It Was a Holy Day - 4. 4

“Take me into town, please cousin?” Gawen asked Torzet. “I have coin enough for both of us if that is the problem.”

“My father is generous. The coin isn’t the problem. I have to take an escort so there can be no girls in our room.”

“So we can have a little grope and feel in the common rooms. Many of the girls will lift a skirt for next to no prompting in the halls or alleys if you have enough coin.”

“Gah, I just hate being watched all the time. I don’t know how Anarix did it.”

“Your Uncle Prude?” Gawen snorted, “I’m guessing he mostly didn’t.”

Torzet laughed. “Yeah I guess he didn’t, although when he saw that red headed thing at Gilban’s party he couldn’t get into his pants fast enough. I thought he was going to do him right there on the dance floor.”

“Really? That’s kind of gross.”

“They say that’s how it is for us though, that when we meet our intended that we will know and we will react fairly instinctively.”

“I would think it would hurt.”

“No, it’s supposed to be like rapture, sweet and innocent. The histories say the male gets all protective over the female and she submits to him willingly as if she is in heat.”

“But Anarix is Bound to a male?”

“Yes,” Torzet laughed again, “another reason he should not rule, he has no queen.”

“How does that work, with the bonding?”

“The little red headed male stuck his ass in the air for Anarix to fuck him like a bitch in heat. He mewed, too, and when Anarix pinned him to the wall, the little whore lolled his head to the side for sucking, arching his back like he had breasts to rub against Anarix.”

“And you saw all this? Even when he, you know, stuck it in?” Gawen asked awed like the virgin he would never admit to being.

“He spit on his dick. It was so gross. The red head cried out and Anarix kissed him full on the mouth. The way Anarix was holding him I could see in the light, he was really going in and out of his ass, not just rubbing along the skin. The red head really did seem to enjoy it. He bit Anarix when he climaxed. That is what caused them to bond. If he didn’t bite him they never would have completed the bond.”

“So you have to sperm inside the person and they have to bite you to complete the bond?”

“Not exactly. It does take sperm and blood. Both need to enter into the Bound together or nearly together. If it takes is up to the gods. Father believes any physical contact is too much of a risk because, like pregnancy, it happens when you least expect it. Others take precautions and leave it up to the gods. Then there are people like my Uncle, who take no precautions and become Bound to the first being that stirs their blood.” Torzet shook his head. “The creature isn’t even our race. He is short, skinny, and his skin has a yellowish cast. Can you imagine the children it will produce?”

“They will be hard to deny,” Gawen giggled. “But if he takes it like a girl so well, maybe it will not be an issue. Please take me into town. I will buy you protection.”

Torzet pretended to consider the request, and then he grinned. “Fine, but if there is any trouble you take all the blame.”

“All of it, of course,” Gawen grinned and got himself dressed to go out. “What kind of amusements do you think we will find?”

Hours later Torzet grinned over at Gawen as the boy cried out in pleasure not for the first time tonight. The best room they had been able to secure had two beds and the girls were reasonably clean. Gawen had indeed purchased him protection, which he was wearing happily. Glad to be able to dip his wick into something that was not related to him.

“Ow!” he complained as the wench bit his ear.

“Pay attention to this bed then,” the girl complained, “and I won’t have to bite you.”

“I’ll show you some attention,” Torzet teased and began thrusting into her again. Unfortunately for him, his protection wasn’t all that protective and decided at the moment of most pleasure to split. He never noticed the scratch on his earlobe from the girl’s tooth. She was gone in the morning, along with her friend and Gawen’s purse.

White Linen Table Cloths

When Gilban finally managed to get Rix back to their rooms, Rix insisted on inviting the young couple to a meal the next day. He wanted to know more about his Bound and maybe his brother could give him some clue as to how to find him. Rix began to issue the summons for first meal, but Gilban stopped him.

“Rix, these are not your people. You cannot order them about. They’ve been drinking and may very well be fuzzy headed in the morning. Let them sleep in if they want. Post a guard outside their door and if they come out before midday, invite them to that.”

Rix looked as if he were going to argue for a moment, but then relented. “Fine,” he waved one hand toward a guard, “do as he said. Invite them to join our midday meal in the restaurant downstairs.”

Two guards dispatched immediately to wait to deliver the message.

The restaurant attached to the hotel was not formal for lunch but the tables were covered with white linen and colorful cloth napkins wrapped the silverware. Rix watched as Amberly and Brianna were led over to the corner table where he and Gilban waited. He smiled. “Doctor and Mrs. Hanover, how pleased we are to have you join us.”

Gilban nodded to the waiter who came over at that time and they made their orders.

“I am Gilban and this is my brother-in-law, Anarix. I do believe you said your names were Doctor Amberly Hanover and Brianna Hanover, correct?”

Brianna shook her head. “My name is Brianna Legacy.”

“But he is your husband? Is it not human custom for the wife to take the name of the husband?”

“He is one of them. The other is Doctor Robert Atoll. It is a typical human custom, but we decided between us that with both of them, it wouldn’t be fair unless we all picked one between us.”

Amberly grinned, “It was actually suggested that Bobby and I take her last name, but we didn’t think our families would approve.”

“You have two doctors as husbands?” Gilban asked a bit confused.

“Scientist, not medical. Everyone asks.”

“She will be the medical doctor as soon as she finishes her residency. It seems she forgets to put her title on her name,” Amberly said with some pride.

“Why did you come here? Surely not a honeymoon with only two out of the triad,” Rix asked, “or will he be joining you?”

Rix watched as the emotions played across Amberly’s features. His scent spiked and his body language said he wanted to tell everything but he wasn’t sure if he could trust yet. He decided to help him decide. “We are looking for someone who shares your features. I thought you were him when I saw you last night, but the man I am looking for is a little older.”

