Introduction: In This Land
My name is Rini. The whole thing is Anosalim Inanodat Kuladin A
Rini, but its a lot easier just
to say Rini. I live here, in Orina Anoris - - which just so happens
to be the most ancient, most powerful,
and most prosperous nation in all of the world - - and Im an
Anorian prince.
Right now, were in the Dynasty of the Seven Siblings. That means
that in each generation, the pharaoh has seven children, and
those seven children grow up to run the country. The gods bless
them with the wisdom and skills that theyll need to fulfill their
roles. Its all about preordained destiny, and its
all about my family.
The youngest of the seven siblings always becomes the royal artist.
Thats my brother Talin. His twin brother is Anosanim, whos
going to be the royal architect. They havent taken their
positions yet,
because theyre still only nineteen, but they work as hard as
if they were already in charge. I keep telling
them to relax and enjoy their last months of freedom, but theyre
too busy painting and planning and sketching to listen to me.
Talins rude and cynical; he always has a bad attitude. Anosanim is
happy and friendly and
enthusiastic about everything, but hes always too dramatic.
Because theyre so different, I really think
that if they werent twins, Talin wouldnt even like Anosanim, but
they have this weird dynamic where
they always put each other first. Talins always looking out for
Anosanim, and Anosanims always gushing about Talin, like they dont
realize that they shouldnt even get along.
My brother Desin is the royal agriculturist. Basically, hes a
farmer - - and he looks like one, all big and muscular from
working in the fields - - but everyone says that theres much
more to his role than that,
like overseeing the countrys food resources, monitoring all of the
crops and the animals and the rivers,
shipping and storing all of the food, importing and exporting,
stuff like that. I still say: big ol farmer.
The other two twins are Orinakin and Selorin. Orinakin was born
first, so hes the royal diplomat; he
travels a lot, keeps the peace, makes sure that everythings running
smoothly between Orina Anoris and the rest of the world, that sort
of thing. Selorin is the royal high judge, so he hears the biggest
cases,
interprets the laws, and says intelligent things. Talin and
Anosanim are complete and total opposites, but
Selorin and Orinakin are the same person in two bodies.
The second-born child of the pharaoh is always the royal high
priest. Thats Remin. All of my
brothers are passionate people, in one way or another, but
Remins more passionate than most people expect someone in his
position to be. He used to spend all of his free time in the belams
- - what you call
harems - - and you didnt want to get between him and any kind of
food. Now he spends his free time in
the temples, but you still dont want to get too close to his
plate.
First-born is, of course, the pharaoh. His full name is Anosukinom
Mutotanosa Situkabulanin
Anosukinom. Hes a pharaoh, hes a man, hes a god, hes my big
brother, hes wealthy, hes powerful,
hes perfect.
You probably noticed that I kept talking about the seven royal
siblings, and then I listed seven people
without including myself. Thats what makes this generation special.
There are eight of us.
Im the eighth brother, the youngest. I told you to call me Rini,
but one of the other parts of my
name, Kuladin, means “one who is more.” Im more, Im a
blessing, a gift. A gift to my parents, a gift to
Orina Anoris, a gift to the world.
Youre welcome.
The last pharaoh was my pharaoh mother, Anosadum. She stepped down
from the throne almost four
years ago when Kudorin turned twenty and took over. Thats what
happens; as each person from the new generation comes of age,
someone from the previous generation hands over the role. Were in
the middle
of changing over right now, and in the new year, when Anosanim and
Talin take their positions, the
transition from one generation to the next will be complete.
The pharaoh, while on the throne, cant leave the country, so
Anosadum is taking advantage of her new freedom and has been
traveling all over the world with my king father and queen
mother.
Its traditional for our pharaohs to marry both a man and a woman.
Kudorin already has a wife,
Anikira. Shes our queen, and theyve known each other for almost
their whole lives. He doesnt have a husband yet. One of Orinakins
duties is to scour foreign countries looking for suitors and
bringing them
here so that Kudorin can meet them, but Kudorin keeps rejecting
them.
Ive met his suitors, and he is being way too picky. Those guys are
hot.
Because the system is set up for seven siblings and Im the eighth,
my career and life werent laid out
for me at birth. That means that while my brothers have to get up
every morning and do their jobs and run
the country and bear an incredible burden of responsibility, I get
to lounge around the palace all day. I can go wherever I want, do
whatever I want, and wear whatever I want.
My main hobbies are having fun and having sex. My favorite pastime
is to combine them and have
fun sex. I visit the belams, of course, but I also partner with
palace guests, my brothers assistants,
servants, regular citizens, and athletes. A lot of athletes.
Ive heard that other cultures in other countries have
strange attitudes about sex; they attach a bunch
of guilt and shame to it. I dont understand that at all. In Orina
Anoris, we like sex. Its natural, its
instinctive, it feels terrific, and it doesnt hurt anyone. Why
sneak around and hide something that fantastic? Ive never had sex
right in the middle of a crowd in the throne room or anything, but
thats
because of respect, not shame.
Well, its also kind of because my brothers would be completely
outraged and act all offended and
indignant about it. As if theyre celibate. Okay, Remin is,
but he has to be; the royal high priest cant
have sex outside of marriage, and Remins still single. All of the
rest of my brothers visit the belams all of the time, and
they have sex with other people, too. Especially Desin; hes always
looking for someone
new to partner with. Talin always has a boyfriend, about two a
year. Selorin always has a new boyfriend
- - he changes them every month - - and he goes through them even
faster when Orinakins away.
Even though Anosanims always fawning all over everyone, he never
notices when guys are
interested in him. They can tell him how much they care about him
and undress right in front of him, and
hell think that theyre just being friendly. Even Im not that
friendly! (Most of the time.)
I dont know why some of my brothers collect boyfriends. I could
never do it. Commitment, to one
person? There are so many different people out there, I
couldnt possi bly limit myself to just one. I cant even keep
the same hairstyle for too many days in a row.
Since Im a prince with a lot of freedom and a busy, fantastic sex
life, youre going to think that my life is perfect. And it is,
almost. My only problem is that all seven of my brothers outrank me
- - not only
are they older, they run the country - - and they like to tell me
what to do. Sometimes I even have to listen
to them. I think that theyre jealous, because our parents love me
the most. Anosadum had to have my brothers; she had me
because she wanted me.
Kudorins only been pharaoh for four years now, but hes been ready
for it since he was born. For as
long as I can remember, hes walked like hes owned everything within
sight, and hes listened like every
words important. (Trust me; a lot of words out of a lot of
mouths arent.) All of my brothers work too hard; they put way too
much thought and effort into it, for far too many hours. Anosanim
and Talin
havent even completed their apprenticeships yet, so Id excuse their
work habits as nervous
overcompensation, except that the older guys are almost worse than
they are, and, besides, Talin never
gets nervous.
Of all of my brothers, Desin and Anosanim are probably my best
friends. Talins too rude; the others
are all too old. Whenever I feel like going out to flirt with guys,
Desins the one I invite along. Anosanims so dramatic that he
usually pretends to be scandalized by whatever I want to do, but
he
always realizes that its going to be a lot of fun and goes along
with it anyway. Since Desins employees
work in the fields, and Anosanims construct buildings, I like to
loiter around when theyre working and flirt with all of the hot,
muscular guys. I just have to be careful, or Desin will make me
help, and Im not
really into gardening.
Talin and Selorin dont want me to spend too much time
hitting on their assistants and employees.
Apparently, it “distracts them from their work.” Its hard not
to, though; the artists are all sexy and
creative, and the lawyers are all sexy and intellectual, and both
of those things turn me on.
Its no fun visiting Remin when hes in the temples. Everyone he
works with is a priest, and who
wants to hit on a priest?
A lot of important foreign leaders come to the palace to meet with
Kudorin and Orinakin, so theres a
pretty steady stream of people to flirt with. Most of the
kings and presidents and prime ministers and whatever are too old
for me, but usually they have assistants or sons or
something.
Or daughters. Most of my brothers are only attracted to men, but I
like women, too. Our belas are all
male, though, because thats something that we could all agree
on.
A bela is, I dont know what youd call it, a concubine or
something. A belas someone who lives in a belam, or harem.
Orinakin and Selorin and Desin and Anosanim and Talin and I share
three belams;
Remin used to before he became royal high priest. Kudorin has two,
just for him and his wife, one male
and one female. There are two more, one male and one female, for
the official palace guests. Kudorins, of course, are sexier and
more talented than anyone elses, because hes the pharaoh, but ours
are, um,
pretty special.
Now that Ive started talking about the belams, itll be easy
for me to go on for the next several
hours, rambling about sex. Id better not, though. Now
that Im eighteen, Im supposed to “comport
myself with some semblance of decorum,” and its not “appropriate”
for an Anorian prince to describe his intimate sex life to complete
strangers.
