It was time for the Founding Day high feasts. Sayana was not looking forward to them. At court, it was three days of high feasts and their corresponding entertainments. Lord Arken had warned them that they would have to attend all three feasts, as the emperor’s courtesans were required to be present for every high feast. However, he reassured them, they would only have to stay for the feast. They would not be required to stay for the rest of the evening.

The morning of the first feast arrived. They all had breakfast and did their exercises. Then it was back to their rooms for preparation for the afternoon. Sayana called her servants in and took a quick shower to sluice off any sweat she might have picked up while exercising. Then she wrapped herself in a robe.

“How do you want us to do your hair today?” Ardatha asked.

“Let’s go with curls in the lower third. We’ll pin up the rest and leave those curls loose.” It was elegant and simple, which fit Sayana’s taste perfectly.

“I think I know what you mean, my lady.” Vai looked at her sisters. “I’ve seen that style before.”

“Vai, you work on her hair then.” Ardatha looked over at the two bottles on the shelf. “My lady, do you want the sunfire rose perfume today?”

“Yes, I do.” Sayana preferred that one over the other.

“I’ll get that out.” Faviola went to the perfumes.

“Which gown today, my lady?” Ardatha opened the closet and Sayana looked at the three of her new formal gowns hanging there. The fashion had changed only four days before the high feasts. The gowns were heavy, uncomfortable, and would make walking a chore. However, she had to be in style and so she’d designed the three she would be wearing to the high feasts. Any more than that would have to wait until after the Founding Day celebrations were over.

It took her a moment to choose. “The two-tone blue one.”

Vai heated the curling iron. She combed a light gel through the hair to make it easier to style without losing the softness of the silken strands. Once the curling iron was hot, she started curling the lower third of Sayana’s hair.

Faviola set out the perfume and the makeup. She set out the blue palette and a light coral pink for her lips. Sayana didn’t know why she should bother putting on lipstick, but if she tried to argue with Faviola, it would be like arguing with a plasteel wall. Even though no one would see her mouth, she wasn’t properly dressed without lipstick as far as her young servant was concerned.

“Faviola, hand me the box of hair pins, please?” Vai asked. Faviola paused in what she was doing to pass her sister the necessary items.

Sayana noticed that Faviola was also setting out the eyeliner and the mascara. “Faviola, you know I don’t use those.” Sayana looked at the young servant. “Not even for the emperor.”

“This is different, my lady.” Faviola gave her that stubborn look she knew too well. “Your eyes are what the courtiers are going to see the most of today. You want them to stand out.”

“Not really, Faviola.” Sayana grimaced. “I’d rather be ignored by the courtiers as much as possible.”

“That’s not going to happen, my lady.” Ardatha looked at her solemnly. “The whole court is anxious to finally catch a glimpse, veiled though you’ll be, of the emperor’s courtesans. There have been rumors flying about all of you off and on since your arrival and people are going to want to know what’s truth and what’s lies. You’re going to have a lot of eyes focusing in on you.”

Sayana scowled. “I was hoping to avoid attention.”

Ardatha shook her head. “If it were the next feast days, or if you’d been here more than a few months, you’d be as ignored as the rest of the lower court nobility. But this is the first high feast day where all of you ladies will be present. You’re going to be watched closely.”

“Wonderful,” Sayana muttered.

Vai took a long time in getting Sayana’s hair perfect. Black pins were used to hide them within Sayana’s curls, and midnight sapphire studded combs were put in at key locations to give her a more elegant look. Ardatha and Faviola helped Sayana put on her stockings and shoes and then fastened her into her gown. Faviola did Sayana’s makeup because if Sayana had tried, the voluminous sleeves would have dragged through the palette and gotten stained.

A little perfume was daubed onto her wrists and a brush of it went on her throat. Earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet went on as well. “There,” Ardatha said. “You are a work of art, my lady.”

Sayana fastened her veil on. “I certainly hope so. If I look like anything less, I’ll embarrass myself, Lord Arken, and the emperor.” She sighed. “And I have two more days of this.”

“Just get through today and worry about tomorrow when it comes,” Ardatha advised.

“That’s good advice, Ardatha.” Sayana smiled at the women. “Thank you. You ladies are dismissed until after the feast, when I’ll need you to get me out of this stuff.”

“Yes, my lady.” Her servants slipped out of the room.

Sayana walked out of her room and out into the sitting area. Marin and Zarina were already waiting. “I have no idea how we’re going to walk to the great hall.” Zarina tugged on her skirt. “This gown is so heavy.”

“We’ll walk slowly and as gracefully as we can manage.” Marin’s eyes scrunched up as she made a face. “Even if we look like we’re pregnant.”

“If this is how a pregnant woman walks, I hope to never get into that position.” Zarina stared down at her dress.

Marin nodded. “Agreed.”

Angharad joined them next, followed by Renate. Ji-Hye was the last to join the group. She came out several minutes after Renate. Arken came in, dressed in his own finery. It was clear to see from his wardrobe that he was a man of a great deal of wealth and prestige, if Sayana knew anything about reading a courtier’s clothing.

