Ros Voyeh

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

*****

In one of her plainest dresses from the Kroscur, Lislora knelt next to Draeseth at the Temple. They’d attended every prayer in the last four days. Draeseth had even come directly from the sparring ground more than once to do so. No one had said anything to him about praying in armor, either out of fear or out of understanding. His Majesty was trying to be helpful by insisting his son fight out his grief and anger, at least she thought he was.

She tried her best to focus on the words, when the prayers weren’t of healing and hope her mind wanted to wander. At the moment, the Halloc was praying for Ganas to soften hard hearts. Lislora’s thoughts kept turning toward her coming visit with Isonei. They were hardly visits, she corrected herself. She wished they were visits. Seeing the cheerful and vibrant little woman on the knife’s edge between life and death had been heartbreaking each time.

The maid was begging to go and sit with her, but the one time she’d permitted it the Munian had been sent out for screaming as the gravely ill Duchess had fallen into some sort of seizure. It was made clear she shouldn’t return.

Draeseth reached over and touched her arm, making her realize the prayers had ended.

“I was worrying over Isonei,” she murmured and let him help her stand.

Hodrim touched her other arm and peered up at her solemnly, “We have to leave it to Ganas, but Halloc Aurim said that he often does wonders on the fourth day and the ninth. He was hopeful she may begin to improve today.”

“I’m going to go look in on her.” Lislora offered the boy a reassuring smile and then took hold of Draeseth’s arm for a moment, “I’ll bring you a thorough report, cousin.”

“I thank you.” He drew a deep breath and extended his hand to the boy with a grim face, “Krouth says that if she’s lasted this long she may recover. She’s stronger than she seems.”

The boy clasped his hand and returned the grim look, “Even the Kamruses are praying for her. Ganas will heal her, I believe it.”

Her cousin’s face softened. “When you become a priest I’ll give you a place in my sacellum.”

“I have higher hopes for the boy.” Kamrus Gillaugrim approached with a wry smile. “You should be pleased when you look in on the Duchess today, Lady Lislora. I was told that she’s been doing much better this morning.”

Hodrim broke into a relieved smile as the Kamrus continued.

“The Halloc who reported her condition to me said that her breathing has become easier and some color has returned to her face. If she continues to improve this way, she may wake in a day or two.”

“Ganas be thanked.” Lislora felt a weight lifting off of her shoulders.

“Fetch me when she wakes.” Draeseth wrapped his arm around Lislora.

“You can look in on her now, if you wish.” Gillaugrim eyed him with a slight frown. “It may help her wake sooner.”

The Prince made a loud sound in his throat and shook his head, “I can’t. I was at my mother’s side while she was ill. It took years before I could...” His jaw clenched and he cleared his throat, “Before I could think of her any other way.”

“I understand.” The Kamrus stepped forward to grip and squeeze Draeseth’s shoulder. “You’ll be sent for when she wakes.”

He stepped back and beckoned for Lislora to accompany him. “I’ll walk with you to see her, I want to look in on her and see her condition for myself.”

Draeseth kissed her head and turned to speak to Hodrim as she obediently followed the Kamrus out of the nave. Once they were in a quieter part of the Temple he fell back to walk next to her.

“I was told my cousin is considering allowing Princess Kresh out of confinement?”

“If-when Duchess Isonei recovers, yes.” Lislora gave him a rueful look, “I think it’s a mistake but her Highness won’t be able to come near the Duchess. The guards won’t allow it. After Prince Draeseth’s fit of rage...”

“I was told that it was a miracle of Ganas’ mercy he didn’t kill anyone.”

“It’s true. I’ve never seen him that way. Prince Rogath said he fought as he had at the Melee. Even Prince Ougath said the fight ended because Prince Draeseth chose to stop, not because he’d been subdued.”

The Kamrus nodded grimly, “He’s a formidable fighter. What of the woman who aided her Highness?”

“She’s in the cells. Once it’s known for certain whether the Duchess will live or die there will be a public trial and she’ll be put to death.”

He snorted and shook his head, raising his voice slightly, “It isn’t a trial if the outcome is already known.”

Meekly, she tried to placate him, “I don’t know a better word for it, your Excellency.”

Inclining his head he made an effort to soften his face. “It’s the word being used, I have no doubt, and her part in this is known.”

“Surprisingly, Krouth and Mes seem to have some pity for the woman. It baffles me. I know they’re devoted to the Duchess...”

“Slaves can be forced to do things they might not otherwise wish to do. I’m told several of the slaves have expressed pity for the woman.”

