Blood of the Goddess Book I: The Locust King
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Locusts at the Gate Chapter 2: A New Name Chapter 3: The Capital Prepares Chapter 4: The Princess is Dead, Long Live the Princess Chapter 5: Outside the Gates Chapter 6: Inside the Black Tent Chapter 7: Surrender at the Temple Chapter 8: The Cult of the Locust Chapter 9: The Locust's Tenets of Faith Chapter 10: Mourners on the Cliff Chapter 11: The Eye of Betrayal Chapter 12: The Dead King's Bedchamber Chapter 13: The Arms of the Goddess Chapter 14: Zayaan of the Narim Chapter 15: The Eyes of the Priestess Chapter 16: A More Permanent Disguise Chapter 17: Tribute Chapter 18: Sacrifice of the New Moon Chapter 19: The Lost Bird Chapter 20: Manah and the Priestess Chapter 21: Desert Creatures Chapter 22: Become the Swarm Chapter 23 The Price of Betrayal Chapter 24: Life Under the Locust Chapter 25: Wild Rose Chapter 26: The Lady Wren Chapter 27: Thought and Desire Chapter 28: The Lady's Captivity Chapter 29: The Wine Maiden Chapter 30: End of Childhood Chapter 31: The Children of Aisha Chapter 32: The Forest Runner Chapter 33: Three Sisters Chapter 34: The Hunt Chapter 35: Bones in the Forest Chapter 36: Lullaby Chapter 37: The Hunter's Horn Chapter 38: Ways Between Ways Chapter 39: Morning Star Chapter 40: A Prophecy for Baraz Chapter 41: Equinox Fires Chapter 42: The Lord Prince Takri Chapter 43: Evening Star Sets Chapter 44: Chaos in the Courtyard Chapter 45: Dasha Chapter 46: Memories Chapter 47: The Body Slave Chapter 48: Caged Beasts Chapter 49: Message from the Capital Chapter 50: Heresiarch Chapter 51: The Color of Blood Chapter 52: Winter Winds Chapter 53: The Bookmaker's Closet Chapter 54: Wrapped in Dignity and Beauty Chapter 55: Vessel of the Goddess Chapter 56: Cracks in the Walls Chapter 57: Two Brothers Chapter 58: The Court of Women Chapter 59: Favored of the King Chapter 60: The Sweetest Fruit Chapter 61: Daughter of the Temple Chapter 62: A Nation of Bastards Chapter 63: The Lute Player Chapter 64: Aisha's Prayer Chapter 65: Promises Chapter 66: Lives Lost Chapter 67: The Tea Maker Chapter 68: Object of DesireChapter 29: The Wine Maiden
Hundreds of candles in Mahleck’s throne room drowned out the same moonlight that lit Aisha’s scroll in the women’s temple dormitory. Under the flickering candlelight, Takri knelt on the cold floor flanked by his fellow princes awaiting audience with the Locust King.
Takri shook his head to bring his mind back from wandering between the thighs of his wild rose. His purpose in the Locust’s court was not his own pleasure, but finding his young cousin, Lilua. His search had proved fruitless thus far. As far as he could tell, no women existed in the court of Mahleck. Only servants gliding about the hallways like silent shadows cloaked in ever-present veils.
Where is he keeping her?
He hazarded a glance across the row of soldiers with whom he knelt and suddenly realized the sheer size of the Locusts’ empire. The desert camp he and his comrades originated from was only one of many scattered throughout the continent in the wake of the Swarm. With the fall of Adyll, Mahleck ascended to become ruler of the known world.
Takri’s comrades Lod and Jacu originated from a land controlled by the Locusts long before they were born. Oretu and Pelon were small children when their country fell. None of them knew a life outside of the control of the Swarm. None knew freedom. To them, training at the hands of the Swarm was simply a rite of passage undertaken by all noble born males. Takri and the Adyllian servants were the only ones present who had known life before the Locust King.
His feet were starting to fall asleep when Mahleck entered the room and stood before the throne. He was dressed in his customary black, the hawk’s head crown of Adyll on his head. Takri felt a wave of disappointment fall over him. The Locust King was alone. Takri stumbled to his feet along with the other princes as they rose in unison to salute their God Among Men.
“One!”
“God!”
“One!”
“Man!”
“One!”
“Lord!”
