Chapter 27

Evanis lay on the bed, propped up on her elbows, and watched Jabbit. He had an absent expression on his face and used a fingertip to outline the contours of the snake tattoo on her groin.

“Do you like my tattoo,” she asked after a while to gain his attention.

“Hmm? ... Oh, sorry, I was thinking about something else but yes, I like the tattoo.”

“I’m lying naked next to you on your bed and you tell me you thought about something else?” She asked with a raised eyebrow. “You like to live a dangerous life, don’t you?”

Jabbit grinned at her. “The snake looks dangerous but you are a pussycat after we fucked.”

“After we fucked?” She questioned, sniggering. “You’re as romantic as I am.”

“You hear that? You’re giggling; you don’t even sound like your usual self.”

“Are you complaining?” She asked, returning his grin. “So, what were you thinking about if not about me, lover boy?”

“About something Rhaseris asked me a few days ago.”

Evanis rolled onto her side and looked him in the eyes. “You think about the Princess while I’m lying next to you?” She asked, purring like a cat but her green-eyes darkened.

“Yes,” he answered, ignorant of the carnivorous danger at his side. “She wanted to know whether I ever feel jealous. I don’t know and told her so.”

Evanis snorted. “What a surprising answer coming from you.”

Jabbit continued, unperturbed. “So she asked me to imagine you in the arms of another man. That’s what I was thinking about just now. Well, that and if I really should enchant your snake tattoo.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t mind me; I’m just kidding,” he said and chuckled but then he frowned and musingly added, “I think.”

Evanis first looked at the cobra head tattooed adjacent to her left hipbone and then at Jabbit, suspiciously. The sound of soft knocking interrupted both their musings. Jabbit stood up and as he opened the window shutter, Sybelien slipped into the room. She looked from the naked Jabbit to the naked Evanis on the bed and blushed.

“Hello Sybil,” Evanis greeted, not blushing but languorously lounging on the bed. “Don’t let Ansa see what you did to your dress.”

Sybelien looked at herself; her dress was splotched, torn and abraded in many places. It also had obtained a brand new feature, a split from hip to hem.

She shrugged. “Two guards are placed at my door. I decided to take another route but I’m not used wearing dresses.” Grumbling she added, “and neither to this clumsy new body.”

Evanis grinned at Sybelien. “You have my sympathy. I remember, I felt the same when I was a growing girl. Anyway, how was your rendezvous with the King?”

“It wasn’t a rendezvous,” Sybelien answered. “I was invited to a dinner with the whole var Dosha family, kids and all.”

“Oh well, the King is too old for you anyway,” Evanis noted.

“I guess that’s why he offered me to wed his son, instead,” Sybelien dryly commented.

“Do you mean Khalib, the slimy little weasel?” Evanis asked.

Sybelien nodded.

“That’s not a very good offer,” Evanis said with a frown. Suddenly her expression changed and she looked at Jabbit with a devious smile on her face. “Doesn’t the King have someone at hand who looks as studly as Prince Agon? Now that would be an offer to which I wouldn’t say no.”

“Oh Really?” Jabbit asked, reflecting her smile. “That reminds me - Sybil, do you also have tattoos of dangerous animals close to very sensitive places at your body?”

“Ouh ... no, “Sybelien answered, looking back and forth between the two. “Somehow I have the feeling I lack the background of this discussion.” Then she focused on Evanis. “Are you teaching him your evil grin? If so, I can tell you already succeeded.”

“No,” Evanis answered. “I’m teaching him not to become too full of himself because he is not the only...” As her voice abruptly died, she glared at Jabbit, who still smiled at her.

“Just say it, Eva. I’m not the only ... what?” He prompted.

Evanis pinched her lips then jumped off the bed and dressed, all the while glaring at Jabbit. Done dressing, she stomped to the door and ripped it open.

“What? No kiss goodbye, lover girl?”

The door slammed shut behind Evanis.

Jabbit was still watching the closed door to his chamber when Sybelien interfered with his contemplations.

“Ouh ... boss,” she hesitantly intruded. “Now that Eva has left, I’d like a private talk with you, please.”

“A rendezvous?” He asked, with a brand-new grin.

“Boss, you’re scaring me.”

Jabbit’s grin morphed into a frown. “I’m doing it all wrong,” he sighed. “I still have so much to learn.”

“No, not all,” Sybelien said. “Luckily for you, there is only one Evanis. For a man, you’re actually doing very well. You’re alive after all ... But now that I think about it; the only reason you’re alive is that you’re actually not a man. It’s complicated, I guess. Sorry, you better talk to someone else about Evanis and you - maybe to Ansa ... wait, no, definitely not Ansa!”

Jabbit’s frown only deepened while he listened to Sybelien. “You are making fun of me, aren’t you?”

Sybelien’s eyes became impossibly large. “Boss! How can you think such a thing? You are the boss! I’d never...”

A sigh and wave of his hand silenced her - just figuratively, of course. “I get it. Now tell me what you wanted to talk to me about?” He grumbled and sat down on the bed.

Sybelien looked at the floor. “Could you put something on, or cover yourself with the sheets, please?” She asked. “It’s distracting to look at you.”

“Typical, why didn’t it distract you a moment ago when you made fun of me? Now it’s too late to do me any good,” he remarked. Still, he grabbed a sheet and covered his indecency.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’m just not used to it.”

