“People of the Chorkay, it is now time for the Ritual of Humility. The Mouth of Thufar will cease to emit steam for a moment so that all the candidates for the Potentate’s personal bathing may be seen clearly.”
At once, as though whoever was operating the vast mouth had heard him, the clouds of steam stopped billowing out and the mists began to clear.
Ty could see there was already a crowd of people waiting, clearly hoping to be picked for the private bathing by the Potentate. He was tempted to think they were all opportunistic bastards and perverts, just wanting a beautiful young female to lay her hands on them. But then he saw that the crowd wasn’t just males.
There all kinds of people—men and women, young and old, rich and poor, nobles and commoners together. Well, except for the nobles, who tended to clump together and avoid everyone else. Even though everyone was naked, Ty could tell who they were by the rich golden jewelry they were wearing, as well as the haughty looks on their faces. As Natillus led them closer to the waiting crowd, he could hear some of them murmuring together.
“Just look at her—wearing those purification garments as though they represented the truth!” one noble lady whispered to another, casting a sneering glance at Ellina.
“I know! Well, we know the truth, anyway. Remember when we came here as children and everyone wanted to know what was wrong with her?” the second noblewoman giggled. “Hennessy asked her if her missing parts had been chopped off!”
“Oh, I nearly died laughing,” the first woman murmured and put a hand over her mouth as though she was going to start laughing right then. “I know she has the Sacred Blue skin but honestly, do you really think a freak ought to be allowed to rule us all?”
Ty stole a quick glance at Ellina. But though she must have heard the unkind comments, her jaw was set and she was clearly determined to ignore them. The gossipy noblewomen, for their part, just kept on talking.
“Ugh—what if her horrid chewchie chooses one of us for her to bathe?” one whispered to the other. “I know it’s meant to be good luck to be chosen but I don’t want her nasty mutant hands on me!”
At this, Ty could stand no more. He took a step towards the gossiping, giggling women, glaring into their eyes.
“My Lady,” he said loudly to Ellina. “Shall I clear the crowd of any who dare to disrespect you? I can have some of my guards come to lock them away where they may think on their crimes and repent of their ill-chosen words if you like.”
The noblewomen went quiet at last, their mouths shut tight while their eyes grew wide. The two of them started edging towards the back of the crowd and Ty continued to glare at them until they finally melted away into the mists that still swirled in the background.
“Now, Ty—you’ll frighten away all the candidates,” Ellina whispered. But he thought her expression was lighter and her jaw was no longer clenched.
“Ahem.” Natillus cleared his throat for silence and the crowd, which had been murmuring after Ty’s words, quieted to hear him.
“Thank you, good people,” Natillus said. “The Potentate’s chewchie will now choose one of you to go with her and be bathed by her own hands in this year’s Ritual of Humility. Please be perfectly still while he decides.”
The people grew quiet and suddenly Lor, Ellina’s chewchie, launched himself off her head and onto Natillus’ shoulder. From there the fluffy little creature jumped to Lambada’s head and then to the shoulder of the first male in the crowd.
Ty watched, his heart in is throat, wondering who the chewchie would choose. Don’t let it be a male, he prayed silently as he watched Lor jump from shoulder to shoulder in the crowd of people, all holding perfectly still as the chewchie searched among them. Just don’t let it be a male!
However, his prayer went unanswered. For at last, after making his way through the entire assembled crowd, Lor jumped from the head of the last person in the crowd…
And landed directly on Ty’s shoulder.
Chapter Sixteen
“This can’t be right, can it?” Lambada whispered to her husband. “Is the chewchie allowed to pick an off-worlder for the Potentate to bathe?”
“No, it’s fine—the chewchie is guided by Thufar. Whoever he chooses must be the right choice,” Natillus whispered back.
Ty could hear other people in the crowd murmuring uncertainly, as Lor sat on his shoulder and contentedly groomed himself. The fluffy chewchie weighed next to nothing—he could barely feel it sitting there. Yet he felt an immense sense of gratitude towards the little creature.
Thank you, he thought. Thank you for not choosing some random male for Ellina to bathe. He didn’t honestly know if he could have stood by while such a thing happened—while she bathed some strange male. It would have been too much for him to bear when he felt so very protective and possessive of the curvy little Potentate.
“The Potentate’s chewchie may choose whomever he deems worthy for the Potentate to bathe,” Natillus said, raising his voice to be heard above the murmuring crowd. “It is well known that he is guided by the will of Thufar himself and so cannot make a mistake.”
This seemed to satisfy the nobles, most of whom shrugged and then began to dissipate. They hadn’t wanted the honor of having the Potentate bathe them anyway. Many of the common people, however, stayed to speak to Ellina. She smiled and spoke back to them gracefully while Ty kept a watchful eye on the situation with Lor still on his shoulder.
“Thufar bless and keep Your Majesty,” old elderly woman with sagging, wrinkled blue skin was saying. “I
