Life and Times of a Priestess Ch. 13 Pt. 01

"So Danella, you have been here for four months now, do you like life in Dumis?" asked Valery.

"Oh yes, I have enjoyed it very much. Ravelleon and Mireau have shown me all the sights," she knew Valery knew she was the General's and yet she was here tonight before his eyes enjoying the fullest company of Mireau. That simple pleasure might be disapproved of by many Prancirians, but she wanted to be a free woman. She could not keep herself behind closed doors all the time just in order to be able to enjoy Mireau. She had to accept the risk that someone might inform Ravelleon that she had been seen in the embrace of his friend. She judged that Ravelleon would not object to his friend escorting her to places in his absence but if he knew that they were lovers who had made no secret of their interest in each other at some of the parties such as this one, he would be very angry. Mireau knew this and had tried to stop her from expressing any real passion in public. It was so difficult for a Priestess who had lived her whole life with the freedom to express even the slightest sexual feelings, to resist the expression she was used to. She had been very good and restricted herself to embracing and kissing only late in the evenings and when others were behaving in the same way or the lights were low. Mireau always tried to dissuade her but he enjoyed her too much to resist completely.

"Have you seen the new tower?" he asked, "and the art galleries and..." she nodded at all of these and told him what she thought of all these places. "And have they taken you to restaurants?"

"Oh yes plenty," they discussed different types of restaurants for a few minutes.

"So you are living in Ravelleon's house, as his mistress," Valery began to ask the questions which he wanted to ask. When he said the word 'mistress' he smiled as if he liked the term, and stared at her with a humour in his eye, which she could not at first translate.

"Yes."

"It must be an exciting life," he said.

"Oh yes very exciting as I say. He has been very good to me."

"Have you met Ravelleon's wife," he asked.

"No, she lives a long way from Dumis."

"I know her, you know," he said. Danella wondered for a moment whether he was going to say he disapproved of mistresses and warn her away from his friend's husband.

"I would like to meet her, but Ravelleon ways she would not like to know of my existence," she said unwilling to avoid the subject.

"She is a very nice lady, very attractive, but a little too chaste for my liking," said Valery, indicating that he did not approve of chastity and that he did not disapprove of mistresses. "You know to be a mistress is a good thing. Every man should have at least one. Not that I am suggesting that Ravelleon has any more than you, but you would not mind even if he did?"

"No I would not mind, why should I," she admitted. To any other Prancirian in society she would not have admitted it so easily. Ravelleon and Mireau had both warned her not to bring the habits of a Priestess into her life in Dumis. She could cause great trouble for both of them. Ravelleon thought she had given up being a priestess anyway and pledged herself to be loyal to him.

"Of course you would not mind. You were a Priestess in Pirion were you not?" cut in Jeanette in her clear sharp voice. Danella felt the disapproving tone which Prancirians feared from each other when they admitted to sexual infidelities or improprieties. Although Jeanette had passed no judgement upon her past she had drawn attention to it without much excuse. These few months had changed her she now realised, the secrecy in sexual matters which she had kept from Ravelleon, hiding the relationship with Mireau and avoiding too much mention of her past life because Ravelleon did not want to hear of her sexual 'excesses'. He had not wanted her to speak much of her past, when in public certainly not of the ceremonies and prostitution, as Ravelleon called it, of Pirion, or of the prostitution in which the conquering soldiers, and Ravelleon himself, had held them. She was growing used to hiding her fullest sexuality from the world around her, and yet she knew that the controlled sexuality, which she did exude, made her popular with the men she came into contact with.

