Ros Voyeh

Notes: 1) If you see this anywhere but Literotica, it isn't supposed to be there!

*****

By the time they returned to their rooms Lislora felt almost ill with exhaustion and embarrassment. The Aran had spent the walk delightedly speaking about how much she'd enjoyed the evening, praising the gowns the women had worn and the tunics of the men, insisting they'd grown on her during her time in Torga.

The woman's unending, relentlessly cheerful chatter made her want to hide as much as the cutting looks and barely veiled insults had, when anyone had bothered to speak to her at all. Most had chosen to speak to Prince Burgath about her as if she didn't exist. It felt as if they'd attended different parties entirely.

Once her cousin had opened the door and ushered them in she made a weak excuse, "It's been too long a day, cousin. I need to rest."

Draeseth didn't protest as she hurried toward the study. She closed the door behind her and regretted it immediately. The room was dark and she wasn't certain of where the lamp might be. Trying to move forward carefully she was a few steps from the door when it opened letting in light and the soft sound of Isonei's teasing voice and her cousin's quiet laughter.

Krouth stepped in with a lit lamp and closed the door quickly. "Mes will help her Grace undress for the night, do you require anything?" His voice was hushed.

"Some help and the lamp..." She lowered her voice as Hodrim stirred on the bed, "Will they be using the washing room for long?"

"If I take the basin to them they'll stay in the bedroom. Her Grace washes nightly but she'll wash wherever the water is brought."

"It would be kinder to Hodrim if I undressed there."

"Of course, my Lady."

Leaving the lamp, he slipped from the room. Taking a moment to glance around she found her night clothes laid out and gathered them up. As quiet as she was trying to be, Hodrim still woke. The boy's head lifted and he looked around blearily.

"Go back to sleep, Hodrim. I'll be coming to bed shortly."

He yawned and dropped his head back down instead of answering. She doubted he'd actually been awake when he opened his eyes. Lislora smiled ruefully, her father had done that at times. She'd been able to wake him and have whole conversations with him, only to come back an hour later and find him still asleep with no memory of her having spoken to him.

Spotting the jewelry box, Lislora laid the clothes back down and took off the carcanet. It was a lovely piece of jewelry. The gems on the flowers had been painstakingly cut instead of simply polished so that they caught the light and the blackened gold was traditional in the Kroscur. This belonged on a Duchess' neck. She closed the box as quietly as she could.

The Arrangement was the only way she could keep her child but the thought of it left her feeling confused. A Duchess for half of the year? What would she be when Isonei was with... She rubbed her temples. He would be their husband, both of them. This was all so complicated, but she needed to focus on the most important part, she would raise her own son.

Krouth returned and whispered into the barely opened door, "The washing room is available."

Lislora picked up her clothes again and took the lamp for good measure as she moved toward the door. Once outside it she murmured, "I took off the carcanet that was lent to me. It's in its box if you wished to put it away."

"It can be done tomorrow." Krouth inclined his head. "I think she may have given it to you to keep. She's a generous woman."

"She is but that's a beautiful and expensive piece of jewelry, it shouldn't be given away on a whim."

He smiled faintly and offered a shallow bow. "I'll have it put back with her jewelry tomorrow."

Mes came out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her. The Munian woman was carefully holding a bundle of rags.

"How is her Grace's bleeding tonight?"

"It's gotten worse again." The maid opened the rags and showed him.

Wincing, Lislora averted her eyes, "That's far too much blood. Should you summon the midwife?"

"No. It was this bad or worse before his Highness stopped bedding her. She's meant to be resting more than anything else, perhaps the dinner was too much."

"His Majesty had her show them Aran dancing."

The sour servant straightened with a furious look on his face, "Dancing? The Duchess is delicate and at constant risk of losing her child and he commanded her to dance?"

"Draeseth was furious as well. After she showed his Majesty the Jara as he requested she insisted on dancing something called the... Sei..." Lislora frowned trying to remember what it had been called.

"Seivenis Jara." Krouth nodded with a frown. "A fast paced and scandalous dance."

"Yes, they seemed to feel she was making a point of some kind with it. His Majesty said she wouldn't be asked to dance again."

