1st day of the 4th month 650th year of the 8th era

Stella slipped into the house; the hallway was dark as she crept along the rooms. She kept to the shadows and used the light of the moon to guide her. Stella moved passed Irrawella’s and Kai’s rooms and into the room that Jeemo was sharing with Rolando. A door creaked down the hallway and the shuffling of slippers heralded Albert. A giggle was stifled as a door at the end of the corridor opened and Kai came out her, hair dishevelled. Stella pressed her slight frame against the door and hoped Kai didn’t pass by. A gentle grumble from Albert made Kai turn and walked slowly back into his room. Stella released her breath and ran a hand over her belly. A soft smile caressed her lips and she put aside the knowledge she was growing a baby of her own as she turned to the door behind her. She turned the handle and the door glided open. Stella slipped inside, gently closing the door behind her. A soft click announced her presence and Rolando’s eyes flickered open. Stella held her breath and watched the engaged couple from the across the room. Rolando and Jeemo lay naked on a large bed. Silken sheets wrapped around Jeemo who was also enfolded by Rolando in a lover’s embrace. Rolando’s eyes, still heavy from sleep, slipped closed once again and Stella let go of her breath. She tiptoed across the bed and placed a hand on Jeemo’s face. Jeemo woke and she stared at Stella’s worried features. Stella mimed silence and then beckoned her to follow. Jeemo nodded, extracted herself from Rolando and glided over to Stella. Jeemo pushed a door open and stepped into a large cupboard filled with knickknacks and personal possessions.

“Sorry to wake you,” Stella said. “I have to warn you of something.” Stella wrung her hands.

“What is it, dear?” Jeemo asked.

“While on the ship I went exploring and I discovered something. The captain has a grudge against your family.”

“The captain?” Jeemo asked. “Why does he have a grudge against me?”

“On the way here, I had the itch to explore and see what the captain was transporting, because he had rooms built into his cargo hold with beds. I wasn’t able to discover why he had a grudge against you, but I know that he is planning something. Last night I went back to the ship, and I was able to follow the captain home. He went to a brothel; I couldn’t follow then. When on the ship, I heard him say that he wanted to extract some revenge on your family.”

“What could we have done to have annoyed him?”

“He mentioned something about stealing a sword, and his grandmother or mother being abandoned.”

Jeemo scowled. “I need to speak to mother, maybe she knows something about it.”

The door opened and Rolando stood there, looking at them. “Why are you two whispering in the closet?”

Jeemo squealed and ducked behind Stella. When Rolando raised an eyebrow, she burst out giggling.

“Why is it funny?”

“I am worried that my mother will catch me,” Jeemo said.

“Catch you doing what?” Rolando and Stella said.

“She is the one who basically told me to stay here tonight,” Rolando said.

“Really?” Jeemo asked, running back to Rolando and giving him a big hug. Rolando returned, lowered his head, and kissed her. Jeemo returned the kiss and leapt up to his strong frame.

Stella coughed.

Jeemo broke the kiss and slid down Rolando. “I need to go talk to Mother,” Jeemo said.

Rolando nodded, turned, and headed to the bed. “I am going back to sleep,” he called to the women in the closet.

Stella followed Jeemo out of the closet and left the room. As they closed the door, they were startled by a soft cough behind them. It was Albert.

Jeemo squealed again and jumped. “Albert, you startled me.”

“Evidently,” he said. “Why are you up before the sun rises again?”

“Stella had something to discuss with me,” Jeemo said, her heart racing.

Albert nodded at them. “I will get some tea for you.” He turned and headed off towards the kitchen.

Jeemo took Stella’s hand and led her to the tearoom.

“Weren’t we going to get your mother?” Stella asked.

“Yes,” Jeemo said. “We will wait until tea has come and then go and get Mother.”

Stella stretched out on the couch and closed her eyes. “I am really tired,” she murmured.

Albert bustled in and set down a tray of tea, a small teapot with two cups and saucers and a little pitcher of warm milk, before striding out of the room.

“Now we can go wake Mother,” Jeemo said, rising to her feet.

Stella was asleep and emitted a gentle snore.

Jeemo looked at her, smiled, and then headed down the hallway and knocked on the first door. A groan emitted from the room and Kai opened it, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight, a grin on her face. “Come for some more?” she asked before realising it was Jeemo at the door. Her face fell into a look of sadness.

“Who is it at this hour?” Irrawella called from the back of the room.

“Mother,” Jeemo called.

Kai gave Jeemo the once over and smiled as she opened the door wide and let Jeemo into her mother’s private chambers. The room was very similar to her own except larger. A large four-poster bed sat against the far wall, draped with lace curtains which Irrawella was pulling back. A smaller bed sat at the foot of the bed which looked like it had barely been slept in.

“What is it, Jeemo?” Irrawella asked, crossing the room to hold her daughter.

“It is Stella,” Jeemo said.

Irrawella bit her lower lip and her brows scrunched together.

“One of Araki’s friends,” Jeemo explained. “She has brought some news you need to hear.”

“The naked one?” Irrawella asked.

“Yes,” Jeemo said nodding.

“It had better be good,” muttered Irrawella, as she trailed after Jeemo. They entered the tearoom and came across Stella lying on the sofa, snoring. Jeemo shook Stella awake.

“You fell asleep,” Jeemo said. “Mother is here. Please tell her what you told me.”

“Sure, sure,” Stella said as she sat up. “Does the name Miake Kaori mean anything to you?”

