I woke early something nagging at the back of my brain. I bathed and put on one of the dresses I'd brought in Hygria. I extracted the silk, inks, and parchment I'd brought in China town. Composing myself I extracted the Quintil’s Arch trump from the deck Vialle had given me and activated it.
I found myself standing at the bottom of the stairs facing the arch. Behind me the staircase ascended into the grey water. Ahead of me lay Remba. I hoped I could remember my way to the Royal Palace. I got lost twice and had to ask directions, the second time because the first Rebman hadn't realized I wasn't a shapeshifter.
When I got to the palace I remembered to first ask to pay my respects to the Queen before asking to see Llewella. Whether I was kept waiting for an hour on purpose I cannot say but I refused to become stressed by it. Moire, thanked me for remembering, told me that formality could be dispensed with in future if just visiting Llewella, and commented on the unusual style of my dress. I said that if her dressmaker could provide me with her measurements next time I was in that part of shadow I'd have one made up for her. She thanked me for the offer and moved on to the next matter. One of the stewards showed me to Llewella's Quarters.
I knocked and waited. It was obviously my day for waiting. I felt like the naughty girl at school waiting to see the principal. After 15 minutes the door opened. "Cordelia. Sorry for keeping you waiting. Do come in. So what is it I can do for you?"
It was all said in a way designed to demean, but I wasn't going to rise to be bait. "I've come to apologize for my behaviour during training and to ask if you will teach me more about trump. In recompense for any slight I may have caused I've brought you these."
I handed over the parcel. Then stood and waited. Llewella put the parcel on the table and began to unwrap it. She had just extracted the parchment, when she stopped withdrew her trump deck and fanned it. The card she stopped at she extracted and looked at. Then she glazed over as happens when receiving a trump call. 30 seconds later she continued as if nothing had happened. Present unwrapped she turned to face me. "Apology accepted. Your training will start once you return from the errand Random wants you to run. I want 10 exampler pieces of your art work when you do, so I can assess your ability. It's nice to see you've at least learnt to dress properly when out in public, although leaving Flora's quarters naked and racing through the palace is never a good move. You never know who you'll run into."
I was about to ask how she knew all that when she looked at me again. "Thats all. Random's waiting" I was beginning to hate her already. A servant showed me the way back to the palace gates, and I was then give an escort of 6 guards back to the arch. Once there I drew out the trump deck again, and pulled out the Palace Courtyard Trump.
I was directed to the Stateroom, where I had to wait for Random to free himself from the business at hand. "You want me to deliver the Gara-Ult order and return the ship to where it came from, don't you?"
"See I knew you were smart, but not quite. Yes, you're to take the Gara-Ult order. You'll also be taking two ships on this run so it'll be a bit more tricky. Sail down the coast till you reach Ashan - it'll take about two days. Buy enough cargo to fill the holds of both ships. Run to Hygria and sell what cargo you can or trade it for what you think will sell in AltoAngeles. Then run to Alto-Angeles. Sell all the cargo and bring the Night Star back here. It's up to you whether you want to find a cargo for the return trip. Gerard will be able to tell you what's in short supply at the moment. I suggest you get a move on the Captain of the Night Star wants to sail on the afternoon tide. Flora should be sorting you out some wet weather gear. Remember to keep both ships in view at all times. I'll talk to you again when you get back."
With his final words he turned and scuttled back into the crowd of waiting clerks, leaving me standing like a dumb struck starlet. I was brought out of my revive by the arrival of a servant; Flora was requesting my presence in her chambers. When I arrived she complained about my lack of preparedness and told me to sort myself out a wardrobe of my own rather than relying on her cast offs. I said nothing and followed her into the closet. About half way along she touched a panel on the wall which dissolved to reveal a doorway. I followed her through and found myself in a large pillared area. Stair cases lead up and down and a double set of archways enabled access to the galleries to the left and right. Ahead a ballustrade formed a barrier and prevented falling. Beyond the ballustrade opened a gallery like some vast opera house. I walked over to the edge. Above us the Gallery stretched upwards revealing another half dozen floors. The vista looking down was similar. Flora asked if I liked her wardrobe.
