Both their heads snapped to the sound of the voice. Calliope’s so hard it made her neck ache. Calliope winced as much as the pain in her neck as at the sight of Lady Nagi, then Kara, passing through the door way. She glanced at Thelios and watched with a silent groan as his scowl deepened.
Kara looked between her and Penelope and smirked as she walked toward the two women. “That she was the veiled dancer, of course. The musician too no doubt?” She pointed, waving a finger between Calliope and Penelope. “I knew it was you in the black, and seeing her here only confirms it.” As Kara neared them she winked and mouthed what looked like “and pregnant.”
Calliope’s eyes went wide.
“That was her? That was you?” Lady Nagi asked, looking delighted.
Calliope sighed and closed her eyes in defeat. Thelios made a sound of obvious displeasure. “A farce, my life is definitely a farce.” She murmured under her breath. She heard Penelope’s subdued chuckle beside her.
“I should have known it.” Lady Nagi mused, ignoring both Calliope’s discomfort and Thelios’s annoyance. “Considering the way you ran off, brother. It’s no wonder of course,” she let out a low chuckle, “no doubt after a performance like that you couldn’t wait to get her alone.”
Calliope dared to meet lady Nagi’s amused stare, but couldn’t handle it long. She turned her pained look on Kara instead. “How on earth could you have known? About the dance.” she added quickly, still uncertain about what the woman had mouthed at her.
Kara shrugged. “I told you before, very few women here move like you do… or have your precise height and bearing… plus you left just before the dance. It was sort of obvious. Wonderful legs by the way.”
“Aren’t they though?” Quipped Penelope agreeably. “They definitely go all the way up.”
Calliope winced and cast an apologetic glance toward Thelios who had settled into his chair. He didn’t seem to notice as his attention was on his sister who had taken her usual place on the couch next to him.
“And you? What are you glowering about this time?” Lady Nagi asked him.
He cocked a brow and graced her with a wry smirk. “Do I need a reason.” She smirked back, then turned on Calliope, “Why didn’t you tell us? I can’t imagine why you’d keep something like that a secret. Can you?” She challenged Thelios, who stared silently back.
“No one was meant to know.” Calliope offered softly.
“Yes, but why?”
She wasn’t sure how to answer that without openly admitting she’d disobeyed Thelios. It was bad enough that Demitri and Penelope already knew she had.
“You know how they are.” He rumbled, saving her from answering. His eyes flicked to hers briefly and she hoped he saw her gratitude. “What they don’t know, can’t hurt me.” He added with another smirk.
Lady Nagi chuckled. “Indeed. Speaking of whom, are you coming tonight? That’s what I came by to ask. We’re on our way there now.”
“No.”
“No?”
“No.”
She sighed. “You haven’t been for several nights now.” She looked to Calliope, perhaps for support, but Calliope found herself suddenly rather preoccupied with adjusting the dress pin at her shoulder and smoothing the wrinkles from the material.
Lady Nagi rolled her eyes.”So that’s it… just no?”
“That’s it.”
“Hmph. Fine. It might calm them down a bit though if you came. They’re getting rather antsy.”
He said nothing but gave lady Nagi what Calliope thought was a very pointed look before letting his eyes drift in her direction.
Calliope straightened. “Well,” she began, in what she hoped was an air clearing voice, “thank you very much for the gift Penelope, it was very kind of you to bring it to me.”
Penelope took the hint gracefully. “Oh, my pleasure. But I really should be getting along.” She turned to Thelios and his sister, “My Lord, my Lady, good evening to you.”
They both nodded and Penelope made a quick exit. Calliope thought it best to do the same. “If you’ll excuse me as well.” She didn’t wait for a reply but bowed and slipped away into the bedroom.
She busied herself draining the bath and removing the damp clothes she’d left on the stone steps. She also stepped out briefly to find one of the household slaves in order to procure a proper dinner since they once again wouldn’t be leaving their rooms for the evening. When she returned to the bedroom he was already there lounging on one of the couches, a game of Senet sitting on the low table before him and another empty couch waiting on the other side.
She couldn’t help but smile. They’d been playing it, and other games, to pass the evenings. She was relieved to see it again as it meant he wasn’t unduly irritated with her just yet. She also noted that he seemed to be a much more manageable size now that they were alone for the night.
“I’m sorry. I had no idea I’d been found out. It was as much a surprise to me as to you.”
He was already watching her. “On which account?”
“Both.” There was another pause and she shifted uncomfortably as she sat across the table from him.
He simply nodded and reached for the counting sticks laying next to the board. Nothing more was said that did not pertain to the game before them, and she was happy to leave it thus. They were half way through the game when Demitri knocked and called out on the other side of the door, only opening it once he was sure all within were not indisposed.
She rose and took the tray he was carrying as he turned to fetch the other one.
“They left it in here.” He explained as she unloaded her platter, arranging the smaller bowls and plates so that they wouldn’t interfere with the game.
Demitri did the same with his own, adding a few plates of fish to the mix. It was relatively familiar fare, and she easily recognized most of it, including the grilled octopus, a personal favorite. There were two other small bowls she didn’t recognize, one a kind of dark mollusc, and the other she thought might be eel, but she couldn’t tell. What ever it was it was half drowned in oil. She eyed it askance and opted to snatch up a chunk of the octopus instead.