The next several weeks passed in much the same way. All the courtesans except for Sayana and Angharad were called for, and the women talked about how distracted the emperor seemed to be. They found it hard to keep him focused on their conversations.

Six weeks after returning to the wing, Lord Arken came out and smiled at Sayana. “I think he feels you have had enough time to get used to being back, Sayana. The emperor has called for you today.”

Sayana swallowed the bite she’d taken and smiled. “I must admit I was wondering if he was going to call for me again. I’ll be ready.”

Angharad snorted and focused on her breakfast. Sayana finished eating and went out to the garden with the rest of the women. She settled into place by the sunfire roses and let her mind wander. She found her mind drifting to the evening with the emperor. She wondered what he was so distracted by that it was hard to hold his attention. She wasn’t going to have much to keep his attention with. She’d barely finished a single book since getting back, though she was well on her way to finishing a second. She might be able to finish it that afternoon, if she focused on the book and read straight through until she was called to eat.

Sayana went in for lunch and then settled down to read. She didn’t look up from her book until Arken called her to eat. She read the last paragraph and then went to eat. “Trying to finish a book?” he asked when she sat down.

“I just had one more paragraph.” Sayana smiled. “I’ve finished two books since coming back. That should give me something to talk to him about.”

“Good.” Arken watched her. “You will have to eat quickly.”

“I will.” Sayana ate as fast as she could without making herself sick and then went into her room. She called for her servants.

“What do you need from us, my lady?” Ardatha asked.

“The emperor has called for me. I need to look my best.” Sayana knew with their help she’d be positively radiant by the time the Imperial guards showed up.

“Shower first.” Vai disappeared into the bathroom.

“What if we did that hairstyle that Lady Eshelyn was wearing yesterday?” Faviola asked Ardatha as she regarded Sayana thoughtfully. “We can do that up quick enough. What gown are you going to wear?”

“The dark blue one, I think,” Sayana said.

“The one with the silver or the one with the gems?” Ardatha was peering into the closet.

Sayana came over and looked in her closet. “Oh, there’s two of them. Let’s go for the one with the silver.”

“Very good, my lady.” Ardatha smiled at her. “You always look stunning in blue. And I think that style will look beautiful on her, Faviola.”

“Shower’s ready.” Vai poked her head out.

Sayana showered and dried herself off before wrapping herself up in a robe. It took a long time to fix her hair up, but the rest of it took less time. She still wore little makeup and only a brush of perfume. She fastened her veil on her face and smiled.

“You look beautiful, my lady.” Ardatha fastened the necklace around her neck. Faviola hooked the earrings in her ears. A bracelet was slipped over her wrist. Sayana thanked her servants and dismissed them before heading out of the room.

“Perfect timing, Sayana.” Arken smiled at her. “The Imperial guards are here to collect you. You look stunning. Let us hope you can distract the emperor tonight.”

“I hope so.” Sayana left the wing in the company of the Imperial guards.

Two walked in front of her, two walked behind. All kept a close eye on their surroundings. Sayana supposed that they were still acting on what happened to Tekla and trying to prevent it from happening to the other ladies. They led her down the maze of corridors. Sayana remembered the path well and was able to keep up with the guards without any effort.

They arrived and she was let into the emperor’s chambers. Karis dismissed his guards and his servants. He walked forward and pulled her veil from her face before kissing her passionately. “I have wanted to do that for a while now. I have missed you, my heart.”

“I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to call for me.” Sayana’s voice trembled and she let out a little of the fear that he’d decided to abandon her.

“I wanted to give you some time to get used to being back.” Karis held her close and stroked her back. “Not to mention I did not want people to think that you were the one I wanted over all the others.”

“Good idea, though people think Marin and I are your favorites because you personally collected us.” Sayana leaned against him.

Karis grimaced. “I know I should have let Tremere collect you. I was not sure if it was Marin or you when I went to collect Marin. I was hoping it was you. Then, when they did find you, I could not bear to let anyone else collect you. I needed answers and I knew I was not going to get them if I sent Tremere to get you.”

