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"Already got the only girl I want," Wraythe assured him. "I just saw the pile on your table the other day. Honestly didn't think much about it, except that you'd probably broken some girl's heart."
"Made her proud, actually," Talin promised. "Lina's still a Ranndor at heart, and her husband is more than happy to play on the family tie. They married for love, which isn't common in our social circles. He's a businessman, she's the oldest of the Ranndor children, and her inheritance was substantial." He looked over at me. "I think you'd like her, Nari."
"Does this mean I get to meet the entire Ranndor brood?"
"Yep," he agreed. "Nine of us kids in all. Five girls, four boys - including myself. Tath is the fourth child." He paused. "I mean, Tath is the brother who's the Baron now."
"Fuck," Wraythe chuckled. "And I thought my family was big. Six of us in total."
"Seven in mine," I said.
Eladehl just scrubbed at his face. "Just me. I think my mother got pregnant outside of marriage. She was young, and surrendering me allowed her to get her life back." He shrugged, but that mask was back on his face. The one that hid all of his emotions.
I also knew he didn't talk about his family as much as the rest of us. He never had. His mother had given him a key to a house he'd never be able to find again, and walked away. But if he was right, it made more sense.
"You ok?" I asked him.
He shrugged. "I can't help but wonder if she was a whore, and maybe that was why Zeal took me. Maybe it's why I'm the way I am?"
"Perfect?" Talin asked. "Because pretty sure there are three people in this room who'd describe you that way."
"Besides," I told Eladehl, "we're your family now. I mean, Talin comes with baggage, but the rest of us? We're all we need."
"Shit," Talin grumbled, "IwishI could say the same. Trust me, if I never had to see most of those people again, I'd be perfectly fine. My oldest and youngest sister are pretty much the only ones I like."
"And your mom?" Wraythe asked. "What's she like?"
Talin rolled his eyes. "Obedient. A very gentle and proper woman. She was beautiful in her prime, and exactly what a baron needed to run his household and make his children." He paused. "Saval told me she used to be involved with my father."
"What?" Eladehl asked.
Talin nodded. "I didn't get much from her, but Saval said that when she was about my age, she spent time with him. She admitted she slept with him, and now I'm not even sure how that fits into what I know about our history." He waved that off. "Regardless. She also told me a few other interesting things, and I donotexpect this to be an easy visit. Never is when my brother and I are in the same room."
"So what do I need?" I asked him.
He stared at the ground for a moment, clearly thinking hard. "Clothes. Not the sorts of things you'd wear here. I'm talking society clothes. Proper dresses for a lady - not a priestess. The holidays always include formal dinners, a few functions with guests, and plenty of reasons to show off. Your lack of jewelry will stand out, but the lace will make up for it. We'll need to coordinate gifts for my brother and his wife. They have a little boy, too. Like six months old or something. An infant."
Thankfully, my courses on manners had prepared me for this sort of thing. I knew what would be considered appropriate for a priestess to give her baron's family. Unfortunately, my available cash was extremely limited. Thankfully, I had Amerlee and Jamik to fall back on.
Then Talin surprised me again. "I'll give you money for those, since it's my family. You think Amerlee would be willing to offer advice?"
Wraythe was nodding. "You know she would."
"If they try this next year," Eladehl said, "get all of us invited. I'd rather spend the holidays together and miss the show than get the show and miss the two of you."
Talin nodded. "I'll see what I can do, because I have a feeling they will try to keep trotting me out like a prize pig as often as they can. Nari, I'm sorry, but you're going to be a bit of a spectacle. Most of the guests will have never seen a Priestess of the Body."
"I'm a little surprised at that," I admitted.
He chuckled. "Oh, the husbands will have, but there will be more wives and adult - or nearly adult - children than you'd expect. See, outside of this temple, women are expected to be pure. They are told that sex is only acceptable in their marriage. Women should be virgins on their marriage night to prove that they aren't potentially pregnant with another man's child. And even worse, most marriages are business contracts and nothing more. Fathers sell off their daughters to secure assets. That'sallmost women are good for in the rest of the world."
I nodded. "I've heard. I'm also not about to drop my eyes and act like a blushing maid, Talin. If I'm scandalous enough, then maybe you won't get invited back?"
He flashed me a smile. "We can only hope. Just remember that we'll be playing a very delicate game. The High Priest wants a reason to see you fail. My brother wants to see me destroyed. Both of them are going to try to catch us in the middle somehow, and I can't even imagine which mistake is going to do us in."
Eladehl just leaned over his knees and caught my eye. "Be Amerlee," he said. "All lady, a hint of a whore, and able to keep up with the men. Drink whiskey, smoke cigars, and tell crass jokes. Then kiss the babies, offer the wives help with their hair, and such. Be the woman theyallwant, Nari. Be temptation made flesh."
I pushed myself to my feet. "Guys? Tell Jamik I won't be at practice today? I think I need to spend some time with Amerlee. I've got a bit less than two months to get ready for this, and I have a feeling she's done this before."
