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“And?”
“I will say this, when Sidroc asked if I wanted to leave Byzantium with him, I did not hesitate to decline. But with Alrek, the temptation is great.”
Sidroc asked her to go with him? To marry him or as his mistress? It must be why their relationship ended. Ianthe must have been the one who severed it, not Sidroc. Drifa wasn’t sure why it mattered to her, but it did.
But then another idea came to her unbidden. If Sidroc married, whether it be to Ianthe or some other woman, he would almost surely take Runa from her.
She did not want to think of that now. Later. She would think on it later, knowing that when he returned, she must tell him her secret, as promised, regardless of the consequences.
“Now let us decide on your garments,” Ianthe said.
They were in her chambers back at the palace where Anna had balked but finally heeded her request that she leave them to prepare for the festivities without her help. Not for the first time, Drifa wondered if the sly-eyed Anna reported her doings to someone higher up, like the emperor, or the general, or—shudder—the eparch. For what reason, she would have had no idea ... until the recent meeting with the eparch. Now she suspected everyone around her.
Ianthe was examining the various gunnas she had laid out over her bed, then held up a white silk one.
Drifa shook her head. “We will be walking to the cathedral. The hem would be black afore we returned to the palace.”
“You are right.” Ianthe chose a crimson one then, also in silk, with a stiff-pleated train and gold braiding about the tight sleeves and round neckline. It matched the crimson, open-sided apron she pulled over it, except there was gold-threaded embroidery in a writhing wolf design along its edges, instead of braiding. She clipped gold wolf brooches at either shoulder. Placing a gold filigree fillet on her head, Ianthe then experimented with a hairstyle that involved twisting strands of Drifa’s black hair over and under the band so the crown appeared part of her hair, the gold peeping out from the ebony. A wide swath of hair hung down her back.
Drifa, watching in a small hand mirror, was impressed with the results. She did not dare think about how much easier it would be to prepare herself if she had a large mirror like the one at Sidroc’s Varangian quarters. It brought up too many images. Wicked images. “The hairstyle is wonderful. I never would have thought of doing that.”
“But wait, this silver does not go with the rest.” Before Drifa could see what Ianthe was about, she undid the silver neck torque, saying, “You need something gold about your neck. This silver is beautiful, but it does not suit your ...” A heavy pause followed, in which Drifa knew that Ianthe had discovered the red mark on her neck. To her surprise, Ianthe burst out in giggles, which soon escalated to side-splitting laughter. “Sidroc ... You and Sidroc ... Surely you didn’t! ... You couldn’t possibly! ... Oh my!” she choked out. “I cannot believe you allowed the cad within touching distance of your person.”
I can’t, either. Drifa should have been offended, but she burst out laughing, too. It was funny, and not just the silly mark, which she had grown fond of, truth to tell, but the fact that Sidroc’s mistress, or former mistress, was the one to discover her shameful mark. “You must think me a total wanton,” she said finally as she swiped the moistness from under her eyes.
“What? Do you jest? Am I so pure that I could cast stones?”
“Oh, I did not mean—”
“Please, Drifa, you must stop apologizing to me. I am not so easily offended. Surely, even in your lands, friends can say anything to each other without fear of insult.”
“Ha! Vikings are known for their blunt tongues. You would not believe the things that come of out my father’s mouth. My sisters, too.”
They smiled at each other, then rooted through Drifa’s jewelry chest and agreed on a gold filigreed torque with a hanging ruby in the center. There were matching rubies for her ear rings.
“Too bad I didn’t bring one of my spiderweb necklaces for you, although I don’t think I have one with rubies at the moment.”
“Much as I would have liked that, I do not think it wise for me to call attention to your work at the moment.” She told Ianthe of the meeting with the eparch.
“Mylonas is definitely a cruel man,” Ianthe said, casting a glance here and there to make sure she was not overheard. “And dangerous. You are right. Best not to call attention to oneself when his rat nose is on the scent.”
Drifa laughed.
“But thank you for the warning. I will be extra diligent in reporting my business activities. His spies are everywhere.”
They walked out to Drifa’s small garden, where there were cool cups of lemon water that Anne had left for them. It would be an hour or more before Ivar and her other escorts arrived.
In the meantime, Drifa had to clear the air of one thing. “Ianthe, I am uncomfortable about Sidroc. ’Tis true we have a history, and there is more to come, I fear, though I would avoid it, but he is ... was yours.”
“No, no, no! I keep telling you that ours was never a love match, and whatever we have is over. If you suffer guilt, please let it not be because of me. If anyone should feel guilty, it is me. Sex without marriage ... sex without any intention to ever wed ... that is a sin in my religion. At least you were betrothed to the man.”
Not anymore. I really have no more excuse than you do. In fact, my sin is probably greater to your God, compounded as it is with lies. Nay, the sex, wicked as it was, is not my greatest guilt. Although a maidenhead was prized afore marriage in the Norse culture, men and women were looser in their sexual activities. The word sin did not even exist when it came to bedsport, as far as she knew. That did not mean Vikings were without morals. Just a different kind. But she could not dwell on that at the moment.
“Ianthe, I would ask ...” She hesitated to speak what was on her mind. “Never mind.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk! You cannot stop now.”
She took a deep, bracing breath before beginning. “I have four sisters who are married, all to virile men whom they love dearly. So I know that women can enjoy sexplay, but by the gods!” She rolled her eyes.