It took us just over an hour to select a suitable wardrobe for the voyage ahead. Apart from two storm outfits, I also selected half a dozen more dresses, several sets of underwear, and a dozen pairs of shoes and boots. Flora spent the whole time teasing me about not having any clothes and giving me a potted history of each piece I selected. By the time we left the closet she had succeeded in turning me on - if that had been her aim. When she put her arms around my waist as I went to leave the closet I didn't resist.
Three minutes later I was leaving her room with a bloody great itch that needed scratching. She'd got me to just before the point of climax and then stopped dead as if nothing had happened. She'd kissed me lightly and then told me I'd miss my sailing unless I got a move on. I could have throttled her on the spot. She'd then told me to run along like a "good girl" or there'd be no more treats. Bitch!
From then on until I boarded the Endevour again everything had been a rush. I'd thrown my clothes into the trunk, just in time for the footmen to rush it away to the waiting carriage. We'd raced down to the docks, where a furious Gerard had been waiting for me. He'd given me the manifest for the Gara-Ult order and a list of what was in short supply currently. He'd circled sugar cane and flaxseed. I'd barely boarded when the Captain cast off, the Night Star already exiting the harbour entrance.
It was almost evening when we sailed into Ashan. My heart soared as we sailed into port. I had been expecting another boring European style Medieval port like Amber, Tullbranich, or Hygria, but Ashan was different. It definitely had an oriental look and feel about it. As we tied up along side I could hear a mixture of languages that could be derived from Chinese. Whilst there were European influences, carts, heavy horses, and some of the buildings, the rest was predominately Oriental.
I decided I was going ashore. I found the captain and informed him of my intent procuring a couple of the crew to carry my trunk ashore. My first port of call as ever was the port authority office. Apart from paying the docking fees, and arranging supplies of food and water it was a good source of information regarding places to stay, local customs, and local gossip. I was pleased to note that the Port Master was Oriental. He was surprised when I presented the Royal Amber pennant as proof of who I said I was.
Formalaties dealt with I asked if he could recommend a zhaodaisuo. He suggested I try the Dou Shi on Two Points to the Wind Street. He asked if I needed transport, and when I said I did he organised a pair of kiaotsu for me. As I was about to leave he asked if I would do him the honour of dining with him and his wife that evening. If I'd been in a European port I could simply have said "No I had other plans" without causing any offense. By asking he had trapped me into having to say yes or provide some recompense to avoid losing face. I said I would and he said he'd send a kiaotsu for me at 8.00pm.
I left the office and boarded the kiaotsu. I said I need to go to the market to procure some small gifts on the way to the Dou Shi on Two Points to the Wind Street. There was a small change to the fee but I was more than happy with the result.
The Dou Shi was a large establishment and well apointed. I booked in taking the best room available I ordered tea and arranged the private use of the bath house. At 8.00 the kiaotsu arrived and I was taken to dinner with the Port Master. Dinner was a relaxed affair, although I caught him out by bringing him and his wife gifts. He now owed me. I left at about 11.00 and was taken back to the inn. Not being particularly tired I made my way to what in a Western Inn would be the bar. Normally a Chinese Inn would just be for sleeping with maybe a garden for relaxing in and occasionally a bath house. The Dou Shi was more a complex, having expanded to incorporate several neighbouring buildings and therefore offered a Tea house plus the "Bar". My entry attracted a lot of attention. Chinese women generally did not go into this sort of bar unless they were in the company of a man or of a particular profession and then they worked for the house. The fact that I carried myself as a noble woman, although the presence of my sword was confusing marker, and was dressed in fine silk as a Geisha might, caused a few seconds of silence whilst they tried to asses who I might be. I walked to a table and sat down. One of the serving girls came over. I ordered a bottle of wine and she scurried off to fetch it. I unfastened my sword and laid it across the table. Several pairs of eyes were watching me now, those belonging to 4 of the young men obviously and those of two older men more discretely.
