This blog is for me that others may read. I spend at least an hour on each prompt then go back and edit it then post it. If I come back to it I come back to it but if I don't then oh well. I have so many stories in my head and get depressed if I don't write something so this is more therapy for me. Enjoy!
I was asked to continue this story. If you enjoy the story all you have to do is ask me! I find it helps to keep my interest in something if people enjoy what I write.
I'm starting to get a better feel for the environment, the clothes the women wear, and the style of the House of Hedone. When I put all these parts together it will be a more comprehensive cohesive story. Some names and details may change in the master though so be ready for that when I post the final draft.
Writing Prompts to Use:
1. She was beautiful once.
2. When she talks, I hear revolution
She was beautiful once... Euphemia inspected herself in the mirror. She did this more often than she used to in recent weeks. She kept seeing Ion with his hands all over Constance, cupping her face and looking at her with such devotion and tenderness. She never saw any of that devotion paid to her. Nothing genuine anyway. If Euphemia were younger than she would have taken care of Constance the way she took care of other rivals back in the old days: have her face slashed, cut off some fingers or, the more classic, poison. Euphemia once poisoned a rival courtesan's dress. The woman's skin was once a porcelain masterpiece until she put on that poisoned dress and her skin broke out into monstrous hives. It left horrible scars.
No. No Euphemia couldn't give into jealousy now. Constance was her only salvation as much as she loathed to admit it. The new Viceroy is very taken with her and Euphemia recognized a hunter. He loved the chase. He won't rest until he takes down his prey.
"Lady Euphemia, a visitor for you," one of the servant girls led in a proud dark woman that Euphemia knew only too well.
"Lupa," Euphemia put on her best smile and greeted her old rival with a congenial kiss on the cheek.
"Euphemia," Lupa responded in kind, "it's been quite a few years."
"Quite a few," Euphemia echoed. The two middle aged women stood facing each other. One could say they were opposites in appearance one Lupa being of ebony complexion and Euphemia of ivory. They looked each other over comparing and judging how they both had aged.
"I'm so sorry to hear about the closing of your house Oshun," Euphemia spoke from the heart but couldn't help the secret joy inside her at her rival's misfortune. Lupa didn't bat an eye.
"It seemed time to close down the grand house," she shrugged her elegant shoulders. "Times as they are." Lupa didn't have much hair on her head unlike ivory women. She had deep African roots with her smooth round head that was perhaps still the most admirable quality about her. She would forsake turbans to show off her lovely head.
"So what brings you to Quadrant 17?" Euphemia asked. The two matrons sat across from one another as a maid brought them tea and biscuits.
"The new mines of course," Lupa explained. "Of course you've heard about the new edict from the Senate?"
"Anyone born on Mira or Quadrant 17 can buy stock in the new mine of iridium," Euphemia repeated what she heard from the edict. "Of course those born on Mira have a stronger claim."
"I've heard that you've recently bought stock in the iridium mines," Lupa was approaching an accusation somewhere. "I thought with the religious upheaval going on you'd want to focus on keeping your house open instead of mining."
"One needs money to keep a place like this running," Euphemia sighed. Some of the wings of the mansion were no longer in use. Just cold corridors filled with memories collecting dust. Euphemia poured her guest some tea.
"Honey?" Euphemia offered.
"You remembered," Lupa smiled.
"At least some things haven't changed," Euphemia poured the liquid gold into Lupa's porcelain tea cup. "So I suppose you're here because of the mines?"
Lupa lifted an eye brow as she took a sip of her tea. She said, "I wasn't born on Mira sadly... I just thought I'd visit an old friend and catch up. I see the new Viceroy has taken a small liking to Hedone."
"Well," Euphemia smiled like a house cat proud of its kill, "he certainly finds something intriguing about the place. It has that effect on people."
"I also came to tell you about this other new movement going on in the Belt," Lupa placed her cup down and leaned back into the dark blue cushions. "It's a feminist movement led by none other than an old student of yours: Mara."
