Author's Note: Farrah's opinion is not my own. I firmly believe in
abortion; especially in cases of rape, when age interferes; abortion, I
think, is saving the child from a possible bad life, in many cases. Just so
you all know, I just thought her opinion would make things interesting. ^_^
The next morning, she was ill again. It was as she vomited in a corner did she decide. The day went agonizingly slow as Farrah waited anxiously for the night to come. She was to go to the Emperor, of course. She prayed to any listening god that Varice would not be present.
When the sun finally began to set, Farrah breathed a sigh of relief. She had a few moments to herself in the slave's quarters, and she thought about what she would say.
Of course, nothing came to her. She couldn't think straight; she was worried, and frightened, and sick.
When she made her way to the Emperor's suite, she paused outside the door, her eyes closed. She gathered her strength, and knocked on the door. Ozorne came to open it, startling her once more with his silence. She stepped inside, and the emperor closed the door behind her. She kept her eyes on the ground; Ozorne smiled a bit. Placing his hand on the center of her back, he led her towards the bed. Farrah halted next to it, surprising the emperor. She turned around and faced him, the look held on her face troubled.
"I have something to tell you, my lord," she whispered.
Ozorne lifted an eyebrow. "Really? And this would be?" His lips curled. "Know of any slaves wishing to escape?"
Farrah blushed, and then paled. "No, Emperor." Taking a shaking breath, she sank to her knees, bowing to Ozorne as a Carthaki would; her head was touching the floor, her hands out on front of her. Ozorne lifted his eyebrows; even broken, she had done her best to refrain from bowing so; she didn't do it unless ordered to.
"My lord, I-I think I'm. . ." Her mouth was dry, and her voice caught in her throat.
The emperor was getting impatient. "Well, what is it? Speak, girl!"
Farrah said nothing for a moment, and then spoke in a rush: "I think I'm pregnant, my emperor."
She braced herself for whatever reaction the emperor might have.
He was silent, regarding her coolly. This had come up before, of course, but many times, the slaves had been lying, hoping to achieve some height in rank. They had been beaten beyond recognition. Ozorne didn't want that to happen to her; she was entirely too pretty to be misshapen by the whip.
"You think?" he asked. "And what proof do you have?"
Startled, Farrah looked up at him for just a moment before placing her head on the floor again. "I've - I've been sick in the mornings, Your Imperial Majesty. And. . ." Should she tell him about the Graveyard Hag, and the Goddess? No, certainly not; she'd have to explain why she'd been out there, what she'd been about to do.
"And?" Ozorne prompted, quickly loosing his patience.
"And. . .I just suspect it, my lord." It wasn't the worst excuse she could have thought of, and the emperor certainly seemed to accept it.
"Well. Then I will summon a healer, and you can find out for sure if you are. And, if that's the case, then the healer will rid you of it."
Farrah looked up so fast, she cricked her neck. Her eyes were wide, and her face, if it was possible, had paled even more. "Rid me of it?" She had to repeat his words, to make sure he'd heard right. Ozorne stared at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course. I cannot have a bastard child running around to threaten my thrown." He smiled sardonically at her. "That's why Kaddar is here."
Farrah stared at him as her throat worked. No sound came out. She paused to swallow, and tried again. "But, my emperor, it's - it's wrong to - to do that. . .it's a sin!"
Ozorne laughed. The slave's lip trembled, and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from sobbing. She'd come to accept it. She'd come to think that maybe Ozorne would kill her to keep the baby being born; she'd even hoped for that! But no, he wanted to keep her around for a few more years, it seemed. He'd rid her of the baby; the very thing she'd been taught all her life to never, never do. It was such a sin - It went against the Gods; only the Goddess would approve of abortion; and only if it had been rape. There were those who offered their children to other couples, but they never killed an innocent child in the womb.
Farrah closed her eyes against the scalding tears that threatened to pour down her cheeks. Abort it? Kill it?
She was still kneeling in front of the Emperor, head bowed and shoulders slumped in defeat. When the slave looked up, Ozorne no longer stood in front of her, but behind. The man placed a hand on her shoulder, enjoying the flinch he received. He drew her up, placing both hands on her shoulders. She felt herself pulled back against the Emperor, and she closed her eyes.
