Infall Ch. 08

"We will take her now to our residence now, Father, if you will allow it," Zen said.

"Go," their father said between laughing.

She looked up from her position in time to see the kah-rí watch the sky lantern slowly float down in front of him toward the ground.

* * *

Zen set her down in front of large carved doors, bending and kissing her. Kythe grabbed her and did the same, releasing her.

She was a little disheveled from their attentions, her hair everywhere, Indya patting it. Her eyes shifted from one to the other and she relaxed, blowing out her breath. "I have to tell you now. I am being so nervous. I don't think if you know. Thank you," she said, smiling back at them. "I like you. This is your home?"

"This is your home too, Indya," Kythe said, opening the doors. "We wanted to show it to you. We hope you like it."

They walked through into wonder. The windows were so large and deep that four men could have stood in the frame of it alone, well above their heads, and around it were these same brilliant tiles in colors and repeating patterns. The light that came in glinted fell onto huge and fat floor couches that could seat many people, covered in fabric, a rich red with flowing patterns stitched onto its surface. Everywhere there was wood finely carved in such intricate patterns it was like one person could spend a lifetime making a single one.

There were mirrors framed in tiles, every surface covered in elaborate designs, arches rising tall above them and huge chandeliers with candles lighting the space. It was all marvelous, considering these people had no machines to automate the tasks to make them.

She walked to a panel that took up one whole wall showing people painted on its surface, flat images with the same busy, brilliant patterns and writing. "These is your people?" Indya said. "It's a story?"

"Those are our fathers going back five generations," Zen said, pointing to a panel that was merely color. "When we take the throne, Kythe and I will be shown there."

Indya went and touched the picture of two men four generations earlier who looked alike, depicted alike. No perspective in the art, from what she could tell, although the images were beautiful. "There's twins in your seed," she said, pointing, what they called sperm. "You maybe be fathers to twins, when you having children."

"When we have children, alea," Kythe said, coming to her.

Indya felt a heavy place in her belly. She had to speak with them. But not tonight.

Zen picked up a strand of her hair, running it through his fingers. "These rooms are the common rooms. My personal rooms are behind the left door. Kythe's are behind the right door. Explore our home. You're welcome to go into our rooms. The middle door leads to your rooms, the chambers we have prepared for our lí. We didn't think you'd want to wait to live with us. It will cause a scandal, but you're already a scandal, so we thought we would take advantage of the situation."

She laughed. "I don't want to wait."

"Our father will want to talk to us about you and our report about the border and we have other unfinished business. We'll be back in a few hours, nina."

* * *

When they were gone, Indya walked around the common rooms. They seemed to have this whole part of the great building. When she walked into the right door, feeling a little strange to be here when Kythe wasn't, she knew immediately that the rooms were his. There were scrolls and hand-written books, and here was the printing press.

It was the room of an early scientist, cluttered, shells and bones and feathers and drawings, samples under glass, insects and notes jotted, a journal of his travels to Jassa, small sketches, nothing she looked at too closely. Her mouth twitched to see the sketch of a woman's breasts, the curve of a hip.

Too curious to linger too long, she went out and to the door to the left.

Zen's rooms were as different as the two brothers were, Zen's in darker colors, more dramatic, only a few print books but filled with weapons she didn't look at too closely, a full suit of armor that looked different from anything she'd seen them wear, life-size statues of dogs guarding the doorway. Ashka's bed was there.

It was cleaner, neat, more sparse and heavier drapes, round shields on the wall, couches with animals carved into them, and art of animals on the walls, so many pictures of them, true-to-life and also fantastical.

She stopped in front of a painting of a beautiful young woman, no clothing, her breasts and belly, with long dark hair like Indya's, but the bottom half of her was a fish, Indya laughing aloud into the room. What a strange idea, a half-person. For all his weapons serving the purpose of giving death, there was life everywhere in Zen's eyes.

Returning to the common rooms, she saw long lines of urns in the main hall, the same meticulous craftsmanship, going to other doors. A large bath, very large, more like a pool for swimming, and she thought that might be hot water.

Indya stopped where she was, exploring the spigots, and she was right. She made a noise, stripping and turning on the water, hot water. It took a long time, the room filling with steam. Soap. Soap that was slippery and it smelled good. She was careful to remove the necklace with the large jewel, and she was so much cleaner when she emerged, and she was warm, her body relaxed.

