Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2002 14:31:03 +1000
From: ocean pomegranite <pomegranite14@hotmail.com>
Subject: palace life-part 3

Hi! here's the next chapter. I think I'm getting a bit carried away with all
the subplots and everything. Don't worry, I'll try to tie it all together
sometime soon. And slip some "good bits" in too. Thanks to those of you who
e mailed me, if anyone has some constructive critisism I would love to hear
it! cheers!


When I woke up I felt fine. Not fine in the sense of "not awful" but fine in
the sense of a fine wine, or a diamond. I lay in the slanting rays of
sunlight wrapped in my white comforter and felt utterly relaxed and
luxurious. Stretching languidly I could hear Joelle humming....humming?
Joelle? in the next room. I heard a rapping on the door that entered onto
the hallway and rolled over to see if I could hear who it was. There was a
whisper, the door closed and then Joelle came bursting into my room, as
flustered as I'd ever seen her.

"Wake up Saskia, you have a summons from the Empress. You had better get up
right now!"

There was the old Joelle, clear and to the point. I felt a pang of
apprehension as I climbed out of the warm bed into the slightly chilly air,
grabbing for my robe.

"Why? I mean, why would she want to see me?"

Joelle rolled her eyes. "I have no idea, I don't know what's going on in Her
Highnesses head. Hurry up though, you don't want to keep her waiting."

"Geez, I know that."

I donned a dark green semi-formal dress and after trying to subdue my hair
for a few minutes, gave in to it's unruly spiky nature and bolted out the
door.

There was nobody in the Empress' private reception hall when I arrived,
flushed and out of breath. I paced the length of the elegant room, anxious
that I smelled of sweat or alcohol from the night before. The ceilings of
the room were so high that they disappeared into the gloom above and dust
motes swirled and danced through rays of light in the silence. After a time,
an Attendant came and escorted me down a hallway and into a small room with
a verandah that looked out onto a private garden. The empress was seated at
a table there, cradling a mug of tea in both hands and gazing into space. I
was shocked to see her black hair down, flowing over her shoulders and arms.
Usually it would be coiled into the largest and most intricate formations on
top of her head and I would wonder how her slender neck could take the
strain. But now she looked like a... well, like a person. A real one. I
approached her slowly and she turned and smiled, beckoning me to come and
join her. In silence I obeyed her gestures and sat in the intricately carved
chair opposite her own. She gazed at me in the strangest way, and then,
after a time, she spoke.

"I'm sure you are very curious why I have called you here." Her voice was
soft and implied an accent that rounded off all the hard sounds.

"Yes." Suddenly I couldn't remember any of the lengthly formal titles that
the Empress was addressed by.

She took a deep breath and opened her pretty mouth.

"I'll be honest with you. I have become disillusioned."

"Um. What about?"

"For years I harboured fantasies of escape from this life. I live this way
because of duty, not any affection for my position. But as I say, I now see
the impossibility of this. It is to remain a fantasy."

The morning sunlight glinted off of the Empress' white teeth as she smiled
again, somewhat bitterly.

"You probably think that I spend my time dealing with affairs of state,
religious matters, things to do with running an empire yes?"

I could tell that "yes" was the correct answer,

"Yes."

"Well I don't. I am an Icon. Nothing more. I show my face in the appropriate
places, my approval for the appropriate causes, and inspire patriotism in
the people. Councilors tell me what to say and when to say it, I am barely
allowed to put on my own clothing, let alone see the world."

This was all very confusing. I couldn't really figure out what she was
talking about, but I nodded and tried to pay as close attention as possible.

"Basically, Saskia, what I am trying to say is that I am bored. I need
something new in my life. And maybe you will be it. I want you to be my
friend."

what???!!!

"Um... "

"Saskia, this is not mandatory. It is not an imperial order. It's up to you.
I would request your presence for a few hours a day, allowing for your busy
practice schedule of course. I am longing for the company of someone my own
age, who will talk to me about anything other than politics and the messy
love lives of the imperial families. I want to hear stories about your
travels, about your experiences, about your loves....Oh, I'm sorry, would
you like some tea?"