“Good, you are all ready.” Arken nodded his approval. “The Imperial guards should be here any moment.” A servant appeared and whispered something in his ear. “Excuse me, they are here now. Stay with them. Do not wander off. If they stop, you stop. If they walk, you walk. They will get you into place and later bring you back to the wing.”

“Yes Lord Arken.” Marin led the way out of the courtesan wing.

The walk was long and painful. The women were soon gasping for breath as the Imperial guards set a brisk pace. The guards stopped in several key places, giving the women a chance to catch their breath and rest for a moment before having to trek onward. Sayana soon lost track of where she was going, focusing solely on the Imperial guard and the pain her gown was causing her.

After perhaps a twenty minute walk, they reached the great hall. The Imperial guards showed the women to their seats and took up stations along the wall behind them.

The room soon filled with so many people Sayana couldn’t count them all. The emperor was already in his seat at the high table, along with those nobles considered high enough in rank to be honored with that privilege. Sayana noticed that Arken was one of those nobles.

Servants served the first course to the emperor and his table first. Then they served the courtesans and the other upper court nobility. Sayana stared at the first course she was presented with. It was a soup of some kind. It looked to be cream based, with some kind of green leafy vegetable, a starchy root cut into thin slices, small cut onion, and meat in little irregularly shaped clumps. It smelled good and Sayana was interested in trying it.

She waited, as she’d been instructed, until the emperor took the first bite. Then she took a bite of the soup. She was very glad Lord Arken had them practice eating with their veils on. It had been some time since she’d tried, and she’d been out of practice. Poor Angharad had needed a crash course in how to eat and drink with a veil on because her academy had never taught her that skill. Arken had been merciless, reminding them all repeatedly that they could not show their faces at any point during the feast.

She nibbled at the soup. It had a surprisingly spicy flavor to it, though it was mild enough not to burn her mouth too badly. A servant came around and filled her glass with a deep crimson wine. Sayana took a small drink. Her opinion of wine had not changed, and she dreaded having to drink a great deal of it.

She finished her soup and got away with only two more mouthfuls of wine. A servant came and took her empty bowl. A group of musicians moved into the center of the room and began to play. Several of the younger members of the court jumped up and began to dance. They danced until they were too tired to continue and returned to their seats. Only then did the musicians leave the middle of the floor and the next course was served.

This course was a completely unknown vegetable. It looked like small round balls of something green and leafy cut into wedges, served with onion and small diced chunks of what Sayana thought was bacon. This one had a tart sauce on it and Sayana ate what she was given without knowing what it was. It tasted pretty good, even if the wedges were slightly bitter. She ate everything she was given.

Angharad seemed to dislike what she was given but seeing that the others were eating it all, she did the same. She was already more than halfway through her glass of wine, and they were only on the second course. Sayana drank another few mouthfuls of wine.

As the dishes were cleared away, a man in the uniform of an Imperial scholar stepped into the center of the room. “Hear then the story of the founding of our glorious empire,” he began.

Sayana focused her attention on the story, listening to a tale she’d read a couple different versions of. This one was different from those versions, and it was fascinating enough to hold her attention for the forty-five minutes it took for the whole story to be told. At the end of the story, there was a spate of polite applause and servants came around with the third course.

This was the main course. Today’s entrée was a fish meal. At least Sayana thought it was fish. It certainly had that familiar fishy smell she equated to seafood. What it was she couldn’t have told anyone. The side dishes on the plate were just as unrecognizable as the seafood dish. She ate it all and drank a little more of her wine. She was starting to feel the buzz and saw she was almost halfway through her glass of wine.

After the main course was over, another set of musicians took the floor and once again the younger courtiers jumped up to dance. They were less energetic now than they had been the first time, and this interlude lasted a shorter time than the previous one.

The final course was dessert and Sayana bit back a groan. Dessert was a chocolate cake sandwiched with layers of chocolate and vanilla cream surrounded by a thick layer of chocolate. A slice was given to her, and she stared at it in dismay. She was allergic to chocolate. It made her violently sick.

She intercepted Arken’s look, and she understood what he couldn’t say with words. It didn’t matter if it made her sick. She had to eat it. She waited for the emperor to eat the first bite and then started slowly eating her way through her dessert.

Her stomach protested, but Sayana still forced herself to eat the whole thing. She drank a little more wine to cut the chocolate taste from her mouth. One final entertainment, a group of very acrobatic performers, took the stage and did their routine. Sayana struggled to keep from throwing up all over the table. Once the acrobats were finished, the Imperial guard stepped up and the women were escorted back to the courtesan wing.

Sayana bolted into her bathroom and vomited, losing all the food she’d eaten at the feast. She could barely hold herself up as she lost her stomach contents. Hands steadied her and kept her from completely collapsing. She glanced up to see Marin looking at her with some concern.

