a wife.”
“Here is your record of the transfer of funds,” the assistant treasurer said, handing the papers to Lenya.
“Good day to you then,” Lenya told them and he was gone from the treasury.
“What did you sell for him?” the assistant treasurer asked the auctioneer, curious.
“A slave girl—an extraordinarily beautiful slave girl. The emperor purchased her,” the slave master said. “Fifty thousand gold coins. Not even the legendary Lara earned that sum for Gaius Prospero.”
The treasurer handed the slave master a heavy bag of coins. “You shall have an escort back to your establishment,” he said. “Courtesy of the emperor, sir.”
“Thank you,” the slave master nodded. He must be quick. The slave girl Shifra must be delivered immediately now that she had been paid for in full. He hurried from the treasury with the two armed mercenaries. When he returned he discovered that a litter had been sent from the emperor for his new purchase. His assistant, afraid to refuse a royal transport, had already sent the girl along. The slave master did not chide the man. He was actually relieved to be rid of Shifra now. Someone that beautiful was bound to cause trouble sooner or later.
* * *
SHIFRA WATCHED curiously as the litter carrying her passed through the streets of The City. She had been created for loving, Prince Kaliq had told her. She was meant for only a great man. Certainly the emperor was a great man. Did he not rule all of Hetar? She smiled, remembering how she had awakened one day to find the Shadow Princes standing over her. They had tended her lovingly and taught her all about passion and pleasures without once disturbing her virginity, which they assured her was for a great man alone. Who was she, she asked them? An orphan, they told her, raised by her grandmother and when they told her that, her memories of Nona were suddenly there. She had become lost in the forest and they had found her and healed her. Now she must return to her grandmother and let her fate play out. And because she had trusted the princes she had done as they bid her. And now she was to be rewarded. Gaius Prospero, the princes told Shifra, was going to fall in love with her. She had but to follow her instincts with him.
The litter bearers hurried through the gates of the Golden District. The girl within looked out and saw a beautiful park surrounding the great marble mansions that dotted the landscape. They passed through another set of gates guarded by men-at-arms in elegant dark blue-and-gold uniforms. Shifra heard gravel crunching beneath the sandals of the bearers, and then they came to a stop. The litter was set down, the curtain was opened and a hand reached in to help her out.
“I am Tania, Lady Shifra, and I have been assigned to care for you,” the owner of the hand said. “If you will please follow me I will take you to the quarters that have been arranged for you.” She moved quickly away and Shifra had to run to keep up.
They walked through a beautiful rotunda. At its center was a rectangular fountain decorated with a boy riding a bronze dolphin that spouted water from its mouth. There were water hyacinths floating in the pool and benches upon which to sit. Shifra had never seen anything like it and thought it was wonderful.
“It is a very big house,” she ventured softly.
“It is,” Tania agreed. “And since the master became emperor it has gotten even bigger. The northern wing, which was once used for housing my master’s special merchandise, has been rebuilt and enlarged. There is now a throne room, a great room for entertaining, a new dining room for feeding guests and, of course, the emperor’s right hand, Lord Jonah, has his offices and living quarters there. Such a man for work, Lord Jonah! Nowadays he spends several months a year in Terah as the emperor’s ambassador, as well. He is probably the only person in Hetar that our emperor trusts.”
“Where are we going?” Shifra asked.
“You are to be housed in the west wing,” Tania replied.
“Does anyone else live there?” the girl queried.
“Indeed. The emperor’s wives, Lady Vilia and Lady Anora, live in the west wing. I will be frank with you, Lady Shifra. Neither will be pleased to know you. They are most jealous of their positions and have squabbled ever since my master became emperor over who should be empress, for neither has been appointed to that position.”
“Oh,” Shifra said. This was something she would consider carefully.
Ahead of them were tall twin doors covered in gold leaf. On either side of the doors stood a man-at-arms. As they reached them the two guards snapped to attention and the doors sprang magically open for the two women to pass through.
“Come this way,” Tania said to Shifra, leading her down a corridor.
“Tania! Stop!” an imperious voice called out.
“Aye, do not go a step farther,” another voice said.
“Be silent,” Tania hissed to Shifra as she turned about. “Yes, my ladies?”
“Is this the slave girl Gaius paid such a ridiculous sum for this afternoon?” came the query.
“Yes, my lady Vilia, it is,” Tania replied politely.
“Turn around, girl!” Lady Vilia said. “What is your name?”
Shifra turned slowly, her eyes lowered. She bowed servilely, and responded in a soft little voice, “My name is Shifra, great lady.” Her eyes remained lowered.
“Let me see your face, girl,” the lady Vilia said sharply. Her hand yanked Shifra’s head up roughly. She stared, displeased, but then she said, “I see nothing special in this girl that would have caused Gaius to waste so much coin. He must surely be entering his dotage. What do you think, Anora?”
The other woman, younger and more beautiful than the first, looked Shifra over slowly and carefully. “She has very fair skin, Vilia. I expect the merest cut of my whip would break it. But then I expect we shall soon see, for Gaius needs not only to be whipped, but to whip in order to raise his cock to perform.” She ran a nail down the side of Shifra’s cheek, laughing softly at the faint weal it raised. “Oh yes, she will mark nicely and easily. Have you ever been whipped, girl? Your master is an expert at it.”
“He will not whip me,” Shifra startled them by answering. “And he will need no whip to coax his cock to perform with me.”
Anora laughed. “Gracious, the little slave girl has a bit of spirit. How amusing, and how intriguing, eh, Vilia?”
“You will speak to me with respect, girl,” Vilia said sharply.
“Yes, my lady empress,” Shifra said softly.
“I am not the empress,” Vilia replied. She was not certain whether the girl was insulting her or not.
“You are the emperor’s first wife, my lady, are you not?” Shifra said.
“I am,” Vilia answered slowly.
“Then you should be the empress,” Shifra told Vilia.
“Well, I am not,” Vilia answered. Now she was truly confused. Was the girl mocking her or was she attempting to ingratiate herself? She smiled at the sour look on Anora’s pretty face, and decided that Shifra was being polite. “Take her along to her rooms, Tania,” she said.
“You are a bold thing,” Tania said softly as they went along.
“Why isn’t she empress if she is his first wife?” Shifra wanted to know.
“Because he is afraid to make a choice between them,” Tania said. “The lady Vilia rarely graces his bed any longer but she is the mother of his children. He will not publicly show her any disrespect for while he has managed to make himself emperor, he still fears the common people. The lady Vilia is well liked for her many charities. The lady Anora, however, gives him relief as no other has been able to for several years since he was cursed by a faerie woman. He no longer enjoys pleasures.” She flung open the door