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And a symbol of things to come?
The thought made her more determined.
"Tell me your names,” she requested, giving the three youths her attention. The one with the darker hair glanced at his companions. Since they were obviously rendered speechless by the directness of their new mistress, he spoke for them all, happily calling her attention to himself.
"I am Patrino.” His expression was decidedly lustful. He nodded to the others. “Anton and Kerr."
Elishiba's gaze drifted back to the fair-haired youth who had originally caught her attention, Kerr. As if bidden by her enquiring stare, his eyes rose to meet hers. They were palest blue, like a softened sky after a rainstorm in the emerging sunshine, almost opaque. He was already set apart from the others in her eyes. “Have you any special skills, Kerr?"
"They all have special skills,” Amshazar interjected, with a distinctly ironic tone and more than a hint of amusement. “They have each been trained to offer you something unique in terms of physical pleasure."
He seemed intent on breaking her concentration on the nubiles. “I wish to hear him speak, not you,” she said dismissively, sending a cool smile in his direction.
Amshazar lifted his brows, but seemed more amused than shocked by her remark.
The young man spread out his hands, palms upward. Keeping his eyes lowered, he answered. “To bring your body and spirit peace and pleasure, with my hands.” He spoke with such an unusual voice, subtle and pausing, as if with difficulty. He was not speaking in his own tongue, perhaps, Elishiba thought. In the ensuing silence, while Elishiba looked at his downcast blond lashes, his hands trembled slightly and he looked up at her again. The flop of blond hair teased down over one eye.
Elishiba nodded at him, smiling. “And other things, perhaps? Do you sculpt?"
He broke into a smile. She had been right in guessing he was an artisan. “I am a painter, your highness,” he answered, simply, nodding enthusiastically. There was a natural vitality about him she liked.
"I would like you to show me your skills soon, Kerr.” She gestured with her hand toward the court attendant who had led them in, indicating that her choice was complete. The young men were led away. Elishiba looked toward Amshazar, expectantly, but he uttered no caustic remark this time. His expression was as watchful as before, stalking her every reaction, but guarded. She could not, in truth, fathom him, and decided he was merely being careful not to expose his thoughts. It was ironic, for he seemed so able to read those of others.
When she retired to her chambers some time later, she found Elra and Amra sitting curled up on the bed, giggling and whispering together. Amra was combing out her sister's waist-length hair while they talked. Elishiba nodded at them in greeting and indicated they should carry on. She felt a little unnerved, for some reason. It had been a strange evening. Sibias had been pompous and overbearing. He had quickly bored them by talking about the extensive and secluded training of slaves in their province, a topic that repelled his audience. However, it was the meeting with Amshazar that had put her in this uneasy mood, his watchfulness and his comments, no doubt.
She sat in her dressing chair, thinking about Amshazar, wondering about him. The sisters watched her and quickly noticed her distracted state. When she stretched herself like a cat, and began to undo the coil of gems at her throat, they acted. Elra unfurled her limbs and crept to the edge of the huge bed on her hands and knees, before slipping off it and walking to Elishiba's side, to assist in her disrobing.
Elishiba merely murmured appropriately when Elra asked her about the evening.
"He is attractive, yes?” Amra asked, joining them. Her sister giggled and hushed her.
"I am sorry, Empress,” Elra explained, “but we saw him in the corridors, you see, and we could not help noticing."
More giggles.
Elishiba smiled, her eyes rolling. They were always like this when they saw a man they both liked, and he was attractive—there was no denying that.
"Attractive, yes ... but a dangerous man, too, I'll warrant."
"Dangerous?” Elra asked, eyes wide, her expression surprised. She looked quizzically at Amra over Elishiba's head. Amra shrugged in response.
Elishiba drifted with her thoughts and within moments found a picture of Amshazar reclining on her bed had manifested itself in her imagination. Quite impossible, of course. Pleasure slaves were one thing, to dally with an esteemed advisor to her enemy was quite another. The image refused to leave her mind, nonetheless.
After a few moments, while they stored away her gems and brushed out her hair, Elra broke the silence again, with another question. “When will you have him for your own?"
"What?” Elishiba stood up, causing chimes to echo through the room as her earrings scattered to the floor. She turned to look at the two girls. “Whatever do you mean?” She flushed, embarrassment swamping her, for they had guessed her thoughts.
The two women glanced at one another, and Elra answered. “He is yours to take, isn't he? The gift from the North?"
Elishiba sighed. They were talking about the nubile, Kerr. Why had she not realized? She sat down again and apologized. “I am so uneasy about this betrothal,” she explained. “So, you like the pale young man?"
The twins giggled in response.
Elishiba smiled. That was enough of an answer. She had chosen the right one. The sisters would welcome him in and perhaps find pleasure with him. They could do with a distraction during this time of tension. Besides which, she reflected, he might prove useful to them through his knowledge of the Karseedian court that had taken him and trained him as a slave.
"Is it true that he has never been taken in passion?” Elra whispered, close against Elishiba's ear, her arm linked around her mistress's shoulders.
