"This one comes recommended. --The Fix "Orossy is in a way an incredible character, complicated and strong-willed yet vulnerable and emotionally codependent all at once. . . That Orossy is fabulous." --Mrs. Giggles |
Praise for "Rent Girl"
"Rent Girl"
| traci (at) orossy (dot) com |
Excerpt
Orossy shivered in the cold, gray morning. Feisal's warm body curled beside him in the same bed they'd shared for
the past month, in the same comfortably cluttered room. Yet Orossy felt far away, stifled, choked --
"'Rossy? What's wrong?"
He couldn’t talk, trapped in a nightmare. Men surrounded him, held him fast. He couldn't breathe, couldn't get
away . . .
"'Rossy? Another dream?" Feisal's voice brought him back. After a moment: "Another memory?"
With a nod, Orossy pressed his back against Feisal's broad chest and felt strong arms wrap around him. He
still wasn't used to being able to trust anyone as deeply as he trusted Feisal. It scared him as much as the dream had.
"Want to tell me about it?"
He didn’t. Not really. Nor did he need to; Feisal knew almost as much of Orossy's past as Orossy himself.
"The tavern," he said. It didn’t matter which day.
"Ah," was all Feisal said. It was all he needed to say. With his Healer's mind, he loosed threads of soothing
dennar into Orossy's body. The panic ebbed, but the fear remained. "I'll make you some tea."
"I don't like tea." Orossy got up to follow Feisal anyway. Feisal tossed him a robe, and Orossy wrapped
himself in the blue silk. "I'm sorry."
"Don't." Feisal looked at him with exasperation tempered by love. "I won't be able to sleep if you can't."
A light already burned in the kitchen. Jussi, the Lord Governor's steward, crouched beside the stove, dressed
in working clothes, a gray jacket and pants. The kitchen, as always, offered comfort. Wooden panels covered the
floor. Near the stove stood an oven and a short wooden table with a pair of three-legged stools. Shelves lined the
walls, housing pots and dishes from all over the continent. A kettle of water boiled on the stove, and a plate of rice
cakes sat ready. Orossy took one and nibbled on it. Jussi always knew what they needed.
Feisal raised an eyebrow. "Up a bit early, aren't you?"
The steward set out three stoneware cups, leaf-shaped in honor of the arrival of spring, and poured out hot tea.
"Everything must be in order for your father’s return."
The rice cake turned tasteless in Orossy’s mouth. Lady’s grace, what would the most powerful man in the
territory think of his son's new lover? Feisal should have someone his equal, not a half-breed tavern brat.
"'Rossy?"
Feisal rubbed Orossy’s arm. Orossy flinched. "Everything will be fine. He already knows about you."
Feisal handed him the cup. It smelled faintly of orange. Orossy wrapped his hands around it and shifted his gaze
to Jussi. Whatever the steward knew, the Lord Governor surely knew.
Until Feisal's warm hand covered his, Orossy hadn't realized he was shaking badly enough to spill a few drops
of tea. "It will be fine," Feisal repeated. "I promise."
"It will be different." Lady have mercy. As if it weren't bad enough to be the object of whispers and stares
whenever he went out of the house or worked in the Infirmary. Now he'd be watched, measured, found wanting,
inside the house, too.
Feisal ran a hand through Orossy's long hair, curling a lock around his fingers. "Don't worry. He’ll like you as
you are." He yawned. "Maybe I can sleep little more after all. Coming?"
"I should study." Forcing a smile, Orossy kissed Feisal on the cheek. Inside, he felt like screaming. As you are,
Feisal had said. Did he have any idea how hard that was to figure out?
#
Orossy dressed quietly in the dim light. Feisal was already asleep, twitching in his dreams. The Healer might not have
Infirmary duty until mid-morning, but classes started early for Orossy. He rubbed his temples, already feeling a
headache from the stress of lessons. His lack of education was another reason he felt inadequate. He had more
dennar than Feisal, being able to read minds and emotions as well as heal, but he’d never learned how to use it
properly. Lady’s grace, he’d never even been able to write his own name until Jussi showed him last month.
