The Empty Ones (Fantasy Romance)

13. When good girls use bad words

Trigger warning. Some possibly disturbing dark things ahead.

"Zara, Salma brought it upon herself. Tell me you understand and mean it."

"But Sita and that man were only kissing and she got killed."

"Well yeah because if you are in a convent you shouldn't sleep with people."

"They were not sleeping, I told you, they were kissing and touching each other and he was taking her clothes off."

Mairi tried to suppress a chuckle.

"Well, that. Salma should know better."

"Wait..." I frowned. "Is that fucking?"

"Hmm yeah, they were definitely heading in that direction. I do hope for her that they didn't get particularly far."

"I... don't know what to do."

Mairi scrunched her nose.

"No-thing. That's the best you can do. Forget everything you saw. Though when I saw the first time people shagging I couldn't get it off my mind for a long time so it might be a bit hard... But you should really try."

"But Salma might die. How can you be like this?"

"You can also pray to your gods that she doesn't get caught if it makes you feel better. And that she doesn't get with child. That would be a catastrophe..." Mairi whispered the last part more for herself.

"Mairi!" I screamed mortified.

"Zara! I cannot unfuck her! The only thing you can do for her is to make her aware of how easily she can be caught since you managed to peek and you are known to not be particularly silent. I just hope they were smart enough to not finish inside."

"Finish what? And what if they did?"

"Then she might get with child and that is even harder to hide than a lost maidenhead."

"We need to talk to her," I concluded.

"Oh, nono. No, we. I don't want to be part of this. In fact, I will forget we ever had this conversation."

"Fine. But at least swap kitchen duty with me so we can talk tonight."

"Fine..."

I think that was the first difficult conversation that I had to have with a peer that I remember. It was not like Salma was frightening because she wasn't but I still rehearsed in my head the words a thousand times.

"Salma?"

She didn't reply at first. She was scrubbing the pans looking outside the window and smiling.

"Salma?!"

"Oh. Yes. Sorry, Zaretha. I was distracted."

"Clearly."

I moved close to her so she could hear my whisper.

"I don't mean to frighten you. I mean no harm but..."

"Zara. Whatever it is I don't want to be part of it. Last time when you meant no harm we almost died taking care of that boy." She frowned, looking concentrated at the pan she was scrubbing to not look at me.

"I saw you and the caravan soldier last night."

Salma dropped the pan. It echoed in the kitchen for long instances. Her hands were shaking and her lower lip trembled.

"Are... you going to tell on me?"

"No! I told you I mean no harm but what you are doing is dangerous."