Chapter Eleven

Sweet

 

“Kah Circe,” I heard Lahn call softly, my eyes drifted open and I saw him looming over me, one arm across my body, hand in the bed, his torso close, his eyes on mine.

“Hey,” I whispered and one side of his mouth twitched.

“Hey,” he replied then he straightened, his hand in the bed slid around my neck and he lifted me up as his other hand came toward me, carrying a cup. He put it to my lips and ordered quietly, “Gingoo, Lahnahsahna.”

I drank the bitter liquid and knew he’d prepared another dose of medicine.

Yeah, damn. He could be sweet.

When I was done, he took the cup away, set it on the ground by the bed and came back to me. His eyes roamed my face and his hand smoothed my hair back, his fingers sifting through it as he did. It felt nice, him doing that, really nice.

Oh shit, yeah. He could be sweet.

And that sucked.

“You know what sucks?” I whispered to him, doing it because I knew he would have no clue as to a word I was saying. “It sucks that you can be sweet and when you’re sweet you’re really sweet. That sucks.”

He didn’t stop tenderly stroking my hair as I spoke but his eyes dropped to my mouth and when I was done, they came back to mine.

Then my heart squeezed when he whispered back, “I don’t understand you, baby.”

There it was again. Sweet.

I lifted a hand and placed it on his chest. He looked down at it but his eyes came back to mine when I spoke.

“Out there, King Lahn is a fierce warrior but in here, my Lahn… kah Lahn is sweet.”

His eyes changed, intensity shifting in when he murmured, “Fierce warrior, sweet.”

I grinned at him. “You’ve sort of got it.”

“Fierce warrior, sweet,” he muttered again.

“Yes,” I replied and his hand came up to mine at his chest, his long fingers curling around, swallowing mine when they did and then they held tight, keeping our hands at his chest.

“Anla na neesoo, anka ta linay et na lapay sahka. Suh Tunak me tunoo et kah Circe me sahka,”* he declared and I laughed softly.

Then I said just as softly, “I don’t understand you, baby.”

He shook his head, his lips tipped up then he bent close. “Neesoo, kah Lahnahsahna.”

“Neesoo?” I asked and he didn’t move back but his hand stroking my hair moved to my face where he gently touched each eyelid with a fingertip, my eyes blinking with each touch, then his fingertips glided down my cheekbone.

“Neesoo,” he repeated softly.

“Rest?” I guessed.

“Quiet,” he answered then he got closer and ordered firmly, “loot neesoo.”

“Okay, big guy, I’ll neesoo,” I muttered.

That got me a soft chuckle, something I’d never heard from him and something else about him that was appealing.

His fingertips trailed down my hairline from middle part all the way to my right ear. Then his eyes looked into mine before he tipped up his chin, his hands left me, he straightened from the bed and strode out of the tent.

“Neesoo,” I whispered to the tent ceiling.

Then I closed my eyes and neesooed.

* * * * *

It was late morning and I was sitting on my bed laughing with my girls. Gaal and Packa were lounging on my bed with me and even Teetru, who looked uncomfortable but was loosening up, had seated herself at the edge. Jacanda and Beetus were running around the cham picking up things or pointing at them and telling me what they were called in Korwahk. I would repeat what they said then I’d tell them what it was called in English and they’d repeat what I said. Then they’d all giggle like English was an insane language that made no sense and was silly beyond belief (like Korwahk wasn’t).

I was feeling okay. I’d had a cool bath, the girls had brought more aloe vera stalks and we’d smoothed the moisture on my burns. I had a wicked, strange sunburn, crisscrosses on my feet, bands on my arms where the gold didn’t cover me, pink at my belly, latticework on my chest and Lord knew what my face looked like since I was wearing my feathers all day. I probably looked like a dork but the cool bath and aloe vera worked a treat. I couldn’t say I felt great but I didn’t feel shit.

I was wearing much what the healer was wearing last night but mine wasn’t gauze. Mine was a thin, soft silk the color of a green apple and it went down to my ankles and had slits up to my hips. I also had on a pair of pale yellow silk undies. Ghost was oblivious to our game and was taking a baby tiger nap with her head in my lap.

And I was taking a rest from all the shit bouncing around in my head – about this world, about my world and about Lahn. Lord knew, I needed a break and I was giving myself one.

“Poyah!” We heard and all of our eyes swung to the cham flaps to see Diandra enter.

Teetru shot off the bed like she was doing something wrong and the rest of the girls also tensed but I called, “Poyah, Diandra!” and she didn’t even look at the girls as she walked to the foot of the bed.