“You would have gotten the answers from me if you’d asked once I returned with Ethian.” Sayana was happy he’d come to retrieve them but still feared for hers and Marin’s safety.

“Yes, but getting you myself enabled me to find warmasters and scholars to train the boys.” Karis had a point. “It has a benefit there too, though I am certain the boys would not agree.”

“Rhys especially wouldn’t agree with you.” Sayana giggled a little.

“Oh, he is miserable, and I know it.” Karis laughed. “I make it a point of going out every day to see how they are getting along. Ethian is settling in well. He is a little depressed, but I think that is understandable. Rhys is utterly miserable because he is being held accountable for his actions in a way that he cannot avoid. The others are dealing with the warmasters and their new scholar teachers well, though they do not appreciate the blows when they irritate the warmasters.”

“Even Fallon has been struck?” Sayana was surprised by that.

“Yes, because of his apathetic nature.” Karis shook his head. “He is not acting enough, according to his warmaster, and is being driven to think and act more than just sit there and shrug his shoulders. It is working. Fallon is becoming more decisive. Which is good, because he is fundamentally a good person who just needs some direction in his life. Most of the boys are the same way. They just need some discipline in their lives, and the warmasters are providing that.”

“Ethian is probably the one you’re having the least amount of trouble with.” Sayana was certain Ethian was a little less problematic than his brothers. “This life is the one he’s most comfortable with.”

“We had some trouble with him in the beginning,” Karis admitted. “He did not want to eat the food they were given. It was too rich for him. Reynard worked with him and he’s finally eating everything he has given now.”

“I was worried about that.” Sayana sighed. “The food in the palace is far richer than anything I ever cooked, so it makes sense that he had trouble with it in the beginning. I was having problems with it, and I was eating it before.”

“Is the food really that different?” Karis seemed startled by that fact.

“Karis, you ate something of what I usually fixed. Can you honestly say that it’s even close to what we eat here in the palace?” Sayana was amused by his surprise.

Karis thought for a moment. “No, what you fixed was much simpler. If that is what you were used to eating, no wonder you and Ethian had trouble with the food.”

“We got used to it in the end though, so that’s what matters.” Sayana smiled at him.

Karis guided her over to the couch and sat down beside her. He held on to her hands. “How are you getting on in the wing?”

“I’ve gotten used to being back there. Angharad is worse than she was before we all split up, but that’s to be expected with her thinking she’s raised the heir to the throne.” Sayana shook her head. “She tries to exert authority over the rest of us, and we don’t follow along with what she wants. She doesn’t appreciate that.”

“Rhys is not my heir.” Karis grimaced. “I never even thought of naming him my heir, even though he was firstborn. I have had my eye on one of the others.”

“That much is obvious, as you death locked the name of your heir some time ago.” Sayana couldn’t remember where she’d heard that, either from Ardatha or from Karis himself.

“I did.” Karis nodded. “I have not changed my mind either. My chosen heir is still the best one in my mind to take my place. I will have to see how he holds himself with his teachers, but so far, I have not been disappointed.”

“I’m pleased to hear that.” Sayana figured it was probably Fallon, as he was the least problematic of the princes.

“So, have you been reading?” Karis watched her with some interest.

“Yes, I have.” Sayana grinned. “I’ve even finished two books.”

“Tell me about them.” Karis was, as usual, genuinely interested in what she’d been doing. They started talking about what she’d been reading, but the conversation evolved into what her life had been like for the last fifteen years. They talked until the servants came and reminded them of the time.

Karis led Sayana to the bedroom and cupped her face in his hands. “One day this will not be a fleeting thing,” he whispered, and kissed her. He guided her to the bed. It started slow, a caress here, a taste there. It had been more than fifteen years since they’d been together and it felt almost like their first time again as they let their hands drift across each other’s bodies, seeking sensitive spots.

Karis followed his hands with his mouth. Sayana gasped and moaned. She desperately tried to keep her hands moving but soon they stilled as she became lost in the sensations he was awakening in her. Her voice as she gave in to her pleasure aroused him more than her touch and soon he slid inside her.