He adjusted his uniform, a long-sleeved blue tunic, belt, and a matching pair of pants worn by both male and
female students. The leather boots he would pick up on his way out; no one wore shoes inside the house. He
cinched the belt and caught a shadowed glimpse of himself in the mirror, struck again by the image that could be
either male or female.
Feisal loved men. Always had, which made Orossy worry. Surely it was only a matter of time before Feisal
asked him to put away the feminine accoutrements and be as the gods had formed him. A man. And, more than
likely, the Lord Governor would have his own ideas about an appropriate pairing for his son. Lord Maddren
certainly wouldn’t approve of an uneducated tavern brat who couldn’t decide which sex he was.
Out of habit, he started to braid his hair in the feminine style. Catching himself, he pulled loose two braids,
leaving one on either side of his face. The masculine style. It looked foreign. He could get used to it, couldn’t he? For
Feisal’s sake? After all, Feisal had done so much already, teaching him that love was something more than the
physical. Orossy owed him something in return.
He crept to the cabinet and eased the bottom drawer open. There lay the dresses he loved, along with the
cincher and other accessories to enhance his femininity. For one last moment, Orossy ran his hands through the fine
fabrics before he took everything out of the drawer and wrapped it into a bundle. As of today, there would be no
more Rossa. She was dead.
Orossy bent over to give Feisal a kiss on the forehead. His lover’s dreams were pleasant; a light touch of
dennar ensured they stayed that way.
Leaving Feisal to sleep, he slung the leather satchel with his books over his shoulder. Jussi was still in the
kitchen. Orossy thrust the bundle of clothes at the curious steward. “Get rid of these. Please.” Not able to bear
seeing what Jussi did with them, Orossy pulled his boots on and hurried out into the damp gray morning.
Two days. He had two days to turn himself into someone presentable and respectable, a man worthy of the
Lord Governor's son.
Buy Lace and Blade 2
Amazon
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Powell's
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Orossy shivered in the cold, gray morning. Feisal's warm body curled beside him in the same bed they'd shared for
the past month, in the same comfortably cluttered room. Yet Orossy felt far away, stifled, choked --
"'Rossy? What's wrong?"
He couldn’t talk, trapped in a nightmare. Men surrounded him, held him fast. He couldn't breathe, couldn't get
away . . .
"'Rossy? Another dream?" Feisal's voice brought him back. After a moment: "Another memory?"
With a nod, Orossy pressed his back against Feisal's broad chest and felt strong arms wrap around him. He
still wasn't used to being able to trust anyone as deeply as he trusted Feisal. It scared him as much as the dream had.
"Want to tell me about it?"
He didn’t. Not really. Nor did he need to; Feisal knew almost as much of Orossy's past as Orossy himself.
"The tavern," he said. It didn’t matter which day.
"Ah," was all Feisal said. It was all he needed to say. With his Healer's mind, he loosed threads of soothing
dennar into Orossy's body. The panic ebbed, but the fear remained. "I'll make you some tea."
"I don't like tea." Orossy got up to follow Feisal anyway. Feisal tossed him a robe, and Orossy wrapped
himself in the blue silk. "I'm sorry."
"Don't." Feisal looked at him with exasperation tempered by love. "I won't be able to sleep if you can't."
A light already burned in the kitchen. Jussi, the Lord Governor's steward, crouched beside the stove, dressed
in working clothes, a gray jacket and pants. The kitchen, as always, offered comfort. Wooden panels covered the
floor. Near the stove stood an oven and a short wooden table with a pair of three-legged stools. Shelves lined the
walls, housing pots and dishes from all over the continent. A kettle of water boiled on the stove, and a plate of rice
cakes sat ready. Orossy took one and nibbled on it. Jussi always knew what they needed.
Feisal raised an eyebrow. "Up a bit early, aren't you?"
The steward set out three stoneware cups, leaf-shaped in honor of the arrival of spring, and poured out hot tea.
"Everything must be in order for your father’s return."
The rice cake turned tasteless in Orossy’s mouth. Lady’s grace, what would the most powerful man in the
territory think of his son's new lover? Feisal should have someone his equal, not a half-breed tavern brat.
"'Rossy?"
Feisal rubbed Orossy’s arm. Orossy flinched. "Everything will be fine. He already knows about you."