“Puck,” Amberly said quietly.

“You are related to him?”

Amberly nodded but could not seem to find his voice so Brianna spoke for him. “They are brothers.”

“Ah, then that explains Anarix’s complication,” Gilban chuckled. “Do you happen to know where we can find him?”

“We don’t know,” Amberly said as he picked up his water and took a sip. When he put it down, he met Rix’s eye. “Puck disappeared several weeks ago. He was last seen on this station in the presence of a lavender-headed male. You are both lavender-headed males. Did either of you have anything to do with the disappearance of my brother?”

Rix kept his gaze on Amberly, but his frustration showed as he fingered the tablecloth by his hand where only Gilban could see. “We did not. If your brother is the one I seek and I believe he very well may be, then he and I shared an… intimate moment just prior to his disappearance. My party was going home and I had to go with them, but we agreed I would contact him when I came back.” He looked away and for a moment his strong facade cracked, “I have not been able to reach him.”

About that time, the server showed up with their meal. Rix was grateful for the interruption and took a moment to begin eating rather than engaging in further conversation on the topic at hand. The others took his cue and it was several minutes before Gilban spoke to Amberly, “Your wife is a very educated woman. Are all women as educated as she?”

Amberly shrugged and finished what he was chewing. “What do you mean by all women? Where we are from, most women are as well if not better educated than the men are. But I have found that is not so in all parts of the universe humans populate and as for the rest?” He shrugged, “It all depends on the culture. How are women educated in your culture?”

Gilban looked at Rix who nodded slightly. “Women are educated according to the will of their fathers and husbands. My wife came to me skilled in the things her father thought would make her a good wife and mother. I love my wife and have given her leave to study what she will. Other girls are not so lucky. Some husbands treat their wives like little more than pretty chattel to be taken out and shown off between times of confinement. Others prefer their wives to be ignorant cows.” Gilban blushed. “I am glad your wife is as intelligent as she is beautiful. She should come to our home. I would like her to meet my wife. I have a feeling they would be friends.”

Rix picked up his glass and took a sip, then sat it back down, “Maybe you can explain something to me. In our culture, a man of a certain rank may have only one spouse, although the gender varies by the will of the gods, but he may couple with whomever he pleases so long as that spouse is not, um, displeased.”

Amberly blew his drink through his nose. Brianna grabbed her napkin and began trying to clean him up before it became too much of a mess.

“Did I say something wrong?” Rix asked – the confusion evident in his voice.

Amberly wiped his face and blew his nose before speaking. “Puck is not going to take to that very well. I take it your spouse is aware you are dallying with Puck.”

“My…” Rix blushed a bit before continuing not wanting to share too much information but not wanting to lie either, “no we have not discussed my being here as of yet, but he is aware I have come here for the purposes of sexual release on past occasions. Is it not similar for the two of you?” He knocked his knee into Gilban’s leg.

Gilban looked at Rix, then smiled at Brianna, “Yes, please tell us, how it works on your world, you having two husbands?”

“It works well for us although there were complications at first as there are with all relationships. Bobby and I had been together for three years, in a committed relationship, when we met Amberly. Bobby wanted to bring him home that night. He never wanted to bring a boy home before and I didn’t know what to think. It did not help that Amberly did not want to break us up so he was very reluctant to even be our friend. Nevertheless, after a while, Bobby was able to put words to his emotions and I came to like Amberly as well. By that time, Amberly was living with us. Bobby and Amberly and Bobby and I were both individually in semi-committed relationships. Since then Amberly and I have forged our own relationship separate of Bobby. Eventually we decided to apply for the special status marriage, however, because of Amberly’s age and citizenship status, it’s not been officially approved. We held the ceremony anyway on the date we wanted and decided we will hold it every year until our status is approved.”

“So you are not really married?”

“She is my wife. Bobby is my husband. I don’t care if there is a paper,” Amberly stated firmly.

“So if there was no Bobby, would there be a you and Amberly?”

Brianna looked at Amberly who looked at his lap. “A year ago I would have said no. Six months ago, maybe. Amberly infuriates me sometimes, but so does Bobby. I think we have enough between us to keep a relationship growing, even without Bobby if that becomes necessary. But l hope it never becomes necessary.”

“I will admit to preferring men,” Amberly said softly, “But Brianna is different. I would say I have come to love her. It is sort of like an arranged marriage in a way as neither of us expected the other and there were bumps along the way, but we survived.”

“Arranged marriage,” Rix snorted, “that is how I feel. Only my marriage was arranged by a quirk of fate and my forgetfulness, which I dutifully blame fully on my gods.”

“You didn’t want to be married to your spouse?”

“He is more like my consort than my spouse because he is male. My father’s wife wears the title of Queen but if my father were to die, she would hold no power. I would be crowned as soon as possible and our way of life would continue. However, because he is male, he will have much more power. He can inherit before our children. If he does not agree they are our children, they cannot inherit at all. Also, he can then have children and if I agree they are our children, they stand just as much of a chance to inherit as a child of my own blood. His family line could be the new House of Estovan. Gods forbid, if something were to happen to both of us before our children are old enough to fend for themselves, his brothers could be called upon to protect them by the will of the gods. In the worst-case scenario, a son of theirs would then lead my people. It has only happened once before in our recorded history.” Rix blushed, “It’s how my family took the throne. I don’t want it to be how we lose it as well.”

“Nothing will happen to you Anarix,” Gilban reassured him. So intent was he on his Prince that he nearly missed the exchanged glances between their two guests.

“Enough of this depressing chatter. Tell us of the rest of your family. Do you have other siblings, Amberly?” Rix asked.