There were admirers and even men who had made suggestions to her on the dance floor, away from Ravelleon, or just with their attentive gaze, and many of the women also admired her, for the way she carried herself confidently and honestly, unable to hide something of her true nature which in all these women had always been repressed. However, in some women she sensed that she aroused jealousy and fear, the fear of losing their husbands, and the disapproval, possibly sometimes hatred of women who believed her to be a sinner, a foreign harlot, uncivilised, with no understanding of what they believed life was all about. Danella felt sorry for these women but their repression and lack of understanding nonetheless caused her to be more careful than she wished. These women, and men also were powerful, and there were many of them, and she feared what they could potentially do to upset her new life with Ravelleon in Dumis, and with Mireau.

Valery made a pretence of not knowing that she had been a Priestess. "So you were a Priestess were you? Mireau did not tell me that. You must tell me about all that. It sounds exciting." She could tell he was not in the least surprised by the revelation, and feigned ignorance only because he wished to show interest. However she did not detect any disapproval. This man whom, she could only assume was very important in Prancir seemed to be a great deal more open to the discussion of sexual matters than most people in Dumis would admit to. She felt that perhaps she could be reasonably honest with him. She was not so sure about Jeanette however, although the woman's words so far had suggested she may have a keen interest in finding out more about her. Mireau was keeping the Lady Arabella and the beautiful Philippe occupied for the moment.

"Yes it was an exciting life. I did not choose for it to end. We were conquered," she allowed some words of complaint of truth to spill from her lips. Normally she would try to say little on the subject of the war, but there was no danger to her here from disapproval of the war. Here, although the war was supported by an ignorant population, it was a long way from home unless a member of one's own family had been killed or wounded or was facing the occasional prospect of death. In Dumisian society she had learned eccentrics or people with unusual opinions might often be tolerated.

"You enjoyed your old life?" cut in the Lady Jeanette again.

"Of course, I was raised in Pirion. I belonged there."

"But now you have chosen to come to Dumis with Ravelleon," the Lady Jeanette said. "You have chosen Prancir over Pirion."

"I have not by coming here chosen Prancir over Pirion. I detest the destruction this war has wrought, but I wished to travel, and Ravelleon is a good man to travel with."

"So you do not love him. He is a convenience to you," poked Jeanette, still determined to stir the conversation.

"No I do love him, of course, he is a strong man to love, very passionate, very determined."

"But you prefer the company of Mireau to your General," Jeanette queried. Jeanette was pushing her to say more than she should, especially with Mireau here. Danella found the questions dangerous amongst people she did not know, who may be Mireau's friends and Ravelleon's. She did not know whether these people believed her to be a disreputable woman for loving Mireau when Ravelleon was away or for being Ravelleon's mistress in the first place, or whether they perceived her to be a foreign whore who should not be in Dumis. However, they were giving their attention to her and there was no real indication to say that they really disapproved of her. There was no reason not to be truthful.

"I feel love for both of them. They are both different. I am a guest of Ravelleon's here in Dumis but when he is away I can spend more time in the company of Mireau. I do no harm to Ravelleon."

"There are many here who would not agree with you there," said Jeanette, making no attempt to stifle a yawn as if the conversation began to bore her. "Your General would be very upset if he realised you were screwing his best friend," said Jeanette, startlingly. Danella had never heard a Prancirian woman use such a word before. She had understood it to be considered unladylike here, a word only to be used by men amongst themselves. She had heard some of the ordinary soldiers using the expression back in Dalos when they were screwing her. It was a rough almost violent word in the way it described what a man did to a woman as if he might be inserting a screw into a wooden object. She had enjoyed the word when she realised its linguistic implications. It brought to her mind ceremonies which involved male dominance, and even the impression of violence. She had often enjoyed them for what the Prancirians would call their depravity.

This lady Jeanette was a strange creature, there could be no doubt now. But it did seem if she was willing to use the word screwing, that she was a liberated modern woman. She was also what most Prancirians would consider rather course and rude. Her arrogance was unusual and a little off putting to Danella who was unused to arrogance in women, and yet she looked wealthy and polite. Her words suggested that she was perhaps a woman of the world who might perhaps have 'screwed' more than a couple of men herself. Maybe she wished to project this to Danella.

