The Shrinemaiden (The Maidens) (8 page)

“Won’t they suspect us now?”

“I have taken pains to ensure that I was not followed on the way here.” The king grinned, looking suddenly boyish. “One of my servants, one selected because he looks so remarkedly like me, is currently at my rooms dressed in my clothes. I guarantee he would fool nearly anyone but my valet and my wife, as long as they don’t draw close enough. I hope he keeps his theatrics in check, however. Stephan has always been prone to overdramatize.”

There was one last question niggling at her. “Why did you not choose to ask me this before, though? Before the auction took place?”

But it was not the king who answered.

“It was at my request.” The captain of the guard said. Adelai stared at him. “Whether or not you accepted his offer, I wanted you to be assured good standing as a shrinemaiden, in such a way that you would never have to struggle to find contracts. He agreed.”

He had been looking out for her all along. It gladdened her to think of how much thought he was placing over her welfare, but was unsure how she could express her gratitude, with the others watching. “Thank you,” she said instead, trying to inject as much warmth and gratitude into her voice as she could. He must have sensed that, for his gaze deepened, and they kept on staring at one other until the king cleared his throat.

“Any other questions you might have, I am sure that the high priestess shall be able to answer.” The kind stood. “And now I must go. I’m afraid my wife had not been privy to this knowledge, and is not quite happy about my purchase at the auctions last night.” He winced. “My queen cannot lie to save her life, hence my decision not to inform her. The damage she has done to our bedroom door and every breakable thing beyond it will only help bolster our little espionage. I’m afraid it might take me quite some time to make things up with her.” He bowed at the high priestess, then at Adelai. Finally, he turned to the Sarcopian captain of the guard.

“It’s all in your hands now, Thornton,” he said, the laughter fading from his voice. “Can I count on your trust?”

“After what you have done for me,” the other man said quietly, “know that I am your man from this day onward.”

“I am glad to hear of it.” With another nod of his head, the king opened a different door from the one Adelai had entered, and left. The captain too, had risen to his feet.

“I shall talk to you again at the appointed time.” He told the high priestess, who inclined her head. Without saying another word to her he too, left the room. Adelai felt disheartened by his sudden abrupt manner.

“King Belair is a clever man.” The high priestess murmured. “The captain only seems to have realized just how crafty he is.”

“What?”

“If the captain is as fond of you as he seems, then he knows very well that Belair shall be sending you into enemy territory, a lamb among wolves.” The priestess rubbed her wizened hands. “Any treachery on the captain’s part would put you in danger, and he knows it. Yes, the king has tied his hands up quite prettily, though I don’t think the captain is as sour about it as he lets on.”

“It’s all happening too fast.” Only one day ago she had been an unschooled shrinemaiden, poised to lose her virginity to the highest bidder. Now she was a spy.

“Chut, chut, girl!” The high priestess snapped her fan. “I have taught and trained you not to mope about when the unexpected happens, but to roll with the tides as they come. Perhaps you accepted the king’s offer out of the desire to protect the temple as I did, or to see the lands free of war. I would think seeing your captain again is yet another reason,” Adelai opened her mouth to protest, but couldn’t get another word in edgewise, “but accepted it you have, and if you were truly my student you shall see it through the end. That the captain had shown a fancy to you was, perhaps, a blessing in disguise. I can think of no better candidate in this matter.”

On the rare occasions where she did give out compliments, the high priestess had a disarming way about her that made those compliments sound like anything but. “Say no word about this to anyone else - not to any of your other sisters, even. This is a far too prickly a situation to entrust to anyone else. Let us go, Adelai, and see how the others have fared.”

The common rooms were already full of other shrinemaidens by the time the high priestess and Adelai had arrived. There were others still completing their toiletries, and others who were already done, chatting and comparing their experiences. The chatter was cut off abruptly when the high priestess strode in, and Adelai caught one or two envious looks some of her sisters shot her way. She knew what they were thinking. To receive one of the highest bids in kingdom history was an honor enough, but to attract the king’s attention while she was at it!