Irrawella frowned. “Not Miake, but my husband had a run in with an Anatoli Kaori and his father did have a relationship with a Mayu Kaori.”

“So, there is some bad blood between your family and his,” Stella said.

Irrawella thought about it for a moment. “There wasn’t with my father-in-law, but my husband. Before he married me did have an altercation with Anatoli about my husband’s sword.”

“I heard Miake saying that Tunio stole his father’s sword,” Stella said.

“What a bald-faced lie,” Irrawella said. “Anatoli stole Tunio’s sword which his father had given him.”

“Well, Miake thinks that he has been wronged and is planning revenge,” Stella said. “I haven’t worked out what.”

Irrawella nodded. “Thank you for informing us. Knowing about it, we can be on guard. It is a pity you didn’t uncover what he is planning.”

“I had better go to bed now,” Stella said.

“You can stay with us until the wedding,” Irrawella said. “You can sleep in Kai’s bed.”

“She would most likely prefer to sleep with Albert again,” Stella muttered.

Irrawella looked at Jeemo and smiled. “I am glad she got him.”

Jeemo smiled and helped Stella to Irrawella’s room. She told Kai to go sleep with Albert. Kai didn’t protest. She grinned happily and padded out of the room and down the hall. Stella fell asleep once her head rested on the soft pillow.

***

Araki sat on a foldable chair on in the garden district. He was dressed in black velvet trousers a matching jacket set off a white shirt and. On either side of him in silk dresses sat Moogera and Nanberry. They were sitting at the front of a large collection of foldable wooden chairs that were filled with lots of people, from all areas of the city. Across a small aisle sat Rolando’s family, his father and friends, mostly sailors and merchants. Rolando and Jeemo stood facing each other in front of the people, Rolando in a black velvet suit matching Araki’s, while Jeemo wore a white silk dress that hung off her slender frame. The priest intoned the words, binding them together. Araki turned in his seat and caught the eye of Aquillia at the back, still wearing her double-bladed sword. Sitting at the back, Stella, looking lovely in a white lace dress, blinked groggily as she tried to stay awake. The sleep she had gotten in the early morning wasn’t enough to fully banish her tiredness from three days of sleuthing. Araki turned back to the priest of Pierre, in his red and blue silk robes.

“You may now kiss the bride,” the priest said. Following his instructions, Rolando gathered Jeemo into an embrace and kissed her. The crowd of well-wishers cheered and stood to welcome the new couple. A scream from the other side of the gardens caught Araki’ attention. He turned to see a horde of scantily-clad and naked women run down the aisle. They rushed up to the newlyweds and surrounded them before separating them. Rolando growled at them and started to push them away to get back to his bride. The whole garden became overcrowded as more of these women continued to pour into the gardens.

“Where did these women all come from?” Nanberry asked.

“I have a feeling this might be the revenge Stella warned us about,” Araki said.

“This seems like an odd sort of revenge,” said Moogera.

“To us it would,” said Araki, “but look at Rolando.” Rolando was pushing the women aside roughly in his attempt to get back to his bride. The effect was that the party crashers were being pushed back and slammed into women pressing behind them. The mood of the crowd was darkening from a happy marriage to an enraged confused mess of naked ladies now beginning to escape the swinging arms of Rolando.

“If he keeps this up, he might actually scare his wife,” Araki said. He stood on his chair. “Rolando, we were warned about this. Remain calm, it will pass.”

Rolando’s head snapped to Araki who was now standing head and shoulders above the pulsating mass of people. Rolando nodded to him, and stopped attacking the crowd.

A sharp whistle blew, and a dozen gnomes flew in over the heads of the crowd, their armour reflecting off the afternoon sun. They presented halberds at the crowd and a booming voice came from their leader.

“Disperse,” he commanded. “This gathering has ceased being civil and is no longer permitted. Disperse in the name of the king.”

The crowd panicked and people started rushing off in all directions. The women who had crashed the wedding ran the fastest. The guests, a little slower, also quickly vanished into the gardens. Aquillia approached the guards that floated above the front of the ceremony.

“Thank you, Captain,” Aquillia said.

The lead gnome lifted his visor and an old-looking gnome with wrinkled skin and grey hear smiled down at her.

“It was fun, Aquillia,” he said.

Aquillia looked shocked. “Iphy is that you?” she asked.

He smiled down at her. “I have a soft spot for your family.”

“Thank you again,” Aquillia said. “Do you know who sent the party crashers?”

“I do,” Stella said, approaching the rest of them. “I believe it was Miake Kaori.”

“I know that name,” Iphy said. “He runs a little trading business, but he is also the biggest brothel owner in the city. Very respectable accusing him of doing something like this ...” he clicked his tongue. “You would need some pretty compelling evidence.”

“It would explain how he was able to get the women to come here on short notice,” Stella said. “I saw him enter a brothel last night.”

“Why that low down good for nothing,” spluttered Rolando.

“I will go speak to him,” Araki said. “Aunt Jeemo told me the history of what happened. I have a feeling that a one-on-one confrontation will keep him in line.”

“What about the wedding feast?” Jeemo asked.

“Our friends and family will soon converge back at your place,” Araki said. “I will take care of Miake tomorrow.”

“We should have held the wedding in the grounds,” Jeemo muttered. “It would have been safer.”

“True,” agreed Aquillia. “However, your grounds are not as pretty as this spot. My own daughter got married here.”