A Castrovel Adventure: Part 4, Chapter 17
In which Lady Vaeol reaps the consequences.
From the Daylog of Vaeol-Zheieveil Yaranevae be’Son
8. Shenelae, 24,543 - Lea
Today I came back to the city, and to the Embassy where I met Taiase and Istae. I asked them to write their words for Semuane, which they gladly yaysaid. They will give me their leaves in a day.
Also, I took hap to speak with the hallreeve. I besought a room ready, in sake I wish to stay anight instead of going back to the farmhold. She yaysaid and would have it readied. I blessed her boon, and bethought I will find it nice to have a last, wholly free nighttide with Oshis ere I have that talk with Remaue, after which when I may meet him again I know not. Remaue can be a stern overmistress, and I cannot foretell what dearth she will own from my sin.
11. Shenelae, 24,543 - Leiss-Farmhold
Two days ago, I went again to the city, foretellably to wait on Her Highness Lady Zhaene, Taiase, and Vosaeth, and to gather Taiase’s and Istae’s writs for Semuane’s leafbode. Again I asked Erymi to have Oshis host, which she let. If she misgave anywise, she showed nothing.
I did not tell that we would not be coming back to Leiss that night.
We rode forth with Vosaeth, Onull, and Eneash, two of her haremmates, who waited on her and little Sonnauf while the other two stayed and minded camp at the farmhold. Vosaeth, for her share, overgladdened in Oshis’s hostship, and bade him bear their son, who, against his hard birth, has grown strongly while these months. We beheld nothing dearer than our stalwart Korasha holding his son in his mighty elbow, and the fierce love flowing from him, witted and shining back from the babe’s bright mind. It made me think on my babe growing, and foreseeing him yield that same faith. In no wise did it dim my lust.
After we stalled the Shota and rode the ferry, Vosaeth led me aside and asked how I was feeling. I answered well enough. Then, with a side-eye at Oshis, she markedly asked how Remaue’s ban against men settles. Misgivingly, I answered it bothers. Vosaeth nodded, kissed my brow, and said she understood. Remaue had given an unfair law, spoke my oath-sister. She offered that if I need anything, whether to speak for my behalf or anything else, I might come to her.
A thought upsnuck that Oshis’s and my tryst showed less secret than I had forehoped, for since both Vosaeth and Erymi witted, who else? Under my want’s strength, I shoved that fear aside.
When we reached the Matrons’ hall, I begged weariness. With Oshis ahost, we left Vosaeth and her haremmates to wait on the matrons, and hied to the embassy, where I took full behoof of his manliness. I laterward woke when Oshis came back into the room, bearing two words. First, he gave me a new farseer-word: Semuane’s answer to my last. Then he told Istae had witted us here and asked talk. More hastily than I had forewished, I cleansed and clothed, and then went to Istae. When she asked my day, I beseech her leaf-word for Semuane. She said she had it half-written and, if I would give her slumbertide, she would have it done by Eighth Bell. We yaysaid, after which Oshis and I headed back to the Matrons’ Hall. We found Vosaeth and together waited on the Matrons, who, owing to me bechild and Vosaeth asuckle, let us seats while they spoke. Her Highness Lady Zhaene clove us, and after the moot-tide ended asked us to noonmeal back at the embassy, where she mainly took hap to play with the babe. After tea, I again withdrew to the room for slumbertide.
When I woke, I found not only Istae with Vosaeth, her haremmates, and Oshis in the meanroom, but also Lady Taiase, who merrily greeted me. Istae told that she had almost ended her writ for Semuane. Then Taiase added that she could end hers, too, and, if I would wait until fore-eve, she would yield it. Against my better wit, I glanced at Oshis. It was becoming almost too easy to find sake to stay the nighttide. I answered I would gladly stay, even until duskmeal.
We ate in Lady Zhaene’s fellowship, and when Her Highness bade we should outsend the men so that we wives might talk freely, I did not gainsay, even much as I witted Onull’s and Eneash’s hurtful faces. Oshis, for his share, played smoothly and left, for he understood our plan. Though I drank little but some winewater, after the sweetdish I forsook songtide and beseeched leave to withdraw, foreclaiming my heaviness wearied me. Her Highness kissed my belly and bade me sleep, after which Taiase and Vosaeth kissed and wished me idle dreams.
Softly I strode to the room and fastened the doorshroud. I witted all the shutters set, and so upwafted a witchlight, and then lit a lantern, adding more warmth to my soulcraft’s dazzle. Then I headed to the nook, where leaned Oshis.
My manlove glided to me with lissomeness so forecatching in a man even stout by Korasha standards. He knelt, laid hands on my belly, and kissed. I lifted his chin and looked with such love, even besmirched with a little sorrow. I thanked him for this day, and then spoke it might be our last, for I owed Remaue a for making love to him leavelessly, and I must settle with my wifemate. He understood, and answered he would have me stand well with Remaue, forwhy he loves her, too. ~Stamara illayelis, o yothim~ - “Whatever you will, I will uphold,” he swore.
I overleaned and kissed his brow. ~Sei o'ryri-araemi vere yuaes, o avas tifassas.~ - “Then tonight make love to me a last time, and hold me in your arms.”
He unwrapped my bodyshroud, taking while to hold and stroke my bosom and belly. I sat on the bed and likewise untucked his loincloth. Then I quelled my witchlight, but kept the warm lantern flickering, for I would see love upon his face.
Against outlook, the lantern too snuffed. Oshis stilled, and his hands slackened against my breast. He shifted to war-mind as a shadow flickered at sight’s edge.
Bewared under war-mind, I offleapt. Yet my body’s thickness proved too awkward, and too slowly stirred. In mid-deed something wrapped my neck and lightly tightened: eelskin, braided and well oiled, a wit I knew too well.