Theres much more to talk about, a whole lot more that I want to
tell you. Orina Anoris is a pretty
special place. There are thousands of stories to be told in this
land...
A few minutes passed in baffled silence.
“The pharaoh,” Vade said.
“Of Orina Anoris,” Bade said.
A bug crawled across the granite step beneath their feet, taking
its time in traveling behind Vades
boots.
In search of a reassuring point, Bade offered, “Hes very
wealthy.”
“And very powerful,” Vade said somewhat dubiously, not sounding
comforted at all.
“Immensely powerful,” Bade agreed. He wanted to consider that to be
a good thing, a selling
point, but in his gut, it made him uneasy. Nosupolis was
small and rather poor, all things considered,
while Orina Anoris was the oldest, wealthiest, most powerful nation
in the world. Bade would only reach the throne if his older
brother, Tiko, met with an unfortunate and sudden end, while
Anosukinom, the
pharaoh of Orina Anoris, was the most powerful man
alive.
“Especially if he really can raise the sun,” Vade said.
“That cant possibly be true.” Everyone knew that only a god could
move the sun.
“To them, its reality,” Vade argued. “Do you want to
live in a country where all of the citizens believe that
their pharaoh makes the sun rise and set? They believe that their
pharaoh is a god, that their
pharaohs siblings are children of gods, that-”
“People here believe that stepping on three spiders before midnight
is good luck,” Bade said. “All
its ever given me is a mess to clean up.”
“They think that he sets fires with his mind and breathes
underwater,” Vade continued, ignor ing
his comments. “They say that when he cries, it rains.”
“Hes powerful, wealthy, and beloved,” Bade said. He might as well
defend the pharaoh now; he
irritating; normally, they both found what they knew of that
country to be fascinating, if mysterious. “I
imagine that hes intelligent and well-educated. His brother is
charming and very handsome.”
“Prince Orinakin?” Vade asked. “He has purple hair. Purple
hair, Bade, he has purple hair. And
purple eyes. Have you ever seen anyone with purple hair? Have
you ever heard of anyone having purple
hair?”
No, but it was a captivating sight. “His aunt had purple
hair,” Bade said. “And her uncle before
her.”
“And that doesnt seem strange to you?” Vade asked.
Of course it seemed strange. It seemed downright bizarre and
somewhat creepy. The rich, silken,
varied purples of the princes hair were intriguing, though. The
previous diplomat, the princes aunt, had
worn her hair in tightly braided coils pinned close to her head,
but the new one, a young man near Bades age, wore his long and
loose so that, caught on the wind, it shimmered in the sunlight
and-
“Youll have to go,” Vade said.
“Its an honor to be asked,” Bade said. Hed never been invited
to anything nearly so important in his life. Hed barely left his
own country. He didnt spend much time away from the castle.
And now,
suddenly, to be whisked off to Orina Anoris? To meet the most
powerful man alive? To be considered
for marriage? Not that hed ever be chosen - - he had no idea
how to court a pharaoh - - but it was a tremendous honor. He did,
though, harbor many reservations about the entire enterprise, chief
among
which was how to get there. “You dont think that well have to
travel by balloon, do you?”
“Thats how they go everywhere,” Vade said. “Theyd be insulted
if you refused.”
Orina Anoriss diplomats always were very careful to respect local
customs. It would only be correct of him to respect theirs in
return. “But its a balloon.” Hed watched the diplomat ascend
and
descend. Those balloons went up so terribly, terribly high, they
couldnt possibly be safe.
Idly scratching his shin, Vade said, “I wonder how many accidents
theyve had.”
With a shudder, Bade asked, “Would you like to go in my
place?”
“Id like to visit Orina Anoris,” Vade admitted. “Im curious about
what its really like there. But
they asked for you, not for me.”
The lack of animosity, the complete absence of bitterness in Vades
tone, eased Bades guilt. “He only invited me because Im
older.” Six minutes and thirty-two seconds older, to be precise,
but it had
long been considered an important distinction. He and Vade looked
so exactly alike, theyd often
switched places and easily fooled their tutors and guards. He was
sure that if Vade took his place this time
as well, the deception would be simple. There was no real danger of
either one of them making it through the elimination process and
being chosen as the pharaohs husband, anyway, and Vade would enjoy
the
adventure.
“He said that he invited you because of your ethics,
humility, and generous nature,” Vade said.
Uncomfortable with the praise, Bade pushed it aside with the wave
of one hand. “He had to say something nice. Im not a suitable
candidate, and if they dont know it now, theyll figure it out
soon
enough. He shouldve invited Tiko.”
“And leave you to rule the kingdom?” Vade asked, almost offensively
amused by the thought.
“Thrones have been abandoned before,” Bade reminded him.
“Youre expected to leave behind
country and family to sit at the pharaohs side, and someone does
exactly that in every generation. Tiko
would do it if he were called. Id be a better king here than a
pharaohs husband there, anyway.”
“Tiko would never leave Nosupolis,” Vade argued mildly. “He
was born to be our king.”
Bade didnt know what he, himself, had been born for. He
deeply loved Nosupolis, but hed never
been given a role to fill. Tiko, destined to be king, had a
place in the world. Bade was a prince, yearning
to give to his country and its people but lacking any real power or
position. Quizzing his tutors and
shadowing his father had only resulted in irritated sighs. The
important people who truly ran the country didnt want a sheltered
and shallow prince pestering them with clumsy attempts to
help.
“When is Prince Orinakin coming back for you?” Vade
asked.
“In two weeks,” Bade said, studying the worn toe of his boot.
“I may bring as many trunks as I think Ill need, but no
people. Its customary to come alone.”
Vade was looking down at his own feet. “Its also customary for the
one whos chosen not to come back, not for many years.”
Taking a deep breath, Bade let it out. “Yes, he mentioned
that.”
Another period of silence.
Bade had never been away from Nosupolis, or away from Vade, for
more than three days.
“He probably wont choose you, anyway,” Vade said. “Anyone who
tells people that he can move
the sun is too interested in himself to notice great things about
you. Hell just look for who can bring him money and
power.”
“Yeah.” Bade didnt look over, didnt want to meet Vades
eyes. “Ill probably be put out on a
balloon coming home as soon as I get there.”
“Yeah,” Vade agreed, his voice so cool and calm that Bade knew he
was a wreck inside. “We
wont even have time to enjoy your absence.”
Anosalim Inanodat Kuladin A Rini was on his way to the temples when
he saw a few young men
loitering in an archway. He didnt remember their names, but their
athletic, muscular builds and blue-and-
white uniforms gave them away as members of one of the soccer
teams. Smiling, Rini slowed to an easy stroll, making eye
contact.
One of them gave him a sexy little wave. The second made the sign
to the gods; the third winked.
“Hello,” Rini said, casually veering in their
direction.
“Prince Rini,” they said, bowing. While Wave and Wink looked him up
and down, the middle one
turned a flustered red.
“You must be on the Korigan team,” Rini said, standing too close to
Red, smiling, licking his lips a
little. “Youre playing Gonoset at the festival.”
“Yes, we are,” Wave said, stepping closer to his left side. Wave
seemed to be having trouble
looking above Rinis neck, and was absent-mindedly rubbing his own
thigh; definitely an ass-grabber.
“Weve come to the palace to ask for your blessing,” Wink said,
closing in on his right, dark eyes
burning with sexual intent.
“Id love to give you everything that youve come for,” Rini
said. “Gonosets a strong team,
though,” he added, toying with his silver necklace, which happened
to be the onlything he wore above the waist. Swallowing hard, Red
stared at his deft fingers and naked chest.
“Were strong,” Wink said.
“Very strong,” Wave added, licking his lips, eyeing Rinis
ass.
“You do look fit,” Rini admitted, his other hand giving Reds
muscular arm a few quick squeezes.
Nice. Leaving his hand there, stroking slowly, he turned his
gaze on Wink. “Do you think that youre up to the
challenge?”
A few minutes later, Rini was plastered to Reds har d,
muscular body, stealing fervent kisses and
moaning happily. Wave was behind him, squeezing his ass, kissing
the back of his neck, rocking against him, thickening erection snug
against him through his tight pants. Rinis dick hardened by the
second, his
undulating body caught between their firm, athletic physiques,
Winks hands snaking around and darting
in to tease his nipples and stroke his skin. As he broke away from
Red to kiss Wink, his hands slid
beneath the back of Reds shorts, gripping the muscular globes
of Reds ass to-
“Ahem.”
cousin was somehow better than being the pharaohs brother, the
previous pharaohs son, a prince, and,
hey, a child of the gods.
