Once the furor died down after the emperor’s wedding, life resumed its normal pace in the courtesan wing. Sayana rose, ate, did her exercises, spent time in the garden or the hothouse, and read. Sometimes in the afternoons she would play games with the other women. Beyond that, nothing changed. The women lived in complete isolation and, for Sayana at least, complete loneliness despite the company of the other women.

The emperor would occasionally slip away from the council to speak to his courtesans in their garden, but that happened infrequently, and the ladies all missed their long rambling conversations with him. The rumors in court had it that Lynet and the emperor were still not sleeping together, or if they were it was only when the council forced the issue with the emperor, and Lynet was still childless. The emperor needed an heir, and Lynet was proving to be useless for that in the eyes of the court.

Finally, another year had passed, and Sayana was now twenty years old. She’d been in the Imperial compound for two years. She’d found love and lost it and was despairing of ever being able to be with the man she loved. It looked as if he would never be rid of Vasco and the council. She resigned herself to the fact that she’d always be forever apart from her beloved Karis and began putting up walls around her heart to prevent it from hurting as much.

One frosty morning, Arken came in and looked at the women. “Marin, the emperor is calling for you.” This startled them all. “You are to go to him tonight.”

“Of course, Lord Arken.” Marin glanced up at him from where she sat at the table.

“How strange. I thought that the emperor didn’t call on his courtesans when he got married.” Zarina gave Arken a puzzled look.

“He usually does not.” Arken fixed the women with a serious stare. “I think he is lonely and needs some real companionship, and you ladies are all he has for that. Vasco and the rest of the council are sure to give him trouble over this, but I do not think he cares.”

The women were too distracted that day for their usual pursuits, and they abandoned all pretense of reading when Marin returned that evening. “He was genuinely glad to see me.” Marin sat in her usual seat to fill them in. “He asked how we were and then asked what I’d been reading. We talked for hours. We only stopped when his servants came in to tell him the time. We did the usual and it was obvious he hasn’t been doing much of that with Lynet. He tried to draw it out as long as possible with me. In the end, he told me he would be calling on all of us again. I think Lord Arken is right. I think he’s lonely.”

“Well, he married Lynet.” Zarina made a face. “She’s not a fit companion for anyone.”

Marin nodded. “Agreed.” They all went to bed. Sayana felt the walls around her heart crack at the thought of a private evening with the emperor.

He called for Ji-Hye the following week. The next week he called for Angharad. The week after that he called for Zarina. The week after that he called for Tekla. And then Renate. Finally, he called for Sayana.

Sayana was distracted all day. She tried to read but found herself unable to focus. She chided herself and told herself that this was no different than any other assignation with the emperor. It didn’t help. Seeing her beloved Karis again after so long, even with their brief encounters in the garden, was causing her no end of fluttering in her stomach.

That night she chose her gown carefully, had Vai do her hair, and prepared herself to face the emperor again after so long. The Imperial guard showed up and Sayana followed him along the familiar track to the emperor’s quarters.

Karis was waiting for her. He dismissed his servants and the Imperial guard and had her in his arms, tearing her veil from her face and kissing her passionately as soon as they were alone. Sayana wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm. “My heart,” Karis murmured when they parted. “How I have missed this.”

“I’ve missed you too, Karis.” Sayana gazed longingly into his face. She felt her eyes filling with tears. “How long will we have before the council interferes with us meeting again?”

“They can try to interfere all they want.” Karis held her close and stroked her hair. “I will not let them keep us apart.”

“What of Lord Vasco? He could do serious harm to us.” Sayana trembled and Karis tightened his grip on her.

“I will banish him from the council. Without funds he cannot do any harm.” Karis was sure of his answer, and that alleviated some of her fear.

“That’s good to know.” Sayana reveled in his touch.

“My heart, I swear this will not be forever. Every day I move closer to ridding myself of the council and Vasco. When I do, I will also rid myself of Lynet. Then I will be free to marry you,” Karis told her. “I swear to you. One day this will not be a fleeting thing. I will have you as my wife.”

“It seems so impossible, I don’t know that I believe that day will come,” Sayana told him with a catch in her voice.

“Do not lose hope, my heart. It will happen, sooner than you may think,” Karis assured her.

Karis led Sayana to the couch and the two talked for several hours, until his servants came in and reminded him of the time. He led Sayana to his bedroom and the two made love. He drew it out as long as he could, but the conclusion was foregone. He held her in his arms for a few moments before calling his servants in to help her dress. She pulled her veil back on and followed the Imperial guard back to the wing.

“He is definitely lonely.” Sayana sat with the other women when she returned. “I think he needs us as much as we need him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he called for us again very soon.”

“I imagine he’ll call for us as soon as he can get away with it.” Marin ran her fingers around the edge of her pad. “He has to placate the council, but we won’t have to sit and wait for a year to be called for again.”

