The Secret Weapon (15 page)

In the main room, th
ere were more couches and large plush pillows big enough to sit on. Near the back was a long banquet table with fruits, vegetables, cheese, and crackers. There was a silver fountain with a red liquid spilling from the spouts. Back behind the table were two openings, one on each end of the wall that lead to the sleeping quarters. To the right was a huge arch opening that led to the harem’s private gardens and pool. Torches brightened the area around the pool where lounge chairs and tables were set up for the girls.

Coraset
had to admit the place was spacious and beautiful, but it wasn’t near big enough for the different personalities of eleven women. She didn’t really care for nonsense. She didn’t like drama that could easily be spurred by a bunch of women living together.

The women began to separate and filter throughout the room. Some didn’t say a word. They walked around, touched the sofas, considered the food that was on the table. There were a couple of women who immediately striped off their tunics and skirts and headed for the pool only in their underwear. They were giggling and screaming as they jumped into the water.

Before any of them realized it, including Coraset, the double doors to the harem were closed and locked. When she tried the latch, it wouldn’t turn. Coraset didn’t like that at all. Now, she felt like she was trapped. She’d gone from a prison in the desert to a prison in the palace of Erato, and honestly, she didn’t know if she’d be able to get away from this one so easily.

Katarin pulled on Coraset’s hand and said excitedly, “We need to choose our room! You’re going to be my roommate, right?”

“I guess so.” Coraset answered as she was led across the room to the opening on the left.

From what Coraset could tell, all of the rooms looked the same. There were two beds and two large chests of drawers. There were no windows
, and there was a single lamp that hung from the center of the ceiling. Katarin huffed in disappointment at the setup in the bedrooms, and she stood in the last room with her hands on her hip.

“Well, I thought it would look better than this. It’s so plain and boring.” Katarin sat down on one of the beds and bounced on it gently.
“You’d think he would give us a better place.”

“You’re living in a palace, Katarin. Nothing is as good as that.” Coraset remarked as she started going through the drawers.
She placed her purse with the compact holding the secret vial in the top drawer.

“In his bed would be pretty good.” Katarin remarked with a chuckle.

Coraset was surprised to hear her say that, and peered over her shoulder to take a quick glance.

“I know that red head is with him right now, but I plan on being his wife, Coraset.”

“You do, huh?”

“Before I ca
me here, I was reading about Kama Sutra. That is some wickedly good reading.” Katarin laughed as she sat back further on the bed. “I’m going to do all those positions with him. I forget the names of some of them. There were so many.”

Coraset couldn’t help but to laugh. She sat down across from Katarin once she discovered there was nothing in the chest of drawers.

“I’m a virgin. Do you think he’ll notice?”

“Are you serious, Katarin? Why would you ask me that?”

“Is it an inappropriate question?” Katarin stared at her with confusion.

Coraset began to wonder if
she was different. She seemed so innocent like a child at times. She cleared her throat and asked, “No, it’s not, but I won’t be able to tell you if he’ll know.”

“What is the first time like?” Katarin’s attention was glued to Coraset, awaiting an answer.

Coraset didn’t want to continue on the subject. She scratched at her head and pulled her hair back wishing she had a band to pull it in a pony-tail. She knew Katarin wasn’t giving up, and she finally answered, “It depends on the person you sleep with. If he loves you and understands how your body works, then it’ll be beautiful. If you’re with a man who doesn’t care a thing about you, then it’ll be the worse experience you’ll ever remember.”

The seriousness of Coraset’s tone of voice woke Katarin from her fantasy. She remarked naively, “I hope he loves me.”

“He doesn’t even know you.”

“He’ll get to know me, Coraset. He’ll know me, and he’ll love me more than any of the girls here.” Katarin pointed at her and continued, “You watch what I tell you. I was meant to be his wife.”

Coraset wasn’t going to question her certainty. It was obvious where Katarin’s mind was, and she wasn’t about to try and change it. Without saying another word, Coraset stretched out on the bed. As her body relaxed, she began to give up the rest of the day.

An eruption
of glass and shouting brought Coraset from a deep sleep. She sat up in bed confused as to where she was. She remembered she left her purse in the top drawer of the dresser at the foot of her bed. She got up quickly to make sure it was there along with its contents. It hadn’t been touched, and Coraset breathed a sigh of relief. More screaming came from up the hallway, reminding her why she was awakened in the first place. She left the room at a slow pace, not really interested in seeing what was going on.

Just as she came into the main room,
she saw Katarin and Aisling toe to toe. Everyone was watching them, as the two argued. The banquet table that had fruits and vegetables the night before was a mess now with bagels, croissants, and other breakfast items strewn all over the floor. Coraset really didn’t feel like breaking up the fight, but it was obvious no one else was going to do it. She stepped to Katarin and pulled her away.

Coraset remarked calmly, “Katarin, calm down.”

“She thinks she’s so special!” Katarin yelled angrily as she yanked out of Coraset’s grip.

Aisling
threatened, “You better get used to being nothing to him, retard.” The women brushed at the wet milk stain on her shirt. “All of you better get used to it. The Chancellor and I had a wonderful night. I’m going to be the Chancellor’s wife. And when we get married, all of you will be gone!” She stormed angrily into the other entryway that led to the other bedrooms.

A low rumble of whispers came from the women as they began to disperse. Two women that came from the kitchen approached the mess on and around the table with buckets, mops, and towels.

Coraset turned to Katarin and asked, “What happened?”