"Oh Jeanette," cut in Valery, "you are not being very dignified today. You will scare our guest away if you are not more careful with your words." Danella might have expected an argument to ensue between the too friends, but Valery cut his friend back without seeming to insult. It was said softly and with a playful humour which told her that he was playing with his friend, just as he was probably playing with Danella.

Jeanette responded immediately, "Oh Valery, you always want to control me, make me civilised like everyone else, but I know what you are really like. Your civilisation is a façade, underneath lies an animal. I have heard you use the word screw on many occasions. Why can I not use it with our Priestess. I am sure you know what the word means don't you Danella."

"I have heard it before," said Danella politely. She did not know these people. She needed therefore to be careful with them. She felt wary of them because she could not guess what they were thinking, but their flippancy so far suggested a sexual openness which she had not so far found in Prancir, even with the understanding Mireau.

"I only think you should be kinder to our guest Jeanette and save such personal questions until later when we are better acquainted. And as for me being an animal you must know I am one of the most civilised people in the whole of Prancir," protested Valery good naturedly.

"I know you are dear. I think you are the most civilised person in the whole of Prancir, but I do happen to know that the word screw is one which you frequently use, in private if not in public."

"Well I suppose I do," conceded Valery, finally. The lady was unstoppable. "I cannot tell you what to say I suppose if I use the word occasionally myself. I hope you are not offended by this Danella."

"No of course not. As the lady has said I was a Priestess of Pirion. There is little in the matter of loving which can offend me." She now felt comfortable enough to declare her true self a little. This couple were only playacting, and she realised that they would not mind whatever she said. Now she felt more comfortable perhaps she might talk more openly with the beautiful Philippe. The others had not been listening to their conversation, being engaged in their own. She could not tell what they had been talking about. No one can share in all the conversations which occur around a table. Every person sees a different part of any social gathering, all receiving a different experience from it.

"What business do you own Valery," asked Danella, feeling it was time to return to a more normal Prancirian subject of conversation. She wished to learn more of the background of these people now that she was sat amongst them.

"Now that is a good question," he sighed. "Do you have much time?" he laughed at his own joke. Danella understood his meaning but interpreted his response as a refusal.

"If you do not wish to say then don't."

"No," he laughed again, "It's a very good question. But you won't mind if I don't give you a very full answer I hope," he laughed again and Jeanette laughed with him and Alfred too, who had withdrawn from the conversation with Mireau, perhaps because talk of companies and matters interested him more than whatever the others were discussing.

"Just a quick answer will do," Danella said submissively.

"Valery does not mind discussing his own wealth and profitability. It is what he does most of the time," said Alfred, introducing himself as a good humoured man with an easy relationship with the owner of the business which he managed.

"Except when he is living and behaving like an animal," said Jeanette mischievously.

"Ah thank you," riposted Valery, "I only behave like an animal sometimes because it is the only way you understand my love."

"I own many companies today. I am one of the wealthiest men in all of Prancir," he declared. "Has Mireau not told you?"

"He told me only that you were a friend of his, but he preferred me to meet you without preconceptions I suppose," said Danella.

"I had quite a good start in life, I suppose," he went on. "My father was a gunsmith. He was a craftsman who worked for a firm. But he was so good at his profession his employers made him works manager and paid him well. When he had saved up some capital he bought shares in a rival company. They achieved some good contracts, government contracts to make new rifles of the time. His shares became very valuable and he was able to sell some and buy shares in the company of his bosses. He soon became rich as both companies grew. He became a director of the company he had worked for and bought out some of the original family who owned it until he became the controlling interest. When I reached the age of manhood I was able to become a director with my father and was granted some shareholdings. I made deals with the governments and with some foreign governments and was able to organise the take-over of rival companies including the one my father had first made money in. My father died some years ago. I inherited all his wealth being the only son and I embarked on a course of expansion."

