Starlight Gleaming Ch. 19

Charming, I thought to myself.

Cholan waited patiently for me. "Something wrong?"

"Electric charge on gate. A guard. Glass on the tops of the wall, too. Are the neighbors a problem?"

"There's glass on the wall? I used to climb -- oh, the ceiba tree is gone. I wonder why they took it out?"

The hundred feet to the front door were impressive. The wide space had several types of cacti, including aloe. There was indeed an allspice tree in bloom. There were also two papaya trees bearing fruit on the other side of the walkway. Scattered here and there were large, waist-high decorated ceramic pots filled with colorful and aromatic flowers. In slightly lower class homes, I would expect to see more of the area devoted to vegetables and even grains to help defray the costs of food. Still, there could yet be a dedicated garden behind the house.

As we neared, the front door opened and an old servant stood waiting for us. He smiled with genuine affection at Cholan.

"Sapu! It's good to see you!" she exclaimed, giving the old man a hug.

He returned the embrace briefly, then held her out at arm's length, looking her over. "It's good to see you, too, young mistress. You have changed so much, and you look happy, too! I would love to talk, but your mother is quite upset, so we shouldn't dawdle. Follow me. I'll announce you and your man friend."

Then he noticed my sidearm, a flicker of concern on his face. "You're a soldier?"

"He's an officer, Sapu. Lord Kandikan commands over a thousand men in the service of the Emperor."

The servant bowed. "My apologies, my lord. I meant no offense."

"None taken," I replied.

Sapu closed the door, then slid by and moved ahead of us, leading us down the short hallway.

The walls were a yellow-cream color with burnt-sienna border floorboards and rust colored tiles. Just above the floorboards were small painted sea turtles and seashells in the same color. An ambient light filled in the hall. It all spoke of wealth tastefully displayed.

We entered a large room, probably a combination drawing and family room, containing a high ceiling with four large skylights. The room was well-lit without being overbearing. Frescoes decorated the entirety of two of the walls. One painting was of a large market plaza, filled with people, while another painting was of a large, cantilever bridge, connecting two adjacent roads crossing a wide and deep ravine, and based on the scale, there was a fast-moving river over a hundred feet below. An appropriate choice for a civil engineer, and perhaps a past project.

On the east wall was a wide archway opening up to two rooms. The northern one looked to be a study or library as the visible wall was festooned with shelves and books. The southern room had large sun windows with a built-in bench, and was likely a sun room or sitting room. A servant woman, seated on a stool at a low table rocked an infant in her arms. Next to her, gathered around a coffee table were two small boys, one a few years older than the other. The younger played quietly with blocks while the other boy was focused intently on his tablet.

In the room we'd just entered were arrayed two expensive looking couches. An older couple sat on one while two younger women were on the second. I presumed these were Cholan's parents and her two older sisters. What immediately struck me was that all three women and the older man were pale-skinned yet still with a coppery tint. All three shared light brown hair and hazel eyes. A discernable contrast to Cholan's medium brown hair and medium brown eyes, and her slightly darker complexion.

All three women wore high-class semi-formal wear, two of them in dresses with wide fancy belts. One sister wore a plain cyan blue and white mesh dress, which set off the fancy belt made of black embossed leather. Her hair was curled and beaded with green polished stones, the color of which matched her dress. The jaw of her face was painted red, her cheeks had yellow circles, and from her eyelids to her eyebrows it was black. Not quite as striking as Cholan's from the previous night, but still declarative of wealth and upper-tier middle class.

The second sister had long hair, braided and bound behind her in a conservative bun. Her blouse was a light grey, and her long skirt was charcoal. All three women wore leather sandals.

By contrast, Cholan wore her new blouse of burgundy with the collar and arms hemmed in deep green bands. Her skirt of large stylized tropical flowers was ankle length, and she wore low comfortable leather shoes. Her shoulder-length medium brown hair was held in place by two tortoise-shell combs. And, she had the hummingbird on her left cheek. She was slightly darker than the others in her family, but not overly so, and the family resemblance between the four women was plain.

The older woman wore her hair partially covered in a glittering wrap, and her dress was mostly navy-blue with a cream band at the hem surmounted by two lines of wide zig-zags. Simple, yet definitely upper class. Her attire complimented her eyes, highlighting the flecks of green.

