Ashtium: City of Sun

GRETA

I never wanted to end up breaking one of my god’s very own possessions. It was an accident, but it was so cramped standing behind there. Enoch and Adler took forever to come back, but I stayed in the same place like my god wanted me to, waiting for their return. So when it broke, naturally, I ran and hid.

I hadn’t meant to bump into it.

“Greta,” a loud voice booms across the expanse of the bathing pool room. “Don’t hide, please. The urn is worthless. I am not angry.”

Silently, I leave my place underneath the shelter of a low-hanging stone arch structure near the wall. A group of people must be coming around the temple. My muscles tense up, they sound like they are just on the other side.

My god nears me with a worried look.

“What is happening?” I ask curiously.

Adler presses his ear against the wall while peering down at me. I copy his movements, listening to the growing chatter outside the temple.

He pulls away from the wall. “The party is coming here.”

“Party?”

Excited seeing the new energy in his step, I follow him down the length of the pool until we reach the passage leading out. My god presses my back gently, letting me back into the temple first.

“You don’t need to go back to the palace or courtyard now, little pearl. You can stay around my...chair. You’ll be safe there with the others,” he whispers over my shoulder. “Come, now. I hope you’re hungry.”

I don’t like how irritated he sounds, but I nod my head anyway.

I hope he isn’t mad at me still. We stop behind his frightening tall marble chair while he pulls some sort of veil over my head. It hides the portion of my face from my nose upward. The back is even longer and covers my hair entirely.

Through the thin fabric, I see my god’s silvery form turn away. I follow him around his seat and sit on the circular cushion beside it.

Feeling small, I struggle to find his piercing eyes through the veil as I look up into the blur of his face.

“Others?” I echo while hugging myself.

“Yes, the roads the enslaved built were finished today. We’re going to be celebrating many accomplishments. There will be food and music. It may be overwhelming for-”

“Will Enoch be coming?”

My god pats my head.

“Yes,” he assures me. Feeling giddy, I bounce up and down on the fluffy cushion. Maybe this is why I was made to have such a luxurious bath. Adler did say it will be nice to be clean for Enoch and especially for a celebration like this. “Everyone is coming. That is why we must be careful,” he finishes in a softer voice.

My jaw drops watching him pick up a sparkling, vibrant glowing wreath -- much bigger and glorious than the false god’s. He sets it on top of his head while sitting down on his elevated chair beside me.

Many people start trickling into the temple.

“Adler, dear!” Enoch’s mother calls out.

Love radiates from my god as he replies in a honied tone, “My beautiful, Femke. I thought the celebration was to be at the palace? Enoch told me so. Why have you all come here instead?”

The dull grey outline of the empress’s tunic flares out around her elegant form. It doesn’t seem like an ordinary tunic. A couple figures move by her, her response goes unheard over their noisy discussions as they place things down on the table near her. A few people join me on more cushions by my god’s feet.

They wear veils like mine and are equally as silent.

Nervous, I clutch the edge of Adler’s tunic. It spills over his legs and onto the floor keeping my damp skin warm as it falls over my lap like a blanket.

Several more people come inside carrying another long table. They set it across from my god on the other side of the burning grey flames of the fire pit where the empress stands.

My god taps my shoulder, gazing down over the stone armrest of his chair above my head.

“Go get some food, little pearl. Why don’t you pick some things out for me and Enoch too when he gets here?”

I don’t think my hair has ever felt so silky before. It glides across my shoulders when I bound upward to do my god’s will.

“Okay!” I smile.

***

ENOCH

“Mother, I hadn’t even made it halfway back to the palace. What made you bring the company here? Where is Urdmin? Is he behind this?” I ask urgently.

Having them all arrive here on such short notice will only insult the emporer.

The wine doesn’t soothe my nerves. It tastes extra strong tonight as I eye the buffet of food we stand beside.

Tonight, her hair is curled in wonderful waves and her dress is studded in gems mined centuries ago.

Many other wealthy Shelliv women wear similiar clothes, but the difference is the empress is wearing white. She looks otherworldly, and for once, she truly has captured father’s attention away from the whores sitting around him right now.

Her brown eyes are merry. “It was my suggestion.”

“Truly?”

“Of course, Enoch. I get bored of the palace walls. Entertaining in here provides a nice new atmosphere.”

I bite into my fried dough while returning my attention to the advisors playing around. The air is strong of perfume and sweat. I try to listen to the upbeat strings played around us, but the temple’s enclosed space is too chaotic and congested.

“Look at them!” Lucas laughs.

I follow his stare watching some advisors, not much older than our own age, paw at the whores. They are slaves, but we all can see why. They have been imprisoned by mother for their flaunting of beauty.

“Do you envy him?” I ask nonchalant.

“Sure I do,” Lucas boasts with a cheeky grin.