“Krouth isn’t a slave.” She gave him a sharp frown.

“No, but he was kept as one for a time. The hardship lent him understanding.”

Lislora clasped her hands and smiled ruefully down at them, “I never saw his better qualities until Isonei came to stay with my cousin. I don’t know if she brings out the best in people or if she merely points it out.”

The Kamrus gave a brief, quiet laugh. “I was convinced she was demon intent on sending souls to Mezaldir. It seems I’m one of the few people she’s been sharp with.”

“She thought you were behaving cruelly.” A familiar voice came from behind them and she tried not to wince. “She doesn’t tolerate that. The woman reminds me of my mother.” Kamrus Rimathe joined them with a smile. “Though Duchess Isonei may have more patience than she did.”

“She had no patience with me.” Gillaugrim gave him an annoyed look.

Rimathe began to laugh, “Had you walked into my mother’s bedroom and called her a whore you’d have left in a hail of broken glass, Kamrus or not! Women from the southern lands have hotter tempers. Anyone in the Dalcur will tell you the same. Even half-Lerian women like my mother are known for it.”

That earned a wry smile from Kamrus Gillaugrim. “I look forward to speaking with Duchess Isonei again. Perhaps-” The door at the end of the hall opened and Halloc Urroth came out beaming.

“I was just coming to fetch you! The Duchess’ recovery is nearly miraculous.” He beckoned and all three of them hurried toward the door.

Lislora expected to see the woman sitting up. Instead, she looked merely like she was sleeping peacefully instead of struggling to stay alive.

“Her color has gotten much better, she swallows the honey milk, and,” he gestured gleefully at the other priest who poked at the Duchess’ foot with a piece of metal.

Isonei’s leg twitched and her toes curled as she drew her foot away. Lislora thought the woman made a slightly pouty face as well but couldn’t be sure.

“A very good sign!” Kamrus Gillaugrim looked delighted coming forward to lay a hand on the sleeping woman’s head. “Her bleeding?”

“It’s grown better but not stopped entirely. That’s as expected after a miscarriage.”

Taking a deep breath, Lislora tried to place the peculiar smell in the air. “What smells so strange?”

“Sea salt.” Kamrus Rimathe gave her a faint smile. “The Munians have been insisting that she needs to be taken to the sea air. Their people use the saltwater in their medicines and they claim that the air has healing properties. They send the children outside when they’re ill.”

“We put sea salt in water and boiled it.” Halloc Urroth smiled wryly, “Breathing the steam not only helped the Duchess but Brother Therrith who has that peculiar lingering cough.”

“Sea salt should be put on our supplies list.” Kamrus Gillaugrim stepped away from the bed, “She looks remarkably better.”

“It is the fourth day.” Kamrus Rimathe put his hand on the other priest’s shoulder. “Ganas has a reason for her to be alive.”

°°°°°°°°°°

Lislora tilted her face up to the sun for a moment, taking a break from reading the Duchess’ copy of the

Book of Truths

. The words had begun to make her eyes ache.

Mes had been ecstatic to hear that the priests had found a way to let Isonei breathe salty sea air and that it had done wonders for her health. Krouth had been pleased as well and asked to be allowed to go offer prayers in thanks. She’d permitted it and, to show her own thankfulness, resolved to spend the few hours she had free between prayers in contemplation reading the Duchess’ book.

Looking back down at the page, she ran her hand over it lightly and allowed herself a rueful smile, it was almost a form of penance to read the curved Aran script.

Through the hedge of the small maze she had tucked herself into, Lislora heard the sound of women’s voices and quiet laugher. The Queen’s retinue would be out on a pleasant day like this and they might want to stroll through the maze... If she were found sitting here in the tiny alcove she’d have no way out. She looked down at her dress. At least it wasn’t one from the Kroscur, but the plain blue gown certainly wasn’t fit to encounter the Queen. Hurriedly she rose and tried to judge where they might be from their voices, slipping back along the confusing paths.

Seeing the end, she thought she’d made it, but as she stepped out she realized her mistake. The Queen and her retinue were having wine and enjoying the sun just outside of the maze, not venturing into it.

Conversation stopped and Lislora dropped into a curtsy. “I didn’t mean to disturb you, I-”

“I was wondering how long it would be until the bastard’s,” the Queen hesitated before speaking the title derisively, “second Duchess tried to join the retinue.”

“That wasn’t my intent, your Majesty.” Lislora could feel her face flushing as she kept her eyes pinned to the ground.

“Is that an Aran book?” One of the other women inquired with spiteful sounding amusement.

