Anya Surprised

An elderly priest approached her and bowed. "Lady Anya, a pleasure to see you. It's been a long time."

Anya beamed in recognition, giving him a quick hug. "Father Ramas! I though you were in the City of the Suns."

"We go where we're needed. How is your visit? Is everything to your satisfaction?"

"The service is perfect, as usual. It's me that's out of sorts."

A look of concern crossed his face. "Is there anything I may do for you?"

"No, but I thank you for the offer."

The priest lowered his voice. "I know Tia Whisper Wind is your confessor these days. She is skillful, but sometimes a stranger is better. I would be happy to listen to you or even find another priest if you prefer."

Anya gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You're very kind. Tempting, but no. A good body massage sounds like what I need right now. Is there one available?"

Father Ramas smiled. "I'll see what I can do." Pointing to her toweled hair, he said, "Perhaps someone to attend to your hair and nails as well?"

"Excellent. I have a young lady with me. Her name is Chanli, and she's in Bath Eleven. When she is finished, will you see that she is brought to me?"

The priest bowed. "Of course. This way, please."

The room had two novices seated around a large, comfortable chair. Once she was seated, one novice brushed and braided her hair while the other attended her fingers and toes. When they were finished, she was led to a second room with a large, heavily built and padded table. A handsome, tow-headed priest greeted her. "Hello, my name is Darby."

"Hello, Darby." Anya slipped off her robe and climbed onto the table. With a sigh, she stretched and lay down onto her belly. Somewhere above the rooms, musicians played a slow, pleasant tune, the sounds drifting in from an open vent in the ceiling.

"Music okay?"

Anya nodded.

"Towel?"

"Please. I'd like a full body massage, Darby."

"Very good," he said, placing a towel for modesty over her rear.

As he applied the oil and began rubbing it into her skin, Anya allowed herself to fully relax. After he worked on her back, including some painful deep muscle work, he worked his way down her thighs and calves, spending long minutes on her feet. By the time he was back up to her shoulders, she was asleep.

* * * * * * * Chapter 6 * * * * * * *

The noise of people entering the room brought Anya abruptly awake. Gasping as she sat up, she blinked, then grabbed at the blanket sliding down her bare shoulders, pulling it close. Chanli and a young priestess paused in the doorway, surprised at her reaction.

Darby stood up from his chair. "It's all right, Lady. You just fell asleep." He poured her a glass of water and handed it to her.

Anya took the glass gratefully, draining it before speaking. "How long did I sleep?"

"About an hour. Just a nice nap is all. It looked like you needed it, so I put a blanket over you and let you rest. I hope that was satisfactory?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you for your consideration." Anya rose from the table.

"My Lady, would you like to finish your massage?" Darby inquired.

Anya shook her head. "My robe, please. I do feel better, but suspect I'd just fall asleep again. Darby, I'm sure Chanli here will enjoy your skills. Have you ever had a full body massage, Chanli?"

"Uh, yes, Lady, when I became a woman."

"Ah, of course. At your Rite of Adulthood initiation in the temple. That was several years ago. Well, you should have one now. They are worth it."

Chanli gave a slight bow. "I'm overwhelmed by your generosity, Lady."

"Nonsense. Enjoy yourself." To Darby, she said, "I'm going back to the main room for a drink. Please have her brought to me when you're done."

"Very good, Lady." Darby nodded as he finished wiping down the table. He grinned at Chanli. "I'm ready when you are, Miss. Would you like a towel?"

The priestess stepped aside while Anya left the room, then pulled the door shut and followed after. At the archway of the main lounge, the priestess touched her arm. "Lady?"

Anya turned. "Yes?"

The priestess look concerned. "Forgive my presumption, but are you all right?"

Anya frowned. "What makes you think I'm not?"

"Please don't take offense. I'm trained to be a healer, Lady. Your energy aura is all over the place. It was wild when you awoke and then it shrank to almost nothing, and now there are flares of orange and red, like you are out of balance. You are restless, like you've had an emotional shock. Has something happened? I can get a counselor for you."

"Not everything needs to be spoken about to others!" Anya snapped, then checked when she saw the alarm in the woman's eyes. "My apologies. I know you are just trying to help. You're right. I'm not feeling like myself. I had hoped that some indulgence here in the temple would improve my outlook. It has not."

