The Soldier's Lotus (7 page)

Chapter Four

Darien sat in his walled garden and stared at the cherry-wood
stringed contraption on his lap. He turned the instrument over in his large,
rough hands, holding it by its neck and base with his fingers for fear of
breaking it. Saerileth had called it a “dulcimer”, a device foreign to the
Sunjaa
. She had said she wanted to play one at Darien’s
party the next day, so he had made sure to order one and have it delivered in
time to meet with her approval. The specifications of the instrument he had
surreptitiously gained when he had engaged her in conversation about the
dulcimer she had lost at sea.

He ran his calloused right hand palm across the dulcimer’s
smooth surface, and his finger traced the shape of carvings of lotus blossoms,
which he had specifically ordered. This task he had done alone. Saerileth ruled
his household; he had freely given her that honor and authority, but this
little thing he had wanted to do himself. Just the thought of her delight and
surprise at seeing his gift pleased him. His smile melted into a quiet laugh as
he resolved to demand a thousand kisses from Saerileth in payment for the
dulcimer.

As the morning sun rose in the sky to bake the city, the
stones that led into the pool began to burn Darien’s bare thighs. He took his
feet from the cool, clear water, rose, and slipped into his sandals.
 
He was no longer dressed as a sailor but in
fashions that Saerileth had said befitted a man of his wealth.
 
Darien was not used to such garb, and he
looked over the edge of the pool to check himself again, to try to acclimate
himself to his new look. He stood bare-chested, his dark skin covered in a film
of sweat which highlighted the curves of his muscles. A simple gold medallion
of a rayed sun rested between his pectorals. But it was the skirt that took
some getting used to. Sure, he had seen plenty of rich men wear the traditional
Sunjaa
fashion, but before entering the military, he
had grown up poor. Now that he was retiring and had more money than he knew
what to do with, Saerileth had told him it was time to dress the part. The
wrap-around skirt fell to his mid-calf, was held on by an ornate belt of black
leather, and was almost completely see-through, so thin was the white linen.
The loincloth underneath could not hide the length of his cock; its head peeked
past the hem, and Darien knew it was not difficult to notice.

Though his steward walked briskly and quietly across the
lush grass of the inner garden, Darien heard him coming before he ever opened
his mouth to speak.

“
What is it,
Aben
?”

Aben
bowed. “Sir, Kamen
Itenu
is
here.”

“
Already?”
The party was scheduled for the next day.
Still, Kamen was an old friend and was welcome any time. “Show him back here.”

Aben
bowed in acknowledgement and departed, and as Darien
watched him go, his thoughts turned toward his household affairs and his
future. If he was going to move up in society, the question of slaves would
have to be answered. Saerileth was surprised that he kept none, but slavery –
though common among the
Sunjaa
who took from their
enemies human plunder – was distasteful to Darien. As captain and leader of men
in battle, he realized long ago that a man with free heart and will was a truer
follower, stronger and braver in combat, more ready to do his duty, even unto
death. Slaves ran in fear when free men stayed to fight. Although his house was
no battlefield, the same sentiment reigned.

“
Lounging about
already, Captain?” Kamen called out across the garden. He stood on the back
porch, framed between the imported marble columns, easy in the very fashions
that Darien found uncomfortable. Kamen was beautiful, tall and sleek, and he
wore his jewelry well. His nose ring, his nipple rings, and his many earrings
enhanced his animal grace. His dreadlocks were tied back with a gold cord.

“
Captain no more.”
Darien walked across the grass, bounded up the two steps to the porch, and
grasped his best friend by the forearm.
“Just plain Darien.”
And he pulled Kamen into a bear hug.

Kamen held Darien tightly, and when he pulled away, he
rubbed the muscles of Darien’s powerful upper arms.
“Darien,
perhaps, but never plain.”
His dark eyes shone.

Darien stepped back and held his arms out wide. “So, what
do you think?”

Kamen nodded and pursed his lips. “It suits you. You are
the glory of
Jehiel
in the flesh.”

Darien offered Kamen his arm, and his friend took it. Arm
in arm in
Sunjaa
fashion, the pair strolled in the
garden and talked. “You were right,” Darien said. “I should have retired years
ago.”

“
So why didn’t you?”

Darien shrugged. “I didn’t think there was anything to
conquer in a civilian life.”

“
What then have you discovered?”

“
That
things
are much more
complicated than I had thought. That
me
making a play
for genteel society is quite the challenge, indeed. And you know what I’m like
when I’ve got a challenge before me.”

Kamen smiled and nodded slowly with the rhythm of his
steps, and he watched the ground as he spoke. “There was never a battle Darien
lost, never a pirate Darien could not defeat. This will be no different.
Besides, you’ve got the Lotus to help you.”

Darien’s and Kamen’s arms had been locked in such a way
that Kamen had been stroking Darien’s forearm with his thumb. Kamen was a man
who always demonstrated his affections, and such expressions never bothered
Darien. But now, at the mention of Saerileth, Kamen ceased his caress.

“
What is it?” Darien
asked,
stopping and turning to face his friend.

But Kamen did not look him in the eye, instead turning his
attention back to the house.
“Nothing.
It’s just that
she is re-ordering your life. I mean, look at how the west wing of your house
has been turned into a harem.”