“One!”
“King!”
“One!”
“Swarm!”
“One!”
“LOCUST!”
Mahleck smiled, and signaled for the young men to resume their positions kneeling on the floor in front of him.
“You have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of your God, Princes of the Swarm!” exclaimed Mahleck. “You have traded your tents for a palace. Inside these walls all is yours. You shall feast upon the finest foods, drink the finest wines. The most beautiful women of the empire are your playthings. The grounds of the castle are yours to hunt as you will. The only thing I reserve for myself are my wives. All else is yours for the taking.”
A cheer went up from the assembled men. The doors of the throne room opened, admitting servants carrying tables and loaded trays of food. Roast pig, capons, whole roasted lambs, baskets of fine white bread, platters of steaming spiced rice, and mountains of sugared fruit flowed into the throne room. The servants were followed by minstrels playing pipes, lutes, and drums. As the servants hurried to set up the tables, beautiful young women entered the throne room holding flagons of wine, draped in the diaphanous gossamer silks for which Adyll was famous. Their heads were uncovered, but their eyes remained downcast.
The princes seated themselves around the long tables as the wine maidens demurely filled their glasses, allowing the men to grope and gape at them as they would. Takri could tell the young women were not giving themselves by choice, unlike Nasreen had with him. Many of them were only a year or so older than his cousin Lilua. Takri drank deeply from the wine in his glass. What was happening around him was in stark contrast to the holy joining between two lovers he experienced earlier in the day. He wanted no part in this debauchery.
From his throne on the dais above the tables, Mahleck raised his glass. "Tonight, a feast fit for princes! Tomorrow, a hunt with prey worthy of your honor!"
Another cheer from the tables. Takri's reached for his wine glass again, jostling the young girl next to him and causing her to spill the contents of her pitcher onto the table and his linen shirt.
"Please forgive me, my lord," she said. Her voice trembled and her lower lip quivered. He could tell from her accent that she was an Adyllian by birth. And not much older than Lilua.
"There is nothing to forgive, little one. I caused the spill," said Takri, his Swarm façade slipping momentarily. "How old are you?"
"Fifteen summers, my lord," she said, eyes downcast.
"Where is your mother?" asked Takri. "How did you come to be here?"
"My family brought me to the Locusts as it was commanded by the King," she said. "Any child over the age of twelve was brought to the palace as tribute. My brothers were sent to the desert camp. I was brought here to serve tables."
"I see," said Takri. "Tonight, you are my wine pourer. I will keep you safe."
"Others have said the same," she said. "You do not need to pretend to want to protect me. I have no other purpose. I will give you whatever you wish. Is this not the Locust’s will?"
"What is your name, little one?
"Yelena," she answered.
"Yelena, keep my glass filled and tell me of life in the company of the great Locust King himself," said Takri.
"I have only been here a few months. Mostly the others and I stay in the women's quarters. We are not allowed outside them unless we are called upon to entertain the Locust King's princes. We are fed well, and we have a walled garden where we can spend time in the fresh air. It is better than life outside the palace walls."
"I have heard there is famine in the land," said Takri.
"We have heard the same," said Yelena. "Inside the walls we have no lack of food. Mahleck wants us to be healthy and well fed as he takes his fill of us."
"His fill of you?" he asked.
"Sometimes one of us will be called to him. When that happens, we don't come back. No one comes back."
Takri glanced up at the throne where Mahleck sat, a wine maiden with flowing black hair at his side.
"That is Kabsha. I hope she returns to us come morning. But if it is Mahleck’s will, she will stay with him forever. Sometimes new maidens are brought to join us. Mostly from Adyll, some from far-away lands. He has one wife from every country he has conquered," said Yelena, dropping her voice to a whisper. Between the music and the rowdiness of the princes it was hard to hear her words. “But Mahleck has no children. I have been told he cannot enjoy the joining without bloodshed.”
"Do the wives return?" asked Takri.
"He rarely calls them, only the one from the Narim. He calls her to play music, but not for the joining," she said.
"I see," said Takri. "Do the princesses live in the women's quarters?"
"They have their own rooms within the women's quarters," said Yelena. "My lord, these are things that we should not discuss at table. Maidens who talk seem to be chosen for special service."
He could see her eyes dart up to the throne. It was empty. Mahleck and Kabsha were both gone.
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