“P… Pranav, Lady Abby.” He told her his skin darkening.
“How old are you Pranav?”
“Thirteen, Lady Abby.”
“And is your brother serving here?”
“No, Lady Abby. I am my manno’s only male.”
Nodding Abby moved to stand before the brown skinned male.
“I am Lotem, Lady Abby. I am also thirteen and have no brother presently serving this House.”
“That means you once did.”
“Yes, Lady Abby. He met the Goddess over five years ago.”
“I am sorry for your loss Lotem.” She saw her words had shocked him.
“Why?” The question was out of Lotem’s mouth before he could stop them. Why would a female, any female be sorry for the loss of a male. Especially one she was never Joined with and never knew?
“Why what?” Abby asked, frowning.
“Why are you sorry? He was just a male, unimportant and replaceable. You were never Joined with him and even if you had been, you would have just forgotten about him when you moved on to your next male just as my mother did, just as all females do.”
Abby didn’t think Lotem realized just how much pain and anger he had revealed with his words. This was the true legacy of the great infection. Males thinking that they didn’t matter, that they would be forgotten by the ones that should have loved them the most. Their mothers and their wives.
“I am sorry Lotem,” Abby picked her next words carefully, somehow knowing they would set the tone for all her dealings with males of this House, “because you obviously cared about him and still miss him. My own brother died… went to meet the Goddess nearly five years ago too.” Abby felt her throat tighten as she spoke of Davy and had to clear her throat to continue. “His name was Davy. He would have been seventeen now had he survived. He had short blonde hair that he liked to spike up and these sparkling blue eyes that were always filled with mischief. He was forever playing tricks on me and he was my best friend. There hasn’t been a day in the past five years that I haven’t missed him and wished he would prank me… just one more time. He wasn’t a warrior Lotem. He did nothing special or heroic in his life. He just existed and that was all that was needed for me to love and remember him. Everyone deserves that Lotem no matter if they are male or female.”
Silence reigned when she finished and Abby wondered if she had said too much.
“His name was Galal,” Lotem whispered blinking rapidly as he looked at her trying to keep his tears from falling, “and I miss him.”
“I’m sorry Lotem.” Abby said then did something no Tornian male would ever have expected… something she would have done if he had been Davy, she hugged him.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
The last two trainees were Bron and Ebbe and they were also thirteen and were the first males from their bloodline to serve in Etruria. Abby frowned at the thought.
“Mabon?”
“Yes, Lady Abby?”
“How old are you?”
“Thirteen Lady Abby.”
“So you all are in your first year of training?”
“Yes, Lady Abby.”
“And you have all just recently arrived?”
“Well… I have been here since I was eight, after my manno went to meet the Goddess, but the rest,” he gestured to the other four, “have been here just over three moons.”
Abby was beginning to understand why Ynyr was allowing only these trainees into the Wing. They were all new to Bertos’ training program and had not yet been tainted by his evil. Well, all expect Quant it seemed.
“What about Quant?”
“He is in his third year of training Lady Abby.”
“Third?” Abby turned shocked eyes to Paganus. Why would Ynyr send him with these trainees?
“It is a common practice that an older, more experienced trainee stays with the first years so they can lead by example. He is their Handler.” Paganus told her. Abby looked to Navon and Morio and they nodded that this was also true in Lord Oryon’s House.
“Bertos made Quant their Handler because he thought he would set a good example?!!” Abby couldn’t contain her disgust. “That little prick deserves his ass beat for some of the things he…” Abby suddenly remembered she wasn’t alone and that she was now a ‘Lady’. Damn! The snicker she heard escaping Ebbe’s lips had her smiling as she turned to the trainee. “Yes, well…” suddenly another thought hit her and her eyes flew to Mabon.
“Is he the one that beat you?” She questioned, but Mabon remained stubbornly silent.
“Ebbe?” Abby turned her eyes to the smallest male of the five only to have her eyes whip back to Mabon when he growled menacingly. It was then that Abby realized that Mabon was the unspoken leader of this group. She knew that if she pushed this she could get Ebbe to tell her the truth, but in doing so it would break the bond this group seemed to have. “Never mind,” she said, turning back to Paganus, she would handle this her own way.
“Paganus I want you to summon many more males to the Wing.”
“Lady Rigel…” Navon started only to be silenced by Abby’s piercing gaze.
“If I understand it right there has been no training going on since Bertos died. Is that right?”
“Yes, my Lady.” Paganus told her.
“So they are going to be full of energy and moving furniture from this Wing to the one on the other side of the House will be a good way to use up all that energy.”
“Lady Rigel, Lord Ynyr was very insistent…” Navon tried again, only this time it was her raised hand that silenced him.
“I fully understand that my Lord does not want any other males but these in our Wing.” Abby remembered how Ynyr had reacted to the trunk being delivered without his knowledge. Ynyr took her safety very seriously and she loved him for it. “He trusts these five and I believe he has chosen well.” The five trainees stood a little straighter at her words. “That is why they will remove the furnishings from this level into the hallway and the other trainees will carry them to the other wing.”