~Sta ea?~ - “What is this?” Remaue’s throat hissed in my ear. Then she hauled me backward off him.
Oshis also tried to upleap, still unsure what was happening, and befearing a stroke. Yet Erymi strode forth and laid hand on his breast. When he stilled, she looked grimly to me. ~Naiadaf o’dinae se nesaianzis eista-vastra doromyaru.~ - “I warned you not to enwed my manmate in your strife.”
Beside Erymi, Vosaeth showed and, unlike her, openly chuckled, as I bewitted she too shared in the snare. Then I beheld Kaure and Taiase, and behind Leief and Vohyd. Unsoothly, I beheld my heart falling down a shameful well.
Remaue took full behoof. She mockingly outquoth awe that a lady and outrider so worthy as I, and of such high kin, would break faith, unheed my wifemate’s spoken bid, and leavelessly use a man forbidden. When I cringed, she further outlaid she and Vosaeth had laid a bet at the Blighttide Clanmoot. Vosaeth had claimed that a wife could not forgo manly love while bechild, for many reasons: one being to feed the womb and ensure a healthy babe, and the other being that, as a newcoming mother’s birthmight grows, so do her moods, until she cannot withhold lust. Remaue had naysaid and spoken she believed my will strong enough to withstand, reckless of strength, and dolefully if she bade me so. Now she told she owed Vosaeth a rueful dearth, and begrudged I had not only broken faith, but made her lose. Then she named me wanton.
I looked to Kaure, the one person in this room who might yield some ruth. Yet her face I could not read, which made me reckon what Remaue might have told her, and what she might believe. Against hope, a sob fled my lips.
Remaue tugged the eelskin-loop to hush me. She then asked Erymi what sake she would speak. Erymi answered she would have nothing, for her manmate had shared our whole deed and stayed faithful. Her hand patted Oshis’s shoulder, even while he glanced worriedly between her and me.
At that breathtide, a witless wrath flowed through me, and a weird gust blew through the room. The others looked queerly, though did nothing. Taiase frowned at me. Yet Remaue beheld it and quailed not. Her head cocked reckfully, reading my mood-throe and even reckoning how much shame I might forbear. If anything, her behavior grew my wrath even stronger. I think I yelled, though what I know not. My sight darkened, as almost a swoon.
Next whit I knew, things were flying through the room upon a whirling gust. The shutters banged open. The windowshrouds fluttered so wildly they might tear. Befuddled, I sought about at the others gaping, yelling, and the lantern toppling. Why I knew not, though I witted a heavy mood, almost dizziness over my mind.
While I reckoned further, the weirdness within the room lessened, and then stilled, letting the flying dishes combs, and trinkets settle strewnly, and Vohyd hastily snuffing the spilled lantern ere fire started. I beheld the wrecked room and strewn mess. While I stared, all stared back at me. Remaue’s hand had slackened on the eelskin-loop, though I gave no thought to flight. Then Taiase strode forth. She bade Remaue we must heed, and though she knew well what game they played, a new deedfulness must be reckoned. ~Rauzhiafi haradi~ - “Her birthmight has strengthened,” she outlaid. With my mood-throe, a new wildness threatened.
My elder friend’s word shook me, and furthermore that I had made such a wreck. I had lost reeveship of my mightiness, the worst shame a soul-seer may bear.
Remaue knelt before me. Though she dropped not the loop from my neck, she lifted my sobbing head. She stroked my brow and cheek, kissed, and bade me peace. Hardly I soothed, even while I wondered what she would. Still much she looked the haughty overmistress, and without mindshare whether this was some game, as Taiase had bespoken, or truly her anger’s wrack-stroke I could not tell. That doubt threatened to overwhelm me again, and she hushed me until my sobs weakened.
Softly she asked whether I would follow her lead, at which I sobbed again, but yaysaid. Shortly she spoke with Vosaeth, Taiase, and Erymi, which I understood not fully, else than they forespoke to meet again the next day at the farmhold and would then speak further. Then Vosaeth doubtlessly outled her haremmates, doubtlessly for their own deeds, as did Taiase and Istae holding hands, which left but us three - me, Remaue, and Kaure - in the wrecked room.
Kaure sat beside and stroked my hair, the most reckful of my welfare. I sank in thankfulness for her love, even while I feared I had lost Remaue’s. Half I thought this was a overworksome shame-play, but another half-bethought she truly wished to wrack wrath. When I tried wit even in mindshare I could not tell.
Remaue swerved back to me. Her free hand reached my brow. For the first time I beheld her weariness, and some small ruth. Her finger stroked my antenna root, eyebrow, check, and ear.
Then she spoke: ~Nauzha di amena o'eisa-nei,~ - “Thralls do not sleep on beds.” At her word, Kaure laid a mat, sheet, and pillow on the floor. Behooving the eelskin-loop still on my neck, Remaue drew me from the bed and led me to the mat, where she bade me kneel and sleep while she and Kaure took the bed.
~Ryra,~ - “Last thing,” she said, and yielded the loop to Kaure. I looked to our ~Korashe~ maidenmate for outlay, who unwrapped the eelskin from my neck. Soon as it freed, something cold, and harder, settled on my neck. Under Remaue’s fingers it clicked, like a metal latch. I felt upward and found a hard, full neckband. From it hung a link-fetter, whose end lay in Remaue’s hand. She wrapped it on the bedfoot, climbed abed, and beckoned Kaure to her arms.
To Be Continued in Chapter 18
Lashunta Terms & Phrases:
- ~Sta~ (common): what; who; interrogative pronoun
- ~Sta ea?~ - What is this/it?
- ~Nauzha~ (common): thrall; prisoner
- ~Ryra~ (common): last; last thing
- ~Korashe~ (feminine): a female Korasha
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