She could feel his need, and wanted to vomit. How could he want to kill something he had fathered? Then his lips at her neck, and she had to close her eyes to keep her thoughts away from it.
Just as Ozorne was lying her down on the bed, a thought came to Farrah. "My emperor," she asked, "what is the date?"
He glanced up, not taking his lips from where they rested above the slave's breasts. "The twenty-first day of the fifth month." He returned his attentions to his slave's skin. "Why?"
Farrah hesitated, not sure if it would make a difference. In any case, it couldn't hurt. She hoped. "My birthday," she started, squirming under his tough. "It's in a week, my emperor." Let him care, she thought. Please, Goddess, let him care.
But he was an emperor. Why would he care about his slave's birthing day? "Were you counting on a present?" Ozorne almost laughed, but found his exploration of her body far more entertaining. Farrah's face fell as he hope was crushed beneath the emperor's weight. Placing his arms on either side of her head, he balanced easily as he positioned himself. "Well?"
"I.I had-" She cut herself off with a gasp as he entered her. Even now, when he would have her kill a child, she was still amazed at the feelings he stirred within her, and she lifted her hips to meet him. "I had hoped," she started again, trying to keep her voice steady. "That. . .that as your favorite, you would grant. . .grant me a. . .a request." She was tired of being meek, but speaking calmly through sex was hard.
Ozorne paused for a moment to blink at Farrah, before continuing with his favorite act. He didn't stop again until he had spent himself inside her. Finally lying back on his side, he pulled his slave against him, even then aware of the places they touched; her breasts crushed against his chest, thighs brushing.
"What sort of request?" He whispered the question into her ear, lips nearly brushing skin.
Farrah swallowed hard and bowed her head, pushing herself against his muscular, sweaty body. "I. . .I have a friend, in the city," she began carefully. "I had hoped. . .would you let me visit him?"
The emperor smiled, nuzzling her neck. "Now, I don't think that's a very good idea, pet. The last time I didn't keep you in check, you tried to runaway."
Farrah pulled her arms up from where they rested limply at her sides, placing her hands on his smooth chest. She pressed her flushed cheek against his skin and was surprised to find it cool. "I don't want to leave," she whispered, closing her eyes. "I love you."
The next morning, she was ill again. It was as she vomited in a corner did she decide. The day went agonizingly slow as Farrah waited anxiously for the night to come. She was to go to the Emperor, of course. She prayed to any listening god that Varice would not be present.
When the sun finally began to set, Farrah breathed a sigh of relief. She had a few moments to herself in the slave's quarters, and she thought about what she would say.
Of course, nothing came to her. She couldn't think straight; she was worried, and frightened, and sick.
When she made her way to the Emperor's suite, she paused outside the door, her eyes closed. She gathered her strength, and knocked on the door. Ozorne came to open it, startling her once more with his silence. She stepped inside, and the emperor closed the door behind her. She kept her eyes on the ground; Ozorne smiled a bit. Placing his hand on the center of her back, he led her towards the bed. Farrah halted next to it, surprising the emperor. She turned around and faced him, the look held on her face troubled.
"I have something to tell you, my lord," she whispered.
Ozorne lifted an eyebrow. "Really? And this would be?" His lips curled. "Know of any slaves wishing to escape?"
Farrah blushed, and then paled. "No, Emperor." Taking a shaking breath, she sank to her knees, bowing to Ozorne as a Carthaki would; her head was touching the floor, her hands out on front of her. Ozorne lifted his eyebrows; even broken, she had done her best to refrain from bowing so; she didn't do it unless ordered to.
"My lord, I-I think I'm. . ." Her mouth was dry, and her voice caught in her throat.
The emperor was getting impatient. "Well, what is it? Speak, girl!"
Farrah said nothing for a moment, and then spoke in a rush: "I think I'm pregnant, my emperor."
She braced herself for whatever reaction the emperor might have.
He was silent, regarding her coolly. This had come up before, of course, but many times, the slaves had been lying, hoping to achieve some height in rank. They had been beaten beyond recognition. Ozorne didn't want that to happen to her; she was entirely too pretty to be misshapen by the whip.
"You think?" he asked. "And what proof do you have?"
