A Marq's Woman Ch. 08

Kistle gathered the lavender skirts in one hand, and hefted her travel sack in the other, keeping her head high and chin raised as she descended the ship, ignoring Rade's offered hand.

Her initial reaction was awe, for the tall walls that rose in front of her would inspire only that. For as far as she could she, guarded walls surrounded the land that the Marq royalty had claimed as theirs. Large gates loomed in front of her, almost twenty feet in height, made of the finest, glittering gold. Atop those gates stood formidable-looking, armored men who seemed to be carved of stone.

Someone tugged at her sack, and she looked away from her perusal of the castle gates to see Rade standing a scant foot away from her. She gasped and took a step back, her eyes shooting a warning, her heart aflutter with fear. Rade's eyes caught hers and held for the barest second, before he looked away.

A sudden, loud, noise erupted to their left and both of them turned hastily with a start. The gates to the castle opened, revealing the hidden treasure within.

Kistle's breath caught as she caught a glimpse of white marble embellished with precious jewels. She could see only that for the gate had only opened partially, just enough for the three people to pass through.

Rade started in the direction and Kistle followed in his wake, careful to keep him within safe distance. If, by chance, he decided to attack her, she made sure that she would be able to flee and defend herself.

There were people waiting for them just inside the gates. Kistle could see the grand skirts of a woman and the dark breeches of a man. Unconsciously, she adjusted the pins in her hair, hoping that she would be presentable to someone who obviously ranked highly in the Marq courts.

Kistle paused in her tracks when she saw the convoy of people just inside the gates. There were ten of them, most of which were the royal servants. The three that caught her eye were dressed in fine clothes and wore jewels that sparkled under the morning light.

A woman, with skin as dark as night, gifted Kistle with a smile when she saw her. The woman was dressed in gold, a color that set off the dark brown of her skin, and had a tiara perched on her dark curls. She was short, but very pretty and largely with child. Her husband had his arm around her waist, steadying her and he only moved away when Rade came close enough to greet him.

"Despite the circumstances, it is good to see you again, brother. It has been a long time," Dominique said, extending a hand to the head of his army. He hadn't noticed Kistle, who had been hovering in Rade's shadow.

"Indeed it has," Rade responded, bowing slightly over the extended hand. He turned to Lady Chiara, Her Majesty, and bowed to her as well.

"And is Her Majesty doing well?" he inquired politely, trying to mask the anxiety he felt infiltrating his bones. On one hand, Kistle's withdrawal from him was gnawing at his heart and on the other hand, he was worried about his sire's health.

"As well as can be, I suppose, with the burden I'm carrying around," was her saucy reply.

"Careful, love. I can have you thrown in the dungeon for calling the royal heir a burden," Dominique teased before realizing that a small shadow stood behind Rade.

"And who might that be?" he queried, slipping an arm around his lady wife yet again. He knew how weak she could get in the mornings.

"This,' Rade said, stepping aside, "is Kistle."

Kistle felt a blush creeping up her cheeks when the eyes of the row of people narrowed in on her. She knew how she looked with her wrinkled gown, mussed hair and fading bruises. During the few days in the ship, she had only had one, small basin of water to wash with, and she had put the water to good use. Even so, she knew she looked a little worse for wear. But even in her degrading situation, she curtsied gracefully to the two people, whom she had concluded were the King and Queen themselves.

"Kistle, I would like you to meet His and Her Majesties, King Dominique and Queen Chiara," Rade said.

Kistle curtsied again, for she did not know the appropriate thing to say. She kept her head bowed until the third party spoke up.

"I hope you received my message before you left, Rade," the woman said, casting a quick glance at a shocked Kistle.

Goodness! Kistle thought. What a woman! She had never seen such a woman before – tall and muscular, dressed just like a man. If not for her voice, Kistle would never have realized that she was female!

Heat crept up Kistle's cheeks when the woman shot her an inquisitive look again. She was staring, she knew. But she could not help it. The woman was so… unusual, yet fascinating.

"Nay, I did not. I'm quite surprised to see you in Royal residence," Rade said, making Kistle snap out of her daze and look away hastily.

