6
"Sofiya," Lord Tarquin stood up and addressed the woman closest to the table. Jza noted the interaction between the two of them still trying to grasp the concept of a harem. It was unheard of in her country but she knew customs in countries around them varied wildly. In Lord Tarquin's country uttering a woman's first name was considered sinful and yet keeping a harem was not. It was so baffling it hardly seemed true.
"Do I need to even say anything?" Lord Tarquin announced to the room which had grown silent. Jza looked back to the woman and found herself already being scrutinized. The beautiful woman was utterly expressionless but her eyes radiated an unpleasantness difficult to ignore. It was fortunate that Jza did not have any problem with pointless posturing and gave the foreign woman a challenging look of her own. This was her domain after all and these people were mere interlopers.
"But the dessert-" One soldier protested still holding onto his spoon.
Lord Tarquin sat down on his chair and crossed his arms. Whatever look he passed to his men instantly made them jump up, some even letting their chairs fall backwards. They quickly evacuated the room in a stampede of wildness. The women took up some of the places vacated by the men.
"And ladies, what brings you here?" Tarquin eyed the new arrivals sternly although his tone was much softer.
"Where ever you go we follow. It shouldn't be so difficult to understand, Tar," The woman called Sofia crooned coyly. Jza snorted highly unimpressed especially since she was the sister of the famous beauties and they could teach anyone a thing or two about looking coy.
The man closed his eyes as if summoning patience from a non-existent spiritual place deep within his heart but when he opened them back it was obvious it had eluded him. His eyes narrowed in annoyance observing the five finely dressed women in front of him.
"This is a warzone, Sofiya. It is still too dangerous to be frolicking in such a volatile area," Tarquin uttered, sounding as if he had little interest in their safety.
"And yet you find yourself wining and dining with one of the local beauties at great ease," Sofiya gave a short, condescending laugh before picking at someone's leftovers from the plate in front of her.
"Hardly," Tarquin gave Jza a bored look. He focused his attention back to the women and started asking about the climate back home. The Princess tried to follow the conversation but the two started speaking in an odd mixture of what was her own language and theirs. She caught a few words but not enough to form a coherent story.
The other silent woman continued to eye their King's captive with beady eyes but Jza ignored them for her own meal. She absentmindedly looked around and was startled when a hand fell on her shoulder.
"We are leaving," Tarquin stood up and sharply tugged Jza's arm so she had to stand up in consequence without much free will. The rest of the women remained in their places.
"Boris will have your rooms ready," Tarquin announced curtly and Sofiya gave a subtle nod. Jza didn't have the chance to even look back at the harem members before being dragged back to the room. A few loitering soldiers saluted as he whisked her through the corridors. A guard opened the door for them and she was shoved inside.
"I've ordered some tea. We shall have it before getting ready for bed," Tarquin informed her as he closed the door behind him and Jza wondered where she was to sleep. The man was settling down for the night and there was no talk of letting her stay elsewhere. There was only one King sized bed in the bedroom so she imagined he would make her sleep on the floor and if he wanted her to be anywhere closer then she would have to put up a fight. A gentle knock on the door disrupted her most violent line of thought.
"Anna, what are you doing here at this hour?" Tarquin spoke as he opened the door.
"Sofiya sent me with a message, Miliy moy," A dark haired girl smiled sweetly leaning in close. She had not been there in the room of woman making Jza assume Anna was not of much importance in the harem. The Princess wondered how many women he had in his harem and shuddered imagining millions. What a pitiful life these women had.
"Fine," The Lord shook his head with an amused look and invited her in.
"Tell me when the tea gets here," The man ordered before dragging the woman away to his bedroom. Anna giggled as he shut the door.
Jza sat down with an impatient growl in the living room and waited until the night tea was brought in by a young looking servant. The servant had taken after his master; entering with no expressions or sound. He brought in what she remembered to be expensive china, used only for important events, and left without acknowledging her.
