His body tensed as his seed darkened the cloth.
She didn’t bother with him after that; as if he had served his purpose, she turned, facing the snake, and dismissed him.
The Ugoeze's receiving chamber was warm with the press of bodies, the morning light filtering through carved screens to adorn the assembled women in gold.They knelt in their ranked rows—first wives nearest the dais, then the lesser wives, then the concubines and favourites.
The Ugoeze herself sat elevated above them all, her expression serene, her lips curved in her perpetual smile.She accepted their obeisances one by one, dispensing blessings to each woman who greeted her.
"The Akwaugo is absent," she observed during a lull, merely curious."Is she unwell?"
The women exchanged glances.No one spoke.
Ugoeze's gaze drifted to the second rank, where Chidinma knelt with the other Borjigin wives.The girl was pale and listless, her original bravado worn down swiftly.Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her hands were still as stone in her lap.
"Chidinma."The Ugoeze's voice sharpened slightly."You share blood with the girl.Do you know why she fails to attend?"
Chidinma blinked, seeming to surface from somewhere far away."Ugoeze," her voice was soft, barely carrying."My sister is sick.She sent word through her maid this morning."
A ripple of surprise passed through the room.Chidinma rarely spoke of the Akwaugo, much less acknowledged their connection.
The Iyom's laugh bounced off the walls."Sick?How convenient.The girl is always sick when duty calls.How can she be indisposed when she should be paying respects to the mother of the tribe!?"She shook her head, her ornaments chiming."Ugoeze, this is a pattern.The girl has no respect for tradition nor hierarchy.Illness is not an excuse for dereliction."
Several wives nodded agreement.Others kept to themselves, unwilling to show outward hostility to the Akwaugo.
The Ugoeze's smile didn't waver, but something flickered in her eyes.
"You raise a valid point, Iyom.We may have been too lenient.Perhaps the Akwaugo needs to understand that her position in this household comes with obligations, regardless of circumstance."
The Iyom's lips stretched.
"However," the Ugoeze raised a hand."Dragging a sick girl through the palace would reflect poorly on us all.The Great Khan is still a guest in our home.If his betrothed is unwell, we should show concern, not cruelty."
The Iyom's smile faltered.
The Ugoeze rose gracefully, her robes spilling down like wine."We will bring the audience to her.Those of appropriate rank may take sedans.The rest will follow on foot.We will pay our respects to the Akwaugo in her own dwelling."
The chamber erupted in whispered speculation.The Iyom stifled a laugh.The thought of all of them going to such a small place—if not to ogle and mock the girl, then for what reason?
Chidinma bit her lip, something akin to frustration passing her features.
The procession wound through the palace like a pompous snake—sedans swaying on the shoulders of men, lower-ranking wives trudging behind in the dust, servants scurrying alongside with fans and refreshments.The Ugoeze rode in the lead sedan; the Iyom's followed close behind, her satisfaction visible in every grape she leisurely fed herself as they moved.
The shrine appeared through the trees—weathered stone, a sagging roof, and a small, embarrassing courtyard gone to seed.The bearers set down the sedan, letting the Ugoeze descend, her servants rushing to smooth her robes.The Iyom followed, already composing her opening accusation.
They approached the shrine's main building, their colourful robes stark against the grey stone.The door stood slightly ajar.
The Iyom reached it first, stopping at the sight of a man in the doorway.
He was tall, with shoulders that blocked the light behind him.His clothes were black and trimmed with fur despite the heat.An ivory mask covered his face, horns curving back from his temples, leaving only his eyes visible.
Those eyes surveyed the assembled women with the mild interest of a predator deciding whether the approaching herd was worth the effort.
The Ugoeze's heart stopped, then restarted at double speed.
The Great Khan.In the Akwaugo's chambers.Alone.
Every wife behind her had the same thought.The implications cascaded through their minds—scandal, impropriety, the complete destruction of the Akwaugo's already fragile reputation.A man alone in an unmarried woman's room.There was no explanation that could salvage this.
And yet.