"Well, I suppose that is fine. It was a note to inform you that there had been an attack at my lodgings a few days ago, when I was on the assignment…"

Kistle looked around blankly as the group of people started walking towards the castle that rose a hundred yards away from the gates. She quickly started following them. A servant came up to her and took away her sack with the tips of her fingers, as though the sack had a contagious disease. Feeling dreadfully out of place, Kistle kept up with the group until they reached the main dining hall.

The group split up then, and Rade hastened to an unknown corner of the beautiful building. She was left alone, feeling desolation creeping into her blood as she stood in the centre of the large hall, when the servant came up to her again and announced that a bath had been readied for her in her chamber.

Somehow, that cold announcement made Kistle feel more unwanted than a speck of dirt. Was she so unfit for the Marq courts that she had to be bathed before being 'presentable'? She knew that she looked a little grimy, and had to be grateful for the bath, but there was something about the way the servant looked down upon her that make her feel small and worthless. It was as though the servants considered themselves higher authority than her… and to be considered lower than a servant was disheartening, to say the least.

A hand landed on her shoulder, and Kistle started, raising a hand to her heart. When she turned, Queen Chiara stood behind her with a smile playing around on her lips.

"Did the man leave you?" she asked, her voice low and husky, as though she wasn't very used to speaking Kistle's tongue.

"Yes, my lady," Kistle replied, knowing who Her Majesty had referred to.

"Ah. Men are like that, Lady Kistle, until you learn to tie them down," she laughed richly. "You will learn."

"Of course, my lady."

"Come now. I have had a bath drawn for you. And as you bathe, you could tell me of how you ended up with Rade."

Kistle looked up in surprise when the Queen addressed Rade with such familiarity, but the Queen merely took her hands and pulled Kistle in the right direction. The servant trailed along behind them, a slightly disproving frown on her face.

*

"You are a native Kieranian, yes?" Chiara said as she waddled to an empty armchair and sat upon it heavily. The child was growing at a speedy rate, especially since she was only seven and a half months along, and the added weight made her limbs ache. She placed a tender hand on her stomach and leaned back against the chair, feeling the muscles of her back relaxing from the strain they had been in all day. A sigh escaped her when the warm smell of cinnamon sticks wafted from the tub in which the shy Lady Kistle was washing in.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"And do you have family there?"

"No, Your Majesty."

Chiara's brows puckered as she attempted to understand the station of the young girl. Thus far, she only knew that the girl was twenty years of age, a native Kieranian and that she had no family. But what Chiara's meddling streak wanted to know was if the girl had an entanglement with Rade.

It was plain for all to see that the girl was Rade's love slave, but Chiara knew that there had to be more between them. She had seen the display of animosity between the two as they had stepped out of the ship, and only feuding lovers would step around each other that way.

Granted, the bleakness in Rade's eyes could've been due to the fact that his father was on his deathbed, but it could also have meant that the two had had a serious love-tiff. Chiara could almost hear her husband admonishing her for meddling, but she could not – nay, would not – stand aside and see two people who loved each other, fighting over a minor issue. It was not in her nature to do nothing.

Besides, she had never seen Rade become romantically entangled in any relationship before – though she did know of the discreet houses he frequented – and the fact that this small lady had managed to reel him in was intriguing.

She remembered his quick words of, "Milady, if it's not too much to ask, could you keep her safe while I visit with my father?". Those words had an underlying meaning to them. Rade wouldn't care about the girl's safety if he didn't care about her… would he? But, of course, he could have been honor-bound to say such a thing…

Chiara turned a critical eye toward the small frame in the tub, eyeing the fall of golden curls that covered the almost-unnoticeable bruises that sat on the girl's neck. At first, she had thought that Rade had inflicted them upon her, but as soon as the thought formed in her head, she dismissed the notion as foolish. The man might be as fierce as a bull in wartime, but he was the gentlest of men in bed – or so she'd been told.

"How did you get those awful bruises on your neck, dear one?" she asked, masking her astute curiosity behind the question. The lady had made to rise from her bath, but at Chiara's question, she lost her footing and would've fallen back into the tub had the maidservant not caught her by the arm in time.

"Are you all right?" Chiara asked, moving forward to help the girl step out of the tub without mishap.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I am fine. Thank you," Kistle said as she accepted the large bath cloths that the maid handed to her.