Mara Perth. Stubborn, hard headed girl from Mira. Boyish. Mara's stay at Hedone was like having one long migraine for Euphemia. She tried to teach the girl the value and power in submission but Mara was too proud. She would bow before no man. Euphemia sensed that she wished she was born a man. She certainly liked to chase some of the girls on Hedone.
"I've heard some things," Euphemia miffed.
"She leads the Black Widows against the Army of Light," Lupa sounded almost impressed.
"I thought the Black Widows were supposed to be a peaceful movement," Euphemia poured herself some tea. "Ysolde seems pretty reasonable to me." Ysolde was an old noble woman with a philanthropist's heart. She was low on the caste but had some influence. Euphemia donated to one of Ysolde's charities once.
"There are radicals in every movement," Lupa remembered the riots outside Oshun. When she left, the place was vandalized by the raging populace while a man in tattered rags led the charge preaching truth and purity.
"So Mara is leading the charge, eh?" Euphemia groaned. "What is she saying these days? That we should shut down the courtesan houses as well no doubt."
"On the contrary," Lupa perked up, "she's advocating for them staying open."
"Now that I find hard to believe given how she left here," Euphemia remembered how when Mara was suppose to graduate and she escaped in a fuss before the event took place.
"Maybe you and her should join forces," Lupa suggested.
Euphemia narrowed her eyes, "Last thing I need is a drop out who is a radical and who looks down on me and how I chose to live my life."
"Suit yourself...," Lupa shrugged. "But when she talks, I hear revolution. A revolution that may change everything."
"Why are you really here, Lupa?" Euphemia wanted to get to the point already. "I have a banquet to plan you know."
"You were never good at foreplay, Euphemia," Lupa mourned.
"I'm excellent at foreplay, Lupa," Euphemia fired back. "I'm just too wise to fall for it's pretense. It's a warm up before the real show and I prefer to skip to the end today."
Lupa smiled then said, "I am here for the mine stakes but since I wasn't born on Mira I don't have a claim unless... someone gives me their shares."
"Why would I give you any of my shares in the iridium mines?" Euphemia laughed incredulously.
"I may no longer be a matron but I still have eyes everywhere," Lupa explained calmly. "I hear many of your connections have dropped out recently."
Euphemia clenched, her knuckles white from gripping the arm chair. It's true some of her contacts were gone. Some had disappeared without a trace while others have died. Some just wanted out of the business altogether either for religious purposes or because others were paying more.
"Let's face it, Euphemia," Lupa explained, "you could use a friend. And this friend can help you keep this place open. We may have been rivals but we're still sisters. In this profession when times are hard we courtesans stick together..."
Euphemia knew Lupa was right. She needed all the friends she could get. She needed to know more about Mara and the Black Widows.
Evening arrived shortly after. The banquet hall was alive with light, sounds, and smells of exotic perfumes and music. It was every bit a harem with no chairs but pillows for seats, no doors but deep red and purple curtains. Leila was entranced by the whole affair. The Viceroy would be the guest of honor but other men would be there also. Some fine patrons from noble families that still held traditional values though none of them seemed to lift a finger to halt this religious reform. Leila turned to Constance who seemed very distracted.
"I'm still not used to such elegance," Leila wondered. "Can't believe I'm allowed to attend!"
"Times are tough," Constance spoke absent mindly, "Euphemia needs all hands on deck for this one."
"You don't seem excited," Leila pointed out.
"Bad day," Constance excused. "I need to change for tonight."
"Can I borrow your blue sari?" Leila peeped. Constance couldn't help but be amused by the girl's excitement.
"Come to my room and I'll make some adjustments on it," Constance promised. "Your frame is too slender."
"I just have to get something," Leila excused herself. She went quickly from the room, away from the buzz and into the quiet darkness. She made her way to one of the abandoned corridors into one of the empty rooms. This room was once filled with tapestries and perfumes but now it was a cold echoing tomb to what was.
"Were you followed?" asked a woman's voice.
Leila turned a bit startled but when she saw who it was she let out a breath of relief.
"Of course not," Leila placed her hands on her hips in indignation. "I'm not new at this spy stuff."
The fact that she said "spy stuff" said otherwise but her friend let it go.
