‘I’m sure she will be properly grateful for a long time to come,’ agreed Kheda. ‘But I’m still curious to know what brings you here at the turn of the year.’
Rekha folded her arms and looked frankly at him. ‘Every warlord will be reading the omens for trade in the new-year stars and the wives of every domain will be sending the order to ready their fleets. No one will sail with the Greater Moon waning but by the time it’s back to the full, the sea lanes will be thronged with galleys.’
‘So you’re looking to get ahead of the tide?’ Kheda queried sceptically.
‘Precious few will be Voming here,’ said Rekha bluntly. Not to islands stormed by savage magic, where the seas ran red with the blood of slaughtered islanders.’
‘A stain cleansed by the blood of those invaders as soon as I made it safe for Daish and Ritsem to attack without fear,’ Kheda retorted.
Rekha nodded with a regretful moue. ‘Most domains honour you for that, but they still won’t risk their ships and goods in these waters. Not when we are all still unsure how deep the taint of magic runs in Chazen. Not when there are still the remnants of those unspeakable savages lurking in your westernmost isles.’
‘Then I’ll offer you valuable news to take north with you,’ Kheda said curtly. ‘I will be sailing to put the last of them to sword and cleansing fire just as soon as the new-year festivities are done.’
‘How long will that take, Kheda? Even one fugitive can lead a hunting party a merry chase and you dare not leave the smallest of islands until you are sure beyond doubt that not a single savage remains.’ Rekha shook her head. ‘Merchants won’t be sailing this far south, not till word sprearls that it’s truly safe and that won’t be soon enough to save your trade this year. And you need trade to restore this domain. You need tools and seasoned wood to rebuild, pots and cloth and so much else to refurnish your people’s homes. But merchants need not risk your waters. They have plenty of other places to trade their wares. And none of the neighbouring domains’ ladies will risk their standing with their people by ordering reluctant vessels south.’
Her tone became ominous. ‘You need ships and swords in case these invaders return. You need food to see you all through the end of the dry season, until the rains bring your next round of crops to harvest. You need full storehouses so your young men can be spared to train with those swords, rather than spending all their time with their hoes and their hunting dogs just to keep everyone fed.’
Chazen is fully mindful of her responsibilities and I of mine,’ interrupted Kheda.
‘We don’t want to see Itrac fail, Janne and I.’ Rekha moved to stand silhouetted against the evening light falling through the doorway. The silk of her dress was sheer enough that her slender nakedness beneath was clearly outlined. ‘We don’t want to see her rebuffed and humiliated if she tries dealing with the other domains herself. We want to help. We can make the trades for her. We can pass off Chazen pearls as our own.’
Did you think I would miss that calculating glint in your eye, Rekha, if I was satiated with the pleasures of your flesh! Do you think I have forgotten that your body has always been a commodity you trade when it suits you? No harm in that and you’ve often done well by Daish as a consequence. Not this time, though, and I am no longer Daish to admire you for trying.
‘All such matters are Itrac Chazen’s concern.’ Kheda skirted around Rekha to reach the door. ‘She is this domain’s first wife.’
‘First wife?’ Rekha called after him. When she had been third wife and barely wed a year to Chazen Saril, who chose her for her charms far more than her brains, Why shouldn’t he, when there was no reason to expect she’d have such burdens thrust upon her?’
She shook her head, so vehemently that her earrings jingled. ‘Which was all very well, Kheda, but now she has burdens beyond her strength to shoulder. How is she to fulfil all the duties of a warlord’s wives on her own;
Shouldn’t you be looking to your posterity by now!
There’s no sign of her being with child and there’s no chance she will quicken any time soon with you spending all your time apart, each busy about your own duties round the domain and seldom in the same residence inside the same phase of either moon.’
‘Is this why you’re here?’ Kheda rounded angrily on Rekha. ‘What are you hoping for? That I’d plough your furrow for old times’ sake and if you should prove fertile ground, I’d invite you to quit Daish for Chazen? Of course, as mother of this domain’s only child, you would naturally become first wife. Is that it? Are you finally tired of standing in Janne’s shadow?’
Or is Janne’s shadow falling between us here? This smells far more of her perfume than yours, Rekha. Andjanne would know what I have been missing through this long, solitary season. She was the one who first taught me the delights of the marriage bed, when I was just a callow youth and she the sophisticated beauty in her glorious prime.
Rekha’s stinging slap rocked Kheda’s head sideways and scattered his wrathful thoughts. ‘How dare you think I am anything but loyal to Daish,’ she hissed furiously.
‘Excuse me, Rekha Daish.’ He managed to turn his heated thoughts into icy formality. ‘As I’ll forgive you for presuming on our previous acquaintance to risk such a remarkable breach of etiquette in speaking to me like this. I will see you at dinner. I certainly don’t want to see you again before.’
Without a backward glance, he turned and walked swiftly out of the building. Two men pushed themselves away from the outer wall where they had been leaning. Both wore the same vivid blue silk that now clad all the household.
‘Dev.’ Kheda gave a curt nod to either side as they flanked him. ‘Jevin. How long were you there?’
‘Long enough,’ Dev replied smugly. ‘Do you want a poultice for that cheek?’ he asked with unctuous solicitude.
Kheda ignored the barbarian, fixing his attention on the Archipelago-born slave. ‘My lady Itrac will be most interested to learn what Rekha Daish had to say to me.’
‘Yes, my lord.’ There was a certain wariness in the youthful Jevin’s words.
‘Go and tell her everything, you understand me?’ Kheda paused on the steps of his personal pavilion. ‘I’ll bathe and come to her as quickly as I can. I want to know her thoughts on this before we dine with my lady of
Daish.’
‘Very good, my lord.’ Jevin loped off with alacrity. ‘Everything’s ready.’ Dev jerked his head towards the warlord’s personal pavilion. The slaves on the broad steps bowed low. With a grunt of acknowledgement for the hovering steward, Kheda went inside and crossed the cool cream-tiled hall to the bathroom door. ‘Out, all of you.’ His scowl cleared the room of a trio of anxious servants in an instant. Not, not you, Dev. Keep an eye on the path.’
‘There she goes,’ Dev observed, peering through the slatted shutters. ‘At quite a pace for such an elegant piece.’ The drawstring of his trousers was knotted stubbornly tight. Too irritated to try unpicking it, Kheda snapped the cord and kicked the garment aside. Stepping into the deep bath set in the floor, he emptied a ewer of standing water over his head. It was colder, than he had expected on his sun-warmed skin and he gasped. ‘Where’s she heading?’
‘That must be her slave waiting for her at the next bridge.’ Dev moved a little for a better view. ‘Yes, he’s tagging after her like a well-trained hound. She’s going back to the guest pavilion.’
‘To gather her wits in privacy.’ Kheda dipped a handful of aromatic liquid soap from a bowl and lathered his hair and beard briskly.
‘I reckon she might try for some privacy with you again before she goes back home,’ said Dev with lewd emphasis.