“How is my queen today?” she asked.

“Much better,” I told her with a smile. “Sorry to call you so early –”

I stopped talking when she waved her hand in front of her face. “Don’t mention it, Dahksahna Circe. It is an honor. Seerim is delighted I’m being of service to our new queen, he feels very important.” Her eyes lit and she went on, “Which brings me to why I’m here. I have news!”

I grinned at her and patted the bed. She didn’t hesitate but moved to lounge on it as she said something to the girls that set them scurrying.

I watched them go, my brows knitting but my eyes went back to Diandra when she started speaking.

“You will never guess,” she declared.

“Guess what?” I asked.

“Guess what the Dax asked my Seerim this morning,” she answered and I didn’t reply, just looked at her, waiting. She pulled herself closer to me and leaned into a hand in the bed. “He asked Seerim if he knew our language.”

Oh my.

I wasn’t sure this was good.

“He did?” I whispered and she nodded.

“Oh yes, my dear, he did. Seerim does know pieces but not much.” She grinned big. “And he didn’t know what the Dax asked him so he came to our cham and asked me. It was of great import and the Dax expected swift answers.”

“Wha…” I swallowed, “what did he ask?”

A huge smile lit her face. “He wanted to know what the words, ‘baby’, ‘honey’, ‘big guy’, ‘fierce warrior’ and ‘sweet’ meant.”

Oh.

My.

“What did you tell him?” I breathed and she leaned back, tipping her head to the side.

“Well, I told him what they mean, of course.”

Oh God.

I wasn’t sure Lahn would take to being called “baby” when he knew what it meant. Or “honey” for that matter. And I wasn’t certain he’d like “sweet” either.

Damn.

“Um… Diandra –” I started.

She shook her head. “Do not worry, my queen. I explained that in your land, these are endearments, like kah fauna. Which, I assume, they are?”

I nodded.

Her head tipped further to the side. “Big guy is an endearment?”

“Uh… essentially,” I muttered.

“Unusual,” she muttered back.

“Did, uh… Seerim explain this to Lahn?” I asked and she got that wicked, knowing look in her eyes.

“He did, indeed, my dear. He went right back to him and explained. Then he came back to me.”

Seemed like Diandra had a busy morning.

When she said no more, I prompted, “And?”

Her eyes lit again. “Seerim tells me he has never seen the Dax laugh that hard or that long. Our king found all this very amusing.”

Well!

I was so sure.

To hide my hurt, I looked to Ghost, slid my fingers through her fur and whispered, “Well, it’s the way we talk where I’m from and it’s not nice to make fun of the way people talk.”

“Dahksahna Circe, linas please,” Diandra requested softly and I looked at her. “He has decided he likes the meaning of honey best but he prefers how you speak when you call him baby. He is, of course, a ‘big guy’ and simply finds it amusing you would point this out. There were several warriors with him when Seerim explained all this and Seerim reports to me that they all found your words amusing but not in a bad way. It isn’t making fun. It’s good that your husband finds you amusing. Laughter is important to any relationship but it’s especially important in a marriage. No?”

I had to admit, she was right.

“What did…?” I hesitated. “What did he think of me calling him sweet?”

She grinned again. “I believe that he preferred you thought of him as a fierce warrior but he took no offense to you calling him sweet and, it would be my guess, he took no offense to this because you called him your Lahn before you did so.”

I felt my eyes grow round. “He remembered that?”

“‘Out there, King Lahn is a fierce warrior but in here, my Lahn… kah Lahn is sweet,’” she recited. “Is this what you said?”

It was and, if memory served, it was word for word.

Holy moly.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Then,” she said softly, reaching out and touching my knee, “I think my guess would be correct and he took no offense at all, my queen.”

My stomach dipped then it warmed.

Oh man. Here we go again.

“Now!” she exclaimed and my body started. “I have more news.”

I didn’t know if I could take more news but because I was a dork, I still asked, “What news?”

“Well, Seerim has found your Narinda.”

I smiled and clapped my hands in front of me so Ghost lifted her head and blinked at me with tiger cub irritation before she settled again.

“He did?” I asked.

“He did, indeed, my queen. She is the bride of Feetak.”

I leaned into her. “Is she okay?”

Diandra smiled gently. “She is. Feetak is a strong warrior. A dependable one. Seerim respects him. And, he tells me, Feetak is taken with his bride. This is why she has not been out and about and he did not go to the games. He has been spending a great deal of time with her.”

