"What are you doing here?" I gasped in surprise as Yvette Senchal carefully climbed down from the rolling Janis into the gig with me. Her attire much more modest than before, her few meager possessions and her fascinating drawings in a canvas bag at her side. Her collar was gone, her neck bare. Her cloak no doubt sparing the four oarsmen and their boyish young teenage midshipman the embarrassment of seeing "too much" of their captain's lovely and provocative delightfully "french" slave girl.
"Pardon?" Yvette answered, not understanding my words, her dark eyes searching mine. Her accent bringing back fond memories of long ago. I translated my question into French as the midshipman then barked an order in his squeaky high pitched voice and four oars as one bit deep into the rolling blue-green sea.
Yvette replied that she thought she was being given to me, although why she didn't know. Not all that delighted I suspected at the thought of being given to me despite the fact that I could speak French. She then handed me a letter that explained much as I read the few short paragraphs.
"MY DEAREST LORRAINE:
I AM GIVING YOU YVETTE TO KEEP FOR ME, KNOWING THAT YOU WILL
TAKE CARE OF HER AND NOT ABUSE HER AS SOME MIGHT. SHE IS A GOOD GIRL, WELL TRAINED IN THE ARTS OF LOVE EVEN IF SHE CAN'T SPEAK OUR LANGUAGE VERY WELL YET. I HOPE YOU WILL VALUE HER AS I HAVE.
I VERY MUCH FEAR THAT WITH THE DEATH OF OUR BELOVED PRINCESS THAT HER MOTHER WILL NOW ATTEMPT TO USE THE WAR BETWEEN OUR COUNTRIES AS AN EXCUSE TO COMMIT DULARN TO A COURSE OF ACTION THAT WILL END IN DISASTER. I THINK I KNOW NOW WHY THE PIRATE TARKAS DID NOT FLEE WHEN HE SAW THE "JANIS". IF MY SUSPICIONS ARE TRUE, IT IS MY DUTY AS A WARRIOR TO DO THE ONLY HONORABLE THING I CAN.
I AM TRULY SORRY LORRAINE THAT WE ARE ENEMIES, FOR HAD MY PRINCESS LIVED, I BELIEVE THAT SHE AND DARLANIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK OUT SOME SORT OF A PEACE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES. I HOPE YOU WILL REMEMBER ME AND THE NIGHT WE SPENT TOGETHER. I KNOW THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU AS LONG AS I LIVE.
LOVE,
CAPTAIN JON RICHARDS
THE RAMSHIP "JANIS"
My eyes were moist as I turned and waved at the tall figure there on the Janis' quarterdeck, cursing the cruel fate that would always keep us apart. I thought I would speak to Darlanis.
Sharon threw herself into my arms as soon as I came aboard Sarnian Lady, smiling and hugging me, her azure eyes a delight to see after all we had been through. Telling me that Darlanis wanted to see me just as soon as possible, there being something about Sharon's actions that told me that she knew more than what she was telling me! Sharon just "bubbling over" with her secret!
In a few words I told Sharon about Yvette Senchal, my stepdaughter's eyes growing wide as she looked at the slave girl. The wench slipping off her cloak, revealing herself clad in only the strip of green silk that I had seen her in before. The crew and officers of Sarnian Lady poking each other and whispering among themselves at the sight. Captain Stone stepping down to the deck and informing me to "Please Cloak That!" No doubt concerned about her effect upon the safe operation of his ship. I told Yvette to put her cloak back on and then asked Sharon to find something for her to wear that covered her more modestly. I then turned and waved to a figure there on the Janis' quarterdeck as the big Dularnian galley started turning away, a part of my heart going with its captain to whatever adventures laid ahead!
Darlanis was as beautiful as ever as Lynn ushered me in, the slave girl then taking her leave of us as I seated myself next to the bed. The Empress nibbling at her breakfast, greeting me with a warm smile. Up close I could see that her azure eyes were a bit puffy, but otherwise thanks to Lynn's attentions she was the picture of beauty like always. Darlanis being, as I think I have mentioned before, one of the most "beautiful" women of all time.
"Care for a bit of breakfast?" Darlanis asked, offering me some of hers. The Empress being in an excellent mood considering all that had happened only the night before, I thought to myself. I nodded in the negative and thanked her. I had eaten earlier.
