The Prince's Concubine

17: Izna and Aya

"You'll be on the third floor." The Stewardess reached across her desk and handed Bilhah a narrow silver key, its head formed of three polished circles. Bilhah traced them with her thumb, wondering what it unlocked. A chest to store her belongings, perhaps? Would she have her own closet?

The Stewardess pulled a length of ribbon from a shelf and threaded it though the top, forming a loop. "It's small but it will do for now. If you have a child that lives more than a year, I'll move you somewhere bigger."

Bilhah nodded, sullen. Another mention of a child. Was the Goddess taunting her, threatening her with a blessing she could not hope to feed? She bit her lip in shame at the thought. No, this was her own guilt gnawing at her guts, guilt from her dishonest betrayal of Holy Mother, of the Queen, and perhaps even Thaleen itself if the rumours about the King's brother were true. But surely the Goddess meant her to put the Prince above all other concerns, especially when she had so little time to show him Her love? She must lay her guilt aside and at least appear to pay attention lest she attract suspicion.

"Thank you, Sister." She spoke without thinking. All women except Holy Mother had been Sister since she was dedicated. Bilhah's hand shot up to her mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry. Is it Mother? Forgive me, I don't know what to call you."

The matron rolled her eyes and sighed. "I suppose it should be Grandmother to you, if you're wanting to be proper. I once belonged to the King's father, in a way at least. But that was a long time ago and I'm mother to none, let alone grandmother. Call me Stewardess."

"Yes, Stewardess. Thank you."

"Now, hang that around your neck and don't lose it. I can fix most things when the need comes, but a lost key is not one of them. It's not easy to get the smithy in and no one will thank you for putting us all out of our home for the day whilst he's here to repair it."

Obediently, Bilhah slipped the ribbon around her neck but still held tightly to the key with one hand.

"No keys outside the Tower. If you go out, you'll leave it with me." She gestured to a hook on the wall where a handful of keys hung waiting for their mistresses to return. "And lock up your valuables, I won't hear any squabbling over lost jewellery or borrowed dresses. I don't like nonsense in my Tower. Give me no trouble and I will give none to you."

"Yes Stewardess." Oh, how angry they would be if they knew the Prince still intended to defy his father, and that she colluded had with him against the King! She must have let the frown show on her face, because the woman asked her what the matter was, and she was left grasping for a believable reply.

"Nothing, Stewardess. I only wondered, if I may ask, how many will I share the room with?"

"Share?!" the grey shape scoffed. "You ARE a green shoot. Concubines don't share rooms girl, only daughters share. We may be tight stacked but I have standards. These are the King's concubines, well, his and the Prince's, now. You'll have your own room for yourself and your children."

"Oh!" Her own room? Bilhah stared at the key with new respect. She would be trusted behind her own locked door? Well, that would make it easier to hide secret plans.

The Stewardess shook her head and sighed. "The Eastern Houses are full of girls, I think? I suppose sharing is what you're used to. Ours are empty, at least so Holy Mother says. No Lord of Thaleen would ever keep his concubines in shared rooms. I don't care what the Queen says, I won't seek His Majesty's women sharing rooms in my time, not if I can help it." She closed the ledger on her desk and returned it to the shelf it had come from. "Well, better they raised you too strict than too lax. And it's good that you're young, it's the older ones that come with high ideas. Those and the free born ones, they struggle the most. I don't expect you'll give me much trouble, will you girl?"