Ihra stepped over to the bed, examining the ropes. They were frayed through, and she yanked back her finger with a curse as she brushed its edges. “Damn, there’s some kind of corrosive element on them.” She wrung her hand, wincing in pain.
Boisterous laughter boomed outside in the hall, and a second later burst open. Bā’er stumbled into the room, a fresh mug of grog in his hands and an almost nude woman clinging to his arm. He ground to a halt, gently swaying back and forth, when he spied the two of them. A long belch escaped him when he started to speak. “You’re still here, my lord?” His eyes fell on the empty bed. “Looks like the fun’s over.”
Sighing deeply, Jasper stood up. With their assailant gone, there was no reason to stick around. “The room’s yours, Bā’er; we’ll get out of your hair.”
He and Ihra slipped past the burly man into the dingy hall, the sounds echoing behind them painting an all too vivid picture. When they exited the brothel, the fish market was still bustling with action, but the quickly darkening sky foretold the impending approach of night. Racing against the setting sun, the two ambled back to their own, more respectable, tavern. Jasper's stomach rumbled, visions of the tavern's hearty stew dancing before his eyes, as they neared their place.
But his dreams of R&R were cruelly crushed when they reached the tavern. The priest of Yarha sat on a bench outside, a worried look on his face. Leaping to his feet when he saw them, the priest plastered on a broad smile as he rushed to greet the pair.
“My lady, I was hoping to find you before you retired for the night.”
Ihra frowned, and his smile wilted a little. “I thought we agreed I’d come to your service tomorrow night?”
The man bowed. “Indeed, indeed - you remember correctly my lady. But-“ He hesitated. “When I was delivering the news of your visit to my congregation, the temple’s most important patron was quite excited to meet you. He insisted I come and invite you to dine with him tonight.”
Ihra’s frown deepened. “It’s been a long day. I’m sure we can meet him tomorrow.”
A distressed look creased the priest’s face as he wrung his hands. “Please, Lady Ihra, I beg you to reconsider. Lord Nabul will be most displeased.”
Jasper cut in. “Is this an invitation or summons?”
The man looked uneasy. “Lord Nabul is a powerful man in the city. Technically, he has no power to compel a free citizen to come, but he could certainly make things difficult for you. A few words from him in the right ears, and he could cut off your access to the auction house.”
Ihra groaned. “Fine, I guess we have no choice.”
The priest smiled apologetically. “I really am sorry, my lady. I didn’t expect Lord Nabul to take such a keen interest.”
She shook her head. “What’s done is done. Do we have to go now?”
The priest nodded. “I’m happy to escort you.”
The two turned to follow him, and the priest paused, clearly reluctant to speak up.
“Is there a problem?”
“Well, uh-“ he fidgeted, “technically, my lord, only Lady Ihra was invited to dine with Lord Nabul.”
Jasper’s brow darkened. Well, that doesn’t sound sketchy at all. He glanced at Ihra, and she shook her head. “Either Jasper comes with me, or I’m not going at all. No offense to this Lord Nabul, but I don’t know him, and someone tried to kill us earlier today.”
The priest’s eyes widened. “Of course, of course, my lady. I’m sure Lord Nabul will understand.” His eyes said otherwise, though.
Reluctantly, they issued back out into the city streets. They followed the priest along same route that had taken them to the commercial district earlier, passing Yarha's shrine again. In the gathering dusk, the temple’s door glowed with the light of dozens of candles, the silver and bronze decorations glinting like the moon and stars whose image they bore.
Fortunately, it did not take them long to reach the noble’s residence. It was a large, rectangular building, three stories high with shockingly little ornamentation on the outside, aside from the fine craftsmanship of the stonework. They were met at the door by a servant, who was most reluctant to let Jasper in, but finally succumbed to a mixture of the priest’s pleading and Ihra’s threats to leave.
The inside of the mansion was in complete contrast to the exterior. The walls were lined with intricately carved wooden panels, the bas-reliefs outlined with gold and silver. Plush, vibrant rugs covered the floor and exquisitely crafted golden lamps and incense burners hung from the ceiling. Everything about the place told the tale of indulgent wealth.
To Jasper’s surprise, when they were finally introduced to Lord Nabul, the noble didn’t throw a fit when he spied his uninvited guest. Instead, with a few quiet words to a servant, another place was set on the table, next to the priest. There was a silent tension in the room as they all sat down, and Jasper scrutinized their host with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. Hopefully, we didn’t just walk into the lion’s den.