“The pharaoh wishes me to inform you and your brothers of some
news,” Lukil said.
Reds hard-on no longer pressed against Rinis stomach as
insistently, which was just irritating. Rini gave Lukil a
dark and impatient look, the kind that his brother Talin was always
giving him. “What
news?”
Lukil grinned at him. “Prince Orinakins coming home.”
“Orinakin?” Taking his hands off of Reds ass, Rini turned,
easing Wink and Wave aside to
devote all of his interest to Lukil. He hadnt seen Orinakin in
months! “Hes coming? When?”
“Five days,” Lukil said. “Hes bringing home another round of
suitors for Anosukinom. Once he picks up the last one in
Nosupolis, hell come here.”
“Five days!” He turned back to the soccer players. “Do you want to
meet me in my room tonight?”
Red looked a little surprised, casting a nervous glance at Lukil,
but Wink and Wave said, together,
firmly, “Yes.”
“Great.” He kissed them with a quick, “See you then.”
He didnt want to neglect the athletes, not
with the tournament so close, but Orinakin was coming home! Without
wasting any more time, Rini took off, running across the
palace to the familys wing. It was almost time for dinner, and his
brothers would
be home from work. Rushing through an archway and around a
corner, he skidded on his flimsy new sandals and collided with
Desin. Cursing - - the guy was so muscular he was solid as a
boulder - - Rini
hopped on one foot, then the other, pulling off his sandals, as he
said, “Orinakins coming home in five
days! Lukil just told me.”
“Orinakin?” Desin asked, grinning. “Its about time. Hes
been gone for months.”
“I know!” Rini exclaimed. “I was never going to forgive him
if he missed the festival!”
“He has to be home by the fourteenth, anyway,” Desin
said.
“Yes, but I want him home for my festival,” Rini insisted.
“Do you know where Selorin is?”
“He was talking to Talin.”
“Great.” Carrying his sandals, Rini hurried to Talins
room. Talin wasnt there, but Anosanim
was. Stuff like that was what irritated Rini about his brothers;
the twins were always acting like they were interchangeable.
Whenever he was looking for Talin, he ran into Anosanim; whenever
he needed to find
Anosanim, he stumbled across Talin. Orinakin and Selorin were even
worse, always talking over each
Orinakin and Selorin acted like they were the same person most of
the time. Well, if anyone would know
where Talin was, it was Anosanim. “Wheres Talin?”
“In Remins room. Which one do you like better?” Anosanim
asked, holding out two completely
identical red ribbons.
“It doesnt matter,” Rini said. “Talins never going to let you
put that in his hair.” He didnt have
time to waste on Anosanims frills today; he wanted to be the first
to break the news to Selorin. “Did you
know that Orinakins coming home?”
“Oh, Extra!” Anosanim hugged him, happy and excited. “I cant wait
to see him! How soon?”
“Five days. Hes bringing a bunch of new boyfriends for
Kudorin.”
“New suitors!” Anosanim exclaimed, walking with him to Remins
rooms. “He must have so
many new stories to tell! I hope that he hasnt been too
homesick. Weve missed him so much! Selorins
practically a wreck!”
Calling Selorin a wreck was kind of an exaggeration - - Anosanim
was the one whod cried like a
baby when Orinakin had left - - but Rini knew what he meant.
“Hey,” he said, interrupting whatever Talin and Remin had been
talking about. “Have you heard?”
“Heard what?” Talin asked.
“Orinakins coming home!” Anosanim exclaimed. “Oh, Talin, I
cant wait to see him again. And
hes bringing suitors for Kudorin!”
“Hell be here in five days,” Rini said.
“Praise the gods,” Remin said, reflexively touching his fingertips
to his chest, his lips, his
forehead, in the sign to the gods. “Just in time for
Tilidohatuk. Have you told Selorin?”
“Im trying to,” Rini said. “Do you know where he
is?”
“Hes in the belam,” Talin said.
Right, like that was a lot of help. “Which one?”
“Suitors from where?” Remin asked.
“I dont know, somewhere,” Rini said. “Nosupolis.”
“The lesis belam,” Talin said.
“The sulatim belam,” Remin said.
“He told me that he was going to the lesis belam,” Talin
said.
“I saw him walking into the sulatim belam,” Remin said.
If Selorin had just gone into a belam, he was undoubtedly busy, but
news this good couldnt wait.
Rini wanted to tell him right away, to make him happy, to make him
smile. Theyd all missed Orinakin, had all strongly felt the
difference when he was gone, but Selorin had missed him most of
all.
Handing Anosanim his sandals, Rini went to check the belams. There
were three of them in the
familys wing, and he tried the second one first. Opening the white
door and stepping inside, he glanced
around. “Is Selorin in here?”
“We havent seen him all day,” Tepeni said, rolling onto his
back.
“We havent seen you all day, either,” Kelano murmured, approaching
with a smile.
Rini grinned, enjoying the way Kelanos gaze rolled appreciatively
over his body, checking out Kelanos attributes in return.
“Maybe Ill come back after dinner.”
“Why leave for dinner?” Kelano murmured, running his hand down
Rinis stomach and, oh, yeah,
that felt good. “You can eat right here.”
“I have to,” Rini paused for a few burning kisses, his body going
up in flames as Kelanos
experienced fingers unfastened his pants and slipped inside, “find
Selorin.” His own fingers slid through
Kelanos thick, black hair as he moaned softly.
“Prince Selorin,” Kelano murmured, licking that spot on his neck
that always made his toes curl,
“will return here, sooner or later.” A soft chuckle as he
nuzzled behind Rinis ear, his palm warmly
cupping Rinis balls. “Everyone always does.”
“You can wait for him here,” Tepeni offered, as Kelano licked
sweetly, wetly, hotly, up and down
Rinis neck. “Well help you to pass the time.”
Groaning, throbbing in Kelanos knowing hand, Rini panted out, “Im
sure that you will.” Oh, this
was too good to turn down. “Ill be back in ten seconds,” he
promised, weakly prying at Kelanos fingers, trying to extricate
himself. If he didnt tell Selorin right away, someone else would
get there first, and he
liked breaking news too much to let that happen. “Five seconds,” he
vowed, tucking himself back into his
pants. “Go ahead and start without me. Ill be right
back.”
Kelano kissed him, licking at him gently. “Well be waiting,” he
whispered, looking at Rini with
luscious dark eyes.
“Two seconds,” Rini said, and ran out, rushing down the hallway and
into the lesis belam.
“Selorin?
“Selorin,” Rini said, picking his way through the assorted
mats, pillows, and almost-naked bodies.
A thin curtain had been pulled around one of the beds for a bit of
privacy; Rini stopped by the curtain, and
when Panori, lounging on the next bed, ran a hand up his thigh,
Rini ran his fingers through Panoris hair. “Selorin,” he said
distinctly, impatiently.
“Extra,” Selorin said, sounding tired but patient, “is this
important?”
“Yes.” Snatching the curtain aside, Rini opened his mouth to impart
the news, then grinned. “Hi,
Jekari.”
Jekari smiled at him, looking very comfortable on his back under
Selorins naked body. “Prince Rini.”
Lifting his head from Jekaris shoulder, while Jekari caressed his
chest and pressed loving,
attentive kisses to his jaw, Selorin gave Rini a deliberately
patient look. “Is the palace under siege?”
“Of course not.” He grinned. “Orinakins coming
home.”
“He is?” Selorin and about ten other guys asked. Jekari started
laughing.
“In five days,” Rini said, loving the light that filled Selorins
blue eyes. “Hes bringing a bunch of
suitors for Kudorin. Once they pick u p the guy from
Nosupolis, hell come straight home.”
“Five days,” Selorin repeated, like that was wonderfully close but
not nearly soon enough.
“Kudorin might know more,” Rini said. “I came to you as soon
as Lukil told me.” Now that hed
made Selorin light up, he could go back to Kelano. “Ill let you two
get back to whatever you were
doing.” He winked at Jekari, who blew him a kiss, and let the
curtain fall back into place.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Panori asked, slipping quick
fingers into the waistband of
his pants.
“To have sex,” he said, letting his gaze drift down Panoris
perfect, slender, muscular body.
“But you can do that here,” Panori reminded him with a smile,
tugginghim closer.
Rini grinned. “Meet me in my room. Theres someone I want you
to get to know better.”