The high priestess took her time moving among the girls, inspecting them and checking for injuries. To harm a shrinemaiden was the greatest offense anyone in the kingdoms could give, and the perpetrator was often renounced, no longer welcomed to future auctions - or to the court of most kingdoms. The loss of prestige that comes with such a consequence was often too great for anyone to make the attempt. “You’ve done well, my girls.” She finally said. “You shall all have a month’s respite before any contracts, but there is still much work to be done. Here is where the true training begins.”

They understood. The loss of a shrinemaiden’s virginity also meant the loss of a shrinemaiden’s innocence. Now they are no longer expected to attract and entice with their vulnerability and their playful naivety. Some of the most famous shrinemaidens had been, not coincidentally, just as good outside the bedroom as they were inside of it - sometimes even better. Most of their training till then had been on history and culture, on etiquette. Now the training becomes physical.

“I will be talking to each and every one of you soon enough, to talk about the choices you may wish to pursue. You can choose to remain with toys and self-stimulation if such is your desire, but if you wish to be accommodated with a partner to further your experience, then arrangements can be made.” Many of the shrinemaidens blushed. “You are also free to explore the palace grounds today, but I do not advise going into the city until I have talked to you. You may all have the afternoon off, but I will not tolerate any shenanigans!” She added sharply, when a few of the girls cheered. “Any misdemeanor on your part shall be punished as if you were still mule-headed novices. Now go.”

“Except you, my dear.” Adelai was turning to follow the rest of the shrinemaidens out of the room when the high priestess called her back. Biting her lip, she returned to her seat, as the High Priestess paced.

“You are a very unusual exception, as you already know,” she finally said. “Sometimes a very high bidding can work at a disadvantage, particularly if your sexual services are not up to par.” The high priestess rarely talked about things of a sexual nature in the course of their training, and it was almost embarrassing how blunt and forward she was about it now. “I am going to take more interest with your training in this.”

“You will?” Adelai asked nervously. The high priestess was one of the last people she wanted to oversee her trainings in sex, for reasons that were obvious.

“Don’t look at me like that, girl.” The high priestess cackled suddenly, surprising her. “I might not look it today, but I once cut a large swathe among the men in the kingdoms myself, my dear. I know all the tricks of the trade, and I’ll be damned if you’re going to protest because I look like an old prune now.” She was smiling, which was already unusual in itself. “I have my own reasons. Naturally, war would make it bad for business, but I’m very fond of King Belair. His father and I used to be quite close. If not for him, I might not be the High Priestess of Inne-Anneah today.”

It was difficult to imagine the High Priestess looking anything other than what she was now, but Adelai had heard all the stories of how Saleia had been one of the most beautiful shrinemaidens of her time. Her face bore no trace of that supposed beauty now, though the priestess’ unique lavender eyes were striking enough.

“The king had asked Captain Thornton to oversee your training, but he refused.”

Adelai could not stifle her gasp. It was just as she had feared. After all, the bidding had fallen under the king’s name, which meant Thornton had no rights to her as the king in theory had. He was busy enough with his other duties, she supposed, but she still could not help but feel abandoned.

The high priestess chuckled at the look on her face. “Do not look so alarmed, Adelai. It might be for the better. I had observed you and the good captain before, remember? It took a lot of effort to ensure your tryst remained hidden from the others, that none in the compound but those I trust would know. I had hoped he would agree. His training you would ensure your safety should any contracts do arrive from Sarcopia, and his infatuation would tie him even closer, which would work to our advantage. The risk is to make sure your infatuation with him does not also become your downfall.”

Adelai looked at her. The high priestess was no longer smiling.