As soon as we entered, a mature man rose from beside the older woman. His eyes conveyed intelligence. He was dressed in a tailored navy-blue shirt and cream-colored jacket and cream slacks with low, dark brown shoes. The material was high quality, his shirt matching the same color as his wife's dress.

Holding out his hand, he greeted me. "I'm Master Menallo Yakalme. I'm Assistant Chief Engineer for the Northern District of Chohinze State. You must be Lord Kandikan, Cholan's benefactor. A pleasure to finally meet you, sir."

I shook hands with him. "I am Ranji Kandikan. The pleasure is likewise."

Then his face widened. "Why, Cholan, let me get a good look at you! You've lost so much weight! You look positively amazing!"

Cholan beamed under his praise, and at his gesture, she turned around for him.

The older woman rose and approached. Menallo introduced her. "This is my dear wife and valued partner, Layeena Yakalme, Cholan's mother. The one in the green dress is our oldest, Breena. She's the wife of Arvine Xochatsm, an important industrial engineer with Tlokan Armaments located right here in Copán. He works closely with the Ground Service. Our Breena has blessed her husband with two sons and a daughter.

"And this," he continued, gesturing to the woman in grey, "is our second child, Tanti. A quiet woman of sweet disposition and perfect health. She was well-married, but sadly her husband died before she could conceive. For the time being, she's returned home to live with us."

Tanti pursed her lips at this introduction. I didn't blame her. I'm not fond of being talked about like I'm not there either.

"We've been working hard on finding Tanti a new husband," Menallo continued with an indulgent smile. "Thanks to Cholan, Tant's prospects have greatly improved. Cholan, if you wish to say hello to your nephews and little niece, they are gathered in the sun room. I don't believe you've met your niece yet. Siénte was born just a few months ago."

Cholan looked surprised by his comments; she gave me a puzzled glance, then recovered. "Yes, all right, Father. I'll go visit with them for a bit. Excuse me, my lord."

With barely a wave at her sisters or her mother, she scooted on by and retired to visit the children.

They haven't seen her in almost two years and not even a hug? I thought.

Still, mindful of my manners, I took the opportunity and presented my colorful bag of chocolate bars to Cholan's mother. "I am pleased to meet you, Master and Mistress Yakalme. Please accept this small token as a gesture of respect."

"You are too kind, sir." Layeena looked inside the bag, then called out, "Sapu! Sapu, come here! There you are. Here, take this to the kitchen and stick them into the cooler, not the icebox, so they don't melt."

The old servant hurried in and after a short bow, took the bag from his mistress and departed.

Layeena eyed me over again, then frowned briefly at the pistol. "Cholan tells us you're a lieutenant?"

Breena burst into laughter from her seat on the couch. "No, Mother! Lord Kandikan is a field commander. He's much more important than a mere lieutenant."

Manello shook his head in disapproval. "It's not nice to laugh at your mother, Breena."

"I was quite sure that Cholan had written us that you were a lieutenant," Layeena remarked, looking at her daughter. "Well, she was obviously mistaken. Is a field commander important?"

"Very important, Mother," Breena replied, rising from her seat. "A lieutenant commands a platoon of at least twenty men, while a senior lieutenant or a captain might be in charge of a company of two or three hundred. A field commander is often in charge of a regiment or a even a brigade, with at least a thousand or more warriors under his direct control. Lord Kandikan, Cholan's guest -- why, he's is very nearly a general."

Tanti stood up as well, but discreetly moved behind her older sister, remaining silent.

Visibly impressed with Breena's assessment, the mother immediately warmed to me. Before I was just an officer, a young lord who'd been late in arriving at her home. To her mind, probably a second son with little other options to get ahead. However, a general was a rank of importance known to even the lowest commoner; a general made things happen.

For my part, I was impressed Breena knew the scale of command, and that she readily recognized my grade. If her husband had frequent interactions with the Ground Service, it meant she was smart and paid attention to things that were important.

Breena gave me a short bow. Had she been a noblewoman, she would have offered her hand for me to touch to my forehead, or more daringly, for me to kiss. Because I was noble and she was common, they bowed and I did not. However, a tilt of the head to the women of the house was considered socially polite. As I wanted to do right by Cholan, I inclined my head. They smiled at the gesture.