Orinakin couldnt wait to get home. He did enjoy his work, and he
couldnt imagine undertaking a different occupation, but he missed
home with a dreadful ache. Hed only been the royal diplomat
just
shy of two years now, and his predecessor, his aunt Riturihi, had
assured him that hed grow accustomed
to long weeks and months of travel. The travel in and of itself
didnt bother him; he was at ease in each country, comfortable
with the different foods and languages, interested in the variety
of cultures and the
variety of people. He didnt mind long hours in the balloons,
either, going from one country to the next.
language, the river. He missed his family, especially his brothers,
especially Selorin. He constantly found
himself turning to Selorin, only to find the seat beside him empty,
or occupied by someone else; he was
used to having Selorins familiar, constant presence at his side,
and didnt know what to do with himself when Selorin wasnt
there. He talked to his assistants, and he wrote letters
home, but it wasnt the same.
Nothing could replace his brothers. He missed Anosanims
enthusiasm and Talins dry sarcasm and
Desins comfortable, casual, normalcy. He missed Remins even
calm and Rinis energy and Kudorin, he
missed everything about Kudorin.
Hed found five suitors for Kudorin on this last trip. It was his
responsibility, as the royal diplomat, to find the pharaoh a spouse
of the same sex from a foreign land. Kudorin already had an
Anorian wife, Anikira. Kudorin had been on the throne now for
almost four years, and Orinakin had been
on the hunt for two; so far, Kudorin hadnt been satisfied with
anyone Orinakin had offered him. Orinakin
had consulted with his aunt Riturihi, who had found his mothers
wife, and had prayed to the gods for guidance.
This set of five suitors had turned out to be fairly diverse, but
Kudorin was fairly diverse, himself. There was Trin, the
first- born son of Ynalin, chief of the Kela. Tall, muscular,
and tattooed with his
own accomplishments, Trin had a direct, predatory gaze. He spoke in
fairly short, concise sentences, and
stood and walked with a great sense of inborn pride, his shaved
skull gleaming. Like all Kelan men, he wore only a vest, loincloth,
and low boots. His only bit of luggage was a small sack that seemed
to
contain more of the same.
Dillane Naelt was the Mannillean ambassador. Very knowledgeable in
international matters and
interested in foreign cultures, Dillane was one of the friendliest
people Orinakin had ever met. He tended
to be rather chatty, but he also liked to listen and to learn, and
had already befriended everyone in
Orinakins entourage only a few hours into the journey. He wore
layers of colorful robes and had brought along several trunks full
of belongings. Since whoever married the pharaoh didnt leave Orina
Anoris
until the next pharaoh took the throne, and pharaohs tended to have
at minimum a thirty-year reign, if
Kudorin chose Dillane, hed have only what he brought with him or
had sent to him, and Dillane was not a man who would be caught
without his accustomed finery.
Commander Dranzhicthin Whzurchitz of the Grintzadiwtchian army was
a tall, imposing man. His short, clipped brown hair was turning to
gray at the temples, and his gaze was, at times, cutting and
severe. He wore his dark green uniform and had packed lightly. He
and Trin seemed to have a mutual if
tacit respect for each other; he had little interest in the other
suitors. Dranz was a man who approached new tasks as if they were
missions, and his current mission was to marry Kudorin. The other
suitors were
merely competitors to him.
Aiae was the royal painter of Ilaeia under King Ouia. Having been
born a country peasant, he
didnt know Anorian, which was a part of ever y proper formal
education; as a result, he could speak only
with Orinakin and with Dillane, who had a basic understanding of
Ilaeian. He was uncommonly
handsome, his glossy black hair always tied back neatly, his cheeks
rosy, his gestures almost pretty. Famous for his remarkable
landscapes, he spent many of his hours in the balloon gazing down
at the land
passing below or sketching the horizon.
The fifth and final suitor was Prince Bade of Nosupolis. King
Mindos second son, he was not
heir to the throne. He had brought fewer trunks than either Dillane
or Aiae, which immediately told
Orinakin that he didnt expect to be chosen. Bade was a prince, but
Nosupolis was a poor and cold country, so he dressed in warm pants
and sturdy boots. His short hair was both blond and curly, neither
of
which was common in Orina Anoris, where most people had straight
hair of brown or black. His eyes
were a glittering dark blue that reminded Orinakin of Selorin. For
a prince, he was remarkably
unpretentious, making no distinction between his rank and that of
the other suitors; he possessed a natural curiosity and asked the
other suitors about their countries and their cultures. He didnt
ask Orinakin many
questions, although he did spend a fair amount of time glancing in
Orinakins direction. Whenever
Orinakin approached, he made polite and pleasant conversation but
seemed relieved when Orinakin turned away again.
He was nervous. He wouldnt get past that anxiety until they reached
Orina Anoris and he saw for himself that he had nothing to
fear.
Bade also seemed to have some trepidation about the balloons.
Nosupolins did not journey by air, and Bade had never ascended
before; he had grown very pale at first, and kept both hands on the
side of
the basket. Now, however, he seemed to have grown accustomed to the
movement, although Orinakin
predicted that his anxiety would return when it was time to
descend.
The balloons were, of course, perfectly safe. Anorians had traveled
by balloon for hundreds of
years, and other countries had adopted the habit. Orina Anoris
still sent out the largest baskets, and their balloons
went higher and faster than others. Each basket was inscribed with
a prayer to Etanoda, the god
of air and flight, and the priests blessed each stage of the
journey. Most of Orinakins trips were made
with one large balloon, but he had brought along a second this
time, keeping one for himself and the
suitors, and using the other for the rest of his entourage. He
wanted the suitors to have the space that befitted their
station, and the chance to grow comfortable around each
other.
Orinakins entourage was fairly simple. Three assistants in purple,
three priests in white and gold (one priest of Etanoda, the god of
air and flight; one priest of Okanoti, the god of safety and
travel; one
priest of Setanoto, the god of peace and diplomacy), a small
band of guards, and five servants in warm
shades of brown, light layered over dark. He had a few more
servants along this time, to tend to the suitors. Aiae had yet to
grow accustomed to being waited on, and watched the servants
nervously, holding
still until they were finished. Dranz preferred to do things for
himself and often dismissed his attendants,
shooing them away and tending to his own needs. Trin was used to
people doing such things as bringing him food, because a Kelan
chieftains son would never prepare his own meals, but he certainly
didnt
require anyone to help him dress, and in two minutes of negotiation
on his first day of the journey, he told
the servants how they could help him and when to leave him alone.
Dillane took having servants for
granted, but he also chatted with them as they worked, pleasantly
discussing his own experiences and asking about theirs. Bade seemed
used to being waited on but also was surprisingly capable of taking
care
of himself. Apparently, like Orinakin, hed grown up with servants
dressing and grooming him, but had
learned how to do those things for himself simply for the
convenience of it, and preferred it that way.
Orinakin made a note that when they reached the palace, Bade
wouldnt require personal attendants. Hed never made that
adjustment for a prince before. He wondered how many ways Bade
would find to
surprise him.
After two days in the balloon, Bade was dreaming about
walking on stable ground, feeling grass
between his toes, and running across hard-packed dirt. He
missed the ground. He missed walking on something that didnt move.
He was tired of trying to gauge the distance between the basket and
the
ground to see if it was widening or narrowing, to figure out if
they were drifting too high or beginning to
descend at a time that they shouldnt.
What were they going to do if the balloon failed or the basket
fell? Jump out? That wouldnt
exactly help. He asked Dillane, who simply laughed and told him
that a basket from Orina Anoris that held Prince Orinakin would
never, ever fall. Being in that basket with Orinakin, according to
Dillane, was
even safer than sleeping in his bed at home.
Maybe the gods had taken special interest in Orinakin. That might
explain the purple hair. And
purple eyes. Vividly purple, lighter violet around the edges
darkening to a deep plum color. His hair was
at least five kinds of purple, different shades all blending
together. Bade knew that in some cultures,
people dyed their hair to change its color, and if any
country had that kind of ability, Orina Anoris would, so he
suspected that Orinakins hair wasnt natural. After all, no
ones hair was actually purple. Although
his eyebrows were purple, and so were his long, thick lashes, light
as lilac at the tips. Even the hair on his
forearms looked kind of purple, although his long sleeves tended to
cover it, so Bade couldnt be sure.
Everyone in Orinakins entourage was Anorian, and they had regular
brown hair and brown eyes
like normal people, which was comforting. Still, Bade wondered
about Orinakin. He wondered about a lot of things, and he had
dozens and dozens of questions, but he didnt know how to ask.
He didnt know
where to start. He didnt know what would be insulting. Orinakin
seemed like a kind and friendly person,
but Bade couldnt risk offending an Anorian prince.
