Kros Voyeh Ch. 19

“I feel better now that everything has... come out.” Lislora gestured toward the washing room. “I would still like to rinse my mouth and rest before the prayers.”

“We’ll leave you to rest.” Rogath inclined his head. “Mother will be spoken to.”

“I thank you.”

The Princes left and Krouth looked at her curiously. She dismissed his look with a wave of her hand. “Her Majesty has never been kind to anyone from the Kroscur.”

“If they’re willing to speak to her on your behalf it must be more than that, my Lady.”

“I’ve promised not to discuss it.” Lislora rubbed her temples. “I should have stayed inside to read. I thought the maze would be safe enough, but I heard the retinue and by trying to keep away from them accidentally walked right into the middle of them. Her Majesty wanted me to sit with them for a time until I began to feel ill. That was when she dismissed me.”

“Did you quarrel with them?” He glanced to the door. “They deliberately provoked the Duchess when she joined them.”

“They did the same to me, but I kept hold of my temper. The only one I was rude to was Lady Sebba.”

“She’s Prince Rogath’s mistress. It’s unwise to be rude to her.”

“The others were.” Lislora frowned slightly.

“She must have done something to upset the Queen.” Krouth straightened his tunic, “I’ll make inquiries. Her Grace enjoys hearing the Court gossip. Her sisters in Ara-”

“I don’t want to know, Krouth. I just want to stay away from them.”

“You’ll be a Duchess, Court-”

“No.” She gave Mes a relieved look as the woman hurried back in with a pitcher of water. “If there are two Duchesses we won’t both be needed to accompany Draeseth to Court.”

“Her Grace will be waking soon. I was permitted to see her briefly.” The man’s face was schooled to cool neutrality. “She would enjoy a visit from you when she does. Court gossip would be-”

“Isonei will need to rest, not spend her time worrying about having to face those women. I’ll find something to speak about with her. She should be pleased that we’ll be able to return to the Kroscur immediately after the bouts now that...” Lislora caught herself.

“Perhaps you should rinse your mouth.” Krouth’s eyes were hard but his tone was cool and even.

Mes carried the covered basin of vomit away silently.

“I’ll put more thought into my words before I see her.” Lislora went back into the washing room to rinse her mouth and wash her face.

After a moment the sour servant followed, speaking from the doorway, “Court gossip would be a safe topic. She enjoys such things more than you do.

“The priests wish to be certain her Grace had not requested the tea as Princess Kresh insists. There may be some difficult discussions she has to endure. She’ll be fragile and need careful handling.”

“You don’t think she...” The thought that the tiny woman might have wanted to end the pregnancy wasn’t completely unbelievable. Being violently ill and knowing that the child’s birth might kill her would make ending it tempting to anyone.

“No. Her Grace was more worried for the child than herself when the pregnancy was discovered.”

Drying her hands, she shook her head, “Why did she send Rimathe away? That’s bothered me. It would make more sense if she had asked for-”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t visit with her Grace when she wakes,” the servant’s tone was gelid as he cut her off. “She believed her status protected her and that her Imperial Highness could not harm her. Rimathe was sent to warn me. Her Grace believed I required protection. She will be grief-stricken when she learns of the loss.”

“As ill as she was, and as dangerous as-”

The servant walked away with a disgusted look as she was speaking.

Lislora sighed, perhaps she shouldn’t go see the Aran when she first woke. Saying the wrong thing was almost a gift. It would give the priests time to decide if Isonei had wanted to rid herself of the pregnancy or not and time for her to think of safe topics.

Going into her bedroom she began to change back into the dress she intended to wear to the Temple for the afternoon prayers. It would be a relief to be able to stop attending every few hours. Though, she glanced around the spacious bedroom, it would be unpleasant to go back to the smaller rooms.

She’d been growing accustomed to holding Draeseth at night. There hadn’t been any more sex since Isonei’s poisoning, her cousin had been too distraught and she didn’t want to broach the subject and be seen as wanton or unsympathetic to him or toward the gravely ill Aran.

It would be strange not to have him in bed. The thought made a lump form in her throat. Lislora finished fastening her dress and glanced in the mirror, most of the servants here had better dresses. She didn’t need new dresses, these were perfectly serviceable for home, but... it was difficult not to feel a little envious.

“Ganas grant me, we can go home soon,” she murmured to herself.

