Talla's Fallen Temple Ch. 12

Instead, two more women entered.

"My Mistress needs to see her quite urgently," someone familiar was saying.

Maksa's ears strained and finally recognized the speaker as the Second of Pussy, a genealogist named Dol'ya.

"It will only take a moment to examine her," another woman said, her voice unrecognizable to Maksa.

"I was instructed that it was an urgent matter."

The guard coughed.

"It is a matter of Protocol," she pointed out firmly. "All upgrade recipients will be examined."

That seemed to settle the matter for her, and she did have the advantage of being the only one in the room with a spear.

"Oh, nonsense, Mara," the Sorceress of Facial sang out, never turning her head away from Maksa. "If there's something important happening back in Sweetness, we can examine Maksa later – or have someone examine her when she gets home. There's nothing in the Protocols that says the examinations have to happen right away."

The guard stuttered, caught between Protocol and the rank of the woman in front of her.

The Sorceress leaned in close enough that Maksa could see her face clearly.

And then she winked.

"You feel just fine, don't you, dear?" she asked Maksa. "Not light headed or anything like that?"

"No, Mistress," Maksa lied, unsure of what was going on but placing her coins on the side of the very convincing blonde woman in front of her. "Just fine."

"Don't speak anymore," Facial reminded her. "Let your throat rest. Now be off, the two of you. Hup, hup."

Dol'ya hooked Maksa's arm and swiftly led her out of the room, past the flustered guard and whatever physician that had been.

When she felt they were safely out of earshot, she leaned over to whisper to Dol'ya.

"What in the nine hells was that about?"

"Not here," was the only reply.