There was a black silky garment laid out and she realized they had known she would find this place and bathe, that she would like that, and had put it there. She put it over her shoulders and it was light and silky and crossed in front to stay there, a loop and eye closure. There were more common rooms she went through. A place for eating, more couches. A door she couldn't open directly across from her door. It was a big place.

She finally turned and went through the middle doorway. Just as she did, she heard a scratching sound and went and opened the door. Zozo appeared, although she hadn't heard anyone bring him. He smelled much better and his fur was soft. Zozo came with her, her eyes roaming her rooms, beginning with a sitting room.

There was a terrace and she walked through doors outside to her own private garden. A garden. Life spilling everywhere, herbs she smelled. In the center of the garden was a bowl on a pedestal so large she could have sat in it herself and bathed, and it was full of flowers a brilliant indigo color at which she stared.

Alea flowers.

She went and touched their velvet surfaces, Zozo sniffing all around. Hearing it, her eyes looked for the sweet sound. It was in a large cage with several other birds, the only black one amongst the brown flitters, his beak open to make the song, the cage a habitat, a whole small tree with bushy leaves to hide behind. She walked, touching the bars, seeing its bright blue eyes. Because Zen would know she'd want a nina-bird to be happy and not feel trapped.

Turning to go back in, going to the first door she found, she stepped through and stopped, going still. Under these same huge windows was a large heavy table with every imaginable tool and implement for measuring and writing, paper and pens and ink, mortar and pestle, a close-see, beakers and containers in different materials, print books. A distiller. A small kiln, a fireplace with more tools. Her heart was pounding. Scrolls. Scales and magnifiers. Funnels and burners and rods, a crucible, flasks and tongs. Tools for cutting. A timer with sand.

For a moment, she wondered if they'd arranged all this since they'd found her, or if they'd done it when they'd been here in the winter, when she'd been huddled with Mavia in that little cabin, hiding from them. She turned her mind away. That was done. She had promised them, promised herself, that it was done.

There was a bed in here for Zozo, who immediately knew what it was and went and lay on it.

She walked out of the work room, leaving the door open for Zozo, and opened the next, a huge room with her own bed. There was a ridiculous amount of clothing of all sorts in wardrobes, including the dresses with pants, new ones, and more formal clothing, too.

Putting the jewel on one of the dressers and opening chests and drawers, she found new gifts everywhere. Shoes. Hair combs and jewelry. Her hair was clean, and she brushed it, partly dry. There were more sweet-smelling things, Indya touching them, applying them and sniffing, delighted, and things she didn't understand, small paints, black and red and pink, but they were made of grease.

In one chest, under a drawer, hidden, she found a book no bigger than her hand, opening it to see drawings in colored ink, rice paper covering each to preserve them, Indya going to the couch to sit and look at it. One of her men had meant her to find it, had partly hidden it. The drawings were exquisite, all of animals--birds and dogs and fish, stylized renderings in bright colors, animals that existed and those that didn't exist. It was worn, obviously treasured. She turned to the front page.

For you, nina

She had thought it would be from Kythe, and she found that she was crying a little that Zen would invite her to see this part of himself. Zen, who was so unexpected at times, with his long braid and his fierceness.

There was a chest by a huge couch, almost hidden as well, and she opened it, her brows going up. Very pretty clothes, different from the ones in the wardrobes. She hadn't seen anything like this since the one she had worn when she'd run away from them.

She pulled one out, a scarlet red. Pulling off the wrap, she figured it. The top was off her shoulders and was sheer, so she could see her breasts clearly behind it, and then it was tight over her waist, long slits in a flowing skirt below and silky. It was very comfortable. She sat back and curled up on the couch, enjoying the rich textures and the dark, intense colors and swirly patterns, the bath having relaxed her, and she was warm.

Zozo joined her, up on the couch until she told him to get off, and then he flopped down under her. She had the book Zen had given her in her hand. Indya curled up, looking at it, resting her head on a pillow, getting sleepy.

* * *

Indya woke to little jolts of pleasure, tugs. She opened her eyes. Kythe and Zen were there and Kythe was touching her nipple.

