Torgan Wine Ch. 23

"I was told not to expect a formal meeting, as your wife's clothes hadn't yet arrived, but this is too informal brother." A deep teasing voice made her realize he'd broken the kiss for a reason.

"Rogath. Forgive me if I do not stand to greet you." Draeseth squeezed her, keeping her close as she tried to slip from his lap.

"It can be difficult to stand after you've had an expensive whore in your lap for too long." Shoban's sighing voice was one she recognized immediately.

Draeseth tensed under her, scowling, but before he could speak she put on a baffled expression. "You seem to know a great deal about whores, Duke Shoban. Perhaps you can explain the concept to me. Andnaeuth tried but... I just can't understand what kind of man would be so pitiful he has to pay for sex." She widened her eyes innocently. "Even common soldiers can find a willing woman. What horrific flaw is it that relegates you to the ranks of men who have to pay a great deal for it?"

Rogath began to laugh in his throat, a sound much like Draeseth's laugh, as he approached the table. "I hadn't expected your wife to be so entertaining. She is a lovely thing. But I think if she were on my lap that way I might find her more delightful."

"We quarreled, brother. My wife knows how to soothe me." Draeseth kept his hands on her firmly as if discouraging her from moving.

"The discussions about your Arrangement didn't go well, I take it?" Burgath frowned and looked at her questioningly.

"No, what he wants is marriage and I'm not ready to give him that."

"Compromise, brother. You can always renegotiate an Arrangement." Burgath gave Draeseth a scathing look.

"Whatever he agrees to, he has to honor, Prince Burgath. You can't enter an Arrangement expecting to alter it."

"What's the sticking point?" Rogath settled into a chair giving Draeseth a speculative look, "The number of children you want?"

Isonei answered for him as his eyes narrowed, "No, I'm willing to keep that open for discussion. More than two, less than twenty seems to be his wish. I wouldn't mind a large family but my mother did die in childbirth. I'd like to have a discussion each time he wants another."

"Very reasonable." Rogath inclined his head with a hint of amusement. "So what gave you pause?"

"He wants me to spend the year with him. In an Arrangement half of the year would belong to me until I choose another to enter an Arrangement with. I asked to return to my Daga for my half of the year."

"I refused. If there is no other man I don't see why you need to leave my side."

"And I told you, my Draeseth. If I'm with you all year you won't be able to find another lover to spend your free time with and neither will I."

"I fail to see the problem." Draeseth scowled at her sullenly before pulling her face against his. "I will spend my time trying to convince you to marry me, my Duchess. There is no other I want as a lover."

She sighed in frustration shifting her position on his lap and he gripped her hips through her dress almost painfully.

"Your wife wants you to take another lover, and you're complaining?" Rogath eyed his brother with annoyance. "How many women can he sample before he chooses, Lady Isonei?"

"As many as he wishes. The half of the year he has to himself he can do as he pleases. He isn't required to choose just one or to enter into another Arrangement immediately or even at all if he doesn't wish to."

Draeseth scowled, "You would have the same freedom."

"Yes." She gave him a small smile, "But I doubt there would an abundance of lovers available to me in my Daga's house, if that's your concern."

"Lothlaerith?" His mouth twisted with distaste.

"Onsh-Lothlaerith wants me to be offered; with an Arrangement in place I would not be available. Andnaeuth might choose to make the attempt. But if I'm not returning to Ara regularly..."

"He may lose interest. You want time at your Daga's simply to be away from me?" His face softened into a disappointed frown.

"Yes and no. My mothers always said that time spent apart from my father made him dearer to them. And as much as I love my father, the times I was allowed to stay with someone else, like Daga Gildith, or my Daga were..."

"A relief." Draeseth nodded solemnly. "You worry that my moods will make a year with me unbearable."

"I worry that they would make year after year with you unbearable. I don't want you to be lonely when I leave for my half year. I can help you find a new lover and I'll even give her pages as I did Arissa if you were uncertain about teaching her the things you like."

Burgath cleared his throat and Rogath said something teasingly that made Draeseth blush. He snapped at them both in Torgan.

"I have to agree." Shoban sighed and looked at her with annoyance. "Take the offer. You may want to escape her as badly and retreat into the arms of your new lover after a time."

"I don't want to escape him. And I would hope that if he takes another lover and enters into an Arrangement with her he is as eager to see her as he is to see me. It's better to have more love than less."