He tried to draw it out but she was not long before screaming as she reached her climax. His rhythm faltered and with a groan she felt him reach his climax. He shook and for a moment he didn’t move. Then he collapsed beside her.

Karis held Sayana for a few minutes after they were done, and then he reluctantly called for his servants. They helped her dress, and she slipped her veil back over her face. Her guards appeared and she followed them back to the wing.

“Was he distracted tonight?” Marin was curious how her night had gone.

“Not tonight.” Sayana sat down and pulled her veil off. “He seemed to be focused on me. Then again, it’s been so long since I saw him, I might not recognize when he’s distracted.”

“That’s true.” Zarina tapped her fingers on her pad. “It might also be because he hasn’t seen you for a while, he was focused on you. Us he’s seen a lot so it’s harder for us to keep his attention.”

“That could be it,” Sayana agreed. “He was asking me a lot of questions about my life over the past fifteen years.”

“Then that makes sense why he wasn’t as distracted tonight.” Marin seemed to accept the fact that it was his interest in her life that kept him focused on her.

“Don’t get used to it.” Angharad snorted with derision. “He’ll be distracted the next time you’re called, and you’ll have a hard time keeping his attention.”

“Perhaps you’re right, Angharad.” Sayana smiled brightly at the other woman, who scowled at her in return. “That just means I’d better read some more so I have more to discuss with him.”

“That is a great idea.” Arken came over to join the women. “However, I had better not catch you up late reading this evening, Sayana.”

“I remember the rules, Lord Arken.” Sayana smiled. “No reading after I go to bed.”

“Excellent.” Arken made a shooing motion with his hands. “Now ladies, it is time for bed. Take yourselves off to your rooms.”

“Good night, Lord Arken.” Marin giggled.

“Good night.” Arken smiled.

Sayana called her servants. There was no gossip worth paying that much attention to that evening, so Sayana got ready for bed and sent her servants away. She curled up under the blankets and closed her eyes. She let herself drift off.

Another few weeks passed and then it was drawing close to the Founding Day celebration. Sayana bit back a groan when she realized what was coming. She was not looking forward to three days of high feasts. “I’m excited to see how the boys are doing.” Renate sighed. “Even if we can’t speak to them, it’s always good to see them.”

“It looks like fashion has changed again.” Arken came in as the women were finishing their breakfast. He flashed them all the updates for the latest fashion.

Angharad made a disgusted face as they all checked the information on their pads. “This is going to be miserable to wear.”

“I don’t see what’s so bad about it, Angharad.” Zarina studied the images. “Nothing too revealing, nothing too heavy, not even long sleeves to cause us to overheat in the great hall.”

“It’s not attractive, that’s the problem.” Angharad scowled.

“I think they look very attractive.” Marin obviously couldn’t see the problem Angharad could see.

“I think Angharad is complaining because they’re not revealing, and you know her and flaunting her assets.” Zarina snickered. “She’s forever looking for ways to enhance what she doesn’t have.”

Angharad glared at Zarina, who simply smirked at the other woman. “Enough bickering, ladies.” Arken looked at them sternly. “I will have the stylists come in for those who want them. Marin, Sayana, are you going to design your own gowns?”

“Yes.” Marin was obviously already thinking of what she was going to do.

“I’ll design my own, thank you, Lord Arken.” Sayana didn’t trust stylists to match her aesthetic.

“Then I recommend you two get started on that right now while I call the stylists in to work with the other ladies.” Arken tapped something into his pad.

Sayana set to work designing her gowns and her day dresses. She worked out two different designs and presented them to Arken. “These are what I’ve come up with.” She hoped he approved.

“They look very nice and elegant, Sayana.” Arken smiled. “You definitely have not lost your knack. I will have your usual dressmaker come and take care of these for you.”

“Thank you, Lord Arken.” Sayana was relieved. She’d forgotten how much she enjoyed designing her own clothing.

The dressmaker came in and the two discussed colors and textures for fabrics and gemstones for the gowns. They settled on several options she liked, and the dressmaker promised she’d have the gowns ready before the Founding Day feasts. The other women finished with their stylists and dressmakers, and then with their remaining free time they went out to the garden.

