Dynasty: The Glorious Strategist (Dynasty Saga Book 3) (23 page)

“She wanted to run away with you?” Lymee gasped. “That’s so romantic.”

“We were not lovers at the time,” Keo smiled looking up at Lymee. “I was her servant and nothing more. No, back then Alia was madly in love with her personal bodyguard. A young naïve girl named Sai.”

Lymee could not help but laugh as she kicked her feet in delight leaning back. Keo caught her again before she fell off.

“So what happened?” Lymee asked wiping a tear from her eye. “I can’t believe miss duty and honor would actually go along with that.”

“Sai was a different person back then,” Keo said. “And she was more in love with Alia, than Alia was with her which is saying a lot. That woman would have gone anywhere Alia wanted, duty or no.”

“So then what stopped them?” Lymee asked growing serious, genuinely wanting to know what had changed to make them into the radically different people they eventually became.

“I’m not completely sure myself,” Keo shrugged. “Some of it had to do with her mother’s sudden reclusion. I know that. But I remember that one day she simply seemed to change. It was like she had simply decided that she was going to become the best lord that she possibly could.”

“Did you ever think to ask them?” Lymee asked.

“Never felt the need to,” Keo shrugged. “But I like to think that they were both working towards making the ideal world they wished to run away too. That while they may never be able to have it they could at least make it for others.”

“A bit idealistic of you, don’t you think?” Lymee said taking a sip of Sake.

“Maybe,” Keo nodded in agreement. “But then I have often wondered if maybe I fell in love with the idea I had of Alia and not Alia herself.”

“Know the feeling,” Lymee nodded. “Though it does occur to me that anyone I could ask to verify that story is now dead.” She looked over at Keo with an inquisitive look. “You could just have made all that up right there.”

“You are right of course,” Keo nodded.

“Usually am,” Lymee snorted taking another drink. “Who’s in charge of Su with us away anyway?” Lymee asked wiping her mouth.

“Alia had already made arrangements to put her cousin, Lord Ying, in charge,” Keo said. “She is the current Lord of Bengui Province and the head of one of Su’s branch families. Her lands were located in Bengui Dynasty at the time Su rebelled and as such she was unable to openly support Alia. But she never once supported Bengui in their attempts to reclaim Su, despite a lot of hardship and persecution because of it. So it is safe to trust her.”

“That’s good,” Lymee nodded. “It’s good to have people you can trust.” Lymee pressed her other hand to her head to stop a sudden dizziness as she tried force her mind clear. “Why’d she do it?” Lymee asked the tears building in her eyes as soon as she said the words.

Keo took a deep breath seeming to know exactly what Lymee had been asking. “According to the message Yunna’s dispatched, Alia took a turn for the worse a few days after we departed. She was apparently in constant agony as her lower organs slowly started to shut down.”

“After we left?” Lymee asked.

Keo paused a moment. “That’s what it said,” she said softly.

Lymee could not help but get choked up as she tried not to start crying again. In many ways she should have been ready for this. She had known that Alia was dying and did not have long left to live but all the same it felt like her heart physically hurt.

Part of her was glad that Sai was dead. She would never have to face the kind of sorrow Lymee was going through. She had died with the hope of one day seeing Alia again. And just thinking that make Lymee feel sick.

“Did she leave a note behind or something?” Lymee asked through her tears.

“No,” Keo shook her head. “But I think that is because she said everything she needed to say before we left. I think she knew,” Keo paused. “I think we all knew that we would not see each other again.”

Lymee could not bear it. It just hurt too much. She buried her face into her free hand as she let out a few sobs. After a moment she took a deep breath blinking away the tears.

“I want Sai buried with full honors,” she stated with a sniffle. “She deserves a hero’s burial.”

“Of course,” Keo nodded.

“And what’s the procedure after a lord dies?”

“Normally,” Keo said, “A time of mourning is called. At the end of that time the next Lord ascends the throne.”

“And how long should such a time last?” Lymee asked swallowing back her pain.

“Normally a week, but it is not uncommon for it to be longer,” Keo stated.

“A month then,” Lymee said. “Though I think my time of mourning will last a bit longer.”

“That is understandable,” Keo nodded.

“Also I want it known why Alia is dead,” Lymee stated. “The last thing I want is people thinking she ruined her health out of some kind of insanity like her mother.”

“As you wish,” Keo paused a moment as if debating on saying something. “My lord if I may?”