Leaving the bedroom, she saw Mes and Krouth speaking quietly near the door. Their conversation stopped as they noticed her and the looks they gave her were cold.

Before she could say anything to them, the door opened and Draeseth entered with a grim smile. He beckoned for her to come with him.

“Father intends to hold the trial the day after tomorrow. The scaffold is being built as well as the platform father will be presiding from. My brothers and I will be with him. I would have you by my side but it would seem you were standing in judgment with us.”

“And it isn’t permitted.” Lislora nodded. “I may consider taking the servants and watching with them. Isonei may be glad to know someone has been punished for what was done.”

He made a doubtful sound. “She’s softhearted. It’s a blessing that she’ll be too weak to attend. My silver Duchess would beg for mercy.”

She sorely wanted to ask if there were any topics that would be safe to discuss with the Aran but feeling as annoyed as she did, it would be best to keep her mouth closed.

Draeseth seemed to notice something was amiss. “You look sour, my Kros Voyeh.”

“I don’t mean to be, cousin. I was speaking with Krouth earlier. He wants me to carry gossip to Isonei to entertain her when she wakes. I objected and tried to come up with other things to discuss but each one he said would upset her.” She gave him an annoyed look, “I may leave visiting her to you once she wakes.”

Laughing in his throat, he squeezed her arm against his side, “Krouth knows the woman better than I do in some ways. Take his opinion into account.”

Lislora rubbed his arm and gave him a rueful smile. “I will.”

In the garden, he pulled her aside before they reached the passage to the Temple. “Is there something else?” He tilted her face up and caressed her cheeks.

“I’m glad Isonei is getting better, and I won’t be upset to go back to the other rooms, but I will miss being so close to you. I’ve come to appreciate having you in bed with me.”

He flushed and smiled almost shyly before dipping his head to give her a gentle kiss. “You’ve been more comforting than any man would have a right to expect. You look in on Isonei, you hold me and stroke my head as I worry, you pray next to me for her health and worry over her like a sister. I won’t forget what you’ve done, my Kros Voyeh, I will not stop spending time with you.”

“You’d come sleep in the smaller rooms?” She smoothed a wrinkle in his tunic, “Isonei may need you at night.”

“We will see what she requires. It may be days yet before she wakes and longer still before she returns to the palace.” He kissed her forehead.

She nodded and frowned pressing her face into his chest for a moment. It would be a terrible idea to bring up what Krouth had said but somehow she couldn’t help herself, “Krouth mentioned that the priests have-have doubts.”

“I’m aware.” His voice was grim but he pulled her closer instead of pushing her away. “I don’t share them. In her place, if it were my life or the life of a child that had only brought me grief and illness, their concerns would be warranted but Isonei put the child first the moment she learned she was carrying him. Krouth said the first words out of her mouth were worries over who would care for her child after her death when she was told. She could not be joyful until she knew the boy would be cared for if the worst should happen. That is not a woman who would ask for poison to end a difficult pregnancy.”

“No, it isn’t.” Lislora embraced him and took a deep breath feeling a little guilty that she had thought otherwise. “I always say the wrong thing, cousin. I...”

“Not always. You’ve been good with me when I’ve needed you.”

“You know what I mean, even when I misspeak.” She slowly disentangled herself to look up at him.

He gave her a warm smile, “Usually. We should go before we’re late.”

Taking his arm again and walking toward the King’s entrance, Lislora exhaled heavily, “When she’s well it will be a relief not to need to attend every prayer.”

“You would have been a very poor Sister.” His tone sounded teasing and when she gave him an annoyed look he grinned, “We’re well-suited, cousin. I’d have been a poor priest.”

She tried not to smile at him and could feel herself failing miserably to hold it back. He began to laugh in his throat.

°°°°°°°°°°

After the prayers, her cousin escorted her back to their rooms with an almost mischievous spring in his step, pulling her straight into the bedroom.

“What are you-” Lislora flushed as he pulled the box from its place in the vanity drawer.

“I want to show you how much it pleases me that you want to stay by my side, my flower.”

Her stomach fluttered as he beckoned her toward the bed. “Every time I hear you say that, my joy, I want to try harder to please you.” Lislora wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him eagerly, earning a growling groan from him as he returned it.

Trailing lustful biting kisses down the side of her neck as he spoke, Draeseth unfastened her overdress. “You please me, woman. You please me-”

The sound of a throat clearing made him stop and glare toward the door.

“Your Highness-” Krouth stopped as Draeseth tossed the box toward him.

