12 Brides Part Two

~2~

After the main event, I wasn’t entirely sure what we were supposed to do. We settled for taking a bath to clean the sweat from our skin and chatting over cups of wine. We devolved into talking about our childhoods. Duncan told me about the place he was from called Annan and found himself in Corinth as a sell sword.

“My life hasn’t been nearly as exciting.” I giggled. “I was born here. There was never a reason to leave. My father is a tax collector so we never had the time to go on holiday.”

“A tax collector? You must have had suitors.”

I nodded, taking a small sip of the sweet wine. “I didn’t like any of them. They were either too old, or too boring or too pompous. My mother suggested The Bridal Market since they produce the country's most sought after debutantes.”

A quiet knock startled me and I looked at the door, expecting it to open.

Duncan laughed. “That’s just Mamma coming to tell us our time is up.”

I looked at him with wide eyes. I didn’t expect that he was a virgin, but… “Do you… um… help out here a lot?”

He gave a warm smile. “I sustained an injury a few months ago. I’ve been here recuperating.”

I nodded slowly. “There are worse places.”

He gestured at me with his cup. “That’s what I said!”

Duncan drained his cup and sat it on the edge of the tub. He stood with a stretch, giving me a delicious eyeful of his perfect naked form. Normally, I would have looked away. But after the time we’d spend together, I enjoyed watching him move. Enjoyed watching the ripple of his muscles as he got out of the water. It traveled down his body, and my tongue flicked behind my teeth, wanting to trace the path. He toweled off before holding out a fresh one. I climbed out of the tub and went to him so he could wrap the soft cloth around me.

After we were both dried and dressed, we filed into the hall. All 12 pairs of us walked back the way we had come, each in various stages of dishevelment. Peta and her gentleman and Kore and her young man looked the freshest. One couple whose names I never learned were still tying their clothes back into place.

We were led back to the room with the pillows where food laid out on low tables. My stomach growled so loudly the lady next to me looked up. I gave a bashful smile.

The proctor waited with Mamma as we all assembled along the wall. “Take your meal and relax before we all retire for the evening. The gentlemen will not be joining you tonight. Ladies bid them goodbye for the time being.”

I turned to Duncan who winked at me and smiled before leaving with the other men. I smiled at him, knowing that we were likely to not have another encounter, if the rumors I’d heard were true.

Peta took my elbow. “What was the brute like? Are you bruised? I’m amazed that you can walk, unless of course you’re still fresh.” Her tone was almost accusatory.

I took my elbows back. “Brute? No, he was very attentive.”

Another lady with red hair and freckles shuttered. “I couldn’t imagine. Did he speak?”

“Yes. He speaks our language quite well.”

Peta Laughed. “The man was a beast. And did you see those tattoos? I imagine it was rather like riding a house. Was it?”

My face grew hot, both from embarrassment and anger. “That is none of your business.”

She rolled her eyes. “We’re all going to be with each of the men, we may as well get over our shyness.”

I felt by no means territorial of Duncan. But the way they spoke about him like he was a farm animal ranckled me.

The others had already gone to grab food and lounge on the pillows. Peta, the redhead, and I followed suit.

Once I had piled a plate with cheese, fruit, and lamb, I turned to find somewhere to sit. Kore sat near some of the ladies but very much alone. There was something about the forlorn look on her face that made me decide to check on her.

“May I sit?” I asked her.

She looked up at me with the clearest brown eyes I’d ever seen. “Um, Sure.”

I smiled and sat next to her. “I’m Iris.”

“Kore.” She replied.

I tore into my food. My eyes drifted over to Kore, finding her pulling her food into pieces, but not actually eating it.

I couldn’t help myself when I asked, “are you okay?”

She nodded slowly.

“Was the young man untoward?”

At that she looked at me with alarm. “No!” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “We took our clothes off, but I started crying and he suggested we just sit in the bath and talk.” There seemed to be a lot of that going around.