They remained in the garden until lunchtime, when they came back in. After lunch, Ji-Hye and Zarina played a game while Marin and Sayana read. Renate alternated between reading and watching the other two play their game. Angharad sulked in her chair and tried to complain about not being allowed to speak to her son, but none of the women were very sympathetic.

Dinner came and went, and afterwards Sayana read while the other women played a game. Even Marin set her book aside and played with the other women. They finally coaxed Sayana away from her book and got her involved in playing with them. They played until Arken chased them all to bed.

“My lady, Rhys got into a fight with one of the other princes today and lost and is claiming that his brother beat him up with no provocation.” Ardatha seemed quite concerned about the situation.

“Which prince?” Sayana asked.

“I don’t know.” Ardatha shrugged. “No one’s saying which one it was. The emperor hasn’t said what he will do yet, as he is waiting for a full report from the warmasters before he makes his final decisison.”

“It doesn’t surprise me that Rhys is blaming someone else for his misdeeds.” Sayana sighed. “His mother is the same way.”

Ardatha nodded. “The emperor doesn’t believe that Rhys was an innocent victim of a bully any more than the rest of us do. We all know he would have had to pick a fight because none of the other princes are like that. The emperor’s servants say he may ban Rhys from the high feasts as punishment, which Rhys finds worse than dealing with the warmaster because he enjoys the food and drink.”

“I’m sure that would upset Angharad as much Rhys.” Sayana became as concerned as Ardatha.

“I would think so too.” Ardatha looked at her. “It’s not going to be pretty if Rhys isn’t at the high feasts. I wonder what the emperor will do.”

“It’s up to him to decide how he wants to deal with his son.” Sayana hoped it hadn’t been Ethian that had gotten into the fight with Rhys. “We don’t get a say in what he does.”

“Very true, my lady.” Ardatha nodded. “If only Angharad would realize that she’d do better than to think she still has some say over what happens with Rhys.”

They finished getting her ready for bed and she sent them on their way. Vai hung back. “My lady, you asked me to check on something some time ago.”

“I did.” Sayana wanted to know more about Ethian’s scholar teacher. He’d warmed up to her immediately, according to Vai’s gossip about them. “Were you able to get a good look at Ethian’s scholar teacher? I am still curious as to why he took to her so well.”

“I have a message for you. Here.” Vai handed her a data cube and slipped out of the room.

Sayana stared at the data cube. A message? Was it from Ethian? She grabbed her pad and slotted the data cube in. She activated the pad and pulled up the message. “Saya, your son is a dream student. You did a great job getting him started. I’m not sure if you’ll actually see this, but I want you to know that I’ll do my best to continue his education to a high standard. I still miss you and hope you’re well. All my love, Addie.”

Sayana just stared at the message. The scholar teaching her son was her sister Adjira. She quickly activated the pad and wrote a message back to her sister. “I shouldn’t be doing this. If I’m caught, I’ll be in a great deal of trouble. But I just wanted to say that I’m glad it’s you who’s taking care of my Ethian. I know you’ll do a great job with him. I’ve never stopped missing you and love you still. All my love, Saya.”

She’d give it to Vai the next day and tell her when she got the chance to slip it to Adjira. If she had the chance. She pulled the data cube out of her tablet and tucked it into her jewelry box. She curled up and closed her eyes. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

The next morning, she kept Vai back and gave her the data cube. “Do you want me to take it to the scholar?” Vai asked.

“Only if it can be done without you getting caught.” Sayana didn’t want anyone to be in trouble over this. “You know I’m not allowed to send messages outside the wing. But that’s my younger sister and I want to at least say hello.”

“His scholar is your younger sister? Then I will be doubly careful and sneak this out to her as soon as I can, my lady.” Vai tucked the data cube into one of her pockets. “It may take me a few days to do it.”

“I don’t care how long it takes, so long as you do it without getting any of us caught, Vai.” That was Sayana’s primary concern.

“I’ll manage.” Vai winked. “I’m sneaky.”

“Thanks Vai.” Sayana smiled. She dismissed the woman and joined the others for breakfast.