The Princess got up and knocked on the door but there was no response. She tried her luck again and her loud knocks echoed in the room but she only got silence as a reply. Jza huffed and poured herself a cup of tea.
She took one sip and then another before deciding she would not be ignored any longer. She marched up to the entrance of the bedroom and opened the door hoping the pair was done discussing whatever missive Sofiya had sent them. Before she could even get a word out of her mouth the sight before her shocked her enough to step out immediately, slamming the door shut behind her, with the feeling that her eyes would pop out and roll away into a dark corner from embaressment. She had seen sheep give birth; observed maids giggling with the farm hands in quiet, dark corners but this was too much information even for her.
Tarquin's hand had been inside the front of the woman's dress and his mouth latched onto the neck while he had stood bare chested in the middle of the room. Jza gasped, when the door she had closed in panic, opened.
"The Lord is calling you inside," The woman smiled at her slyly correcting the front of her dress with no shame.
"No," Jza protested unthinkingly and back peddled away with her face contorted with disgust.
Anna with her gold painted nails clawed into Jza's bare arm and pulled her forward. Her smile grew even more sinister and she threw her captive in the bedroom. Jza landed on the plush carpet right at his booted feet.
He held his hand out. Jza swallowed audibly but decided to take it seeing as she had little choice; she was surrounded. He helped her up and her eyes trailed over his naked chest up to his face with trepidation. Lord Tarquin's eyes assessed her probingly. The ends of lips were curved only barely but that slight bit of expression spoke volumes to her and she wanted to smash his face in for daring to look so smug.
"You need to get used to this if you must stay near me. I am not going to shy away from my nature just because a Lady is in my presence. Your missish ways a nuisance for me," Tarquin spoke casually with a tilt of the head, "I admit I was thinking the arrival of my harem couldn't have better timed because I intended to send you to them."
"I would never ever-" He put his hand on her mouth and emptied the bottle in his hand in one quick swallow before throwing it backwards.
"Quit whining. You wouldn't be part of the Harem, of course. You are not to my taste," He shrugged, "I just thought it would be convenient to place with you with my women. Much better then my men, no?"
Jza didn't know what to do she stood there stoically with his hand on mouth. She thought about biting him again but this time he knew her tricks and gripped her mouth so tightly that there was no space for her mouth to even open.
"But, my plans have snagged in the middle. My harem has refused to give you shelter for reasons that could only be known to those tiresome women and I think I shall have to keep you at my side till more savory women from my country make their appearance," Tarquin snorted at the look in her eyes, "Until then get used to this. This is a half naked man's chest. It shan't hurt you."
The man unabashedly pointed at himself and Jza averted her eyes with loathing. He clutched one of her hands and she tried to pull it away but his larger hand enveloped hers completely in a fraction of a moment. Her eyes widened when he flattened her hand against his bare chest and she tried to struggle more intensely but it did not deter him what he intended to do with her. His hand effectively trapped hers under his and tugging her arm did not do any good. Tarquin held onto her gaze before slowly letting her hand slide down his chest under his own. She could feel the definition of his skin and the strength in the muscle but what disgusted her most was the heat emitting into her hand.
It made her more aware that she was touching a living breathing male. Jza would have rather pretended it was an obnoxious wall of bricks and mortar but the sensation under her hand would not let her believe so. As the hand grew lower her panic grew and she let out a strangled plea and he stopped; right at his naval. He abruptly let go of her mouth and her hand at the same time.
"See touching me did not damage you-" He stated as if were merely presenting some scientific theory but was interrupted in the middle. Jza had slapped him soundly on the cheek. Even half turned he had a smile on his face which infuriated her further.
"How dare you!" She snarled at him clutching her tainted hand with the other protectively.
"I can dare as much as I want because you are under my protection and hence my rules are to be obeyed, understand?" Tarquin spoke lowly as he leaned in close with a smug smile.
"No," Jza spat out knowing how repetitive she was becoming but her mind was not prepared to think of better replies.
