Chapter 36: A matter of taste (1/2)

Viv opened the door to Varska’s tower the morning after. Farren had begged off the usual language lesson as he was too busy, and she thought that it was a good opportunity to rest for half a day. The rest of her group had stayed back, except for Arthur, who jumped out and found a couch as soon as they were let in.

The grouchy maid mumbled something about Viv living here now, before retreating to her own apartment on the second floor. Viv climbed up and found the usual study empty. Varska had told her to show up whenever she wanted, so she was not too worried about overstepping, but she did believe that Varska’s apartments on the fourth floor were off-limits.

A voice was singing above. Viv decided to climb up. The door to Varska’s bedroom was locked.

As she moved up, the tower’s interior grew more light. She climbed the last step to the fifth floor and planned on knocking there to announce her presence. She did not. What she saw had stolen her attention.

The top of Kazar’s mage tower was a greenhouse.

Viv was reasonably certain that it had not started as one. Half a cupola of steel blocked the light, hinting at the presence of an observatory, but the other half had been covered by a transparent sheet of something that let in most of the morning’s sun. Shelves covered the wall, filled with a colorful kaleidoscope of plants and flowers of many different essences. There were carmine beauties staring haughtily from arched stems, stoic cacti with modest white flowers, and even a bulbous carnivorous plant with a fat belly, waiting patiently for its breakfast. The very air tasted of that earthy brown and green mana that Varska used so well. It tasted of life. Spring. It was gorgeous.

“Wow,” Viv said.

“Do you like it?” Varska replied with undisguised pride. She wore a white and green dress of a comfortable cut. Her dark wavy hair fell freely upon her shoulders. She used a small sprinkler like a wand, pointing at some of her more unique possessions.

“This is an Enorian Scarlet Lady, one of this land’s only poisonous plants. You will notice that it is mostly blue, but when it blooms properly, the edge of its petals turns a vibrant crimson. And so do the people who touch it. Shortly before they die. Oh, and this vine is called a verdant creeper, and it makes some of the best natural ropes you can find. The northern city-states use them for their ships. And that is the prize of my collection. A suncult marea. It will take another six years to grow to its full size. I have had the plant since I was seven.”

Varska was cute when she was nerding it out, Viv judged.

“It’s amazing! How long have you been gardening?” she asked.

“Pretty much my whole life. My family, that is, well, their specialty…”

And just like that, the mood turned somber.

Viv moved forward and took both of Varska’s hands between her own.

“Hey. It’s alright. We’re here, now, in this place, and it’s one of most beautiful things I’ve seen since I arrived into this world. I don’t know anything about Nyil gardening, and even I can tell that it’s the result of time, effort, and talent.”

“Yes…”

“So forget about the rest and let’s enjoy our moment together, right? Just relax.”

Viv massaged the poor girl’s arm. Once again, Varska showed a brittleness that she never let out in public.

“Relax and enjoy the moment,” the woman repeated in a tiny voice.

“Yep!”

Varska took a step forward and kissed Viv on the lips.

“Hmm!”

‘Oh!’ Viv thought.

That caught her off guard.

Varska was quite daring.

The little Vixen.

Also, she smelled really nice and her lips were soft and Viv liked the lithe body pressed against her own. Varska was one of the nicest things to happen to Viv, and she could still not believe her luck. Viv had spilled everything and Varska had helped her instead of backstabbing her or selling her to be vivisected.

“I’m… I’m sorry!” the mage said before pulling away, mortified. Viv had not reacted to the kiss. She had just been too surprised.

“I apologize. It was—”

But Viv did not want the tiny smiles to stop, and so she grabbed Varska by the shoulders as the woman tried to pull away.

“Not so faaaaaast,” Viv whispered in her ear. The smaller woman shivered, and Viv delicately flipped her around. They were face to face, with Varska captive in her arms.

“You surprised me, stole a kiss, and now you expect to flee without retribution? I think not.”

“I just wanted to live.”

Ouch. That came from deep within the heart, Viv could tell, so she said nothing and simply leaned closer.

Their second kiss was more tentative. Viv took the lead and enjoyed teasing and exploring, closing her eyes. Varska was breathing hard against her and she was very warm too. She tasted of tea and smelled of green things and sunshine. Viv leaned more into the kiss and Varska sort of reached a melting point. The tension in her body left completely and she practically collapsed, their embrace turning more frantic. Viv moaned as the other woman frenched her with an awkward passion that felt more genuine than anything else she had ever said. Shortly after, Varska pulled out, out of breath.