I tried to keep my tone as even as possible. "You seem like you're not happy here. Why did you enroll?"

Kore's eyes went distant and said. "My family was starving. There was a fire at our farm and the Market offered to pay my parents for both me and my little sister."

"How old is she." I asked, horror making my stomach tight.

"Six years. But I put my foot down and negotiated for my parents to get a higher price for me."

Her hands had stilled as she spoke about her family. I thought I was being self sacrificing coming to the Bride’s market. This girl though, gave up her freedom to a pleasure house for her family.

There was really nothing to say. “You’re very brave.” I said finally.

She smiled sadly. “How so? I’m terrified.”

At the age of 14, I cared more about riding my horse than spending time with boys. Eventually, something in me changed. But I would have been out of my element in a place like this at her age.

“It’s a huge sacrifice to have made for your family.”

Kore seemed to think about that for a moment, nibbling absently on some cheese. At least she was eating.

The entire conversation put me off of food. How could they have tried to negotiate for two children. It definitely made me think less of such a place.

Peta laughed over her glass of wine. “I wonder how many whores there are. Kore, is it? Do you know?”

The girl’s head whipped around to the rude woman speaking to her. She looked supremely uncomfortable.

“Leave her alone, Peta.” I couldn’t help myself.

Her eyes narrowed. “How do you know me?”

“I was paying attention when the names were called. Although, I missed some of them.”

Peta put her cup down with deliberate slowness. She crawled on the pillows with a seductive sway of her hips. It was a move I would have looked like a pregnant cow trying to recreate. Her face was inches from mine.

She breathed whine at me. “Don’t pretend like you know anything about me. We’re the same in here, although I saw the dress you came in with. You have money, but you fucked your chances of a good match. Don’t think you know anything about my life, or I will make yours hell.”

The urge to recoil was strong, but I kept eye contact. Zeus knows what possessed me, but I struck out like a snake for a mouse and pecked her on the lips. Peta gasped and sat backwards, giving me room to stand. I needed to leave.

I went to a door, finding a guard behind it.

“I need to relieve myself,” I lied.

He smiled and motioned down that hall, also mentioning that the barracks were the same direction. I walked down the hall, elation making me dizzy, but anxiety tightening my stomach. I’d never stood up from someone who wasn’t my family against someone I didn’t know. Maybe her accusations hurt more than I realized. I couldn’t think about that.

I went to the washroom, only to stand against the wall for a moment, to keep up the ruse. After I went into the barracks. It was a large rectangular room with 12 beds lined up with 3 rows. One wall was open to a courtyard with large doors. The late day sun warmed the room in a way just sapped one’s energy.

I found the bed with my little sack of keepsakes and laid down, curling on my side. The entire day felt like it pressed me into the bed. I just needed to rest before rejoining the girls.

It wasn’t until I jolted awake when they burst into the room that I realized I fell asleep. Peta, Thankfully found her bed on the other side of the room. Everyone was chatting and finding their sleeping areas. The small army of little girls with the pixie cuts came in with them and closed the doors, sliding the wooden latches closed. They left as quietly as they came in.

I scanned the girls, finding that Kore’s bed lined up, head to foot, with Peta’s.

I stood, grabbing my things and the pillow in case I’d started to drool. I went over to the girl. “Kore, trade with me.”

She seemed alarmed, but took in my appearance. She glanced at Peta before Standing and gathering her pillow and bag. I sat on the new beg, still warm from the sun, but not as warm as the one I just vacated.

I kept my attention off of Peta as I settled into my new home away from home. There were still a few strands of light on the horizon, but most of the ladies seemed to be settling in for the night. It sounded like someone was already snoring.

Rest didn't come quickly for me as I kept my eye on Peta, certain that she would try to pull something once I passed out.

And in the morning I felt like death warmed over. Some of the ladies excitedly spoke about what the day would hold. I stared blankly into my goats milk and bread.

