Chapters 1
I do not own Escaflowne, or Dilandau, or any other characters in the series.
I do not own the idea of an anguisette, I recieved the idea from Kushiel's Legacy Trilogy. And if you wish to see a Briar Rose, look at the covers on these books, a Rose is on each one.
Dilandau sighed and leaned back against his throne, resting his chin on the palm of his hand as he looked down at the man below his throne, somewhat listening to the babbling that left the old prunes lips. Another foreign ambassador attempting to wile his country's way into Dilandau's good graces with yet another bolt of cloth.
'I should just kill them all now and rule all of Gaea.' Dilandau thought sadistically, he could too, with his newly acquired nation of mountain savages.
But Dilandau Albatou wasn't one of the greatest generals of all time for nothing mad or otherwise. He had ruled the armies of Ziabach until the nation fell for a reason. He knew how to accomplish things, great things, even though they were terrible in the eyes of others.
Dilandau knew what he had to do. If he was going to be taken seriously by his peers of royalty he had to present himself as royalty, at least for now.
He needed to build his nation up, he needed to make alliances before he could make enemies, before he could head down the path of war and blood shed.
Of course that was what they were all expected of him. So now they were all scrabbling for his favor to save their own pathetic nations.
Then when all was said and done he'd catch them all off guard. Dilandau would put on the face of peace until they were all settled with the idea of him ruling a nation, then, once they trusted him to a degree, then he would rule the world.
He was prepared to wait as long as he had to. One waits as long as one has to for ultimate power, Dilandau knew and lived with this thought.
"Thanks you. We'll be in touch with your sovereign, I'm sure." Dilandau repeated for the umpteenth time that day. 'What a way to spend one's birthday,' Dilandau smiled, 'slowly lulling the rest of Gaea into a false sense of security with ceremonies and patience.' He smiled a second later thinking of how he would rather spend his twenty first birthday, there weren't many better ways then taking over the world, but the ones that were, were bloody and hot.
"Delegates from Drujan you majesty." One of his elderly advisors whispered in his ear.
Dilandau nodded in acknowledgment. He had allowed himself the tedious luxury of advisors for show alone to settle the nerves of the other countries faster. If he had sane political men by his side, seemingly holding him back, keeping him in control and his emotions at bay, it would cause others to have more confidence in dealing with him, thinking that the old prunes had control of him and ruled him.
'Drujan…' Dilandau thought. A cold nation of the north full of warriors. They were the first who's plea for allegiance would be entertained and granted. Dilandau had already decided whether they had sent delegates or not.
Dilandau already knew their war lord king, and quite enjoys the man's company and preference to ruthless violent tactics.
As the delegate entered Dilandau smiled at the thought or what they had sent him. King Armaury Trente was more practical and knew what Dilandau loved, as he himself loved the exact same terrible things.
"My Lord." The pale skinned man bowed low at the foot of the steps leading up to the throne.
Dilandau waved his hand signaling for the man to rise and continue.
"My Lord, you and my own gracious majesty, Lord Trente, share many similar qualities of greatness and he, in his infinite winsome, knows not to waste your time with trivial trinkets of cloth or flavor adding powders as all of those who have come before me, and will come after," he smirked and glanced over at the other delegates who lined the throne room walls, all who stood clutching their wooden chests filled with fine cloth and rare spice. "No my Lord, my great King has deemed it right and just to present you with a jewel beyond comparison." He turned and raised his right hand towards the door.
Dilandau sat up trying to look regal but a small smirk found its way onto his face as a pair of eunuchs flanked a woman of amazing beauty,
A cloak of the deepest, darkest red floated in her wake as a silk dress pooled over her curves. The black fabric left little to the imagination showing every detail of her physic. The neckline V-d so low her belly button showed clearly and the black pearls that adorned her neck and wrist shone in the sunlight that flowed throw the open windows behind Dilandau's throne. Her hair fell straight down her back, brushing the base of her spine, shining in a shade of deep red, only a few hues lighter than the cloak.
"Your majesty is pleased?" The delegate inquired as the woman came to stand at his side, her face and eyes lowered, her hands clasp before her.
"I have women ambassador of Drujan. You are not the only nation who has sought to feed my most primitive need." Dilandau smiled gesturing to the cluster of woman who had been given to him to add to his harem.
"My Lord, this one is different, and can never be matched. I present to you a creature so rare, so magnificent, one so prefect and suited to meet the needs and desires for one such as yourself, that the gods only create one every few centuries, if even that. They only one born since the great queen of Drujan, Casidara herself, the only living anguisette in existence."
A quite gasp hissed through the thick mountain air as Dilandau quickly leaned forward to look closer at the girl.