“Can I really stop you?” Lymee asked.

“I think Alia wanted you to become the next Empress,” Keo stated. “I think that is why-”

“Keo,” Lymee cut her off.

“Yes my lord?”

Lymee held out the nearly empty jug of Sake to her, the liquid sloshing around as she did so.

“Take the night off,” Lymee ordered her speech starting to slur. “Regale me with your theories after you sober up. I can only imagine how you must feel right now.”

Lymee had never actually known the relationship between Sai and Keo. She knew they were friends to be sure but could they really share the same lover for years and never once develop any kind of feelings for each other? Either way Keo was probably hurting far worse than Lymee was and it was probably far more painful to be holding it in the way that she was.

Keo gave a weak smile as she used both hands to take the jug from Lymee. Lymee in turn spun around on the railing and jumped off having to put out both her hands for balance to keep herself from tipping over. Gaining her footing she held her hands up like an Olympic Gymnast sticking the landing.

“And if you find the answers at the bottom of that thing,” Lymee twirled her finger at the jug. “Come and tell me,” Lymee said as she started to stagger inside the Palace.

“I shall do that, my lord,” Keo promised taking a sip from the jug as Lymee staggered off into the darkness.

***  

“Put him in the longboat ‘till he sobers!” Lymee yelled as she staggered through the courtyard. “Earli in the morning,” she laughed and started walking sideways her legs crossing each other as she did so. Her foot got caught on her ankle and she started to topple over until her shoulder ran into something hard stopping her fall. At first she thought it was the wall but as her hand felt around she noticed that it was actually a person’s chest.

“Lymee?” a stern voice asked.

Lymee looked up at the man whom she had run into. “Oh ello Voss,” Lymee playfully waved at him with a smile. “Wha’ca doing?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Voss said grabbing Lymee by the elbows to keep her from losing her balance and falling over.

“Drinking,” Lymee answered with a childish grin. “Though I gave the rest of my booze to Keo.” She looked down at her empty hands. “Hey you wouldn’t happen to have any would you?”

“Sorry my lord, I do not,” he said.

“Oh Voss you’re such a tease,” Lymee laughed slapping his chest. “If you were a woman or if I was into men, I would have my way with you right here and now.”

“Thank you, my lord. I am flattered,” Voss said flatly doing his best to support Lymee as she continued to stagger in every direction.

“You should be,” Lymee snorted. “I am quite the looker and I’m going to be the Empress after all. And sleeping with an Empress is kinda a big deal,” Lymee said puffing out her chest resting her fist on her hip. “I don’t want to be the Empress but really let’s face it,” she let out the breath slouching forward. “It’s only a matter of time before I say yes. And Admiral Niimu-”

“
Lord
Niimu,” Voss corrected.

“Right. Lord Nimmo,” Lymee nodded. Voss rolled his eyes deciding it was not worth the effort to correct her. “She is not going to let up until I say yes, and really,” Lymee paused looking around making sure no one could hear her. “I think it would be fun,” she whispered leaning in close to Voss.

“Fun, my lord?” Voss frowned looking down at her.

“Yes! Fun!” Lymee declared loudly as if he had simply not heard her the first time. “Having all those people moving to my will as I strategized and philosophized.”

“Not sure that is the right word for it,” Voss said.

“You can shut your stupid face. My point is,” Lymee jabbed her finger into his chest. “That I really think I would enjoy it. And there are a lot of perks to being the King,” she grind running her finger in small circles on Voss’ chest trying to be seductive.

“I don’t know what a king is,” Voss said grabbing her hand and forcibly lowering it to her side. 

“Hey Voss, hey Voss, hey,” Lymee pressed her face close to his making him real away from her bad breath. “Are you still a virgin? You are aren’t you? That is so cute,” she giggled falling into his arms with a sigh. “You know I was a virgin once.”

“I believe we all were,” Voss said catching her. “I think that’s how it works.”

“But then I got rapped,” Lymee pouted her lip, twirling the ends of her hair on her finger. “Do you know what it’s like to be rapped?” she asked tilting her head backwards until she could see his face.

“I can’t say that I do,” Voss shook his head pursing his lips together. “However I imagine it is a terrible experience.”

“It was awful,” Lymee assured him nodding her head. “I still have nightmares about it sometimes. It scares Rin when I wake up in the middle of the night sweating and out of breath. And not for the fun reason either. She doesn’t know what happened to me. I never told her. Is that bad? Am I bad?”       