I hoped this was good news.

Diandra went on, proving it was. “There are some warriors who do this. It is after the fact, of course, but it is what in our lands would be considered as wooing. He did not allow her to attend the selection, although he participated as is mandatory, and this is likely because, as you did, she would find it distressing. But Seerim says he was seen at the celebration with her last night. Though he took her back to their cham early before things got, erm… out of hand.”

Yeah, out of hand. She could say that again.

Diandra kept speaking. “But she is well and I know where their cham is so, when you are better and when Seerim says it is appropriate to approach, in other words, when Feetak would consent to it, I will take you to her or ask her to attend you.”

Oh thank God.

“That’d be cool, Diandra, thanks.”

“Cool,” she said on a smile. “You must tell me about your land one day, Dahksahna Circe. We share the same language and yet, we do not.”

I’d bet that would be an interesting conversation.

I grinned at her while changing the subject. “And your other news?”

She pulled in breath then her face lit again and she stated, “The Dax has spoken and we do not ride.”

I blinked.

“What?”

“The Dax has spoken and we do not ride,” she repeated.

“I don’t under –”

She leaned in. “We ride, always. The day after the selection, starting at daybreak, the camp is packed up and the instant it is packed up, be it early morning, afternoon or evening, we ride. But, you are unwell, you had a turn last night, your king is concerned and he has decreed that until he is content with your health, The Horde does not ride.”

God, why was it that every time I convinced myself I did not like this guy he did something to make me like him?

“That was –” I started quietly.

“Sweet of him,” Diandra finished for me on one of her wicked smiles.

“Right,” I whispered, feeling my cheeks flame and not from sunburn.

She reached out a hand and touched my knee and she did this while laughing.

I, on the other hand, sighed.

She’d just leaned back when the cham flaps slapped open and my eyes went to it to see Lahn bending to enter.

And again, here we go.

I braced for him to be rude, bark orders and ignore me.

But he did not do this.

His eyes came right to me and then he did. Right in front of everyone, he carefully turned me (and Ghost, who made a purry mew and looked up at him) toward the side of the bed and then he leaned into me, fists on either side, body bent down at the waist, face super close.

Then he spoke softly.

“Erm…” Diandra whispered, “your king asks how you are.”

He didn’t take his eyes from mine as Diandra translated and I couldn’t take mine from his.

“I’m fine,” I said softly and Diandra translated, speaking one word.

Lahn spoke more and Diandra interpreted, “Did you do as you were told and rest?”

“Uh… yes,” I replied.

“Meena,” Diandra said.

“Good,” Lahn rumbled then said more words.

When he was done, Diandra spoke. “When you take lunch, he wants you to take more medicine. Do you understand?”

I nodded.

“Good,” he repeated on another rumble then spoke more.

He had finished talking and Diandra didn’t translate for a few seconds then she said haltingly and with humor in her voice, “Your king wants to be between your legs tonight, Dahksahna Circe. He commands you get better in order that that can be so.”

My eyes got wide, my cheeks again flamed and I snapped, “Lahn!”

He grinned at me, totally unrepentant.

“I change my mind, you’re not sweet in this cham,” I declared irately, Diandra translated and Lahn’s hand moved swiftly, cupping me at the back of my neck, he squeezed hard as he threw his head back and roared with laughter. “I wasn’t being amusing,” I informed him, Diandra translated and his waning laughter instantly waxed.

Brute!

I was glaring at him when his eyes came to me. He took one look and the smile remained fixed to his face. Then he spoke.

Diandra interpreted, “It is clear my tigress feels well or at least well enough to bare her claws.”

“Damn straight,” I snapped, Lahn grinned and Diandra asked, sounding perplexed, “Pardon, my queen?”

“He’s absolutely right!” I snapped again, Diandra translated and Lahn chuckled.

Then his face sobered and he whispered, “Neesoo, kah rahna fauna.”

“Rest, my golden doe,” Diandra whispered and I pulled in a breath but even though I tried to keep up the glare, I knew my face had gone soft.

My eyes slid away and I whispered, “All right.”

Lahn gently pulled me toward him and I felt his lips at my ear where he murmured, “Rest, baby.”

I closed my eyes and shivered then shivered again when I felt his wet tongue on the hot skin of my neck. He pulled back, looked deep in my eyes a moment, straightened and walked right out of the tent without another word or glance to anyone.

There was silence in the tent and then Teetru came forward and placed a plate of cut pears and grapes on the bed between Diandra and I just as Packa handed us cups of cool water. I smiled at her, took a long drink and set my cup on the ground before I grabbed a slice of pear and popped it into my mouth. Then I looked at Diandra when she started talking.