Navon’s eyes widened at her logic and Abby laughed. “Yes Navon females can be logical.” As the large warrior flushed a darker blue Abby laughed. It faded away as she looked at Mabon, while his eye was completely healed, there was still a faint bruise below it, reminding her of what had happened to the young male. Something that was totally unacceptable to her and someone was going to pay for it.
“Paganus!” Spinning around, she saw he was just a few feet behind her. “I need to go speak to Ynyr…. Lord Ynyr.” She corrected herself.
“I… my Lady….” He was shocked at the sudden change in the conversation.
“His Command Center is down this hallway and then it’s a right and then a left. Correct?”
“I… well yes, my Lady but…”
“Good then you can escort me. Navon and Morio are more than capable of overseeing that the furniture is moved as they need to remain here guarding the entrance. This level first Mabon,” Abby turned to the male putting him in charge. “I will return before we start on the second level.” And with that Abby walked out of the room.
Chapter Fifteen
Ynyr was just starting to lead his captains from his command center so he could inspect the defenses Dai had put in place on the walls when its doors swung open without so much as a knock. Every male’s hand went to the hilt of their sword ready to defend the new Lord.
Who could have the gall to just enter the Lord’s command center without asking for permission first? Then Ynyr saw a light hunaja color and closed his eyes, realizing who would… Abby… of course she would think nothing of just entering his command center.
What in the name of the Goddess was she doing outside their Wing?!! His eyes flew open to pierce Paganus who was directly behind her.
“Abby…” he growled while every male in the room stared at her in shock.
“Oh, I’m so glad I caught you before you left. I didn’t want to have to track you down. Poor Paganus here
was already having a conniption fit about me coming this far.”
“As well he should.” Ynyr wasn’t sure what this ‘conniption fit’ was but he was sure Paganus deserved it for letting his Abby out of their Wing. “Why are you not in our Wing, Abby?”
“Because I needed to speak to you about something I’ve discovered. It couldn’t wait and I didn’t want to do it over the Comm.” Movement behind Ynyr made Abby suddenly realize Ynyr was not alone. “Oh!” Her eyes flew the half dozen males behind Ynyr. “You are not alone….”
“No. I am not.” Ynyr watched as the fire and determination that had filled Abby’s eyes just moments ago faded away. He didn’t like it. Didn’t like that she always tried to fade into the background when confronted by those she did not know. It wasn’t her true bearing. She was a warrior in a small, lush, compact body.
He forced his thoughts and eyes away from that body knowing now was not the time. He needed to find out what she had deemed so important that she would leave the safety of their Wing. He also needed to introduce her to the Captains that would protect her. Turning to introduce his Lady he found that the hand of every male in the room was still on their sword with their mouths hanging open… all except Korin for he was familiar with his Abby.
“Stand down!” Ynyr roared. He would not tolerate any threat to his Lady even if it was just a hand on a sword.
Every male in the room quickly moved his hand, snapped his jaw shut and came to his full height.
Nodding Ynyr took his Abby’s hand and led her to the nearest male. “Abby this is Warrior Safi a member of the Emperor’s Special Guard. Warrior Safi, my Lady, Lady Abby of House Rigel of Etruria.”
“Lady Rigel.” The male quickly placed an arm across his chest and bowed.
“Hello, Warrior Safi,” Abby said quietly, “a pleasure to meet you.”
Safi’s eyes flew to her then to Ynyr, who instantly understood what had the warrior so concerned and realized he needed to address this with these males immediately so there would be no misunderstandings.
“As you all know, my Lady is one of the females we abducted from Earth. I have been informed not only by her, but by the Queen of Luda and the Empress herself that many things are done differently on Earth than they are done on Tornian. One of those things is that a female is allowed to speak directly to a male she is not Joined with. That it does not mean she wishes to Join with him.”
“Of course it doesn’t!” Abby immediately said, giving them all a disbelieving look. “Really? You take a female saying ‘Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you?’ and you think she wants to have sex? Please…”
“They also speak whenever they wish.” Ynyr continued giving her a pointed look.
“Oh… ” Looking up at Ynyr she gave him a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”
Ynyr was glad to see the sparkle was back in her eyes even if she had interrupted him. Something no Tornian female, Lady or not, would dare do especially to a Lord. And that little smile had him wishing they were alone.
“Yes… well…” he turned his attention back to the males in the room. “I want you all to understand that and to make sure every other male in this House does too.” Ynyr’s tone was hard by the time he finished. “Lady Abby is mine.”
“Of course Lord Ynyr.” They all chorused, except Korin and Paganus who responded “My Lord.”
Nodding Ynyr continued on to the next warrior. “This is Warrior Tocho a member of the Emperor’s Elite Guard.”
“Lady Rigel.” Tocho crossed his arm over his chest and bowed.
“Warrior Tocho,” Abby responded. “Nice to meet you.”
Ynyr led her to two Warriors on the other side of the room. “This is Warrior Menawa and Warrior Oscosh, they too are members of the Warriors Special Guard.” These warriors bowed to her together, their arms across their chests. “Lady Rigel.”