“Are you all right, Sayana?” she asked.

“I’m allergic to chocolate,” Sayana told her once she caught her breath. “It makes me violently sick.” She dragged herself to her feet and rinsed her mouth out. She blew her nose and flushed the toilet. “I found that out at the academy.”

“You poor thing,” Marin told her. “Did you manage to call for your servants?”

Sayana shook her head. “I’ll do that now.” Marin hugged her and left. Sayana called her servants and got changed. She joined the other courtesans.

“That was an awful experience.” Ji-Hye made a face. “I didn’t know anything we ate, and while most of it was good that fish dish that we had for our main course was almost inedible to me.”

“Those leafy wedges were awful to me.” Angharad made a retching sound.

“I enjoyed everything except the dessert. If it had been anything except chocolate, I think I’d have been better.” Sayana put a hand to her mouth and swallowed back the bile as her stomach continued rebelling.

“At least the entertainments were interesting.” Marin was watching Sayana with some concern.

“How did the younger courtiers have any energy to dance wearing the gowns we do?” Renate asked.

“Didn’t you notice? The ones who were dancing weren’t in fashion.” Marin glanced at Renate. “They were all lower court nobles.”

“That makes better sense why they were dancing then.” Ji-Hye groaned. “I thought I was going to die walking to the great hall in that gown.”

“So did I.” Sayana took a deep breath and let it out. “The Imperial guards had us practically running and those gowns are heavy.”

“I almost passed out more than once because of the weight and the speed we were moving.” Zarina looked tired.

“I will endeavor to ask the Imperial guards to move at a slower pace, though they have to have you in place before the rest of the court is seated,” Arken advised them as he entered the room. He was still in his finery. “You ladies did quite well. Sayana, I saw the unhappiness in your eyes when you were presented with the tortufo. At least you remembered what I told you.”

“It’s not that I was unhappy, Lord Arken.” Sayana swallowed hard again. “I literally get physically ill every time I eat chocolate. I’m trying very hard right now not to throw up for the second time tonight.”

“I did not realize you were allergic to chocolate. Let me get a doctor down here to get you something for the nausea.” Arken went into his office. A short while later, a slender woman in a medical uniform walked in. Arken came out of his office.

“You have someone with a food allergy?” The woman looked at the six sitting there. Sayana was ready to throw up again. She didn’t dare open her mouth.

“Sayana is allergic to chocolate. It makes her extremely nauseous and apparently she has already vomited once this evening.” Arken gestured to where she was sitting.

“She did,” Marin confirmed.

“I see.” The woman walked over. “This will take care of the nausea. If you are forced because of the high feasts to eat chocolate again, we’ll come down and give you the same medicine.” She pulled out a hypo spray and gave Sayana a shot in the neck.

A few minutes passed and the nausea began to subside. “Thank you, Lord Arken.” Sayana was able to relax a little.

“You will not be able to avoid the chocolate, Sayana. But I will immediately call for an Imperial doctor as soon as we get back to spare you as much discomfort as possible.” Arken looked at her sympathetically. “Only if it were a fatal allergy would I be able to get you out of eating it.”

The doctor left. “No, I understand.” Sayana closed her eyes for a moment and let her stomach settle.

“Now, be aware that – Sayana’s issue aside – you are going to have to eat things that are unpleasant. That is just the nature of the feasts.” Arken looked at the women as Sayana opened her eyes again. “Just do your best to bear it and when we get back, I will arrange a light snack later in the evening that is more pleasant for you.”

“Yes Lord Arken.” Marin watched Sayana and seemed relieved by what she saw.

“I need to change. I trust you ladies will entertain yourselves?” At their nods, he left the room.

Sayana and Marin read while the others played a game until Arken called them for their late evening snack. It was a simple meal of fruit, bread, and cheese. It was all that Sayana wanted after the feast, and she gladly ate that and drank two full glasses of water. She went back and read until Arken chased the women to their beds.

“Well, the gossip about you six has certainly died down,” Ardatha told her as the servants helped her get ready for bed. “The court is quite convinced the emperor has found himself six beautiful but ultimately harmless women to serve as his courtesans.”

“We are harmless. What can we possibly do to influence anyone?” Sayana asked. “We hold scholarly conversations with him, but that’s it. We aren’t politicians, after all.”

“You’re not politicians, and you’re not going to offer him advice because what you know of court comes from us,” Faviola pointed out. “Or from books. We’re good, my lady, but we’re not that good. We can’t possibly know all the nuances of what’s going on.”

“That’s the stars’ own truth,” Ardatha muttered. “We are good for gossip and that’s it.”

Sayana nodded. It was true. While she could get an idea of what went on at court, she would never know the full details because her servants didn’t know everything. The sisters got her changed for bed and she put out the light. She closed her eyes and tried to will herself to sleep. Between the heavy gown and getting sick, she was exhausted. She only hoped there wouldn’t be any chocolate at the next feast. She wasn’t sure if she could handle a second day like the first one.