Nosupolis was considered insignificant, so much so that all
more powerful countries overlooked it
and other small countries dismissed it. Bades father had given up
on trying to get other nations attention
and was simply working on conditions within his own borders with
the countrys own tools, but Tiko had visions for the future that
depended heavily on rejoining the international scene. This trip
was Bades
chance to make a favorable impression on the pharaoh of Orina
Anoris, whose ear was too distant even for
Bades father, the king. Bade knew that he should take advantage of
this incredible, unlooked-for opportunity and ingratiate
himself with Anorian royalty, beginning with his most immediate
companion,
Prince Orinakin. But he was so aware of how important this chance
was, he was too intimidated. He
wasnt sure how to begin. He didnt even know why hed been
selected for this trip in the first place. Simply because he
was a prince? Orinakin had said very nice things a bout him,
but wasnt that merely
pleasant flattery?
The other suitors had fine accomplishments. Dillane was
well-educated and an experienced
ambassador who was used to moving in powerful circles; he would be
an asset to anyone. Aiae was not
only a famous painter - - according to Dillane, he was the most
celebrated artist outside of Orina Anoris - -
but he was extremely handsome, with smoothly chiseled
features and wide, darkly lashed eyes. Dranz was a hero credited
with winning an entire war for his country. Trin was set to be a
Kelan chief and had
his achievements tattooed across his muscular, lightly scarred
body. Bade couldnt read them, but they
The closer they drew to Orina Anoris, the more Bade realized that
his one great opportunity was
slipping from his grasp. This was his chance to do something for
his country, to contribute something of
value. Hed been waiting for this all of his life; he just hadnt
expected it to be this big.
He had to make a good impression on the pharaoh. On everyone that
he met, on all of the princes
and advisors and priests. He had to win the pharaohs heart, or at
least the pharaohs hand in marriage. If he became the
pharaohs husband, became King of Orina Anoris, it could be the best
thing that had
happened to Nosupolis in hundreds of years. It would bring prestige
to his country, would attract the
attention of not only the pharaoh but all leaders. It would give
Tiko just the right edge to make great things happen. He trusted
his brother, and Tiko was counting on him. His entire country was
counting on
him.
Before he got there, he had to be prepared. He and Vade had, before
hed left, sat down together
and gone over everything that they remembered from their lessons,
but hed already guessed that his
information was woefully lacking.
Taking a deep breath, he decided to speak with Prince Orinakin.
Questioning Dillane would be
productive, but if he wanted to convince the pharaoh to marry
him, he was going to have to convince the
pharaohs brothers that it would be a good idea. Avoiding
Orinakin wouldnt get him anywhere.
He waited until the others had gone to sleep, until Orinakin sat up
alone on one of the couches, writing by flickering lamplight.
Drawing his thick, long coat closer around himself in the cool air,
Bade approached.
Looking up, Orinakin smiled. “Your Highness.”
“Your Highness,” Bade said, returning the smile. “Do you mind
the intrusion?”
“Not at all,” Orinakin said, setting aside his pen. “Please, have a
seat.”
Sitting beside him, Bade privately admired the way his hair rippled
in the breeze. Nosupolin men
hadnt worn their hair long in recent centuries, confining such
styles to women, but Bade liked the way it
looked on Orinakin, whose hair was thick and healthy. It probably
felt silky.
“We shall reach Orina Anoris tomorrow afternoon,” Orinakin
said.
“You must be looking forward to going home,” Bade said.
“Im very eager to get there,” Orinakin admitted. “Ive never
been away for five months in a row
before.”
“Five months?” Bade asked. On the Anorian calendar, that would be,
he thought, one hundred
forty days. He couldnt imagine being away for that long.
“Your family must miss you.”
Bade thought of his own family, of Vade, and wondered how Orinakin
could stand it. “I suppose
that comes with your position.”
“And it shall come with yours,” Orinakin said softly, “should you
marry the pharaoh.”
Despite his inner pang, Bade lifted his chin, making himself smile.
He wouldnt admit to any insecurity; he couldnt let them think that
he wasnt up to the challenge. His homesickness wouldnt get
in the way; he wouldnt let it. “It would be an honor to wed
Anosukinom.”
“Yes, it would,” Orinakin agreed with what looked like an amused
smile. Was Orinakin laughing
at him? “Hes very special.”
“Ive never before had the honor of meeting him,” Bade said, seeing
his chance to work in a few of
his questions. “Is there anything in particular that I should
know?”
“About Anosukinom?” Orinakin asked. “I find that it is best
to let people meet him for themselves
before I explain too much about him. But I would be happy to
answer any specific questions about Orina
Anoris.”
Bade had plenty of those. “Do many Anorians have purple
hair?”
Orinakin burst into surprised laughter. Quickly composing himself
and tucking his hair behind his
ears, he said, “No, there are only two of us, my aunt and
I.”
“Then most Anorians have dark hair,” Bade said. “Brown and
black.”
“Yes,” Orinakin said. “All native Anorians, except the
pharaoh and the pharaohs children, have
brown and black hair.”
Bade wanted to ask if the purple was natural, but decided against
it. Too likely to offend.
“Although,” Orinakin said, as if amused again, “my youngest brother
does have some black in his
hair.” Shaking his head, he said, “Id better start at the
beginning, or Ill confuse us both. How much of
our history are you familiar with?”
“We studied the Dynasty of the True Rule, the Dynasty of the
Scepter, and the Dynasty of the Twins,” Bade said. “You are
now in the Dynasty of the Seven Siblings?”
“And have been for six thousand years,” Orinakin said. “The
details become more complicated,
but the premise of it is simple. In each reign, there are
seven siblings. Each of the seven is born with a divine purpose and
an inherent position in our government. We each have a unique hair
and eye color. A
mark on the back of each siblings hand marks his or her number in
birth order.”
When Orinakin raised his hand in the lamplight, Bade could make out
the Anorian three. Hed
seen it there before, of course, but hed assumed that it was a
tattoo. “You were born with that?” It was
purple.
“Yes. I am Anosamim, child of the gods, third- born,”
Orinakin said. “Anosukinom is Anosarim,
child of the gods, first-born, and therefore is the pharaoh. His
full name is Anosukinom Mutotanosa
Situkabulanin Elanilanulanori Banotuda Kudorin A Rituliti. Second
is Anosatim Inanodat Anoremin A Hiti, the royal high priest. His
hair and eyes are golden.”
“Blond?” Bade asked.
“No, not like yours,” Orinakin said. “Not as light. Yours
reminds me of sunlight. His is more like
gold itself, more…metallic.”
“And he has a two on his hand,” Bade said.
“Yes,” Orinakin said. “My twin brother, Anosakim Inanodat
Selorin A Diki, is the royal high
judge. His hair and eyes are blue.”
“You have a twin?” Bade couldnt believe it. “I had no
idea.”
“Oh, yes,” Orinakin said, with a smile apparently just at the
thought. “He and I are very close.
Seeing you and Vade together made me miss him very much. The two of
you have a strong bond.”
“Hes my closest friend,” Bade admitted. Frowning, he asked,
“Your twin has blue hair? Then
you arent identical?”
“We are, in every other way,” Orinakin said. “Our hair color
is unmistakable, but our faces are so
alike, we dont need mirrors.”
Bade smiled; he knew what that was like.
“The fifth sibling of our generation is Anosabim Inanodat
Ebutadesin A Rituriti,” Orinakin said.
“The royal agriculturist. His hair and eyes are
green.”
“Thats appropriate,” Bade said. Green hair? Blue hair? “You have a
very colorful family.”
“In more ways than one,” Orinakin said, laughing. “Then
theres another set of twins. Anosanim
Inanodat Hanibulatin A Ritusiri shall be the royal engineer, and
his hair and eyes are orange. Anosadim
Inanodat Nisutalin A Lini shall be the royal artist, and his hair
and eyes are red.”
That made a second set of twins. “What if they were born out of
order?” Bade asked. “What if
your twin had been born before you?”
“Then he would have purple hair and a three on the back of his
hand, and Id be the royal high
judge,” Orinakin said. “Throughout the generations,
there have been many sets of twins among the seven
Bade couldnt begin to form a reply to that, so he focused on
something that hed noticed earlier.
He considered himself fluent in Anorian; the siblings names seemed
to be pieces of words he knew.
“Your names are very musical. What do they mean?”
“They are ancient Anorian. Do you want me to go through all
of them?” Orinakin asked.
“What about your name, specifically?” Bade asked.
“Anosamim Inanodat Orinakin A Nimi,” Orinakin said. “Anosamim
is „child of the gods, third-
born. Inanodat is „brother of the god among us.
Orinakin is „one who is the face of the land. A Nimi is
„the sixty-third, because Im the sixty-third male diplomat in the
Dynasty of the Seven Siblings.”
“Brother of the god among us,” Bade repeated. “Your people
consider the pharaoh to be a god.”
Hed known that, but it was an odd thing to have confirmed. He
still wasnt sure that he liked the idea of
treating a man like a god.