Taking a swallow of her tea, Darlanis said, "I have a very serious matter to discuss with you, one that could effect the futures of both you and your stepdaughter." She patted the bed beside her, reaching out to me and taking my hand in hers as she then said, "I know that you are unfamiliar with our customs, but as you perhaps know, I am a widow and childless." Darlanis telling me of the tragic accident that had taken her daughter twelve years before. Telling of the storm and the shipwreck, of seeing her little eight year old Anna being swept away from her. The tears filling her eyes as she spoke, the memories no doubt still vivid even after all these years. I understood how she felt, the thought of losing Sharon having given me a few nightmares since we had been transmitted through time into this barbaric era.
"Among those of our caste it is frequently the custom that two women will privately adopt the other's children so that if one is killed, the other can become their mother," Darlanis said, wiping at her eyes as she regained control of herself. Telling me that it was a way so that a warrioress' children knew that they would always have someone to turn to. Someone to become their new mother. I had earlier made somewhat similar arrangements with Lana for Sharon before the battle with the pirate.
"Last night," Darlanis said, holding my eyes with her own, "Your stepdaughter saved my life." The Empress swiftly explaining that she had attempted to poison herself after brooding over her sister's tragic death and that Sharon had fought her with all her strength to keep her from doing so. Finally getting the poison away from her and throwing it out one of the stern windows. Sharon had then gotten Darlanis helplessly drunk and somehow managed to get her into bed. Slipping in beside her and holding her as the Empress sobbed and clung to her like a baby. Darlanis finally passing out from the amount of alcohol, Lynn being too terrified of her Imperial mistress in such a mood to be of any help!
"That is one reason why I want to adopt Sharon," Darlanis said, holding my hand, there being a pleading note in her beautiful voice that surprising me. Those beautiful eyes moist with emotion as they looked into mine. I knew I could never say no to such a request knowing that Darlanis could do for Sharon. Yet, I feared that Sharon might grow away from me with time, a fear that made me hesitate to say yes, for Sharon was all I had left now.*
* My fears were quite justified here as you will see later on.
"I understand your fears," Darlanis said, looking up into my eyes. The Ronda and the Seahawk visible through the open stern windows following behind Sarnian Lady, little trace visible from here of what had transpired less than twelve hours before. "She will always be `yours', but let her be `mine' too," the beautiful Empress asked. Her hand warm in mine as she awaited my answer.
"I would be happy to let you adopt Sharon," I "lied", having made my decision for her sake, my eyes moist with tears. Thinking of how Darlanis had fought at my side last night. I knew how Sharon worshiped the Empress, although after seeing Darlanis at her worst, she might have a more realistic view of the real woman behind the crown and the exotic clothes and all the pomp and ceremony. I had to think of Sharon's future, and Darlanis could offer her far more than I could. She deserved that, if nothing else. My decision "hurt", but it was the only one I could make.
"Thank you, Lorraine, thank you so very much for giving me such a gift of understanding," Darlanis said in reply, her voice soft and filled with deep emotion. I thought Sharon would make the Empire a good princess anyway. She was beautiful like a princess should be, and she did have a pretty good head on her shoulders even if she was still a bit impulsive at times yet!
"And did you know that it was Sharon who called the Janis to our aid and set up the truce agreement?" Darlanis laughed, Explaining that Sharon had used the signal lamp and had given orders in the names of both the Princess and the Empress to the ships. As well as giving a good account of herself in the battle! "Now that's the kind of a daughter I want to have!" Darlanis added. Laughing with delight. A delight I shared with her, Darlanis being a person who now meant much to me too. We had stood together in battle as caste sisters. Sisters of the sword.
"What I haven't told Sharon yet is that she will be in reality a true Princess of the Empire," Darlanis said, "And if anything was to happen to me, the Empire would be hers." I sat there stunned as Darlanis explained that under Empire Law she was required to appoint a successor to herself to insure the continuation of the royal line. Prince Jers Bisan having been the legal heir previously, which made what she said rather puzzling to me.
"Our young Prince has resigned his title to the throne to marry the woman he loves," Darlanis explained, Jers being engaged to the most famous prostitute in the Empire, Lara Warsan! "I have kept it a secret until now, hoping he would change his mind, but since he plans to announce it as soon as we reach Sarn, it no longer matters," she added. Darlanis having taken Jers with her on this voyage for the sole purpose of trying to talk him out of marrying such a woman as Lara Warsan, the notorious "Queen of Prostitutes" as she is often called. Her efforts had been futile as the young Prince had officially the night before resigned his title and claim to the throne of the Empire to be free to marry his beloved Lara despite Darlanis' warnings of what might happen when his mother, the Princess of Baja, learned about the affair! The former Queen of Sarn being of course utterly against such a marriage between her son and the famous Trelandarian prostitute!
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