She then reached out and poured me a cup of fragrant, flowery tea. She did
it herself. I was stunned that no Attendant had come to do it for her. That
she had called for no service. This was just too confusing. The empress
wasn't supposed to pour tea for herself, let alone a lowly entertainer. But
I sensed that her intentions were good, and for the first time I found
myself raising my eyes, tentatively to meet hers.

I expressed my feelings as simply as I could.

"I think I'd like that."

And with that, I became the "Imperial Friend".



This didn't involve much. In fact it was rather unexciting. The Empress and
I would take tea most days in her quarters or in the gardens. Afterward,
sometimes we would walk around the palace grounds, or play silly games in
her rooms. But mostly what she wanted was for me to talk. It was a rather
pleasing mental exercise to try to remember the details of my life and
relate them to her. We began with my ancestry, which I knew little about,
and moved into my early childhood. I did enjoy making her laugh, so I admit,
sometimes I embellished the truth a little. But harmless details, I assure
you. She seemed to find my life fascinating, while I found hers a bit dull.

At first when I got back to my quarters Joelle would grill me for the
details of my hours spent with the empress, but she soon realized that I did
most of the talking, and there was really nothing to tell. One thing that
did come of these excursions within the palace walls (other than a certain
notoriety as the Empress' rumored secret love slave) was that it gave Joelle
and I something to talk about.



The more time Joelle and I passed in each others company, the more the air
cleared. I grew to enjoy her company, and looked forward to the evenings
after practice when I would soak my aching muscles in the bath and we would
converse. I still saw Isaac frequently, but never mentioned what I had seen
that strange evening. Nor did any sign of the relationship between Isaac and
his Attendant surface until one sodden night....

The sight of the two of them in my quarters was a bit surprising. Isaac
barely knocked before barging in like a raging bull, demanding that Joelle
and I accompany himself and Adam to The Treehouse. This was a cabaret where
Isaac and I had spent a fair bit of time and even more money in the last few
years. Every weekend there was different entertainment there, and though it
was never advertised, you had to have an "in" in order to attend. Generally
the entertainment was artistic, elegant and semi erotic. Isaac had charmed
the club manager's daughter one evening, and ever since he had been a
welcome guest.

"So hurry up and get dressed, the second show starts at midnight." Isaac
commanded, knowing that I was always a sucker for free entertainment and
fine wine.

Joelle balked.

"I think not. I will stay here, and Saskia, you would do well to stay in
too. You don't want any trouble." Joelle was stiff and proper, as she had
been when we met. I looked at her, taken aback.

"Shit Joelle, come on!" Isaac laughed before I had a chance to protest.
"You'd do well to come out with us! A little trouble would be good for you,
love! Saskia needs some time off.... and of course we'd love to have the
pleasure of your company."

There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, and I shot him a look to wither
his ego.

"Shut up Isaac, she'll come if she wants to."

Joelle's eyes were blazing, I could tell that Isaac had infuriated her, but
then, to my further surprise, her posture relaxed and she visibly gave in.




The rain came down in bucket-fulls as we ran out the gate to hail the
nearest cab and the city was dark and gleaming. I've always loved the rain,
it makes my hair stand on end and my pores open to gratefully drink. By the
time the four of us climbed into the back of the taxi we were drenched but
cheerful, my silk dress blotched, Joelle's hair sticking to her face. This
served only to make her look even wilder than usual, her eyes flickering
this way and that like a nervous animal. Isaac wrapped his arm around me as
we sat facing the other two, and I listened to the sound of vehicles hissing
by on the wet road outside. I shivered and Isaac tightened his grip on me,
pressing his damp cheek against mine, and not for the first time I found
myself wondering if I had really seen what I had seen that night after the
performance.

The city outside the palace grounds was enormous. The buildings dwarfed
everything, towering high into the night sky, their upper lights eclipsed by
fog and rain. Dark and wet though it was, the city still looked like some
overgrown fairground, people crowding the sidewalks, lights flashing and
blinking like miniature suns. Above us walkways and overpasses twined
between the buildings, continuing up higher than we could see. Explosions of
light erupted from wall-sized advertisements and music blared everywhere.

