Chapter 2: A New Dress For Cayce
While I bathed, the elderly lady came in and out of the bathing room, first taking my dirty rags, then bringing towels and clothing. I thanked her but otherwise tried not to pay attention. Probably, at some point, I’d have to learn her name and that seemed a bother, one I ignored for now.
No, no, she’d told me her name, but I hadn’t been paying attention. Nor care, at this point, to direct attention to remembering.
Not as gloomy as the bathhouse where Brin and I spent so much time, in what was now Castle Hafthon, this open space had no support pillars. Rows and rows of stools, soap and buckets in front of them, a narrow waterway coursing across the room, vanishing at the wall, taking the dirty water away. Beyond this, a large hot pool facing an open window, no glass, with a view of the city stretching out below, grey and black smoke rising from the fires in the forest before the mountains. No sounds of the battle reached this far, though it must be carrying on.
It was, I had to admit, nice to soak in a hot bath after weeks of being on the road and I stretched out in the pool, pleasantly alone. The oil treatment Cresida’s people did always left me feeling not quite finished. And greasy. Soap, hot water, this was the way to go.
So, I sat there and soaked and pushed down the panicking parts of my mind that were not bathing, that were screaming about being trapped by Serce, wondering what he was going to do, wondering how I’d respond now that I was powerless, and trying and trying not to think about the Others slowly eroding their prison and what monsters they’d set upon this world next.
I wished Brin were with me. That I knew where Morry was and that he was well. How Brundle was managing with rebuilding the army, castle and surrounding city. Oh, it was a fool’s errand to come up here!
Yet, I somehow had to find Talaren in this palace and get him out. That seemed incredibly unlikely, even if I could escape the harem. The harem! Beside worrying, anger filled me anew thinking about Serce’s betrayal. Oh, he had played me well.
Yet it made sense from his point of view. Of course he wouldn’t believe me or Talaren about me being a deity. Serce had never seen me do anything. Though he must have reports from the army I burned. Most of them, or at least many – I gave a silent apology to the dead – survived, fleeing, returned to Laemacia. Perhaps he thought their retellings exaggerated.
Regardless, it annoyed me he wouldn’t believe Talaren about the Others and the dangers they were. The only reason I could come up with was that Serce must think he could use the mage to fight them. Or maybe he simply didn’t believe us and had more immediate uses for the mage. If so, he’d soon learn that Talaren’s perseidian iron shackles could not be removed through mundane methods. Only the Temple grounds, where magic ceased to function, could they be forcibly removed.
The thing was, if Serce needed a mage, then either his hold over Laemacia couldn’t be that strong, or his army wasn’t capable of defeating the one that even now besieged this city.
And that meant, even if I couldn’t escape, my time in this harem was limited. Though I didn’t know if I was looking forward to rescue by an enemy army pillaging the city. Or, if Laemacians overthrew Serce, whatever they’d do to me. Make me empress, torture or hang me. Quite a few options and not a lot of middle ground. And only one I liked.
I either had to escape this place post-haste, if that’s possible, or find those power holders and strike a bargain. A year old, I had no wisdom and I was bold, or maybe brash, I needed patience. Try to stay calm, meditate maybe, let them come to me.
What did women even do in harems?
Bored people trapped in an enclosure. Had to be silly internal politicking, probably a lot of body management, which made sense since they were likely trying to get the attention of the harem owner, and . . . I couldn’t think of anything else. They were engaging in all manner of activities in the larger hall, but I was fuming and paying attention only inwardly.
I mean, in the Forbidden City, larger political struggles took place. All the great aristocrat families were represented. Possibly, this harem worked similarly.
A little longer, then I got out to towel off. The changing area was set apart, in a corner of the room, ringed by large mirrors trimmed in wooden carvings of women, naked and clothed, in colorful paint, an extravagant display of wealth, tables set in front of them, little drawers that I found to be filled with make-up and other toiletries.
My reflection caught my attention. Not since Brin had brushed my hair, done my make-up, had I seen myself in a mirror. Just about 174 cm or 5’8” if you bend that way, taller than I expected, maybe because the majority of people I’d been fighting were men and they made me feel small. I looked so young, and this body was young, yet I found myself surprised anyway. Smooth olive skin, narrow waist, wide hips, I walked a little closer. The whites of my eyes pure and clean, light purple pupils staring back at me, light pink lips thick and full, my black hair with blue and white tips hanging below my shoulders, glistening, wet. My arms seemed a little bulkier, but they were still the slender, hairless arms of girls.
