Hearts in Zenith (Four Husbands and a Lover)

4. The Most Beautiful Man in the World

"Many thanks for being so quick, Mistress!" he gave up on pathos and added with a wink, "You might have just prevented the Second Primordial Cataclysm."

"I..." If he was looking at my basket of dates like it was a sacred vessel, then I was looking at him like he was one.

This was no Kozima, but a man who came into his own. Not a line out of place, every part of him long and limber. Tight dark spirals of hair. Eyes curving like waves under brows like waves. Straight nose, sensual lips. Skin so dark it had an indigo glow. Silver and golden tattoos sparkled over it like clouds of stars.

If the bloodlines carrying the Divine essence didn't transfer only from mother to daughter bypassing all sons, I would have thought him to be a descendant of Yansara, They of the night sky. But no, he was only human, just like me, and it made him more alluring in my unblinking eyes.

He must have been the most beautiful man in the world and meeting him shaped up my vague dreams. Before, when thinking of earning a fortune, I envisioned jeweled swords and swift horses. But as my eyes roamed over him, men transformed to something desirable separately from every other form of treasure. I wanted to win perfect men. Collect them in a glittering harem of my own. Maybe I even wanted men above all else.

While my dreams rearranged themselves in the first stirrings of womanly desire, the beautiful stranger bowed and pointed me inside the theater.

Not being privy to the details of the theater's date emergency, I walked in like I owned the place. Nobody appreciated my poise—the actresses rushed about with heaps of masks and costumes, boxes and baskets full of props.

My guide navigated the chaos with the languid ease of a dancing boy. Whenever he said anything, I grabbed my basket tighter. He had a titillating voice, amused and sad at the same time. It sent quivers through my middle and my ears longed for its touch again.

He led me to an alcove where an actress applied glistening kohl around her eyes. She turned around at the sound of our steps and I pulled a whistling breath in.

Now, this woman was someone blessed with the Divine essence in her blood! Divine Tashaya's essence, if I didn't miss my guess.

The actress was fragile and golden. Her face ran almost to a point at the chin. Her large, rounded eyes shone blue to either side of the nose topped with a delicately curving beak. In place of hair, the reddest, the finest feathers rustled and moved, attuned to her moods. Yup, her veins definitely flowed with the blood of the Divine of the Sun, Fire and Day Sky.

However, she sounded awfully petulant for a descendant of sunshine. "Parneres, where have you been? I wanted my dates days ago!"

The trite words didn't matter—the sentence turned into the loveliest melody out of her mouth. I expected a song-bird voice, but it rocked me to the core anyway. Tashaya endowed Their daughter beyond imagining.

Parneres—the object of my first-ever lust—sounded drier than parchment in comparison to this godly being when he replied, "Mistress, I had sent for the dates as soon as—"

"You sent someone, boy? Why, that's the problem. You should have fetched it yourself."

He was no boy! I tossed my head, rid of the spell her voice put me under. And he was never mesmerized at all. A spark in his eyes reminded me how much I loved sass in men. However, he dropped his glance to the floor.

"I wanted to prepare for my role, Mistress, so that your glory isn't diminished by my clumsiness."

She snorted. Then the snort repeated to my left, like two chimes of a crystal bell. I swirled and gasped again. Before me stood a twin of the actress.

"Your role, Parneres," this twin said, "is to stand really still and look really pretty while women perform."

"Who but you should know how much effort the appearance of effortless beauty takes, Mistress," he replied with another bow. To think that all his grace would be wasted on standing still! Anger boiled in me at the thought.

Not so with the twins. Tashaya's divine essence might have imparted the extraordinary voices and looks on them, but the intelligence must have been in shorter supply. Perhaps to balance the things out? For the twins accepted Parneres' words as a compliment, judging by benevolent smiles.

The later-arriving twin turned a bashful eye on my palm-leaf basket next. "You, my sister, are eating like a heifer again. Wish you to look like one?"

The scolded twin fluttered, her flame feathers rustling. "I've asked for one date, not the basketful. Divines, rid us of the stupidity of men! Parneres—"

I cleared my throat and made the sound as gruff as possible.

"I can explain the mistake, Mistress. You see, in Palmyr, we bring a basket-full, so an elegant woman may choose the one and only satisfactory date. For Queen Zinaida, we cut each fruit in ten pieces and wrap them individually in Southern silk. For demi-monde, that's a basket. I'm afraid such high society touches are lost on those with less refinement and new-comers to Palmyr."

"No, no..." the two hens chirped. "We know, we know... it's just the nerves... the grand opening of the play!"

I offered them my basket, identical in every respect. "Choose wisely then, my fair ladies."

To Pareneres, I whispered out of the corner of my mouth, "You may go. Prepare for your role, or attend to your appearance, or whatever else you need."

He shook his head, eyes downcast, but full lips twitching into an almost-smile. "The play is about to start. Allow me to take you to your seat, Mistress."

"No, I can't stay," I said with genuine regret. "Ah... business."

I meant, sitting in a dusty, sun-baked alley, staring at the closed gates of the Deadhead's Compound. Wish I could attend the theater instead! But I was no fool. He was the most beautiful man in the world, so I wouldn't be the only woman he made feel the way I felt. And plenty of my rivals would have already won fortune and glory. I needed to join the Deadheads before I could afford to dream about a man this fine.

However, if I announced that the River Vash was flooding its banks and about to carry us all into Oblivion instead of conveying my refusal to attend the play, the three actors would have faced the news more stoically.

The sister's melodic bickering ceased for a moment of dead silence, then they all talked at the same time. The actresses didn't even care that the man was speaking over them!

Haven't I heard the gong, they inquired. Didn't I know that it was a bad omen for anyone to leave once the spectators took their seats? Would I just please go with Parneres!

Yes, twist my arm to go with Parneres. In short, the beautiful actor whisked me away, found an unoccupied corner of a stone bench and left me there.

I sat on the edge of my seat and cradled the palm-leaf basket full of dried fruit minus two perfect dates. I didn't know how I was supposed to focus on the play. My head was swimming from when his fingers respectfully touched my elbow.