Shakkar rarely, if ever, slept, and he knew that Lady Drexelica was not an early riser. To pass the time, he busied himself with studying the city's quarterly fiscal accounts for several hours after sunrise. Numeracy was not his strong point, but he was diligent in his task, always trying to catch out Crar's accountant, Master Scutal, in some small detail. The demon had never done so, but he lived in hope of discovering some misplaced decimal point or other error. This hope was heightened by the fact that the aged accountant always stood at his side while Shakkar worked, and he always wore the same smug, indulgent smile, secure in his efficiency and accuracy.
The demon pored over the heavy, leather-bound ledgers until the town clock chimed nine, and he marked his place with a feather before closing the book.
"All clear, Lord Seneschal?” Scutal asked in a high-pitched, singsong voice.
"I am not yet finished, Master Scutal,” Shakkar rumbled. “I shall return later to finish the task when I have made my morning rounds."
"Anytime, Lord Seneschal; you know where to find me."
Shakkar grunted. He did not like the accountant's often flippant manner, but the man's efficiency seemed adequate.
Stepping out of Scutal's office, the demon squinted at the bright, morning sun. He took a mighty draught of cool air and admired the reborn city. He saw the weekly market in full swing, with people chatting and laughing in the streets, in stark contrast to the gruesome, forced jollity that had held sway while Baron Starmor controlled the citizens’ thoughts and actions. He might find humans irritating at times, but he greatly preferred them as free individuals, rather than as ensorcelled puppets.
He never failed to be impressed by what had once been Starmor's tower. Once, it had been a threatening, grey presence, like a rotting tooth extending into the sky, spreading decay and despair throughout the city. Now, it glowed and gleamed in the warm rays of the sun, almost seeming to radiate hope and vigour into the city.
As ever, the two young, uniformed guards at the entrance saluted as the demon Seneschal approached.
"Good morning, Lord Seneschal,” they said in cheery unison.
"Good morning, gentlemen. Is Lady Drexelica in residence?"
The question was a routine one; Drexelica never left the tower before ten o'clock.
"I believe so,” one of the guards said, a red-cheeked youngster whose uniform hung loosely over his spare, lanky limbs; Shakkar did not know his name. “Nobody's entered or left since we started our shift two hours ago."
"Excellent,” the demon rumbled, towering over the youth. “May I enter?"
"Of course, Lord Seneschal!"
The two men raised their halberds at once to allow Shakkar access.
As he ascended the spiral staircase, the Seneschal mused that the folk of Crar now seemed to regard him as just another citizen, and he was not sure he liked this. On the other hand, at least the Crarians no longer fled screaming at the very sight of him, and he no longer found them quite as repulsive as once he had.
Reaching the level of the day-room, Shakkar he rapped at the door. When he heard no response, he cleared his throat with a basso rumble and called, “Lady Drexelica; it is I, Shakkar. May I come in?"
On hearing no reply, he felt uncertain how to proceed; he knew mortals had certain physical needs he found intensely distasteful to contemplate, such as the elimination of vile humours from their bodies, and he did not wish to intrude.
Tapping the claws of his feet on the flagstone floor, he waited a few minutes before trying again. “Lady Drexelica, are you there?"
At last, the towering demon gathered up the courage to open the door, fearing that he might see the lady sprawling, unconscious, on the floor, in the grip of some mortal malady. Instead, he saw the day-room looking just as it had the night before, but empty.
Shakkar frowned. Lady Drexelica was a creature of habit, as most humans seemed to be, and at this time of the day he always found her in the day-room, sipping a cup of tea.
Of greater worry was the fact that the long chaise was still scattered with discarded gowns, shawls and gloves, as it had been on the previous evening. The demon knew Lady Drexelica as a tidy mortal, fiercely proud of her fine domicile. Lady Drexelica would never have gone to bed while the room remained in disorder; she must be ill!
The Seneschal ascended the stairs to the door of the great bed-chamber that Drexelica shared with Baron Grimm when he was in residence. This time, he knocked with greater urgency, the sound reverberating throughout the tower.
"Lady Drexelica; are you well?” The booming voice shook the very walls of the edifice.
Still the demon heard no reply, and now he flung open the door, worried for the safety of his charge.
To Shakkar's relief, he saw no pale corpse lying on the floor, and the chamber appeared immaculate. The curtains were all drawn, despite the hour, and the bed was in perfect order. However, the Seneschal felt cold, unaccustomed tendrils of fear running along his spine, despite the lack of evidence of foul play.