I gazed interestedly out the window, though none of this phased me remotely.
Life for the entourage was pretty much nomadic, excepting our time here. In
the twelve years I had been a member I had seen most of the planet,
entertaining audiences of the strangest races and in the strangest places.
We had been off the planet more times than I could count as well, though we
never strayed too far. A person, (or an entourage, as it may be) had to have
some sort of home base. Even if that home base was an entire planet. For
some reason, the Imperial Palace had never really become home. Each year we
were assigned different, if uniform quarters, different attendants and there
was never really adequate time to get attached. As these thoughts flew
through my mind I wondered if this year was going to be any different.
Already there had been so many.... abnormalities...

"So what is this that we are seeing tonight?" Joelle's voice brought me back
to the real world. I was pleasantly surprised that she was trying to make
conversation.

"You've never been there?" Isaac asked incredulously.

"No."

"How long have you lived here?"

"In this city, most of my life. The palace, just a few months."

"And you've never been to the Treehouse? What have you been doing with your
life? No, don't answer that, I'm sorry. But you should know that you are in
for a treat!"

I pitched in, as I knew that Joelle would take my word over Isaac's who she
seemed to have an automatic aversion to.

"It's really quite incredible, you never really know what you're getting
into. Every time we've been there it's been like walking into a different
place. The acts change, the decor changes....the only constant is this huge
room with a huge stage and a very interesting clientele."

"But what makes it so good?" Adam asked, speaking for the first time that
night.

I thought for a moment, then said "Well.... I think it's the mystery... the
unknown. You just never know, y'know?"

Adam laughed at this and I saw the corner of Joelle's mouth twitch. By now I
had learned that Joelle appreciated humour just as much as the rest of us,
she was just so suspicious of people she didn't know! Without realizing it I
had taken it upon myself to soften her up, and it had become a slight
obsession.

"I brought something for the ride over..." Isaac said, pressing something
into my hand. It was a small bottle. "It's a bit of a drive to the
Treehouse, and it's cold and rainy after all." He had a sly grin on his
face. He explained to the other two.

"It's October Brandy. Some off-world concotion containing God-only-know.
Saskia loves this stuff. Last time she drank it she was naked and dancing on
the table by ten o'clock!"

"Shut up Isaac, I was not!" It was more like twelve.

"Unfortunately it is very hard to obtain. I think it's even illegal in some
countries. Easy Adam, just a tiny sip! It's vicious stuff. A glassfull can
put you in the hospital."

Already I could feel my body warming, my face feeling soft and a smile
touching my lips. Suddenly the world looked just a little more beautiful.
Isaac's arm around me felt good and I watched as Joelle hesitated and then
raised the bottle to her full lips. The thought occurred to me that maybe we
were pressuring her into too many things that she didn't want to do, but the
thought fled as quickly as it had come. I could see her fighting the urge to
cough from the burn, but she stifled it and Isaac recorked the bottle and
put it in his jacket.

After that things got more jovial in the cab. Isaac entertained us all,
doing dead on impressions, making us all collapse in giggles. He did me,
flitting around and being a flirt and a primadonna to which I laughingly
protested.

"Hey! You could never be me. I'm much better looking!"

"Yeah? well check this one out!" and suddenly he sat up, straight backed and
blinked owlishly, making some pretentious snorting noises. "Now Saskia! home
by eight. And tell me if you're going to take a shit. I'm supposed to
accompany you everywhere you go." He spoke in a high clipped voice and then
changed back to his normal self in an instant. "Who am I?"

oh no. What's he done now?

I looked to Joelle to gauge her reaction but after a moment of realization
she burst out laughing, leaning on Adam's shoulder and holding her belly. I
breathed a sigh of relief.

Pulling over, the cab driver lowered the screen between us and announced our
arrival. And that we owed her a fortune. We reluctantly handed it over and
made our way onto the rainy street, clutching our coats around us.