The wine arrived and I poured myself a glass. As I put the bottle back on the table four figures arrived. They were under the impression that I was occupying their table. I offered to move. Apparently they were all their tables, but I could stay for a small fee. When I inquired what the fee was, they suggested we go upstairs. For several seconds I struggled to control an urge that suddenly enveloped me, there were four of them all young, I could do four easily. Somewhere a voice said "No". Calm returned. I looked up and told them that as kind as their offer was I'd pass. The closest one made a grab for me. I caught his arm, joint locked it and stood up, forcing his head onto the table, the motion knocking the bottle of wine over.
A new figure appeared, one of the two older warriors who'd been watching. "Not in here". The three who I wasn't restraining backed off. I released my grip. "So which one of you is paying for the wine?"
The response came from one of the three and amounted to "we don't pay for wine for slave whores". I hoped there were enough similarities in traditions and challeneged the four of them. I was not going to be degraded. The elder warrior looked at me. "You are a stranger here. You are therefore not bound to have to honor that challenge". The inn had started to quieten. I repeated the challenge. "So be it. The punishment if you lose"
"I will spend the night with the four of them"
"Their punishment should you win"
"They will replace my dress and pay my bills whilst I remain here"
I could see a glint in their eyes. The warrior turned to them. "Do you accept?" One by one they replied they did.
Since I'd made the challenge they had the right to choose weapons. They decided I should choose. I chose "Open Hands". This amused them. I took the knife from my sash and made an incision in the skirt of the dress about level with the bottom of the thigh muscle. Once the threads were cut tearing the silk was easy. I placed what had been the skirt of the dress on the table with my sword and slippers. They didn't look as confident now.
The grass outside was damp with condensation from the cooling night air. There would be a frost tonight. I performed a few exercises and set my mind whilst I waited for them to prepare themselves. They would have done better had they not taken as long. We bowed and I waited, seeing who would break first. They started to fan out, trying to outflank me. I let them turn me, whilst at the same time starting to favour one side. By the time the jump kick came they realized their mistake. The remaining three charged. The closest one I threw into the path of the one furthest away, leaving me free to roll past the second one, trip him, and then knock him out before springing away and back to my feet. The fourth one had avoided his thrown friend and arrived in a superior position forcing me to block furiously.
He was no where near fast enough though, and a couple of distracting slaps were enough to break his rythum and disrupt his guard. He failed to block the neck strike. That just left his friend who'd now gotten to his feet. He took one look at his buddies and decided to try and leave. He didn't get very far. I hauled him back then dumped him in a pile with his buddies. I then extracted a bucket of water from the well, and dumped it over them. The cold water did the trick.
"Right. I hope that you are not going to disgrace your ancestors by not having the means to pay what you owe. If you have insufficient coin then I will arrange to have you taken to Amber, at your expense of course, and there you will serve in the royal household until your debts are paid. I shall expect a pound of silver from each of you first thing in the morning" I turned to the warrior. "Take their names before they leave and ensure they mark it with their blood. If they fail to turn up in the morning then a bounty of 1 pound of silver for each will be yours. Otherwise I shall pay you for your services then."
I walked back into the bar. The coolness of the night air was beginning to have its affect. When I returned to my table I found it occupied. There was a fresh bottle of wine, two glasses, and the old warrior who'd been watching me earlier. "I hope you don't mind but I procured another bottle of wine to replace the one that was spilt, in the hope that age may sit with beauty for a while."
I sat down a little stunned. He looked a little old to be picking up young women, but he had that sort of keen edgyness about him that indicated that there was more here than met the eye. "It is said flattery will get you everywhere". He refilled my glass and offered it to me.
"I hope you are not trying to get me drunk so that you can take advantage of me"
"That was not my intention, Sharing a bottle of wine makes one only half as drunk as if one drank the whole bottle alone"
"True. A toast then to only being half drunk"
We whiled away the next hour slowly consuming the bottle and conversing about past experiences - mine mostly. When I rose he did to. He then asked if he could escort me to my lodgings. I told him it was only a short walk. He said it would still be an honor, so I agreed. He showed no sign of surprise when I headed for the interior of the complex. We arrived outside my room; he then tried to excuse himself. I put my finger on his lips, slid open the doors, and ushered him inside.
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