Indya blinked up at him and opened her legs.

Zen's eyes shifted down, reaching to uncover her. "I love it when she does that," Zen muttered.

"I know," Kythe also muttered, reaching out and touching her sex, smooth and bare, with his large hands, his fingers gentle.

"You're back. I fall asleep," she said, still feeling drowsy, pleasurable what he was doing.

Kythe was stroking, a small smile on his mouth. "We like your dress. You found the box we left for you. That box isn't for our Lí's rooms. That box belongs in the rooms for our savoronella. You should come there now, savoronella."

They wanted to have sex with her. She wanted to have sex. That sounded so good. His hand withdrew and they straightened, no longer looming over her. She rose, her hair dry now, and walked. She looked behind herself. "Where I am going?"

"Just go straight, nina," Zen said, his head tilting, looking at her butt. "Go lie down, Zozo," he said when her dog tried to follow.

She faced forward, exiting her rooms, into the entryway, and Kythe pointed to the door in the large hall, directly across from her own. "I tried that one," she told them. "It's locked."

Zen stepped up and drew out a key on a chain, his eyes saying things. "We both have a copy, nina."

Her eyes shifted between them and she moved more slowly. "All right."

Zen opened it. "Go in," he said, an intensity to his face as she passed.

She looked over her shoulder again, Kythe with this same look like something was happening, and Zen was there, crowding her, but when she backed away, Kythe was right behind her, Indya whirling around. Her hands went to Kythe's chest, feeling Zen's body behind hers, his arm coming around her waist, both of them so big.

Zen moved past her and held out his hand. "We know that. Come and see your rooms, Indya, woman-for-sex. Come please us."

She took his hand as he led her, looking back at Kythe, who followed, his eyes on her.

The room was lit with candles, and warm, a fire in the heart and stone walls. Furniture everywhere and things on the walls. "We will come here sometimes to have sex with you," Zen said, turning around. "Not always. When we're in this room, you are our salvoronella and you do what we say and we do what we want to you. In this room, and nowhere else, you will address us as Rí. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes what, nina?" Zen said, picking up her hair and playing with it.

Her belly was sinking, waves of it, thinking of what they would do while they were here. "Yes, Rí. I like this place for sex."

"We've never brought a woman here," Zen said, his eyes on her breasts. "It's only for our salvoronella. But we chose everything in here. We began choosing things when we were young men. Can I show you, nina? We have jewelry for you."

"You want me to wearing jewelry here?"

"You forget, nina."

"You want me to wearing jewelry here, Rí?"

"Yes. It's a special kind of jewelry."

Zen led her to a chest with a drawer. He drew the top one open, shallow, a soft scarlet material inside and metal things in there, Indya craning her neck to see.

"Take off that clothing, alea," Kythe said. "We want you naked to put your jewelry on."

"All right, Rí," she said, glancing at him.

"It's a good thing you don't call us that outside this room, alea," Kythe said, drawing her hand to his sex, which was hard in his pants. "Everyone would know how we feel about you."

"They already know," Zen dismissed. "Strip, nina."

She reached for the silky clothing, removing it and walking to lay it over a chair. She was looking at a tall padded bench and ran into Kythe. She startled, her hands going to his chest as he caught her, and he pulled her closer and was kissing her the way Kythe did, taking his time, slow and hungry, his hand moving to her bottom, cupping it.

"You need to watch where you're going in this place, alea," he said when he pulled away, his breathing deep and also fast. "You'll run into something dangerous." Kythe turned to the dresser, taking something from it, Zen watching. "You'll only wear the jewelry here, except for this piece. We'd like you to always wear this, alea. We had it made for you."

It was a delicate metal ring, stiff, a thin band with small deep blue jewels ringing it all around.

"It's a necklace? It's beautiful."

"You're forgetting, Indya."

"It's beautiful, Rí."

"It's a slavoronella collar, nina," Zen said. "Will you wear it for us? It says that you are ours."

"I am yours, Rí."

Zen leaned and kissed her. "You are. But now the world will know. Does that bother you?"

"No, Rí. I think they already knowing that."

"Probably, yes, that's true," Zen said, grinning.

"I would like to wearing it," she said, feeling shy, adding. "Rí."

