Gren Drake, 2005
Fagrkra stood next to the crate of diamonds and pulled himself up the side so he could retrieve the next specimen of gemology from within. It wasn't the best load of gems sir master Gelkra had purchased, but neither was it the worst. Most of the gems he'd examined were average; there had been a few really good ones, which he placed into a special, smaller box. Most, however, went into another box like the first.
He didn't look up when he heard footsteps approach; the diamond he was studying looked to have the potential his master looked for. That and only two people had keys to the wagon he was in; one of those was sir master Gelkra and the other was his wife Lefksel.
Once he finished examining the diamond (a dud; it turned out to be nothing special) he tossed it in the box and glanced behind him. His visitor was Lefksel. Couldn't she have waited? He hated having to tell her no, but sir master Gelkra's orders came before hers, no matter that hers had a tendency to be more pleasant.
"Put those diamonds away and attend me," she told him as he grabbed the edge of the box and pulled himself up far enough to be able to reach another gemstone.
"Sir master Gelkra told me to finish cataloging the gemstones. Then I am to take a bath." He didn't stop working as he spoke.
Lefksel stood over him, forcing him to look up in order to see her; she had foregone clothes, which made it rather likely that she wanted his help in sating her sexual desires. That was the only time she went about unclothed. "But that's so boring!"
"None-the-less," Fagrkra told her, returning his eyes to the gems he was studying, "that is what sir master Gelkra desires."
Lefksel bent over and picked him up by the collar around his neck, not that she had much difficulty doing it. Even compared to the few other ravon he'd seen he was small and the largest ravon was much smaller than any grown au. Fagrkra was lifted until Lefksel was looking into his eyes.
"Gelkra is not here; I am," she told him in a firm voice.
"None-the-less-" he started, but was interrupted by Lefksel.
"Do not tell me no again," she told him. "It is not your place-"
Lefksel was interrupted and Fagrkra spared having to answer by another entry into the wagon, making the small space—though plentiful for Fagrkra alone—quite crowded.
Although Fagrkra couldn't see the new entrant, the door being behind him, the footfalls were the distinctive four-footed gait of Gelkra.
"Lefksel," said he. "I come to check on my gemstones only to find my wife, naked, coercing one of my most dutiful slaves. What am I supposed to think?"
Lefksel made no answer, but set Fagrkra down—in the box of unsorted gems, not the most pleasant of seats—and held her arms wide in a gesture of supplication.
"Since you were throttling my property and not already on the floor with him, I presume he was uncooperative. Good. But I cannot go on ignoring this; it reflects badly on me and Kagasel. When we reach the city I will be bring this matter before a cleric and Sulak will do what's right."
"Please no," Lefksel replied. "I'll be more careful; just, please, don't bring Sulak into a private affair."
"Private affair?" Gelkra said. "I think half the world knows about your 'private affair'. By Sulak's word, I swear they know about it in Ker Relt!"
Lefksel winced at Gelkra's words, but said nothing; there was nothing to say. She left the wagon and Gelkra followed, leaving only a reminder to get the gems sorted.
Once they were gone, Fagrkra climbed out of his box, resettled the collar around his neck and returned to sorting the gemstones. And when he finished this task before reaching the city, he stretched out on the floor and slept; time enough for a bath later. It was not, perhaps, as pleasant as what Lefksel had intended, but pleasant enough.
The temple of Sulak was a massive edifice adorned with gems and bas-reliefs depicting Sulak's name and glory. The inside was even more splendid than without; the walls were covered in mosaics of gold and platinum with accents of silver through-out. The path leading inside was inlaid with a complex gold and silver pattern. It was along this path, and the inner chamber it lead to, that they had to go.
Gelkra lead with Kagasel following, maintaining a tight grip on her co-wife. Fagrkra rode on Gelkra's back since, as a slave, he was forbidden to walk the sacred path that was inlaid into the floor. No one else journeyed with them; the shame would be public all too soon as it was.
