[Scribe's Note: It is unclear if any other entries were written by Lady Zhou between Chapters 10 and 11 of this transcription. But if there were, they have either been lost or excised. The following section occurs in the third year of the reign of King Idis II of Thamud. It has been four years since the last entry transcribed.]
Chapter 11 Three Years Later . Absent Friends
Dear Reader,
I take up my pen again with some reluctance. But I must write.
Eumelia is dead.
It has taken me nearly six months to write these words.
My last connection with Ki gone (or so I thought).
Oh my dear friend, why did you leave me so soon?
She left with a smile on her face as I placed her daughter in her arms. Her face was ashen, her vision dimmed, and she fell away without a word.
Her wife, the Third Princess, would not be consoled for months, wracked with the guilt of having made her bear a child. Which is, of course, nonsense and I told her so; for Eumelia wanted a child more than anything else. She was familiar with my own happiness at childbearing and this was something she had dreamed about since she fully accepted her new gender.
The child is a beautiful baby girl with green eyes and her mother's blonde hair. Her father is my Master, the King of Thamud. The Princess has named her, Amal.
Even now, I sometimes see the Princess walk the palace gardens alone, always choosing the path through the labyrinth which was their favorite. They say that time heals all wounds. I can only hope that this will be true for both of us.
Why have I only written of this now? Because now, more than ever, I feel acutely the pain which the Seven have sent my way, and their cruel humor.
As always, I found this pain in Talos where my son was to be betrothed to the daughter of Princess Sabine of Talos. He is four and she is three. They met quite unaware of what their selfish and uncaring parents had arranged for them; for it is the way of this world; that our kingdoms may at least tread softly into a long peace.
A minor emissary of the Seven was in attendance to witness this event, as was an ambassador of the Qin. The meaning of this seemed plain - that no one should lightly tear asunder the bonds that were being laid down that day.
I have come to the other reason why I must write, if only to assuage my guilt. Now, months later, I can write about what happened in Talos more dispassionately, with an eye to my own poor justifications and faults; with a more even assessment of my own impoverished morality and thinking.
It was as always Anais who led me to this point – that woman who had brought me to An, forever altering the trajectory of my life. I had not seen her for four years and had been glad to see the back of her; except that as usual she found me.
As I walked the strangely deserted streets of Talos with my guards, I saw a slight figure dressed in flowing silks. She approached us with a nonchalant gait and a smiled which reeked of her usual confidence. Anais enticed me with an offering – a gift in thanks for being returned little harmed to Talos; she having been my prisoner following the conclusion of the last war.
We spoke in the corner of an establishment called somewhat incongruously, The Eudaimon, possibly the most renowned slave tavern in Talos. Suffice to say that the place had nothing to with reason, ethics, or self-actualization.
Leaning forward conspiratorially, she pointed towards a sinuous shadow making its way across the large room.
“Do you recognize her?” she asked me
“No, I do not,” I answered.
I saw a typically beautiful Talosian slave girl glide towards a young and clearly wealthy patron who hurriedly cleared his table of unwanted guests and attendants as she approached him. I looked more closely and saw that she had the facial features and light brown skin of a Thamudian woman. I remember thinking to myself that while I could not save every tavern girl in Talos, I could at least attempt to do something for one of my own countrywomen.
I could see she had lightly toned but fleshy limbs, a magnificent belly and hips, and, of course, ripe breasts which fell attractively on her torso. She had clearly been born with tremendous advantages but I knew from experience that she had spent many hours cultivating and maintaining her appearance. This was no ordinary serving girl.
She seemed at times innocent and demure but would then shift her posture revealing the undersides of her breasts or her inner thighs. She would occasionally caress her patron's cheeks with her nipples when she served him drinks, or bring her hand down to affectionately squeeze his crotch if she noticed that he was becoming hard. To my shame, I felt my own lust for her growing in me.
“She is incredibly skilled. I almost envy her.”
“Aisha is all that and more - the first girl of this tavern and one of the most famous pleasure slaves in the quarter. She commands a very high price for a night's amusement. And there is something else which might interest you - I understand she speaks the language of the Qin of Ki. Do you take my meaning? ”
That made me scowl. “You are a disgusting liar, Anais, and always have been. What have I done to deserve your hatred? Did I not release you when I could have listened to my husband and had you put down?”
Anais affected a look of exaggerated shock and continued.
“I am quite sure that you are as pure as the driven snows of Thamud, my Lady. But let me remind you that by all accounts, you are especially deserving of my hatred and wrath considering how you misled me, decimated the army of my paymasters, the Talosians, through your intrigues, and then plotted to capture me. Now look at me, reduced to weeding out pathetic insurrectionists within the borders of the Kingdom.”
The fact that she spoke the [Chinese] of Ki strongly suggested to me that she was a woman from my home world and, from the way she held herself, very like a serum girl. It is said that the serum slows the pace of aging but this has never been studied. The life of a slave girl is so hard that whatever benefits which might accrue to her constitution are quickly erased with years of difficult service. I, however, saw no signs of wear on her.
Anais, interrupted my train of thought. “This is a gift; a peace offering. It is well known, even in Talos, that your Highness has charitable instincts towards slave girls having been one herself. Now that I have assisted you, perhaps you will think of me in the months and years to come should I be in need.
“I have already told the tavern owner that he should expect a potential customer for one of his girls. He will drive a hard bargain but will be more forgiving now that he knows that you have my imprimatur. The drinks have been paid for.”
With that, Anais took her leave of me. But before that, she leaned down and whispered a name in my ear.
The name was one that I had not heard for seven years, the name of the leader of the group of mercenaries I once belonged to on Ki; the man who had trained me and whom I had respected since I was brought into the fold.
The last time I had seen him was in the back of a wooden cart where he lay asleep with Eumelia [see Chapter 1]. I had not recognized them then as my brothers in arms. I had not even bothered to look for any of them.
It had been seven years since I last saw him.
He had been a slave girl for seven years.
I resisted the urge to weep then; I would not as long as Anais stood within sight of me. I had on me a pair of heavy chainsticks fashioned after those favored by the [Ryuku] islanders of Ki. I gripped them tightly in my palm to prevent myself from losing control.
The moment I saw Anais leave the tavern, I got up and made my way to the back rooms to make my bargain with the owner. I had on my wrist, a bracelet of exceptional craftsmanship encrusted with rubies and sapphires given to me by my Lord. The owner did not hesitate for one moment – he knew I was of the Thamudian Royal House; the price was more than adequate; and my face clearly indicated that I would not tolerate any further bargaining.
Once I had Aisha's ownership papers and the seal designating her release, I walked back into the main room of the tavern, gripping my chainsticks tightly. I do not remember much else except being pulled off a bloodied man by my bodyguards. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aisha huddled in a corner screaming in terror.
