157 - Five Days? No, Five Beads

“This… isn’t… as… bad…” Kyriala panted, threw off Farasha’s hands and lunged off the chaise. She walked around to the pool formed of Selinae’s hair and pulled off the elaborate over-night gown that was one of the traditional birthing gowns, leaving her in her shift.  She cupped her bulging belly with both hands, taking a little strain off her skin, veined with blue lines, the dark line down the middle barely visible through the delicate linen.

She stepped down into the pool and sank into the warm water with a sigh.  “Not as painful as the miscarriage. Where’s—“ Minis came in, calm, with the Fenjitzas’s arm over his shoulder.  He ducked out from under the priest’s arm and climbed in to fold his arms around Kyriala, heedless of his own robes. “Minis! The silk will be ruined!”

“Hang the silk.  How are you?”

She thought for a moment, tilting her head to one side. “Terrified. Excited. Relived as in this is finally done and I’ll be able to ride again—“ he could feel her muscles under his arms begin the next clench. “Oooh, that was stronger but it could be days, not beads!”

Minis looked up at Narilla, who sat to one side, hands folded.  She shook her head slightly, held up one hand, fingers and thumb spread.  Beads? She thinks five beads? 

“Whatever you need, my darling.”

“I’m craving steak,” she said.  “Or roast beef with horseradish sauce, ooh, I’m hungry and I haven’t had any breakfast.  Steak and eggs with cream sauce? I’m so hungry...”

“Food’s coming,” Minis said.  “They heard your cravings.”

She pushed off his chest and climbed out of the hot water, pacing restlessly back and forth, slowly, pausing as she walked, clinging to Selinae’s stone coils of hair.  “Oh, there’s Gan!” Minis followed after her, dripping, and set his arm around her waist as she leaned between two loops of hair to look down at the Temple floor so far below, at Gan holding vigil at the marble toes of the Goddess.  He waved, smiling, she waved back.

“Please don’t slip and fall, Kyriala. You’re all wet and the marble is slick…”

“Oh, poo, I’m fine!” But she turned away from the balustrade. A servant wisked Minis’s soaking over-robe away, leaving them both in their underthings.

You’re jittering and flitting around like a butterfly, he thought, but wisely didn’t say anything.  “Your snack is here, Ky.” Both of the foodtasters were there and nodded as they wisked the covers off the trays.

“Oh, good! Ooooh! Oooh! That twinged!”

“You’re strong, love. You can do this.” Minis caught eyes with Akminchaer who was sitting at a tiny desk to one side. He smiled and nodded and Minis swallowed hard.  “Have a bite or two to keep your strength up.”

Ky looked suddenly ill.  “I’m not sure… it smelled so good, but now it’s making me feel sick.”

They put the lids down again and Minis lifted a bowl out of an ice-tray.  “Just a spoonful of iced milk?”

“Yes,” she said uncertainly. Then slid back into the bath.  “But here!”

“Here,” he said and took the frosty bowl and spoon with him. It’s going to be a long day for everyone.

156 - No Place Safe

Irikaias came up the ratlines, holding hard to the stays as Dimae’s Hound bayed after the two Fehinnan trap ships, came round the outside.  “Alfalaria, Cap says you’re to come down to main hull cabin.”

Alfalaria, on the platform next to the ‘lubber’s hole’, had her bare legs wrapped tight and clung with one hand to the ropes over her head.  “Why?  Because it’s safer? Irikai, there’s no place ‘safer’ on board. Main hull’s easiest to hit with their carron balls and if they use rigging cutters I’m still safe ‘gainst the mast.  If the mast comes down then we’re all in trouble.”

Irikaias nodded and slid down to sprint over to the First to pass on the message. Captain Filarias stood like a statue, ‘lookers raised, watching the two ships fleeing before them.  The wind had picked up and the cry from below was ‘Thirty-ONE knots!”

They were close enough that Alfalaria could see with her own, unassisted eyes, the crews scrambling on the schooner, loading the carrons, four people to each crew.  “Four,” she whispered. “Not sixteen.”

The Hound had enough daylight to catch the Fehinnans and Filarias had piled on the sail, rushing into their teeth, obviously hoping to use her speed to throw off their weaponry. “Run down their throats,” she whispered. “Rip ‘em out from inside.”