The entrance to the Treehouse was located deep in a tiny alley off of the
street, unobtrusive, perhaps to deepen the  mystery of it all. Isaac
conferred with a dark man in the entrance way and after a few minutes the
man reappeared with an elegant woman in her mid thirties on his arm. She was
tall and big boned, yet somehow graceful. Her nose curved down in a gentle
hook, and her eyes, they were large and intelligent. They moved everywhere
at once, taking in her surroundings and processing them  in an instant. She
was introduced as Kavriona, the "daughter of the establishment", whatever
that meant. She shook my hand and Adam's, but lingered with Joelle's,
seeming to stroke her fingers as she slowly drew away. Joelle's reaction was
nervous, a slight wrinkle forming on her high forehead.

Kavriona's voice was a low purr as she spoke.

"Darlings, you have had the exquisite luck of appearing tonight of all
nights." She then paused dramatically. It was Isaac's role to rise to the
challenge.

"Oh? and why is that? Because we'll have the pleasure of your company I'm
sure?"

"Ah, a lovely idea, but alas, not this evening. We have a new entertainment
ce soir, something un peu plus exotique..."

More exotic than usual? I couldn't even imagine the possibility.

At Kavriona's statement, a uniformed servant appeared, carrying some strips
of black cloth over his arm.

"We are asking all of our guests tonight to wear these petite accessories."
She picked up one of the strips to tie it around Adam's surprised eyes. His
mouth opened as if to protest, but shut after a moment's thought. The cloth
had two small holes, approximately the correct size and placement for eyes.
I had to chuckle at the sight of him, the masked man in evening wear, but
before I knew it we were all similarly bedecked.

Kavriona then led us into a large, no, huge hall, full of round, cabaret
style tables and decorated with lush swaths of red velvet cloth, hung from
the ceiling and walls, seemingly random. There were dozens of people there,
sitting and drinking, many laughing, smoking, all wearing the same black
masks. I could tell that the people here were bursting with curiosity, much
as I was, about what was going to happen in this mysterious room. We were
seated at a candlelit table, and served dark red drinks by a masked server.
Kavriona dropped by after a while, seating herself next to Joelle and
focusing all her attention on her.

"You do have the most appealing eyes my dear, where were you born?"

Joelle looked uneasily at the woman. "I was born here in the city, ma'am."

"Now let's not be so formal hmm? Call me Kavriona like everyone else."

She regarded the silver identification bracelet that all people who worked
for the palace wore.

"And what do you do there at the palace?"

"I'm an Attendant."

"So the silver ones are for Attendants, and the entertainers wear these
copper ones?" She gestured to my wrist.

"Yes."

"Very interesting.... pretty Joelle."

At that moment the lights dimmed even further, so that the only illumination
came from the candleabras at each table. I wasn't sure but I thought that I
saw Kavriona's hand brush Joelle's cheek as she quickly arose and moved off
through the crowd. I felt quite a flurry of emotion at this gesture, but it
was quickly overshadowed by the nearly tangible tension in the air. All
crowd noise had ceased and I felt a wave of apprehension. What were the
masks for? I thought of Joelle there in the silence and leaned over to ask,

"How are you?"

Her voice was a little less confident than usual, but that could have
something to do with the alcohol. "Fine thank you."

I was skeptical, but my attention was caught by the raising of one of the
velvet hangings to my right. There was a man standing on a raised block
there, ten feet up, wearing a pair of billowing white pants, a streamlined
mask like the head of a sleek white panther, and nothing else to cover his
dark greenish brown skin. He stood there for a moment, silently, his head
turning slowly, regally, as if surveying the crowd, surveying his kingdom.
And then his voice boomed out.

"If anyone here is afraid of new experiences... If anyone here is frightened
of the unknown... I suggest you leave now. This is not a show. It is an
education. It is not for the meek, nor for the faint of heart."

I recognized this style of speech. I heard it every time the entourage
performed. Danule was a master.

"We are Masakfar. The mask makers. We made the masks that you all wear in
this room, and we understand...." Here his voice dropped to a bass rumble
"the masks that you all wear in your lives. We are mask makers, meaning we
create masks, and if one has the power to create, one has the power to
destroy. Tonight... is a night of destruction. The destruction of the masks
that bind you from moment to moment. The destruction of the lies that we all
live. And the creation of you as a new being."

