Valerie’s Insight

The festival was to have its official conclusion this evening, but when you reached the tournament grounds, you made the announcement that the closing ceremonies would take place on the morrow, and that further celebrations would continue through the rest of the day and the night. This was met by a rousing cheer by all (except Duncan, who sighed and dropped his head into his hands at the thought of his schedule being so brutally altered). It was an impulsive decision, one which you made because it suddenly occurred to you that Abdul's killer may be waiting for the end of the festival to make his next move, and this gives Mshindi another day to discover his identity.

Unfortunately, at the conclusion of the day's events, Mshindi must report that he is no closer to answers than he was that morning. "None of the Sultan's men had anything new to report," he said sadly. "I fear that the trail has run cold, Sire. I will continue to seek the truth, but I am not so confident of success."

"I know you will do everything in your power, Mshindi," you had told him, and sent him on his way.

It was late when you finally returned to the castle, and Lady Trina formally turned over protection of the King to Sir Benedicht. As the ten o'clock bell had rung already, and you were quite exhausted from the activities and the tension of the day, you went straight to your bedchamber - where Lady Valerie awaited you.

"Valerie," you say with no small relief as you see that she has brought towels and scented oil, so that she may massage away the knots which have tied up your muscles throughout the day. She wears nothing except her tiara, which also lifts your mood.

"It has been a long and trying day, Xavier," Valerie says, motioning for you to lie down. "Let me do what I can to alleviate your worries."

"While your attentions will be welcomed indeed, I fear that my cares will not be rubbed away even by your hands," you say to her as you pull your tunic off over your head and release your belt to step out of your trousers.

"It is a terrible situation," Valeries agrees. "But I firmly believe that justice will prevail, in the end. I believe in you, my love; you will find a way."

"Mshindi's investigation has led nowhere," you tell her as her hands begin to knead your back and shoulders. "It looked promising at first, but that is as far as it went. He has questioned many, looked over the evidence at the scene, spoken to the Sultan's men. There seems little more he can learn."

Valerie's hands stop for a moment, then resume.

"Valerie? Did you have a thought just now?" you ask.

"It is nothing," she says. "Only that you say Mshindi talked to the Sultan's men. I assume he must have spoken to the women in the camp as well."

You raise yourself on one elbow, turn to look Valerie in the face. "He did not say so," you say. "He said only that he spoke to the men. But Valerie, the Sultan does not employ women as his guards, you know that."

"There were women in the camp nonetheless, I am sure," Valerie says.

"Some of his men brought their wives and daughters with them, but they were all at the feast that night; none were in the camp when Abdul returned."

"But there were some women who did not go to the feast," Valerie insists. "Surely, the Sultan brought at least a few women from his harem." Valerie cannot help but make a face as she says this last; she does not approve of the Sultan's practice of keeping a harem of women, and frankly you do not either.

"I cannot tell the Sultan what to do in his own kingdom," you say to Valerie, "but he knows that the keeping of slaves is forbidden here in Elyssia; he would not have brought them."

"Xavier, he does not consider them to be slaves! They are women, and in his lands even a free woman is considered subservient to any man. He is not so obtuse as to mention it to you, but I guarantee that they are there in his camp. You cannot honestly think that the Sultan remained celibate on the entire journey here; I doubt he could deny his appetites for more than two days, let alone a whole month!"

You sit up, considering the matter. "You are undoubtedly right," you say to her. "But, would they have seen anything last night? The harem women are surely confined to his tent, especially when he is not there."

"Almost his entire party was at the feast last night," Valerie says. "It would have been their best oppportunity to escape their imprisonment, even if all they intended was to have a moment in the fresh air. Surely, one or two of them must have been daring enough to attempt it."

You shake your head. "Even if one of them had seen something, they would not say so to the Sultan; it would be admitting that they had left the tent," you say. "And the Sultan is the only man who may speak to them."

"I am no man," Valerie says, thrusting out her generous bosoms to make the point.

"Valerie, we are investigating a brutal ****. If you learn the truth of it, the killer may make you his next victim. I will not put you in such a position."

Valerie puts her hand on your chest, above your heart. "Xavier, if this is not resolved, it will forever be a stain on Lady Trina's honor. There are some who will never believe she is innocent, and will seize upon any opportunity to show why a woman does not deserve her station in life. She will never escape the taint of this crime, innocent of it though she may be. She will endure it, as she has endured so much more... but she should not have to, and if you love her then you must do what is within your power to spare her this torment."

"Then, I have -" you stop short as what Valerie actually said strikes you.

"You said you could not speak of it," Valerie says. "You do not have to, Xavier. I felt your heart quicken as I spoke of Trina just now. You have not broken your promise... but I know what I know. You must find the truth of this; not for Abdul, not for justice, and not even for Trina's sake, but for your own. You will never forgive yourself if you do less than all that you could do to free her of this dishonor."

"Even if one of the Sultan's women saw something which aids us," you say, "she will not say it in front of him, and while Subhi might be persuaded allow me to question them, he surely would not allow me to do so alone. I cannot send another to do this in secrecy; the penalty for laying eyes on a woman of his harem is ****, and even if Subhi spared my man's life, it could strain our friendship to the breaking point. I cannot send you, as I refuse to risk your life, even for Lady Trina's sake; and the same is true of any other woman of Elyssia. And I cannot send Trina herself either, as anything she learned in her own favor would be considered self-serving."

"What, then, will you do?" Valerie asks as she looks you in the eyes.