Sybil of the Sands Ch. 03-04

Chapter 3

The desert may not have been as hot as I was expecting, but the brightness far exceeded anything I could have dreamt of. Sunrise dawned cold and clear, and a million tiny grains of sand blazed to life, dancing with luminescence. It was impossible to sleep any longer. The men too were awake and preparing the horses for our trip across the desert to Niacinth.

I thought wistfully about little Nevella, the mare who had carried me this far. I'd grown rather fond of the horse, who after all could not be blamed or held responsible for my current situation. Once we reached the palace, I'd probably never see her again, and she was the closest to a friend I had now. I approached her and stroked her nose.

As if he could sense my thoughts, Tuluk stepped behind me. "Soon you won't be riding the horse anymore. You'll be riding the king's cock and begging for more, just like your whore of a mother." I whirled to face him, hate seething through me.

"You're a monster, just like your brother. I'd lay with the king a hundred times if it meant I could convince him to punish the two of you for her death." It was a lie, of course. Secretly, I was terrified Tuluk was right, and my body would betray me by enjoying the king's ministrations. I could not bear the thought of voluntarily subjecting myself to it, even for vengeance for my mother's death.

Tuluk's face twisted in rage. "You little bitch, I should finish you off here. I'll give you something to put in your pretty little mouth first, so you won't be able to talk." He grabbed his groin suggestively, and I recoiled, pressing my back against Nevella as if the horse could protect me.

We were interrupted by one of the soldiers, Danin. "Laurent has asked me to get the seer onto her horse," he said, and knelt before me, cupping his hands for me to use as a step. Though Nevella was not as tall as the other horses, she was still a good way off the ground, and I had not yet mastered the knack of swinging a leg over on my own, encumbered by my skirts as I was. I clambered aboard and looked at Tuluk, almost eye to eye now, before I turned Nevella toward Captain Laurent. Ironic that the man in charge of my capture had now become my protector. I briefly toyed with the idea of making a final escape attempt.

"Don't even think about it," said Laurent, as I gazed back behind us. "If you try and run off now, I will tie your hands and feet, throw you over my horse, and carry you into the oasis like a sack of grain. You know it's futile anyway."

I did know. I hoped once we reached the palace, the confusion of people and general clamor might offer me a better attempt. "I was only looking at the scenery one last time," I said, and it was not a complete lie, for though the foliage here consisted mostly of scrub brush and a few oddly spiky trees, the scenery before us was sand, and more sand, with only gentle dunes to break it up. It was strange to see the whole landscape in one endless sea of brown.

"You should cover yourself," said Laurent, and pulled my blanket free of the saddle. "Put it over your head and keep as much of your body covered as possible. The sun will burn you."

Reluctant though I was to follow his advice, I took the blanket and draped it over my head, holding it clasped in front of me with one hand. It felt odd to be so covered when the weather was perfectly clear and warm, but I'd had enough sunburns as a girl to appreciate the very real threat they presented. The day was heating quickly, and the sun was already beating off the sand. Nevella seemed to know we were close to home, for she was antsy and anxious to be off.

Once the last soldier was astride, Laurent gave the order and we were off, riding through the desert, riding to my final humiliation and loss of freedom. I would escape, I vowed, as the horses skimmed over the sand. I will escape and be free again, if it takes the rest of my life.

**

At long last, Niacinth appeared on the horizon.

"If she was any further away, we would have had to ride camels. Have you ever seen a camel?" asked Alvidus, from his usual riding position next to me. I shook my head. "They are like great tall horses with an enormous hump on their back," he explained. "And very smelly." I couldn't help a small grin at his description. Under other circumstances, how exciting this would have been! To ride to a new location, see new people, new animals, and experience a new culture. How much would I see as the king's satiety prophet? Would I be kept imprisoned constantly, only to be brought out when the king had need of me?

"We'll bring you to the king first. He'll be very pleased that you've made the trip intact." I didn't know whether he meant as a virgin or unharmed, but it didn't really make a difference either way. "Then, once he's seen you, we'll send you to the bathing rooms and let you wash the dirt of travel off." The thought of a bath filled me with longing. I'd done minimal scrubbing of arms and legs in streams a few times on our journey here, but I'd not removed my dress for a proper wash in weeks. Oh, to be clean!

