The palace reminded Jenny of the Mesoamerica pyramids in the east-central Mexican state. However, the entrance stood at the center with two doors opened. Eera and the others dismounted and marched up to the palace. Two bird guards in bronze armor greeted their chief and stepped aside, holding their long-balded spears.

The hallway rose wide with pillars against the granite walls. Any Beastman, large or small, could stroll through the corridor without bumping their heads against the ceiling. Torch holders hung on both pillar sides, and a long red carpet stretched across the floor.

At the hallway end, they entered the oval-shaped throne room with rising tiers of seats ranging about an open space below where the throne seat stood. The chamber appeared to be more of an amphitheater than a throne hall.

Down the steps, Eera approached her throne and hugged her leather seat. She sure does like hugging things. "Mmmmmmmmmmh… I almost thought I would never see my throne ever again."

Jenny kept her giggle quietly. "You must really love that chair."

Eera smirked at her. "I love power. My throne represents it."

Four gazelle servant women approached the group from behind when Eera snapped her fingers. They wore white silk robes and golden collars around their thin necks. They could be slaves which Jenny was highly against. But she couldn’t end all the slavery without starting wars with the tribes. Every clan has its own right to own slaves or not.

“Have these guests washed and prepare food in the dining hall,” Eera ordered as she sat on her throne.

The servants bowed and one of them said, “the baths are this way.”

Jenny and her companions followed the servants until they took separate paths inside the palace.

*****

One gazelle led Jenny into a room with walls mosaicked in blue sky images and green brush strokes. In the center was a large pool and a couch near a table of oil vials. Two otter women in slender, short tunics rose in the sparkling crystal water. They had shortly braided hair, and they wore golden collars too, like the gazelle servants. If the other bath chambers had beautiful beast women like the otters, Huntar and Torag will definitely be happy.

“These two will bathe you until I return to bring you to our chieftainess,” the gazelle servant whispered.

Jenny bit her lower lip. “I prefer to wash myself, if you don’t mind, please.”

“I’m sorry, but it is our custom to wash all guests. Eera will punish us if we don’t obey her commands here.”

“Oh.” Jenny ran out of words. She was very used to bathing by herself while her companions guarded her perimeter. In her civilized world, everyone could bath in private, unless they preferred public baths. Indeed, nobles like servants to wash them for pleasure or dominance. But Jenny wasn’t a noble or someone who likes to treat others like lower-class organisms.

One otter girl giggled. “It’s alright.”

“We will not bite you,” the other girl said.

Jenny smiled with blushful cheeks. “Okay.”

After the gazelle servant spun around to leave, Jenny removed her clothes and stepped into the pool, toe first. The otters moved together around her as the water reached Jenny’s waist. She held still while the servants scrubbed and rinsed her. Then she sat on the white pool tilt so the servants could wash her legs and feet. With their soft, webbed hands, their paws felt very gentle.

“May I ask you both something?” Jenny spoke.

One of them glanced at her. “You may ask us anything.”

“Are you slaves here?”

The other otter girl giggled. “We live to serve our under her roof. In return, she provides us with food and shelter.”

“We accepted our roles here because the desert is fatal to everyone,” the other servant explained. “If we don’t obey, we will lose our privilege here.”

Jenny pursed her lips. Perhaps the otters had chosen to live in servitude for the sake of survival. But everyone in a tribe has a role to take to keep their clan in motion.

After they rinsed her again, the otters dried her with a soft towel, then massaged fragrant oils into her skin. She smelled like a pine tree that ridded her primitive stench away.

They dressed her in a white silk robe when the gazelle servant returned.

“We prepared your meal in the dining hall now,” she said.

Jenny smiled. She couldn’t wait to stop hearing her stomach growl.