The priestess gazed intently at Anya for a few moments, then nodded. "Some think of the temple as merely a place for sexual release, for entertainment, and it can be that for those who wish it. But the Son of Heaven is also the god of healing, and so we are trained to provide healing not just to the body, but also the mind, the heart, and the spirit. Like the Lawgiver, He loves you. When you are ready, we are here for you, Lady Anya. In the meantime, you mentioned a desire for something to drink. Tell me what you wish and I will be happy to bring it to you."

Anya managed a small smile. "A berry spritzer would be nice. Thank you."

She re-entered the central lounge, and moved near the wall, away from the other clusters of visitors. Selecting a large, over-stuffed chair away from the others, she settled into it. Court intrigues were the last thing she wanted to endure. Hearing some movement nearby, she closed her eyes to feign sleep.

Anya was startled to feel fabric against her skin. She looked up. It was the young priestess, again, covering her with a blanket.

"Your drink is there on the table. If you need to rest, there is no place better than God's House. The chair is comfortable to sit in, but it's not designed for restful sleep. We do have private places that can offer better rest, Lady Anya." To accent the point, the ice in the glass clinked as it shifted.

Anya shook her head. "No, thank you. I'll just wait for Chanli to finish up."

"As you wish." The priestess leaned down, gently kissed her cheek and blessed her, then took her leave.

For a brief moment, Anya had felt like she was being tucked into bed by her mother. Then she curled up in the chair and closed her eyes. Inexorably, her mind raced back to the events of the morning. For days, she had been looking forward to the possibilities and pleasures the Solstice holiday had promised. She didn't know Dalinda all that well, but as her own marital candidates had all proved lacking in one way or another, so she had anticipated a wild and promiscuous party after years of increasingly maddening loneliness. Masturbation and toys provided some release, but the real pleasure of coupling was in the joining, the sharing with another individual, even if that sharing was only lust.

Her mind drifted back to when Jannon had taken her. He had felt good, his strong arms holding her close, the feel of his hard member thrusting into her. More than once that pleasure had peaked to orgasm with him inside. Yet the fact that he had manipulated her, taking her without directly asking beforehand irritated her, rankling pride and sense of propriety. The more she thought about it, the more it bothered her. More than once, Jannon had saved her life, and he obviously cared for her and Dalyanni. Until recently, they had gotten along well enough that she had thought less of him as her guardian and more as her able and dependable friend. Yet even as things had somehow soured between them, the laughter less frequent, still he was there for her this past winter, strong and helpful, with good advice when Dalyanni screamed in her fever. She also knew that after their long trek in the winter storm, he had allowed others to attend him only after she and her daughter had been cared for.

Anya brushed back a tear. He had taken her without her permission. Yet she hadn't told him no, either. At least, not at first. She could have killed him with a gesture and a single word of power, but that thought had never even entered her mind.

The idea of charging him with rape filled her with horror. If she charged him, she was sure he would not deny it. Sometimes Jannon was so irritatingly honor-driven she thought he would have been better suited as a paladin, a warrior in service to the church.

As the victim, by holy law, if she charged him, the measure of his punishment was her choice. But it had become tradition to mete out death, and the pressure for those of the Great Houses to exact death was even more intense. She'd seen it before – the bloodlust in the faces of the women bent on exacting revenge, and their blood-smeared faces and soaked clothing afterward.

Anya drove the memories from her mind. It was too easy to see them coming for him. Knowing she would be the cause of his death was too much to bear. Even when they were tossing angry words at each other, Jannon had been there, providing good advice, protecting her and her daughter from danger. No, she could not charge him. Yet she also knew that the events of the day had forever changed their relationship. At the least, she would have to dismiss him. He had crossed boundaries and betrayed her trust. Still, the thought of him being gone from her life was painful. Turning her face into the cushions of the large chair, she quietly wept until sleep once again claimed her.

* * * * * * * Chapter 7 * * * * * * *

"Mistress?"

Once again, Anya bolted upright, gasping, looking about in confusion. Then she saw Chanli and a young priestess looking at her strangely.

Chanli was perplexed. For a holiday supposed to be filled with fun and frolic, the sin-Duchess didn't appear to be enjoying herself. Rather the opposite. More so, the tear streaks on her kohl eyeliner showed she had cried herself to sleep. Chanli took a step closer. "Lady, is everything all right?"

