Isla

Isla understood very well why Vara’s daughters used the trellis to get out of the house. It was perfectly placed so that a girl who pushed herself off the side of the balcony could grab hand-and-footholds down to the grassy garden below. As Isla climbed down the side of the trellis, Galen leaned over the edge of the balcony and shook his head at her.

“Mistress Isla, this is completely unnecessary,” he scolded, but his voice was pitched low, as if he did not want it to carry into the streets.

“I will do …” her foot slipped and she had to catch herself by clutching the trellis more tightly with her arms. Then, she glared up at Galen. “… whatever I have to do to protect my modesty, sir. I told you that.” Then she primly—could she be prim when scrambling down a trellis?—continued her climb to the garden.

“Mistress,” Galen called again, still with his voice pitched low. “Modesty has no place in a bathing chamber. I told you that. How am I supposed to get you cleaned up and ready for the day without being in the room? It makes no sense.”

Once safely on the ground, Isla put her hands on her hips and glared even harder. “Just because you have no modesty doesn’t mean I have none.” She pointed a firm finger at him. “Stay away from me.”

“I can’t stay away from you, Mistress,” he said, smiling. His tone was exasperated, though. “I was commanded to serve you.”

She glared at him and backed away. “You can just go find somewhere else to serve.”

She backed into someone and startled. Spinning around, she found Queen Delta there with arms outstretched as if to capture her. Isla took a short step backward from her and blushed. Although the woman was not a queen like Isla had learned about back home, it still seemed wrong to greet the woman while wearing only her sweaty nightdress.

Delta looked like the depictions of angels in the churches and monasteries back home. She wore a flowing white dress with a bizarre hemline that started high above her knees in front and swooped down near her ankles in back. She wore silver sandals that tied up her legs, crisscrossing indecently all the way up her thighs. There was silver jewelry on her arms, as well, wrapping up both upper arms. Her hair was up today, too, curled and styled high on her head, pinned with silver pins that were almost invisible in her silvery hair.

“Good morning,” Delta said politely, but there was a hardness in her eyes that made Isla uncomfortable. The woman slid and arm around her, in a way that might look companionable to anyone who happened to be watching, but Isla felt the firmness of it. The woman grabbed Isla’s near arm, too, and walked her back to the house in steady steps that did not allow for any squirming. “Come on,” she murmured when Isla tried to pull away. As they neared the trellis, Delta looked up and caught Galen’s eye.

“Get in the temple,” she said, but it was less voiced than mouthed. Her eyes looked fiery.

“I am not taking a bath,” Isla promised firmly while the Queen marched her inside through the front doors. Delta kept up the companionable demeanor the whole time. Once she backed against the heavy to door shut it, though, the smile slid away and she relinquished Isla.

“What load of nonsense are you talking about, girl?” Delta asked, eyes snapping with anger.

Isla rubbed her arm where the woman had held her too tightly. “You are all trying to force me to accept morals and values I do not accept. I don’t care if you are a queen. You can’t force me to take off my clothes in front of anyone, and I won’t do it.”

“No one can force you to do anything, silly girl,” Delta answered back firmly. “But it is extremely unwise to be climbing down the trellis in your nightgown in the middle of the morning.”

Vara came hurrying down the steps, with Galen a few paces behind her. Isla backed away at the sight of the strong man with the frustrated look on his face. Delta, though, turned on the newcomers with ferocity.

“And what exactly did you think you were doing, Galen?” she asked in a hard tone that made him flinch slightly. “Arguing with a child in the front garden in the full light of day!” She shook her head at him. “Mother would have a conniption.”

Galen answered respectfully but earnestly. “I was trying to encourage Mistress Isla to come back inside and behave herself.”

Vara held up a silencing finger to him and turned her attention on Delta. “What did you see?”

Delta shook her head. “Nothing too incriminating. He was speaking to her over the balcony while she climbed down the side of the trellis. As far in the circle as you are, no one on the outer street might have seen anything.”

When Vara’s dark glance swept over Isla, she felt goosebumps rise on her arms. Mother used to look like that immediately before handing out punishments and reprimands.

“What did I tell you about climbing the trellis, Isla of Vara?”

Isla would not let herself be browbeaten into submission by these women. She replied tartly, “And I told you that I will not offer trust easily. Did you think you could force me into your morals by sending a man in and asking him to do indecent things to me?”

Vara hissed under her breath. Galen gave a scoff of disbelief. Delta shook her head.