“He always frightened me half to death, even as a young lad. So intense. So ferocious.” Diandra remarked, still staring at the cham flaps then her head turned to me. “But I’m beginning to like him.” Then she grinned her wicked grin. “I’m thinking he is sweet.”

I had to put a stop to this, pronto, mainly because of how it made my heart feel.

“He wasn’t sweet when he made me sit in the burning sun and close to roasting firepits for nine hours yesterday, saying not one word to me and not even allowing me to feed myself,” I reminded her mostly to remind myself.

Her face softened and so did her voice when she said, “I understand this would be upsetting to you but it is your place to sit at his side. It is at all times but especially during a ceremony and a celebration. His people spend all day working in the sun, riding in the sun. He had no idea it would make you ill. It is true, there are other women from other lands who are wives to warriors but there are few and King Lahn has certainly had no personal experience of any of them.”

It sucked but this was true.

Diandra kept talking. “And clearly, my dear, it cannot have escaped your notice last night… or just now… that your falling ill and his responsibility for that troubled him deeply. Seerim and I were dragged from our bed, the healer, The Horde does not ride and he visits you during the day when he normally attends his warriors.”

It sucked but this was true too.

“Okay, I’ll give him that,” I allowed and her lips tipped up. “But yesterday, he didn’t speak to me for hours and –”

“Did you starve?” Diandra cut me off to ask.

“No,” I answered shortly.

“Go without drink?”

I looked away and muttered, “No.”

“My queen, please, look at me,” she called and I did. “You were correct in what you said to him. In here, he is your Lahn. But out there, he is the Dax and the Dax is the mightiest of all warriors.”

“But –” I started to protest and she lifted a hand.

“There will be times, out there, when he shows you kindness, affection. But there will be times when he will not. I am sorry this distresses you, my dear, and I will tutor you now so, in future, when it happens, you will understand. A warrior does not ever show weakness and whether you feel it is right or it is wrong, these soft feelings are considered a weakness. Therefore, most times outside this cham, he will be who he is and if you are lucky, which it is clear you are, in this cham he will be who you need him to be. Your role as his queen but also simply as his bride is to understand that and find a way to live with it.”

I made no reply because I had none. She was making sense which also sucked.

She went on, clearly thinking I hadn’t yet gotten it. “There have been warriors who have fallen victim to their wives’ charms and have acted out there,” she pointed to the cham flaps, “in ways a warrior not only does not respect but they deride.” She leaned slightly toward me and whispered, “This, as I’m sure you can imagine, is not received well.”

I bet it wasn’t.

Diandra continued. “There are even warriors who stop acting on their own decisions and move to carry out the merest whim of their wife. This is even less well-received.”

I could imagine.

She carried on. “But this does not happen often. It is extremely rare and it is extremely rare because of how it is received and what befalls the warrior who succumbs to his bride’s charms. But there is another reason and that is simply because these men are warriors, that doesn’t happen often because they are who they are and they’re trained to be that way from the age of five. They don’t know how to be any other way.”

Fuck, that made sense too.

“Dahksahna Circe,” Diandra continued, “I urge you to listen and understand this. It will make your adjustment to the Korwahk and to your new husband go much faster and it will make you far more content.”

I bit my lip.

Then I nodded.

She smiled her approval.

Then I pulled in an unsteady breath and decided I was here, this was happening, I wasn’t leaving, I needed to find a way to cope until that happened so I might as well know it all.

“Okay, Diandra, can I ask you to explain more?” I requested and she nodded as she inclined her head.

“Certainly, it would be my honor to explain anything to you because you are my queen,” her eyes warmed, “and it would be my pleasure because you are my friend and I want you to be content.”

Yep, it was official. I definitely liked Diandra.

“Thanks,” I whispered then lamely threw out a hand. “And thanks for… everything. You’ve been very kind and I don’t know what I would have done if –”

She waved her hand and interrupted, “Let’s not speak of it. Just know that, too, was my pleasure.”

I smiled at her, reached out and took her hand to give it a squeeze.

She squeezed mine back.

Then I let her go, leaned back and she prompted, “You wanted me to explain something?”

I nodded. “It’s the, um… last night, late… the celebration…” I trailed off, she lifted her chin encouragingly and I went on, “There were women there, um… dancing and, uh… such with the warriors and they were not –”

I stopped talking when Diandra’s face changed. Her face was expressive but the look she was giving me I could not read.