"I'm all right," she answered sternly. "An unpleasant dream. Nothing to fret over."

The priestess standing next to Chanli handed Anya a damp towel, then stepped back respectfully. When Anya looked puzzled, the priestess pointed to her own eyes, and comprehension dawned. Anya vigorously cleaned her face, wiping away all traces of the kohl and lipstick, grateful for the moment to collect her thoughts. Noticing they still watched her, she repeated, "I'm fine. Really."

The priestess nodded, gave Chanli a reassuring pat, then left.

Chanli squatted down to eye-level before speaking quietly. "Do you wish to return home, Lady?"

"No! Aren't you having a good time?" Anya reached for her mildly alcoholic spritzer, the glass damp from ice long since melted. Taking a deep breath, she downed most of it in one go, then took a breath before finishing it. Determined to change the subject, she set down the glass and grinned at Chanli. "You were gone for some time. Did you have a good time?"

Chanli stood up, staring at nearby furniture, pink flushing her ears. "Yes, Lady. He was most .. fulfilling."

Anya grinned. "Excellent. Now, let's go do some shopping."

* * * * * * * Chapter 8 * * * * * * *

At The Dragon's Lair, an upscale inn on the western side of the city, they finally settled down for a late dinner. Chanli was overwhelmed, wondering if she was she not out of her depth. After a small snack outside the temple, they had gone steady for nearly five hours, from shop to shop, sometimes walking, sometimes renting a gig, entering places catering to the wealthy. Almost every place visited yielded wares to the sin-Duchess, and afterward the shopkeepers had obligingly agreed to deliver the purchases. Chanli was used to intense haggling – for clothes, for food in the market, and if she didn't haggle, she deserved to pay whatever the merchants charged. Haggling was something nobles apparently didn't do. Her math skills were just enough to get by on, but Chanli was sure the total expenditures had exceeded what her family had earned in the past ten years! The young guardswoman was beginning to understand just how much money her employer possessed. Yet for all that, she could see that the sin-Duchess was still unhappy. Even dinner seemed to make no difference.

"What's the matter, Chanli? Don't you like the meal?"

Chanli turned, startled. "No, Lady. The food is good."

Anya paused thoughtfully. "It has been a long day. Perhaps you'd like to be relieved?"

"Yes, Lady. I mean, no, Lady."

Anya raised her eyebrows.

"I mean, yes, it's been a long day," Chanli explained, "But, I am fine, Lady. Much of this, I am not used to, but unless you are displeased with me, I am honored to serve and protect you."

Anya blinked, then smiled. "Point taken. While this is less secure than the temple, there are a dozen armed guards within a short distance, discreetly hidden, to protect guests and stop any trouble from getting out of hand. I am confident in your abilities, Chanli. The fact you are still in my service past your first year means that you have some skill and have great potential. If you chose to leave, for whatever reason," and Anya raised her hand to stop her protest, "I would hate to lose you, but I would be happy to write a letter of recommendation. Your Lieutenant speaks highly of you, and I trust the judgment of my officers. You already saved me once today from a difficult situation, proving to me both your merit and their assessment. I'm sorry you aren't comfortable in these surroundings. Yes, I had noticed that, too. But today, I need you to be more than just my guardswoman. You don't have to say or do anything special. Just be with me. Can you do that?"

Chanli nodded.

Anya exhaled. "Good. Try some of the jellied currants. And the mint dressing is good, too. Here, have some more chicken in plum sauce."

After a dozen courses, dutifully sampling each one put in front of her, the young guardswoman could hardly move. The sin-Duchess for her part ate heartily, yet never seemingly finishing one plate before moving to the next. At the end of the meal, they went into a lounge to relax, sipping wine while musicians played soothing, quiet tunes. Chanli found the overstuffed chair to be comfortable. Too much so, for the next thing she knew, the sin-Duchess was standing over her, tapping her on the arm. Awaking with a start, she sat up. "My Lady? Something wrong?"

"No. I'm bored with this. I'm going to the gaming tables."

Chanli nodded, quickly wiping her eyes clear as she hurried behind, berating herself for falling asleep. Up the stairs and through a hallway to another lounge. More brightly lit and noisier than the music lounge, there were a variety of card, dice, and wheel games to be seen. There were easily a hundred people in the room, with scores of servants plying about with trays of drink and food. Over the noise, Chanli heard the town bells tolling. Midnight! No wonder she was tired. With a sigh, she followed closely behind her mistress.

