His Father's Son

I had arrived early, not wishing to be late, knowing how he abhorred tardiness, the key used to gain entry. His house was large, no less beautiful than I had expected, decorated in shades of dark blue, which reminded me of his eyes. There were paintings of men, ancestors I suppose, who stared down from their lofty positions from above, as if they were waiting for me to make a mistake.

The slaves were odd creatures, each girl bald, even her eyebrows having been shaved. All their eyes were brown and all wore a band of black as their collar. I couldn’t help but stare when one approached me. "The master wishes you to be bathed. Right this way mistress." She led me to a stairway, where a male slave greeted me; a number carved into his shoulder, taking me the rest of the way to the room I was to wait for Castor in.

"Enjoy yourself in the master's chambers. There are clothes for you on the bed. Call if you need anything."

I undressed before I explored.

The bed chamber huge, with books covering the entire surface of two walls from floor to ceiling. His sleeping couch was massive and downy, slave chains in the floor all polished to perfection and laid precisely the same. Everything was uniform, even the size of the book, once I’d noticed. Long blue sheers separated the room and it smelt like him. The bathing pool was scented with something I thought might be a floral oil, and there were blue blooms scattered on its surface. So too was the water not clear, it was a milky white, cream having been added to make the skin softer.

I had just began my descent into it, when the liquid in the pool rippled, Castor appearing from beneath the surface, a fact that had startled me so much that I almost tripped trying to back up. How God like, even in his weariness, a man I worshipped daily as I knelt at his feet. "You frightened me. I didn't expect you to be.. here."

"I got finished early.. Come here.. I missed you."

"Perhaps you should have someone paint a likeness of me. Then you could wear it in a locket around your neck."

"Perhaps.. though it would only serve to get you killed."

He had dragged me through the warmth of milk white waters to the middle of the pool, holding me in his arms.

"How do you like the house of Valerian?" He was different tonight, almost playful. Certainly not the same man I had seen only ahns before, covered in blood.

"Your house is lovely. Why are your slaves all bald though?"

"They do not all have the same hair color. With hair they do not like the same." He did seem to have an unusual addiction to things being.. uniform. "I have not been back to this house in 2 turnings. I wanted to see it.. I am going to give it to Aiden. Will you and he be companioned?"

I pulled away from him, turning so that he was facing my back. "You talk as if you are a man about to die. Is this what that is.. a.. farewell?" I was silent for a few ihns, before I turned around to face again. "I don't want to hear that. And I don't want you to tell me such things. You of all people know I will not companion. I.. can't give him what he needs, any more than I can offer it to you."

"Shut up woman, or I will make it so you will never hear anything again. Of all the things I have instilled in you patience should be one of them. You will companion Aiden.. and bear him children. And if you do not you're a fool. My son loves you.. and you him."

Silence. One serviced with my mouth hanging open like a country barn door. "Your..." My hand rose to my mouth, terminating the sound that was sure to emerge. Or maybe it wouldn't. Maybe I would never be able to speak again. No, he'd never get off that easily. "How long have you known? And why would you play such a .. cruel game with me?"

"A cruel game? What game do you speak of? That I find the woman who slacks my lusts and I can not take her because though she is mine, my only son loves her. I'd kill him if he was not my kin. You know this don't you?" He turned and walked toward the stairs.-"How old is he now?"

"You don't seem to keep up very well on the life of your only son." Betrayal was felt, for me, for Aiden, and yes, even for Castor. "Twenty one. Why, why did you even ask me here tonight?"

"You’ll lose your tongue very easily speaking that way to me tonight. I am not in the mood and you'll find it hard to explain yourself when you can not speak. Twenty one.... That makes sense I was not in Amarna in about that length of time. Is he strong... brave?"

"Yes. And more. He is everything you are not. Trusting, loving. And together we deceived him. Last night, did you enjoy that? And today, you told me you loved me, was that a lie as well? A ruse to get me here so that you could cut me open and tear out my insides? Do you enjoy seeing me bleed Castor?" I knew I was walking on dangerous ground, but I couldn't seem to help myself. I stepped from the water, a beeline made for the robes I'd so recently depleted myself from.