"Valery I am sure Danella does not want to hear the full story. Just shorten it a little," Jeanette yawned again to underline that she had heard it before many times.

"Yes Valery. We have all heard it so often," said Lady Arabella. The others had now joined the conversation, despite having heard Valery's story many times before. Somehow the power of Valery's entertaining voice made them all listen. It was easy to see how he could have been persuasive in his business deals. Danella knew little of business and how it worked in Vanmar, but she was curious to find out how it drove and controlled this society. In Pirion all 'business', as the Prancirians would have described it, was conducted for the benefit of the whole society by the local councils, 'employing' the towns and village people for whose benefit it was conducted. These shares which Valery referred to and which she had both heard and read a little about, were difficult to understand, but she had been able to grasp that they were units of ownership which enabled the owners to become rich if the company was profitable. Thus in Prancir individuals benefited from their shareholdings and became far richer than the people who did most of the hard work in these businesses. Thus Valery, being a shareholder, had become very rich and had bought shareholdings in other companies. It seemed to Danella that shareholders were very lucky, while everyone else in Vanmar had to work hard for the rewards which they needed to pay for living, shareholders could relax and enjoy life while their investments made them rich.

With the profits they made they could invest in yet more shareholdings and become even richer without doing any more work than deciding where to invest their money and ensuring their managers ran the companies adequately. Ravelleon and Mireau and Paul had all mentioned about being shareholders; Ravelleon and Mireau were both shareholders in certain companies but they needed to work also to finance themselves and their dependants. Valery evidently was far from being a mere wealthy investor. He had directed and managed his companies and had made sometimes difficult decisions in keeping them profitable and in fighting the competitors. Danella could still not really appreciate why they should need to 'fight' with competitors in order to stay profitable. If the governments needed weapons then surely a few suppliers could produce them. Just because someone else was in business surely did not mean that your own business should be excluded. She asked this of Valery, but he said, "If you are in business you need to make as much money as you can. To maximise profit you must capture as much of the market as is possible because then you achieve savings for higher economies of scale. If you only have part of a market you will always have competitors ready to undercut your prices. It is better to fight your rivals. Buy them out if you can or leave them only a small market share."

None of it seemed to make much sense to Danella. His explanation used phrases she was unfamiliar with and she did not wish to spoil the evening by becoming too technical. Although she noted that it was a subject she would have to return to someday if she was to gain a full appreciation of Vanmarian society. Fighting in Vanmar, it seemed, was not limited to the battlefield, or to the competitive status positions in the career and class structures, but also to 'economics.'

"It is no use Valery. A lady from Pirion will never understand your complex economy," she declared. Valery laughed understandingly. The others all laughed politely also. Not wanting to be rude to her for the difficulties she had in understanding business.

"It is easy when you have been brought up as I have although many of my workers do not appear to understand our economy very well," commented Valery.

"You are an intelligent woman," said Jeanette, "more so than I would have expected from a Priestess of Pirion". Another judgement from Jeanette but despite the prejudice it contained it was a compliment and Danella took it that way. The prejudice was only to be expected here deep inside 'enemy' territory, but she had not particularly expected it from Jeanette who seemed to hold unusual views on most subjects.

"Priestesses are no less intelligent than anyone else I would have thought," said Mireau joining in to defend his lover. Danella wondered whether the two of them knew each other. For Mireau to have made such a comment seemed an act of some danger. Ravelleon would never have said such a thing, for though he now held her in great respect he did not have such a great respect of the citizens of Pirion. He considered Pirion to have a lazy culture in need of conquest and change. As a leading General in the prosecution of the war how could he hold any other view. But Mireau was more flexible and she loved him for it. He was willing to accept that she did not belong to him. He was willing to accept that the land of the Goddess might have many good attributes. He revered Danella as one of the fruits of that land. But she did not expect him to stand up for Pirion in public or in the company of other Prancirians. She felt again the warmth of friendship and love for him.