"I should have looked to Ara for a wife." Rogath eyed her lasciviously, "You could both spend your half year at Court. I'm certain a lover can be found for either of you easily enough."

"If she requires time away from me I will have her safely placed in a convent." Draeseth glowered at his brother.

"I wish to be returned to my Daga's house for my half year. I need to return there often, spending a half year-"

"I will not allow you so far from me." Draeseth snapped and then exhaled loudly pulling her face close to press against his again. "We should discuss this another time. I am in too sour a mood."

Isonei caressed his cheeks, "Burgath is as clever as my brothers, if you ask him nicely he might be able to think of some possible compromises. Ivorith was always very good at that."

"Am I not as clever as your brothers?" He tilted her face up and looked at her with an unreadable expression.

"Ambitious men tend to be more clever and devious; do not take it as a slight, husband. As much as I view ambition as a fault, men like my brothers and yours are sometimes advantageous to have around."

He smiled faintly. "That is true, my Duchess." Pulling her close he murmured in her ear, "If you marry me properly, my brothers will become your brothers."

"Now that I know the problem I'll see if I can find a way around it for you, brother." Burgath volunteered smugly. "And I'd like to think I'm more clever than your brothers, Lady Isonei."

She gave him an amused look, "My brothers can't take a compliment without arguing for a better one either, Prince Burgath."

Burgath laughed and shook his head saying something to the others in Torgan, earning her a brief kiss from Draeseth before he stood. He lifted her with him and set her on her feet as he responded.

Rogath rose and clasped his brother's elbow drawing him into a brief embrace. "It's good to see you, brother. I welcome you back to Torga."

"I am glad to be home. Gladder to have my wife by my side."

"She's smaller than I expected." Rogath looked down at her speculatively. His size and features made him strongly resemble Draeseth but his dark brown hair had a faint red sheen when the intermittent sunlight from the window struck it.

"That's what happens when you require your wife to be able to fit in a barrel." Isonei gave Draeseth a look of mock annoyance and received an amused grunt in response.

"She hasn't quite forgiven me for the way I brought her out of Leria. I need to spend longer apologizing." He blushed slightly and gave her a sly smile.

"You do, but this may not be the time for it, my flower wine." She lifted her brows and returned his smile.

"Areshen. I told you." Burgath sounded amused. "And he starts it. If you spend enough time with them you'll see she's the one who at least tries to behave appropriately."

"I have no intention of allowing any of you to spend that much time with us. I want to get my wife home to the Torga Kroscur and keep her to myself for several months."

"Several months alone with your appetites..." Shoban eyed her with a smirk. "You must want to send her running."

Fixing him with the imitation of a friendly smile Isonei tilted her head and replied sweetly, "Not at all, in that he and I are very well suited."

Draeseth grinned wickedly and blushed as he brought her hand to his lips. "My loving Duchess, it pleases me that you are not ashamed to enjoy your Beast's appetites, but in Torga you cannot openly admit it."

"Why?" Isonei looked at his blushing face curiously.

"Because it makes other men wonder if you would enjoy theirs." Rogath eyed her with more amusement than desire this time. "With those eyes of hers, her ignorance almost looks like innocence."

"In some ways it is. Arans are more open and affectionate; the thought of hiding her feelings for me is something that confuses her. My jewel doesn't understand why I am," Draeseth paused, "strict with her at times."

"If you don't learn to be stricter her half year will be claimed by father." Rogath gave him a warning look.

"No." Isonei shook her head and shuddered drawing surprised looks. "You don't make an Arrangement with two from the same House; even taking two of the same family to bed is frowned on. It sows discord."

"King Orgath can be very charming, Lady Isonei, and very persistent." Rogath smiled grimly.

"Fortunately, I can be irksome and difficult. I'm certain he won't find me worth the trouble." Isonei tilted her chin up.

The Crown Prince shifted his amused gaze to Burgath, "Have you asked mother to install Lady Isonei in her retinue?"

"Not yet, but I intend to."

"I'll do it. She won't refuse me. Keeping our brother's jewel away from father will be for the best."

"Agreed. I would suggest keeping her from Kresh as well."

Rogath grimaced. "I think everyone at Court tries to avoid that vicious wretch, if there was a sure way to do it you would find it the most popular activity in the entire Torga Thoncur. Mother even tried to convince her to go visit her family in Phaethia."