Voss had to turn his head away as Lymee blew her breath into his face as she pressed ever closer. “I am sure she would appreciate it if you told her,” Voss said pushing her away as they continued to walk down the hall. He seemed to be leading her somewhere but Lymee was not paying any attention. “I am sure not knowing is hurting her far more than knowing would.”

“You’re such a nice guy,” Lymee said reaching up and slapping him several times on the cheek then ran her fingers down the front of his face. “I’m sorry I slept with your girlfriend.”

Voss paused as he looked down at Lymee with both a look of confusion and embarrassment.

“Several times,” Lymee snorted finding it all funny for some reason. “And she was really good too,” she whispered like she was revealing a big secret. “I wish she had bigger boobies but you know what? If she likes her body then I like her body. Well unless she becomes ugly then I probably won’t like it anymore. Does that make me a bad person?”

“I believe that is my lord’s prerogative,” Voss stated.

“Oh you are just saying that because I can have you executed,” Lymee slapped his chest in dismissal.

“That is part of it to be sure,” Voss agreed. “Now my lord, I think it is time for you to get some sleep.”

“No,” Lymee pushed him away nearly running into the wall of the hallway they were walking down. “I don’t want to sleep,” she declared in a near shrill. “Because if I sleep then I have to wake up and if I wake up then that means that all of this was real and that everything that happened really happened. And then they will want me to become Empress and then Alia will really be dead and so will Sai and I don’t want that.” Lymee was on the verge of tears once more. “I want this all to be a bad dream.”

“My lord,” Voss reached out for her.

“No,” she slapped his hand away. “You stupid face. I’m glad I slept with your girlfriend
and
your sister. At the same time!” she shrilled trying her best to run away from him though she only managed a slow weaving stager.

CHAPTER 8

Lymee was not sure if it was the light of the sun or the drilling pain in her head that finally woke her from her drunken stupor as she seemed to notice both simultaneously. The sunlight made the back of her eyes hurt but closing them seemed to do little to help. Not to mention the fact that it felt like someone was drilling two rusty screws into her temples very slowly.

But then she felt the soft feeling of fingers running across her forehead brushing her hair out of her face. The soothing motion seeming to soothe her pain. “Have you awoken?” asked a soft voice that Lymee did not recognize.

“Five more minutes,” Lymee mumbled still half asleep. Turning over from her back onto her side, she slid her hand under her cheek for support. It was then that she realized that her pillow was actually someone’s lap and her hand had actually slid between the person’s thighs. Lymee felt around rubbing her hand up and down the person’s leg and felt the comforting sensation of fine silk that covered a pair of smooth legs.

Lymee frowned as she pushed off the legs, slowly sitting up so she could look at the person she was using as a lap pillow. She was met with a very warm and friendly face whose smile seemed just as bright and painful as the sun.

“Hello,” Lymee blinked not sure who this woman was.

“Hello,” the woman replied holding back a giggle her cheeks flushed a bit. “And good morning. Well,” she looked past Lymee out the velvet covered window casting the room in a beautiful red and purple color. “It is now well past midday but,” she shrugged not finishing her sentence.

“Oh Hsu you were supposed to tell us when she awakened,” came another voice from behind Lymee. The almost squeal of this new woman’s voice caused Lymee to flinch in pain as the sound shot jolts into Lymee’s already throbbing head.

“Shh, Ziah,” the first woman, whom Lymee assumed was Hsu, hushed. “Keep your voice down. Our guest has not yet fully recovered.” The new woman slouched slightly in apology but her smile did not diminish. “And she awakened only a few moments ago,” Hsu finished.

Lymee slowly turned to look at the woman entering the room careful not to move to fast and aggravate her hangover. Ziah was being followed by a dozen or so other women all quietly chatting and giggling among themselves as they surrounded the large cushion that Lymee was still lying across. Even though they were trying to be quiet the combined clamor of all of them whispering at once was still a monstrous roar to Lymee’s very sensitive hearing.

All of the women were dressed in colorful silk dresses that were designed to excite by accentuating their curves and showing skin in the most key revealing places. They were also all extremely beautiful varying in ages from fifteen to twenty. They were all wearing makeup that brought out their eyes and made their lips shine. Their hair was done up in varying ways that screamed elegance and beauty. All of them moved gracefully even as they clamored around Lymee trying to get in close, they still did not lose their elegance.