"I expect you'll meet Jaslyn," continued Alvidus, "And she can give you some advice on what to expect. We'll get you dressed and outfitted as properly fits your new station. The king ordered your suite of rooms prepared before we left; though, at the time, we thought it would be your mother coming back." Mother. At least she was spared this indignity. Perhaps I would not be kept under lock and key constantly, after all, if I was to have a suite of rooms all to myself. All the better to plan an escape.

"And then of course, the king will hold a ceremony for your first, ah, prophecy in his court, probably today or tomorrow." For my forcible rape, he meant. I tried to put it from my mind. Better to focus on how to escape before it came to that.

Niacinth loomed ever closer. She was elevated higher than the surrounding desert, and we wound up her wide, curving path to the top. All too soon we had reached her gates. It felt strange to see people after so long on our journey; the soldiers had avoided any contact with others. I felt eyes upon me as we were waved through the gates. It was so much larger than I had imagined - the palace, the city, the oasis, all of it. The buildings were constructed of some kind of stone brick, but it was the lush greenness that was most surprising. After the stark bareness of the desert, the verdant greenery was a sight to behold. My blanket fell away from my head, the better to look around. There were strange trees - tall with a rough bark, and fronds of green sprouting all from the top. There seemed to be several different varieties; some were short and squat, while others had fruit of some kind and still others were massive around, the size of three men standing back-to-back. I could see fields of what looked like grain in the distance.

"She is a sight, is she not, O Seer?" asked Alvidus. I merely nodded, drinking in the view. The palace was visible from the far reaches of the city, a mighty group of towers rising far above the trees. The road we were on seemed to lead directly there. All along the way, I felt the stares of the city's residents. I thought about reaching out, calling to them for help, but they would never dare to do anything with the soldiers surrounding me as they were. Likely I would only get them into trouble. I kept my head high and rode on. Sooner than I would have liked, we were at the palace gates.

"Laurent, you've returned successful!" congratulated one of the gate guards. "The king will see you - all of you, in his throne room." Laurent nodded curtly and we rode to the doors of the palace. Laurent dismounted, then turned to my horse, offering me hand to help me down. I accepted. Already I was the focus of much attention, it would be embarrassing to fall off the horse ungracefully, as was my wont. He did not release my hand, but used it to guide me toward the open doors of the palace. The doorway itself was huge, the doors as tall as two men standing each other's shoulders. We entered a cavernous hallway, the rest of the soldiers and Alvidus close behind. When we reached the far end, a servant opened the door for us and we stepped through.

It was clear this was the throne room. There were a number of people present, milling about and making conversation. Some were seated at a table against the wall, consulting rolls of some kind of paper. In the middle, a man seated on a throne was leaning on his arm, looking utterly bored with the soldier standing before him. He saw us enter and stood up.

"Captain Laurent, you've returned!" He strode across the floor, his pleasure written across his face. "And has your journey been successful?" He inquired. He looked at me. "Surely this is not Leonore."

"No, my king," spoke up Alvidus. "This is Anissa, her daughter. She too has the gift."

"Leonore is dead," said Laurent. "Lost to us by the foolishness of Baram."

"What foolishness is this?" The king's face had lost every ounce of pleasure, replaced by a cold wrath. His eyes were calculating, like a snake's.

"She attacked me, my king," said Baram, stepping forward. His face was partially healed, but he kept his eye covered. It was dead in in its socket; he would never see with it again. "I was only trying to have the reward I was promised, and she found a dagger in the grass and stuck me." He waved a hand at his eye. "I was blinded, oh my king, I only meant to disarm and frighten her."

"He lashed out in anger, my king. He and his brother were upset I would not let them have Anissa, but she is a virgin," Laurent said.

The king nodded. "You did well to bring her to me. But tell me, is it certain that she has the gift?"

"No," I said. "I don't. I demand you release me and provide me an escort home, and provisions for my trip." King Xentos threw back his head and laughed.

"I like this one! Now, tell me Laurent, was she tested?"

"Yes, my king. She foresaw her mother's death moments before it happened, at the hands of Baram. We left her virginity intact."

"It's true," interjected Alvidus. "I heard her reveal the vision myself. We have lost her mother, it's true, but we have not returned empty handed."