“That makes me happy.” Tekla looked around at all the women, smiling broadly. They all went to bed. Sayana had a terrible fear that Vasco was going to do something in the back of her mind, but it didn’t haunt her sleep.

The next few days passed with no word from the emperor. Then, on the fifth day, he called for Zarina again. Zarina positively bounced her way through her day and then left to go to the emperor with a spring in her step. She returned shaking and pale. “Lord Vasco was there when I arrived.” She sat down, her hands trembling. “He looked furious with the emperor. I don’t think he’s happy that the emperor is calling for us instead of sleeping with his wife. I’m now afraid he’s going to try something nasty.”

“Do not worry, Zarina.” Arken came out and joined the women. “I have been warned he might try something. I am keeping an eye out for it.”

“Thank you, Lord Arken.” Zarina looked up at the courtesan master.

“Would he try to hurt us?” Tekla glanced around the room anxiously.

Sayana made a noncommittal gesture. “We’re in the way of his plans. From what little I know of the man, that’s a hazardous place to be. We’ll have to be on our guard even with Lord Arken watching.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to any of us.” Tekla clasped her hands tightly together.

“We should be safe enough in the wing.” Marin looked at each of the women. “It’ll be difficult for him to get to us here. It’s if we venture outside the wing that we run the risk of being killed. When you’re called for, stay close to the guard, even if you have to walk fast. That guard is your only protection from the time you leave the wing to the time you get to the emperor’s chambers, and again on your way back.”

“Can the Imperial guard be subverted?” Ji-Hye asked.

Marin shook her head. “I read up on them some time ago. They’re genetically modified and conditioned almost from birth to be completely loyal to the Imperial family. No one can buy them off. People have tried in the past, to their detriment. Lord Vasco wouldn’t try it because it usually ends in the death of the one who tries.”

“That’s a relief.” Tekla relaxed a little.

“We can still be waylaid. We only have one guard, and we can be rushed by a crowd and in the press, we can be killed,” Marin cautioned. “This is why I said to stay close to your guard.”

“Yes Marin.” Tekla nodded firmly. They went to bed and though her servants had little gossip to share, Sayana warned them to be careful of Lord Vasco. She didn’t know if he’d try to waylay any of the servants and she didn’t want any of them to get hurt either. They promised to be careful, and they also assured her they’d warn the others. Sayana drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

A week later the emperor called for Tekla. She was nervous throughout the day, but when it came time for her to go, she left with a smile and a wave to the other women. It was an uneventful evening until it started getting late and she hadn’t returned. “Shouldn’t she be back by now?” Ji-Hye glanced at the chronometer.

“Yes, she should.” Marin looked worried. “I hope she’s all right.”

Arken came into the room. “Where is Tekla? Is she not back yet?”

“We were just commenting on the fact that she wasn’t back.” Marin looked up at him.

“Do you think something’s happened?” Sayana felt her heart clench at the thought of the innocent young woman being harmed.

A servant came out and whispered in Arken’s ear. Arken turned pale. “What? When? Where?”

“She was halfway between the emperor’s suite and here.” The servant looked equally pale. “A tripwire was set up. The guard stepped over it, but she tripped. She went down. Before the guard could react, a figure in cloaking camouflage stepped out of the shadows and shot her. The guard caught the assassin before he got away, but it was too late for Tekla. She was dead.”

“Did someone notify the emperor?” Arken asked as the women all gasped.

“Yes, my lord.” The servant had an odd look on her face. “The guard called for inquisitors and His Imperial Majesty. Her Imperial Majesty came as well. She was indifferent to Tekla’s death, but His Imperial Majesty was quite distraught. My lord, one of the servants heard Lord Vasco, who’d come up on the scene, say something to the emperor that enraged him.”

“What was said?” Arken looked at the woman sharply.

“Lord Vasco said to the emperor, ‘I told you that you would pay for ignoring your wife. It seems one of your favorites has paid the ultimate price. How many more are you willing to lose?’” The servant was angry as she spoke. “The emperor told him, ‘I will not lose any more because you are not going to threaten them. You are banished from the council. Let us see how your lady wife handles you losing your position again.’ Lord Vasco looked very upset at that one.”

“Of course he would. His wife will cut him off from the family finances once she learns he has been banished from the council. I will see to it that she finds out as soon as possible.” Arken pulled out his pad and sent a message. “No sense in leaving Vasco with funds to further pay for assassins to kill my ladies.”

“The emperor is having Tekla’s body interred in the Imperial crypt with the rest of courtesans,” the servant continued. “He said to tell you he’d have a private ceremony for her, and that he’ll double the Imperial guards and have scanners on hand to make sure no one can attack the ladies so they can be there for the interment. It will happen tomorrow afternoon. He’ll send the Imperial guard to fetch all of you when it’s time.”

“Thank you for letting us know.” A sorrowful expression crossed Arken’s face. The servant bowed and left the room.