“Indecent things?” Vara answered back, cooling rather than heating. Like Mother at her most dangerous. “Indecent? I would kill anyone who did anything indecent to you, girl. What Galen was doing was service, basic household service I commanded him to do. All he was supposed to do was bathe and dress you. Did he do something other than that?” There was threat in her tone.

“No!” Galen insisted, half-scandalized, half-furious.

Vara cut her eyes at him, and he dropped his gaze to the floor, clenching his teeth. Then Vara looked at Isla, demanding an answer with her eyes.

“He tried to take my clothes off,” Isla said, slowly and as calmly as she could. “That may be something you consider ‘basic’ in e’Silea, but I assure you it is highly indecent where I’m from.”

“How was I supposed to bathe you without removing your nightdress?” Galen snapped back, though he never took his eyes off the floor.

Vara turned her attention back to Galen. She tilted her head until she was in his downcast line of sight. Her voice was so quiet, it was a hiss when she asked, “Are you trying to dig yourself into a hole you can’t climb out of, Galen for Vara?”

He clenched his teeth but, instead of speaking, merely shook his head.

Vara pointed to a space off to one side of the living area. Galen went where she pointed and, without a sound, dropped onto his knees in the spot. Isla shuddered. No matter how angry she had been with him for trying to pull her nightgown off, no one deserved to become someone’s property.

“This entire country is perverted,” Isla declared forcefully. “And if I have to climb over the trellis everyday to keep his hands off me, I will do it.”

Delta hissed, “Stop phrasing this like he was trying to assault you! Sexual assault is punishable by castration in e’Silea. This is not a funny game.”

Vara put up a hand to silence the Queen with as much firmness as she had silenced Galen. “Enough.” She grabbed Isla’s chin in a vicelike grip that forced her to meet her eyes. “Did Galen touch you in any way besides trying to undress you for a bath?”

“No,” Isla said, though it was not easy to talk in Vara’s grip.

“Did he ask or suggest he wanted to do anything except undress or bathe you?”

“No.”

“What happened, then?”

Isla tried unsuccessfully to pry her aunt’s finger’s off her face. Finally, she gave in and spoke with the woman’s hand still cupping her chin, “He said he was instructed to get me ready for the day and then he grabbed my nightdress by the hem and yanked it up. I kicked him in the leg to get him away from me.” Vara’s eyes darkened, but Isla hurried on. “I ran across the room and told him not to take a step nearer. He told me he had to do what he was ordered, and he tried to approach me again. I ran into the bathroom and tried to lock the door, but it doesn’t have a lock! He came in and tried again to grab my clothes. I told him that if he didn’t get his hands off me, I was going to scream and kick him again. When he wouldn’t stop trying to get near me, I crawled under his legs to get out of the bathroom. He chased me out into the bedroom again and then blocked the door so I couldn’t leave. He said he had to help me prepare for the day. I told him if he left, I would prepare myself without his help.” Vara’s eyes darkened even further. “He said he could not leave. So I told him one of us was leaving the room right now. He said he wasn’t leaving, so I ran to the balcony. I climbed down to keep away from him.”

Delta buried her face in her hand with a mild groan.

“Listen to me,” Vara said in the tone that sounded so like Mother, Isla’s stomach sank. “You go upstairs right now and get into that bath before I strip you myself. And if you go over the balcony again, I will tear the trellis out completely. Do you understand me?”

Isla glared but gave an angry nod.

“Go,” Vara ordered, and unhanded her. As she walked past her aunt, though, the woman slapped a firm open hand on her backside. Isla spun around in surprise, blushing to her hairline. Vara shook a finger in her face and snarled, “Don’t you ever lay a finger on my slaves again, girl.”

Isla backed away from her aunt, wary but also furious and embarrassed. The last time her bottom was smacked was when she was about six years old, and Mother found out she struck Ruby.

Once Isla reached the steps, she turned and raced up them. The only thing she heard from below was Vara’s icy voice saying, “Come here and tell me what happened, Galen.”

Back in her own room, away from her aunt’s furious gaze, Isla was more capable of disobedience. She went into the bathroom only to do a hasty wash, as she might do simply with a washbasin. She cleaned her teeth and braided her hair. In her closet, she found only frustration. The clothing was distressingly immodest. But, afraid of how long it would take Vara to finish downstairs and come up, Isla did not have time to waste. She had no idea what might happen if she was not dressed when the woman arrived.