"Anything new to report then?" the mystery woman asked.
"Constance has been quiet lately," Leila reported. "I think she's having second thoughts on the Viceroy."
"Why?"
"I've seen her around with Ion on occasion," Leila recalled. "Once I saw them emerge from behind a tapestry. Constance looked a bit disheveled."
"How do you find this stuff out?" the woman asked amazed.
"Sometimes no one notices me until I speak up or they forget I'm there," Leila boasted.
"Thank god for that then," the woman nodded. "Good."
"What do we do?" Leila asked looking expectant.
"Nothing for now," her handler advised.
"What are you going to do?" Leila asked expectantly.
"It's been a long time since I've stayed here," the woman sighed with nostalgia. "I'll make a surprise visit at the banquet. It'll be good to see my old instructor again. For now I need you to be my eyes and ears."
Leila nodded. "I'm committed to the cause, Sister Mara," Leila swore.
Ion waited in the abandoned green house looking at a simple gold ring. As he sat on a stone wall of a man made pond with browning lily pads and murky water he rolled the gold circlet in his hands contemplating it's gleam in the glow of the planet Pyroeis. It was going to be a wedding gift for Constance. It will be anyway... he was convinced that if he could just get Hedone to close then Constance would be free to be with him. Looking back he began to remember when he first saw her. He came to Hedone when Constance was 15. He didn't think much of her at first. She was a quiet thing with defiant green eyes that sparkled like emeralds. Yet when she talked she had a sharp wit that was beyond her years. Her and Ion grew close. But they couldn't act on any feelings since Ion was already caught between Euphemia's loins.
Then Constance turned 18 and went through the graduation procedure: a graduating courtesan's uterus was removed to make sure she didn't bear any children of her patron's so as not to contest inheritance or to hold the courtesan back if she wanted to find a new patron. It wasn't a small thing to give up. Ion didn't care about religion or politics, he just knew that the courtesan system was a medieval institution that needed to end. He had caught Constance crying after the procedure. He allowed her to cry on his shoulder and that's when he realized he was falling in love with this girl. So quiet and brave that you would never guess that sometimes she was suffering inside.
"Still sulking over your wench?" Ion glared to see Finn's shadowy form standing over him.
"Did the Leader say what he wanted to do next?" Ion retorted.
"Our Leader has suggested we not proceed," Finn sighed.
"What?" Ion shot up from his seat. "Why?"
Finn shrugged, "He doesn't see a need to act right now unless..."
"Unless what?" Ion persisted.
"Unless there were special circumstances that could really hurt us," Finn finished as he ran his fingers through his hair, resting his hand on the back of his neck and messaging it.
"Cowards!" Ion growled.
Suddenly Finn grabbed Ion by the collar and shoved him up against a beam. The whole place groaned and shook from the impact then died away in silence. Ion had dropped his ring that made a quiet ping on the stone floor.
"Listen, my friend," Finn growled. "I'm going to give you some free advice: don't think you know what's best. It's arrogance like yours that will get us all killed."
Ion and Finn traded angry glances until Finn at last relented and released Ion from his iron grip. Ion straightened himself up.
"Don't do anything stupid," Finn warned.
"Or you'll what?" Ion goaded. "Kill me?" Death didn't scare him much.
"Not you," Finn picked up Ion's gold ring then dusted it off. "It would be a shame if this ring never made it to your lady love's finger..." Finn presented Ion with the gold ring, cleaned and still slightly gleaming. Ion took the ring back keeping a tighter grip on it this time. Finn's warning made him shiver this time.
Aurelia's bed was covered with gold inlaid silk dresses. She held up her green sari contemplating what to wear it with. She sighed frustrated because she didn't have any proper jewelry to go with the sari. Constance was stitching up the blue sari that was intended for Leila who was late.
"I still can't believe Leila's coming," Aurelia complained. "This should be for graduates only."
"Afraid of the competition?" Constance raised a dark eyebrow with her mocking smile.
"Of that twig?" Aurelia miffed. "Please."
