I tried not to babble incoherently and to remember that I was dressing for my husband, not for a spot on a tv evangelism program.

Finally I decided to mix demure with Marilyn Monroe. I chose a long, thick diamond-cut rope necklace which nestled heavily between my breasts (which were mostly bare), an exquisite pair of dainty pearl and gold drop earrings and (this is the Marilyn part) around my left wrist I clasped a bracelet of enormous round diamonds held together by tiny gold links. I held my hand out, twisting it this way and that, while I admired the fire of the diamonds. I mean, they were really cool. Even Pammy, my flashy girlfriend who lived in Las Vegas, would be drooling.

“Do not forget this.” Alanna held out the beautiful coronet I had worn before.

It was gorgeous, but I hesitated. “Are you sure it isn’t a little much?”

“Rhiannon wore it always. It is sign of your nobility and station—a coronet can only be worn by a Priestess who is the Beloved of a Goddess.”

I decided to follow my gut feeling. “Then I think I’ll choose to leave it here. Tonight I want to be ClanFintan’s Beloved.” I looked at Alanna with belated concern. “I don’t want to piss off my Goddess, though. Do you think Epona will mind?”

Alanna gave me a quick half hug that was so like Suzanna it made my breath catch. “Epona would want you to honor your husband and be happy.”

“Good. Let’s go back to my room.” I led the way to the door. “And I’ll go first—I have to start learning my way around. If I mess up I’ll just act like a bitch. No one will notice anything out of the ordinary about that.”

As we swept grandly out of the bathing room, the adorable door ornaments snapped to attention. I couldn’t stop myself from tweaking the taller of the two’s cheek (the one on his face).

“Nice job.”

His eyes sparkled and his sensuous lips curved in a smile. I remembered that Rhiannon had probably known him well. In the Biblical sense. I blushed and started hastily down the hall.

“Psssst!” I slowed down and motioned for Alanna to catch up. “Walk next to me, I can’t talk to you while you’re back there.” I whispered for her ears alone, “Did Rhiannon, um, well, boink that guard?”

“Boink?” she whispered back.

Sigh.

“You know.” I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively and winked. “Boink.”

“Oh!” She turned pink. “You can assume so. She boinked all of her guards.”

“Didn’t you say there are one hundred of them?” I forgot to whisper.

“Yes.”

“Damn, she must have been busy.” It boggled my mind.

“She was very dedicated to her men.”

I should say so.

“And she still had time to do goddess stuff?”

“She had many talents.”

We came to the door to my chambers and I couldn’t quit staring at the two guards as they snapped to and opened the door for me. It was like watching the aftermath of a car wreck. I wanted to look away, but I rubbernecked all the way into my room…

And right into the beautiful Staci-nymph.

“Oh, my Lady! Forgive my clumsiness!” She was bowing and quaking. I’m telling you, she looked like she was getting ready to prostrate herself at my feet.

I reached out to squeeze her shoulder and tell her not to worry about it, and she cowered down, protecting her face with her hands as if she expected to be beaten.

“I’m not going to hit you!” I blurted.

Her body was shaking and she peered up at me through her fingers. I looked at Alanna for help, and she mouthed what looked like the name Tarah to me.

“Tarah, please, it was my fault. I wasn’t looking and I ran right into you.” She blinked tears from her eyes and slowly her hands moved away from her face.

It amazed me how much she looked and sounded like Staci—shimmery, long dark hair, huge limpid brown eyes and bone structure a supermodel would die for (or, at the very least, commit bulimia for).

I smiled at her and held my hands very still, like she was a jittery colt. She smiled tentatively back at me.

“M-my Lady. I h-had your chambers set for your meal.” She wiped away her tears. “I stayed to see if it met your approval.”

I looked behind her and saw a lovely table setting for two. The chaise lounges were positioned so that the heads of the diners reclining on them would be very near one another.

“Everything looks wonderful. Just have them bring supper shortly after ClanFintan arrives.”

She bobbed a graceful curtsy and began backing to the door.

“And, Tarah.” She paused in her exit. “In the past I believe I have behaved badly.” Her eyes opened wide as I continued, “And for that I apologize. Things will be different from now on.”

“Yes, my Lady!” The responsive glow of her face made me even angrier with Rhiannon.

“Thank you, Tarah.”

Her grin lit up the doorway as she left.

15

Alone again, I turned to Alanna.

“Did Rhiannon never control herself?”

“She is Epona’s Chosen. She did not have to control herself.”

“That’s crap. It’s that kind of thinking that allowed people like Caligula, Henry VIII and, well, certain presidents to make such asses of themselves.”

“Who are they?”

“More sluts.”

“Oh.”

“How the hell could Rhiannon keep people loyal to her if she was such a bitch?”

Alanna gave me a knowing look.

“I mean female people. It’s obvious how she kept her men happy.” My hands were planted on my hips and I was tapping my foot in time with my anger. (I looked very teacherish—as a matter of fact, I felt the sudden desire to reprimand a teenager. But there’s never one around when you need one.)

“Rhiannon was a very powerful woman.” She didn’t quite meet my eyes.

A thought came to me. “Alanna, you never did tell me how Rhiannon was able to exchange places with me through an explosive fire without either of us getting burned up.” That was assuming Rhiannon had survived, too.

“I am not completely certain. She did not reveal everything to me.” Her voice was hesitant.

“But you have a pretty good guess?”

Her sigh was deep and she raised her eyes to mine. “She went through several test rituals.” She shuddered in remembrance. “They weren’t successful. The people she attempted to exchange were…damaged…when they appeared. They did not live.”