Hey everyone-- Thanks to those who left comments. I appreciate it. -Harp
Chapter Eight
Indya walked between Zen and Kythe, entering the great halls of the alzar. They went through many rooms, Indya looking up at a rounded ceiling so high that the top receded into shadows she couldn't see. It was covered with bright tiles and painted images, and there were mighty columns, Indya trying to look at everything.
There were people here, too, but Kythe and Zen didn't introduce her. Two men came and took Ashka and Zozo. She looked after them.
"They will care for them, nina, give them baths and bring them to our rooms," Zen said.
Most of the people stopped where they were and stared at her, and then they dropped their faces to the ground.
"I think they're looking at my butt when we pass," she said low, voices echoing in this space.
Zen leaned. "You have an especially sweet round one."
"We're almost there, alea," Kythe said.
"I don't mind. This is where you are growing up?"
"Our residence is up those stairs," Kythe said, pointing. "We will show you soon. And the kitchens are that way. And the stables are that way. Those are the things I cared about when I was a boy."
"I think you both are beautiful as childs," Indya said. "I like to know you."
"We would have pulled your hair," Zen said. "I didn't like girls until my voice changed."
"How you know you don't like a girl?" Indya dismissed. "You don't know them all. Your voice change? I noticing you are deep."
"Yes. Men on Atlantis, their voices don't break?" Kythe said, making a small face.
"Break? I don't know," she said. "They are the same."
"None of the men courted you, nina? You're so beautiful," Zen said.
"All peoples of Atlantis is beautiful, Zen. We changing ourselves because we like to look at the beauty."
"Then I'm glad there's only one of you falling out of the sky to seduce us," Kythe muttered.
"You didn't answer my question, nina," Zen said.
"Yes, one likes me. His name is Pavel. But I is only being with him for finding out he has sex with me. He don't want to."
They slowed on either side of her.
"What?" she said, all of them stopping. "What for you don't keep going?"
They faced her, strange looks on their faces.
"You were using him for sex, alea?" Kythe said.
She frowned at him, and then she winced and shrugged a little with one shoulder, gesturing. "Maybe, a little. I wait. He don't't want to, I said. I am trying. I am a chair. A vase," she said, gesturing at one. "A bowl. I am in pretty clothes that show my breasts and belly like the clothes you and Zen is gives me and he's looking at the tree and wants to hold my hand and talking and talking, he's so boring. I like you. I come here, you are strong and handsome and Kythe is touching me right away."
Zen laughed, kissing her, Kythe taking her and kissing her and then they put her in front of them, Kythe smacking her bare butt.
"Walk that way, lustful woman, so we can look at you," Zen said, gesturing.
She looked back over her shoulder, frowning a little, and walked on. "You're a little crazy, you two. You shows me where to go I don't walk in your father's bath on mistake?"
"Keep going ahead," Kythe said, both of them still laughing.
She looked back. "You're strange," she said.
"I'm sure it's you who are strange," Kythe said, getting control.
"No."
They came up on either side of her when they reached huge doors, twice Kythe and Zen's size with carvings all over them, iron hinges and thick and dark wood. The doors opened like they did that by themselves, but there were men behind them who did it and didn't look at her.
"You don't have so many women, I think," she said, going in. "I don't see them. This is a long walk to cross one room."
There was a man in front of them sitting on a raised chair at the top of a small flight of shallow stairs with carpet on them, everything elaborate textiles, dressed in fancy clothing and a plain gold circle on his head just over his brows. He was like Kythe and Zen, older but handsome, big, the same dark brown hair, but his was shorter and loose and had gray in it.
His strong face was impassive and then he saw her and his brows went up, a quick sweep with his eyes and then they flashed to his sons on either side of her. There was a cluster of more men to the kah-rí's left, who were also looking at her, and some weren't friendly glances. She looked at Kythe, who turned his head to look down at her.
"Don't worry, alea," Kythe said in a low voice. "Our father will learn the truth."
"All right," she said, nervous now.
"Call our father 'Kah-Rí' every time you speak to him, nina," Zen said.
She was really nervous now. "All right."
They stopped in front of the chair and for the first time, she saw Kythe and Zen look at the floor to someone. She glanced at Zen, who nodded a little and she looked down at the floor like she'd dropped something and then looked up again.
Their father didn't say anything, looking at her face, his expression not friendly or unfriendly.
She waited. Nobody said anything. She looked around a little. "Hello," she said. "I am Indya. It's nice to meet you," she said, adding when she remembered. "Kah-Rí. I said that. They just tell me be honest. Okay."
She waited. Nobody said anything. She looked around some more.
"Would you like some clothes, Indya?" their father said.
"I think they have them. You have them, Kythe?" she said, turning and then looking back at their father, everyone murmuring at something. "Kye-Rí. I said that." She leaned in to Zen, speaking low. "Do I say it every sentence, Zen?"
Zen answered in the same low voice. "No, nina. Only each time you speak."