“Warriors, a pleasure.” Abby said softly.
“And you have met Captain Dai.” Ynyr gestured to the male that stood behind the rest.
“Yes. Hello again, Captain Dai.”
“Lady Rigel.” Dai bowed to her before looking to Ynyr. “We will leave you to deal with your Lady, Lord Ynyr and await you at the wall.”
“No. Stay. Please. All of you.” Abby’s gaze traveled over all of them before coming to rest on Korin. “I believe this is going to be something you will have to help me understand.”
“Abby?” Ynyr frowned down at her. What could possibly have occurred in such a short time that she felt she would need the help of other males to understand, that he would not be able to help her understand?
Seeing Ynyr’s eyes darken Abby suddenly realized what he was thinking. He thought she was turning to others for help. That she was doubting him. Reaching up, she gently cupped his cheek, uncaring who heard her orders. “Never Ynyr. I will never doubt you. You are the worthiest male I have ever met but this is about something that occurred before we arrived and only Captain Dai and his males help me understand why.”
Ynyr looked deep into blue eyes and saw she spoke truth, her belief in him was shining there for all to see. Nodding, he kissed her palm, then he led her to his chair, the Lord’s chair and had her sit in it. Looking to the males before him, he knew they understood the significance of his move. He was telling them that she ruled this House as much as he did. Not since the great infection had a female helped rule a House.
“Tell us Abby.” He encouraged.
“Well,” Abby looked up at all the large males staring at her and felt her heart start to pound and her hands began to sweat. What did she think she was doing? Who was she to barge into Ynyr’s command center and think that she had the right to chew someone's butt for what happened to Mabon.
She was a little nobody, from nowhere. Well, she was from somewhere… Earth, but she wasn’t there now. Maybe Ynyr would agree with Quant that Mabon got what he deserved. Looking up into Ynyr’s steady yet concerned eyes, she instantly knew that wasn’t true. She knew Ynyr… knew that wasn’t the way he thought… but the others… Would she shame him? Cause him problems if she brought this up?
“Abby, whatever it is that has you so upset tell us. We will make it right.”
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Abby closed her eyes for a moment, struggling to get her mind to settle when she remembered something Davy had once said to her. Davy loved to play his pranks, but he had also had a serious side. He had been the fearless one in their family while she… she had always been the one to hide… it was how she had survived.
Not Davy, if he saw something that he thought was wrong, he always tried to make it right. No matter what he had to do to accomplish that. It had been after one of these ‘crusades’ as Abby had liked to call them that he had said it.
Her parents had gotten woke up in the middle of the night, learning that their thirteen year old son, whom they had thought was asleep in his bed, had actually been out spray painting ‘Child Abuser’ across a large billboard of a local politician that was up for reelection. The billboard was on a heavily traveled road and Davy was in police custody.
What a firestorm that had been… the politician had been up in arms… the media had gone crazy. The man’s daughter had been a classmate of Davy’s and when he had discovered her bruises she had begged him no to tell anyone saying it would only get worse if he did. So he didn’t… he wrote it instead.
Abby couldn’t believe he had done it. Oh, not what he had done, but what he had to do before he could. Davy was deathly afraid of heights. He even hated looking out his second story bedroom window. But not only had he looked out it, on that night, he had climbed down the trellis on the side of the house and then he had climbed up thirty feet to write on that billboard.
Before the truth had finally come out, that the man actually had been abusing his daughter, Davy had been suspended from school, kicked off the football team he so loved and had been pretty much shunned by most of the town… including the girl he had been trying to help.
That’s
when Abby had asked him ‘why’. Why had he done it and he had looked at her with eyes older than his thirteen years and said…
‘Because it was wrong, I couldn’t just stand aside and let it happen, not when I could do something. Kara didn’t think she mattered… that anyone cared… her father is an important and powerful man. So people shun me… think I’m strange… in the larger picture is that more important than letting someone know they matter?’
Davy had been right. If one of the males that had witnessed Emperor Lucan’s crimes had said something the great infection never would have occurred. Abby also remembered that when it had come time for her to bury her brother, Kara had been there, thanking him for saving her life.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
“Abby…” Ynyr’s concerned voice brought her back from her memories.
“Sorry, just organizing my thoughts.” She turned her eyes to the males. “First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for coming here to assist Lord Ynyr in building his House. It is going to be a daunting task with all the harm Bertos has caused but I know each of you are up to the task because each of you are fit and worthy males. You are all have worked hard to become Special Warriors and not just any Special Warriors, but warriors in the Emperor’s Special Guard and that is something few can achieve.”
Every male looked at her in shock. Females never thought about these things, never spoke of these things, especially not to males. She especially never thanked a male.
“That the Emperor would send you here in advance of Etruria’s new Lord speaks of the faith and trust he has in you. The Elite of the Elite and from what I have been told that was what was needed here because what you found was… well chaos.”
“Yes.” Dai found himself responding.
“That’s why I understand that you had to prioritize what was truly important. Like the securing of the House and making sure its occupants were safe and unharmed. Opposed to the things that could wait, like the clearing of the Lord’s Wing.”