“
Ordering it,” Darien
said, “not re-ordering. My life was the sea, the ship, and battle. What do I
know of running a house? I mean, this party tomorrow, for example. It was my
idea, but I had no clue about how to go about making it happen. I’ve got
couriers delivering floral wreaths for the guests; I’ve got circus managers
coming around to negotiate leasing out their acrobats and entertainers for the
evening. I’ve got a temporary kitchen staff of twenty I had to hire just for
this occasion. And Saerileth knows just what to do.” Darien clapped Kamen on
the shoulder. Here was his dearest friend, and he wanted him to understand.
“I’m going to do this. I’m going to make my way in the world and not just be
known as some famous ex-soldier. And I’ve got the Red Lotus to help me get
there.”

The mid-morning sun blazed down, so the pair sought shelter
on the porch.
Aben
brought low stools to sit on, and
Darien and Kamen crushed a cup of wine together. As the steward bowed and
departed, Kamen laughed to himself and shook his head.

“
What?” Darien asked
,
looking around to see what was so funny.

“
You!
Don’t you know how much easier things would be
around here if you just went and bought some slaves?”

“
Aben
serves me well.”

“
Yes, but a body slave
would serve you better. That’s what they’re trained to do.”

Darien waved the thought away. “Never saw any need for
slaves.”

“
And you never lived
here, either. You were always at sea. You might find you need them, especially
if you pull off this social maneuver.”

Darien examined his friend’s profile. Kamen, being nobly
born, doubtless kept dozens of slaves, and Darien was sure that he did not
mistreat them. Kamen was a good man with a generous heart, and yet he was able
to reconcile himself with the idea of slavery. But Darien, being a commoner,
had not grown up with that reality. If anything, slavery hit too close to home.
His grandmother had been a slave.

“
Concubines are
legally slaves,” Kamen said.

“
I offered to let them
go as soon as I brought them here, but they said they’d rather stay.” But
Darien had not made that offer to Saerileth because he feared she might leave,
indeed, and he never wanted her to leave his side.

“
Of course they stay!
You’re gone more than half the time, you don’t treat them as slaves, and you
give them the run of the place. You rescued them and set them up in a life of
ease. Better to live here than take their chances on the streets.”

Darien shrugged. He would not make excuses for treating the
women like human beings. “It sounds like their running days are through,
though. Saerileth keeps a tight ship and makes them stay locked up in their
apartments. She’s also teaching them how to read, write, and play music.”

“
To
make accomplished ladies of them?”
Kamen winked.

“
Saerileth says that
if I’m to go up in society, and these women are my concubines, then she’ll make
them the best concubines she can.”

“
I’m sure they’ll turn
out fine.” There was a long pause where Kamen sat forward with his elbows on
his knees as he rubbed his hands together. “Your concubines aren’t very nice.
Let’s face it. Whatever
polish
the Lotus puts on them,
you can’t deny that they’re homely.” He caught Darien’s eye with his own gaze.
“And you missed common quarters.” He stood and moved behind Darien and massaged
his shoulders. “Surely there’s some tension you need to work out before the
party tomorrow night. After all, we’d call common quarters when we knew a big
battle was coming.”

Darien sat up straight and looked back over his shoulder at
Kamen. “You want to fuck?” He smiled.

Kamen returned the smile, raised his eyebrows, and tilted
his head in silent affirmation.
“For old time’s sake.”

Darien had fucked Kamen on multiple occasions in the past,
so one more time did not matter. “I’ll fetch my concubines, and we can have a
tumble.”

Kamen leaned forward over Darien’s shoulder and looked his
friend in the eye. “You can’t do that.”

“
Why
not?
You’re the one who said
they were the same thing as slaves.”

Kamen came around and knelt before Darien. He put his hands
on Darien’s thighs as his eyes went to Darien’s cock, visible through the linen
skirt. “Concubines are slaves in that they are their master’s property, but
they can’t be shared. That dishonors you, me, and them. You could give me one
as a gift—” His hands shot up in a pleading gesture before him.
“But don’t, because they’re ugly, and I don’t want them.”

Darien was not the kind of man to blush, but he could not
help but feel embarrassed by this blunder. If he could be so clumsy socially
with a friend, how disastrous would be his attempt at high society? He did not
know what to say or do or how to make a counter-offer that would soften the
insult.

Saerileth’s sudden appearance saved him any explanation.
She wore a fine, white linen gown that covered her breasts, was held on by
thin, gold straps around her white shoulders, and fell in pleated folds down to
her knees. On a
Sunjaa
woman, the garment would draw
out the dark beauty of her skin, but on Saerileth’s pale body, the dress seemed
like a living extension of
herself
, and the gold jewelry
she wore on her upper arms and ankles made Darien think of the goddess
Abrexa’s
seductive golden chain.

She addressed Kamen. “You forget, Lord
Itenu
, that
my Master also
owns a Lotus, and I am ranked among his concubines. A Lotus is an honor to
partake of, and to be granted the opportunity to share a man’s Lotus is a rare
favor indeed.”

Darien’s breath caught. Was she offering herself to Kamen?
Kamen was beautiful, nobly born, and moved easily in a society Saerileth was
accustomed to. And on top of everything else, he was well endowed like most
Sunjaa
, though not painfully over-sized like Darien. What
could Darien offer her that Kamen could not?

Saerileth continued before Darien could find his voice.
“You wrong my Master to think that he would offer you something he could not
give.” She moved to stand beside Darien, and she laid her hand on his shoulder,
her white skin stark against his dark.

Shock registered in all Kamen’s looks. “You can only do
with a Lotus what a Lotus agrees to do. Even Darien cannot command you.”

“
Again,” Saerileth
said, “you are incorrect, Lord
Itenu
. He is my
Master, and I am his concubine, though still a Lotus.”