the Leathermines

Back to Chapter 9

 

Laun was too tired to cry.  She just sat on the window seat and leaned against the clear glass.  She knew the dark clad servants were waiting for her to say or do something.  She was just too tired.  Physically.  Emotionally.  Mentally.  Especially mentally.

It had taken all of her will power to glide through the Palace, gracefully smiling at those who looked in her direction.  Not cringing when she saw eyes go from her face to her belly and back again.  Sorting out why she said anything about her observations of the Ambassador.  Why he seemed familiar to her.

And now...  She had to ignore the servants who stood impassively in the shadows of the room.  She would not be able to forever.  Just for right then.

Taken away.  Given to her.  Taken away.  Her life went in surges.  She was not sure if this was a good one or a bad one.  How to turn one into the other?

She glanced out the glass and saw the Southern part of the Capitol City.  There was the Midland’s River to the South, a line of masts making a bare, moving forest.  The streets that seemed to point towards where she was, some with crowds, some empty.  The greens around the hill that the Palace was on, the rich and noble having homes and estates bordering that green.

It would have been awe inspiring if Laun had not been so tired.

The sun was well past mid day.  The light that shone through was clear and Laun knew that this room would have light all day long.  She looked over and the bed that was there was very similar to the canopied bed she had slept in the night before.  She had a half-smile.  Slept.  For perhaps several hours after Silar had ministered to her and exhausted her into that sleep.  Then they had done one last balanced form with each other in the morning before she had been readied for slaughter.

But it hadn’t happened that way.  Falmir had not killed her on the spot.

There was a kick and a burp that brought her out of her thoughts.  She turned to the shadows and asked, “May I have some milk, please?”

There was some motion in the ranks and a few less bodies were there.

“And is there a privy I may use, or shall I have to use a chamber pot?”

A female servant stepped from the shadows and motioned for Laun to follow.  Laun stood, pausing to regain her balance before following the servant.  There was a bathing room off the main room that the servant opened to Laun.  Behind a screen was a small privy, similar to the one that continually had water flowing in it at the Sand Master’s.

The servant helped to hold up the skirts for Laun, looking away to give some privacy.  Laun did not care who did or did not see her as her full bladder emptied and then her bowels decided to move.  She was slightly embarrassed, as it were, at the smell.  The servant gave Laun a flower made of soft paper.  Laun looked at her and was about to ask when the servant made wiping motions.

It was so much nicer than a rag or leaves.  It went into the pot and the servant helped her stand.  There was a lever in the floor that the servant stepped on, lowering the internal bowl and releasing water somehow.  The bowl was raised again and it was clean.

Laun smiled.  She giggled.  “I know I will sound so stupid, but that is wonderful.”

The servant nodded, no emotion showing.  She straightened out the skirt and tunic, moving the red rope belt’s knot to one side so it was not at the top of her stomach.  Laun smiled and went out to look at the bathing room.

A small copper tub was towards one side of the room.  A table with a stool in front of it was covered with little pots and jars of stuff.  There were several full-length mirrors on the walls, one with a little crack in an upper corner.  The dark and watery greens in the room flowed together in tile on the walls, a light green in tile on the floor.  It had been called the green guest room and Laun could see why.

In the other room, the walls were a dark green with browns and golds on things here and there.  The window bench she had first been sitting on had light green flat pillows on the light colored wood.  The floor had been painted to look like there was a floral rug on it.  There was only a small runner of a real carpet around the edge of the bed.

Laun went to the bed and looked at it.  The curtains were sheer and looked like they would only block some of the light, but keep in some heat, too.  There was a step on one side so that she could get into the bed.  She went up the step and balanced on the top looking at the opulence in the fabrics.  This was a large bed, too.  She had a flash of misery thinking she would be sleeping alone for the rest of her life.

She mentally shrugged.  Perhaps it would not be so bad if she could be alone in such a bed.

One of the doors opened and servants came in.  A small table was being set by the window, a platter of food and two pitchers were being set down.  Laun climbed back to the floor and went to see what it was.

It was a selection of milk.  Not just milk to drink, milk to eat.  She recognized several of the cheeses, but was unsure what most of what had been placed for her was.

Laun looked up and knew this was going to be a problem.  They all were looking at her, but not looking at her.  They did not talk.  This was fine, since she knew that push herself, but if they were servants who were not allowed to talk or, a horrible flash went through her, couldn’t talk, she was not going to have much to do in her short life.

“Who among you have been given permission to talk to me?”  There was a series of looks amongst the servants and no one came forward.  “Well, then.  You will be wasting food for I do not eat anything I cannot name.”  Laun sat on the window bench and did not move towards the food.

There was concern on several faces as they looked at each other.  One of the older men stepped forward.  He cleared his throat.

“I give you permission to speak in my presence.  Not just now, whenever you are near me.”

He nodded several times.  “Lady...”  He looked around and was slightly nervous.  Nothing happened and he continued.  “Lady, we did not know what you were used to.  We brought drinking milk.  It was milked from the royal herd this morning.  We also brought sweet milk with honey and sweetbark.  This,” he pointed, “is clotted cream.  This is soured cream.  This is sched cheese from the south.  This is-”

As Laun listened his voice became stronger.  There were twenty samples of different milk products on the table.  It was good she was hungry.  Some of the things, like the stinky cheese imported from somewhere she could not pronounce, she sniffed and handed it away, saying someone else should eat that.  Some of it, she knew she wanted every day, like the sweet milk.  Some...she was not sure about.  Not by them selves.  Perhaps with other things.

It took a while to work through the selection.  She found she was smiling and humming and made one of the servants have a taste of something off her finger when she saw a longing look.  Laun would not take a head shake as an answer.  She liked the spicy fresh cheese stuff, too.

Her heartburn was down and her stomach was full.  The servants cleared the table away and that part of the day was over.  There was still daylight streaming into the room.  But, as happened far too often for Laun’s liking, a full belly on top of the baby meant she was ready for sleep.

The bed was tempting.  Sleeping in the sun was also, as it was warm on her skin.  The temptation of the bed won her over.  She allowed herself to waddle over to the bed with her full belly.  She was about to climb the steps when a servant was at her side.  Over her arm was a white dress.

Laun tilted her head to the side and was slightly confused.  “You want me to get into that to take a nap?”  There was a small nod.  “I’m not used to wearing anything when I sleep.  Unless it is cold.”

There were looks between the servants.  Several of the bodies disappeared from the lineup.  The dress, made of several layers of thin material, poofed as it settled onto the bedding.  Hands were on Laun, untying the belt and lifting the tunic.  The skirt was untied and dropped to the floor.

Laun had little to say about what had just happened.  About as much as the servants said as they looked at each other after glancing the lines and scars on her body.  Laun was happy to be out of the clothing, though.  She stretched slightly and then climbed onto and into the bed.

It was one of the most luxurious things she had ever felt.  The covers were light but warm, the fabrics of a beautiful green and gold design.  The sheets were not linen.  It felt as though they were made of heavy silk.  And the mattress.  She sunk down into it and felt her back give a sigh.

There was a moment of panic as she saw the servants surround the bed.  It became a delighted giggle as they all took handfuls of the cover around the edge, lifted it and then let it float down on her without any lumps or wrinkles.  Laun felt like a little girl and giggled madly away.

Laun let her head go back into the goosedown pillows scented with lavender.  She drew her head across it a few times and then turned.  She was most comfortable on her side and her back and belly both thanked her for moving.  She could still hear the light footsteps of the servants in the room as they did whatever it was they did, but Laun felt comfortable and sleep brought her down easily.

Chapter 11 is next.