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"And why's that?" Elma asked.
I lifted my chin and looked at everyone on the dais. "Have you read the papers and the gossip pages? A minor incident that started with an accidental bump was blown out of proportion. Now, I am somehow being blamed for starting labor revolts in the city. I can assure you that I have no ties to that, but my name is being used simply because I can talk to gods. That makes this auction forstudents- where the only people bidding are the ones wealthy enough to be the targets of those revolts - into the perfect chance to get revenge. Of course I'm worried about that. I'd have to be a fool not to be cautious, and my instructors have taught us to protect ourselves."
"So what are your limits?" one of the women asked. "Without knowing what has caused this issue, what would you refuse on principle?"
Looking down at the paper in my hand, I scanned the contents. All of it was based on the incident with Nyrren. Things like being bound, hit, burned, breaking bones, and other common pain play extremes. And there, at the bottom, was one more thing. Ela had written that I had trust issues with patrons who did not stay within the bounds of the scripted session.
So I lifted the page. "I brought with me a list of my limits that my partner and I put together when choreographing our first-year display. It also has his limits, and it's in his handwriting, but this was how we came to an agreement on what type of bondage display we would do. Will that help?"
"Show me," Elma said, reaching out in a sign for me to bring my paper closer.
I passed it to her, but Winreth gestured for me to step back. One by one, the members of the Council of Educators read my list, then passed it to the next. When it reached the end, the man who I'd publicly yelled at just began to chuckle. Flapping the page, he indicated that Winreth, the schedulers' manager, should read it too.
"I think that this justifies Priestess - " The Priest paused, looking over at me from his raised chair. "Excuse me, Priest Migard's actions. Does anyone disagree?"
A woman on the opposite end shook her head. "Never mind that the idea of auctioning off sessions with students is problematic at best, and sets a horrible precedent, I think that this scheduler has made it clear that she - "
"He," the first man corrected. "I would think his client would know how this priest prefers to be referenced."
"His," the woman said, dipping her head in acknowledgement. "Priest Migard clearly has put his client's wishes and safety first. Considering that this is a student assignment, at a location outside the temple, in a situation where the ability to get home will be more difficult than normal, so merely leaving isn't as easy - I think that Priest Migard deserves accolades, not condemnation."
"Opposed?" Elma asked.
"I would like to be recorded as opposed," Winreth said. "I made it clear to all schedulers that these assignments would be based on the winning bid."
"These are students!" Elma snapped. "This very class was put in the same position once before, and a priest died! Do you mean to tell me that you value the lives of the priests on the Path of the Body so little that you expect partially-trained students to take sessions they are clearly not qualified for? Be careful of your answer, Priest Winreth, because it will be recorded."
Winreth's jaw clenched. "I think that Priestess Migard is trying hard to get notable clients to position herself better. I think it's a shallow attempt to earn more tithes. I think that there's a reason the Path of the Word is being restructured, and it's to prevent situations like this!"
"Well, because Priestess Nariana and her guardian, Priest Talin, are both students, their well-being is our ultimate responsibility. You are overruled. In the case of a full priest or priestess, you may make that call. In the case of an initiate, we are the ones with the final say." Reaching over, she picked up a gavel and cracked it hard against something on the desk that I couldn't see. "The Council of Educators finds unanimously that Priest Migard has performedhisduty to the best of his ability. He will be reinstated as a scheduler, and his decision on Priestess Nariana's session assignment will be respected." Elma looked at me and one corner of her mouth tightened in something almost like a smile. "This hearing is adjourned."
Immediately, the Council of Educators stood and began to make their way out. At the side of the room, Migard eased himself from his chair, caught my eye, and smiled. He looked relieved, which meant this had been very stressful for him. Then again, if the auction had happened over the weekend, how long had this circus been going on?
"Priestess Nariana?" he asked, heading over to me. "Can I escort you and your guardian back to your wing of the temple?"
"Migard!" Winreth snapped. "We are not done here."
Migard's shoulders slumped, but I turned to the man. "The court is adjourned, sir. That means we are."
"You," Winreth snarled at Migard as he closed the distance between all of us. "Your job is to do what I say. I am the manager of your department. Your decisions need to come through me. Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is going to be for the High Priest?"
"Why's that?" I asked. "Did the High Priest tell a patron to bid on me specifically? If so, why?"
"Just..." Winreth made a shooing motion. "Get the fuck out of my sight."
"Yes, sir," Migard agreed, and the three of us turned, leaving as fast as we could without looking like we were retreating.
But the moment we were back in the hall, Migard pulled an envelope from his coat pocket. "Priestess Nariana, I believe this is your assignment for this session." There was a smile on his face as he said it.
I cracked open the envelope just as Saval came up from the side. "Well?" she asked.
"I'm still their scheduler," Migard assured her. "Tell Amerlee that whatever she did worked?"
"She just pointed out that this is one more example of women being put into bad situations simply because they're women, and if we don't stop it, then what comes next?"
Inside my envelope was a sheet just like what had been in Ela's. I quickly looked over the description, aware of the large list of limits, and kept going to the bottom. There, it listed my price as ten thousand gold, sold to a man named Lord Zayr Horvat. He had paid tenthousandgold for a night with me? Shit, that was a lot of money, and if he hadn't been the highest bidder...
"Migard, how much was offered by the man you refused?" I asked.
