House of Shadows(30)

“They have the sense to know that harming you would harm the house, and quite possibly bring them dismissal from Cloisonné House and the disdain of the whole flower world. Keiso are expected to be obedient and loyal daughters; keiso who are dismissed find neither the flower world nor the outside world welcoming.” Leilis waited for a moment for the newest keiso of Cloisonné House to understand the point she was making, then added, “But you were right to be afraid of Lily. Did Rue tell you why?”

“She is—she is Narienneh’s natural daughter. Rue said the, the flower world is hard on natural sons because there is so little place for boys or young men here, but usually daughters do well, except that Narienneh—Mother—is blind to Lily’s faults and has indulged her too much.” Karah sounded a little doubtful.

“Narienneh believes that once Lily has become keiso, she will have no need to be unkind,” explained Leilis. “Not all the deisa become keiso. Did Rue tell you that? If they do not receive the command to change their robes—” or were unable to do so for other, stranger, reasons “—then in the end they will become merely servants.”

“But keiso never become… become servants?”

Leilis shook her head. “If a keiso is dull or timid or lazy, she may find herself obscure, dependent on her House for everything, and finally forgotten. But keiso are never demoted. So the deisa fear and hate their rivals, where keiso merely dislike and resent theirs. Mother hardly sees what Lily is, and then when she cannot close her eyes, she believes it is merely the natural deisa rivalry that makes Lily cruel.”

Moonflower came a step or two farther into the room. “Lily is beautiful. I don’t—I don’t understand why she should be so—so unkind to—to everybody. To the other deisa.”

“Do you think beautiful girls are always kind?”

Karah flinched a little and dropped her eyes.

“Ah, well.” Leilis found herself relenting a little. “Lily is different from even the most petty failed keiso. It is her nature to be vicious. She was a sly and cruel child and no doubt she will be a cruel and sly keiso. Some wealthy man will beg for her to be his keimiso, and he will regret it.”

Karah looked shocked, and Leilis found herself adding, “Men are often fools, and to their lasting grief choose wives poorly, flower wives as well as true wives. Surely you have seen this. Lily will find a keisonne whom she can handle as a jeweler handles wire, and she will make his life miserable.”

“Oh,” Karah said in a faint voice.

“At least then she will leave the House. That will be welcome. Though Narienneh believes that one day Lily will inherit Cloisonné House from her and be Mother here in her place.” Leilis allowed her tone to express a certain doubt of that possibility. “But certainly you’ll have time to establish yourself before Lily changes her robe. Rue will help you. She doesn’t care for rivalry and won’t put herself forward, but she will take her responsibility as your Elder Sister seriously.”

“Yes,” said the girl, with a pretty little downward glance, naturally modest. “And Mother will help me, Rue says. And you. I am grateful for your kindness.”

Leilis said nothing for a moment. Impatience with the girl’s naïvety warred within her with a much more surprising inclination to be gentle. She said at last, her tone only slightly edged, “I’m seldom kind. Ask anyone. Anyway, there’s little enough I can do for you. Moonflower is your name. You are a keiso now. Look to Rue for support.”

“That’s not… Rue said…”

“Oh, yes,” Leilis said bitterly. “Sometimes I manage to nudge a keiso—if she’s already inclined to go the way I think she should. Occasionally I nudge Mother. But I have no authority in this House. Only the merest scraps of influence. Rue didn’t tell you about me?”

Moonflower glanced up. She was as appealing when she steeled herself to be direct as when she was diffident—a rare gift. “She told me only a little. Rue said you understood the danger of deisa rivalry. And that the deisa who… who hurt you was sent away. You are—you are beautiful. She did not tell me what the other deisa did to you.”

And she was, of course, curious. Leilis wordlessly held out her hand to the child.

Moonflower, looking very serious, took Leilis’s hand between both of hers. For a moment she looked only puzzled. Then surprised revulsion came into her face and she jerked away, holding her hands out from her body as though they were contaminated. Confusion came into her expression next, and embarrassment. She held her hands up and looked at her palms, then rubbed them on her thighs and looked in even greater embarrassment back at Leilis.