“Of course it is.” Wray said and turned his gaze to Caitir.
Caitir couldn’t believe what was taking place. The Empress wanted her to remain with her? The Emperor vowed that she would be protected? An Auyangian?
“Caitir?” Jael prompted quietly, when she didn’t speak.
“I’ll stay.” Caitir quickly replied, looking from Wray to Jael. “You will return for me when it is time?”
“Of course.” Jael immediately replied.
“Wonderful.” Kim said, smiling. “When will Tora be arriving?”
“Shortly before last meal.” Wray informed her.
“Will he be eating with us?” Kim asked.
“If that is what you want.”
“Well, I think it also depends on what you and Tora want.”
“I would be thrilled to have him share last meal with us, Kim. I’m sure Tora will feel the same.”
“You’re sure?” She asked and Wray heard her doubt.
“I am, Kim.” Wray ran a reassuring hand down her cheek.
Caitir stood before the Empress, unsure of what she should do. Jael and the Emperor had left moments ago and now she was alone with this small, strange looking female. She had never seen a Tornian like her before.
“That’s because I’m not one.” Kim said and Caitir paled when she realized she’d voiced her thoughts.
“Empress… my deepest apologizes.” Caitir dropped to her knees, bowed her head and prayed to the Goddess that the Empress wouldn’t withdrawal her protection.
“For what?” Kim asked and was shocked when Caitir dropped to her knees. “What are you doing?”
“Please, Empress… I meant no offense.”
“Of course you didn’t and I wasn’t. Offended that is. I’m not Tornian.” Kim reached down a hand. “Please, Caitir. Please get up.”
Caitir raised her eyes to the Empress and found no anger, just honest confusion and looked at the extended hand. Slowly she reached out and took it.
Kim smiled as she helped Caitir up. She wasn’t sure what had just happened, wasn’t sure why it had happened, but she would make sure it didn’t happen again.
“You’re not Tornian?” Caitir asked hesitantly.
“No. I’m from a planet called Earth. I guess you’d call me an Earthling.”
“Earthling… I have never heard of them before.”
“I know. No one has. Why did you think your words would upset me?”
“I was not respectful. Females… Tornian females would never allow one like me to speak about her as I did. She would become upset and have me punished… or worse.”
“Worse?” Kim frowned.
“She would demand I leave… alone… without protection.”
“I see.” Kim turned away from Caitir, her anger for Tornian females growing. That they would do such a thing, knowing what would happen, sickened her. “Has this happened to you before? Here on Vesta? With Lady Estee?”
“No, Jael would never have left me alone with Lady Estee. She never would have allowed it. Lord Reeve was with us at all times. For her even to speak to me would have been considered an insult. It would have upset her. If that happened…”
“I understand.” Kim cut her off and turned back to face her. “I want you to understand something, Caitir. That will never happen with me. I am not Tornian and refuse to behave like them. I greatly appreciate you being honest with me. There is still much of this world that I don't know.” Kim saw she didn’t believe her. “You don’t believe me.”
“I… of course I do, Empress.”
“No you don’t but I guess I can understand that.” Kim gave her a slight smile. “You don’t know me and I don’t know you. All I know is your name is Caitir, which is as beautiful as you are. You are Auyangian, which is supposed to mean something to me, and that your uncle’s name is Jael. Oh, and you are a very talented clothier.”
“I… you’ve never heard of Auyangians?” Caitir couldn't hide her shock.
“Nope.” Kim sat down in a chair and gestured to Caitir to do the same. “Just like you’ve never heard of Earthlings, I’ve never heard of Auyangians. So tell me what everyone thinks I should know.”
“I…” Caitir slowly sat down trying to decide what to say.
“Please, Caitir, the truth.” Kim asked and Caitir slowly nodded.
This strange female seemed honestly puzzled as to why Auyangian females were thought so little of. She was the Empress, but considered her beautiful... and talented... Had the universes ended?
“Auyang is a very hostile place," Caitir began. "Where life is harsh and for many short. To survive there great sacrifices must be made… mostly by females.” When the Empress said nothing, just listened intently, Caitir continued.
“Families with multiple females often sell the extras to pleasure houses so the rest of the family can survive.”
“Extras!” Kim was glad she was sitting otherwise her knees would have given out.
“Yes, it is a common practice, especially if a female is weak or sickly. They are sold off, thereby lessening the strain on the family’s resources.”
“You were sold?”
“No, although I would have been if it wasn’t for my uncle. My mother did not survive presenting me and I was very sickly. My manno decided it would be a waste of precious resources to continue to support me.”
“How old were you?” Kim asked, aghast.
“Eight.” Caitir said simply.
“Eight! Your manno was going to sell an eight year old to a pleasure house?”
“Yes, but my uncle bought me before he could.”
“Your uncle bought you….”
“It was the only way he could protect me.” Caitir said, frowning at Kim. “Jael was my mother’s brother. He left Auyang at a very young age, but vowed he would return for her. Since he was unable to save her, he decided to save me. He bought me from my manno and taught me how to make coverings.”
“He treated you as if you were his own.”
“No, he treated me better than that. He treated me as if I mattered.”