“Wash those and see to it that there are no interruptions.”

“Your presence has been requested by his Majesty.”

“When?” He kept a firm hold on her.

“At your earliest convenience.”

“Wash those. It’s not yet convenient.” Draeseth turned a wicked grin on her, “You may have to wait to give your husband his release but we’ll both have something to look forward to after dinner.”

“You can’t keep the King waiting!” Her face flushed deeply as he pulled her overdress off and tossed it aside walking her back toward the bed.

“My father will forgive me. He wants me to take my mind off of my unhappiness, and knowing my Kros Voyeh is waiting and eager for me will help more than the bouts.” He kissed her deeply easing her back onto the bed and pulling up her under skirts instead of taking them off.

His hand rubbed her over top of her small clothes and drew a small sound of pleasure out of her, “I want to have dinner in our rooms tonight, woman. I want to have you wrapped around me at the table,” Draeseth untied the string holding her small clothes up and slipped his hand beneath to tease the sensitive spot that made her writhe and moan helplessly. “And then I’ll have you bent over the table-”

Krouth coughed and pointedly cleared his throat as he placed the box on the nightstand before leaving and closing the door.

Lislora sat up covering her face as the grinning Prince rose to fetch the training balls. “The sofa would be more comfortable than the table if you insist on being so-so...” she hunted for the word.

“Wicked?” He laughed and pressed her back down, “Isonei calls me a ‘wicked, horrible man’, but she does it in jest.”

She rose on her elbows as he tugged her small clothes down, “You aren’t wicked or horrible but her mischievousness rubbed off on you, cousin. You’re the one who should be put over someone’s knees.”

He laughed in his throat and gave her a smile that reminded her of him as a boy when he hadn’t been made entirely miserable by his father and brothers. “I’ll let you try if you apologize afterward.”

They both broke into laughter when she couldn’t hold a straight face. She sat back up to kiss him, wanting to pull him down onto the bed with her, “My joy-”

A sharp knock on the door interrupted her and he gave it a sour look. “I cannot linger as long as I wish to, my loving wife, let me put these inside you,” he grinned, pushing her back down, “and you can think of me until dinner. Perhaps the table will seem appealing by the time I return.”

Her face flushed, but she bent and opened her legs, letting him slip the training balls inside her already wet and eager cunny. “I always think of you when you aren’t here, husband.”

He made a pleased sound and helped her up to redress. “You can think of my cock in that snug cunny of yours, woman.” Draeseth kissed her lustfully, pulling her tightly against him. “I intend to reward you for your-”

The knocking came again and he gritted his teeth, “There are times I want to shake the man until his skull rattles.”

“Go, he’s keeping you out of trouble with your father!” She tried not to laugh at the sourness of his expression. Taking a step to fetch her overdress as he moved away felt peculiar and squatting with the balls in felt precarious, as if they might fall out. She left the plain one lying where it was and put on the blue dress she’d been wearing earlier in the day to awkwardly venture out into the main room with her thighs tightly closed.

Rogath sat on the sofa speaking quietly to his brother. He looked up as she came in and beckoned her over, “Father wants you to come as well, Lady Lislora. It’s concerning the matter we discussed earlier.”

Aghast, she looked at Draeseth, feeling her face coloring. “I-”

“He’s been kept waiting for long enough.” Rogath stood and straightened his tunic. “You didn’t discuss the matter with Draeseth?”

She tried to compose herself. “You said not to discuss it.” As long as she kept the wretched balls from falling out no one should know about them. Walking to Draeseth with everything possible clenched and her thighs as closed as she could keep them, she noticed that both men were looking at her oddly.

Her cousin’s face flushed suddenly as he realized why. He glanced to Mes and the Munian woman hurried over as he took his brother out of the room.

“My Lady you have to try to walk normally,” she hissed. “His Majesty will notice and know exactly why you’re walking that way.”

“I can’t!” Lislora covered her face, “Help me take them out! I wasn’t supposed to leave the rooms!”

“They won’t fall out as easily as you think.” The maid guided her toward the door. “Just try to act as if they aren’t there.”

Horrified, Lislora tried to follow the woman’s advice, keeping her head down as she held Draeseth’s arm and focusing on walking normally. It was far more difficult than the maid seemed to think, because when Lislora tried to remember how she usually walked she found herself having difficulty, pushing herself toward panic. If it hadn’t been for her cousin’s solid presence she would have run back to the rooms.