“I know. Now tell me what you wanted to tell me before you decided making fun of your boss was more important.”

“You won’t let it go until you take your revenge on me, am I right?”

“Right,” he answered, grinning again.

“Oh well,” Sybelien sighed. “I already mentioned the King’s proposal. He wants me to wed his son, Khalib, and when Dharos of Tunapor dies, Hassunabi will help me to get crowned as the next Alorian Empress.”

Sybelien paused and looked at Jabbit. He placidly returned her gaze and waited.

Another sigh and she resumed her report. “Well, I think he actually wants his son to become the ruler of Katerra, or even rule himself through his son. At least I don’t think it will be me doing any ruling. You only told me you want me to become the Empress, so I don’t know if this complies with your plans. That’s why I wanted to ask you how I should reply to his proposal.”

Jabbit shrugged. “What do you want to do?”

Sybelien frowned. “You don’t care?”

Jabbit shook his head. “I care about what you want to do, not what the King of Ibanee wants you to do.”

“Oh,” Sybelien exclaimed. “But I don’t know what to do.”

“You don’t know what you want to do?”

Sybelien groaned. “Is this already your revenge? I don’t want to wed the King’s son. I hardly know Khalib but I already don’t like him. But Agon said it’s a good plan. There will be no reason for a war. Nobody has to die and everyone will be better off. I think Agon is right,” she said and frowned.

Jabbit nodded. “Do you want everyone to be better off?”

Sybelien looked down at her feet. “No,” she whispered.

“Then tell the King you won’t wed his son.”

“But... , “ she looked up and saw the smile on his face. “Are you making fun of me?”

“No,” he answered.

“But if I tell the King I won’t wed his son, he will not help me. I cannot become the Empress without an army.”

“You said you didn’t care about becoming the Empress of Aloria. I want you to become the Empress.”

“Yes, but I thought I should take the Kings offer to help with your plan? Shouldn’t I?”

“I told you what I want from you, Sybil,” Jabbit calmly replied. “And it wasn’t to wed someone’s son, was it?”

Sybelien looked at her feet again. “No,” she whispered, “But what if I never... , “

“That doesn’t matter,” Jabbit interrupted.

“Good, I’ll decline the King’s offer,” Sybelien decided. “Like you told me to do.”

“Women!” Jabbit groaned.

Sybelien grinned at him. “See, you aren’t too bad and you’re learning.” She looked at Jabbit sitting at the head of the bed and suddenly her smile was gone. “I better go now, before someone notices I’m not in my room and they start a search for their escaped guest.”

After she said that, Sybelien sat down at the foot end of the bed.

“Do you want me to open the door for you or is this a lesson to teach me something?” Jabbit asked. “Saying one thing but doing another.”

“I was wondering... , “ she started then stopped, looked down at her lap and smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress. “The last few days when I woke up in the morning... , “ she stopped again and looked at Jabbit. “You know, on the ship, I shared a bunk with Ansa, don’t you?”

“Yes, I know,” he answered, watching the wrestling match of the fingers in her lap.

“Do you also know that Ansa likes men and women the same way?”

Jabbit nodded, a solemn expression on his face. “I know Anseyla liked many people - men and women. She knows many different ways to like someone. Anseyla is very good at liking people.”

Sybelien groaned, turned her face away from Jabbit and looked at her lap again.

“Since we were little girls, we often shared a bed but until my body started changing we only cuddled and slept. Now she’s touching me differently. It’s terribly annoying!” She huffed, looked up and stared at Jabbit. “This new body is terribly annoying! A few days ago I had to look up at everyone, even up at the small Princess Anjatta. Now I’m half a head taller and weigh twice as much as her. I feel like a cow standing next to Anjatta - complete with udders!”

“So you want your body to change back into the body you were used to before you healed?”

“Yes!” She exclaimed.

Jabbit shrugged. “I doubt it will happen. I’ve never seen anything alive return from growing up.”

Sybelien glared at him. “You can make it happen.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because I asked you to do it!”

Jabbit shook his head. “I understood the lesson. You’re saying one thing but you want another.”

Sybelien balled her hands into fists and opened her mouth ... then shut it again and looked down at her lap.

“Anseyla is teasing me,” she whispered. “I wake up and her hands are on my body. She touches me everywhere and I pretend I’m still asleep. She knows where and how to touch me. She also knows I’m not sleeping. She doesn’t say anything but she also doesn’t... , “ her voice faded out.

“She also doesn’t finish what she started,” Jabbit completed for her.

Sybelien nodded and since Jabbit also didn’t say anything for a while, the silence lengthened.

Jabbit broke the stillness after a while. “I think I understand.”

“What do you understand?”

“I understand why you are telling this to me and not to Anseyla.”

“You do?” She asked, some doubt in her voice.

“You know how it feels to walk on the path but you want to know the destination. You come to me and not Anseyla because you believe I can show it to you in a way she can’t; a way which won’t make you feel awkward and ashamed.”

“Yes!” Sybelien avidly nodded. “Can you show it to me, please?”

Jabbit shrugged. “I can try but I need to touch you.”

Sybelien froze.

Jabbit smiled. “Don’t worry. You can keep your clothes on and we only have to touch each other with the tip of a finger.”

“Really?” She asked.

“Really,” he answered.