"Very well. I have something for you. You can perceive it as a gift of welcome," Chiara said, motioning for the maid to open the door.

Kistle's breath caught when the door opened, for what came through the door was the most exquisite garment she had ever seen!

The silk of it shimmered beautifully under the dim light in the room, making the dress seem almost ethereal. The glimmering white material flowed from neckline to hem, making the purple brooch that clinched at the bosom, more prevalent.

Kistle simply stared at the beauty for a while, eyes wide.

"I assume that you like it," Chiara said, watching as the girl's eyes misted over.

Kistle looked over at the taller woman and nodded briskly.

"My ladies in waiting and I were taking a stroll near the dress shops last weekend when I saw this dress. I fell in love with it, but I knew it would not suit me. I'm much too tall, you see. But when I caught sight of you, the first thing that came to my mind was how lovely you would look in that dress, so I had one of the servants run to the shop and purchase it for you. Isn't it wonderful? Would you like to try it on, dear?"

Kistle nodded mutely as a few more maids scurried into the room with her chemise and pantalets in hand. Efficiently, they slid them over her head and up her legs, while Kistle stood amidst all the activity, trying not to squirm from the awkwardness of so many people touching her at the same time.

When her chemise strings were tied into a tighter knot than usual, the white dress was brought forward and unbuttoned before she was told to step into it.

To her utter shock, when the dress was pulled up, and her hands had gone through the sleeves, she realized that the gown was cut such that it revealed the tops of her breasts! Furthermore, the gown left her shoulders bare, showing off the dainty curves of her shoulders and upper arms.

When she looked into the mirror, however, her shock was replaced by wonder.

Is that me? Kistle wondered, swirling this way and that, admiring the beautiful form in front of her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Chiara said from behind Kistle, smiling broadly. She had known that the dress would be a perfect fit.

"Yes, it is, Your Majesty! Thank you!"

Kistle's joyous laughter and impish appreciation was addictive, and soon, even the surly servant had cracked a smile.

"I'll leave you to your privacy to brush your hair, dear. Will you meet me on the balcony for tea in half an hour?" Chiara asked, watching the girl run her hand lovingly over the simple flow of the dress.

"Yes, of course, Your Majesty," Kistle replied, still smiling over her reflection. She never thought she could look so beautiful!

*

"Dominique!"

"Chiara."

"Why don't you go first?" Dominique said, gingerly taking his wife in hand and seating her on the edge of their bed.

"There is something going on between the two. I know it!" Chiara said, rising from her perch, only to be gently pushed onto it again. She gave her husband an irritated glare before continuing.

"Did you see the bruises on her neck?" Dominique nodded. "I think those have something to do with him."

Dom raised an amused eyebrow at his wife, disbelieving her words. Rade was the most respectable man that Dom had the pleasure to grow up with, and he most certainly wouldn't believe anyone who told him that Rade had raised a hand to a woman.

"Sweetheart, I think you know Rade as well as I do. He's not the type of man to raise a hand to a woman."

"I know," Chiara sighed, remembering. "But her behavior was terribly suspicious. When I mentioned the bruises, she nearly slipped in the tub."

Dom looked at his wife, baffled. "So you think that the bruises had something to do with Rade because Kistle slipped in the tub? You're not making sense, woman."

Chiara's smile held a hint of pity.

"You know me so well that I sometimes forget you're a man," she said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" An exasperated Dominique ceased his pacing and seated himself beside his wife.

"Nothing, dear. But I just know that there is something between them. Do you suppose we should call the futurist? He would be able to tell us if they'll have something together…"

"Nay, wife. No meddling," Dom warned, playing with his wife's lean fingers.

"Very well, then. What did you find out?"

"Nothing much, I suppose. I attended the meeting with the sword merchant for half an hour, and when I returned to Sir Warren's bedchamber, Rade was hunched over the man. He looked up at me, and what do you think was the first thing he said?" Dom asked, nuzzling the inside of Chiara's wrist.

"What?" Chiara swallowed thickly, feeling tingles of pleasure unfurl in her belly at her husband's administrations.

