Page 56 of Ravik's Mercy

“Most certainly,” I said smiling.

The females in Xeldar observed me with blatant curiosity but didn’t dare approach me. The women avoided me, unless they were servants seeing to my comfort in one form or another. And even then, they kept those interactions to a strict minimum. I couldn’t tell if they felt intimidated or had been warned against bothering me—probably a mixture of both.

Despite his imposing size and brutish features, Fenton’s good-natured, gentle personality shone through, especially in the softness of his pale-green eyes.

We settled on one side of the table, Fenton and Thala sitting across the table from us. Under normal circumstances, Ravik should have been seated at the head of the table. However, he wasn’t here as the Magnar, but as a man and his woman having dinner with friends.

Fenton waved a hand over a small plaque on the table I’d first assumed to be decoration. Moments later, two servants came in with drinks and appetizers. We launched into a light conversation, talking about everything from troubles Ravik and Fenton used to get into as boys, to epic hunts they took part in, endless questions about my travels, the Tuureans—which I dodged as best I could—the Veredians, my business in the tech industry, and more somber topics like Guldar and the reforms Ravik was instating.

Timid at first, Thala gradually opened up, proving to be quite charming, observant, and sharp-minded. For the first time, I could give a Braxian female a really good look without getting called out for staring. Like the males, they had prominent foreheads without the strong brows. Their noses, broad and flat, was narrower, and more refined. Maybe because of the softer line of their brows, their eyes appeared larger, with thick, long lashes. Thala’s eyes were a pale shade of grey with blue accents. Where males had strong, square jaws, her full lips made her chin appear even pointier in her narrow face. Thala’s face had a doll-like quality about it. Although smaller than the men, Braxian females averaged a height of 6’7 which made me look quite tiny when I didn’t wear heels, and even then. Although sturdier, thanks to their thicker bone structure, their women were far smaller in general body mass, with delightfully feminine curves. They wouldn’t qualify as classically beautiful by intergalactic standards, but they possessed an undeniable charm.

From what Ravik had told me, Thala had been Fenton’s concubine, on and off, for years and had given him two of his four children; a male and a female. She wanted him to claim her as his wife but for some reason, he kept backing out. Seeing them together, the deep bond between them shone brightly. And yet, I could tell Fenton was keeping part of himself guarded off. Had he been hurt before? Had something gone wrong between them in the past that left a permanent scar?

I loved seeing Ravik so relaxed, his arm resting on the back of my chair, fiddling with my small hairs, or his hand on my lap, caressing my thigh, smiling, laughing, and making good fun of his friend. Good company, intelligent conversation, good wine, good food—although they could do with a bit less meat and a more balanced mix of vegetables and other sides—made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. It almost felt like being in the ‘normal’ world.

Or rather, normal until we finished the meal. At that point, we fell back into ancient times where females had to leave the room while males had a strong drink and discussed manly matters. Under different circumstances, I might have bristled at that, but I actually wanted time alone with Thala.

She led me through a side door and up to her boudoir, located on the second floor of the building. Apparently, the Clan Leaders’ bedroom and concubine suites were always located on the third floor, as with Ravik’s fortress. I wondered if there was a concubine boudoir on the second floor of Xeldar’s Hall. Thala’s boudoir reflected the style of the décor in the private salon where we had just eaten, although far more feminine and even more colorful.

“This is where I receive and entertain the wives and other concubines,” Thala said, her voice soft and musical.

She shadowed me as I walked around the room, perusing the plethora of decorative items on the shelves surrounding the seating area. Tall windows dominated the room with a breathtaking view of the river. Couches, chairs, cushioned stools and large poufs provided ample seating for at least two dozen people. Two giant screens hung on the wall by a long, rectangular stone table. An intricate mosaic of colorful, but dark, polished stones covered the table top.

“It’s beautiful,” I said with sincerity.

Thala smiled and lowered her eyes, her face heating again. She was adorable but I hoped, with time, she’d prove a bit more assertive, less timid. Based on my interactions with him, I had expected Fenton to be with someone a little less submissive. Could that be the source of his reluctance to marry her?

The room felt a bit more cluttered than I liked, yet I wouldn’t change a thing. Each item told a unique story. However, the curtains by the double patio door were what retained my attention. They appeared to be embroidered with shimmering threads eerily identical in color to the nyrian gems of the necklace Grumar’s daughter had given me.

“Did you make those?” I asked, pointing at the curtains.

“I wish,” she said, making a face as we walked towards them. “I traded for them with Clan Leader Curik’s wife. They live on the Jyriak Plateau, where the nyrian gems can be found.”

“I thought Clan Grumar controlled that region?”

Thala smiled, her fingertips caressing the embroidery on the white curtains. “There are three clans sharing portions of the plateau—Curik, Grumar, and Hurwas,” she explained. “Grumar is the biggest clan with the largest lands. Their females make lovely jewelry, especially the daughter, Vela. She’s young but clever. Nobody really bothered with nyrian stones. It’s a common material and too bright. As you’ve probably noticed by now, Braxians like dark and subdued colors. Having little to no access to the more appealing river stones,” she said, pointing at the mosaic of polished stones covering the table, “Vela managed with what she had. We were reluctant to trade for them at first since there’s no bragging to be had wearing a necklace made of common rocks. But her craftsmanship and her designs are just too beautiful to resist. Let me show you.”

She headed toward a chest of drawers atop which sat a series of scented candles in beautifully sculpted holders.

Where had things such as these been in all the shops I visited in Xeldar?

Thala opened the top drawer and retrieved a datapad. Gesturing towards one of the dark grey couches, she invited me to take a seat, then settled next to me. She accessed a page with two dozen thumbnails of magnificent jewelry sets similar to the one I’d received earlier.

“This is Vela’s latest collection,” Thala said, pointing at the images. “Her first collection had been of comparable quality, although she does seem to get better and better every day. Many of us tried to convince her to recreate identical pieces with river stones instead. She refused. At first, I think it was because she had nothing to trade for the stones. But even when the wives of Clan Podek who have a near monopoly on the stones offered to provide them, she still declined insisting she only worked with nyrian gems.”

Clever girl.

“So if you wanted her goods, you had no choice but to also take her gems,” I said.

Thala nodded. “Over time, nyrian gems have grown on us, especially since Vela has mastered the art of setting the color of the gems to pretty much anything we want.” She pointed at the curtains with her chin. “For the curtains, Keria, Clan Leader Curik’s wife, has figured out a technique to crush the nyrian gems and spin them into threads that can be woven into pretty much any material and still retain their color setting properties.”

I nodded, my mind reeling at the possibilities. “And what do the females of Clan Yagor do?” I asked.

Thala smiled, slightly puffing her chest. “We make perfumes, scented candles, poultices, and healing creams. Some scents can be pretty powerful to create a certain mood,” she said, the naughty glimmer in her eyes making me laugh out loud. “You’d be surprised at the incredible properties hidden within some of the unusable and even toxic parts of fishes, crustaceans, and other aquatic creatures and plants.”

No, I wouldn’t be surprised by that, only by the women having acquired that knowledge.

“How did you learn all this?”

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