Torgan Wine Ch. 28

"Aing." Jannun gestured for her to lie back and gently pulled the covers away. The two priests pressed and prodded her abdomen as they spoke quietly. She tried not to squirm from the discomfort and to her surprise Lislora reached out and took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

Brenough asked a question and Lislora nodded, "They need to know the last time Draeseth bedded you."

"The morning before the party."

Another question was asked and relayed, "When was the last time you had your...emmenia." The Torgan woman looked embarrassed to be asking.

"I haven't had an emmenia for months, taking silphium daily prevented it. He hasn't let me take it since we arrived but I still haven't had it." She winced as they pressed harder, digging fingers into her abdomen.

Translating another question, Lislora asked, "Have you been anxious or unhappy?"

"Yes. I've been miserable here."

That seemed to reassure them. They consulted and then covered her again. Brenough spoke to Lislora who nodded and the priests stepped out of the room.

"They think that taking silphium daily is not healthy. Between that and the unhappiness you have endured you have not been fertile. As fragile as your health has been they think you should not be forced to carry a child yet."

"He said he'd let me have my silphium again..." Whether he would or not she was no longer so certain. He'd lied to her, to her father, and her King. Her letters had not been sent, and Draeseth had admitted that he planned to break his word. Krouth might be trustworthy... "I will ask Krouth to bring it to me."

"You can refuse him." Lislora glanced at the door. "Instead of taking the herb. They do not consider the Arrangement binding."

"I do, and Draeseth does. He will argue about it vigorously, he lacks patience. Having me in his bed is something he will require unless they can send me home to Ara."

"Is he... is he demanding?" Lislora twisted her hands in her lap. "He said you encourage him to be rough with you."

"I had never been with a man who had rough affections before I met Draeseth. I do enjoy them, and I don't discourage him. Going to bed with him is a joy, although I'm very unhappy with him right now and I don't want to."

The Torgan woman inclined her head and then shook it, "The bruises he leaves are a joy?"

"He has a magnificent biting kiss, and I bruise easily." Isonei tried not to laugh at the expression of disbelief on Lislora's face. "Here, give me your hand."

Tentatively, the woman complied and Isonei brought the side of the Torgan's wrist to her mouth to give her a gentle biting kiss. At the touch of her lips, Lislora's eyes widened. At the touch of her tongue her face began to flush, and at the touch of her teeth the woman's lips parted in pleased surprise.

"He does it better." Isonei smiled as the Torgan woman pressed her hands to her flushed cheeks in embarrassment. "But I bruise easily and when he does it repeatedly..."

"Yes." Lislora nodded hurriedly flushing deeper. "I understand." Once she had schooled her face and her flush had nearly disappeared she smiled almost sadly. "You are too delicate for a Torgan man."

"I'd ask you to help me convince him of that, but he needs you and I would be doing you a disservice. He won't be happy with anyone who tells him that and I want him to have someone with him when I leave," she smiled ruefully, "or die. Whichever happens first."

"Let them put you in a convent. It would-"

"No. I want to go home." It was Isonei's turn to study her hands. "I need to go home. Torga is far too cold and I miss my family."

Lislora took her hand again and held it until Isonei faded into sleep.

°°°°°°°°°°

Isonei was startled awake in the dark by Draeseth climbing into bed with her.

"Go back to sleep, wife. I dreamt of you being stolen from me and needed to hold you." He pulled her close curling with his front against her back to murmur against the skin of her neck, "I will not let anyone take you from me."

"I slept through dinner?" Her mouth was dry and her mind felt foggy.

"You did. Krouth wanted to wake you to give you tea and soup but the priests said you should be allowed to sleep. I had him put something in their evening stew to help them all sleep well." Draeseth kissed the curve of her neck where it met her shoulder. "I do not trust any man in your chambers."

"You shouldn't do that, they're good men and I trust them. They have strange ideas about how warm a room should be but otherwise they're-"

Laughing softly in his throat, he squeezed her, "You are a trusting woman. Under any other circumstances I would be pleased that you think so highly of priests of Ganas, but they wish to nullify our Arrangement and it has made me think less of them. My father has recognized it and Brother Odgar signed it as a witness. There is nothing they can argue that will compel you from my side."

"Do they agree that you should be permitted to break your word? It wasn't only my King you made promises to, Draeseth."

The Torgan stiffened behind her. "You will not argue with me on this. He would not return you to me."

"Why would he not? My King-"

He hissed furiously in her ear, "Wants you for his son as Daga Lothlaerith did. If your brothers menaced you or if your father forbade you, I could not come for you a second time. And do you think the Lerians would be so glad to see you-"

"Stop! Enough!" Her heart was pounding; she needed to hear him say what he'd done. "My King would honor an Arrangement no matter what he wants for his son unless you've done something else. The Lerians would not harm me, the worst they would do would be to shun me. What have you done that would make breaking your word to my King, and to me, seem like the better choice?"

"I have told you over and over again, I have promised you, I will not part with you. Your longing for home will pass when you make this your home. Our children will fill your need for family."

"Draeseth..." She tried to wriggle away from him, wanting to turn and face him but he kept her held in place. "Draeseth, tell me what you've done."

"I have done all I can to make certain you will not be taken from me. You will be happy here if you let yourself be. Let me make you happy. Stop asking to be returned to Ara." Draeseth squeezed her so tightly she thought he might crush the air from her but he loosened it almost immediately.

"I won't ask you to return me again." Isonei began to worry her inner lip with her teeth.

"You will not ask anyone to return you, my Duchess." He pressed his face to the back of her neck.

"I won't promise you that, your Highness."

"Call me your husband." His hold tightened again uncomfortably.

