“She thinks she’s so special!” Katarin yelled angrily as she yanked out of Coraset’s grip.
Aisling threatened, “You better get used to being nothing to him, retard.” The women brushed at the wet milk stain on her shirt. “All of you better get used to it. The Chancellor and I had a wonderful night. I’m going to be the Chancellor’s wife. And when we get married, all of you will be gone!” She stormed angrily into the other entryway that led to the other bedrooms.
A low rumble of whispers came from the women as they began to disperse. Two women that came from the kitchen approached the mess on and around the table with buckets, mops, and towels.
Coraset turned to Katarin and asked, “What happened?”
Katarin crossed her arms and answered, “She said that Chancellor Erato already asked her hand in marriage. She was bragging about it. She’s a liar, Coraset. He hasn’t even met me yet.”
Coraset was about to give Katarin advice, but she decided against it. Instead she said, “You have to calm down. You’ll get your time with him, and he’ll be impressed with you.”
“You’re right.” Katarin loosened her stance and smiled confidently. “He will.”
“Anyway, she wouldn’t be here if he asked her to marry him.” Coraset noted before she went to the other side of the table to fix herself something to eat.
Katarin considered what she said carefully, and she felt even better. She watched as Coraset prepared her plate, and she watched with a silly grin on her face.
“What is so funny, Katarin?”
“The other girls think that I’m strange, but I think you’re the one who’s strange, Coraset.”
She lifted her eyebrows and turned to go sit. Katarin followed behind her.
“Maybe, we’re both strange.” She added as she bit into a piece of toast.
While Coraset was eating, an army of women with brand new clothing came into the harem. Each one found the concubine they were looking for. The woman that approached Coraset handed her a huge pile of folded clothes, and the woman walked away before Coraset could thank her. She set her plate aside to look at each piece, and she was amazed. The colors, the lightweight beauty of each cloth, and the soft feel of the fabric between her fingers. Coraset loved it. She left the plate on the settee and went to her room to put them away.
She then went to the showers that were at the end of the corridor to get cleaned up. The bathroom had gorgeous pastel yellow and soft white porcelain tiles. Body washes with all kinds of scents and perfumes set in a glass cabinet for the women to use. Coraset chose a light scented vanilla body wash. Afterwards, she put on a sleeveless white wrap around dress that stopped above her knees and white leather sandals on her feet. Coraset decided to keep her hair down.
All of the women had showered and changed into the new clothes they were given. They loved all the colorful garments and showed off their new outfits to one another with oohs and aahs. It was a complete difference from the bland clothing everyone else wore around Erato.
Coraset disappeared into the gardens beyond the pool. It was quiet and seemed far away from the chatter of the excited concubines. She slowly walked through the colors of nature, taking in the blooming spirea as they took up an entire section, and the flowering carpet scarlet grew around them in splendid red. The nerium oleanders were on the other side mixed in with velvet cloak smokebushes. Even the bees danced around the blooms barely noticing Coraset. She continued through the stone path and saw a granite bench. In the center was a white dendrobium orchid sitting in a handcrafted red pot. It seemed like it was out of place, even in its natural beauty, among other flowering plants, it pulled her attention. It looked like the many orchids she used to grow back in the greenhouses in the Barat Region. She went to the bench and sat down beside it. It was tall and gorgeous.
“I was told you grew orchids.” A male voice spoke. Chancellor Erato strolled from behind a tall rose bush. He stopped and pulled at a delicate petal. “My mother loved them.”
Coraset curtsied respectfully without speaking.
“Your name is Coraset Prescott?”
“It is.” She answered with a guarded smile. “How did you know I would come out here?”
“I didn’t. I just happened to see you from my bedroom. I have a view of the garden and the harem, of course.” Chancellor Erato pointed towards his window on the other side of the garden.
Coraset looked in the direction he pointed at. His window was in another building, but it had a perfect view of everything.
“You like orchids?” He asked.
“Yes, I do. They’re my favorite flower.”
Chancellor Erato stared at Coraset from head to toe. She didn’t think very much of him, but she knew he was finding his amusement simply by staring at her.
He cleared his throat and said, “I have a session with the Senators this morning. I will send for you afterwards. We’ll have lunch in my personal quarters.”
Coraset smiled and remarked, “I will be ready whenever you are.”
“I love that dress.” He put his hands in his pockets as he moved around her.
“I won’t change.” She turned so her back wouldn’t be to him.
Chancellor Erato smiled and walked away.
Coraset waited until he was out of sight, and she stepped into the grounds where the oleander was planted. She looked around making sure no one was watching her. Quickly, she removed her underwear, and she laid the biggest part of the fabric over her hand and fingertips. She broke off a piece of the flower and wrapped it in her underwear. Coraset placed it in the orchid pot. She held the orchid as close to her chest as possible as she went back towards the harem. She rushed passed the pool area hoping no one saw what she had, and she went inside to prepare for her date with Chancellor Erato.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sekai entered the harem. Everyone that was inside the great room turned their attention to her. Katarin stood and rushed over to Sekai before the other women could reach her. Coraset remained in her seat, knowing full well why Sekai was there.
Katarin asked in an excited tone, “Where is the Chancellor?”
Sekai saw Coraset sitting, with her back to them. She excused herself through the small crowd of ladies and went directly over to her. She rounded the sofa and said, “The Chancellor wishes to see you.”
Coraset looked at Katarin who was now standing behind Sekai. She looked disappointed. Katarin pulled at Sekai’s shirt sleeve and asked, “When will I get to see him?”
Sekai turned impatiently and said, “When he asks for you.”
Katarin ran around Sekai and slid beside Coraset. She grabbed her arm and pleaded, “Tell him about me, okay, Coraset. Tell him everything about me, okay. So, he’ll want to see me next.”
Coraset didn’t know anything about her really. Only that she was obsessed with seeing the Chancellor, and she was childish and impatient.
“Okay,” she agreed as she patted her hand and rose from the seat.
“Tell him what I’m wearing, and tell him how much I love him.”
She smiled assuredly at Katarin and slipped her arm out of her grasp.
“We’ll walk through the gardens.” Sekai revealed.
Aisling bumped into Coraset when she walked out the entryway. Coraset turned quickly back to her. Sekai wasn’t expecting Coraset to react at all, and she watched to see what was going to happen.
Aisling faced Coraset angrily when she approached. Coraset was close, almost nose to nose, when she threatened calmly, “The last thing you want to do is mess with me. You don’t know me, and you don’t know what I’m capable of. Bump me again, and I will show what you don’t know. If you think I won’t follow through with my threats, try me again.”
Aisling cut her eyes from side to side to see who was watching. She was shaken, embarrassed to have the wrong kind of attention. Most of the women were watching. Some of them holding their mouths, others smirking wishing for the two to fight, and there was one that simply shook her head, thinking it was total nonsense.
Sekai approached the two women carefully, and she stood between them, facing Coraset. She said in an