"No indeed," mused the king. He reached out to stroke my arm, and I jerked it away. "However, the murder of a satiety prophet is not something I will forgive." He drew his sword from the belt around his waist and approached Baram. "Her loss is more than your life is worth. Kneel."

"Please my king," said Baram, visibly afraid. "Please, it was an accident. Allow me to prove my loyalty to you, I will do anything!"

"If I may, my king," said Alvidus, "He has lost an eye to this encounter. Would it not be better to show mercy than to lose the life of a valuable soldier?" King Xentos looked at Alvidus, undecided.

"Perhaps you are right," he said. "Baram, you will prove your loyalty. Tomorrow, you will receive one hundred lashings, in the public square. I will not hold you tonight, you must come to me tomorrow of your own free will for your punishment. If you do not, I will name you traitor, and you will be hunted until you are dead."

"A hundred lashings?" cried Tuluk. "He will never survive a hundred!"

The king shrugged. "That is not my concern. It shall be one hundred, and he shall come for them of his own will."

"As you say, my king," said Baram. "I thank you for your mercy."

"Go," said the king, "Leave us now, all of you. He clapped his hands, and crowd started to trickle out reluctantly. "Fetch Kirin," he said to one of the servants, who bowed and exited. "Laurent, stay. Anissa, is it?" I ignored him, looking pointedly ahead.

"Anissa," confirmed Laurent.

"Anissa, I am most pleased that you have come to be my guest. I think once you are settled in and accustomed to your new role, you will not find it displeasing."

"I doubt that," I retorted. The servant returned, with another servant, a girl my age, behind him.

The king ignored my remark. "Anissa, this is Kirin. She is assigned as your devoted servant. Anything you need, you have only to ask and she will see to it." The girl dropped to her knees before me, taking my hands in hers and holding them to her forehead.

"It is an honor to serve the prophet, O Seer," she said. King Xentos smiled.

"Take her to the bathing hall and then to her rooms. Dress her for tonight. We shall feast in her honor, and then she will give me a prophecy." He spoke as if he was giving me a great gift, and not holding me prisoner.

"I will not," I responded. "I never will." He smiled indulgently, as if I was a silly child. Kirin rose to her feet.

"Please, follow me," she said and headed for one of the exits. I was relieved to escape the throne room and the king, but I felt strange leaving Laurent. He had been my protector for our journey, and now I was venturing forth with only a servant to guide me. He caught me eye and gave me the smallest of nods, as if to tell me it was ok. Full of trepidation, I followed Kirin. She led me down a winding number of hallways till we reached a set if doors nearly as large as the ones at the front of the palace. Two guards stood on either side. They nodded at Kirin and opened one door. I followed her through. Immediately I was struck with a hot, humid blast of air. The door closed behind us.

"This is ladies' bathing room," said Kirin, "The men have their own, but the ladies' is always guarded to keep the men out. There is almost never anyone here this time of day, though."

Sure enough, the room was empty. It was arranged in a row of cascading pools, the water from one flowing down into the next one, always circulating to flush dirt out. I bent over to feel that water. "It's so warm!" I exclaimed, surprised.

"Hot springs, O Seer," said Kirin, pleased. "Niacinth is the only oasis in the desert with hot springs." The water looked so inviting. "Allow me," she said, and stepped forward to help me out of my dress. It was stiff and filthy after the journey, and I was quite happy to oblige. In a few minutes I was blissfully submerged in the top-most pool. "I will fetch soap and your new garments," she said, and left me alone for the first time in weeks.

It wasn't as if I could make an escape, naked, past the two guards at the front door, so instead I tipped my head back and relaxed, savoring the quiet and the warmth of the water. Streaks of dirt rippled off my skin and floated away. I ducked me head under, but my hair would need a good scrubbing before it would be clean again. Kirin returned shortly, with a pile of cloth I presumed to be clothes in one hand, and a bar of soap in the other. To my surprise, she removed her own garment and climbed into the pool with me. She wasted no time, but immediately picked up my arm and started scrubbing with the soap. It tingled where it touched me.

"I can wash myself," I said, attempting to pull my arm back. "Here, give me the soap." I reached for it, but she withheld it.