"Trust me, you are safe with me no matter what you think of me," Tarquin spoke suddenly and this was not the angry retort she had expected. She was still arching away expecting a slap in return.
"You have a harem! What should I think of a man like that?" Jza asked.
"And your country has customs that allow multiple wives. What should I think of people like that?" Tarquin mimicked her unflatteringly.
"When a man takes a woman as his wife he gives her respect. If he falls for more than one woman then he gives them all honour rather them turn them into common whores," Jza argued as he pulled her outside towards the empty sitting area.
"Surely as a woman you would understand the concept of monogamy. One man, one woman; together forever; I bet that excites your domestic little socks off," Tarquin grinned meanly.
"The king had three wives and he treated them all well. Their domesticity was not interrupted by the other marriages," Jza spoke slowly, resolutely, before getting pushed down on the sofa. The man took a seat on the matching armchair and picked up the untouched tea cup. The girl wondered whether tea and alcohol would be a good mix but dispelled the thought.
"Three? I have only heard of two," He asked with narrowed eyes.
"T... there were rumours that he possessed another wife; a maid or something equally disreputable. His mother banished her without the King's knowledge and forced him to marry again. It sounds like something out of a storybook so I would dismiss such claims," Jza babbled quickly hoping he would not start questioning her on this issue and cursed herself for not keeping her mouth shut.
"Ah, Royal romance," Tarquin muttered, rolling his eyes.
"It would have done you no harm for you to indulge in one yourself. Why didn't you get married to one of the princesses? It seems much more logical," Jza asked suddenly, toying with her half drunken cup of tea. This was a thought that often troubled her. The kingdom did not have a male heir. The strongest husband of one of the Princesses seemed like the likeliest candidate. The war was completely unnecessary.
"What is the bliss in a conquest when it's done by diplomatic endeavors? The win would be far less satisfying," Tarquin answered easily. It was obvious he had thought on this issue as well.
"You cruel beast," Jza's temper flared by the glee in the man's eyes, "Why are you so determined to spill the blood of my countrymen?"
She picked her own cup and downed the hot liquid and settled the cup back ungainly, hand trembling from the force of her temper.
"Because it's fun and only fair. They spilt mine first and I shan't rest until all of Goridon is under my rule," Tarquin chuckled darkly sipping onto his tea.
"But your country was always neutral-" Jza tried to argue. His country had never been in any major wars until now so his comments about blood and fairness were a complete mystery. She tried to remember anything from the old history books but her head began hurting disallowing any further analysis.
"Enough chatter. Finish your tea," Tarquin grumbled, interrupting her tirade.
Jza tried to reach for her cup but she felt the humming in her head increasing manifold. She clutched her forehead and collapsed on the ground with a furious cry. She tried to get up but the pain paralyzed her.
"I," Jza gasped, "Can't breathe."
The man's face filled her vision.
"You lips are turning blue," Tarquin laughed, sounding very amused, "I fell for the oldest trick in the book."
"The what?" Jza groaned feeling nauseous.
"They poisoned you; that's what," Tarquin answered, still chuckling
"I'm dying?" Jza moaned feeling disoriented. Her throat hurt worse than when Tarquin had strangled her and she couldn't stop trembling.
"Not when I'm by your side. Sofiya wanted to send me a message and apparently she succeeded," Tarquin mused to himself before hoisting Jza up. The girl in his arms could barely stand and she bonelessly dangled against him.
"Oh, hush," Tarquin scolded and placed his hands under her knees so he could carry her.
Jza was barely aware of her surroundings. She sensed the door opening and heard chatter but her vision was a blur and her head was bursting with agony so all information was lost to her. She was lulled a little with the rhythmic sway of the man bearing her burden but once she was placed on a soft surface she wanted to start screaming.
A hand grabbed onto her neck and she thought it was choking her before she realized that the locket around her neck was being pulled away. She tried to protest when her locket was snatched from her but she passed out before she could continue her struggle.