“It’s Duchess Isonei’s copy of the

Book of Truths

.”

“You do enjoy her things.” The Queen’s smirk could be heard with looking up and the women tittered.

A hard ball of anger began to form in Lislora’s belly. Straightening slowly, she held the book in front of her. She was meant to be a Duchess. Isonei had said she would be her equal, perhaps she should act like it. The tiny Aran hadn’t allowed them to intimidate her.

“There are rumors that Duchess Isonei is improving. You may have to go back to your own rooms soon.”

“The rumors are true, Ganas be thanked, and I’ll do so without complaint. She’s always kind, I look forward to her health returning and to seeing her cheerful face again.” Lislora lifted her eyes and offered an inclination of her head.

“She isn’t always kind.” Duchess Hegana muttered and took a swig of wine.

“She can be provoked.” Lislora offered a small smile remembering what Draeseth had said of Isonei’s behavior. “Kamrus Rimathe says that women from the southern lands are known for hot tempers, she’s shown hers rarely.”

“Prince Rogath says you visit with Duchess Isonei every day?” Lady Sebba’s smile reminded her strongly of Duke Shoban.

“I do. She’s much improved today, though she hasn’t yet woken.”

“It must be wretched having your lover expect you to attend his wife.” The women began to titter again at Sebba’s mockingly sympathetic tone.

“Not at all.” Lislora fixed a grim smile to her face. “He will be my husband as well once the Arrangement is signed. Duchess Isonei is adamant that we are to be treated as equals, she regards me as a sister and I regard her in much the same way.” It wasn’t entirely true but it was true enough. “Sharing a husband isn’t ideal, but it’s better than being a mistress.” Her words made Sebba’s face flush, “And if I must share my husband, I can imagine no one better than Isonei to share with.”

“But...” A younger woman began and then stopped, looking embarrassed.

“Ask her, Giserona.” The Queen gestured with amusement, “Duchess Isonei enjoyed your questions.”

“But you’d prefer to have him to yourself?” The woman looked almost apologetic.

“Any Torgan woman would.” Lislora offered her a small smile, “But he married her first. I’ve come to understand that it would be wrong of me to ask him to put her aside. She loves him, as I do, and he loves her as he does me.”

“Of course he wants Duchess Isonei, she’s well-bred, proud, a more beautiful creature than a beast like him should have ever been permitted to speak to according to her father.” Her Majesty paused as the women of the retinue smirked and made sounds of agreement. “The tiny thing may still become the Queen of Ara. Or,” she made a dismissive gesture, “a Queen of Ara.”

“Prince Draeseth won’t allow it.” Lislora smoothed her skirt and shifted the book in her hands.

“It would benefit Torga and my sons. He’ll allow what his father tells him to allow.” The Queen eyed her coldly, “Why he would want to marry you instead of keeping you as a mistress I can’t imagine. He could take a second Duchess that would have something to offer.”

Tilting her chin up, she tried to put some pride into her smile, “A restful-”

“His Majesty hadn’t intended to allow him to claim the bastard he got on you. There’s a chance you could be Draeseth’s half-sister. King Orgath bedded most of the women in the Kroscur during his visits to the bastard’s mother. None of my sons are permitted to look there for a wife.”

Lislora gritted her teeth. Any attempt to speak or argue would be mocked.

“I don’t think it matters if Prince Draeseth marries his sister.” Sebba smirked and sipped her wine. “It isn’t as if the Kroscur is known for intelligence or good breeding in any sense of the term.”

Duchess Hegana snorted, “Arans have a dim view of incest. She didn’t fault Rogath for having a mistress just that he’d taken a member of his House as she put it.”

Sebba’s face flushed and she gave the woman a vicious look.

“Duchess Isonei might insist the bastard find someone else if the matter were broached.” The Queen gave her sister a look of agreement. “Until then, my husband has chosen to allow this,” she gestured with annoyance, “to continue. I suppose it may be educational. Duchess Isonei wanted him to understand how these Aran Arrangements are ‘meant to be’ as she phrased it.”

Sipping her wine, she continued, “If my sons insisted I allow their bastard brother’s Aran wife into my retinue, it would be rude if I didn’t offer to allow the Torgan wife the same privilege, especially since she may be their bastard sister.”

The women tittered again.

“You may join us.”

Conversation turned to the gossip of the Court, which of the nobility had daughters being sent to visit convents, and who had been making large purchases of slaves from Phaethia. Lislora found a seat on the narrow ledge near Giserona.