The smile that crossed Krouth's face was almost vicious, "The Lerians were insistent that the Arans weren't nearly as naive as they seemed. I had mistaken the Duchess for simple."

"It's their soft manner and insistence on gratitude, my father always said," Mes spoke up. "You can rely on them to bargain in good faith but they'll use that soft manner to their advantage if you aren't wary. Sailors are told to avoid the women." She gave Krouth a meaningful look. "The Captains say it's the women who keep the peace, no one with an Aran wife will raise a weapon against her kin."

"Prince Burgath heard something similar. If there wasn't such an insistence on having her returned I would suspect the Duchess had been sent for the purpose of making a lasting peace."

"They would have attempted it with one of the other Princes that were sent, not with Draeseth." Lislora glanced to the door with a frown.

"They were entertained by beautiful women at the palace in Ara. I would be surprised if it wasn't attempted. It was made clear that Duchess Isonei wasn't meant to be one of those women. Prince Burgath says the Aran King has been very reasonable but her father is immensely wealthy and has been stirring up her kin and anyone else who will lend support to have her returned." He frowned and glanced to Mes, "The Duchess is not to be informed of anything regarding her family by one of us. Upsetting her is dangerous to her health and upsetting his Highness would result in your freedom being denied."

The maid inclined her head and carried the rags away.

Lislora hesitated outside of the washing room, "I think Draeseth would still raise a weapon against her kin."

"He would, but only because they would take her from him. It would upset her deeply. She wept when he gave her brothers a beating for striking her."

Moving into the washing room, she removed the green gown and tossed it into the corner with the under layers before performing her evening ablutions and dressing in her night clothes. Lislora gave the pile of discarded clothes a moment's consideration before leaving the room. She'd always been fond of dark green but after tonight's dinner that dress wasn't one she ever intended to wear again.

Mes waited patiently outside the door as she opened it.

"I don't want to have to wear that gown a second time. Have it cleaned and returned."

"As the Lady pleases." Mes curtsied and allowed her to pass before going in to fetch the gown.

°°°°°°°°°°

Despite her exhaustion, Lislora slept lightly. Each time Hodrim moved in his sleep, cuddling closer or turning away to press his back to her she found herself awake again. When he rose, she had a moment of bliss alone in the bed, until Krouth came to tap at her hand.

"Master Hodrim wishes to attend the early prayers at the Temple. There's too much for me to do to take him myself and I'm not certain I would trust an impressionable young boy with Mes outside the palace walls. He suggested that you might wish to go if you had an appropriately modest gown?"

She rubbed her eyes and bit back a sharp reply. "You have a gown for me?"

"One of those you brought from the Kroscur would suffice for a trip to the Temple. Mes can take you to the seamstress on your way back. This early there would be no waiting to see her. I have a very particular woman in mind to make your dresses." The sour servant was looking down at her expectantly.

"I'll take him."

"Mes will walk with you. Some prayer would do the woman good and she can take you through the servant's entrances which will make your walk shorter."

Before she could say anything to that, he was laying out her underclothes and he seemed to have one of her modest day dresses already prepared. Sighing heavily, she clambered out of bed.

"You seem more tired than usual." He eyed her with a frown.

"I didn't sleep well. Hodrim is a sweet boy but he clings almost as badly as the Duchess."

Krouth smiled faintly. "I was approached about giving you your own rooms, they would be in this wing, and not as grand as these-"

"If I would have my own bed and not be with the mistresses you have my permission." Lislora gave him a look of relief and he bowed shallowly.

"I'll find a maid to wait on you in your new rooms, my Lady." He slipped from the room allowing her to rise and ready herself for the trip to the Temple.

Once dressed, with her hair braided and pinned into a severe style she'd done so often she no longer needed a mirror for, she came out of the room to find Hodrim waiting patiently with Mes on the sofa playing Open, Closed, and Point. The woman rose immediately as soon as she noticed Lislora giving her a disapproving look.

"We should go before we're late."

"Of course, my Lady." The Munian woman turned and Lislora caught a hint of a dimpled smile flashed at Hodrim.

The boy tried to suppress a smile as he rose from the sofa.

The maid brought light cloaks and Lislora accepted one, still giving the woman a disapproving frown. Someone should have a word with her, clearly the Duchess permitted the woman far too much if she sat on the sofa like a guest.