Shakkar spent the next ten minutes scouring every room in the turret, but he could not locate the young female. He raced down the staircase, taking the stairs three at a time, and flung open the door, nearly hitting one of the guards.
"Is everything all right, Seneschal?"
"It is not!” the demon growled, his voice low and dangerous. Grasping the young guard by his jerkin, he pulled the mortal up, so that their faces met. “You swore that nobody had entered or left, but the Lady Drexelica has gone. How do you explain that?"
The guard gurgled, and no coherent sound emerged from his mouth. His colleague, his eyes wide, yelled, “It's true, Lord Seneschal, I swear! We have not left this spot since midnight, except…"
Shakkar let his unwilling, half-strangled prisoner fall to the ground, gasping for breath. “Except for what?” he demanded, turning to the other guard, almost beside himself with rage.
"Well, you know,” the terrified watchman squeaked. “It's a long shift, and we do have to… relieve ourselves from time to time. But there was always at least one of us here all through the night, I swear!"
The demon smiled at the mortal's pasty, sweaty face; these juveniles no longer regarded the Seneschal as just another puny mortal.
"I will get to the bottom of this, human,” he growled, staring straight into the petrified youth's eyes. “Who is your section commander?"
"S-sergeant Erik, Sir!” The boy's voice was little more than a whisper.
Without a further word, Shakkar went in search of the Sergeant, vowing that he would have somebody's head for this.
With sudden panic, Drexelica awoke to a blast of cold on her face. Opening bleary, gummed eyes, she dimly saw a black-clad figure standing over her with a dripping wooden bucket. It took her a few moments to orient herself, but her aching, burning limbs soon reminded her of where she was.
She was in Rendale Priory, a prisoner of the Sisters of Divine Serenity.
"I trust you slept well, bitch,” the Sister hissed. “I just want you to know that you've had it easy up to now. Today, it gets worse; much worse."
Shivering, Drex pulled her now-ragged gown around her in an attempt to preserve her modesty. Her bones protested at the movement, screaming in outrage at the depredations that had been visited upon them.
"Why are you doing this to me?” she croaked, her throat parched.
A whistling sound was soon followed by a sharp, hot pain that bloomed in her shoulders and spread through her abused body. This was a pain she could resist; she was used to such beatings.
"You call me ‘Sister Melana', slut,” her looming companion yelled. “Don't forget that again, or it will be the worse for you."
"Why are you doing this to me, Sister Melana?” she replied, only to feel the unwelcome attentions of the lash again.
"You forgot to say ‘Please', Supplicant; we of the Score expect politeness at all times. You were also impertinent. I won't tolerate that, ever."
I'll kill her; I swear I will. Her bitch mistress, too.
Despite her inner defiance, Drex knew she could not endure a full day of open resistance and punishment. It might be better to go along with these madwomen for the time being.
Perhaps it's best to be a good little girl for a while. I'll play their twisted little game for a while until I learn the rules, and then they won't know what's bloody hit them.
"I'm sorry, Sister,” she said, lowering her eyes. “Please tell me why you are doing this to me."
"That's better, by-blow. You're here to learn discipline; real discipline. The Reverend Mother, beloved of our Order, wants to use you in some scheme or other, and I'm not about to try to stop or question her. She ordered me to ensure you're not permanently marked, but you'd be surprised how much pain I can inflict without marking you. Suffice it to say that I'm going to do all I can to make the lady happy; I'm not eager to make her angry, and neither should you be; and remember: I don't like you. That's all you need to know."
The nun leaned close to Drex and leered. “By the way, don't even dream about trying to play me false, or I'll pluck those pretty blue eyes right out of your head with my own fingers, slut. Right now, you're mine, and don't forget it."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Sister Melana!” Drex tried to act innocent, but the hateful whip descended again on her burning back.
"Don't even try to be clever with me, whore!” Melana's words dripped with hatred. “I'm going to be handing you over to some eager, ambitious Acolytes later on, and you'll find that they're quite keen to show the Prioress just how inventive and imaginative they can be. Right now, we need to get you washed and properly clothed; you're due to see the grand dame Lizaveta in twenty minutes."
Drex, despite her discomfort, suppressed a smile. Melana seemed dissatisfied with her assignment, and she appeared none too fond of Lizaveta, either. Perhaps this might be turned to advantage when the time was right.
