by DarthKrzysztof

With the Jester’s Masque still days away, the adventurers used the time to pursue their own interests. For Joris, that meant exploring Sigil, learning more about the city’s unfamiliar gods and their worshipers. He also searched for any word of the Illuminated, with no success. This didn’t bother him, though; that sort of thing was hardly his forte.

With only two days left before the Jester’s Masque, they gathered at Chirper’s for lunch to compare notes. Joris wasn’t ecstatic about being Talan’s “date,” but what else could they do?

Joris got up to visit the privy. As he turned, he crashed into Marlow, the beleaguered halfling waiter. Marlow’s tray overturned, and three drinks in very bright colors spilled all over Joris’s tunic and breeches.

The cleric looked down at his clothes, sure that Haden was stifling a laugh behind him. Marlow produced a rag and tried to clean it up, but he was only making it worse. With a sigh, Joris excused himself, and headed up to the room.

Joris was squirming by the time he made it inside. He hastily closed the door and stripped off all his clothes, moving to the chamber pot to relieve himself. I can’t believe I’m going to another society function, he thought. Why did I dare to hope that kind of thing was behind me?

He concluded his business and crossed to his wardrobe, where he had stored a couple of outfits, including his costume for the Masque. He reached for another blue tunic – and realized that Thea had entered the room, and was now staring at his nude frame.

Mother of All Magic, please kill your faithful servant now.

Joris snatched a tunic from his wardrobe and flung it in front on himself, only to have it slip from his fingers and fly across the room. Realizing Joris’s embarrassment, Thea finally looked away; he hurriedly pulled on a pair of breeches. Was she looking at him in the mirror?

“I’m really sorry,” she said, and she seemed to mean it.

Joris reached for his boots and sat down to pull them on, shouting “You could have knocked!”

“You could have locked the door.” Her voice didn’t rise to meet his, but she sounded like it might.

“I—you’re right. I was in such a hurry…”

Thea picked up his tunic and brought it to him, still studying his chest. Why is she so interested? I’m nothing special to look at. As if reading his mind, she said “I serve the goddess of love, Joris. Do you really think I’ve never seen a naked man before?”

“Well, I don’t serve your goddess, and I’ve never…”

As he trailed off, Thea sat on the floor and looked up at him. “Never what?” Her tone seemed innocent.

“Never been naked around a woman.” There. Are you happy now?

“Why not?” she asked, in a surprised tone.

“I… there’s… what business is it of yours?” She didn’t answer, but something in Thea’s eyes made him continue. “I don’t pretend to understand what women like about men, but I don’t seem to have any of it.”

“Don’t be silly, Joris. You’re very sweet, and kind… are you telling me you’ve never been in love?”

“No. At least, no one’s ever been in love with me.” He thought about leaving it there, but she still wore the same expression. I have to tell her, Joris thought. I have to tell someone – she’ll understand, won’t she?

“All right; let me start at the beginning. I come from a Prime city called Silverymoon. My father is Prestin Crownsilver, the high priest of Mystra there. One of the most famous and wealthy people in the North.” Thea seemed riveted, so he continued. “He’s also a wizard; a lot of Mystra’s clerics follow both paths, since she’s the goddess of magic. I have four brothers and sisters, and they all followed in Father’s footsteps.”

“You’re not a wizard,” Thea said.

“No. I don’t have the mind for it.”

“I know what you mean.”

Joris realized he’d never put his tunic on, but he kept talking anyway. “So I was quite a disappointment to Father. I worshiped the Lady of Mysteries, but in his eyes, I could never truly serve Her without wielding arcane magic, as well as divine. So I started looking for a life outside his temple, and I met Jerris.”

“Jerris? Joris? That’s almost the same name,” Thea said, not really interrupting.

“I know! That’s actually how we met – someone was looking for him and found me instead – but that’s another story. Jerris was a ranger, a real rough-and-tumble fellow, the exact kind of lower-class berk that Father didn’t care for. So he became my best friend.”

“You loved him, but he didn’t love you back?”

“What? No! Well, yes, I loved him, but not like that. Men aren’t my type, Thea.”

She shrugged. “I can’t always tell. Go on, Joris.”

“It’s Jerris’s lover that I’m talking about – Lenora. She was beautiful, and funny, and clever…”

“She was a wizard, too.”

How did she know that? “Yes.”

“You didn’t tell Lenora how you felt?”

“How could I? Jerris was my best friend, Thea. I couldn’t betray him like that. Besides, why would she want me when she had him? Jerris was everything she wanted, and I – well, I’m just me. I bottled my feelings up so tightly that she actually thought I didn’t like her! Can you imagine that?”

“No,” Thea said simply.

Joris felt tears stinging his eyes, but pressed on. “Well, that chapter of it’s over. The three of us set out for Waterdeep to deliver a message to Mystra’s high priest there, and we came across an owlbear’s lair. It killed them both before it fell. I buried them there, Thea. I buried my best friend and a woman who never knew I loved her – and I dug many more graves before that day was through. Mother of Magic, that was only nine days ago!”

Joris noticed Thea’s hand on his thigh. How long had that been there? “Yours is a sad story,” she said. “You’ve been in a lot of pain.”

“I… I haven’t had time to think about it. I haven’t been free to deal with it. I see her face in my dreams, she won’t leave me in peace…”

She got to her knees and brought her face closer to his. “Maybe I can ease your mind.” When he made no response, she added “Have you ever made love to a woman, Joris?”

“No.” His voice cracked, as it often did when his nerves were aflame, but he didn’t think to look for his waterskin. “I always wanted it to mean something.” That, and none of the women you’ve met have ever shown any interest in you…

“You should; it’s sublime.” Joris tried to understand; did she want him, or was she talking about her own escapades with women? Maybe Thea was right about the Sensates not being hedonists, but they were far outside of Joris’s experience. “You can never know your place in the cosmos without trying everything.”

Fine, then. Why not? Joris leaned forward and softly touched his lips to hers, closing his eyes. Thea responded at once, kissing him back with ardor. Soon her warm hands were on his chest, and her tongue slid into his mouth. This was going too quickly; as Joris’s mind struggled for control, Thea took one of his hands in hers, and placed it on her breast. Though it was covered by the diaphanous fabric of her dress, the sensation drove all conscious thought from Joris, and he surrendered to his lust.

He didn’t hear the door open, but Thea did, tearing her mouth away from his. Joris opened his eyes to see Sheen at the doorway, eyes wide with what might have been surprise. Without a word, she stepped back into the hall and shut the door.

Thea immediately closed to kiss him again, but Joris’s fire had gone out. What am I doing? he thought. Making love to her might take your mind off Lenora for awhile, but it’ll still be there when it’s over. And this woman is nothing like you, even if she is a cleric. Don’t do this!

She saw the hesitation in his eyes, and got to her feet. “I’m sorry, Joris; I never should have forced you to—”

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry.”

“I should go.” Before Joris could say another word, she bounded for the door and let herself out. Joris flopped onto the bed and buried his head under the pillow, wondering why Thea had come to see him in the first place.