She addressed the guards firmly. “I desire and audience with Lord Mandrean.”
Neither guard changed their expression or pose. One responded. “Lord Mandrean has not left his chambers this morning. He will not be disturbed, Madame. Return to your quarters and we will relay your request. If he desires your company, he will send for you.”
The woman was infuriated. “You tell that Rotund Sow, I demand to see him immediately. You know who I am.”
“Indeed, Mistress,” replied the guard. “You are Concubine Number One. I am to show you respect. That being said, you wait to be summoned like any of the other seventy-three concubines.”
Number One angrily pounded the door. “You will see me.” she yelled through the wood. “I will not move from this spot until we speak. Do you hear me?” She kicked at the door repeatedly. No movement could be heard inside. The tirade continued in a most unladylike fashion for an extended period.
During that time a formally dressed gentleman with neatly cut red hair approached. A slave girl of impeccable youth and beauty walked on either side. Having traveled the hall, they reached the brass-hinged doors. All three of them bore silver trays with food covered to retain heat. When they could go no further, they paused and the man addressed Concubine Number One.
“You know full well he cannot hear anything through that door Betrimpia. Why must you continue to make a mockery of yourself?”
Betrimpia relented in her attack on the door and turned to respond to the man. “At least you have the courtesy to call me by my proper name, Fendri.”
“I know all the original names of my Master’s concubines,” Fendri answered. “I also know which ones are requested in his chambers. You were not requested last night. Considering the fact he has not risen for the day, I highly doubt he summoned you this morning.”
“He never calls for me anymore,” she snapped. “He just leaves me down there with all of those young, brainless whores to fret away my time.”
“It is true,” said Fendri, “that you do exceed his other concubines in maturity on many levels. To your credit, My Lady, time has been unusually kind to your appearance. A fact I am sure is not lost on our master.”
“Were he half as kind as you, Fendri, the situation would at least be tolerable. Instead I am shut away like a leper. Well, I shall not be ignored any longer. I will have words with him. He must leave there eventually and I will be here at that time.”
Fendri shook his head in disappointment and then looked at the guards. With a single nod of his head, he gave them instruction. Each Imperial Guard took hold of an arm of Betrimpia’s and dragged her struggling body away from the door. Then one man held her while the other opened the door for Fendri and the slaves. As Fendri prepared to enter he told her, “I will inform the Emperor that you are here.” After he and the other servants passed beyond the doors, the massive entry was shut and the guards returned to their original positions.

Anvar and Linvin each took up a rocker and drank their ale.  Before long, Linvin had his pipe out as well.
“Mother was right about the view up here.  You can see the entire city.”
“Speaking of views,” Anvar chided, “You had quite the nice view of young ladies out here.”
“Do not remind me,” Linvin said as he rocked.  “I felt like the prize whore in a brothel.  Could you hear what they were saying from over there?”
“Sadly, no,” replied Anvar.  “The acoustics were not very favorable in the corner.”
“In that case,” Linvin laughed, “I envy you.  They were all like trained pets following their mothers’ orders.  Everything they said sounded like, ‘I love children.  I hope to have several.  In fact, boys run in my family.  It is not my place to question my husband’s authority.  He is lord of the house and his word goes.  The only reward I seek in life is to make my husband happy and did I mention how much I love children?’  And this was not simply one person’s answer.  They all said the exact same thing!  Sometimes they would change the order a bit but they all were the same.  It was all I could take not to scream!”
“Well,” laughed Anvar, “Those all sound like fine qualities in a wife.”
“Oh, puh-lease!” barked Linvin, “Those are fine qualities in a dog!  The answers were as phony as the ones I gave this evening, only less convincing.  If they were really telling the truth, then why would I want a wife like that anyway?  They sounded like servants.  I do not want a wife like that and truthfully, until my mother made it a priority, I had no urgent desire to attain a wife.”
“Surely one of those beauties must have stood out from the group,” Anvar said before drinking his ale.
“Not one,” Linvin said as he walked over to the rail again.  “Sure,there were some that were ravishing, voluptuous and captivating in appearance, but I want more than that.   I want someone with a brain.  Someone I can talk to.  Most of all, I want someone who cares more about methan my money or name.  The question I really wanted to ask was, ‘If I was poor and no one knew my name, would you still be so eager to marry me?’”
“That would have raised some eyebrows,” Anvar laughed, “I take it you did not ask because you knew their answers.”
 
“No,” Linvin corrected, “I did not ask because I could not trust the answers they would give.”

It’s a snow day here in Nebraska today.  That means everything is closed, the roads are dangerous and my family is home with me.  I am truly excited to have the family here as we are usually going in different directions all at once.  The only problem is that being with them doesn’t make me want to write.  I usually like an empty house for that.  Still, I tore myself away from them to write this blog.  Snow days here are very different than in Michigan or Ontario, Canada where I used to live.  In those places, snow days would only be called for the schools and only if the snow came overnight.  If it fell during the day, you were just out of luck.  Businesses stayed open unless there was a power outage or there was a snow emergency.  On the other hand, they also did a much better job of clearing and salting the roads. (That is likely why my old car was rusting out.)  Here in Nebraska, they announced school closings yesterday, before a flake of snow had fallen.  Even the colleges were closed starting yesterday.  They had been forecasting this storm for a week!  That’s a long time to be predicting the weather.  And will someone tell me why there is such a rush on the grocery stores when a snowstorm is coming?  It’s a one day storm and people are stocking up for the apocalypse.  I could understand needing milk or bread but having two carts worth of food seems like going overboard.  Maybe they think storms bring out zombies and they’ll have to hide for weeks before it’s safe to come out.  Yep.  That must be what they’re all thinking in the grocery lines.  So far we have about 6” with 4 more on the way.  Nevertheless people are shoveling and snow blowing now.  If you know more snow is coming, why do twice the work and shovel again?  Why not wait till it’s done and then shovel?  My next question is, why is there never anything good on television when you’re stuck in the house?  When you have to work there’s lots of great movies and shows on.  Today there is nothing of merit.   On days like this I miss having a fireplace.  The house didn’t come with one and it’s just nice for ambiance.  I think we’ll bake something today.  Snow days just seem like the time to bake something.  Maybe we’ll make cookies or brownies or cake.  Great!  Now I’m hungry.  Well, I’m off to rejoin the family while the plows work on the roads outside.