The Palace of Impossible Dreams by Jennifer Fallon

Glaeban.
    â€œI can’t be offended,” she said, handing him a towel. “I’m a slave, remember?”
    â€œI don’t have a problem with Crasii being slaves, but I don’t agree with human slavery, you know.”
    Arkady looked at him in surprise, as much for his comment as for the fact that he delivered it without stammering. The alcohol had relieved him of his shyness, apparently.
    â€œPity your father doesn’t agree with you.” She sat on the examination table opposite him and studied him for a moment in the flickering light of the shielded candle burning by the door.
    â€œI did broach the subject with him once,” Cydne said, dabbing at his mouth with the towel. “After I returned from studying in your country. Hedidn’t appreciate me pointing out that Glaeba got along just fine with only Crasii indentured servants.”
    â€œGiven his entire fortune seems to be based on the trade in human flesh, I can’t say I’m surprised.”
    Cydne smiled sourly. “Yes, well you can probably imagine his reaction to my suggestion. After he stopped spluttering, he made me promise never to even think such a thing again. I suspect he was afraid the merger might be endangered if word got out about my radical views on slavery.”
    â€œHe’s merging with another slaver? Oh, goody. Even more Senestran privateers preying on helpless people. You all must be beside yourselves.”
    Cydne was too drunk to notice her sarcasm. “You have no idea. My marriage to Olegra will make my father’s company the largest slave brokerage in Senestra, possibly the whole world.”
    The idea that this young man was the heir to the largest slaving empire on Amyrantha intrigued Arkady far less than the notion he was engaged. “You’re getting
married
?”
    He nodded unhappily. “Hence the reason I have been sent on this journey to purchase slaves from the markets of Elvere.”
    Arkady stared at him. She didn’t see the connection.
    â€œA few months ago,” the young man explained, “my father arranged a marriage for me with Olegra Pardura.”
    â€œAnd?” she said, when he stopped and waited expectantly for her reaction.
    â€œI forget, you know nothing of my country. The Pardura name means nothing to you.”
    â€œThat’s hardly my fault.”
    He continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “You can’t imagine what a stir it caused, both in and out of the family. The Parduras have interests all over the eastern hemisphere, you see, right up into Tenacia, and . . .” He smiled as he realised how little of that meant anything to Arkady. “Well, suffice to say, our engagement had both families salivating over the opportunity to increase their wealth and power.”
    â€œHad you ever met this girl before?”
    Cydne shook his head. “No. But that never bothered me. I have always expected an arranged marriage, and Olegra Pardura comes from a fine family, is quite pretty, and of a reasonable age to bear healthy children.”
    â€œWhich is all that really matters, I suppose.”
    â€œTrading dynasties can be more important than royalty in Senestra, Kady,” he said. “So, yes, it matters a great deal. Besides, for any number of reasons other than the commercial benefits, I was looking forward to getting married.”
    Arkady found that hard to believe, but she didn’t bother to say it aloud, preferring to hear the rest of his story while he was in the mood to talk. By tomorrow, when he’d sobered up, she doubted he’d be able to manage more than her name without blushing and stammering like a fool.
    â€œYou see, once I’m married, I’ll be allowed to settle down and continue my work as a physician. My future bride has several brothers who are far more interested in trade than I am. The merger effectively gives me three brothers to carry the weight of my father’s