He was surprisingly young in appearance, his long hair pulled back in a tight bun. The horns that sprouted from his head were not particularly large, two short back horns that flared back ever so slightly, but the deep red color of his skin testified to his power. Jasper wondered if perhaps Lord Nabul had taken the Ruby-Skinned upgrade he’d passed on.
An opulent feast was spread across the table. Jasper spied more than dozen different types of fish and fowl laid out, surrounded by a mixture of strange savory pies, sides, and desserts. Most of it was unrecognizable and, if he was being honest, not entirely appealing. When a servant slid a fish head onto his plate, the wide eyes goggling up at him, he knew it was going to be a long meal.
“So tell me, Lady Ihra, about the elves.” The man’s voice was cold and stern, but a subtle current of enthusiasm was hidden beneath.
She blushed, pushing at the food on her plate. “Honestly, I’m not really the right person to ask. As I told the priest, I’m not really an elf.”
The noble shook his head. “Your modesty does you credit, but your antlers say otherwise. Your lineage must be strong indeed. Have you ever met the Silver Lady?”
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“The Silver Lady?”
“The elf queen in Sappiya. I once had the pleasure of training under her, long ago.”
“Do you mean Lady Aphora?”
Nabul nodded, his face lighting up. “So you do know her?”
“Yes, we worked together for a time.” She hesitated. “How much do you know about current events, outside the mountains?”
The tension in the room eased as the conversation began to flow more freely. Lord Nabul had not heard of the undead queen’s rampage through Sappiya, but listened with rapt attention to the story, eventually deigning to acknowledge Jasper’s presence once Nabul realized Jasper had worked closely with the elven queen. The news, though, was distressing to him.
“I had no idea things had gotten that bad in the empire.” The noble frowned as their tale reached its conclusion. "She should never have been allowed to head into the west. Perhaps, if I reach out to some of my superiors, we could send emissaries to intercept her before it's too late. She would be most welcome here.”
“But would her people also be allowed to settle here?” Ihra asked.
The lord looked uncomfortable. “No,” he finally admitted. “Probably not. I’m sure the Moon-kissed would advocate for them to be allowed entrance, and perhaps the lords of Ya’ura and Arad as well. Those of us in the north have always had respect for the goddess Yarha. But the nobles in the south would be passionately opposed, and they far outnumber us.”
Jasper couldn’t hide his curiosity. “I knew she occasionally worked with the Djinn, but she never really talked about it. What exactly did she do for you?”
The man gave Jasper a once-over. “Surely you would understand yourself - judging by your skin and age you must have received the sort of special training she offered.”
Jasper squirmed in his chair, nodding. “I received some training from her, but not, perhaps, what you’re thinking of.”
The man scrutinized him for a moment, his head cocked to the side, and then comprehension flooded his face. “Ah, I understand now. You’re clearly of the people, but you were born outside of the mountains, just like her, weren’t you?”
Reluctantly, Jasper nodded. “You’re right. How did you know?”
The man shrugged. “You have the skin of a noble but not the knowledge. You don’t seem to understand our politics and you don’t know our eating customs.” Blushing, Jasper looked at his plate. I wonder what I did wrong.
“I would have assumed you were from one of the ultra-isolated clans in the mountains, but if you worked with Aphora, that’s simply not possible. Those clans barely interact with us; they would never dream of sending their children beyond the walls of Dūr-S̆innu. That really left only one possibility.” He paused, cocking his head to the side. “I don’t want to be rude, but do you mind me asking, are you her child?”
Ihra's eyebrows hit the roof, as Jasper choked on his food. “What on earth would lead you to think that?” he spluttered.
Nabul smiled. “I’ll take that as a no, then. Lady Aphora had a reputation for being…let’s just call it adventurous. There are more than a few of her descendants scattered throughout the provinces - if the rumors are to be believed, even one of the current princesses of Sappiya is her daughter. To return to your original question, though, the Silver Lady was extremely important to those of us who believe that we are too isolated.”
“The days of the Djinn fighting each other on the field of battle have thankfully passed, but, make no mistake, the conflicts still rage in the shadows. The Djinn are deeply divided on many issues, although the one relevant to Aphora is our connection to the world beyond.”
