The Soldier's Lotus by Adonis Devereux

Everywhere. Forty varieties of bread were brought forth, and guests broke open hot loaves,
steam rising from the loaves as they were devoured. The smell of fresh-baked
bread overpowered all other scents, and this brought about an increase in
animated conversation. Beer and wine flowed freely, and as their bellies
filled, the guests became more and more gregarious.
    Darien summoned Aben to his side
with a snap of his fingers. Into his ear, he whispered, “Fetch the dulcimer.”
He glanced over at Saerileth, but her attention was elsewhere.
    When Aben returned, Darien took
the dulcimer, still wrapped in silk, and held it out to Saerileth. “I had this
made for you, and I want you to accept it as a symbol of my love for you.”
    Saerileth’s blue eyes widened, and she took the dulcimer in
her hands, grasping it in just the right places to not disturb the strings. In
that moment, Darien knew she already knew what it was. Damn her keen
hearing! He chuckled to himself and resolved to give her a thorough
spanking later. Saerileth unwrapped her gift,
revealing the beautiful cherry-wood instrument.
    “ Thank you, Master,”
she said, kissing his cheek.
    A collective murmur of wonderment went up from the guests.
The Master had given his Lotus a gift, and she was pleased with it. She had
even kissed him in front of all his guests. Some men raised their cups in
salute to Darien’s amorous prowess; others smiled and nodded. Only one
objected, and he made his ire clear.
    “ I will speak with
you, Darien.” Ulen stood at Darien’s elbow, ripping his attention away from
Saerileth.
    “ I will tune my
dulcimer,” Saerileth said, paying no attention to Ulen and thus bringing no
embarrassment upon Darien.
    Darien knew he would have to deal with Ulen sooner or
later, and this moment seemed as good a time as any. He took his former
commander by the arm and led him from the room. Once in a side corridor, he
bade Ulen speak.
    “ You have my Lotus.”
    “ No, I have my Lotus.”
Darien crossed his arms across his broad chest. “I found her floating in an
oar-less boat on the open sea, lost and alone. I claimed her by salvage rights,
and, yes, I flew under the king’s flag at the time.”
    Ulen choked on his anger. “Salvage rights be damned! I bought her, so you should hand her over.”
    “ How do you know
Saerileth is the one you bought?”
    “ I saw her,” Ulen
said. “I was permitted to enter the guild and look through the window. I chose
her because she was the most beautiful.”
    “ You have good taste
in women.”
    “ Do not mock me.” Ulen
took a menacing step forward, but that was all he did. He could not physically
threaten Darien, not even when he had been in his prime, certainly not as a
drink-sodden wretch. But Ulen’s rage only increased. “I shoveled over a large
sum of gold for her, and I want her back.”
    Darien spread his arms wide in mock helplessness. “Sorry.”
    “ I will pay you what I
paid the guild.”
    “ No deal.”
    Hate spread across Ulen’s features. “You fool.”
    “ Surely you had your
purchase insured.”
    “ Of course I did. But
that’s not the point. It’s not just the money. I bought a Lotus for good
reason, not to stand as hostess at some rich commoner’s party, an uncouth
soldier playing at nobility.” Ulen was the king’s cousin and was of high noble
blood, but in his present state, he could not inspire admiration from anyone,
especially Darien.
    “ If you’ve got your
money back,” Darien said, “then why not just go buy
another Lotus?”
    “ Idiot! You really don’t know anything, do you? A man gets
only one contract to buy a Lotus in his life. If he loses her, he cannot get
another. Guild rules.”
    “ Sorry,” Darien said,
but he made sure his mocking tone clearly showed how he was not sorry. “I find
my treasures at sea, so I don’t know about any of these fine things.”
    Ulen clenched and unclenched his fists. He probably wanted
to strike Darien, but even Ulen