Feisal handed him the cup. It smelled faintly of orange. Orossy wrapped his hands around it and shifted his gaze
to Jussi. Whatever the steward knew, the Lord Governor surely knew.
Until Feisal's warm hand covered his, Orossy hadn't realized he was shaking badly enough to spill a few drops
of tea. "It will be fine," Feisal repeated. "I promise."
"It will be different." Lady have mercy. As if it weren't bad enough to be the object of whispers and stares
whenever he went out of the house or worked in the Infirmary. Now he'd be watched, measured, found wanting,
inside the house, too.
Feisal ran a hand through Orossy's long hair, curling a lock around his fingers. "Don't worry. He’ll like you as
you are." He yawned. "Maybe I can sleep little more after all. Coming?"
"I should study." Forcing a smile, Orossy kissed Feisal on the cheek. Inside, he felt like screaming. As you are,
Feisal had said. Did he have any idea how hard that was to figure out?
#
Orossy dressed quietly in the dim light. Feisal was already asleep, twitching in his dreams. The Healer might not have
Infirmary duty until mid-morning, but classes started early for Orossy. He rubbed his temples, already feeling a
headache from the stress of lessons. His lack of education was another reason he felt inadequate. He had more
dennar than Feisal, being able to read minds and emotions as well as heal, but he’d never learned how to use it
properly. Lady’s grace, he’d never even been able to write his own name until Jussi showed him last month.
He adjusted his uniform, a long-sleeved blue tunic, belt, and a matching pair of pants worn by both male and
female students. The leather boots he would pick up on his way out; no one wore shoes inside the house. He
cinched the belt and caught a shadowed glimpse of himself in the mirror, struck again by the image that could be
either male or female.
Feisal loved men. Always had, which made Orossy worry. Surely it was only a matter of time before Feisal
asked him to put away the feminine accoutrements and be as the gods had formed him. A man. And, more than
likely, the Lord Governor would have his own ideas about an appropriate pairing for his son. Lord Maddren
certainly wouldn’t approve of an uneducated tavern brat who couldn’t decide which sex he was.
Out of habit, he started to braid his hair in the feminine style. Catching himself, he pulled loose two braids,
leaving one on either side of his face. The masculine style. It looked foreign. He could get used to it, couldn’t he? For
Feisal’s sake? After all, Feisal had done so much already, teaching him that love was something more than the
physical. Orossy owed him something in return.
He crept to the cabinet and eased the bottom drawer open. There lay the dresses he loved, along with the
cincher and other accessories to enhance his femininity. For one last moment, Orossy ran his hands through the fine
fabrics before he took everything out of the drawer and wrapped it into a bundle. As of today, there would be no
more Rossa. She was dead.
Orossy bent over to give Feisal a kiss on the forehead. His lover’s dreams were pleasant; a light touch of
dennar ensured they stayed that way.
Leaving Feisal to sleep, he slung the leather satchel with his books over his shoulder. Jussi was still in the
kitchen. Orossy thrust the bundle of clothes at the curious steward. “Get rid of these. Please.” Not able to bear
seeing what Jussi did with them, Orossy pulled his boots on and hurried out into the damp gray morning.
Two days. He had two days to turn himself into someone presentable and respectable, a man worthy of the
Lord Governor's son.
Buy Lace and Blade 2
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Powell's
Home
The characters in "Rent Girl" are also featured in Stray, a novel I'm currently seeking representation
for. "Rent Girl" takes place after the novel ends. In the story, Orossy is a former rent girl in love
with the Lord Governor’s son, Feisal. Everything’s fine until they get word that Feisal’s father is
coming home, and Orossy worries that the Lord Governor won’t approve of his son having a low-
born lover that can’t decide which gender he prefers. So Orossy decides to be as he was born—a
man—with disastrous consequences.
for. "Rent Girl" takes place after the novel ends. In the story, Orossy is a former rent girl in love
with the Lord Governor’s son, Feisal. Everything’s fine until they get word that Feisal’s father is
coming home, and Orossy worries that the Lord Governor won’t approve of his son having a low-
born lover that can’t decide which gender he prefers. So Orossy decides to be as he was born—a
man—with disastrous consequences.
