please send my boys to me before you leave!"

Hanja kissed her, turned and left, returning to the state room. Nikah had got Kamhet to his feet in the time that she had been gone.

"You can walk, Kamhet?"

"Yes Mistress," he replied. "Slowly anyway."

"We will go to my Mother's house. It is not far. She will send for a physician, Kamhet."

And so they left the Temple of the South, moving slowly down to the dock where the boatman waited. Once on the mainland they came across a merchant with a cart and, with a small gift of gold, persuaded him to take them to the grand house of Hanja's childhood.

"Look Nikah. This is where I grew up. That tree there - I used to climb it; all the way to the top. And there, by the lake, is where I kissed my first boy. I did not like it much. And, oh, there are still ponies in the field there!"

"You had a happy childhood Mistress." said Nikah.

"Yes Nikah, I did. But always it seems that happiness is short-lived in our world. Always it seems we are living in a time of changes, or there is danger - a new threat to be faced. But there is my mother! Let us go inside and make our plans."

****

That night, after a physician had attended to Kamhet and left him resting in an upstairs room, Nikah, Hanja and her mother sat before the fireplace in the drawing room and began to talk of the future.

"Nikah, you may go to the kitchens," said the Lady Cillah, "My boys will feed you."

"No mother," said Hanja. "Nikah must stay while we make our plans."

"Very well, Hanja, as you wish. He is pleasing enough to the eye. Are they all like this in the Temple of the City?"

"Mother! Nikah is sitting right here with us. Do not talk of him as though he is a piece of meat on your plate!"

"Very well, Hanja," said Cillah, turning to Nikah and reaching out to place her hand under his chin, raising his face. "Are they all like you in the Temple, Nikah?"

"Mother! Leave him be! Now, let us talk of Kamhet. I must leave him with you while Nikah and I make haste northwards. I believe him to be a good man, Mother, and the physician says that he will recover quickly. Please see that no harm comes to him. I shall give you my remaining herb to use in his food. It will keep him submissive, and he will love you. But use it sparingly for it is all that I have. Mother, Kamhet will be able to keep you safe when the storm comes. If you are determined to stay?"

"I will not leave! And besides, how would I be any safer in the City, if what you say of the Emperor is true?"

"Perhaps Mother. And with Kamhet at your side you may even be better protected than any of us. But now we must find a way to alert King Osta to the threat."

"That dog! He who killed your poor father, jealous of his fame and popularity. Osta is a coward. He will welcome this foreign power when he sees its might. He will send a gift of earth, water, a boy and a girl - and he will hope that the Emperor will allow him to remain a vassal ruler."

"Perhaps Mother. Nevertheless he should be warned. He may decide to fight - especially knowing that the City and the Sons of the North and Queen Zantina, from all that I have heard, will never bow down. There is a spy of the Temple in Cana, is there not? Priestess Javka spoke of him. Perhaps he can help us?"

"Indeed," said Cillah, "A captain of the Fleet, to whom I was recently introduced. He may have Osta's ear. I will send for him."

"Thank you Mother. Nikah and I must have horses; good ones. We will ride north tomorrow and alert the Temple."

"It is a long ride Hanja. Perhaps half a moon! Do you have gold?"

"Plenty. And winter is all but over now. The trade roads heading north will be easily passable. We must leave at first light."

"Very well, Hanja. Perhaps when all this is over, and if the outcome is favorable, we will be able to spend more time together. I do so miss you, my daughter. And you must one day teach me of the modern Temple - it seems we have grown distant from the ways of the Priestesses, here at the Temple of the South. Perhaps Javka was rooted in the past, and I along with her. I will have my boys prepare horses and provisions for you, although there are many inns along the road where you can seek rest, until you leave the southern lands at least.

"I thank you Mother. And yes, we shall travel light and seek food and shelter along the road."

"Hanja, I have had your old room prepared for you. You should get some sleep. But, of course, there is no priestess's couch. Perhaps I should take care of Nikah tonight?"

Hanja blushed, "No Mother, Nikah is special to me. He will stay with me and we will manage."

Cillah, shook her head and chuckled, "The ways of the Temple have truly changed."