“Anosukinom is a god,” Orinakin said quietly.
Bade nodded and changed the subject. “Your generation has eight
siblings, doesnt it?”
“Ah, yes. It certainly does.” Orinakin smiled now, fondly.
“Anosalim Inanodat Kuladin A Rini.
His name, as hes eager to point out, means child of the gods,
eighth-born, brother of the god among us,
one who is more, the sixteenth.”
“One who is more?” Bade asked. “Does he have a destined
occupation?”
“No,” Orinakin said. “Prince Rini is a gift to our parents,
according to them, and a blessing to the
world, according to him. It is traditional, after years of
apprenticeship, to come of age at twenty and step
into an occupation. Hes still eighteen, so he has time to decide,
but he doesnt have a god-given position in our government. He does
have an eight on the back of his hand, and his hair is black and
white. His
eyes are silver.”
“Black and white?” Bade asked. Both? “Hes only the sixteenth eighth
male?”
“He is only the sixteenth eighth sibling in the dynasty,” Orinakin
said. “In six thousand years, we
have had only sixteen eighth siblings and three ninth siblings. It
is very rare for the pharaoh to have more
than seven children.”
“Then Prince Rini must be very special,” Bade said.
“Only one eighth sibling every three hundred
seventy-five years?”
Orinakins eyes widened in pleased surprise. “Did you just
calculate that?”
“Yes,” Bade said.
“Thats fantastic,” Orinakin said. “Selorin and I are
terrible at math. Were so bad at it, our tutors
thought that we were faking it, because theyd never imagined that
any of the royal siblings could ever be
that stupid.”
Bade laughed. “Arithmetics always been easy for me and Vade,” he
said. “We raced right
through our lessons. Our history and language classes were harder,
but math is mostly calculations, and those are simple.”
“Simple?” Orinakin repeated. “Five times seven plus two minus
eight times twenty-one divided by three is not simple, its
impossible.”
Bade grinned. “Its two hundred three.”
Orinakins purple eyes narrowed. “Youre making that
up.”
“Do it backwards,” Bade said. “Two hundred three, times
three, divided by twenty-one, plus eight,
minus two, divided by seven, is five.”
“Is that what I said?” Orinakin asked, at a loss.
Laughing, Bade said, “Yes.”
“Its a series of simple calculations,” Bade said.
“But math isnt simple,” Orinakin protested. “Im going to make
you do this in front of Selorin.
Hed never believe me.”
“Are your other brothers good at math?” Bade asked.
“Ebutadesin, Anosanim, and Nisutalin are,” Orinakin said.
“The three younger ones,” he
clarified. “But they need math more for their work, so I suspect
that the gods had something to do with that. When we come of age,
and go through the ceremonies to bring us fully into our destiny,
the gods
bless us with the experience and wisdom of those who came
before us, and the skills necessary to perform
our duties. I spent years studying to prepare myself for this life,
learning all about languages, geography, history, cultures,
everything that I might need. But when I became, officially, the
royal diplomat, and
Riturihi passed on her knowledge to me, and the gods blessed me,
suddenly I could speak all languages
fluently, I had a much greater understanding of geography and
distances - - theres information in my
mind that baffles and amazes me. And Im much better at
understanding people than I used to be. I sense their moods, their
needs, their interests.”
“That must come in handy when youre dealing with temperamental
rulers,” Bade said, not sure how much of that he believed.
“Youre skeptical,” Orinakin said.
“Your gods seem to work much more directly and obviously in
your life than Im used to,” Bade
said. “They must be very…powerful,” he added, for lack of a better
word.
“The gods are very strong,” Orinakin said. “They actively
bless us every day, with health, with
prosperity, with everything that we need.”
Orina Anoris had lasted through wars, plagues, droughts,
earthquakes, and famines. Disaster after
disaster had rocked the ancient worlds, had arisen even more
recently, and Orina Anoris had never fallen.
Bade couldnt help but wonder about their gods.
“Orina Anoris is,” Orinakin said, “by far, the oldest nation there
ever was. We have survived when others have not.”
Was Orinakin reading his mind? Was this part of his “sense their
moods, their needs, their
interests” trick?
“Your skepticism is all over your face,” Orinakin said with a small
smile. “Talk to me. Ask me
what you want to know.”
“Is your hair truly purple?” Bade asked. “How can you call a
man a god? What makes your gods more powerful than anyone elses?
What makes Orina Anoris so ancient and powerful and
different?
What can I do to win the pharaohs heart? Why am I
here?”
Laughing, Orinakin said, “Now we get down to it. Yes, my hair truly
is purple. I dont know how
to prove it to you. You think that I dye it?”
“Its possible,” Bade said carefully, surprised at Orinakins
continued good nature.
“Yes, it is possible,” Orinakin said. He frowned, as if honestly
trying to figure out a way to prove himself. “Anorians arent very
hairy people, and I dont grow facial hair,” he mused. “If
I-”
“You dont grow facial hair?” Bade asked. Wasnt Orinakin
twenty-one?
“Were not very hairy by nature,” Orinakin said. “My brothers
and I, my mother and our aunts and uncles, we can, if we
choose, exert control over the growth of our hair and nails. If we
dont want to have
facial hair, its easier to decide not to grow it at all than bother
with shaving every morning.”
“You can control whether or not your hair grows?” Bade
asked. This, he couldnt accept.
“A test,” Orinakin said, pleased. “Well cut off my hair and you can
see if its grown in the morning.” Raising his hands, he swiftly
began to braid his hair.
“You dont believe me.”
“You say such crazy things, people must fail to believe you a large
percentage of the time,” Bade
said. “This one instance of it cant be much more of a
problem.”
Orinakin laughed so hard, Bade worried that hed waken the
others. “Im going to enjoy speaking with you.”
“Because I insult you?” Bade asked, baffled.
“Because youre honest,” Orinakin said, smiling. “You say
things and ask questions that other
people are too polite or too shy or too slick to attempt.
Youve forgotten to impress me and are simply being yourself
and saying whats on your mind, and I miss that. My family does that
with me, my
brothers do it even when I wish that they wouldnt, but other
people dont.”
“Youre an Anorian prince,” Bade said. “Everyone has to be on
his best behavior with you. Your
brother rules the world.”
“He doesnt rule the world,” Orinakin said. “He simply influences
it. Your second question was,
how can I call a man a god? Because he is both man and god. Not
half-man, half-god, but completely,
fully a man and completely, fully a god. Anosukinom is all men and
all gods.”
“That,” Bade said, “is impossible. It also doesnt make
sense.”
“Gods dont make sense,” Orinakin said. “Nothing has to make
sense to be true. Anosukinom
means „living god among us.”
“Our tutors made us memorize his name,” Bade said. “Vade
could manage the entire thing. I
always got lost somewhere in the middle and had to put ice on my
tongue.”
Laughing, Orinakin said, “Anosukinom Mutotanosa Situkabulanin
Elanilanulanori Banotuda
Kudorin A Rituliti.”
“Thats just showing off.” Bade tried to remember the correct
translation. “Living god among us, highest child of the gods, ruler
of all within…” Wincing, he went over it in his mind again,
picturing his
tutors pinched little face. “Ruler of all within our
bor ders, most sacred, precious, divine, and holy gift
to
all in this land. The one hundred eighty-second.”
“I cant convince you that he is a god,” Orinakin said. “You
will have to see it for yourself. Or,
you may want to speak with Prince Anoremin. As royal high priest
and Anosukinoms brother, he is very
qualified to speak on the subject.” Looking amused again, he
said, “I havent managed to convince you that my hair is purple or
that Anosukinom is both a man and a god. What was your next
question? What
makes our gods more powerful than anyone elses?”
“Something like that.” Bade mostly remembered blurting out a
now-embarrassing blather of
questions.
“I wouldnt say that our gods are more powerful,” Orinakin
said. “They are very present in our
daily lives, but so are the gods of other people. We put a lot of
emphasis on being grateful to the gods, on
serving them and praying to them and thanking them and offering
tribute, but so do other people. I think that weve been very
blessed to have clear lines of communication between the people and
the gods.
There seems to be a much more direct and obvious level of action
and reaction, of question and answer, of
prayer and response. That doesnt make our gods more
powerf ul, or even more attentive. That just demonstrates that
our ways work well for us. And that, to answer your next question,
may be what makes
Orina Anoris ancient, powerful, and different.”
“Youve found systems that work for you, and youre following them,”
Bade said.
“Yes. After six thousand years of the Dynasty of the Seven
Siblings, weve worked out a lot of the details, and we stay with
what produces good results. The gods are happy, and the people are
happy, so
why make large changes?” Absentmindedly tugging at the long sleeves
of his purple robes, Orinakin
tilted his head to one side. “As for how to win the pharaohs heart,
I dont know what to say. I would
only want him to give his heart to someone who loves him, and you
dont love him.”
