The Priestess and the Thief Kindred Tales 30 - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,29
enchanted castles where monstrous beasts lived, when suddenly a door at the end of the hallway burst open and the Duke of the Closewild Lands came rushing out.
“Oh, there you are!” he exclaimed, seeing Elli and Roke. “May all the gods be praised! Hurry up or you’re going to be late to the Formal Introduction and Announcement!”
He hurried them down the hall and through another set of thick, double doors and finally Elli saw where the rest of the Court had gone—they were all gathered in what could only be the ThRoke Room, since there was an elaborately carved golden thRoke sitting at the far end of it.
The Court of Tenebrian nobles were standing on either side of the thRoke, all of them dressed in expensive styles and rich fabrics and laces. Elli was extremely glad to be wearing the crimson gown Roke had bought her. Surrounded by such opulence, she would have felt like a peasant in her stained white Novice robes. As it was, her dress was a little plain compared to some of the more elaborate styles she saw around her, but not enough to be out of place.
In the center of the room was a carved wooden archway. It was decked with purple vines that sprouted richly colored flowers—crimson and ultramarine and vermillion blooms as big as a man’s head that looked like living jewels. The archway reminded Elli of the trellis in the Sacred Grove where the statue of the Goddess stood.
Elli wondered why she hadn’t been able to hear so many people when they were outside in the hallway—there must have been two or three hundred gathered in the vast thRoke room. But maybe it was because everyone was being quiet and focusing on what appeared to be a kind of ceremony taking place around the wooden arch.
There was a line of couples—about five of them—standing to one side of the arch. A Tenebrian in a black frock coat and an important looking silver hat with a single white plume sticking out from the middle, was bringing them through the arch and introducing them to the male sitting on the golden thRoke—the Crown Prince, no doubt—who was too far away for Elli to make out.
“We’ve only just made it in time,” the Duke breathed to them, keeping his voice low. “I shall stay with the two of you during your Announcement and speak for you to His Majesty during your formal Introduction. Simply do as all the others in line ahead of you are doing and keep your mouths shut and we shall all make out splendidly.”
“Of course,” Elli murmured and Roke nodded. As they spoke, the line moved forward and she realized that another couple had walked through the arch and were being introduced to the Crown Prince, who was sitting on the thRoke.
Now that they were a little closer, Elli was able to make out what was going on a bit better. As the man with the feathered hat brought each couple through the arch, they both bowed low before the thRoke and then the man dropped to his knees before the woman and did…something. It was hard to tell what, since the woman of the couple she was watching was standing with her back to them, hiding the man’s actions.
“What are they doing?” she whispered to the Duke, motioning to the couple on the other side of the arch. “After the man with the hat introduces them, I mean. Why is the man kneeling like that?”
“Oh, it’s simply part of the Formal Introduction,” the Duke murmured back. “After the Grand Vizier introduces a couple, the male must kiss his mate’s breasts, sex, and mouth to show that they are truly each other’s Heart’s Companion.”
“He what?” Elli gasped, apparently more loudly than she ought to, because eyebrows were raised in her direction and the Duke scowled at her.
“Have I said something that is unclear, Lady Ellilah?”
“No, but—” she began.
“But our people usually don’t do such things in public.” Roke took over smoothly. “We consider kissing—especially of the breasts and sex—to be a private activity.”
“That’s all well and good when you’re among your own people,” the Duke sniffed, frowning at them. “But here in the palace you are on Tenebrian soil. You must observe our customs if you wish to be welcomed into our Court.” He looked at Roke. “So you must kiss your mate’s breasts, sex, and lips when you are introduced to the Crown Prince. Do you understand?”