She stripped out of her nightdress and pulled on one of the pink silk dresses she found. It had no sleeves, but she was able to wear it without a brassiere which was good since her aunt had confiscated the only one she had. She could not tie the straps meant to hold it up, though. She tried but could not get them tight enough to feel secure. She gave a hopeless cry.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Isla,” called Ruby’s voice from the bedroom. Isla leaned out of the closet and urgently gestured for her to come in the closet.

“Help me,” Isla begged, turning around so her sister could tie the straps of the dress.

Ruby grasped the straps and pulled them up so Isla’s dress held her securely. She tied them in a bow at the back of her neck. “I’m not sure if it’s meant to be a bow or not, but it’s cute,” Ruby said gently. Her voice changed to concern when she asked, “You wouldn’t let the slaves help you, would you?”

Isla spun around to give her sister an incredulous look. Only then did she notice the blue skirt laced up the side and tied expertly on her sister’s hip, and the white backless blouse her sister wore. There was no way Ruby could have put those things on herself. They were too complicated, with all the ties and loops.

“You did?” Isla asked in shock.

Ruby shrugged. “I tried not to, but Aunt Vara said I had to.” Her face flamed brighter than Isla’s dress. “Atlas washed me in the bath.”

Isla shook her head, pressing her eyes shut. “No,” she whispered in horror. “No, Ruby! No. We can’t stay here.”

When she opened her eyes, Ruby had a stubborn expression on her face. “Once you get over the awkwardness of the nakedness part, the bath part is kind of nice, Isla.”

“No, Ruby!”

Ruby’s eyes clouded and she said quietly, “I’m not leaving, Isla. I like Aunt Vara. I like e’Silea. I want to stay here.”

Isla’s eyes bulged as she tried to silently communicate her horror. “What happened to your modesty, Ruby?”

Ruby shrugged. “Vara told me that ‘modesty’ is just a concept wild slaves came up with as a tactic of controlling women and their bodies.”

Isla’s stomach plummeted. “Listen to yourself, Ruby. ‘Wild slaves’ indeed! Is that what you think of Father now? He was some wild slave who did not know his purpose, or whatever?”

Ruby’s face colored again, and she looked down. “I don’t know.” She scrubbed the toe of one soft white sandal across the floor. Then she looked up. “I don’t know what to think of Father. I don’t remember him, really. But I think about what Aunt Vara tells me. And I do wonder, Isla, why women are expected to cover their bodies so thoroughly, but the men don’t have to. You know? Boys in school were always tugging their shirts off during breaks when it was hot out, or rolling up their pants to wade into streams and rivers. But if I so much as pulled my petticoats above my ankle, I was reprimanded by the schoolmaster. It doesn’t make sense to me.” Her eyes went from stubborn to pleading. “Does it make sense to you?”

Isla had never thought of it before. She opened her mouth to retort, but stopped short when no words supplied themselves.

“Also, I’ve been thinking,” Ruby went on, a little more confidently. “Chloris and Vara and all of them go around with see-through clothes on, and no one tries to touch them inappropriately. No one looks at them and thinks wicked thoughts. Everyone just wears the clothes they wear and goes about their day without worrying about offending people. Offending men. No one tells Chloris that her gowns are a distraction to the slaves.” Ruby looked at her sister intently. “And they’re not, Isla! The slaves served dinner last night without getting distracted at the sight of shoulders, knees, or even …” she lowered her voice. “… full-on breasts. They did not get distracted once. Which makes me think the schoolmasters were liars when they told me my ankles would distract the boys. Or maybe that there was something wrong with the boys.”

“Probably a little of both,” came the firm voice of Vara from outside the closet. The girls froze. Isla’s stomach sank when the woman said, “Come out here.”

She was seated on the edge of Isla’s unmade bed, one leg crossed over the other. Isla knew that the tight trousers the woman wore would be considered indecent in Haslett. They absolutely hugged the curves of her legs and hips! But Ruby’s concerns and thoughts about the schoolmasters made Isla stop and think, as much as she didn’t want to.

Vara crooked a finger at them. Ruby stepped forward at once. Her face was a little flushed, but that was the only indication she was nervous as she went to stand before their aunt. Isla considered refusing. Or even trying again to flee over the balcony. But her aunt raised a brow as if she knew what Isla was thinking. A brow that seemed to threaten punishment.

Isla joined Ruby, standing in front of their magisterial aunt. The woman reached forward and caught one of each of their hands.