“Im sure that Ill love him once Ive met him,” Bade
said.
“Most people do,” Orinakin admitted with a brief smile. “I
can tell you,” he offered, “which
tactics have failed the other suitors. Do not court his brothers or
his advisors. We are not the ones you must impress. Anosukinom is
perfectly capable of making up his own mind. Were likely to
appreciate
your company, and he will of course hope for his future husband to
get along well with his brothers, but if
you only flatter us for his sake and are insincere, well
know.”
“Im not very schooled in charm and flattery,” Bade said. “I
wish that I were, but its not one of
my strengths.”
“Dillane adores that about you, and I must admit that I do, too. I
would like to have someone as
well-intentioned and candid as you at some of my meetings and
dinners. It would be a nice change for everyone
there.”
“Thank you,” Bade said. Hed never guessed that he was
well-suited for international relations.
“You may want to avoid spending too much time with Queen Anikira,”
Orinakin said. “Some
suitors try to ingratiate themselves to her, but she often doesnt
appreciate it. She is, obviously, very important to Anosukinom, and
he values her opinions, and hed prefer to marry someone she
likes.
However, his relationship with his wife and his relationship with
his husband are, in essence, separate.
The king and queen often become quite good friends, but their
marriages to Anosukinom are distinct from each other. Youre no more
marrying Anikira than you are me. Youre marrying Anosukinom,
and hes
where all of your focus should be.”
“But we will see her,” Bade said. He was still trying to
comprehend marrying someone who was
already married. Such a thing was unheard-of in Nosupolis.
“Yes,” Orinakin said. “She wont judge you too harshly,
because she wants Anosukinom to come
to his own conclusions.”
That was a relief, he supposed.
“Your last question was, why are you here?” Orinakin asked.
“Youre here because you struck me
as a special, unique kind of person. Youre very generous. You have
a strong sense of duty. You burn
with the desire to make yourself useful, to accomplish great things
for your country, for your people, for your king. I dont know
what your destiny is any more than you do, but I sense that it will
be a great one,
and I dont believe that it sought you in Nosupolis. I believe that
you are meant to be out in the world.”
“My destiny?” Bade asked.
“Youre going to be someone,” Orinakin said. “Someone larger
than the second son youve been.”
“King of Orina Anoris?” Bade suggested.
“If so, it would be a blessing for you and for us,” Orinakin
said. “Hand me the knife in your boot.”
What? “How did you know that I had a knife in my boot?”
“You used it earlier.”
Oh, yes. So much for Orinakins uncanny insight. “Ive carried
it for years. Vade and I used to sit
outside on the steps and whittle pieces of wood. We still do,
sometimes, but were not any better at it now than we were as
children.” Slipping his knife from his boot, he gave it to
Orinakin. It was small and
simple, not as large or as deadly as the ones that Trin and Dranz
carried. “We seem to be a rather well-
armed group of suitors.”
“You neednt be intimidated,” Orinakin said, turning the knife over
in his hands, studying the
handle in the flickering light.
“By what?” Bade asked.
“Trin and Commander Dranz.”
“They remind me that I have no experience with life,” he said. “Or
with death.”
“Having experience with death is not always a good thing,” Orinakin
said. “It is also not always a bad thing. Experience with
life is something that you have a lot of. Havent you been alive for
twenty-
two years now?”
“Only in my small world,” Bade said. “Ive barely been
anywhere outside of Nosupolis. Ive
never done anything.”
“Youve lived,” Orinakin said. “Youve loved. Youve
cried. Youve laughed, shouted,
celebrated, defended, and sang. Youve played and fought and
struggled. Youve grieved. Youve
hoped. Thats living. You had the chance to expand your world, and
you took it, and now youre here. So are they.” He rubbed his
thumb over the letters inscribed on the blade. “This is your
brothers.”
“We traded a long time ago,” Bade said. “His got a knick on
the blade when he fell down the stairs, and since it was my fault
that he fell, we traded.”
“You dont fight often,” Orinakin said.
“No,” Bade said. “Its hard for anyone to stay mad at Vade. He
has an infectious smile and an
even more infectious laugh.”
Orinakin smiled at him. “You realize that they say the same of
you.”
He blinked. “Who?”
“Everyone I talked to about you. Your parents, your brothers,
your old tutors.”
“You did research on me?” He shouldve guessed that, but no
one had said a thing about it.
Orinakin had talked to Vade about him? What had his old tutors
said? Well, since he was here, they
mustve said good things, so Orinakin must not have spoken to his
old history tutors.
“I wanted to know that I was making the correct
choice.”
“Why did you choose me, and not Vade?”
Orinakins eyes glittered like amethysts in the darkness. “He
didnt call to me the way that you did.”
Bade suddenly realized how very close to each other they were
sitting. And how very cold the air
was, but how very warm he felt.
Lifting the knife, Orinakin reached back and, with a few quick
flicks, severed his braid.
Oh, no. “You cut your hair,” Bade said senselessly. Hed cut
his hair. His gorgeous, gorgeous hair. Orinakin offered him the
knife, but he took the braid instead, and of course it was
gloriously soft and
silky against his skin. “You shouldnt have done that.”
“Itll grow back,” Orinakin said, carelessly ruffling what remained.
It fell just to his jaw now,
framing his beautiful face. “Maybe I should keep it short.
Ebutadesin always has short hair, and he looks
Bade took the knife from him, tucking it safely away. “Whens the
last time your hair was above
your shoulders?”
“Years ago,” Orinakin said. “Maybe when I was fifteen. Our
older brothers had long hair, and
Selorin and I decided to grow ours out, too.”
Orinakins hair had been the most captivating thing that Bade had
ever seen on an actual human
being. Now that half of it was gone, his eyes took the prize.
Bade wished that there were more light, so
that he could get a better look, but, “Ive never seen so many
different shades of purple.”
For a moment, Orinakin looked puzzled; then he blinked
self-consciously. He hesitated for so long that Bade realized:
Orinakin didnt know what to say.
Bade grinned, wanting to laugh. This was a priceless moment.
Orinakins career was all about
speaking, conversing, communicating, and for once, he was
speechless.
Seeing his humor snapped Orinakin out of it; he smiled back and
said, “On behalf of the gods, I
thank you for your compliment.”
“Youre welcome,” Bade said.
“It is late,” Orinakin said, glancing around, tucking his hair
behind his ears. The smooth, firm line
of his jaw was highlighted by the frame of his hair, and his long,
elegant neck was exposed. Bade wondered if it could feel as satiny,
silky-smooth as it looked. “It would be best for us to retire for
the
night.”
“It was a pleasure,” Orinakin said.
It really had been. Rising, Bade bid him good night, then went to
the back corner of the basket where a few small tents had been
arranged. Crawling onto his, he realized that hestill held
Orinakins
braid. Deciding neither to toss it overboard nor hand it
back, he tucked it under his pillow and went to
sleep.
Part 2
Selorin had spent long hours in his office, studying the details of
upcoming cases, going over his
schedule with his clerks and assistants, and meeting with lawyers.
Hed returned to the palace late, and gone to the temples to kneel
before the altar of Okanoti, the god of safety and travel, who
would bring his
brother safely home to him.
He didnt know how long hed been there when he felt a familiar hand
on his shoulder and a calm,
low voice said, “Praying wont bring him home any faster. Have you
eaten anything since this
afternoon?”
Remin. Sighing, Selorin stood and turned to face his older brother.
“I had lunch.”
“In other words, no. Starving yourself wont bring him home
any faster, either,” Remin said,
putting an arm around his waist and guiding him along. “Well
have dinner, and then youre going to
bed.”
Sometimes he suspected that his brothers and assistants conferred
with each other on how many hours he spent at work, how often he
ate, and how he slept. It was true that he devoted a lot of time to
the
office, to his cases and decisions, but that was necessary for the
job. Besides, it kept his mind off of
Orinakin, sometimes. “Havent you already had dinner?”
“I was giving counsel,” Remin said. “There are some Anorians
who have distant relatives and
friends in Vafiance who have been affected by the drought
there.”
That would explain the lines around his eyes. “For how long?”
He didnt like how pale Remin
looked.
“A few hours.”
Selorin translated that to mean roughly six hours, and likely more.