Viv licked her flushed lips and savored the moment, but soon her friend’s terribly flustered face begged for some ribbing.

“Feeling alive yet?”

“Hm. Not sure. Weshouldtryagainjustincase!!!”

Varska had brought a couch up into a greenhouse at some point in the past, and they made use of it. Varska lacked experience, though she certainly did make up for it with enthusiasm, and so Viv refrained from going too far. They simply snogged and snuggled until the smaller woman rested her head on Viv’s shoulder. The outlander caressed Varska’s shock of dark curls slowly, and wondered at the change in her companion. Varska had deflated, there were no other words for it. Her composure had fallen apart, and even now she was letting out deep sighs of contentment.

“I am lucky I found you,” Varska finally said.

“Err no, pretty sure I’m the lucky one. I mean, you helped me, guided me, and you did not even sell me even though I’m an outlander.”

“Well, I did consider it.”

Viv frowned and looked down, meeting Varska’s amused gaze. The mage smiled mischievously. It gave her a much younger and happier look. Viv realized that Varska was probably, in fact, a bit younger than her. It made her decisive action that much more impressive.

“Oh, do not look at me like that. We scions of the glorious city-state of Helock are trained from birth to wield magic and influence in equal measure. I had to consider it, but I dismissed the option immediately.”

“Can’t resist my charms?”

Viv’s brows danced up and down. Varska pinched her flank.

“Ow!”

“Nope. The more charming, the more valuable. No, it goes beyond that. You cannot know because you are a foreigner, but the mark has left me… tainted. My presence would be shunned in any court or school of the continent, and you would be condemned by association. In fact, I should perhaps…”

“Tatata, no backing out now. You’ve helped me a lot and you are still helping me, and I like you. If people are pissed about it, I will gladly sit backward on a tall chair, so that they may all kiss my ass.”

Varska considered the expression in silence.

“An entertaining image. Thank you. As I was saying, this shame is mine to bear until I die. I was made by Helock’s environment, I followed its rules, and here is where it led me. I do not deny my own responsibility, but I will not fall to their ploy again for the pleasure of being someone’s shameful, shadowy servant. Never. I will keep whatever strands of honor I still have and make something out of it.”

Varska nodded with determination.

“Damn, girl, that was inspiring!”

“You... think so?”

“I do like when you look so confident. Oh, errr, while we are at it. What’s Param’s view on, you know, our kind of attraction?”

“Girl and girl you mean?”

“Yes.”

Viv watched as the mage triggered her ‘lecture mode’, growing suddenly serious.

“It will depend on the culture. On our continent, Param, there are several different approaches to it. In Enoria, any pleasure of the flesh is frowned upon because it was one of the excesses of the old king. Nobles and commoners alike are supposed to be focusing on rebuilding the land and, ahem, repopulating it. It’s not a crime, but it’s discouraged. Let’s see. The kingdom of Baran is pretty lax when it comes to it. You can marry up to five people regardless of gender, I believe. It’s the only place to allow that. Err, then the northern city-states each have their own rules. In Helock, for example, you are supposed to marry and produce heirs first, then every couple is left to decide what they want to do according to their proclivities, as long as it's discreet. The norm applies to men as well. Halluria is the only odd one out. Most of their administrative body, high merchants and so on are women, so same-sex intercourse is the norm.”

“I think I’ve heard about Halluria before. From Farren. He did not paint the land in a favorable light.”

“That’s because they’re a bunch of twits. The only reason why they still exist is because of their military. They have a path called Hallurian warborn, that only the sickest minds could produce. Trained children from infancy, forced to kill their friends in bloody games and so on. The fiercest and most cunning join the ranks of nobility, while the losers die in some ditch in one of their many civil conflicts. They only unite if attacked, or if they decide to launch an invasion. It happens from time to time. There is a tacit understanding among all nations of the continent that they will immediately unite any time Halluria starts something.”

It reminded Viv a bit of ancient Sparta. The education of children was supposedly quite rough, though she did not remember anything about killing each other. Those Hallurians sounded like nasty buggers.

“Ok enough about horrible people. How about lunch!”

“Excellent idea. Then, we can start today’s lesson. Do not think that I will take it easy on you just because our embrace sent tingles right to my toes. You will still apply yourself!”

“Can I hope for rewards if I behave?”

Varska’s light green skin grew darker, which Viv interpreted as a pretty blush, though you could not tell from her poise.

“I shall consider it. Results first, rewards later!”

“As you say.”