Ashfall: City of Shade (UNDER EDITING)

Chapter 1 | Unbounded

Book 2

GRETA

"How was your yester-evening, Greta?"

My armor clinks sharply as I sit at the table.

There's so much food. I'm glad most of it is already on my plate. I would not know what to choose. There are so many platters and swirling little mini ones mushed between. This room alone is bigger than the wide space my sisters share.

"Good," I mumble. Brommy's wife has so many scars. It's hard not to stare at them for they cover her neck and arms in stripes and zigzags. I never knew he was married. "What is that on your face and arms, if I may ask, Mirth?"

Brommy cuts into leftover fish from our trip to the dock.

"They are treatch - marriage treach. Tattoos of our vow," he explains. His voice lightens, "I have a few other treatch showing my rank as war advisor. This triangle shows my wealth..."

Adler has so many more. Not all of them were in the shape of lashings, or lines, now that I think about it.

"Which one is for marriage?" I ask.

Mirth points to the three stripes on her arm and neck. Brommy only has one stripe though. It forms down the center of his throat where it disappears into the collar of his tunic.

"I have had two husbands before your trainer. Both died in the desert serving under the god of the sun," Mirth admits. She picks up her goblet. The sleeve of her tunic rises enough to let me see her dark painted nails. "It is, unfortunately, a common thing," she finishes while picking at her mashed pastry crumblings.

How many wives has Adler went through? There must have been at least a hundred markings on him. They did not look like the nice even lines as Brommy and Mirth wear. Some of them were crooked, and even, bumpy.

"I'm sorry for your loss," I say.

Mirth shrugs, stabbing her knife into the fish on her plate.

"So, Brommy tells me you are of the desert," Brommy hands her a napkin, but she waves him off. "And that you are sharing our ruler's bed. I must give you an examination as requested by the empirical family."

"Enoch told you no such thing," Brommy argues rapidly. His eyebrows raise. "What are you thinking spewing such a claim?"

"Well, it won't matter unless our god returns. Has Brommy told you the news?"

"No," I tell Mirth.

Her words are exactly why Adler must rely on his new wife for help. I don't want Brommy or Enoch to think such a thing about me.

Brommy holds the bridge of his nose.

"We are going to offer you our home to stay in. Slaves take care of our chambers here so you won't have to clean. You will be granted a nice room-"

"Please, Brommy, I want to stay in the hospice."

"Greta-"

Mirth glares at Brommy.

Brommy did not tell me this. He said I was to come for dinner. I am not staying in his home and letting Mirth examine me. Why must I be examined?

My trainer looks as uncomfortable as I do.

"G-go on, Greta. Let her have a look at you. We do not want you getting sick or spreading disease."

"My sisters already went over my health. Please, call me Keon."

Mirth stands up with a small smile. She passes Brommy and tugs on the back of my chair. Brommy leaves the room along with my sense of security as Mirth begins prodding at my tunic wrapping.