"My lady, word has been spreading for the last hour or so that Jada was dismissed from the king's bedchambers shortly after being requested," Pria explained, her head still bowed as though she could not bring herself to look Iris in the eye.
"Who is Jada? And why does it matter how long she was with the king?" Iris demanded, fearing that she already knew the answer.
"Jada is one of the palace courtesans," Pria said.
"Some would say she's the palace courtesan," Anya put in, "They say she is the best there is."
Bile rose in Iris's throat. Here she was, a slave bride, and yet there were women like Jada who thrived off the satisfaction of men, the very same men who likely had slave brides to go home to at night.
"What else did she say?" Iris demanded. Though she had never met this woman, she instantly disliked her, not least because she was obviously spreading rumors about a man she claimed to serve.
Pria's cheeks grew pink at the question, and it was Anya who answered, "She says that King Ember couldn't get it up."
There was amusement in Anya's voice and it made Iris want to stride across the room and strike the young maid. Even as uncomfortable as she was with being trapped under Ember's control, as far as she was concerned, he had done nothing to deserve such disrespect from his servants.
"She means his…" Pria began but Iris quickly cut her off, raising her hand and shaking her head.
"I know exactly what she means, Pria, thank you," Iris assured her, "I am not at all as innocent as some would believe me to be."
She instantly wished that she hadn't said that. It would be all over the palace by the end of the day and if King Ember heard about it, he would surely trade her to another nobleman.
In an effort to change the subject, Iris asked, "Has this happened before?"
Again, the two maids looked at each other and then shrugged with a shake of their heads.
"I have never heard anything of the like," Anya admitted, though she looked hopeful that some poor girl had been unfortunate enough not to satisfy the king. Iris was growing to dislike her more and more, and she knew if she remained at court she would have to speak to King Ember about having her replaced.
I am in no position to ask for such favors, Iris thought. She felt as though she already had one foot out the door.
"I wouldn't worry, my lady," Pria put in when she saw the look of concern on Iris's face.
"I am not worried," Iris responded a little too quickly and she saw the unconvinced expressions on the two maids’ faces.
I'm not worried, am I? she asked herself. Why in all the Isles would she be concerned about King Ember's intimacy problems?
The small voice in the back of her head that had been growing louder of late said, because it's your fault.
Iris shook her head in an attempt to clear it and waved a hand at both the maids, "I have heard enough. Leave, I wish to be alone."
She couldn't stand the thought of hearing anymore gossip, and her feet were itching to drag her from the room. She was close to running at full pelt down the hall in the direction of the king's chambers, yet she couldn't bring herself to do so in front of them.
"We have to finish the bed, my lady," Pria protested, gesturing at the half-made four poster.
"You can finish that later," Iris insisted, "Please, just go."
She hated to order anyone around, but right now, her skin was crawling with irritation and she knew that if they remained, she might say something she would regret.
The two maids glanced at each other before nodding, curtseying and removing what they'd already stripped off the bed from the room.
"Take a break!" she called after them hoping that they would not be waiting on the other side of the door for further instructions when she couldn’t control her urge to run any longer.
They appeared to have listened, because the moment she gripped the door handle and pulled it open, she found only the usual guards posted outside.
"Is everything alright, my lady?" The older of the two asked, bowing his head respectfully. "Can we be of assistance?"
"I wish to be taken to the king."
It's too late to turn back now, Iris thought, standing before the door to the king's chambers. The last woman to have entered, that Iris knew of, was Jada the courtesan, and the thought made her cringe.