She still stood silent and obedient, eyes downcast.
"Is my Lord pleased now?" The man grinned as he bowed at the waist, male attendants following suit.
"And how do we know that this is true?" An advisor demanded harshly.
"You question the honor and dignity of Drujan?" The man demanded glaring at the equally elderly man at the General's side.
Dilandau sighed and stood up. Immediately everyone present bowed at the waist, even the woman before him fell into a curtsy, as low as her dress would permit.
She stared purposefully at the marble floor as Dilandau descended the steps from his throne.
He grabbed the back of her neck so quickly she barely had time to gasp before her knees hit the ground.
He quickly caught a handful of hair, drawing her head back into an unnatural arch, so he could look into her eyes. They were black, iris and pupil alike, passion growing in them by the second. But in the left a fleck of blood red, that almost throbbed with her pulse, flawed the dark orbs, a sign of an anguisette, one that can be faked by pricking one's eyes with a needle point.
Dilandau threw he down onto the cold hard floor. She caught herself with her hands as he tossed aside her cloak to see the mark of an anguisette.
A briar rose of the blackest black with thorns lining the twisting vines and flecks of red accented the dark petals and echoed the fleck that flawed her dark eyes.
"Lypiphera…" the word was hissed in some dark corner of the room, echoing off of the walls.
Dilandau allowed a smile to cross his features as she brought herself up into a kneeling position.
His sadistic thoughts were quickly calmed as he saw the anger and hatred in her eyes as she finally looked straight at him, causing him to think twice about ravaging her immediately.
"The zenyan." He said to two of his personal attendants, referring to the quarters of his concubines and whores. "Take the others too." He nodded to the cluster of women.
He watched as the women exited obediently, only the anguisette glanced at him and he felt a burning sensation that was not just limited to his loins.
Dark eyes darted all over the dimmly lit hallways, taking in the cold cracked stone and the echoing sounds, at this moment coming from the male escorts that walked solemly down the hallways, their boots clicking on the cold floor.
She ignored the curious glances of those around her the male attendants the escorts and the women who walked beside her into an entirely new hell.
She ignored is all as the small of perfumes and incense tickled her senses and soft music floated in the air past her ears, they were close, too close for her own comfort.
Two more eunuchs stood guard by a set of heavy double doors, extravagantly carved to portray the shapes of women. The opened it with practised ease allowing the soft light from within to be released into the dark hallway.
Before they could enter a short, fat man came rushing out only to grunt and stare at the women in the most disturbing manner that cause the younger ones to cover their chests with folded arms.
"I am Eurich, master of the Zenyan. I decide everything that happens here. Whether you are fed, whether you serve our great lord and master Dilandau, or simply entertain his men by lying on your backs satisfying the needs of the lines. Only the best of you will serve out most wonderful lord the rest will be thrown to the masses. This I decide and thusly I decide your life and your death." He grunted looking each of them in the eye to be sure that they got the point and feared him thusly.
"I thought that it was Dilandau's pleasure to decide our deaths, let alone our lives." A soft voice emerged from a pair of perfectly set dark lips.
The man's eyes bulged, obviously accustomed to immediate obedience and very little defiance, especially from the whore's he ruled over. With a quick and impatient huff he placed himself directly in front of the defiant female.
"Name." He demanded.
"Phenyana." She replied softly.
"Well Phenyana," he spat the name like a curse, "I could very easily have you whipped for you insubordinance."
"I doubt that you could do that any more then you could, how did you put it so delicately, throw us to the masses." She replied with a smile smirk.
He stood on his toes to look her in the eye, leaning in dangerously close, "Try me."
"Dilandau would most likely kill you if you get much closer to me, and torture you if you were to raise any sort of force against me."
"You are not his favourite." The little man replied slowly and distinctly, adding emphasis on every word.
"Thank all the gods of Gaea." She replied impatiently, raising a hand to sweep her sangoire locks aside.
"I will have you whipped!" He exclaimed in final decision.
"Dilandau will never allow another to have me in the ways of pain before he himself."
"Lord Dilandau wench!" The man replied in an exasperated tone.
"Feel free, but you will be punished I am sure." She replied, a mocking tone edging her words.
"We will see about that whore. And if by some phenomenal reason you are somehow correct, I will simply punish one, or if I so choose more, of these untried whore's in your place." He threatened.
Phenyana raised her chin elegantly and replied coldly, "Why would that bother me? If anything it would help me would it not?" She felt the hot glares of anger on her back and out of the corner of her eye, two of the younger women's eyes widened in both fear and shock.
"We'll see if it helps you whore." He growled, "Check them." He ordered harshly before quickly stalking away.