"They were eager to give her to you; I doubt she wants to see them." Draeseth's contemplative tone sounded vaguely envious as he wrapped her arm around his.

"I doubt they'd let her in the door." Rogath snorted.

The reminder that the poor woman had been taken away against her will, made Isonei's stomach knot painfully. Small wonder the woman was unbearable; she was probably drowning in the misery of it.

"Your wife is looking ill again, brother." Burgath frowned at her, looking concerned. "Was she ill this morning?"

"No, she seemed to be feeling better earlier." Draeseth stroked her cheek with one knuckle.

"Perhaps she needs to eat. Did she have an appetite for breakfast? She picked at her dinner last night."

"She barely ate. I should have insisted she finish her egg and toast. I noticed her Daga sometimes had to command her to clean her plate." He smiled faintly at her and she tried to return it but the expression seemed to trouble him.

"It would be better to err on the side of caution, I'll order bone broth to be made and she should rest. She's been drenched in the cold rain, forced to sleep in a cold carriage, and bathed far more than is healthy this time of year." Burgath rang for a servant and answered Rogath's questioning look, "Our journey was... eventful."

Isonei was escorted to her chilly room and another timid maid helped her out of her clothes. The woman's ill concealed gasp at the marks Draeseth had left, made her long to have Amay there to help instead. "If you have a healing salve..." The maid stared at her in confusion so she tried again in Lerian, "Do you have a healing salve?" She gave up with a sigh when she was met with a blank look of incomprehension, she could always ask Krouth.

Stripped to her chemise, Isonei climbed into the cold bed and curled up into a ball trying to get warm. Being cold didn't seem to keep sleep from pulling her down.

°°°°°°°°°°

Isonei woke shivering, trying to push something cold away from her face.

"Lady Isonei, how are you feeling?" The voice was quiet and soothing.

"C-cold." She curled more tightly into a ball.

There was a murmuring and she heard the sound of water being wrung from a cloth into a basin. "You went to bed feeling ill, were you feeling ill in the morning when you woke?"

"No, I-" she whined and tried to keep him from pulling her legs out of their curled position.

"You have a fever. Cool wraps on your legs will bring it down."

"I'm cold, Atha." Isonei whimpered trying to stay curled for warmth.

The hands pulled away. "How high is her fever?" Another voice asked and a larger cold hand pressed to her head.

"If she can mistake me for her father it's far too high, your Highness. I'll have them fill a tub with cool water. We should try to dab her with the damp cloth it will help some if she won't let us wrap her legs."

The cold damp cloth began to dab at her, her chemise being pulled out of the way to let it get to her skin as she protested.

"Her father had a medicinal liquor, something distilled with herbs steeped in it. It sounded like Kurebra. Find out if Burgath has any."

"At once."

What seemed like a long, cold time later she was being forced to sit up and a cup was being pressed to her lips. "Drink. This will help you and make you feel warmer."

Obediently she drank from the cup, feeling the familiar burn with the harsh taste of herbs. Isonei grimaced and sighed, curling again as soon as she finished the cup. Sleep tried to drag her back down again immediately, but she was lifted out of bed and carried through a hall even colder than her room. She tried to get closer to the man carrying her and he whispered something to her she couldn't understand.

Suddenly she was being lowered into frigid water. The man nearly dropped her as she shrieked and clawed at him trying to escape. Tearfully, Isonei wailed for her father as she was held down in the water.

"It's only for a few moments, the water isn't cold it-" voices started speaking hurriedly in a language she didn't understand.

Sometime later Isonei woke from a dream of wandering through her father's house looking for something; her father's bedroom had been Daga Liadith's when she'd opened the door. A blanket was pulled to her chin but her legs were out of the covers being unwrapped from damp cloths.

As she sat up slightly, Krouth looked at her with surprise. "Lady Isonei?"

"I was dreaming about my father's house..."

"And you thought I was him? You've been calling me Atha since I began tending you."

"I haven't called my father that for years." Isonei lay back again. "Why is it so cold in here?"

"You have a fever. The room is warm, my Lady."

"When I was sick as a child my father would keep the window open and my mothers would close it if they were there. When they weren't sometimes the servants would close it and pretend they knew nothing about how it got closed."