He moved quickly towards me, and grabbed my by my throat, squeezing. "HOW DARE YOU!! YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A USED UP PIECE OF ASS!" His roaring more deafening because he almost always spoke just above a whisper and he was seldom emotional.

"You want to see blood.. I will show you blood." He grabbed my hand and set it over his heart.

I wasn't sure what hurt more, the hand on my throat, the words that he uttered so easily, or the vision that rocked her backwards with such a force of emotion it seemed the world around me had stopped.

Identical twins. Beautiful red haired goddesses, one the woman of Kane, one not, but wishing she was. He was happy then, a teacher and a scholar, his chosen companion to be like me, a woman of the Arcane. Their love was passionate and true, but no love is ever safe from the evil it must always endure.

Two bodies wrapped in salacious embrace, each hungry in their lusts. He hadn’t realized it, finding only too late he had the wrong woman, the one of his choosing catching him cheating on her with her sister. She ran from the room sobbing despairingly, her heartbreak overwhelmin and empty of hope, even as a confused Castor ran after her, but not before he’d snapped the neck of the woman he had lain with.

The woman’s father sought him out and Castor was dragged into the square of Amarna and tried for murder. The father carved the word Loyalty into his chest. Darkness. Temple initiates, he being tended by them. He swearing his life to them.

And then I saw me. Us. The night before. I saw his dreams the way he saw them. He did love me, but now I knew why. I looked like the woman he’d lost vars before, a woman he had never seen again. He loved me because I reminded him of her.

I saw him find the record of Aiden’s birth, one that was shipped to him from Bazi. And then it was over, he tossing me to the floor. I didn’t have far to fall,

"Leave me."

I had tasted of his past, unmoving in my position on the floor, even after he had told me to go. Never had a vision been so clear, so real. Even now, I could remember every single detail. "She never stopped loving you. She thought you betrayed her. She loved your son unconditionally, raised him to be the man he is today. And I know you love me. Would it surprise you to know that I love you as well? I love you Castor. I have for sometime now."

"No would not surprise me, but I absolve you of your tie to me. You belong with my son. You should think carefully about what it is your plan to do with your life Lamia. It is moving faster than you think, so for you to love my son and not take him as your man, it's foolish. You asked me if this was farewell. Unfortunately yes I can not have you. Go home Astraea.. I will have one of my men walk you."

Stunned into silence, I rose and dressed, feeling as if I were in some horrible dream. I had not even told Aiden I'd loved him, though I did suspect it was true. When the last of the fastenings were clipped, I'd plucked my slippers from the floor and headed towards the door.

"Astraea?" I paused, then felt the wrapping of his arms around me. "I did not set out to hurt you I hope that you know this." And then he kissed me. He kissed me the way a master kissed his love slave. He kissed me to bone. To the pain.

The cards had been right. They'd warned me. Over and over again they'd screamed out their cautioned alerts. The kiss was accepted, and to my surprise, returned with such a savage intensity, he might for a moment, think he had the wrong woman in his arms. And just that quick, it was over, and I was detaching myself from him. "Farewell Castor." My voice sounded strange, ethereal, the voice of a woman long ago that had loved him to the core. I turned, melting into the vortex that would lead me back to the inn and a bed filled with.. son.

Did you have your fill..

Feeding from my soul?

Is your body now nurished?

Your pulse out of control..

Has your hunger been vanquished?

Since you partook of my heart..

Are you strong again?

Now that I'm torn apart..

Are you happy now?

That my emotions are drained..

That my will is gone..

That every breath is pained..

Do my tears quench your thirst?

As you drink deep of my sorrow..

Will I still feel?

When I open my eyes tomorrow..

Did I sate your desire?

Satisfy your dinner mood..

Gratify your craving?

Was I good as your food?