Phenyana braced herself against the wall as strange hands roamed over her body. She closed her eyes to hide her need and held her breath as the hands passed over her cuvres, her body anticipating, yearning for the sudden thrust, longing for the bite of a crop, or the brush of the lash, all of which never came to her call. Instead she was left, her knees weakened momentarily and a cold sensation swept over her skin.
"This way." The guard said causing Phenyana to look up seeing him looking at her with a curious expression, gesturing towards the doorway.
She pushed herself away from the wall willing herself not to fall, but when you will something with all your attention, it happens anyway. Within her first step she stumbled to feel the harsh grip on her upper arm catching her before she hit the ground.
"Watch your step." He whispered kindly helping her to steady herself on her feet.
She sighed once, took in a gulp of air and pushed forward into the light to stand on the other side of the gateway that separated her harsh past to her harsher future.
She stood within the light smoke of incense and the notes of hidden instruments, some not so hidden as they were placed in the hands of whores. Eyes of every colour belonging to women of every nation, even those belonging to a few young boys, rested on these new whores who had entered the world of Dilandau's harem.
Then the whispered started like wild fire and the fingers unfurled to point at them. Some of the women barely masked their words by claiming loudly the odds of the youngest's future, and called out for takers. Others were content with plotting openly about which piece of jewellery would be theirs, and others still called loudly to the room of women claiming a piece of clothing as their own.
A woman, tall and slender, dark as night rose from one of the couches that for the main part were the only piece of furniture in this dwelling, serving all purposes, from conference area to sleeping pallets.
As she approached the group with long powerful strides the words and calls died down as the whore's decided to watch. The only sounds left were from the hidden musicians and the waterfall that supplied the heated bathing pools that resided in the far section of the zenyan.
"I quite like that pretty necklace little one." She smiled flicking the rubies inlaid in gold that hung on a small southern nation child.
The girl shrunk away from her touch causing the woman to throw back her head in to laugh through startling white teeth, before her ebony fingers snatched the chain from the girl's slender neck. The sudden force was so strong and unexpected the young wench fell to her knees.
Then it began, with a collective shriek of laughter the others rose to get what new trinkets the newest additions to Dilandau's harme had to offer.
The group had only stood up, the black woman's laughter still ringing above the noise with a voice of authority called out, "Stop!"
Everyone slowed to a halt and watchful eyes narrowed at the sight of a beautiful blond woman who stood at an entrance way off to the side leading to some private room. Her hair, long and thick small waves rippling through it did a better job of covering her curves then her cloths.
"I get first choice. Or have you all forgotten that that is the privilege of the favourite. Or should I tell our gracious Lord Dilandau or you insolence to my rank?" She demanded with a harsh smile.
The black woman's hand closes tightly over the gold she held before silently slipping it into the folds of her gown, a growl fading off of her features, as the blond drifted slowly across the room like a queen.
She passed in front of the girls, eyeing each one, calculating their worth, if they would be a threat to her station, and if so how could she destroy them.
As she past she would also absently touch the fabric of the dresses of the jewellery that adorned their features.
She stopped in front of Phenyana and touched the thick cloak that hung off her shoulders.
"Take it off." She said casually as she stepped to the next girl not even bothering to wait for the responding action.
Phenyana simply stared forward ignoring the order.
The blond stopped and looked back, "I said take it off."
Phenyana remained silent, seemingly studying her new surroundings.
"Are you dumb girl? What sort of country would send a mute to our Lord? What insult is this?"
"I can speak." Phenyana replied calmly.
"Then take it off, or I will go to Lord Dilandau."
"And what will he do?" The anguisette asked innocently, tilting her head to finally look at the woman before her.
"Kill you. So you best pray to whatever gods you and your savage nation have that I don't tell him. I won't, I will forget this show of insubordination, if you take it off now."
"Listen wench, my gods have marked me for pain and death alike and I'd take it as a blessing to have that barbarian king bring his blade to my throat. So tell him, and I will count the seconds to my blessed death." Phenyana replied coldly, glaring at the blond with black soulless orbs, before making her way down the two steps that elevated the entrance platform from the rest of the room. She slowly mad her way through the draping fabrics, pillows and couches as the blonde stood speechless for a moment.
"I am Xiomarra. Our great Dilandau's favourite, and I will be obeyed!" She bellowed over the hissing whispers that spread through the silence.
Phenyana continued to make her way to the back of the zenyan ignoring the cries of the unfortunate southern girl who became the favourite's target of hatred and cruelty.
Sangoire - the deepest darkest red, bordering on black, a colour only available to anguisettes.
TakaShira Darkgoddess