Krouth snorted. "Fresh air would be good for you but you whine so pitifully of the cold I can understand why those softer than your father would try to make you more comfortable."

"Father always said I'm wretched when I'm ill. If he even thought I was looking unwell he would..." she sighed.

"He would?"

"He would bring out his medicinal liquor. I stayed healthy as much as I could so I wouldn't have to drink it."

The slim Torgan laughed softly and Isonei lifted her head again incredulously to look at him.

"Prince Draeseth thinks it must have been similar to Kurebra, an herbal liquor favored by hunters and warriors, it braces the nerves and strengthens the body. It has seemed to help you stop shivering and you look a bit better." The man began to wrap her legs in fresh, cool cloths.

"Where is he?"

"He was distraught after he had to put you in the tub of cool water. His brothers insisted he sleep in another chamber so he wouldn't spend the night clinging to you."

She shivered remembering the cold water. "The water felt like ice."

"It was cool, not cold, Lady. Your fever was too high to bring it down more slowly." He finished wrapping her legs and covered them moving to the table and pouring a small glass of dark liquid from a bottle. "Drink this."

Obediently, she let him help her sit up to drink. It tasted similar to her father's medicinal liquor but it wasn't quite the same, still she drank all of it and lay back down. "That's Kurebra?"

"Yes. Is it what your father used to give you?"

"No, that's darker and it tastes a little different. My father's is lighter and the herb taste is stronger. Are the herbs still in the bottle?"

"No, your father's must be intended solely as a medicine." Krouth pressed his hand to her head for a moment. "Your fever is lingering but it's not nearly as bad as it was. Changing the cloths can be done less frequently, I think." He settled into a chair extending his legs out.

"You've been taking care of me by yourself?" Looking at him, Isonei could see he looked very tired.

"The maids are concerned you have some Aran sickness that might make them more ill than you are." He looked almost amused. "I would be more inclined to blame the rain and the Lerian children you shared the carriage with. Peasant children are known for carrying disease. You should try to rest, my Lady." Krouth covered part of the lamp.

Isonei nodded and closed her eyes. After a moment she opened them again. "Krouth?"

"Yes, Lady Isonei?"

"Do you have children?"

There was a pause, "No. I do not, Lady."

"You should. You'd be a good father."

She heard him sigh, "Thank you, Lady, rest now."

The next time she woke it was to a hand on her head and the changing of the cloths again. The quiet conversation above her was unintelligible but the voices were familiar.

With some difficulty she managed to speak, "Draeseth?"

"I'm here, my Isonei." He joined her on the bed and kissed her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty." Her mouth felt horribly dry and her head ached.

"I'll have bone broth and warm tea sent up." Krouth finished and covered her legs. "She should drink as much as she can."

"Thank you. I'll stay with her until Halloc Aurim arrives."

"He won't have kind things to say to you concerning those bruises, your Highness. It may be best-"

Draeseth growled something at him in Torgan making Isonei wince.

"Arguing will upset her, your Highness. I am only concerned that the Halloc's displeasure and your responses will make things worse."

"Halloc?" Isonei frowned peering up at Krouth.

"A priest who has devoted himself to healing, Lady Isonei. He's being summoned from Saint Odhrim's Monastery; he will break your fever and rid you of all illness."

"He may chide us for having him fetched. She seems to be feeling better." Draeseth kissed the side of her head.

"I would not be so sure. Her fever should have broken by now with constant tending." Krouth looked at her uncertainly.

"Go rest and have the broth and tea sent while my wife is awake." The Torgan next to her pulled her closer, sounding displeased with that assessment.

As the servant retreated, Isonei lifted her hand from beneath the covers, "Krouth?"

He paused in the doorway, "Yes Lady?"

"Thank you." She placed her hand over her heart.

"I think you are making your way back into my Duchess' good graces." Draeseth pressed his hand over hers.

"Her anger passes quickly. Your Duchess is a gentle, forgiving woman, your Highness." Krouth bowed and disappeared through the door.

"My Duchess." Draeseth lifted himself up to cover her face in kisses. He finished and looked down at her with a faint smile, in that position she noticed scratch marks on his neck. As she touched them with concern he laughed softly. "You were desperate to get out of the cool bath. The clawing was less painful for me than your screaming. Krouth had to enlist my brothers to force me to keep you in the water long enough for it to work. It was agony."