The next day, as Moshtok walked the girls out of the palace and across the tent cities for their daily lesson, they reluctantly told him of the shocking event which occurred the night before in Sharvur's bedroom. At first he told them not to continue with the discussion as it would be very serious if it ever got back to the king they were talking about him in any negative way.

            "I have told you girls from the beginning of my lessons that we are all subject to the moods and whims of our king. We should all fear what he could do to us at any time."

            The girls quickly stopped their complaints and nodded.

            "You must try and think of Sharvur's good qualities, as he has provided a strong defense for us from other tribes. Those further to the East, whose warlords would not hesitate to kill us all and leave no survivors."

            Zaria expression, however, seemed not content to remain quiet. Moshtok noticed this stubbornness and continued before she could speak.

        "Sharvur is a strange man, everyone knows that, but we do not dare say so. And if you are ever to tell me such things it must be understood I never heard your words. Just as you have never heard mine. We must keep this agreement. Do you understand?"           

        All three girls looked up at their teacher with admiration and nodded. Branka then meekly spoke up, brushing back her honey-blond hair. "But we do not understand why he has taken this position to treat Svetlana and myself in such a different way as Zaria."

           Svetlana then weighed in. "We just do not know what he will do next to her." She was the slightly taller and more robust of the three girls. "Last night he struck her with his horse whip and she did nothing to bring his disfavor! We both admit that our dancing was not what he had expected of us."

          Zaria just looked away from the conversation, not wishing to reveal any more of the embarrassment she felt from this being discussed.

            "Surely, Mostok . . . you must know why he is this way to us." Branka added.

          "Well . . . it is rumored that the king has had many terrifying dreams this year. Dreams of destruction and defeat of our people, they say. He has tried many ways to send these thoughts away but they return to him often."

            "But what does that have to do with me!" Zaria expressed suddenly and angrily.

            The three others were moved by her outburst. It was obvious she had not recovered from the pain and humiliation Sharvur had brought to her so undeservingly at his bedside.

            "Because we are related, I do know that Sharvur has enlisted the help of Krido. He is a very old man who lives in the mountains alone. He is extremely wise and my family has been going to him for advice for two generations."

            "What did this man offer to Sharvur," Svetlana asked.

            They now continued walking along a narrow path outside the villages. Only the constant wind could be heard amid their soft voices. Moshtok then stopped them along the way. He stood close to enlist their attention and stress their confidentiality.

         "You must never reveal that you know this, girls.  Especially from me. Is that understood? Do you three promise on your lives you will never repeat what I am about to tell you?"

            The girls all affirmed this in a whisper.

            "Krido advised Sharvur to try to change his ways. His cruelty. His appetite for sex and violence. To be less of the tyrant he is famous for being."

            A surprised look came over the girls faces.

            "You see, during his short reign as king, he has been very wicked with his enemies. This you know full well from what happened with your own village. But he is also very strict . . . cruel and unforgiving with us, his subjects. And unfortunately with women . . . and that includes you . . . as his slaves."

            A frightened but not surprised look came over their young, fresh faces.

            "You see . . . Krido gave Sharvur a great challenge."

            "What kind of challenge? Zaria asked, seemingly intrigued but still visibly angry.

            "To show that he is able to control his passions. Both his anger and his . . . lust."

            The girls looked at each other now with obvious skepticism in their gaze. It expressed an attitude of disbelief that the man who had only the night before treated them so brutally, could have any control about him.

         "We did not see such . . . control last night," Svetlana said sarcastically and in deference to Zaria's still humiliated feelings.

            "We saw a man who was out of control," Branka added. "And following his darkest passions for lust." 

            Moshtok looked across the plains to the mountains in the east. "Alright. . . just let me ask you. Did he force himself on any of you sexually last night?

            The girls all looked down at the ground in silence.

            "Well I can assure you he is very capable of that with any . . . or with all of you. At any time! I am just being honest. For he has done these things regularly since being our king. Do you think you are his first . . . pleasure slaves?"

            None of the girls moved or spoke. The terrible descriptor—'pleasure slaves' still resonated repulsively in their ears.

            "Unfortunately, this fact is well known about Sharvur. And everyone expects it to continue. But Krido made it a mandate for him to change. To have at least one slave he is not to molest sexually in any way. For that is his challenge. She is to remain a virgin, and by his own control."

            The two girls suddenly looked at Zaria. It was obvious now who that slave was to be. Why she had been treated differently from the two of them since their capture.

            "You see," Moshtok continued, "he was told by Krido. . . a true shaman who has the sight . . . wisdom. . . that as long as he preserves one girl in this way. . . never to unite with her sexually, his kingdom . . . our kingdom shall also remain unmolested by its enemies. Those terrible dreams he fears . . . will never happen."

            Zaria slowly turned her face back up to Moshtok's. "So what does that mean for Branka and Svetlana?"

            The two girls waited breathlessly yet expectedly for his reply. Their young language teacher hung his head down in shame as he answered.

            "You both will be . . . his . . . to do as he pleases with you. This could happen at any time."

            All three girls slowly embraced with solidarity at the announcement of this.

            "I am deeply sorry girls . . . but you must just expect this. And be ready for it to begin."

            The two slaves whose future conditions were revealed began to show tears of anxiety and fear. Zaria joined them in this sad announcement of their fate.

            "So what became of the other girls?" Zaria asked, pointedly. "Those other slaves. When he tired of them . . . did Sharvur have them . . ."

            The two girls put their hands over their faces and held their breath. They waited breathlessly for Moshtok's answer.

            "No," he said quickly to relieve them. "He always spared their lives. But he was known to give them away . . . to his generals . . . as rewards for loyalty and courage."

            This was certainly no consolation to Branka and Svetlana, who continued to silently cry over their dismal future prospects among the Scythians and at the hands of their king.

            Moshtok then uncharacteristically put an arm around each of their shoulders as a showing of empathy and friendship.

            "I can only tell you this. As long as you are here in the palace, I will do all I can to insure you are treated well. Just do what you must for Sharvur, so that he is pleased with your presence. Never cross his anger. Never refuse his demands. It will simply be a mater of staying in the best possible conditions you have here. There are unfortunately no other choices for you now."

            The girls dried their eyes and embraced their teacher silently. It was a small token of their gratitude for his showing them what little humanity existed in this new brutal world they had been thrown into. 

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