It did not take them to reach the inner chamber, this being an immense room as bejeweled as the path without. In the center was a silver altar (silver to show that Sulak did not desire excesses of wealth) graven in the form of a kneeling male. It could easily have been mistaken for an idol, but that several items were upon it; all in silver. One was the chalice, from which those being married would all drink (symbolizing their new unity); another was the rather ordinary date book used to schedule ceremonies. Two things were behind the altar: the door further into the temple and a female cleric. On either side of the door was a large statue; the left of a woman, arms clasped on her stomach in peace and the right a large man, seated on his haunches and with the set of one howling at the skies. A rather modest display for a god, really. Such chance it was that the cleric was not busy.
"We seek the wraith of Sulak," Gelkra told her. "My wife has broken her wedding vows; she has shared herself outside our union."
"Do you know with whom?"
Gelkra nodded. "My slave, Fagrkra, who journeys with us."
The cleric was visibly shocked; nearly all women had the dignity not to cavort with slaves, especially those of a different species.
"That explains his presence," she said. Then, addressing Fagrkra, "Slave; did you have carnal relations with your master's wife?"
"Yes," Fagrkra said.
"Why?"
"I do as I am told," he said, confusion evident in word and face alike; why else would he do something?
"You did not find it at all unethical?"
"That is not for me to say; sir master Gelkra is responsible for morality." Fagrkra was no less confused now. Perhaps the questions would have made sense for a free-man, but a slave? It was not his responsibility to decide things.
"Did you enjoy it?"
"Yes," Fagrkra said, confusion mostly gone. That was a question that it was within his power to answer.
"Do you love her?"
It took Fagrkra a moment to reply. "I don't understand the question," he said at last. He'd heard of love, but had never understood how a good slave could experience something like that.
"How about lust, then?"
"Not at first," Fagrkra told the cleric, "but after Mistress Lefksel introduced the idea, I started feeling desirous towards her."
The cleric nodded. "Fair enough." She turned to face Lefksel. "Did you in fact engage in carnal activities with this slave?"
"I did," she admitted.
"Why?"
"Gelkra had a prolonged fit of depression and thus was uninterested in sex for half a year, and even after had a very unstable life. It wasn't for over a year that he went to a doctor about it. In the meantime, we sat around and lived off our earnings. Kagasel and I sated each other's desires during that time, as wives should, but my desires have always been greater than hers and I spent much time unsatisfied. Kagasel told me to wait, but I knew I could not. I choose Fagrkra because he was young and was loyal enough to tell no-one."
"You enjoyed it then?"
"Very much so; Fagrkra was very much unlike my husband who, even when not in one of his fits, tends to be a rather dull lover."
"Dull?" Gelkra retorted, glaring at Lefksel.
Kagasel scratched his neck soothingly. "You are something of a traditionalist," she told him.
"But dull?" he protested.
The cleric waved her hands for silence. "Now is not the time for this," she said. "Do you love Fagrkra?"
"No," Lefksel admitted after a moment. "I don't believe I could love anyone with much of a social gap between us. Lust, yes, love, no."
The cleric nodded. "I will speak with Sulak and return in a moment." Once she finished speaking she slipped out the door behind the altar.
The gathered persons had no opportunity to converse in this absence for the cleric returned moments later.
"You are in luck," she told them, "Sulak listened when you spoke. It is clear that your wife has indeed been too free with herself. " The cleric flipped open the date book. "How is next Wednesday for the divorce?"
"Fair enough," Gelkra decided.
"Then I will see you again then." the cleric said, closing the date book once more.
The week passed quickly. Gelkra met his with daughter before moving on to have dinner with her boyfriend and by chance his wife was also present, having just arrived on a weeks leave. Gelkra was favorably impressed and, at the end of the evening, accepted the traditional gift given to a brides father before a proposal of marriage (in this case an untrained female slave ravon, about eighty—not even middle aged—and recently caught, admitting to not having the energies slave-training required, but a gift still valuable enough to impress Gelkra). This was followed, not surprisingly, by a proposal of marriage to Rasel, which was accepted. Thus, that evening was a success.