"Of course you matter!" Kim leaned over and squeezed Caitir's hand "Everyone matters Caitir. It doesn't matter if they're male or female. It doesn't matter what color they are or where they are from. What matters is that they try to live a worthy and fit life that they can be proud of."
"That is what you do?"
"I'm trying to. I'm not perfect. I've made a lot of mistakes, but I'm trying to learn from them so I don't make them again. It was hard enough on Earth where I knew the rules. Here..." Kim's voice trailed off as she thought of all the mistakes she has made so far.
"I have heard of no... mistakes... majesty."
"The way you say that makes me think you have heard something though."
"I..."
"Please, Caitir." Kim's eyes pleaded with her.
"There is talk of the great honor you gave Warrior Damir on Pontus."
"Great honor? I don't know what you are talking about, Caitir." Kim frowned. What had she done?
"You placed your hand on his body. You bowed your head to him. You followed his body onto the shuttle." With each sentence, Caitir's tone became more intense.
"Well, yeah but anyone would have done that."
"Not a Tornian female." Caitir insisted. "A Tornian female would never have touched Damir. She never would have bowed her head, recognizing his sacrifice. She would have felt it was beneath her. A Tornian female would never have allowed Damir's body to be transported on the same shuttle as her. She would have demanded he be left behind." Caitir watched the Empress' eyes widen as she spoke. "Your actions have every male wondering about the female the Emperor has claimed. Wondering and hoping for the same honor.”
“They want to die in a shuttle crash?”
“They want to be considered so worthy by a female that she would show it in front of other males.”
“Oh.” Kim said quietly, she was still having a hard time believing how Tornian females tre
ated their males and how most males treated their females.
“It is something that is not done, not even between a male and female that have Joined.”
“It shouldn’t be that way.”
“You could change that.”
“You are the beginning.”
The words of the Goddess drifted through her mind and Kim was finally beginning to believe. “Perhaps you're right.”
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
“You did what?!! Reeve demanded.
“She’s not Tornian. There was no male there protecting her. You could still smell that she had Joined with the Ganglians. So we acted on it. There was no reason for us to believe she was under his protection. Let alone under him.” Fala smirked finding himself humorous.
“And for this, the Emperor removed you from his Guard?” Reeve couldn’t believe it. Fala and Gyula had done nothing wrong.
“Yes, my Lord.” Fala said.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
The mood of Vesta’s ruling chamber was tense when Wray entered. Fala and Gyula stood before an angry Lord Reeve, who sat in the Lord’s chair. He rose when Wray and his Guard entered the room, reluctantly stepping aside so the Emperor could take control of the room.
Veron moved to stand at his Emperor’s side, his hand on the hilt of his sword as his eyes scanned the room searching for possible threats. He knew the word had spread that the Emperor had removed them from his guard and they were angry at the insult to their House. Finding no immediate threat from the guards that stared back at him, Veron’s eyes came to rest on the reason for this meeting.
Fala and Gyula.
“Majesty, I am confused.” Reeve spoke first.
“What confuses you, Lord Reeve?” Wray asked coldly.
“I have spoken with Warrior Fala and Warrior Gyula and can find no reason, from the statements they have given, for you to have them removed not only from your Guard but to return them to Vesta in disgrace.”
“You feel that you, Lord Reeve, have a say on who I chose for my Guard?”
“Of course not, Majesty, but for them to be removed in such a manner reflects badly on my House.”
“I care not for how it reflects on your House, Lord Reeve. I will have no warrior serving House Vasteri that I deem unfit and unworthy!”
“Unfit?!! Reeve couldn’t hide his shock. “Unworthy?!! Sire! What could possibly have caused you to believe such a blatant untruth about two of the finest warriors ever trained on Vesta?”
Fala and Gyula’s chests puffed up at their Lord’s compliment.
“If these two are your finest, Lord Reeve, then perhaps I have the wrong Lord ruling Vesta!”
Reeve’s mouth dropped open at the implied threat from the Emperor. The Emperor couldn’t have him removed not without the full agreement from the Assembly and Bertos would never allow that to happen but for him to speak of it... Here... In front of Reeve’s own Guard. It would cast doubt in every warrior’s mind, if they should serve him.
Wray knew the affect his words were going to have on Reeve’s warriors. Vesta was an important planet, rich in resources. It was a place where a Warrior who served his Lord well, could acquire the means to attract a female. For the Emperor to threaten to remove the Lord meant they would be removed too.
“Two warriors trained here. By you. Attacked a female they knew was under my protection.” Wray let that statement hang in the air and saw every male in the room stiffen, their eyes flying to Fala and Gyula.
“What!” Reeve spun around enraged that Fala and Gyula had not informed him of this.
“My Lord!” Fala stepped forward to plead his case before his Lord. “She wasn’t Tornian! We were not informed she was under the Emperor’s protection!”
“Tell me, Fala,” Wray said in a deceptively even voice. “What orders were you given that placed you on Pontus?”
“We were to search for you after your shuttle went down.”
“Just me?”
“You, Warrior Damir and the female you found on the Ganglian ship.” Fala replied.
“And why was I taking her there?”
“For further treatment.”
