Sweets

The rumors of her keeping company with the Holy Father were apparently true. Vennius marveled at how such a relatively plain little thing, low born at that, managed to catch the eye of powerful men. She could have shops opened in the middle of the night, and the temple gates themselves opened before dawn for her. Kings had not been able to warrant such treatment.

If she were that good in bed, perhaps he might keep her for a time. Vennius reigned in his thoughts, he had to find a way to seduce her first. If she were with the Holy Father it might require more effort than he had expected. She hadn’t seemed calculating enough to bed a man for power, but perhaps for protection.

Malav would come for her eventually. That she had left him had sharpened his hunger for her. It wouldn’t last any more than it had before, but when the man had his will bent to something there was no deterring him. She would go back to him, one way or another. Perhaps if he offered her protection in exchange for obedience.

He considered the possibility. If seduction proved impossible it could be a viable option. Vennius was lost in his thoughts when one of his hirelings interrupted him.

“Master Nyvor? A Light Bringer is here requesting something for someone named Charyic?” Her voice was nervous.

Vennius smiled. “The salty sweet and sour sweet confections.” He came down to see who was running errands on her behalf.

The man who had intervened when Charyic was being dragged away stood in front of the counter. “I had hoped Charyic would come.” He gave the man a friendly smile.

His thin lips curved mirthlessly. “I imagine you did.”

Vennius opened his mouth to reply but the hireling presented the confections before he could.

“Salty sweet and sour sweet, they’re bagged and marked.” She smiled at the Light Bringer, “If the lady likes them, we’d be happy to make more.”

“She’s fond of bars of melting chocolate as well, if you-” before he finished the hireling had darted to the stairs leading to the storage and after a brief moment returned with a small tray of something that looked like samples.

“Master Nyvor hasn’t approved these yet but,” she looked nervously to Vennius and he nodded graciously as she laid the broken, odd looking chocolate sheets with nuts, fruits, and other confections embedded in them on the counter in front of him. “Do you think she would like any of them?”

The Light Bringer brought out a purse and set it on the counter, “I think she’ll enjoy trying them.”

They were wrapped up for him and Vennius bowed slightly as they were handed over, “Please, do tell us if she likes them.”

The Light Bringer glanced back at the hireling before answering, “I will.”

If the Light Bringer was more receptive to the hireling, perhaps he could teach her to pump him for information. He needed to know more about Charyic’s situation in the palace.