The ankle bracelets the slaves wear swing across the floor in flashes of silver and gold while they dance away.

A few street whores are mixed in with their group and remain on the ground crowded around Adler’s advisors. Although their faces are hidden at an event like this, every man and woman in here can tell they are beautiful. It is the only reason Adler allows them to get so close, slave or not.

One particular whore looks quite beautiful. I can’t help making out the form of her body as she stands on her tiptoes to feed Adler grapes over the edge of his seat.

“What is he doing?” I whisper out loud.

Lucas shrugs. “Being a man of the Shelliv. He’s our ruler. It’s good he’s not acting all high and mighty.”

I can’t stand this. Being hand fed? This is just absurd! Lucas may have a point, but Adler is not worthy of this level of worship.

After shoving my plate in his hands, I march ahead through the crowd. Screw this celebration. Nothing has been accomplished tonight by our politicians. The slaves are still in chains.

Father said he would free them. He never made the announcement tonight like I hoped.

“Hi,” I say curtly behind the back of the whore feeding him. Her form is taller than I initially thought this close.

Her black tunic drifts around her as she turns to face me.

Adler’s chin tilts slightly in my direction, but he makes no effort to stop me. I chain her wrists smiling as father’s face turns purple.

This technically is my job -- to arrest whores and add to our ever growing slave count. Lucas, more meekly, begins handling a few whores behind me on the ground.

The emperor does not have the audacity to spare me a glance.

“Unchain her,” he chides while leisurely resting his head in his palm.

“Are you going to let me unchain all the slaves then?”

“Enoch...” Lucas warns me.

The rowdy room becomes silent. I raise my voice knowing I surely can’t be the only one with this on my mind.

“You heard me!” I shout while facing the watching crowd. “He promised them freedom, but they still serve. Our city is well advanced enough. Why free one, but not them all?”

Mother parts from the crowd with her whip swaying on her hip as she crosses her arms. Her mouth turns down in distaste.

“As empress, I will handle this. No one off the street is permitted on such grounds as these. Allow me to return to court with them,” Mother declares.

Adler picks up the whore by the arm and dangles her between us until he hoists her up and onto his chair. She lands snugly inside. He moves in front of it blocking the whore from my reach.

He speaks with ease, “The slave population is at its necessary maximum.”

“But you won’t free them,” I argue.

He sits down in his chair pulling the chained whore onto his lap and unclamps her wrist clasps. Then he tucks her into the enclosure of his robes as if protecting a newborn.

“Enough, Enoch. Have you brought your companion?” he asks while stroking the whore’s back.

“Greta?” I murmur with rising suspicion.

“I’m sorry?” Father says. “What was that? Speak up.”

Mother does for me.

“The street whore! It’s her, isn’t it? Let me see her face.”

Father doesn’t move. Neither do his advisors sitting around him on the floor with their own slaves to toy with. Mother won’t be able to reach him, but Urdmin can. He parts from his fellow advisors and kneels in front of Adler.

“Emperor, may I remind you that I was assaulted by such a woman as you hold. By Ashta law, I have a right to arrest all whores as prince Enoch has already begun to do here tonight. It is not moral to keep such things here.”

Adler nods his head. “Very well, Urdmin. Take them away.”

“But the one you hold-”

“Is my son’s lover,” Adler finishes sharply.

Bracelets swirl up to mother’s elbows matching the color of her pearl necklace. She rips it off at Adler’s comment and turns away with her whip in hand watching me with new outrage.

She waits for an explanation, but what can I tell her right now?

Ignoring her, I make my way to his chair watching his arm circle around the “whore’s” back. He picks her up like a mother does a toddler and sets her on the ground while watching me.

“Go on,” I hear him tell her.

A strange smile forms on his face as she leaves the recesses of his robes and bolts over to me.

“Enoch, you came!” Greta whisper-yells while hugging me tight.

“What in Ashtium’s name is the meaning of this?” I bark back at the emperor’s smirk.

Adler shrugs and walks around his chair. “I found her in here waiting on you.”

A cold hand grabs my bicep before I can raise another question.

“Enoch?” Mother says with surprise.

Without asking, she lifts the veil from Greta’s face.

Doesn’t she recognize Greta? I know she found her in the temple before, but it is normally dark in here. Greta has gained some weight and a little more color. She looks more healthy now.

Mother looks Greta up and down, but her joy doesn’t appear to falter.

She stares openly at Greta, clasping her hands together with a look of joy. “Oh, it so wonderful to finally meet you! You have been seeing each other for some time, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” I answer stiffly.

Greta nods rapidly, her gaze not leaving mother’s whip.

“I’m sorry about the whole misunderstanding. You are surely no whore. How old are you? Five hundred? Your hair is such a refined tone, my dear. Enoch, I didn’t know you were interested in such older women!”

How rude of her to openly assume Greta an elder. Who knows what else she is assuming now too.