“I am not always a terror, as some of your sisters like to call me behind my back. I have known what it feels like to be infatuated beyond all reason - to be in love, as others might call it. That path leads to much heartbreak - and in this case, to much danger. Do not lose your heart over him at the cost of losing your head, my girl, or you will both suffer for it in the long run.” To Adelai’s surprise, she patted her cheek fondly again, much like she had done at her last interview at the temple. “We shall leave this accursed palace this afternoon, and return to the Inne-Anneah, where we will begin your training. Till then, heed my words carefully, Adelai. The heart is a fragile thing, and to fall in love is the sweetest, most agonizing thing you will ever have to endure in your life. When all this had been carried out to the king’s satisfaction, and hopefully with all of us surviving, including your young captain, then you possibly you shall have what many of us never did - a chance.”

Adelai wanted to ask her what she meant by this, but the high priestess was already turning away and gesturing at her to follow, and she knew her teacher was not going to answer the question she had been about to ask.

CHAPTER SIX

An Encounter

Most of the guests left the palace the next morning. In accordance to custom, Adelai and the other shrinemaidens of the Temple of Inne-anneah were to leave only after the last of the visitors did. Adelai watched from her bedroom window as notable people of varying ranks and royalty were helped into their respective carriages, while their luggage were efficiently stored by footmen. King Belair and his own entourage, much to her surprise, had left early that day, even before dawn. Adelai suspected that while a truce did exist between Sarcopia and Atalantea, and that the Sarcopian king had offered safe conduct to all of the wary royalty, the Atalantean king had decided not to leave anything to chance. That he was an intelligent man Adelai already knew, a fact only bolstered by their previous conversation the night before.

They were supposed to depart for the temple later that afternoon, to begin their training as soon as was possible. Adelai still couldn’t help but feel nervous about that. It was easy enough to understand sex when it came to theory, but to incorporate it into practice - last night’s exertions notwithstanding, Adelai conceded with burning cheeks - was an altogether different matter. And her own training would be unusual, she knew, or at least different from what the other shrinemaidens may have to undergo. Memories of her time with the captain, remembering the way his hands felt on her, the way he moved inside her, cock throbbing with need, until she climaxed in his arms - how could any other person compare? Especially when Adelai felt already half in love with Thornton, long before he had taken their virginity the night before; a love that had flourished slowly during their weekly lessons. She understood what the High Priestess had meant about heartbreak.

Shrinemaidens followed the roads their contracts took them, and could not be given to just one client for the rest of their lives - not if the shrinemaiden wished to earn enough to retire gracefully before their careers started to wane. Not if the shrinemaiden wanted to make a name for herself, as the high priestess so obviously wanted her to. A few months’ contract with a famous shrinemaiden was costly, and most nobles did so to establish prestige and bragging rights. The cost of obtaining the services of a very popular shrinemaiden for years could possibly buy a kingdom.

Adelai sighed, feeling melancholy. It was no use thinking about things that could never come to pass. The captain knew this, though he had risked his own life for one night with her. The attempt had been a risky one. The Sarcopian king could have been alerted, and every one of them could have been compromised, and the idea that the captain had been willing to chance much for her touched her heart, that he had enough feelings for her to risk such a gamble. But she had to work toward forgetting how much he meant to her, if she was to do what the king required.

A cold lunch had been provided for the shrinemaidens, most of the servants too caught up in cleaning the rooms now that the guests were gone. There were still some hours before they would take their own leave, and Adellai decided to explore the rest of the palace, naturally gravitating toward the gardens. Normally she would have participated in her other sisters’ excited chatter, comparing notes about who had been bidded on by whom last night, and speculating on what the future had in store for them, but Adelai felt particularly restless.

The gardens were larger than the temple’s, and no expense had been spared regarding its upkeep. Various flowers, many of them rare and hard to come by in this part of Sarcopia, were in bloom everywhere, and every tree, bush and shrub had been expertly trimmed. Adelai wasn’t a fan of such artificial perfection, preferring the natural way the plants and flowers in the temple gardens had been encouraged to grow. Still, she was not immune to the garden’s beauty, and had stooped down to study an unusual species of blue rose. Preoccupied as she was, it took her several minutes to realize she was being watched.