Somehow the comparisons to Isonei hadn’t hurt as much as the slight to her mother or the speculation that she wasn’t her father’s daughter. If the Queen spread such rumors it was possible she wouldn’t even be allowed the Arrangement and her son would be regarded as worse than a bastard. The thought terrified her and made her furious all at once. Realizing she was glaring she closed her eyes and covered them with her hand.

“Feigning a headache won’t get you sent back to your rooms, Lady Lislora,” the smug voice sounded like Lady Sebba.

She uncovered her eyes and gave the smirking woman a flat look, “I’ll come sit next to you, Lady Sebba, so that when it gets bad enough and I vomit we can both be sent to change.”

Sebba’s mouth dropped open in horror and disgust.

“That won’t be necessary,” the Queen sounded amused. “You may go, it isn’t as if you have anything to add to the conversation and I think it’s nearly time for you to go pray for Duchess Isonei’s health.”

Standing, Lislora offered a stiff curtsy and walked away without looking back. Her stomach was beginning to roil, it hadn’t been an entirely empty threat. She wanted to speak to Draeseth about it, but if he believed it or if he spoke to his father of it and his father swore it was true... No. Not yet. First, she needed to try to discover if the Queen was just being cruel or if this was something she needed to prepare for.

Krouth would tell her cousin. Mes... Mes would be useless. The door was held for her and she went through it blindly still agonizing over who she could speak to. Her mind swam with thoughts of what might happen and she couldn’t think of anyone who might be able to help her.

By the time she reached the rooms she could feel the burn of vomit wanting to come up at the back of her throat. Entering and thrusting the book at the confused looking Munian as she headed briskly to the washing room, it seemed nearly everything she’d eaten for lunch wanted to come back up.

After her stomach stopped heaving she stayed leaned over the basin, panting for a moment.

“I’ll-I’ll fetch water.”

“Do.” A man’s voice answering her made Lislora jerk her head around in surprise.

“Who-”

“Don’t worry.” That it was Rogath’s voice suddenly occurred to her. “There are two of us, it isn’t improper.”

“I...” She wiped her forehead. “I don’t feel well.”

“You looked more upset than sick-”

“If she doesn’t want company, leave her be, Rogath.” Ougath interrupted his brother. “I thought you wanted to go see Sebba.”

Rogath made an annoyed sound much like she was accustomed to hearing from Draeseth. “Isonei is barely recovering. If someone is upsetting Draeseth’s other woman to the point of illness he’ll be in one of his moods.”

“You just don’t want to go back to your wife without-” The sound of a blow being struck came through the open door. “Maybe she’ll do whatever she does for our brother and put you in a better mood,” Ougath sounded almost sullen.

“Who upset you?” Rogath asked without opening the door wider.

“I accidentally stumbled on your mother in the garden.” Lislora took a breath. “She had me stay with her retinue for a short time.”

There was silence for a moment, then Rogath spoke resignedly, “She wasn’t kind or respectful?”

“She insulted me but that wasn’t what... I-” moving away from the basin, she took a dry towel and wiped her face and hands before coming to the door to look at the Princes.

Both looked displeased. For some reason she couldn’t identify, it made her feel hopeful.

“May I-may I ask something very personal?”

Rogath made a gesture for her to continue.

“Would-would you know if your father had other-other bastards?” She saw their eyes widen and pressed on, “Your mother was spreading a rumor that I’m Draeseth’s half-sister, that my mother was-” Lislora shook her head feeling angry tears beginning to well up. “I know it’s not true but I need to know how I can prove it if she keeps saying such things.”

Rubbing his mouth and jaw Rogath gave Ougath a questioning look. The younger Prince shrugged.

“This goes no further, do you understand?” The elder Prince moved a chair to block the door.

Swallowing nervously, she nodded, “Yes, your Highness.”

“Father keeps a book of all of his bastards. Mother doesn’t know of it. Draeseth was the only bastard raised with us, and the only one with a royal title and public acknowledgment, but we know the others. Father has never had a daughter.”

Closing her eyes, she sent a brief prayer of thanks to Ganas. “How can I prove it if she-”

“She’ll stop.” Ougath rubbed his eyes. “We’ll have father speak to her.”

“I thank you. The insults had no sting next to the thought of my son being treated as-”

The door tried to open.

“What was said goes no further.” Rogath gave her a hard look and she dropped into a curtsy.

“Yes, your Highness.”

He moved the chair and Krouth came in with a disapproving expression on his face. “Mes spoke to me as I was returning from the Temple. She said you were ill?”