The Twilight Lord

the physicians who are all men.

“Yet, my dear husband, the women of Hetar have no say in how it is governed. But now, having suffered through the late emperor’s ridiculous and bumbling reign-a reign that has cost us at least half of our able-bodied male population-the women of Hetar have decided that it is time for us to take part in the government of the land,” Vilia concluded.

“Ridiculous!” Jonah exclaimed. She was involved. The wife of Hetar’s ruler was involved in what was going to become an insurrection unless it was stopped now. If it were discovered by his enemies-and he was not foolish enough to believe he was beloved by all-they would have a merry romp making a fool out of him. And Hetar had had enough fools ruling it.

“Nay, my lord, it is not,” Vilia told him firmly. “You are in danger of becoming Gaius Prospero, Jonah. You cling to the old ways which are no longer viable for Hetar. Make a different road for yourself and take it, my lord,” Vilia encouraged him.

She was right in many ways. He was becoming his predecessor except that he was not as big a fool. Terah was blocked to them for now. Hetar had to rebuild itself and regain its prosperity, yet the council was full of the same old faces. They were dull and their ideas were stale. He needed fresh ideas to help Hetar. “If I were to set my spies to learning about the Women’s Movement,” Jonah said, “I would find you were implicated, my love, wouldn’t I? Tell me exactly what it is these women want, and I will tell you whether I can help them.”

“Wait for the manifesto, my lord,” she told him. “I will see that you have an early copy of it before it is made public. That will give you time to consider what is possible right now and what isn’t.” She did not directly answer his question, he noted.

“You are an ambitious woman, Vilia,” he said to her, and he took up her hand and kissed it, nibbling on her small knuckles. And a clever bitch, he thought silently.

“Surely you always knew that,” Vilia replied coolly.

He laughed. “I knew. Very well, I will be patient and allow you to orchestrate your scheme, my darling, because I know whatever you do it will be best for me. Now tell me this other thing you would tell me.”

“I am with child,” Vilia said quietly.

He was speechless. He had not known if she could bear him a child and he would need an heir eventually. His mother had only recently pointed that out to him, suggesting he divorce Vilia and marry a young girl of good family who would serve him as a breeder of his progeny. Or, she had said, if he preferred he might take a second wife. Vilia at her age would surely not want to bear another child, and yet here she was telling him that she was going to do just that.

“Say something, Jonah,” Vilia murmured at him. “I cannot believe I have rendered you speechless, my lord.”

“I did not think you wanted any more children,” he finally managed to say.

“I could have hardly given you a child while I was yet married to Gaius Prospero,” Vilia replied dryly. “And a child while Gaius Prospero lived would have made you vulnerable, my lord. Now, however, your position is secure. Now is the time for you to have an heir. I am still young enough to give you two or three children. Or did your dear mother suggest otherwise? Such a troublesome woman, Husband, and one who until it appeared you were climbing the ladder of success barely acknowledged you. Yet I have always had faith in you. Faith enough to betray Gaius Prospero for you,” she reminded him. “What has Farah ever done for you but use your power to gain her election as the new headmistress of the Pleasure Guild?”

“She gave me life,” he said softly.

“Because she knew that your father loved her. Had he not, she would have rid herself of you, Jonah, but by keeping you she bound your wealthy father to her. Do not become sentimental about Farah at this point in your history, my love. When Rupert Bloodaxe died and his wife sold you into slavery, your mother did not protest. She let it happen because it was easier for her than having to pay for the schooling that your father had begun. Farah did not care what happened to you, my husband. She cared only about herself. Only when it appeared that you were, indeed, despite everything, becoming a person of importance did she acknowledge your existence.”

“You are hard,” he said to her.

“I love you, Jonah,” Vilia answered him. “I took you to my bed when you were still a slave. Your status mattered to me not at all. I will never desert you or this child of ours that I now carry. Your mother drops her poison into your ear because she sees the love I have for you. She does not know how to love, has never loved. But she understands power. And she wants no one influencing you but her.”

“Aye, you are hard,” he repeated, “but you are also astute, my love.” He turned on his side so he might look down into her face. “If this child you carry is a son, Vilia, you will never have to fear being replaced in either my affections or my council. I know what my mother is, but having gotten her elected headmistress of the Pleasure Guild, I now need her influence. Now tell me, is she involved in this group of women? Are any of the Pleasure Mistresses?”

“Nay,” Vilia said. We did not believe she could be trusted. She did not completely answer his question which told him exactly what he wanted to know and she knew it. But at least he would not know who, or how many women from the Pleasure Guild were implicated.

Jonah nodded. “It is possible,” he said, “that these women can be of help to me. You accuse me of falling back into the old ways and not moving forward. But if I could aid Hetar’s female population in obtaining a modicum of power I should be their hero. And while I prefer the order and civility Hetar has lost in recent years, it is entirely possible that with the best and most intelligent of our women helping to manage the government we could once again rebuild the finest of what was once Hetar.” He leaned forward, and kissed her lips. “You have given me much to think about, Vilia.” He bent lower, pulling aside her garment and licking at her nipples.

Vilia enclosed his head in her hands and smiled to herself. Jonah was hers and no one, not even his mother, was going to take him from her. While the magnates who owned the Pleasure Houses had chosen Farah to succeed Lady Gillian, the new headmistress was not particularly well liked. It would not be difficult to arrange an accident. She stretched her body, squirming out of her night garment, further arousing Jonah. She teased him with kisses, licks and wicked touches until he was almost whimpering with his need to be inside her and then she spread herself wide for him, crying out as he entered her lush body. “Be gentle, my love,” she purred in his ear. “Remember the child.” Her nails raked lightly down his narrow back as he pistoned her. Yes, Jonah was hers to command. Pulling his head to her, Vilia kissed him passionately.

When the headmistress of the Pleasure Guild learned that her son’s wife was with child she shrieked with her outrage and frustration. “The bitch has done it deliberately!”

“Do not refer to my wife as a bitch,” Jonah said softly. “You should be happy for me. I will have an heir at last.”

“If it is indeed your child,” Lady Farah snapped.

“What can you possibly mean, madam?” he asked in a low, dangerous voice.

“She cuckolded Gaius Prospero with you while she was his wife. Who is to say she has not taken another lover now that she is your wife?”

“Anything is possible, but I am no fool. From the day Vilia became my wife she has been followed wherever she went. There is no one else. The child is mine,” he told his mother. “The love slave I bought her is not fertile. I am not a fool.”

“Unless, of course, when she goes to Gillian’s her lover is awaiting her,” Lady Farah murmured. “She was never before particular friends with my predecessor. But suddenly they are as thick as thieves. I find that most curious.”

“I imagine that you would,” he said, amused. “However I know why she meets with Gillian and it has nothing to do with a lover, madam. I do believe that Vilia is correct when she says that your renewed interest in me is because of my power.”

Lady Farah hissed her annoyance. She was not pleased to learn that her daughter-in-law was far cleverer than she had previously thought. “You should have a second, younger wife,” she finally said. “There is no guarantee that Vilia will be able to carry this child to term. She is, after all, in her late thirties. And what if it is not a son? She only gave Gaius Prospero one living son, but several daughters.”

“She has promised me a son,” he said implacably, “and I do not need a second wife. One wife is more than enough for me.”

“I am so glad that Vilia has the gift of sight and can guarantee you a son,” Lady Farah said sarcastically. “When