Hodrim tried to decline his and Lislora spoke up, "You need a light cloak if we're going into the city. It's filthy and the cloak will help protect your clothes."

"But won't we get too warm?" He reluctantly pulled it on. "Master Krouth said the weather is expected to be mild today."

"It's better to be a little too warm than to have your clothes ruined." She smiled faintly as he nodded with a thoughtful frown.

With a gesture she commanded the maid to precede them. The path Mes chose led them past the kitchens and the smell of bread beginning to bake made Lislora's belly growl.

Glancing back, Mes quietly reassured her, "Breakfast will be served on our return. His Highness eats with his brothers and his Majesty. Master Krouth suggested you might wish to eat with the Duchess after our visit to the seamstress."

"She may have already risen and eaten." Lislora frowned slightly.

"Her Grace is not to be disturbed when she's sleeping, she's allowed to sleep until she wakes. With the excitement last night, we expect her to sleep longer this morning."

"If she hasn't eaten, I'll eat with her." Lislora tried not to wince. "Does she eat more than a single slice of bread with an egg now?"

"Xago makes sweet batter cakes for her, Aran foods entice her to eat more. Keeping them down is the problem."

"Draeseth said there were days she couldn't keep down tea."

"There are days she can't drink at all, yes. I overheard the priests telling the midwives that she was so fragile in the Kroscur they didn't believe she could fall pregnant. The midwives said she should have been fattened up before he put a child in her belly. What was she fed there?"

"I'll have Master Krouth chide you for gossiping about the Duchess when he speaks to you about sitting on the furniture."

The Munian dipped into a deep curtsy at her frigid words. The walk through the servant's passages and out of their entrance was silent after that. Outside the palace, the few people on the streets seemed to all be heading toward the Temple as well.

Lislora ushered Hodrim toward the front when they arrived, allowing the maid to hang back and find a place at the rear of the Temple. Kneeling and waiting patiently for the prayers to begin she glanced at the boy who was peering around delightedly.

"Even when there's so little light it's beautiful," he murmured to her.

"It is." She couldn't hold back a smile.

Around them, people began to quiet and Lislora could smell the incense wafting up the center aisle. It brought back memories of her father bringing her on the few visits they'd made. Bowing her head she offered a silent prayer that Draeseth would be as good a father.

Once the Hallocs and Kamrus Gillaugrim had reached their places, they began the prayer asking to be guided and for all to be put on their right paths. The reading from the

Holy Word

that had been chosen was one admonishing them to be wary of perversions brought from the lands of those who denied Ganas.

It made her face flush and she felt as if she'd been singled out. Her mind began to race with thoughts of Halloc Aurim being present and perhaps coming to denounce her in front of everyone. It made it impossible to focus on the rest of the words. Sweat rolled down her back as she waited impatiently for the prayers to come to an end so that she could escape.

The moment the dismissal was given she rose to her feet and put up her hood, pulling Hodrim to the side and toward the back despite his wish to linger and look at things.

She was already outside the Temple when she remembered the maid. Glancing around she saw the woman speaking to Xago outside, well away from the doors. It gave her an excuse to hurry away from them herself.

"Mes!" Lislora gave them both a sharp look, "Did you attend the prayers?"

The Munian woman dropped into a low curtsy, "There was no room, my Lady. I chose to-"

"You chose to seek out your lover instead? This is why Master Krouth wouldn't send you alone with young Hodrim. The list of things he needs to chide you for grows longer each hour of the day."

"Your forgiveness, Lady." Xago bowed, "I came to speak to her when I saw her standing by the steps waiting for you. She didn't seek me out and there was no inappropriateness, I promise you."

Eyeing them dubiously, the woman didn't seem rumpled in any way and neither did the Munian man next to her. Even so the coincidence was too great. With an unhappy exhale and a shake of her head she gestured brusquely for Mes to come away from him.

"We have tasks to attend to."

The woman rose from her curtsy and abjectly came to stand next to Hodrim.

"As do I. Her Grace may call for breakfast soon." Xago inclined his head and with a pained glance at Mes he made his way toward the palace.

"You spend too much time with him. It isn't proper."

"It is permitted," the woman spoke quietly.