Pressing her hands to her face she murmured into them, "Maeralya, mother of all, I beg you, give your foolish child hope and put these wrongs to right. Your child is lost and alone. Sweet Tyhnoth, dour Tyhnoth, I beg you for your gentle comfort and your firm cold hand. Protect me from pain and give your mother's child a gentle death." The Torgan released her as she prayed and pushed himself angrily from the bed, storming from the room. "Fearsome Teth, I ask you to lend me your fierce strength and the wit to know how to use it."

After a moment she added, "Mother of all, I don't know who looks after the jesters, but I ask you to have someone lend the dear jester good luck and keep him safe."

Stirring from her bed she lifted the shade on her lamp to look for the priests that Draeseth had implied were sleeping in her rooms. Brothers Jannun and Brenough were sleeping in the main room, nearly blocking the bedroom door. She knelt and set the lamp to the side, placing her head on Jannun's chest to listen for his heart and his breath. He didn't stir but he was breathing deeply and his heart was loud.

Stepping over him carefully she knelt next to Brenough and did the same. She heard nothing. Isonei prodded him and took hold of his cold hand, listening for a long moment before breaking into a wail of anguish.

Jannun sat up with a start looking at her in shock. "Lady?"

"He's-he's dead! He-" She shook her head as her throat closed up. Draeseth's jealousy had cost a dear man his life, the choices she had made had led to this. Isonei held the dead man's hand as Jannun checked for himself and sprang up to ring for servants.

Krouth was there in moments speaking to the priest. When he tried to pull her away she jerked her arm out of his grasp and gave him a look of revulsion. "Did you do this? When Draeseth came into my room he said he had you put something in their food to make them sleep. Did you poison him?!"

"No!" Krouth knelt next to her with a look of genuine concern, "Your Grace, I swear to you. He gave the command but I did not obey. I would not poison priests." He spoke hurriedly in Torgan as Halloc Aurim entered and the Halloc gently pulled her away from Brenough.

Jannun laid a hand on Krouth's shoulder, "Krouth is ahh is good. Faithful."

The slim Torgan's normally unbowed shoulders were slightly slumped as he looked down at Brenough's body and his dark eyes looked damp. Isonei embraced him with a juddering breath and felt him stiffen in surprise. He spoke quietly in Torgan and the only thing she understood was Lislora. Krouth awkwardly patted the back of her head but didn't try to dislodge her until the woman arrived.

Lislora was bleary-eyed and wrapped in her robe but led Isonei out of the room and to her own chamber. Pulling her into bed as if she were a child, the Torgan woman let her sleep curled against her.

The morning brought a quiet breakfast in Lislora's room before she was taken back to her own to dress. Brother Jannun arrived as she was leaving her chambers to escort her to the study where Draeseth was being spoken to by the Halloc.

As she entered, the angry Torgan words came to a halt and Krouth shook his head seeming to ask something of Halloc Aurim who refused. Isonei looked to Draeseth for an explanation.

"They wish to take you and leave; I have told them they may take Krouth." His scowl turned her heart to ice.

"Then you're a fool as well as a liar and an oath breaker. That man is a better friend than you deserve."

"He disobeyed me."

"He knows me far better than you do. He knows I would never have forgiven either of you had he followed that command. Your jealousy is the reason I will spend half of the year as far from you as I can go." Her words seemed to strike him like a closed fist. "That you would abandon all that you hold dear, your faith and your honor, to keep me against my will... you once tried to release me from my word because you felt you were behaving as the brute I have sworn you are not. That is the man I loved and chose to stay with. The one in front of me is not one I know."

A soft murmur as Krouth translated the words for Halloc Aurim was the only sound in the room when she finished. Draeseth's head bowed and after a long silence he spoke hoarsely in Torgan. The Halloc gave a stern answer and received a nod.

Brother Jannun gestured wordlessly for her to take a seat and she listened as the men held a solemn discussion in Torgan. The Halloc looked satisfied as it came to a close and Krouth came to kneel in front of her with a faint smile.

"On this day of apologies, it seems I owe you one as well your Grace. You are worthy of your station and I am ashamed to have thought less of you."

"Thank you, Master Krouth. I'm... I'm sorry I lost my temper with you after the incident with the barrel. And I'm grateful that you weren't made to carry the letters as I'd asked."

"All is forgiven, your Grace. I will remind you in the future if you seem to be making hasty judgments."

"I would appreciate that, but you might find yourself very busy, I can be impulsive." She gave him a small smile.

"I am aware, your Grace. But your loyalty and kindness redeem you." He stood and helped her to her feet.

Isonei struggled not to laugh. "Thank you, I think. What was decided?"

The servant escorted her from the study. "Prince Draeseth will atone for his wrongs and allow himself and his house to be purified. There will be fasting and prayer for a time and the Halloc will remain until it has been completed. The Arrangement will be honored now that they have seen what effect you have on his Highness. There had been concern that you were the cause of his disrespect."

"Will he be expected to keep his word? Will they send me home?"

"No. They will not have you returned to the demons and those who would allow you to consort with them. Prince Draeseth did well to rescue you."

She nearly stumbled and the slim servant turned to catch her. "But..."

"You are under the protection of Ganas' priests, and Halloc Aurim has been granted custody of you. He will share it with Prince Draeseth to respect the Arrangement. When you are not with his Highness, you will be in the Halloc's care. Most likely in a convent." Krouth sounded very pleased by the agreement.

"He gave his word..."

He gave her a stern look and she nodded meekly.

Going home for the Festival would require her to find a way to get there on her own. There would be no help from Krouth or the priests.

"Would you take me to the winter garden? I don't want to go back to my rooms right now."

"There is more to the Keep than your rooms and the winter garden, your Grace. Would you like to walk?"

"Please."