“Xacto,” she said the word like she’d prefer not to say it.

“Xacto?” I asked and she nodded.

“Xacto,” she repeated.

“Uh –” I began.

“Warrior slaves,” she stated and I blinked.

“Warrior slaves?” I repeated and she nodded. “What –?” I began and she sighed.

“Suh Tunak, or The Horde, as a collective, own slaves. These are not owned by one warrior and they have no duties to anyone but the warriors as a Horde. They are always young and attractive and when they lose these traits, they are sold onto families who can utilize their services in different ways.”

I didn’t want to ask because I already pretty much knew. But I asked.

“And what are their duties?”

She answered swiftly like she wanted to get it over with. “They bathe the warriors, wash their hair and plait it or arrange it as the warrior sees fit. They paint them for battle or ceremonies. They massage the warriors after battle, campaigns or strenuous training. They also are available at all times to receive the attentions of the warriors should that warrior feel the need.”

I stared at her.

She continued just as swiftly. “They also have duties to the young warriors. They erm… teach them things that will… erm… eventually, in future, benefit their wives greatly should the young warriors be good learners.”

Oh my God. Lahn was good in our bed because those women taught him how to be so.

“This is not a bad thing, is it my queen?” Diandra asked then clarified, “The, erm… last bit, I mean.”

I didn’t answer because my heart started racing as my mind pulled up memories of Lahn dosing with water but he didn’t wash his hair, yet it was never dirty or greasy and it had been arranged in various styles. And he had paint on yesterday, even his back which no way he could have done. And just now when he’d come in, he had no paint and his hair was no longer loose and flowing. It was pulled back in a tail that started at the base of his neck and his hair was contained at intervals down his back with slim, gold bands.

“Is Lahn –?” I started.

“Undoubtedly, my dear,” she answered swiftly.

I sat up straight and Ghost lifted her head but I didn’t notice.

One of those women was washing my husband’s hair?

Oh no, I did not think so.

“Dahksahna Circe, it would be best –”

My eyes cut to her. “Do you think Lahn is… is… has he…? Does he fuck them?”

She shook her head, scrunched her eyes closed then opened them and asked, “Fuck them?”

“Has he slept with them, had sex with them, had intercourse, relations,” I snapped.

Her face got soft with understanding. “Oh, my queen, I see this disturbs you but yes, again, I’m sorry to say it is their way.”

It was their way.

It was their way.

Last night, they were having their way right on the dance floor. And I knew some of them having their way with Xacto had to have wives at home in their chams.

I left him last night. Lahn was there at least an hour longer than me, likely more.

I left him last night!

Then he came to our tent and fucked me! Maybe after he had his fun with them!

“Now?” I shrieked, Ghost mewed and jerked in surprise then read my mood and jumped off the bed.

“Now?” Diandra asked, her body tense.

“Is he fucking them now? I mean, since we were married?”

She shook her head, leaned forward and grabbed my hand. “I do not know,” she said quietly.

She didn’t know. Which could be yes or it could be no. Which could mean yes.

I yanked my hand from hers and looked away.

“My queen –” she started.

“If you say it is their way, I swear, Diandra, I swear… I’ll scream,” I snapped at the tent wall.

She was silent.

I deep breathed.

Then I made up my mind and looked at her.

“I must ask of you an important favor and I will warn you that it will be one you won’t want to grant. I am your queen, I get that, but I will tell you and mean it that you have every right to refuse what I ask and there will be no hard feelings,” I declared.

“Erm… all right,” she mumbled hesitantly.

“I want you here tonight to translate what I have to say when my husband gets home.”

She instantly whispered, “Oh dear.”

Oh dear was right!

“You can say no,” I reminded her and she held my eyes.

Then she leaned forward and grabbed my hand. “I advise you as your friend, Circe –”

I shook my head and squeezed her hand hard. “I get that, Diandra, I get it. Trust me, I do. Now, will you be here tonight when Lahn gets home?”

She studied me. Then she squeezed my hand and said softly, “Yes, Diandra, as your friend, I will always be by your side when you need me.”

Tears instantly filled my eyes and one spilled over before I looked away.

I let her go and dashed at it with the back of my hand before I whispered to the wall, “Thank you.”

Diandra didn’t respond.

Then I pulled in breath through my nose, looked at her, smiled a fake smile and suggested, “Why don’t we have some lunch?”

*Translation: “Today you rest, tomorrow we see if you’re healthy. The Horde does not ride if my Circe is not well.”