"He asked if Kistle was well-settled. Hunched over his father's deathbed, he asked me that, love. What do you think?" Dom questioned as he pulled Chiara closer to him and kissed her throat.

"I think they're having a lover's tiff, that's all. If I could just find out what it is…"

Dom pinched her lush bottom.

"No meddling! Please. We've had enough of that already!"

"I'll try, husband. It's just that I owe Rade my life and I think I should do something nice for him," she said hoarsely as his teeth scraped across her shoulder.

"Yes. I'll admit, he's never acted like this before. Even when he toyed with Millicent, he didn't have the intensity creasing his features. It's rather disconcerting. Do you suppose he's in love with the wench?" he asked, his fingers coming up to the pins in her hair and taking them down.

"Perhaps," Chiara said, humming in her throat when Dom placed a wet kiss on her jaw. From somewhere in the castle, a bell was sounded, announcing the hour. Awareness came swiftly, causing her to pull away.

"Oh dear!" As fast as her bulk would allow her to, Chiara wormed herself loose from her husband and started for the door. "I have to meet with Lady Kistle in ten minutes," she called over her shoulder.

She turned when she reached the door to the outer chamber. Her gaze traveled along the dejected look on her husband's face, to the erection that strained in his breeches. A feline smile played on her lips.

"I will see you later, my amoral husband," she said as she slipped out the door. She could hear his heartfelt groan through the thin door to their bedchamber. She paused to straighten her hair in the private sitting room outside their chamber, pinning up the ringlets that her very considerate husband had sifted his fingers through.

He was standing in front of the door when she turned, making her gasp in shock. She hadn't even heard him move! Gods, he also had a predatory look about him. Chiara knew what the look meant, and an answering response to it sent a sizzle of need through her nether regions.

But she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to appear as serious as he was. "I have an appointment, Dom," she said.

"I know. But it can wait for this. After all, the queen is never late," he said as he disentangled her arms and caught her lips in a kiss that sent fire through her blood.

"Mmm," was her only muffled response.

*

"I apologize for my lateness, Lady Kistle," Chiara said fifteen minutes later, presentable as always. She smiled at the younger girl who was standing at the edge of the balcony, staring off into the city.

"'Tis fine, Your Majesty. I was enjoying the lovely view you have here. Is the city far from the castle?" she asked as she came forward to take a seat from across the Queen.

"Why do you ask? Might you be planning on visiting it?" Chiara asked.

Kistle blushed, knowing that if she had the chance of visiting it, she would take her chances and flee his clutches.

"Perhaps."

"That's nice. We could plan a visit for you," Chiara said with a smile.

"Oh, if it's too much trouble…" Kistle protested.

"Not at all!" the Queen insisted.

The next few minutes were spent on idle chatter as the tea and cakes were served. Kistle drank little and ate even less. Chiara frowned in concern.

"Are you well, dear?" she asked.

"Very well, thank you. 'Tis just my lack of an appetite," she explained with a small smile. Chiara nodded, not wanting to push the subject.

"Well… which part of Kierania do you hail from, then?" Chiara asked, sipping gaily on her own tea. She reached for another piece of cake.

"The cloud kingdoms, Your Majesty. Have you heard of it before?"

Chiara nodded. "Yes, I have. Sir Warren – Rade's father – has talked of it before. Is it as beautiful as he described it to be?"

"Some clouds are, but others are steeped in poverty. It's a sorry sight to see people starving without food when the crown assures us that food is being sent to those who are suffering. We used to pray for those without food in the Chapel," Kistle said sadly.

"The Chapel?" Chiara asked, "You were a servant of the Erubian Goddess?"

"Nay, not Erubian. I was a servant of the Nissi Goddess," Kistle said, surprised that the Queen had even heard of the Goddess before.

"Ah, of course. I was a devotee of the Erubian Goddess myself, back home," she said.

"Back home? You mean… you aren't from Marqatia?" Kistle tilted her head to an angle in confusion. Chiara chuckled.

"Nay, Lady Kistle. I was a Princess of Lismus before this," Chiara explained.

"But I thought that Lismus came under Marq control four years ago?"

"It did, yes. I was caught in the war."

"Oh dear. Do tell," Kistle prodded, interested.