“You could have let some of
the other priests speak with them,” he said. He slid his own
arm around Remins waist and found, as hed
suspected, that Remin had lost weight again. One of Remins favorite
activities was eating; he loved to eat, loved to try new dishes,
loved sweet things, loved spiced treats, loved the most common
foods and the
most exotic. Despite the amount of food he ingested when any was in
sight, he was thin as a stick. He
invested so much of himself in his work, in honoring the gods, in
bringing the gods and the people closer together, in
discerning divine will and bearing the peoples burdens and praying
and interpreting, that his
body couldnt sustain any kind of bulk, and he often missed
meals in favor of work. His constant and
unwavering devotion to the priesthood took its toll, and after hed
lost a dangerous amount of weight
during his first year, Kudorin had ordered him to spend time, at
least occasionally, working with Desin. Desin took pleasure in
ensuring that those days were filled with a great deal of physical
labor, and now
Remin had a sleek layer of muscle over his slender body, although
he still didnt like spending so much
time away from his own work.
“There are times when the people wish to be as close to the
gods as possible. They find comfort in
my presence that they dont find with the other priests. During
times of tragedy, I cannot deny them any
solace that it is in my power to offer.”
“Orinakins letter said that he pledged our help,” Selorin
said. “Kudorin will do whatever he can.”
Remin murmured a few words of prayer and thanks, then said, as they
stepped into the dining hall,
“You cut your hair.”
“It looks terrible,” Selorin said, running his fingers through the
blue strands. “Ill probably just
grow it back out.”
“You miss Orinakin,” Remin said, servants entering with platters of
food as the two of them seated
themselves.
“Of course I do,” Selorin said. “We all do.”
Remin nodded, waiting for the servant to fill the goblet at his
hand. “The four -legged table does
not stand on three legs alone.”
“A seven-legged table could stand on six,” Selorin pointed
out.
“Eight.” Rini sat on the edge of the table at Selorins elbow.
“An eight-legged table.”
“Seven,” they said. “You know,” Selorin told Remin, “that
Orinakin wouldnt be doing his part to
steady the table if he stayed home.”
“He could,” Rini said. “He could stay here and let people
come to him, instead of going to see
them. Kings, presidents, and prime ministers come here all of the
time.”
“Its important for him to see, first-hand, how other people live,”
Selorin said. “He needs to see
their conditions. He needs to judge them for himself, so that he
can present Kudorin with an accurate description. And, its
important for us to show respect and interest in other societies.
We want to help
people, Extra, and we cant do that properly or
gener ously if we make them come to us. Sometimes we
have to go to them.”
“It doesnt always have to be Orinakin,” Rini said. “Talin
could go sometimes.”
“Youd miss Talin if he were gone,” Remin said, as the servants
refilled his plate.
“No, I wouldnt,” Rini said, taking the fork from Selorins hand and
feeding himself. “Anosanim
would,” he decided.
“We all would,” Remin said, as one of the servants stepped forward
to hand Selorin another fork.
“Would you like a plate?”
“No, Im fine,” Rini said, taking another forkful of
potatoes. “I cant wait to see Orinakin again. I
hope that the suitors are fun this time. That last set, those guys
were boring. That governor was hot,
though. I wish that hed stayed longer.”
“I dont envy Orinakin his task,” Remin said.
“Finding men within Kudorins age range who not only are homosexual
but also are willing to
leave their home countries, their families and duties, to travel
here for the possibility of becoming the
pharaohs husband, it is not a simple task,” Selorin
said.
“And even after that, Kudorin never marries any of them,” Rini
said. “He just sends them back home.” Shaking his
head, he took a sip from Selorins goblet. “Its too bad that he cant
at least have sex
with them first.”
“You mean, its too bad that you cant have sex with them first,”
Selorin said with a smile.
“Well, sure,” Rini said. “Id never have sex with anyone
Kudorin was still considering, but if he
isnt going to marry them after all, why not - - I mean, theres no
reason that we have to send them home without - - theyre hot!
Theyre good-looking, attractive guys. If Kudorin isnt going to have
sex with
them, why cant we?”
“Its disrespectful,” Selorin said. “To them, to Kudorin, and
to the process.”
“The process?” Rini repeated. “The process doesnt
care.”
“The process always cares,” Selorin said.
Chewing and swallowing, Remin said, “If you wish to disgrace the
honor of the pharaoh and the
ways through which he seeks love, the way through which your
pharaoh mother found your queen mother, as pharaohs have done for
generation upon generation through the ages, then do as you will.
Only
remember,” he added, “that while the wind answers not to the rock,
the-”
“Youre just upset that you cant have sex with them, either,” Rini
said.
Reaching for his goblet, Remin sighed. “The things that I couldve
done if Id only had five
minutes with that governor…”
Despite having gone to bed late, Bade was still among the first to
awaken. Once dressed, he joined
Trin and Orinakin at the breakfast table. Sitting, he stared at
Orinakin as servants placed food before
him. “Your hairs long again.”
“Good morning,” Orinakin said with a smile.
“Good morning,” Bade replied automatically, getting back up
and walking around to stand behind
Orinakin. His hair was down below his shoulders again, a bit
shorter than it had been yesterday morning,
but much longer than last night. “How did you do
that?”
“I told you,” Orinakin said. “I grew it back.”
Taking Dillanes customary seat at Orinakins side, Bade leaned in,
trying to see where the extra
length came from. It had to be a wig, or some of those braided-in
hair extensions that the women of
Linnere used.
“I cut my hair short last night,” Orinakin was explaining to
Trin. “To show Prince Bade how quickly it was capable of
growing back.”
“He still doesnt seem to believe you,” Trin commented.
“No, he doesnt,” Orinakin agreed. Bade leaned closer, narrowing his
eyes, trying to see if the
roots really were purple. They certainly looked purple, but an
Anorian prince who dyed his hair wouldnt
do an inferior job of it.
“I find that people who dont believe their eyes will believe their
hands,” Trin said. “What one sees is not as real as what one
touches.”
“Very wise,” Orinakin said. “Prince Bade, would
you-”
Hed been concentrating on locating the point where the real hair
ended and the fake began, but
suddenly the meaning of their conversation caught up with him, and
he realized what Orinakin was about to offer. “No, thank you,” he
said quickly, sitting back.
“I will say that people have stared at my hair for all of my life,”
Orinakin said. “I know that theyve wondered about it. Among
some of the less advanced societies, Im referred to by the color of
my
hair and the mark on my hand, not by my name.” Trin nodded
casually in confirmation. “But no ones
ever outright asked me if the color was real before.” He smiled at
Bade. “Thank you.”
“The people talk and wonder,” Trin said. “But you are
understood to be marked by the gods, and
therefore you are accepted.”
“I cant be the only person whos ever asked you,” Bade said.
“Someone must have said
something.”
“Theyre all too polite,” Orinakin said.
“You arent offended at the insult to your honor and your gods that
he doesnt believe you?” Trin
asked.
“No,” Orinakin said. “Theres no malice in it. Bade is simply
curious, and he means no offense,
theref ore I take no offense.”
“Anyone who questioned my honor and the power of my gods
would find his blood on my knife,”
Trin said. He paused to eat a slice of fruit. “If I took offense,”
he added, swallowing.
“Then I shall take great pains not to offend you,” Bade
said.
Trin shrugged dismissively. “You do not offend me. You are,
as Prince Orinakin says, without malice. You are also not without
intelligence, and so your questions are not dull. I do not choose
to be
plagued by the prattling of idiots.”
“You may have trouble being King of Orina Anoris, then,” Orinakin
said. “One of your main
duties will be to host the pharaohs guests, and not all of them
fascinate.”
Trins gaze was direct. “When I pledge myself to Anosukinom, I
shall commit myself to
fulfilling any duty that he lays before me. If it falls to me to
host and entertain the palaces guests, then I
shall do so.”
Bade admired Trins confidence. “Does your father entertain
many official guests?”
“Yes,” Trin said. “More than yours.”
Bade was so surprised by Trins boldness, he laughed. Beside him,
Orinakin joined in, and the
corners of Trins mouth lifted. “If you would like me to view
you as a formidable opponent, you need
only say so,” Bade said. “Or, perhaps no words are needed.
The marks on your body speak for themselves.”
“That is their intent,” Trin said. “You bear no tattoos, no
scars?”
“It isnt customary for Nosupolins to tattoo themselves,” Bade
said. “I do have a small scar on my
knee, from when I was very young. My older brother dropped a plate,
and I was so little I crawled right over the shards of
it.”
Trin nodded. “My first scar is from when my older sister
dropped me and I cut my leg on a rock.”
“Perhaps I should thank the gods that my older brothers did me no
harm,” Orinakin said.
“You have an older sister?” Bade asked Trin. “But you, as the
oldest male, will become chief?”
“Yes. Would not your brother become king, whether or not he
had an older sister?”
“Yes,” Bade admitted. “Women only take the throne if there is
no male heir.” He turned to
Orinakin. “But whoever is