“This will be an adjustment,” she told them in a tone that Isla thought was meant to be gentle. But all Isla heard was the firmness. “I am going to attempt to be lenient and understanding, since you have had so much of your childhood robbed from you.”

Isla opened her mouth to speak, but Ruby grabbed her unencumbered hand and shot her a glare. Even though Isla did not want to admit it, there was too much truth in the accusation that her childhood had been robbed from her.

“I will try to be lenient, but we need to come to a right understanding about a few things,” Vara went on firmly. “I do not approve of anyone harming, hitting, slapping, or kicking my slaves. These boys work hard to make our life beautiful, and they deserve all the respect they can get. I will not have unruly little girls kicking them or punching them!”

The unfortunate thing about Isla’s fair skin was how easily it flushed even when she did not feel ashamed of herself. Galen had cornered her! If the same circumstance happened again, she would probably react the same way.

“Isla!” Ruby scolded in shock. Isla glared at her for the rebuke, but neither of them were able to say more. Vara interjected.

“The slaves are as much a part of this family as you or I. You do not have the right to harm them.”

“Then keep them out of my bath,” Isla instructed without shame. She would not let these people force their corruption on her.

Vara’s eyes hardened. “I will have continued patience with you, Isla, because you and I have an agreement to allow trust to grow between us. But I will not be able to grant you any trust if you strike my slaves another time. I will be forced to take action.”

The foreboding sound of those words made Isla’s skin crawl. But her aunt seemed to waiting for something. Isla gave a sharp nod.

Vara looked at Ruby then. “This nonsense about covering yourself up or being afraid to be seen is likely to make my blood boil. But, I am going to the shops today to order you each a wardrobe. I want you to be comfortable both physically and emotionally.” She looked between them both. “So, I think it will be best for me to bring you along so you can help the sewists and designers understand your preferences.”

Isla recognized this as a kind and accommodating gesture. She met her aunt’s eye for a moment before giving the tiniest grateful nod. Ruby was already gushing her excitement and gratitude in too many words and squeaky tones for Isla to bother saying anything else.

“Before we go out into the streets, I need to warn you about something serious,” Vara cut in to Ruby’s squeals of joy. “It’s about how the law works in e’Silea.”

Isla was puzzled but asked no questions. Ruby also fell silent, squeezing her sister’s hand. Vara squeezed each of their hands in turn as a means of comfort.

“As you already know, e’Silea is set up in families,” Vara explained, and though Isla objected firmly to the term “family” being used to explain slavery, she did not interrupt. “As the head of my temple, anyone who lives under my roof is subject to my authority. I make the laws. I am a magistrate of my home and grounds.” She waited for them to nod acknowledgment. Isla did so very reluctantly. “Anyone who lives under my temple is under my name. Both of you are ‘Of Vara of Capitol’ because you are my wards.”

“Yes,” Ruby chirped. “Ruby of Vara.”

Vara gave a nod. “Yes, that’s right. We don’t have surnames in e’Silea. Your name is attached to my name because you are under my temple. The same is true for slaves. Everyone is attached to a temple name, and under the magisterial power of their temple keeper.”

“So, your house rules are …what… laws in e’Silea?” Isla wanted to know. She could not wrap her mind around it.

“Yes.”

“But surely you can’t do anything you want,” Isla argued. “Like … murder? You can’t kill people indiscriminately, right?”

“Right,” Vara said with a nod. “There are public laws as well, to ensure the safety and harmony of our nation.” Isla refused to believe there could be harmony where people were being trafficked as personal property, but she kept her thoughts to herself. “If I break a law … not murder, because that’s a serious crime that would be handled by the Queen and Council … but something minor, like defacing public property, maybe … I would be given a citation. It’s essentially a fine and a mark on my permanent public record.”

“What if you weren’t caught?” Ruby asked, her eyes as bright as if this was an adventure story.

Vara made a negative sound in her throat. “e’Silea is full of people, Ruby of Vara. And the people in e’Silea are talkers. Even if no one reported it—which is unlikely—eventually word would get around.” She sat up straight, removing her hands from theirs and folding them on her lap. “Additionally, there are people whose job is to report on crimes and give out citations. Instructresses of Classes—as a means of managing unruly students—and all military personnel, Council members, a specific leader in every neighborhood known as a Guardian, and then roaming officers and officials. If you look at a group of a hundred women, chances are at least ten of them have the responsibility to hand out citations. Probably more.”

