sure they’re not,” Leianna said. And to Bael, “Get back to Sharlan.”
He sighed. “We were alone in an unknown world. I was grieving for you and needed the comfort of friendship. She was grieving for Eliom and her own loss. We became close. When the harems were set up—initially for protection and called leiths, which translates as “enclosures,” not as “harems”—Sharlan would not enter any man’s leith but mine, not even her father’s. Her parents permitted this. I think they hoped that time would dull your memory and that Sharlan would take your place as my betrothed and eventually as my wife. But Lothan made it very clear that no other woman must exceed Sharlan’s authority in my leith, in my household. This was long before we even heard of the word “harem” or connected it with pleasure. Sex only occurred if both parties were willing. The women of my leith were not “owned” by me. They were rather my charges under my protection and guidance as we conquered Hell.”
Leianna nodded, not really convinced or comfortable with his explanation. “So what happened, in those days, if your charge fell in love—with someone other than you—and wanted to marry and leave your harem.”
Affaeteres interrupted. “A woman could do so, but she and her husband had to choose a new leith for her to live in or return her to the original leith.”
“So they really were just a form of protective housing for women?”
“Yes, for at least a millennia or two. Not that there wasn’t sex then. There was always sex. But marriage was the prevalent form of ownership rights, even if wives were sequestered elsewhere for safety’s sake. The men’s quarters could be arranged for privacy, a wife temporarily sharing her husband’s sleeping cot.”
“It doesn’t sound like a very loving system, Mother Aff.”
“There was no time for love, Leianna. We were busy taming Hell.”
“For two thousand years?”
“For three thousand. That was when we reached the third level of Hell and discovered its fertile land and the forests of Ajan Helvert and Ajan Morvert. They provided us with wood and other supplies, and we slowly returned to a system of private dwellings. In the later centuries, the leiths slowly became what mortals call harems.”
“That still doesn’t rectify Bael’s long liaison with Sharlan, Mother Aff.”
Bael began to speak, but his mother shushed him again. “Some of the women left the harems then. Others stayed by choice. And sometimes, the choice was due to love.”
“But if Bael loved Sharlan, after all those years, why didn’t he marry her?” She turned abruptly to Bael. “And she can’t be the only women in your harem today . . . your mother called her your head concubine . . . that means there are others.”
He sat rigidly, eyes locked with hers. “Yes, there are others. Being a concubine of one of Hell’s princes does convey status.”
“Your mother suggested her status was due to not being a concubine.”
Bael glanced at his mother. “Mother is being sarcastic. Being a wife still conveys a higher status than being a concubine.”
“Uh, huh.” Leianna nodded. “And none can be higher than Sharlan in your household.” Affaeteres let out a small titter of laughter, covering her mouth to subdue it. Leianna ignored it. “So is that why you haven’t asked me to marry you?” Affaeteres was having a hard time holding in her laughter, her cheeks puffing with breath. “Mother Aff, what do you find so funny about this? Even if he does marry me, do you think I’ll put up with his harem?”
Affaeteres opened her mouth, letting out breath and laughter, grinning wildly. “Will you even let him have his harem if he doesn’t marry you, Leianna? You won’t disappoint me, will you? You know there’s something wrong with men having harems beyond the leith’s initial purpose, now long gone. You know this is not Heaven’s way!”
“Not unless they let us women have harems of gorgeous men, all built like stallions and standing at attention for our every need!”
Now Affaeteres did burst out laughing. “Now that will end the harem system, if we women demand equal sexual power.”
“And when we’re done with them, we’ll make them clean the house!” Leianna herself couldn’t resist laughing. Bael sat woodenly, waiting for his mother’s and Leianna’s tittering to subside, then said: “It is very hard to dissolve a system that has been in place for so long, ladies.”
Affaeteres looked at Leianna. Leianna looked at Bael. “Watch me. Just watch me.”
Bael shook his head. “You cannot do it, Leianna.”
“Where is your harem, Bael?”
Affaeteres tapped her hand. “It’s on this floor. Go to your right as you exit my chambers. Go two, full, corridor-lengths past two intersections. At the third intersection, turn right and continue down that corridor, past Bael’s apartments on the left, to its end. You’ll see large brass doors guarded by two house wardens. Tell them Affaeteres bids them give you entrance to Lord Baelzebub’s harem to see the Lady Sharlan. And please, do have a nice talk with her and Bael’s other concubines.” She rose from her chair. “I will see you at another time, I hope. I have missed you, my dear, and worried after you.”
“I’m sorry, Mother Aff.” Leianna also stood.
Bael got up reluctantly, asking her, “You’re not seriously going to confront them, are you?”
Leianna ignored him, reaching out and clasping Affaeteres’s own pro-offered hand. “We didn’t even have any tea or get a chance to talk with you about other things.”
Affaeteres squeezed her hand. “We spoke on what we had to.”
“Mother Aff, I will try to get down here again soon, to see you and spend more time. But, in the meantime, is there anything I can do for you? Try to do for you?”
Affaeteres patted her hand, then let go. “Get me out of Hell.” She said it quietly, unemotionally. “That will be sufficient, and if Lucifer can’t follow, that’s his fault. Now, go! Go!” She ushered them briskly out of her quarters, which Leianna saw were unguarded. Perhaps servants with protective powers lurked unseen.
Affaeteres smiled broadly at Leianna, a twinkle in her eye as she shut the door, saying: “Now don’t let me down. Have fun in the harem, Leianna!”
CHAPTER 7
Leianna Raises Hell
Bael kept protesting as they turned right, the brass doors and the harem’s wardens guarding them visible at the end of the passage. “You don’t have to do this, Leigh Ann. I can arrange a meeting between you and Sharlan later, privately. This will only upset the other women!”
“Your other women!” She stole a quick glance to her left as they passed the elaborate double doors to his private apartments, perhaps also guarded by the harem wardens, well within their sight, standing their vigil up ahead. The doors to Bael’s quarters were adorned with inlaid ivory sculptures in bas relief; she had no time to study their subject matter as she continued on. There would be time enough to explore his chambers after she straightened out the neighbors.
The guards looked confused as they watched her and Bael approach. Both men were dressed in the same pseudo-Roman style worn by the guards on the balcony. The one on her right, seeming older than the other, turned his broad face to Bael. “My Lord?”
Leianna walked over to him. “I see Rome hasn’t fallen here yet,” she quipped.
She felt Bael’s hand on her shoulder. “Leigh Ann.” He kept his voice low.
She didn’t turn around. “Why do you keep addressing me by my mortal name?”
“To remind you that you are mortal and should not be flippantly interfering in Hell as if you owned the place.”
This