“Yes,” said Cresida as she entered, bandages on her arms, but still wearing her bloodied and dirty dress, “you’re very pretty. You’ve the body of a dancer, though, and your breasts are on the smaller side.”
“Jesus!” I rushed over to the bench, pulling the clothing up and over my head.
“Oh, it’s nothing we all haven’t seen before,” said the elderly lady, back again. She turned to Cresida, “If you’re careful with your wounds, don’t wash them too hard, a bath will do you well.”
The dress she’d given me was a little too light on the top, like the scantily clad girls engaging in whatever activities in the other room. I crossed my arms, touching each shoulder to cover up, “No. Nope! I am not wearing this, old woman! Get me a dress like you’ve got on.”
“You’re a shy one. There’s no men in here, no need for that.”
I scowled. Time to pull rank. “I’m a princess, not a harem girl. I will not walk around showing off this royal body.”
“I’m afraid the style you’re wearing is for girls your age, and this one is for women of mine.”
“Woman, get me a full dress or I will take yours. And you aren’t going to enjoy the experience.”
Cresida let her own dirty rags fall to the floor, clucked her tongue, and said, “Don’t doubt the princess here for a second. I’ve seen her defeat five armed soldiers at once.”
“Four, I only killed four of them. I let the boy go.”
“Yes, you allowed him to live,” she rolled her eyes and sat down in front of a soaping station, “but by definition, you defeated him, too.”
“I will, uhm,” the old lady backed up, “go and fetch you a dress now,” and she left the room, rushing a bit.
“Thank you, Cresida.”
Not looking at me, skin full of dirt and blood, hair matted, she picked up a bucket, filling it with water from the flowing stream, and dumped it on her chest. “You really are a strange one, but I suppose that’s to be expected, not being human.”
I sighed. “It will go better for you if you don’t go around telling everyone I’m a deity.”
“Oh, are you going to beat me up now, too?”
“No, but they’ll think you’re crazy.”
“I’m beginning to doubt it anyways.” She dumped another bucketful of water down her back. “What kind of a goddess gets themselves captured for a harem?” Cresida looked dead into my eyes, tiny and crooked smile growing on the side of her lips, “Unless you’re one of those gods.”
“No! Just no. Tricks. I’m a trickster god, ok? Mischief and trouble, that’s all I’m good for.” Or, I thought to myself, I was. For a few days in this life. Who knows how long in the other? Thousands, tens of thousands, maybe.
I began to pace. Keep the legs moving. Walking felt strange with my arms wrapped up around my upper body. Damn this place.
“That really is all you’re good for. I wonder, if we didn’t meet, would my husband still be alive?”
Answering was unwise, so I paced in silence, ignoring whatever else she said. Her tone grew spiteful. I could understand, she’d just lost her husband, and it probably was my fault. If I hadn’t been here, those creatures might not have attacked us. Though they may have been after Talaren. And, really, her husband forced me to come. So, if you ignore that I was directly responsible for weakening the Others’ temporal prison, and therefore creating the possibility of their subsequent summoning of those creatures, it was entirely his fault.
Eventually, the elderly lady returned, carrying a ruby red dress draped over her arm, “Alright, let’s get this on you, Your Royal Highness.” The honorific didn’t quite sound genuine. A little too practiced, too perfect. Too eager, almost.
Staring at her choice for a while, since it was clearly meant as a gross exaggeration, I simply walked forward, reached out and took it, spun around, throwing off this revealing dress and slid the new one on. Silky, the dark red shimmered as I moved. It seemed all too familiar, this glistening material.
“And, here, put your arms up,” she walked forward with a vibrant blue sash.
“I can manage.”
“As you wish,” she dropped it into my arms.
Belting up, I still felt vulnerable and exposed without undergarments. The silk draped down my shoulders, outlining my breasts and hips so obviously, I might as well be wearing body paint. She must have done that on purpose. “I specifically asked for a dress like yours. Is this . . . is this spider silk?”
“You’re not an old lady. That dress is befitting your station and, yes, it’s spider silk. And it’s all you’re getting out of me.” She raised her chin defiantly.
“Spider silk. Why’d it have to be spider silk?”
“It’s the finest cloth around.”
“Yes, but it’s just . . . never mind.” No point in explaining how dangerous getting this silk must be, nor my own experiences with the giant beasts. “Uh, Cresida, you’re ok on your own? I’m going to wander this place and get the layout of it.”
“Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”
“You’ve used soap before?”
“It’s not as elegant as oil, but I can manage.”