BOOM. She flinched as one carron fired. There was a spouting splash off the bow, larboard. BOOM, BOOM. More spouts.  The smoke fled before them all. The barquatine rig was heeling off to port spilling wind, resetting to sail down on them. BOO-CRASH. The Hound shuddered as a stone ball smashed into the main hull, but even at the waterline the bronze ram rang and she shook off the strike. Alfalaria gasped and shut her eyes, hearing the Fehinnan cheers, faintly, but no Arkan screams. No.  You pry your eyes open girly and you watch and watch hard and watch right! It was her papa’s voice and she told herself the words he’d said so many times.

BOOM. Splash! It was a miss so close she was sprayed with the fountain of it and a shout from the First Mate. The springald crews, like hunting dogs unleashed, howled their defiance at the ships still barely out of their reach. The fore’rd springald master, right over the ram, sighted along his stick, kneeling, the ship dipped, rose, plunged over the waves being whipped by the strengthening wind. 

“Twenty-five knots!”

"Dimae help us, Aras help us, Mikas burst their carrons!"

BOOM 

155 - The Nosy Chimes Ring

Minis skidded around the corner, caught himself on a miniature statue of Anae, ran after the acolyte who had brought him the news and was brought up short by the Fenjitza who held up her hands and shook her head at him.  

“No need to rush, my boy. Calm. Be calm. She’s fine, she’s walking with Farasha.”

“I want to be with her!” He managed to keep his voice down.

She shook her head. “I thought you wanted the old traditions restored?  Gannara is standing the honour watch of husband, at Selinae’s feet.” She gestured down at the Temple floor. “The last Imperatrix gave birth in the Bedchamber and Greater Bath in the Marble Palace, with the Imperator-by-Conquest holding her in His arms.”

“I’m not waiting outside in the Traditional spot! Thank the Ten for Gannara! And there’s no baths here for her to ease herself! Narilla!”

“Calm down, Minis, breathe! Be still for her!  I can give you an acolyte for your care but you cannot be her strength if you are flapping like this!” He stopped flatfooted and stared at her. He’d never heard her speak to him in that kind of voice of authority.  Radas settled his muscular arm around his shoulders.

“Listen to the Voice of The Mothers, boy.  Here, at this point…” He turned Minis partly away from Narilla, his arm weighty enough that Minis could feel supported and grounded. “…you need to listen to the women.”

Minis jittered in place, seized control of his breathing. “It needs to be right for her. I need to be here for her.” He settled back into himself as though preparing to train. “I’m all right, Radas. Thank you.”

“Good,” Narilla said and took him by the elbow.  “Radas has said he’ll be there if you need him, Minis, but Ky doesn’t need you falling over.”

“I won’t.” He set his shoulders. “New tradition.  If the Imperatrix is not in the safety of the Marble Palace then I reserve the right to support her.”

“Excellent.” The two Fenjitzae turned him to a hallway he’d never seen before.

“Where are we going?”

“You were concerned about a bath for birthing?”  Narilla smiled, under her silver mask.  “The Temple expanded considerably with the Highest Goddess moving next to Her Adored."  The hallway was somehow created below the choir loft, tucked nearly invisibly behind the heads of the high Gods.  It wasn’t the small bath and cascade that Minis and his husband and wives knew,  There was an open place behind the statue to Selinae’s head where a basin like a small bath nestled in the Goddess’s hair, which spread out on either side to create the banister and balustrade on either side.

And there, Kyriala and Farasha and a dozen women priests stood or walked, slowly. Minis freed his arm from Narilla's and ducked away from Radas, going straight to his wives, taking them both in his arms.  “I’m here and I’m going to do my best to help. Gan’s down in the honour spot. Ili is going to be in the second ring and I bet Amitzas will be in the third.”

Ky buried her face in his neck.  “It’s still early, though not too early, Narilla says.”

“You’re strong, love,” he said into her and Farasha’s hair.  “Both of you.  It will be fine.”

Distantly the nosy chimes from the Marble Palace rang in the pattern that had been developed for Shefenkas and Niku. ‘Birthing,’ they rang. ‘The child comes.’

As the sweet notes rang across all of Arko, Ky caught her breath with a contraction, and in the City a low surf rumble began as people realized what the chimes meant and the women began to gather in the Plaza to keep vigil for their Imperatrix.

‘Birthing. The child comes.’

154 - Kheeredo!

They arrived in the dark of the morning and the Prophet was hustled off in the Sunborn Elite’s and Irefas’s capable hands and Megan was handed a note as she was let down out of the flying harness.

“I am sorry to keep you from your rest, but I urgently wish to hear what happened from your own mouth. Please come to the Temple, whatever time you arrive and I shall be woken.”