Zen stepped behind her, Kythe facing her. He brought the necklace up and opened the catch, Zen catching it on the other side. There was a small click.

"Give me your hand," Zen said. When she reached, he had her feel on the necklace. "If you ever need to take it off, this is where you would press. I want you to do so now, so you know you can."

"All right, Rí," she said, pressing on the place he'd showed her.

It sprang open and Zen gently clicked it again, nuzzling her. "We're very happy to see you here, salvoronella to the Rí of Matise," he breathed, his hands coming around and cupping her breasts. "We have waited a long time for you." Zen bent down behind her and ran his hand up her thigh to her sex. "Oh, nina," he said, his fingers running through the wetness there, Indya feeling slick and slippery.

"Those are next," Kythe said, handing things to Zen.

She felt Zen take her wrist and she felt cold metal and heard a click. She looked at her wrist when he released her, a thin and plain silver metal band, a bracelet with a smaller circle of metal attached to it and soft material inside. Another went on her other wrist, Zen's eyes holding hers, and then Kythe went down on one knee and there were more for her ankles, the same. They were comfortable.

Zen took her hair in his hands and pulled it back, putting it in a tail and securing it, wrapping the base so it stuck out a little high. Indya looked down at herself. They were pretty. "I like this," she said, looking up.

Zen and Kythe had both backed up, looking at her. Zen made a motion with his finger and she turned in a circle, coming around smiling. She felt pretty.

"Thank you for the jewelry," she said, remembering. "Rí."

"I like our salvoronella," Zen muttered, beginning to take off his clothes, his eyes on her body.

"I know," Kythe said, taking his off.

They were both stiff as they came to her, standing in front of her, large men, Zen's braid over his shoulder, Kythe's big arms.

Indya smiled at them, meeting first Zen's eyes, which were warm, and then Kythe's eyes, which were interested. "You have sex with me now?"

Zen grinned. "Oh, nina. You are so perfect. We have just the thing to help you to remember."

"Rí," she said to him as he took her arm and led her. "I said that. You forget the other."

Zen laughed, leading her, Kythe following, also laughing.

She looked behind herself, Zen's eyes on her butt. "I'm sorry, Kythe. Rí."

"We will help you, alea," Kythe said, his whole body slipping against hers from behind, his hands on her while Zen pulled something down, a clip on a strong chain, and hooked both her wrist loops to it, the metal. He didn't raise it, her hands at the height of her head in front of her, both of them stepping back.

They circled her, Indya turning her head one way and the other to see them, and then she learned that she could rotate and not get tangled, a swivel on the chain.

"This is clever," she said.

Zen stopped his circling, facing her. "Who are you speaking to, nina?"

"To both of you. Is there someone else in the room?" Indya said, Zen grinning, Kythe laughing.

Zen stepped closer to her, bending and kissing her mouth, Indya shy, feeling excited. "In this room, you will call us Rí, nina," he reminded her.

"Right," Indya said. "I forgot."

"I know," Zen said, walking to a wall and pulling open a chest.

"I forgot, Rí," she said. "That's what I meant to say," she said, leaning, craning her neck. She couldn't see what he had.

"Face away from me, salvoronella," Zen said.

"I will do that. Rí," she remembered to add, long surges through her belly, facing away from him, peeking back.

"Face forward."

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Right. Okay, Rí." She said, looking over her shoulder, nervous.

"Face forward, nina."

"Okay," she said. "Right. Rí," she added quickly. "I don't look again."

Kythe walked toward her, his face serious.

Indya looked up at him, getting tense. "Rí, I wanted to say. I meant to. I'm not doing so good, Kythe? Rí?" she said, wincing. "I'm so sorry. I'll do better, I promise."

Kythe smiled at her, his knuckles coming to her cheek, and she relaxed. "We know you aren't used to such things. We will help you to do this," he said, walking around behind her and taking her hips, moving them backward until she was hanging on to the chain in front of her, her elbows bent, her back arched to stay there. "Spread your legs."

She widened her stance, able to balance better.

"Now," Kythe said, approaching her. "You don't move. You are our salvoronella and you have agreed to this, alea."

"Yes. I won't move," Indya said.

Kythe was looking at her with a small smile and she cried out sharply as something stinging hit her butt, such a sting, her butt tensing, but she didn't move.