"A pleasure, Commander Kandikan." Breena practically purred. "Cholan tells us she met you when she was stationed at Tikún. Your House name -- it's familiar to me and not just from Cholan's emails. Your House name is similar to Kukulkán, one of the Mayan gods. Is your family Mayan or Olmecian by chance?"

"No, it's not," I said. "My family lives in the southeast corner of Caibo Valley, in Tacana State. Our home is nestled in the Shtomar Mountains."

"Shtomar?" Breena remarked. "I don't believe I'm familiar with that word."

"It's the Tacanan word for sleeping."

"I daresay you are altogether quite remarkable! All the captains and group captains I've met look years older than you, Lord Kandikan, and all the commanders I've met are men in their late forties or their fifties. If I may be so bold, just how old are you?"

"Breena," Manello said by way of warning. "I apologize for her forwardness, Lord Kandikan."

"It's all right. I don't object to curiosity out of hand, and she does have a point. I'll be twenty-three this year," I answered. "It's rare for a civilian to be so versed in military matters, Lady Xochatsm."

"My husband and I attend a lot of functions and meetings," Breena explained. "A good wife learns her husband's business to help him however she can." Her grin became almost predatory. "Twenty-three! You're handsome, and you have remarkable blue eyes! Will you be in the area long?"

"Don't pry, Breena!" her father snapped.

"I'm not prying, Father," she protested. "I'm getting to know him. We've only just met and there's so much to learn. Besides, I'm only thinking of poor Tanti. Why should Nabbie have him to herself? I seem to recall her bragging that Lord Kandikan has a bevy of women who love him, including little Nabbie. He's young, powerful nobleman in the military, and she tells us his family is quite wealthy. Maybe with some proper groveling, we can convince him to take Tanti as another mistress and breed her some children. She could certainly do much worse."

"That's enough!" Menallo growled.

From the corner of my eye, I watched Cholan on her knees between her two nephews, chatting quietly with them.

Based on Tanti's reaction, it was obvious she wasn't in accord with her sister's blunt comments. I also wondered what Nabbie meant.

Breena gave her father a look, but she didn't seem put off by his rebuke. I saw the wheels in her head turning. He was her father, but the oldest daughter she was also married to presumably a successful man, and she was a mother in her own right. That meant she was independent, with status apart from him. He was her father, but she was no longer constrained to obey him.

Turning to guide my attention away from his daughter, Menallo gestured with his other hand. "Come, sir. We should retire to the dining room and take our repast before it gets too much later."

Switching to another language -- probably East Islander -- Menallo growled briefly at his oldest daughter.

"Of course," I agreed. "Ladies, first."

Delighted, Breena lifted her scarf as she walked by, deliberately trailing it over my shoulder and glancing to gauge my reaction. She boldly led the way to the dining room through the south archway, followed by Layeena, who also gave me a calculating look.

Menallo stepped back, offering Tanti his hand. As she walked by, she appeared disinterested in everything: in meeting me, in following the discussion, or even seeing her younger sister.

"Cholan, we're heading in to lunch now," Menallo called out.

"I'll be there soon, Papa. Don't wait," Cholan responded. While the nanny watched, she stood gently cradling her niece, cooing and making happy sounds, both boys attentive to her presence. Seeing the delight in Cholan's face made me feel good.

In the dining room, Menallo moved to the head of the table, facing north. As I moved to the guest seat, there was an awkward moment while I waited for the women to be seated first.

I gave a slight bow. "This is your home. Please be seated first."

They sat and then I took my place, adjusting my chair.

"Where is Cholan?" Layeena asked her husband.

"Still visiting with the children," he answered, sitting down.

"She knows she's to be here for meal times with the rest of us," she said irritably.

I thought the comment odd. Cholan had received the barest of greetings from her father and none from her mother or sisters. Then Menallo asks her to leave and spend time with the children. Perhaps as the youngest, they sent Cholan off to be with the other children, not seeing her as a grown woman of twenty-five, and after having dismissed her, now the mother was upset Cholan wasn't present?

"What's your preference, sir?" Menallo asked me. "Do you wish to wait for her return before we start the meal?"