“Tekla is dead?” Ji-Hye’s voice shook. “But I thought she’d be safe just walking to and from the emperor’s chambers.”

“I know we told her to stay close to the guard.” Marin was so quiet the others could barely hear her. “Her assassin must have been very quick.”

“A tripwire with the skirts you ladies wear would have been virtually invisible to her.” Arken frowned. “And if the assassin waited for the guard to pass and then pulled the wire tight, she would have never seen it. A simple trap, an ancient one, but effective.”

Ji-Hye choked back a sob. Sayana felt tears trickle down her cheeks. Tekla had not been there as long as the others, but she was a sweet young woman who hadn’t deserved to die because Vasco and the council were angry with the emperor for not accepting Lynet as his wife. Arken let the young women grieve for a while before sending them to bed.

“My lady, we’re so sorry.” Ardatha was as sad as the courtesans. “Tekla’s servants are utterly heartbroken. They said she was very kind and never made any unreasonable demands on them. The whole court is talking about this. They’re saying it was Lord Vasco who arranged the murder, and that’s why he’s been banished from the council. His lady wife found out about it only a few minutes ago, and she told him he was cut off from the family funds. She’s furious with him for using the family fortune for killing and has told him he’s no longer allowed to touch the money. If he wants something she must give approval for it.”

“That’s not going to go over well for him.” Sayana turned herself over to her servants to get her ready for bed.

“No, but it will cut down on his assassinating people,” Faviola said.

“Unless he gets his money from somewhere else.” Vai looked thoughtful. “No one knows where he gets all his financial power from.”

“He was broke when he married her, he’s broke now,” Ardatha told her sister.

“I’m just saying, we shouldn’t underestimate him. He controls the council. What if he convinces the Minister of the Exchequer to fund his exploits? It wouldn’t take much, just a touch of blackmail. He wouldn’t even have to blackmail him if the minister thought the idea had merit. He’d just have to juggle the numbers a little and funnel the credits to Lord Vasco.” Vai’s logic made perfect sense to Sayana.

“That is a very good point, Vai.” Sayana nodded to the young woman. “And one I don’t think anyone’s thought of. I will tell Lord Arken this evening, so a watch can be kept on the Minister of the Exchequer.”

“I still think you’re giving him more credit than he deserves.” Ardatha’s expression was doubtful.

“Ardatha, he manufactured the death of one of us without anyone knowing, and he did it under his wife’s nose.” Sayana faced the oldest of the three sisters. “I would assume she’s very financially savvy. She wouldn’t have missed such an extravagant expenditure as hiring an assassin. If he is getting funds from somewhere else, it only makes sense to go where the most money is.”

“You have a point, my lady,” Ardatha conceded.

Once she was ready for bed, Sayana dismissed her servants and went in search of Arken. He was in his office. He wasn’t alone. The emperor was with him. “Sayana? What are you doing up?” Arken regarded her with some surprise.

“Forgive my interruption.” Sayana bowed to Karis. “But my servants raised a possibility I wasn’t sure if anyone else had thought of and felt it important enough to bring to your attention.”

“What is it, Sayana?” Karis asked.

“Has anyone questioned where Lord Vasco gets his money?” Sayana twisted her hands together. “One of my servants pointed out his wife couldn’t possibly have missed the kind of expenditure it would take to hire a private assassin. What if he got the money from the Minister of the Exchequer? It wouldn’t take much, just a shuffling of numbers, or so my servant suggested. I know nothing of financial matters as the academy would have handled all of that for me had I been an ordinary courtesan, and here I don’t worry about it because Lord Arken deals with our finances. But could something like that be possible?”

“I wondered about that.” Karis rubbed his forehead. “It makes a certain sense that he would be getting help from the council to fund his exploits instead of tipping his wife off to his illegal activities. Yes, it is quite possible, Sayana. More than possible, it is very likely. I think the Minister of the Exchequer is going to suddenly find himself desiring an early retirement.”

“Be wary of Vasco finding out, Your Imperial Majesty. He may have his replacement killed before you can put him in place.” From the tone of Arken’s voice, this wouldn’t be the first one that had been killed.

“He has not killed him yet, and I have been cultivating replacements for certain members of my current council for a year now.” Karis smiled grimly. “I will replace him tomorrow morning. That should shake things up a bit.”

“Does he have anything in his life that Lord Vasco can use against him?” Sayana wasn’t sure why she was asking. It wouldn’t matter to her, other than it meant one less person he could blackmail.

“He finished resolving those over the past year. I wanted nothing that could be used against him before I put him in place. There will be no chance of him being blackmailed.” Karis reached out and ran his fingers down her cheek. “Now, it is late, and you should get some sleep.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.” Sayana bowed again. She slipped out of the room and back to her own. She drifted off to sleep, a night filled with nightmares and haunted by Tekla’s sweet face.