“Whoa,” Ruby murmured.

“Can these citation-hand-outers be given citations?” Isla asked doubtfully, and then was surprised by her aunt’s firm answer.

“Yes. In fact, they tend to be stricter with themselves than with others because they hold so much of the public trust.”

“You’re a Guardian, aren’t you?” Isla felt like she knew where this conversation was headed.

“No. But that’s only because I was raised to the Council last year and had to give up by Guardianship. You guessed it, though, Isla: I am very strict with those under my name because I have so much of the public trust. I am the Council Speaker for the entire Southeastern side of Capitol. That is over twelve thousand souls who expect me to speak for them and represent their best interests.”

“Is that your job, then?” Isla wondered. “Your … trade?”

Vara shook her head. “I had a military trade when I was younger, and I eventually became a citations officer. Then, I gained experience and rank, and began overseeing citations officers. Now, I am head of the Citations Office. That’s my current Trade. I oversee the training and daily activities of the five thousand Citations officers currently commissioned to work on Capitol. It’s a government office.”

“Whoa,” Ruby said again.

Vara nodded. “I will explain it all to you in better detail at a later time, but I need you to understand this part: I have given citations out to most people we see. Many of them don’t resent that—For all us temple keepers, citations are a part of life—but some people do resent me. Some people outright despise me for my role in keeping e’Silea safe. They will look for any reason to embarrass me or get me a citation of my own. For this reason, the people under my name are held to a very high standard.

“If I take you to the markets today, and you decide to throw a little tantrum like you did in the temple this morning…” her gaze captured and held Isla’s. “… it will not be smoothed over like it was in the temple. Delta and I work closely together, and she knows our situation well, so she was able to help get you back inside before we could be accused of any kind of public disturbance. If you tried that outside in the streets, I would likely have been cited. Or been obligated to cite myself, which I have had to do on occasion to protect my reputation.”

“Reputation seems very important in e’Silea,” Ruby remarked.

Vara gave a sharp nod. “Reputation is lifeblood in e’Silea, little girl. If a woman sullies her reputation, she can’t do trade. I protect my reputation ferociously.”

“What does this mean for us,” Isla asked with firmness in her tone. The entire conversation was making her stomach squirm. “If we get into trouble in the streets, we’ll be cited? And our reputations will be ruined?”

Vara said no. “If you get into trouble in the streets, I will be cited, and my reputation will be at risk. All citations follow the name. Since you are my wards, your behavior is a reflection on my temple management. I receive the citation, and then it is up to me how I discipline my wards for their behavior.”

Isla felt her stomach drop even farther. But Ruby was brave enough to ask, “What does that mean? You would … kick us out?”

Vara reached forward and grabbed Ruby’s face in a firm hand. “Silly girl, what did I already tell you? There is nothing you can do that will ever make me kick you out. You are here with me until you grow up and enter an apprenticeship.” She pulled Ruby forward and kissed her forehead. “‘Kick you out,’ indeed! You have to stop worrying about that. I would never, ever do that.”

“It would hurt your reputation,” Isla said darkly.

Vara narrowed her eyes at Isla. “Yes, it would. You’re a fast learner. But that’s not why I wouldn’t kick you out. I wouldn’t because you are mine and I love you both. Nothing you could ever do will change that.” She looked back at Ruby and added, “But if you earn me a citation, I am likely to paddle your bottom and restrict you to the temple until we come to a right understanding.”

Ruby and Isla both blushed to their hairlines at the very idea. Isla felt she had to protest this punishment that was being tossed around like it was an acceptable threat. “We are grown up young women, Aunt Vara. It would hardly be appropriate or necessary to paddle us.”

Vara arched a brow at her. “I paddled Chloris a few months ago for bringing home a citation, and she’s twice your age, Isla.” The very idea of it made Isla’s heart start to pound in fear and humiliation. Chloris was a full-grown woman! She caught Ruby’s eye and saw the same stunned, wide-eyed expression on her face that she knew must be on her own.

Vara firmly stated, “I will do what I must to have peace in my temple and cleanliness on my name.” She grabbed their chins and looked at them both with sternness emanating from her. “Am I making myself clear to you?”

Ruby whispered, “Yes, Aunt Vara.”

Isla only swallowed, but when her aunt turned to pin her with an expectant glare, she gave a tiny nod.

“Very well,” Vara said with a sudden smile. She dropped her hands down to capture theirs in her own as she rose to her feet. “Let’s go to the market.”