Chapter 7 - Memories of the Beginning

Shivers ran through Kaylene as she swallowed the blood from my bleeding lip. Her legs wrapped around my thighs and her arms held me against her as she quivered under me. At last she relaxed and took her mouth off my now bruised lip. "Oh goddess, that was wonderful! It's been far too long since you let me have a taste of you."

When she'd released me, I'd licked my lip and sealed the wound, but it was still sore from her hunger. "I hadn't realized we'd been apart so long, my sweet Kaylene. You know I would never neglect you."

The blood she drank was a part of a covenant between us. The covenant stated that she would keep my secrets, and protect me in times of need, and in return, my blood would strengthen her, keep her healthy and extend her life. This covenant I kept with all of my Maidens, past and present. It was also a covenant I made with Vincent, my Chamberlain, David, my Seneschal, and Carlton, my Alchemist.

After resting for a while, she looked at me with a grin. "As much as I want to lay here with you all night, m'Lord, I do have my other responsibilities." She kissed me and sat up. "And I'm not nearly as jealous of Iris as I was earlier. But you will need to do something to bring the rest of your Garden to contentment. Think about how best to satisfy our desires for you." Then she got up, and walked out to the sitting room to dress.

I noted that she did so directly through the doorway to my bedchamber. And smiled up at me often as I lay on the bed watching her. "Remember, m'Lord, the covenant binds us all. And I'm not the only who was feeling unhappy." Then she blew me a kiss, and closed the door to my chambers behind her.

I lay back and knew she was right. I'd need to decide how best to make almost twenty women happy with me again. A daunting task, but one that promised to be most pleasant. Then I thought about our covenant, and one I'd held with another woman so long ago.

The day after my discussion and supper with Mistress Nalita, Paul and I were walking the warehouses, looking for new and exotic goods. We found ourselves talking to one of the spice merchants we'd done business with on our last journey. " I have 200 barrels of nutmeg in storage. I have 500 barrels of cloves coming in next week, and no cash to pay for them unless I sell the nutmeg. I'll sell the nutmeg for one hundred florins each, if you buy them all." I did some calculating in my head. The barrels probably held 200 pounds of spice. Even with the knowledge I'd be flooding the market at home, I could still sell the nutmeg for five florins a pound. A very sweet profit.

But my thoughts were interrupted by Paul's voice. "Aye, t'would be a marvelous purchase, but we haven't a warehouse to store 150 barrels while we carry the first lot home." I was about to contradict him, when four heavily tanned islanders approached.

"Master Erlic, son of Gustaf?" The apparent leader of the quartet asked.

I nodded. "Ahh excellent. The Mistress instructed us to join you and make certain all arrangements were completed to your satisfaction."

Paul looked at me with a frown. "Who is this Mistress, and what arrangements have ye made behind me back, partner?"

I answered him calmly. "Mistress Nalita and I;" I noted he paled at the name; apparently she had spoken true, it was a name he recognized. "Have come to an agreement. I believe these gentlemen are the master's of the four ships she has made available to us." The four men nodded their confirmation.

"Boy, don't ye be playing games with me. I know the name ye speak. And she isn't one to be making sport of! I don't know whom you think you dealt with, but it most certainly wasn't the Lady. Now, tell me what this wench looked like. We'll inform the powers that be about this charade, and let them do what they choose."

I nodded and looked him in the eye. "She was a small woman, maybe a foot shorter than I." I watched him nod in satisfaction, assuming, I knew, that I would describe an island wench. "She had long hair, the color of flame," I watched him pale again. "Her eyes were a brilliant iridescent green." He seemed to have trouble swallowing. "Oh, and she had the most wonderfully freckled cheeks." He leaned against a stack of boxes heavily.

"Sweet merciful goddess boy, what have ye gotten mixed up with?"