Katarin crossed her arms
and answered, “She said that Chancellor Erato already asked her hand in marriage. She was bragging about it. She’s a liar, Coraset. He hasn’t even met me yet.”

Coraset was about to give Katarin advice, but she decided against it. Instead she said, “You have to calm down. You’ll get your time with him, and he’ll be impressed with you.”

“You’re right.” Katarin loosened her stance and smiled confidently. “He will.”

“Anyway,
she wouldn’t be here if he asked her to marry him.” Coraset noted before she went to the other side of the table to fix herself something to eat.

Katarin considered what she said carefully, and she felt even better. She watched as Coraset prepared her plate, and she watched with a silly grin on her face.

“What is so funny, Katarin?”

“The other girls think that I’m strange, but I think you’re the one who’s strange, Coraset.”

She lifted her eyebrows and turned to go sit. Katarin followed behind her.

“Maybe, we’re both strange.” She added as she bit into a piece of toast.

While Coraset was eating, an army of women with brand new clothing came into the harem. Each one found the concubine they were looking for. The woman that approached Coraset handed her a huge pile of folded clothes, and the woman walked away before Coraset could thank her. She set her plate aside to look at each piece, and she was amazed. The colors, the lightweight beauty of each cloth, and the soft feel of the fabric between her fingers. Coraset loved it. She left the plate on the settee and went to her room to put them away.

She then
went to the showers that were at the end of the corridor to get cleaned up. The bathroom had gorgeous pastel yellow and soft white porcelain tiles. Body washes with all kinds of scents and perfumes set in a glass cabinet for the women to use. Coraset chose a light scented vanilla body wash. Afterwards, she put on a sleeveless white wrap around dress that stopped above her knees and white leather sandals on her feet. Coraset decided to keep her hair down.

All of the women had showered and changed into the new clothes they were given. They loved all the colorful garments and showed off their new outfits to one another with oohs and aahs. It was a complete difference from the bland clothing everyone else wore around Erato.

Coraset disappeared into the gardens beyond the pool. It was quiet and seemed far away from the chatter of the excited concubines. She slowly walked through the colors of nature, taking in the blooming spirea as they took up an entire section, and the flowering carpet scarlet grew around them in splendid red. The nerium oleanders were on the other side mixed in with velvet cloak smokebushes. Even the bees danced around the blooms barely noticing Coraset. She continued through the stone path and saw a granite bench. In the center was a white
dendrobium orchid sitting in a handcrafted red pot. It seemed like it was out of place, even in its natural beauty, among other flowering plants, it pulled her attention. It looked like the many orchids she used to grow back in the greenhouses in the Barat Region. She went to the bench and sat down beside it. It was tall and gorgeous.

“I was told you grew orchids.” A male voice spoke. Chancellor Erato strolled from behind a tall rose bush. He stopped and pulled at a delicate petal. “My mother loved them.”

Coraset curtsied respectfully without speaking.

“
Your name is Coraset Prescott?”

“It is.” She answered with a guarded smile. “How did you know I would come out here?”

“I didn’t. I just happened to see you from my bedroom. I have a view of the garden and the harem, of course.” Chancellor Erato pointed towards his window on the other side of the garden.

Coraset looked in the direction he pointed
at. His window was in another building, but it had a perfect view of everything.

“You like orchids?”
He asked.

“Yes, I do. They’re my favorite flower.”

Chancellor Erato stared at Coraset from head to toe. She didn’t think very much of him, but she knew he was finding his amusement simply by staring at her.

He cleared his throat and said,
“I have a session with the Senators this morning. I will send for you afterwards. We’ll have lunch in my personal quarters.”

Coraset smiled
and remarked, “I will be ready whenever you are.”

“
I love that dress.” He put his hands in his pockets as he moved around her.

“I won’t change.”
She turned so her back wouldn’t be to him.

Chancellor Erato smiled
and walked away.

Coraset waited until he was out of sight, and she stepped into the g
rounds where the oleander was planted. She looked around making sure no one was watching her. Quickly, she removed her underwear, and she laid the biggest part of the fabric over her hand and fingertips. She broke off a piece of the flower and wrapped it in her underwear. Coraset placed it in the orchid pot. She held the orchid as close to her chest as possible as she went back towards the harem. She rushed passed the pool area hoping no one saw what she had, and she went inside to prepare for her date with Chancellor Erato.

Sekai entered the harem. Everyone that was inside the great room turned their attention to
her. Katarin stood and rushed over to Sekai before the other women could reach her. Coraset remained in her seat, knowing full well why Sekai was there.

Katarin asked in an excited tone, “Where is the Chancellor?”

Sekai saw Coraset sitting, with her back to them. She excused herself through the small crowd of ladies and went directly over to her. She rounded the sofa and said, “The Chancellor wishes to see you.”

Coraset looked at Katarin who was now standing behind Sekai. She looked disappointed. Katarin
pulled at Sekai’s shirt sleeve and asked, “When will I get to see him?”

Sekai turned impatiently and said, “When he asks for you.”

Katarin ran around Sekai and slid beside Coraset. She grabbed her arm and pleaded, “Tell him about me, okay, Coraset. Tell him everything about me, okay. So, he’ll want to see me next.”

Coraset didn’t know anything about her really.
Only that she was obsessed with seeing the Chancellor, and she was childish and impatient.

“Okay,”
she agreed as she patted her hand and rose from the seat.

“Tell him what I’m wearing, and tell him how much I love him.”

She smiled assuredly at Katarin and slipped her arm out of her grasp.