Startled, Farrah looked up at him for just a moment before placing her head on the floor again. "I've - I've been sick in the mornings, Your Imperial Majesty. And. . ." Should she tell him about the Graveyard Hag, and the Goddess? No, certainly not; she'd have to explain why she'd been out there, what she'd been about to do.
"And?" Ozorne prompted, quickly loosing his patience.
"And. . .I just suspect it, my lord." It wasn't the worst excuse she could have thought of, and the emperor certainly seemed to accept it.
"Well. Then I will summon a healer, and you can find out for sure if you are. And, if that's the case, then the healer will rid you of it."
Farrah looked up so fast, she cricked her neck. Her eyes were wide, and her face, if it was possible, had paled even more. "Rid me of it?" She had to repeat his words, to make sure he'd heard right. Ozorne stared at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Of course. I cannot have a bastard child running around to threaten my thrown." He smiled sardonically at her. "That's why Kaddar is here."
Farrah stared at him as her throat worked. No sound came out. She paused to swallow, and tried again. "But, my emperor, it's - it's wrong to - to do that. . .it's a sin!"
Ozorne laughed. The slave's lip trembled, and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from sobbing. She'd come to accept it. She'd come to think that maybe Ozorne would kill her to keep the baby being born; she'd even hoped for that! But no, he wanted to keep her around for a few more years, it seemed. He'd rid her of the baby; the very thing she'd been taught all her life to never, never do. It was such a sin - It went against the Gods; only the Goddess would approve of abortion; and only if it had been rape. There were those who offered their children to other couples, but they never killed an innocent child in the womb.
Farrah closed her eyes against the scalding tears that threatened to pour down her cheeks. Abort it? Kill it?
She was still kneeling in front of the Emperor, head bowed and shoulders slumped in defeat. When the slave looked up, Ozorne no longer stood in front of her, but behind. The man placed a hand on her shoulder, enjoying the flinch he received. He drew her up, placing both hands on her shoulders. She felt herself pulled back against the Emperor, and she closed her eyes.
She could feel his need, and wanted to vomit. How could he want to kill something he had fathered? Then his lips at her neck, and she had to close her eyes to keep her thoughts away from it.
Just as Ozorne was lying her down on the bed, a thought came to Farrah. "My emperor," she asked, "what is the date?"
He glanced up, not taking his lips from where they rested above the slave's breasts. "The twenty-first day of the fifth month." He returned his attentions to his slave's skin. "Why?"
Farrah hesitated, not sure if it would make a difference. In any case, it couldn't hurt. She hoped. "My birthday," she started, squirming under his tough. "It's in a week, my emperor." Let him care, she thought. Please, Goddess, let him care.
But he was an emperor. Why would he care about his slave's birthing day? "Were you counting on a present?" Ozorne almost laughed, but found his exploration of her body far more entertaining. Farrah's face fell as he hope was crushed beneath the emperor's weight. Placing his arms on either side of her head, he balanced easily as he positioned himself. "Well?"
"I.I had-" She cut herself off with a gasp as he entered her. Even now, when he would have her kill a child, she was still amazed at the feelings he stirred within her, and she lifted her hips to meet him. "I had hoped," she started again, trying to keep her voice steady. "That. . .that as your favorite, you would grant. . .grant me a. . .a request." She was tired of being meek, but speaking calmly through sex was hard.
Ozorne paused for a moment to blink at Farrah, before continuing with his favorite act. He didn't stop again until he had spent himself inside her. Finally lying back on his side, he pulled his slave against him, even then aware of the places they touched; her breasts crushed against his chest, thighs brushing.
"What sort of request?" He whispered the question into her ear, lips nearly brushing skin.
Farrah swallowed hard and bowed her head, pushing herself against his muscular, sweaty body. "I. . .I have a friend, in the city," she began carefully. "I had hoped. . .would you let me visit him?"
The emperor smiled, nuzzling her neck. "Now, I don't think that's a very good idea, pet. The last time I didn't keep you in check, you tried to runaway."
Farrah pulled her arms up from where they rested limply at her sides, placing her hands on his smooth chest. She pressed her flushed cheek against his skin and was surprised to find it cool. "I don't want to leave," she whispered, closing her eyes. "I love you."