Rogath spoke up after a few moments of agony, “My girls want to go to the execution. I’ve had to tell them no. Their mother was telling them about executions in Phaethia, how they’re street festivals instead of solemn occasions of punishment.”

Draeseth made a disgusted noise, “I’ll be pleased when the woman dies but celebrating it would be too far. My Lislora intends to go if you change your mind.”

“No. They knew the slave. She was kind to them when my wife wasn’t present.” Rogath paused, “I think that may have been why she was chosen. That Phaethian shrew has a cruel streak. If she wants my girls to see her execution, I want them to stay well away from it.”

“The slave should have refused and told you of her mistress’ plans, brother. I have no pity for the woman who helped murder my son and nearly cost me my silver Duchess.”

Listening to their conversation gave her something else to focus on, and despite the fact that she could feel the balls shifting slightly as she walked, they didn’t seem in immediate danger of falling out. She relaxed slightly as the topic shifted to the Phaethian Princess and the fact that she would be allowed out of her rooms for dinner tonight.

“Father wants you to join us for a meal to smooth things over,” Rogath sounded apologetic. “I told him the woman belongs in the tower, but he won’t risk her family’s anger. She’s asked one of her brothers to visit, Arrun, I think.”

“Invite him for the bouts. I can kill him just as easily as Andnaeuth.”

“You’re not going to kill the Crown Prince of Ara, brother. The best you can hope for is to make a wager that he’ll leave without your favorite wife, or to ugly him up enough she’ll be content with you instead.”

Her cousin made a loud sound in his throat and Rogath punched his arm, “You can kill Arrun twice, though, if you’d like.”

“Once would be enough.” Draeseth’s smile made her shiver. “He’s slim. I can split him down the middle like that wretch at the Melee.”

“I was surprised the Emperor didn’t ask you to stay and serve him, he was so taken with the way you fought. He plied you with whores, gifts, and titles. I was envious.” Rogath grinned, “All I got was his daughter.”

Draeseth barked a laugh, “He did. I impressed him by refusing and telling him my loyalty lies with my King. That was when he plied me with whores in earnest.”

“I hope you’ll be as loyal when I’m King, someday.” The elder Prince clasped his brother’s shoulder.

“You know I will be, brother. Even if I loathe your Queen.”

Rogath patted his brother’s shoulder heavily. “We’ll have that in common. I’d almost be tempted to let you get a son on her for me, just so I wouldn’t have to do it myself.”

Playfully, Draeseth landed a blow on his brother’s unprotected side making the man laugh and step away. “I would rip a man’s arms off for you, brother, but I wouldn’t stick my cock in that Phaethian murderess of yours for a second Duchy and all of father’s treasury.”

Lislora kept her eyes and head down, the conversation was no longer one she was comfortable with.

“As hard as you fought to bring your silver Duchess to Torga, why didn’t you buy any of the whores from Phaethia? You took Krouth and the glassmaker instead.”

“My Isonei put them all to shame. That woman,” he flushed, “I hadn’t known a woman could make you fall in love with a look and a touch. A dozen women like my Isonei could bring the Empire to its knees without a drop of blood being spilled.”

“From what Burgath says I think that’s how they make peace,” Rogath laughed.

They entered a guarded door Lislora had never been taken into before. Instead of opening into the antechamber it opened directly into the King’s study.

“I was beginning to think you’d gone back to the Temple.” King Orgath leaned back in his chair as they walked in. “What kept you?”

Lislora flushed as Draeseth made an amused sound in his throat, answering his father, “I’m in a better mood knowing my silver Duchess will recover. I was interrupted while rewarding my Kros Voyeh for her loving care of me and concern for Isonei.”

“Burgath will have the border reopened if only to have one of the little Duchess’ sisters for a wife. I should hope he finds one more obedient than your silver jewel.” He sounded slightly peeved and Lislora glanced up.

“If he wants obedience he should choose a Torgan woman.” Draeseth guided her to a place on a sofa and sat next to her as his father and brothers laughed.

“The woman has made you more pleasant, though, brother.” Rogath sat across from them. “You can’t argue that.”

“What Isonei lacks in obedience she makes up for in affection.” Squeezing her hand as he brought it up to kiss, Draeseth gave her a small smile, “My Kros Voyeh is every bit as good a woman. It’s taken two fine women to make me a better man. I love both of my wives.”