“So I rescued a female, was personally taking her back to the Searcher for treatment and that wasn’t enough for you to know she was under my protection?”
“No, majesty.” Fala admitted.
“Are you stupid then?” Wray asked then looked at Reeve. “Is ignorance and lack of basic thought process something you teach here on Vesta, Lord Reeve?” Wray ignored the dark flush that crossed Reeve’s cheeks at his insult. “All females traveling with any male is under his protection!”
“But she had no male with her!” Gyula protested.
“You are saying that even though you knew she was traveling with me, that because I was not right at her side, it gave you the right to abuse her!”
“Sire, she is not Tornian. The Law clearly states that a male may satisfy his needs with any non-Tornian female without consequence.” Reeve spoke, defending his warriors.
“The Law states that the male has no responsibility for the offspring that comes from the consensual Joining with a non-Tornian female! It doesn’t not give you permission to abuse a female!”
“Sire, the Law has been interpreted this way for years.” Reeve retorted angrily.
“Which I have only just discovered. For any male,” Wray stood, his eyes traveling across the room making sure all understood him. “to use a Law that was meant to protect, in such a way goes against everything the Tornian Empire stands for, and it will not be tolerated. It will be corrected when I return to Tornian.”
“That may be, majesty.” Reeve spoke, refusing to back down. He wanted this insult removed from his House. “Warrior Fala and Warrior Gyula have committed no crime under the current understanding of the Law and therefore should not be removed from your Guard, especially because of a non-Tornian female.”
“One whose smell revealed she was willing to Join with any male.” Gyula smirked.
“What?” Wray growled lowly.
“She was covered with Ganglian stink.” Gyula looked to his Lord and saw him nod that he understood what he meant. “There was no reason for us not to use one that would allow them to touch her.”
“Allow!” Wray surged forward and had Gyula by the throat before anyone knew what was happening.
“She was captured by the Ganglians!” Wray squeezed Gyula’s throat until his eyes began to bulge.
“She survived massive abuse!” Wray lifted him off his feet.
“She is my chosen Empress, and you will give her your respect or you will die!” Wray roared and threw Gyula across the room.
“Any male,” Wray declared his chest heaving, “who does not respect her will suffer my wrath!”
Absolute silence reigned in the chamber after the Emperor’s declaration. Lord Reeve’s guard were staring at each other in shocked confusion. Would the Emperor actually kill a Tornian male because of his treatment of a non-Tornian female?
The Emperor’s guard didn’t share their confusion. They had witnessed their new Empress’ compassion and her caring for one of their own. They had witnessed how she actually interacted with the Emperor. The Emperor had declared her his Empress and that was enough for them to defend her; that Fala and Gyula didn’t understand that only proved that the Emperor was correct in removing them from his guard.
“Majesty!” Reeve began.
“Silence, Lord Reeve! Fala and Gyula live only because the Law does protect them, but I will have no male serving me or the Empire who has proven by his words and deeds that he does not value a female! It matters not what species she is! It matters not if she can present fit offspring! Females are the most precious gift the Goddess could ever give us and we will treat them as such!”
By the time the Emperor was finished there wasn’t a male there that doubted the Emperor’s rage. Or what would happen to the next male who did such as Fala and Gyula. Nervously they watched the Emperor stride out of the
room.
Chapter Twenty
Caitir immediately stood and bowed her head when Wray came striding into the room. She wasn’t sure what had angered him, but she wanted to do nothing to have it directed at her. Finding her not only sitting with his Empress, but talking to her could enrage him further.
Kim frowned at Caitir. Why had she suddenly jumped up? They had been talking about her coverings. Caitir had been informing her of the many different materials that would be available to her once she arrived on Tornian, explaining which ones would best suit her. Wray’s arrival had suddenly ended the conversation.
“Wray?" Rising Kim went to his side and placed a hand on his arm. "Is something wrong?”
“No, my Kim.” Wray said, taking a deep, calming breath. He would not allow his anger at Reeve, Fala and Gyula to touch the most precious thing in his life. “Just a disagreement during a meeting.”
“Oh. Is it anything I can help with?” She asked.
“I believe I have it under control, but thank you.” Wray raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Now tell me what you have been doing while I’ve been gone.”
“Oh, Wray," Kim smiled up at him, her eyes full of excitement. "Caitir and I have been having the most wonderful conversation about coverings while she hemmed this one.” She stepped back so he could see that it no longer dragged along on the floor. “And she was just telling me about all the wonderful materials that will be available to me on Tornian, which ones will be best for each season.”
Wray looked to the Auyangian female who stood silently before him, her head bowed and Wray had a startling, and not flattering realization. Had it not been for Kim, and the way Fala and Gyula had treated her, he never would have understood Caitir’s fear of being away from Jael. In all honesty, he wouldn’t have considered her at all because she wasn’t Tornian. It seemed Reeve’s warriors weren’t the only ones who needed to readjust how they viewed non-Tornian females.
“I thank you, Caitir, for staying with my Empress and helping her understand what she will need.” An idea suddenly struck that had him cocking his head to the side. “Are you and Jael currently serving any females here on Vesta, Caitir?”