She yawned, hugely, stretched and the servant held out a tray with a steaming cup of black tea.  “If the honourable Zak would come with me?”

“Dah, I mean yes, of course.” She ached all over from being in harness all night but downed the tea in the cool, damp late winter morning. The birds were beginning their morning chorus in the woods and gardens around the Marble Palace, a raucous, cheeping, rustling flap and in the distance a Sereniteer’s muted whistle joined in for a moment.

**

The Temple was finishing the night round of hymns, distantly and muted behind the door.  Minis was up and waiting for her by the time she was escorted across. A scribe sat in the corner, lapdesk at the ready.

Minis, in a plain yellow monk’s robe, hair loose and just touching the floor as he sat, waited quietly, but she noted that he looked tired.  It was hard to feel exhausted with the Temple on their side but he was managing.

“Megan,” he said.

She nodded at him and sat down at his wave, the gold shimmering on his hands. “How’s herself?” She asked him, equal to equal. He flashed a grin at her.

“Well. Though chafing at not being able to ride.”

“Huh. She, to my wife, should be talking.  Shkai’ra rode, into labour going. Same day.”

“She sounds like someone Ky would like to meet.”

“Not so sure I am. She’s kind of rough hewn is.”

“Then Ky should definitely meet her.” Minis picked up his cup and sipped.  “Do you need kaf, Megan?”

“Minis…” She took a deep breath.  “Fouled up, I did.  My kid, it was, who was pulling our bacon out of the fire.”

One pale eyebrow went up, came down. “Pasen made no mention of you failing.” The scribe’s pen in the corner skreeked.

“Scouting is what we were to be doing.  Just to be getting of information. Hit with the Prophet’s incense I was and was climbing down to join the crowd.  Lixand held me… with his new Temple manrauq – his Temple magic – and I fought back with my own.  The overwash of that burned every light in the plaza bright as day and then burnt out completely.”

“Hmmm. That was what caused the blackout and gave Matthas his chance to reach the Prophet.  Even if he wasn’t supposed to he took advantage of your—struggle, shall we say, with your son.”

“And did it, he did.”

“I shall see that he’s commended for his initiative…” he paused and trailed off. “Something about Matthas?”

“He…” she picked up a cup and sipped. It was straight black kaf and she drank it down to clear her head.  “He went even crazier than he was in the Temple.  He… became another person, yet again.  He, like a murderous little boy talks.  His name is Smiley Mat.”

“Ah.” Minis sipped his own kaf as she re-filled her own cup from the elegant carafe. She thought of the darkness of the Tunnel.  It was unusual for a Zak to be made uncomfortable by enclosed spaces, but she had been in sweating tears by the time the Kadussas had given her permission to make a small kraumak so she could see.  She’d not thought she’d ever be powerful enough to charge a marble and turn it into the glow stone that used up no air. Her first attempt had been fumbling and frantic and Lixand had reached out and she’d caught his hands and steadied down.

“Matta, even if you can’t see, it’s all right.  Just breathe.” He’d said and she’d managed to reach her manrauq. Her stone flickered and glittered violet and silver just barely enough to light her hands but it was enough to break her darkness induced panic.

She tapped her steel nails against the edge of the cup.  Koru, it’s why I got these. I’m mostly over that but the Tunnel dark is… special.

“So you slipped up, but your team kept it from being a disaster and, in fact, turned it to our advantage.”

She shook herself out of her thoughts.  “Well, dah.”

“Then thank you for being so straight forward.”  He caught himself in a yawn.  “Irefas will have your payment made up and given to you…” he looked over at the scribe before looking down and continuing… “Tomorrow.  Please feel free to stay until your son and Matthas are back from their cleaning up hunt.”

“Thank you,” she said. Found her eyes dropping closed, blinked, hard. “Sleep I should—“

“Imperator!” The cry came from outside.  “The Imperatrix is in labour! True labour!”

He was on his feet.  “Goodnight Megan, I’ll see you later!” And out the door even as he flung his last words over his shoulder.

**

Megan was almost staggering tired and the sky was light when they came back across to the Marble Palace.

She yawned a dozen times and pulled off her vest even as they came into the corridor of the suite that was theirs for now. “Good night, Sera,” the servant said, and opened the door for her.

Shkai’ra sat, cross-legged on the floor, nursing the baby.

“Kheeredo! You’re back. Glitch take it you little grub!” She looked down at the child then up at Megan who was stunned to see tears in her eyes.  “Hotblood has left me!”

HCD!

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