Shaking my head, I said, "Cholan said she will be along soon, and we've already delayed your luncheon long enough."

Satisfied, he nodded at his wife.

Layeena, clearly unhappy, picked up a small bell and rang it sharply.

A door on rollers was immediately pulled aside and two male servants entered, both pushing roll-carts. One had several dishes under tins. The second cart had a single huge roasting tin. This was no casual meal then. They had pulled out the stops in an effort to impress me.

A young servant woman followed them in with a smaller roll-cart containing plates, cups, and silverware. On the second tier were napkins and towels. Moving quickly, the young woman expertly placed settings as she quickly moved around the table. The first servant rapidly uncovered the tins, setting lids onto the lower shelf, then moved about, filling glasses with a choice of chilled water, juice, and two types of wine.

The second male servant, wearing an apron and chef's hat, stood at attention.

Layeena nodded as she turned the chef, her hands folded in her lap. "What are we having today, Hadwin?"

Hadwin proudly bowed, then pointed out the various dishes. "We have red and black quinoa with a choice of yogurt or a savory meat-gravy topping. We also have fresh green beans and sliced yellow squash mixed with diced yellow, green, and red chiles. There is also a fruit salad garnished with almonds, cashews, and as well as peanuts all the way from the Seven Nations. For desert, there's monkey-brain pudding."

By the gods, I thought fervently. I hope that doesn't mean...

"And the main course?" Cholan's mother asked, proudly showing off her cook's expertise to her guest.

Hadwin, with great flourish, lifted the tin. "Roasted spider monkey, Mistress, made with my own special orange-honey glaze!"

The others, including Hadwin, turned to look at my reaction.

Layeena and the chef were both taken aback as I winced and briefly closed my eyes.

After entering the Air Service, I had eaten monkey a handful of times. But ever since my encounter with the draconians, I couldn't get the phrase baby monkey meat from my head and what my girls had endured. By universal consensus, we did not eat monkey in our home.

"You don't approve, Lord Kandikan," Layeena said, struggling to remain polite.

I looked at the big reveal.

Yep. There was the small simian body, its arms folded over the chest and legs splayed, the skin roasted to a golden brown, the smell of cooked meat filling the room. Sans head, of course, since the brains had been removed to make the pudding. My traitorous stomach grumbled at the smell of cooked meat while I struggled to contain the rising bile.

"My sincerest apologies, Lady Yakalme. It looks like a very fine meal, very professionally prepared. The presentation is excellent. For personal reasons, I no longer eat monkey. I look forward to partaking of the quinoa, vegetables, and the salad. Unfortunately, I must forego the dessert as well."

The polite thing would have been to tell them to eat their meal without serving me a portion. Instead, I remained silent on the matter. Because of my social caste, they were now constrained by good manners to decline the refused food while in my presence. In consideration for my girls, I was okay with that.

Cholan entered the room.

Before anyone could say anything, I jumped up and pulled out her chair. Surprised and delighted, Cholan beamed at me as I pushed her chair in, then sat back down beside her. Finding her hand under the table, I lifted it up above the table's top and kissed it, openly displaying my affection for her to her family.

Cholan grinned happily, even as she blushed furiously at her family taking in my open display of affection.

Nobility normally do not pull out chairs for commoners. Not even for lovers. I never subscribed to such nonsense. The only reason I didn't get a chance to do it very much at home -- much to my mother's ire -- was because I was often the last one to the table.

"Aww. Isn't that cute," Breena quipped.

"Mother?" Cholan asked, pointing at the main meal. "What is that?"

"Spider monkey, with Hadwin's special orange-honey glaze," she announced proudly, trying to salvage her pride. "Hadwin worked all day yesterday and today preparing this wonderful meal. His lordship has expressed dissatisfaction with the choice of food."

"That's not quite true, Mother," Breena corrected. "Only the monkey meat and the monkey-brain pudding." She smirked, obviously amused.

Cholan gave me an apologetic look, then frowned. "Mother, when I told you we were coming, I gave you at least a dozen choices of the kind of foods Lord Kandikan enjoys eating. Why didn't you select from those?" To her mother's embarrassed silence, she sat back, folding her arms. "Oh, I see. You thought you knew better."

"That's not very respectful of your mother, Cholan," her father admonished.