“Please, girls,” Hsu said raising her hands. “You are scaring the poor girl.”

Scared was not the word that Lymee would use. Confused most definitely, but not scared. Not even in her most fantasy filled dreams had she managed to come up with something like this. She blinked a few times just to make sure that what she was seeing was actually real.

“Um,” Lymee raised her hand in front of her face as she looked at Hsu. “Am I dreaming?”

There was a round of giggling from all the women at her question followed by more whispering.

“No,” Hsu assured with a warm smile as she reached out and fixed the silk robe that Lymee was wearing. When had she changed into that? Last night she was still wearing her armor. “You are not dreaming.”

“Oh crap I’m dead aren’t I?” Lymee mumbled. “Though if this is heaven I could do without the headache. Or maybe this is actually hell. Now that would be a twist.” Lymee eyes darted from side to side at the thought.

“Yes, I imagine your hangover would be quite severe,” Hsu stated. “Considering how inebriated you were when you staggered in here last night.”

There was another round of giggles from the women.

“We could not understand much of what you were saying as you seemed to be speaking in a different language altogether but you had for some reason taken a very keen interest in poor Wen,” Hsu continued. “You kept calling her ‘Princess’ I think the word was.”

One of the girls suddenly blushed averting her gaze as all the others laughed and teased her. Lymee instantly noticed why she might have taken an interest in the woman. While easy to tell the two apart she did resemble Alia slightly to the point where drunk her might have very well thought she was Alia.

Lymee felt even more embarrassed than Wen causing her own cheeks to turn red. The blood suddenly rushing to her face and head her made her headache worse causing her to bury her forehead into her palm as the world started to spin around her.   

“Once you passed out,” Hsu continued. “We cleaned you up and changed your clothes.” She gestured at the very comfortable silk garments that Lymee was now wearing. Looking down at herself Lymee then noticed that said garments were more like sleepwear, designed to be open and cool, as well as see through. And she was no longer wearing her underwear.

“I’m sorry,” Lymee said softly, covering herself shyly with her arms. “I don’t mean to be rude. But where am I?”

There was some more giggling though this time it was far more subdued as they all glanced at each other as if trying to decide who was going to tell her.

“You are in the Empress’ chambers,” Hsu stated.

“How the hell did I?” Lymee quietly gasped in horror. She looked around at all the women gathered around her with a new look of confusion. “So then who are all of you?”

Hsu smiled. “We are all the Empress’ concubines,” she stated.

“The Empress gets a harem?” Lymee gasped hiding her mouth with her hand. “Next time lead with that Niimu.” Lymee then frowned as she looked up at the women. “I’m sorry but I heard the Empress was like four. What would she need with a Harem?”

There was a slight look of confusion as the women looked at each other.

“We concubines are for more than just satisfying the desires of the flesh,” Hsu stated seemingly confused as to why she would need to explain this like it should have just been common knowledge. It probably was. Even with all the traveling Lymee had done she was still far from an expert on this world and doubted she ever would be. “In many ways we are like her wives,” Hsu continued. “We cook for her, bathe her, and dress her. The number of concubines is also a sign of social standing and wealth. The larger and more beautiful the women the more power and prestige their mistress wields. Even if the Empress could not use us, simply having us was a sign of her power and authority.”

“Are there no men in a harem?” Lymee asked. After all not all women in this world enjoyed the company of other women. And most of women in this world were not like Lymee in the fact that she
only
enjoyed the company of other women.

“No men are allowed in the Empress’ chambers,” Hsu explained. “Not even the Empress’ husband is allowed in here.”

Lymee blinked a few times as she tried to figure out how that exactly worked. “But the Empress
was
like four right?” Lymee asked wanting clarification. “None of you guys ever…”

“No,” Hsu assured with a bit of an embarrassed smiled. “None of us have ever known the touch of a man or another woman.”

“Not even with each other?” she asked a bit skeptical, noting how many of the women were so calmly pressing into each other as well as casually touching one another as they stood gathered around Lymee.

“We have vowed that we would only lay with our Empress,” Hsu stated though there was a bit of a smirk on her face as she said it, making Lymee wonder how far they had actually gone with each other and not officially gone ‘all the way’. “As a matter of fact, you are the first person other than the Empress or the Primary Minister that we have seen in quite some time. Hence why we are a little shy around you.”