A small hand rested on my back. I looked up to see Kore.

Concern furrowed her brow. "Are you alright?"

I shrugged. "Tired."

She looked over her shoulder before turning back and mouthing Peta?

I shook my head no.

She sat next to me, dunking her bread into the milk and taking small nibbles. “Thank you for yesterday. I was worried I'd eaten alive here. It’s nice to have made a friend.”

A friend? I hadn’t thought of it that way. All the same it was nice to have an ally. I said as much. Or maybe I mumbled incoherently. Either way, we ate in companionable silence.

After our meal, we were led to the room with the pillows. Pillow room? No, that’s dumb. I’ll think of a better name. There were a dozen tidy, folded blankets folded.

The proctor wore dark blue today. Mamma wore light blue, it complemented her skin tone well.

He waited until we were all inside to start. “Good morning, ladies. Today we will be learning the tantric arts from the east.”

Again the men filed in, standing in a line.

The Proctor continued. “Please choose a man and then sit next to a blanket.

The blond with the easy smile looked at me and winked. I started over to him. Peta from the corner of my eye, took one of the ladies by the wrist and dragged her over to him. Okay, strange. I started toward another. Peta swooped in with another young woman and handed her off. Three more times I tried to pick someone and each time Peta out a girl or herself in the way. She even paired up Duncan, who looked amused.. The only person left was Kore’s young man from yesterday. Okay, fine.

I smiled at the kid… young man, and we walked to the blanket. He had to be at least 3 years younger than me, but was still a full head taller.

He still seemed so new, I imagined he smelled like a puppy.

His voice was soft as he said. “My name is Theo.”

I smiled. “Iris.”

Theo and I sat next to the blanket and waited for the next instruction.

The proctor explained that we, the ladies, were to sit in the laps of the men and that the blankets would be put over us. Theo seemed to blush. But sat cross legged. I picked up the skirt of the linen dress high enough so I could see that I wouldn’t be stepping on the poor kid. Sitting, and wrapping my legs around his waist, this was a far more intimate pose than I was expecting. Theo shifted his legs so that they cradled me. I put my arms around his neck so I wouldn’t fall backwards. He held on tight for the same reason.

“I can’t reach the blanket.” I chuckled.

“Neither can I.” He smiled.

Mamma fluttered the blanket over the top of us, adding an extra layer of intimacy.

The Proctor spoke. “We will be gazing into the eyes of our partner. This is called Soul gazing.”

“Can we talk?” A male voice asked.

“That is not the purpose of this exercise.”

“I might need to talk or I’m going to fall asleep,” I muttered.

“Do you want to whisper about it?” Theo asked with a smile.

I stifled a giggle. There was something so disarming about him that I found it easy to tell him about the incident with Peta and Kore.

“I don’t get why you didn’t sleep.” He whispered

“Every time I started to drift off, a sound would wake me up. I was certain that Peta would do something horrific.”

“I’m not looking forward to my time with her. I’m worried she might break my dick off.”

My eyes went wide and I thought I might swallow my tongue to keep the laughter down. I needed a change of topic.

“Is this your first class at the Bride’s market?”

Theo nodded. “I wasn’t old enough previously.”

“Why volunteer?”

His blush said it all. He looked away, bashful.

“But you didn’t do anything with Kore.”

“She’s sweet, but so, so young. I couldn’t. I thought about it and even if she were to be my wife, I wouldn’t be able to touch her until we were ready.”

“I want to protect her virtue.” I said without speaking. It surprised me. Even more surprising was that it was true.

“You know where she’s going.” He furrowed his brow.

My turn to nod. “I want to protect her. She made an impossible choice and I think she deserves to say what happens with her own body.”

For the first time since we were put under the blanket, we did what we were supposed to. Theo stared into my eyes hard, as if making a decision.

He nodded slowly. “Leave it to me.”