"Please O Seer, do I displease you? This is my task, to see to your care. You have had a long journey and you are tired. Let me do my work." Reluctantly, I nodded. It seemed silly to me when I was perfectly capable of doing it myself, but I didn't want her to get in trouble for not doing her work. She might become my ally, later. It was actually relaxing to have her gently scrub my body. She asked me to lean back, and she began to work the soap into my hair, lathering it up as she massaged my head.

"Are you a captive here, too?" I asked.

"No, Vessel. I am employed here. It is an honor to work in the King's house."

"'Vessel'?" I asked.

"Vessel of sacred knowledge, O Seer. Does it displease you to be called so?"

"You might call me Anissa."

"Oh no, Seer, I would be punished harshly for such informality!" She stopped scrubbing my hair, as if the very notion might get her into trouble.

"It's all right," I reassured her. "You may call me whatever you are instructed to."

"Thank you," she said, and resumed washing my hair, now rinsing it with cupped palmfuls of the warm water. It was delightful to be clean again. "If it pleases you, we should dress and retire to your rooms, to prepare you for tonight."

"It does not please me, but that is hardly your fault," I sighed. I was eager to see my rooms, to assess potential escapes. I stood in the pool, taking the steps honed into the stone wall. Kirin was out right behind me, and retrieved one of the cloths from the pile she hand brought. She started to dry me with it, which felt odd, but I said nothing. I supposed I would have to get used to this, until I could escape. After a hurried drying of her own body, she slipped into her clothes and then held out a garment for me. It was made of some kind of light, gauzy material, white and pleasing to the touch. As she helped me into it, I couldn't help but blush as I saw what the dress covered - or rather, what it didn't. The neckline plunged deep, and my back was entirely bare! The front piece was fastened around my neck by a metal band, and the hem was breezy and revealed my legs when I walked.

"Isn't there anything a bit more...modest?" I asked Kirin.

She laughed. "O Seer, this is modest for your station. You have a lovely body, you should not be ashamed to show it off." She touched my arm, smiling in reassurance. I felt horribly exposed but decided not to make a fuss. It was not the worst thing that would happen to me today. She left the drying cloths and my old dress by the pool, explaining that the bathing attendants would take them later, and then we were off again, this time to my rooms. I felt practically naked as we walked past the guards and I felt the breeze of the hallway touch my bare back.

To my surprise, Laurent was waiting in the hall. He looked astonished to see my new attire, but recovered quickly.

"Captain," said Kirin, and bowed.

"I came to escort the seer to her new rooms," he said.

"Of course, Captain," said Kirin, and she left us.

"You're looking well," observed Laurent as he took in my new dress. I blushed to the roots of my hair. I crossed my arms in front of myself and wished I had some way to hide my back. My hair dripped onto the dress, making it more transparent. "This way," he said, and we set off.

"It wasn't my idea to dress so, but as I am only a prisoner here, I have no choice."

"It's very becoming," he said, "And you may find the light material a relief on hot desert days."

"Are you here to keep me from escaping?"

"Where would you go? There's nothing but desert all around you, you'd never make it on foot," he retorted.

"I might steal a horse," I said.

"The stables are too well guarded. Good horses are precious commodities."

"A camel, then," I said, remembering what Alvidus had told me. Laurent just laughed.

"A camel? You wouldn't even know how to make one stand up and move for you. Besides, every door to the palace is guarded, you'd never make it outside."

"If you haven't come to prevent my escape, then why are you here?" I asked, exasperated.

He was silent for a moment.

"I feel responsible for what happened to your mother. And I'm sorry that we had to bring you, especially at relatively young age. Your mother would have lived out the rest of her natural life in comfort, but you have barely tasted freedom, only to have it ripped away."

"Whose fault is that?"

"Mine," he said, nodding. "I am duty bound, and sorry for the actions I've taken, but I'd do them again, given the chance. I do hope you will be as happy as you can be here. There are worse situations."

"How can a bird love its cage?" I retorted. We had entered a small courtyard, and Laurent paused. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry." I ignored him. He was not forgiven. He would never be forgiven. "These rooms are yours," he said, indicating a doorway to the left. "Jaslyn is to the right, you'll share a courtyard with her."