I turned to meet Isaac's eyes across the table. We shared a meaningful
glance, silently amitting that this guy was very skilled in the art of
manipulating an audience. However we both knew he was putting on an act.

"So I repeat..." The Masakfar continued "If anyone here is afraid to have
their true identity revealed.... leave NOW."

There was a rustle in the room, but as I looked around I could see nobody
leaving.
After some more introductory jargon, the man announced that first we would
be seeing a traditional "taking down" dance of the Masakfar and then he
withdrew into the shadows.

A different cloth was raised, this time to my left, and everyone turned and
clapped appreciativly as five dancers appeared on the stage. They were
wearing the most intricate masks, each one twice the size of the dancer's
head. They belonged in a gallery. Extravagent would have been too weak a
word for these creations, for they were alive and most exquisitely artistic.
The faces were so intricate, blazing with colour and character that it took
quite a while to notice that the dancers, all female, were wearing next to
nothing. From the bottom of each mask hung strips of multicoloured gauze,
but beneath the gauze... skin. Graceful, undulating, greenish skin over taut
muscles dancing to a primal music. I couldn't take my eyes off of them. Nor
could anyone else I'm sure. I could hear Isaac swear softly to himself. The
dancing went on hypnotically for an untold amount of time and then it was
over, a sigh wafting up from the audience. Clapping just wouldn't have been
appropriate for those gentle creatures, so entrancing. There followed a
number of other acts, all involving similarily incredible masks, and then
the room went dark as a cold wind swept ominously through, dousing all the
friendly candles.

There was a murmer from the assembly, a shifting, a drawing together in the
darkness. I heard a woman exclaim in fear "Darling, where are you?" and then
from far far above, a joyous laughter. A woman, laughing in clear pure
tones. The man in the white pants reappeared on his platform, lit from
behind this time, and announced

"People. This is an unusual event. Tonight, for the first time in
centuries... we have a woman who has requested an un-masking.  The Mask
Makers have a ceremony for this which is has existed for millenia. It is
tradition, and tonight, we have chosen to share it with you. There are no
words to describe this ceremony... you will just have to see for
yourselves." And with this, a golden light flared directly in front of us
and a larger stage was revealed. Hanging from her wrists, feet dangling
twenty feet above the stage was a figure wearing an identical panther face
to match that of the announcer. And yet her elegant dress and staturesque
figure looked familiar. Joelle and I realized who it was at the same time
and I made a nervous grab for Joelle's hand as she breathed, "Kavriona."

Surely this was all a set up. I looked to Isaac hoping to see the usual
knowing grin on his face, but he was obviously as confused as I. Kavriona
laughed again in that bell tone, but this time I noted a tiny note of
hysteria in the mirth.

She hung there for a few moments as the crowd tried to comprehend the
situation, and then slowly, smoothly she was lowered toward the stage until
just her toes were touching. Music filtered through the apprehensive air,
eerie but beautiful and two of the dancers appeared on the stage without
their masks, or redundant gauze. Their faces were as delicate as the rest of
them, elfin and immaculate, dark hair pulled severely back from their
slightly elongated heads. They approached Kavriona and Oh! the things they
did to her! At first I was afraid they would hurt her, but soon realized how
ridiculous that was. They gave her pleasure I could only imagine. At first
it was hard to watch, but there was no avoiding it. Their fingers and
tounges darted everywhere until they had her hanging there completely naked,
moaning and tossing her head. They oiled her body from head to toe and then
stroked her with soft feathers and flower petals until she pleaded for
release. During all this time the audience sat transfixed. Kavriona's body
was amazing, big heavy breasts (which the dancers suckled) and a thick patch
of hair between her legs (which the dancers teased). They worked the woman
into such a frenzy she was crying out and her breast was heaving and then,
abruptly, they left her.

Something about this spectacle was enthralling, while at the same time, very
disturbing. This had gone far beyond the line of eroticism that the
Treehouse usually encouraged. I felt almost guilty, as if I shouldn't be
seeing this. But I also felt warm and slightly aroused, not to mention
curious as to what was to come.