“Great. Now if you can just stop spreading my secrets, that’d be lovely.”
I’d made it a little ways away from the bath, out in the hallway, when two girls ran up. “Cayce!” one of them yelled, wrapping her arms around me, while the other stood a distance away.
Loosely hugging in return, when she stopped, I backed up to take them in. The hugger was around my height, dark black hair with mostly white highlights, some blue, eyes the same color as mine, and her face so closely resembled mine, I couldn’t stop staring.
“You don’t remember me, do you? I’m your cousin! We both are!”
The taller one also bore a family resemblance, but her was skin darker, her eyes a darker shade of purple, and larger breasts, and the only reason I noticed was because both of them were wearing the much less thick, more revealing, and totally abhorrent, dress the elderly lady tried to force on me. And Cresida had kindly just brought up my own size.
Why oh why couldn’t I be trapped in a military encampment? With horses and campfires!
“Of course she doesn’t remember,” said the taller girl. Nodding her head, she said, “The last time we all saw each other, I’d have been seven years old and that’d make you and Cayce both four. And it would have been awkward, to say the least.”
“Even more reason to remember!” said the younger one. She was terribly earnest. And smiling and smiling.
“I’m sorry, that was so long ago. I’m, uh, Cayce. And you’re my cousins? I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but . . .” I gestured around at the walls.
“You didn’t choose to be here?” The young one looked baffled. “Oh, very sorry! I’m Sorya and this is Aleah.”
“Of course she didn’t choose to be here,” said the taller one. “She was captured.” Then she curtsied, saying, “Let’s have, in our future, a joyous and prosperous relationship.”
Sorya, looking so much like me, except her face was glowing with happiness, curtsied too, repeating, “Let’s have, in our future, a joyous and prosperous relationship.”
I gave a quick curtsey, “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m stunned at the family resemblance.”
“Blood runs thick and deep in our family,” said Aleah.
“Were you really captured?”
“More like tricked.” Inwardly, I shook my head at the thought of a mere mortal capturing the god of mischief and scoffed internally. Yet such stories happened all the time in ancient mythology. And the mortals usually demanded some boon. Would I have to give out boons? I felt embarrassed, saying, “Serce had me believing he trusted me, was pretending to help me, and therefore I trusted him, and ended up imprisoned here.”
“Oh!” The younger one said, “Here I thought you decided after all to marry him. Serce has been talking about it over and ov-”
“-a few times. In passing.” Alleah crossed her arms. “We are to be the emperor’s first and second wives. It’s already been agreed, the bride price paid, yet here you are, dressed in the honored wife’s apparel.”
“Oh fudge.” I glanced back, but the old woman was nowhere to be seen. “Look, I didn’t choose this dress, I was given it by some elderly woman. And I have no intentions of marrying Serce. None whatsoever. You are most welcome to him.”
“Which elderly woman gave you that dress?” asked Alleah, with a tone suggesting she was about to embark on a hunt.
“You should really be dressed like us,” Sorya indicated her dress by running her hands up and down it. She leaned in, “Are you shy? I hear that the people from Nevarrelund are scared to be naked. Do they really have sex with their clothing on?”
Blinking and blinking, caught wordless, I tried to work this conversation out. Yes, she was young. This might be normal for an early teen, not yet in the world of adulting and curious. The older one was clearly the leader here, defensive and territorial. “Uh, no, that’s just a strange rumor.” It came to me then, the elderly woman’s name, Tienseon, and I wondered, should I reveal it and cause problems for her or confront her later, in private? I chose privacy, but didn’t want to lie, so went with, “I don’t know the elderly woman. She met me at the front door and brought me to the baths, took my clothes and gave me this.”
The young one said, “Oh!” and looked to her taller sister. “We should show Cayce around!”
Alleah slipped her arm into mine, saying, “Come. We’ll introduce you to the right people. Whoever that woman was, she had nothing but the worst in mind for you. And we’ll find you more suitable clothing. If you see her, please tell me.”
“Thank you, that would be great. As long as it isn’t a dress like yours. I’m not about to put myself on display.”
“Oh no, we’ll find one more suitable to a servant than wife. Not revealing at all.”
Letting them direct us around, I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The elderly woman may have attempted to put me in danger, but she also warned me about these two, and how they’d see my position as a threat. Likely, then, there were at least two factions here. Neither of which I could trust. And, really, if they’d just listen to me, they’d understand how little I cared for their positions.
I just wanted out. And on my way! With the damned mage. And maybe an ice cream or at least something sweet.
But I doubt my sentiments mattered to them.
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