"Whatever you say, Sister Melana.” She lowered her head in supplication, her voice low and tremulous.
Let them think I'm cowed and frightened; let's see the lie of the land first.
Drexelica felt awkward and constrained in her new, starchy, white habit. The crisp wimple restricted her view to a small circle, and she began to tremble as she approached the Prioress's chamber.
She's going to flay me alive! She's going to beat me until my bones show through my skin! I'm lost! she told herself over and over, working herself into an access of terror. Drex did not want Lizaveta to see her inner defiance, and she knew the best defence would be an aura of fear; even as a lapsed novice with no more than two years’ teaching in Geomancy, she knew well enough how to hide her true aura.
As she entered the bare room, she saw Lizaveta perched on her polished throne, much as she had been on the previous night. It seemed to Drex more as if it had been a decade ago.
"Greetings, Supplicant.” The Prioress’ unpleasant, abrasive voice almost made her want to scratch herself.
"On your face, bitch,” Melana hissed, forcing the girl to the hard floor. “Lower your eyes before you respond to your superior."
Drexelica obeyed the Sister, trying to portray the image of demureness.
"Greetings, Reverend Mother,” she whispered to the floor, as if she had lost all defiance.
"Have you had any problems with our new Supplicant, Sister Melana?"
"She was an insubordinate little slut at first, Reverend Mother, but I think she is beginning to see the error of her ways. It will take much more training, but I do not believe she is as strong as she pretends."
"That is excellent!” the Prioress crowed. “Now, Supplicant Drexelica, I do not want you to think that we are unnecessarily cruel here. We want only the best for you, and for us. Do you truly believe that?"
"Y… yes, Reverend Mother.” Drex kept her head lowered.
"However, my dear, we will tolerate no deviation from our plan. Do you now acknowledge your fealty to the Order?"
Drex realised this was a trick question. If she answered too quickly in the affirmative, Lizaveta would suspect she was lying, and this would surely bring another round of Melana's unwelcome attentions. There seemed to be only one way out of this.
"I don't know, Reverend Mother,” she wailed, allowing tears to run from her eyes as she dared to look up at the woman. “What do you want me to say? I hurt so much that I don't know what to think! Please help me, Reverend Mother!"
From Lizaveta's expression, the girl knew she had responded correctly.
"I want you to say what you feel, Supplicant, and you appear to have done so. This is good. The acknowledgement of uncertainty is the first step to enlightenment."
Lizaveta turned to Sister Melana. “For the new Supplicant, I recommend a day of standard training in the lore and customs of the Order. No punishments beyond Level One, unless the Supplicant truly warrants it, in which case I shall demand proof of the transgression in the form of sworn testimonies. Let us show her that we are reasonable folk who wish only for her spiritual advancement."
"As you command, Reverend Mother, it shall be."
Drex noted the sour expression on Melana's face, even if the Prioress did not. The Sister would be a handful, suspicious as she was, but, as a former street vagabond in the almost feral town of Griven, the unwilling Supplicant felt more than able to allay the disaffected nun's vague suspicions. Drex had lived on her wits for most of her life.
Should I thank the wizened old shrew for her bounteous mercy? No, the cow would never believe that-at least, not yet…
Instead, Drex lowered her forehead to the floor, as if inviting a headsman's axe. The cool stone comforted her, easing the dull ache in her head.
She would prevail; these people had no concept of the resilience of a Grivense street-child! They were blind, and she would have them fooled in no time.
"Take Supplicant Drexelica to a training room,” Lizaveta intoned, “and train her in the First Principles of the Order. Remember: use no disfiguring or disabling punishments, or you will answer to me. Is that understood?"
"Quite understood, Reverend Mother!” Drex saw Melana's head touch the floor.
"You may go, dear Sister. Train this Supplicant well but fairly, and you will have my gratitude."
The harsh voice hardened to an almost metallic tone. “On the other hand, go against my wishes in act of spirit, and you will find retribution inevitable.
"Don't dare to go against me, Melana."
"Never, Reverend Mother, I swear! All will be as you desire."
"You may go, then, dear Sister. Go in peace."
"Thank you, Reverend Mother,
"Come on, Supplicant."
Drexelica climbed to her feet, taking care not to meet the Prioress’ gaze. “Thank you, Reverend Mother,” she muttered, remembering to tremble in a deferent manner.
This is going to be easy, she thought. These people are idiots!
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