Lymee looked around noticing the women still vying to get closer to Lymee most of them looking like they wanted to reach out and touch her. If this was them being shy then she would hate, or maybe love, to see them once they got comfortable around her.

“Excuse me,” one of the girls leaned in towards Lymee, her cleavage directly in Lymee’s line of sight.

“Yes?” Lymee said unable to look away from the woman’s very voluptuous cleavage that was nearly being shoved into her face. 

“You are one of the Officers or Lords of Su Dynasty correct?” the woman asked. “You were wearing their colors when you came in here. And your armor seemed very well made.”

“You could say that,” Lymee smiled glancing up at the woman. There seemed to be a resounding sigh of relief from the other women. Lymee was not sure what that meant. Who were they afraid that she might have been instead?

“Then you know of the Heavenly Fox?” the woman nearly pounced on Lymee as she asked, her words pouring out of her mouth. “Even in here we have heard stories about her. Is it true that she is as beautiful as she is clever and wise? Did she really take the walls without losing a single soldier?”

Lymee’s heart tightened as the thought of Sai lying dead on that table suddenly flashed in her mind. Lymee pursed her lips as she look down at the floor.

“No,” Lymee whispered. “We lost some very good people taking the walls. And The Heavenly Fox is neither clever nor wise. She simply takes the plans and ideas of others and passes them off as her own. I doubt she has had a single original thought since coming to this world.”

“So then she is from The Heavens then,” one of the other women exclaimed picking up on Lymee’s choice of wording. That was all it took before the flood gates burst and the women all started chatting amongst themselves in amazed delight as well as all simultaneously asking her questions.

Lymee could feel the pain of her hangover worsening as the noise threatened to overwhelm her. She winched in pain as she rubbed her forehead with her fingers.

“I would have very much liked to have met her at least once,” Ziah said the smile she had been wearing when she first entered the room fading. All the other girls nodded in agreement as they quieted down the mood suddenly become very subdued.

“You still might,” Lymee shrugged not sure why there was the sudden tone shift. “There is rumors going around that she will become the next Empress.”

Their somber looks did not subside at her words as Lymee had thought they might. Did they not wish to become The Heavenly Fox’s new concubines? Not that she would really blame them, nor did she intend to force them too.

“We are the old Empress’ Concubines,” Hsu stated folding her hands in her lap. “Even if we never did actually lay with the old Empress the new Empress would never want spoiled goods such as ourselves. Besides, an Empress’ harem is a statement of wealth and power. To use someone else’s harem would be like using someone else’s clothes to try and distinguish themselves.”

“Then what will happen to all of you then?” Lymee asked looking around the room.

“More than likely we will be given to the other generals and lords as prizes for their service,” Hsu stated. “If we are lucky then we may be made into their concubines or mistresses.”

“And if you are unlucky?” Lymee asked not sure she really wanted to hear the answer.

“We will be used to pleasure their soldiers or sold into servitude as skin workers,” Hsu stated. “An Empress’ former concubine would be a great attraction for any brothel owner and they would pay a high price for even one of us.”

“How would people even know that you actually were a former concubine and not just lying about it?” The question was out of Lymee’s mouth before she even realized it. She had not meant to ask it, it was simply the first question that had popped into her mind.

Hsu glanced over at Ziah and gave her a single nod. Seeming to understand the unspoken command Ziah lifted up the front her dress up around her waist revealing on her womb a very colorful and intricate tattoo. It was not very large and rested between her hip bones and stopping several inches below the bellybutton but it was still very detailed. Lymee would have had to tilt her head to see how far down it went. Something she was not about to do.

“Only the Palace Artisan can imprint these,” Hsu stated as Ziah lowered her dress back down. Now that Lymee knew what to look for she could see tips of the tattoo on some of the other women where their navels were exposed.

It reminded her far too much of Shan and the tattoo that covered her back. These women may not be considered slaves per say but the implication was obvious.

“And what if The Heavenly Fox did decide to keep you all?” Lymee asked. “Would that be something you would want? Or maybe if she offered you something else. Like your freedom or something.”

“Freedom?” Hsu frowned. The girls looked at each other in confusion. “Every single one of us worked very hard to become one of the Empress’ Concubines,” she stated. “My parents for one were mid standing lords and I came here in order to earn the Empress’ favor for them. Ziah was schooled from birth in order to one day become a concubine and she had to beat out nearly a hundred other women in order to do so.”