The next day Gelkra sold off the cargo he'd brought back, including the priceless vases that he'd gone to such pains to hide from customs. Each of the four (as there were four) was worth the rest of the caravan twice over. Still, he had no difficulty selling them as the sale had been arranged even before he obtained them. He had gotten them at a very good price as the seller had been unaware their worth.
After this he moved his belongings into his part of the family home (not a particularly large part since he wasn't around much), settled his wife in with him and his caravan at a nearby inn. He greeted all his family, telling them of the shame that had befallen him.
A couple of days later Gelkra was told the date of the marriage, being a year and a half in the future. Although that required Gelkra to stay in the area for the duration, this was not a problem; the goods he'd brought back had been worth more than enough to comfortably have a two-year lay-over.
In the mean-time, his wife Kagasel was enjoying Gelkra's exclusive attentions (for Lefksel was being kept at the temple pending the divorce) but would tire of this before even the divorce ceremony.
The training of the new ravon slave also began, Gelkra performing the work himself as Lefksel was no longer available. He also involved Fagrkra in this and the new slave took quite a liking to him, though her attempts to 'civilize' him met with no success; he saw no point in her ideals and, even without realizing it helped Gelkra train her simply by being a good example, and a contented, if not actually happy, slave.
Thus passed the time before the divorce. Gelkra and Kagasel arrived alone and fought their way inside through the crowd that had gathered already. Inside was more peaceful as the guests had yet to be let in.
The cleric got Gelkra and Kagasel seated in front of the altar, Kagasel in a padded chair and Gelkra on his haunches, both facing away from where the guests would be. It was a relief to Gelkra that Sulak did not attach any shame from the divorce to him; he had enough already.
Once the couple were settled in, the guests were allowed to enter. Since the guests would see only the couple's backside, it would be known no shame was attached to them. In truth, if Gelkra or Kagasel had spent more time in town they would surely have been recognized anyway, but it was the symbolism that mattered
Once the guests had all arrived it was time for Lefksel to make her appearance. She entered from the door behind the altar, her face clearly visible to all and it bore the watchers a message; the shame of this was hers. She took a seat behind the altar, facing the guests.
Two clerics came out of the door to perform the ceremony. One of these two was a rarity; a male cleric. He had what appeared to be a sheet wrapped around him and buckled overtop this was a wide belt holding a set of trays in place. From this the female cleric took three bowls and into each went a single scoop of a rather plain looking pasta and one bowl went to each of those involved. While eating, it was clear from Lefksel's face that it was not plain, but spiced most unpleasantly.
"So you need confront the bitterness of betrayal," the female cleric said, directing her words to the participants, but speaking loudly enough that all could hear. "Consume it before it consumes you."
Then taking up the silver chalice, she filled it with something from the trays on the male's back. "Now drink," she said, handing the chalice to Kagasel, "drink who would remain as one."
Kagasel took a deep drink from the chalice, then set it before Gelkra, who lapped up the remainder.
"And so be it," the cleric continued, "with the bitterness swallowed, and the union rejoined." The chalice was set into the trays and the clerics left. The female cleric guided Lefksel out the door. At this point the guests left as well, leaving Kagasel and Gelkra sitting alone at the altar.
"I guess that's that, then." Kagasel said.
"Its done and over," Gelkra agreed, his voice solemn. Divorce was always a black time; little good ever came of breaking families apart, but at times it to be done.
The pair sat in silence, each thinking their own thoughts, each with dark looks upon their faces, until a violent scream shattered the silence. Both knew that it was this that truly ended the whole affair. Moments later, the male cleric invited the two into the back room.
This chamber of the temple was not lavish by any means; the furniture was plain wood and not even iron was in sight. The most distinctive feature was the prevalent odor of burnt flesh and hair. Lefksel lay on a narrow cot, apparently passed out. Her eyes were half shut and she trembled where she lay. The adulterers's brand was clearly visible on her thigh.
"She will, of course, be taken into the temple's employ," the female cleric said.
"That would be for the best," Kagasel said and Gelkra nodded.
And so, after a brief meal shared with the clerics, they returned home once more. And no time was spent, but to find their way to bed. Kagasel curled up against her mate's belly and together they mourned their loss.