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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?”

“I’ll explain on the “Chelae” when we finish here.” Then I
turned to the merchant, who had listened to our conversation
without a word. “So, if I buy your nutmeg, are you making a
profit, or is Mistress Nalita encouraging you?”

“I’m making a profit, aye, and I do have the cloves coming
in. Cloves, that admittedly, the Mistress has agreed to buy
at a twelve percent markup.” And he gave me a sly grin.

“Fair enough. Load forty barrels onto each of the fives
ships in my new fleet. Any other merchants I might be wise
to negotiate with?” He gave me a friendly open grin, and
sent me to three other merchants. Cargo was arranged to load
all the ships within two hours.

And when we got back to the “Chelae”, I told Paul the story.
What I hadn’t expected was that he knew a likely candidate
for the proctor I needed to find.

The last journey I made home for many years was shockingly
uneventful. We had no storms to speak of, no outbreaks of
scurvy or rickets, not even a fight among crewmen. When I
sold my cargo, I was no longer a trader. I was a man wealthy
beyond my most ridiculous dreams. Paul’s friend turned out
to be a perfect choice for my proctor. And Paul and I made
our way back to Nasai.

When I entered the Narwhal the first day back, a very
pleased looking Mistress Nalita met me. “I am very pleased
at the profits you brought me, Erlic. We’ll make a fine
partnership. And I think, if you chose too, you could build
a second and even better partnership with someone who looks
like they have been missing you.” She looked across the room
to where Mialibao stood behind the bar.

For a moment, I was confused, but it slowly dawned on me
what she inferred, and I realized the thought appealed
strongly to me. “Then, if you’ll excuse me, Mistress Nalita,
I think I’ll try to make that partnership.”

As I stood, she nodded. “Of course. But I expect to see you
at my estate at noon tomorrow. And I expect you to impress
me.” Foolish me, I thought she meant with my skills as a
trader. But for now, I went to greet a tiny woman with a
seriously off-balance center of gravity.

After sitting and talking for a bit, I went to speak with
the innkeeper. He drove a hard bargain, but he was also
thrilled to make this particular deal. Then Mia and I went
to her chamber for the evening. When the door closed behind
us, she turned to undress me. I stopped her with a raised
hand. “Mialibao, see what I hold here.” She looked at the
parchment I held, and recognized it immediately.

And fell to her knees, and with difficulty, pressed her head
to the floor. “Yes Master, you now own Mialibao. Mialibao is
obedient and humble. Mialibao lives only to serve Master.”

Her antics were hardly unexpected, and admittedly somewhat
amusing, but I only chuckled for a moment to myself before
moving to her and helping her stand. “All right, my obedient
servant, fetch a candle and a silver platter, then sit
beside me on the bed.” She hurried as best she could to
obey, then went to kneel before me but I shook my head
sternly. “No, you will sit beside me.”  She did as I said,
looking very nervous. “Mialibao, thou art mine to command.
Your life rests in my hands, as does thy unborn child. You
say you will obey me, but I say this:”

Then I took her ownership papers, the documents that called
her slave, and applied them to the candle flame. As they
began to burn, I spoke again. “I command thee not, thou
shalt obey me only,” and here I paused as she watched the
parchment burning, and wondering what I was doing, “Only as
a wife would obey the husband she adores.”

Then my words penetrated her confusion, and I found myself
laying back on the bed with a very pregnant woman pinning me
down and trying to smother me with kisses. “Yes!” she cried
between her kisses, “I will obey my husband, and I do adore
him!” Then a worried look crossed her face, and she
struggled to sit up. “But what of this?” As she caressed her
swollen belly.

I scooted over to her and laid my head on her thigh. Then I
kissed the sleeping child within her womb. “I will love this
child as if it was truly my own. And I hope to give it many
brothers and sisters. But for now, I plan to give its mother
a great deal of pleasure.” And for the rest of the night, I
showed her the many ways a man could please his very
pregnant wife.