“Many of the northern lords wish to establish closer ties to the empire. We want to allow our people to travel beyond the walls more easily, to trade in the city of Gis̆-Izum, even to allow people like you, Lady Ihra, limited travel within our borders. We do not think it is healthy to close ourselves off from the rest of the world.”
“For the last few centuries, we have sent the most promising of our children beyond Dūr-S̆innu, entrusting them into the care of Lady Aphora. Most of the nobles in the north, myself included, have learned at her feet. She was our connection to the outside world. Without her, I don’t know how we’ll proceed.”
The next few minutes passed in silence. Lord Nabul pushed at the food on his plate, obviously troubled by the news, and the two ate silently, unsure whether they should speak.
Eventually, the lord roused himself, looking up with a forced smile. “My apologies - our troubles are none of your concern.” He leaned forward, facing Ihra. “I must admit, I was so distracted by your news, that I almost forgot the reason I invited you here. You are…unattached, my lady?”
Ihra looked confused. “Unattached?”
Nabul’s eyes darted over to Jasper, the slightest hint of a frown crinkling the corners of his eyes. A faint blush crept into his cheeks. “Pardon my indiscretion, but you don’t have any romantic entanglements, do you?”
Ihra frowned, glancing over at Jasper. “No?” she said haltingly. “Pardon me, Lord Nabul, but why are you asking?”
The noble leaned back, obviously relieved. “I know this is sudden, but I have a proposition for you.”
She opened her mouth to object, and he raised his hands. “Please, hear me out first,” he pled.
Ihra snapped her mouth shut, still utterly confused, and Nabul took her silence as assent. “My house belongs to the Zaphonite faction but, due to the nature of our trade - kalmû - we have always had close ties with the Moon-kissed traders.”
“I don’t want to bore you with the details, but the long and short of it is this: merchants from the south have started to cut heavily into our trade. Every year our profits diminish, while the southerners grow wealthy at our expense. Kār-kuppû simply does not have the wealth to resist the cities of Yarhab. But if I could form an alliance with the lords of Dūr-Yarha?” He shrugged, taking a sip of wine from his goblet. “All our problems would be over. With their backing, we could undercut the southern merchants until they had no choice but to leave.”
Ihra wrinkled her brow. “What does that have to do with me?”
“The Moon-kissed, as you no doubt know, worship the goddess Yarha, or as you call her, Selene. They also revere her children, the elves. They claimed that Damqa, after the loss of her lover and the death of her child, wandered in the outside world before returning to the sacred mountains with an elven husband. Elves are highly esteemed among their ranks, but, as you also know, there are very few foreigners in this land. I doubt there are more than ten elves, including you, in the entire province. Four of those are married to the lords of Dūr-Yarha, and another two of them to the royal family.”
Horror shot across her face. “You want me to marry you?”
The lord shook his head. “I am, regrettably, already married.” His nose wrinkled in disgust as he continued. “But I have a son. He’s still a little young, but an elf is all but ageless. In a few short years, he’ll be old enough.”
“How would me marrying your son even help you?”
The noble snorted. “With an elf in my house, I would have my pick of alliances among the lords of Dūr-Yarha.”
He paused. “I realize this is perhaps sudden for you, but rest assured, this is the best path forward. You’ll live a life of luxury and ease, free from danger, from hunger, from cold.” He stared down at Ihra, his eyes piercing through her. “I can see your life has not been easy, but you can leave all of that behind. Security, safety, comfort - whatever you need.” His eyes flickered over to Jasper. “If it’s love you crave, once you've born a few heirs, I’m sure certain things can be…overlooked.”
Jasper watched the lord’s plea in horror, the anger pulsing through his veins doing its best to drown out the fear that lurked beneath. She wouldn’t leave me, would she? The thought of having to brave Corsythia alone was, honestly, kind of terrifying.
Ihra forced a smile, choosing her words carefully. “You’ve given me a great deal to think about, Lord Nabul. I’m afraid I’m simply not worthy of such an honor.”
The noble’s smile did not reach his eyes. “You are here for the auction, correct? Take some time to think about it. I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.” He stood up, tossing his napkin on the table. “I really must take my leave now - I have a meeting to attend. Please help yourselves to the rest of the food, and when you’re ready to leave, the servants will show you out.”