Anya scoured the room, looking for the first thing to attract her attention.

"Lady Anya! A pleasure!" A fair-haired man in a simple white silk toga approached, followed by a pair of heavily muscled guards.

Anya turned, nodding in recognition. "Pericles. How are you?"

The Hellene gave a bow that was somehow polite and patronizing at the same time. "Oh, much better now that you are here. It is always a pleasure to see you, Lady Anya. We've missed you! It's been absolutely months since your last visit!"

While he talked, he gently guided Anya to an empty table. Anya, for her part, let him. Chanli narrowed her eyes suspiciously at his touch, hovering within arm's reach. His guards hovered right behind her. If they tried to get between her and her mistress, they would find out just how much she had learned the past year!

"Excuse me. Lady Anya, is this one yours?" Pericles exclaimed as he pulled out a chair for the sin-Duchess.

"Yes, she is."

"Remarkable. Where have you been hiding her? A bit rough around the edges, but with some makeup and a visit to the salon, she would be very nice. Is she free or bondswoman?"

"She's pledged her service to me, but she's her own woman. I don't deal in slaves. You know that, Pericles."

"Pity. Well, if you ever change your mind, I'm sure I could do something with her." Chanli took an instant dislike to the man.

Pericles leaned close to Anya. "What's your pleasure tonight, Lady?"

Anya waved her hand over the tabletop, leaving behind several gems. "Dice, first."

Without a change in demeanor, Pericles scooped the gems up as deftly as they had appeared. "Very good. I'll be back with your chips. Would you care for anything to sate your thirst? Some morsels to tempt your palette?"

"House cider."

"At once, Lady Anya."

As Pericles left, several servants took away the table, replacing it with one designed for dice throwing. As chairs were brought and a dealer set up, other patrons wandered over. Pericles returned, followed by a scantily-clad chestnut-haired and brown-eyed Hellenic girl bearing a tray with a pile of gambling chips and a large, clear glass stein filled with an amber liquid.

"Here are your chips," Pericles said. "Cleo has been assigned to you, Lady Anya."

Cleo placing the stein before Anya, bowed, then stepped back.

"If you need anything, anything at all," he continued, "merely tell her and she will attend to it at once. Unless you'd prefer male company this night?" A frown crossed Anya's face, and he bowed with a flourish. "Of course, my Lady, as you wish."

Anya collected the dice from the dealer, and stood up, placed some chips onto a square, and then threw the dice. Anya won the first round, lost the next two, and then won the next four. She had Cleo order some fruit and coffee for Chanli and more house cider for herself, giving Cleo five chips for payment.

As Cleo moved past, Chanli stopped her. "How much is that?" she demanded, pointing to one of the chips.

"Ten royals," Cleo answered, and then was gone.

Ten gold royals apiece! Each chip was a month's wages. On the street, the drink would have cost six or seven coppers! Chanli's head felt light. So the number one imprinted on the chip actually meant ten. Those with two-and-a-half were twenty-five. Then Chanli looked again. A stack of chips with a hundred marked on them. The sin-Duchess had more on the table than she had spent all day. As the dice and wagering continued to roll, the guardswoman worried, afraid if the sin-Duchess lost such a sum, how it would impact her household.

Nonetheless, the fruit and the coffee were appreciated when they came. Chanli hadn't realized how hungry she'd become. And after such a long day, coffee was what she needed. Both were soon gone.

The sin-Duchess, absorbed in her game, hardly touched the drink, keeping up a steady stream of banter with the dealer and other players. As the minutes ticked by, Chanli watched Lady Anya's pile of chips grow at a slow but steady pace. Twice, the table dealer was changed, to no effect. In the middle of the second hour, Anya abruptly passed the dice to another, grabbed her drink, and moved off. Chanli hurried to catch up to her mistress, leaving the startled Cleo to jump up and frantically collect the chips before following them.

Anya scoured the room. Spying a table with open seats on one of the raised floors, she headed over. Chanli was right behind her, even giving a few shoves with the appropriate apologies to keep from getting separated. Up the stairs to the landing they went.

There were two tables. One was full, but there were three empty chairs at the second one. Anya nodded to the players. "Is this seat available?"