"It shouldn't be." Lislora took a breath calming her anger and her nerves, "Master Krouth said you would take me to the seamstress."

"This way, my Lady." Mes meekly led the way.

As they walked Hodrim murmured, "You shouldn't be so harsh. Mes is kind."

"She's not a very good servant, Hodrim. I would have expected her to learn how to behave by now." Glancing at the boy's unhappy face she added, "The prayers left me unsettled. I'm trying to do what's best for my child but the shame of entering into an Arrangement instead of a marriage wounds me."

"Perhaps you shouldn't do it. Ganas may give you a better way to care for your child." The boy gave her a concerned look.

"I'll consider it." She tried to offer him a smile but it felt more like a wince. There weren't any other options she could see.

He put a hand on her arm. "Trust that Ganas will put you on your right path."

Her smile grew more genuine. "You'll be a fine priest someday, young Hodrim."

Barely out of sight of the Temple, the maid walked up to a plain door and knocked. After waiting for a moment, a scarred older woman answered the door and muttered something in what might have been Phaethian. Mes answered her and the only word Lislora understood was Krouth. They spoke for a long moment and the woman backed away from the door beckoning them in.

Inside, Mes took off her cloak and gave it to a nervous looking younger woman with a smile. Lislora handed hers over with a slight inclination of her head.

"Hodrim should wait with me, Lady." The Munian maid gestured toward a small sitting room.

"Of course." Lislora gave the boy an encouraging smile and he followed the woman inside, allowing the nervous woman to take his cloak.

The older woman beckoned from another doorway. As Lislora followed her she muttered in the indecipherable language. Entering a well lit room where two women were already sewing, she mimed unfastening her overdress and pointed to a small round dais.

Tentatively, Lislora removed her overdress and stepped onto the dais holding it in front of her. The woman gave her a scornful look and said something to one of the sewing women.

"Mistress Rin can be impatient and she only speaks Phaethian, if you've had dresses fitted before you should know what to do." One of the women spoke without looking up. "Undress so that you can be measured properly. She said your gown is practically a rag, you can just toss it over a chair."

Biting her tongue, Lislora stepped down and carefully draped her overdress over a nearby chair before stripping down to her chemise and small clothes. As she did so the nervous looking young woman hurried in with a pot of something that might have been tea and a few mugs.

The scarred woman said something speculative and the young woman nodded and leapt to grab a cloth measuring strip after setting down the tea. It was the young woman who measured her and Lislora felt somewhat grateful for it. Mistress Rin took down the measurements that the girl called out and when the girl stepped away speculatively, said something and sent her off at a trot.

Standing in her chemise felt ridiculous and Lislora stepped down to dress. The older woman snapped something and pointed back to the dais.

"You'll need to try what's brought." The other woman spoke up again. "You should wait until Mistress Rin tells you to dress."

"I don't understand. I didn't know I was coming to Nemauros until a day ago and she didn't have my measurements. How could anything be..."

The nervous woman hurried back with her arms full of half finished dresses. The scarred woman eyed them one at a time and looked Lislora over with a deep frown. She pulled three away from the bunch and the girl whisked the rest away. Mistress Rin pointed to her clothes and said something in her tongue.

"Put on only the under layers." The other woman still didn't look up, continuing her stitching.

Lislora felt somewhat better in her under layers but when the woman approached with pins she had to try not to shrink away. The pincushion was thrust into her hand and the old woman frowned looking her garments over. Pulling out her own measuring strip she measured over them and nodded grudgingly.

The nervous girl hurried back and began draping one of the half finished gowns over her garments. The peculiar shade of blue-grey was one she wasn't fond of but she was afraid to protest with the sour looking Mistress Rin busy pinning it.

The woman seemed almost pleased when she'd finished. The gown was carefully removed and the next brought, this one a much lovelier shade of green, and then one in brown. When that one was finished, Mistress Rin pointed at Lislora's overdress and made a gesture that seemed like permission to dress. It was a relief to put it back on.

The older woman beckoned impatiently as she finished. Following her to the sitting room, Lislora was surprised to find two other women waiting with Mes and Hodrim. Mistress Rin walked them to the door, sending Mes into another room to fetch the cloaks, and spoke to her briefly again before closing the door on them.