"It used to be Hedone had 2,000 students," Constance repeated from what she read of Hedone's history, "Now there's only what? 200? We need all the girls we can get to keep this place running."
"You're too soft on that girl," Aurelia criticized. Constance only shook her head. She knew that Aurelia kind of liked Leila too. The girl was sweet and enthusiastic though sometimes you forgot she was in the room she was so quiet. She had those watchful eyes that didn't miss much. As if by sheer effort of thought, Leila popped into the girls' room looking a bit out of breath.
"Where have you been?" Constance inquired. "You look like you were running through the gardens."
"You know how I can get lost in here sometimes," Leila breathlessly excused.
"Yes we remember...," Aurelia rolled her eyes recalling the many times Leila went missing in this large palace. Once it was for 3 days.
"I needed my gold bangle," Leila held up the gold bracelet. "Thought it would go great with the blue sari."
"Well you've come just in time for you to try this on," Constance presented Leila with the altered blue sari. Leila's eyes sparkled. As Leila wrapped herself in the smooth silk she asked, "Anything new happen with your Viceroy?"
"Good luck trying to get her to tell us," Aurelia scoffed. "Constance is keeping a tight lip on her courtship as she should. A proper courtesan knows how to keep a secret."
"Or spy," Constance shot Aurelia an acid look. She turned back to Leila with softer eyes, "Let's just say a real life courtship is much more complicated than a pretend one like in school."
Just then a knock came at the door. Without a word of volunteer Aurelia opened the door only to glare at a cadet.
"It's for you, Constance," Aurelia called dryly. The cadet entered very mechanical in his manner and speech though Constance was sure he was flesh and bone, "I have a message for you from the Viceroy Satordi."
"What is it?" Constance crossed her arms and heaved a heavy sigh.
"The Viceroy was wondering where you were going to be seated tonight," the robot cadet explained.
"And...?" Constance shrugged waiting for more information. On cue he pulled out a blue velvet box and opened it to reveal a studded emerald diamond bracelet.
"For tonight," the cadet presented. "The Viceroy thought you could use it to help you in your hunt for a patron. He knows the House of Hedone has fallen on hard times and figured you would appreciate the gift along with his apologies for earlier."
The bracelet was finer than what Constance had. She actually didn't have much jewelry to go with her outfit. The cadet stood there eyes front trying not to look at the other girls. He didn't seem to be used to standing in a room with half naked girls. Religious fervor had caught in the Capitol. Constance touched the sparkling emeralds. They matched her eyes. She then took a deep breath remembering the indignity done to her in the Viceroy's rooms. She held her head up high and told the cadet, "If the Viceroy is truly sorry he can tell me himself and not send an errand boy to do it for him."
"But... what about the..." Aurelia took the box before the boy could finish his stuttering sentence.
"Just what I was looking for! I think it'll go great with my green sari," Aurelia marveled.
"Thank the Viceroy for me on the bracelet," Constance smiled at the baffled cadet. "Tell him my sisters very much appreciate his concern for their futures."
Cadet gave a short nod then quickly exited the room. When he left the girls suddenly burst out laughing.
Ion wore his midnight blue satin coat inlaid with silver flowers and starry designs. He wrapped an emerald green sash around his waist then looked himself over in the mirror. He felt like a dog with a diamond collar.
"I love that suit on you," Euphemia cooed in the background. Ion didn't turn only acknowledged his mistress's reflection, "I really don't like dressing up. I hate parties."
Euphemia came up from behind Ion and snaked her arms around his waist, running them over his chest tracing the floral designs with great detail.
"Why do I have to go again?" Ion sighed heavily.
"Because I ordered it," Euphemia sounded dejected. Euphemia turned Ion around so that he could face her with his sullen eyes. "I need you by my side."
"You don't need me to help sell your live stock," Ion grumbled. Euphemia glared at her young lover.
"You will go and support your House," Euphemia grabbed Ion's cleft chin, her cat claws threatening to break his skin. "And you will watch and learn that this live stock doesn't belong to you and never will." Euphemia wanted him to watch Constance be courted by the Viceroy. She wanted him to understand that he was hers and no one else's.
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