Rohana - Part 4

If you don't remember this story, you can read it from the beginning, or just catch up on the last chapter :-)

Part 4

Rohana was startled awake the next morning. She sat up abruptly with a gasp. Felix chuckled, finding her reaction adorable.

“That is your body servant, Pongo. I hope he is to your liking,” Felix murmured with a grin. “If not, we can always find you a body servant you prefer more.”

Rohana gaped at the handsome man with creamy chocolate skin who was between her legs. He was currently massaging her thighs. She looked over to find an utterly gorgeous woman with soft cocoa colored skin doing the same to Felix.

“Why are they doing that?” Rohana asked, half curious, half shocked.

“In Uridian, all nobles – and anyone who can afford servants – have body servants to help wake them up pleasantly, get them dressed, and attend to any needs,” Felix explained. “The only thing you need to be concerned about is creating a child. He knows it will be the end of his career if he penetrates you before you definitely carry my child.”

“Wait!” Rohana blurted out in astonishment. “You mean that he is supposed to be touching me... there?!”

“Yes,” Felix confirmed with a chuckle. “When you are ready, we will try again to create a child.”

“Oh...” Rohana exhaled in understanding, and then lay back down and tried to relax.

Just like the Priests had done the night before, her body servant used his mouth on her to make her scream with pleasure. She lay gasping in the aftermath, wondering why the people of the Valley Kingdom didn't have body servants to wake them up too. Felix grinned at her with an interesting expression.

“You look positively beautiful when your face is infused with passion,” he informed her. “I love seeing it!”

Rohana blushed in embarrassment, and turned away from him shyly. “Thanks... I think...”

“Every day until you conceive my child, we shall do this once or twice. In the morning when the servants give us a pleasant wake up is the most convenient time, but also perhaps when we go to bed at night. I suppose that depends on how tired we are,” Felix murmured in thought.

“Once or twice a day!” Rohana gasped in alarm. “I had no idea people did this so often!”

“Newlyweds do,” Felix informed her with a chuckle and a grin. “Or so I'm told.”

Rohana blushed again, covering her face with a pillow. “That means that everyone in the palace is going to be looking at me and just know that we did this!”

Felix laughed, kissing her as he shifted to lay on top of her. “I think that they were going to know that anyway since it was our wedding night!”

Rohana actually chuckled at that. “Well, I suppose you're right about that.” She kissed him and spread her legs wide so that he could enter her. Having a body servant to wake her up pleasantly worked wonders! She was more than ready to have her husband inside her.

Felix was in the mood to take his time – much to the dismay of his chief adviser, who was made to wait out in the hall for a long time. Rohana found her husband fun and playful, making her laugh and purr happily. Even so, she had to beg him to wait for a moment at one point so that she could visit their private privy.

He made use of it after her, but then they returned to bed to finish their morning romp. By the time they were done, Rohana was of the opinion that their bedsharing would be no hardship at all! She lay resting her head on his shoulder and hummed lightly. Her fingers loved to stroke his short and tightly curly black hair.

A thought occurred to her. “So... if we do have a child soon, what would we name him or her?”

Felix shrugged. “Felix the third for a boy. Not so sure about a girl...”

“What do you think about Failina?” Rohana asked with a smile. “It sounds a bit like Felix.”

“That's an interesting name,” Felix agreed, kissing her. He then got very quiet for a moment. Long enough to make her very curious.

“What?” She asked, shifting to look him in the eyes.

“I know we haven't been together long enough to decide if we love each other or not, but can you at least pretend to love me in public?” Felix asked, quite seriously.

Rohana smiled at him. “I will be as kind and attentive to you as I ever was,” she promised. “Most people will probably see that as love anyway.”

“Yes,” he murmured in agreement. “I know I did think that until you looked so miserable by the prospect of marrying me. I'm sorry that you had to give up your beloved for me.”

“I chose this...” Rohana murmured very softly. She didn't want to think about all the plans for the future that she'd made that would never come to be now.

Felix was quiet for another long moment before speaking again. “You could choose him as your official body servant,” he suggested. “That way, you could still be together. However, as I said earlier, your body servant is not allowed to penetrate you until after you clearly carry my child. I could see that being frustrating...”

Rohana shook her head. “I couldn't do that to either of us. It would just be too heartbreaking.”

Felix kissed her on the cheek, and brushed some stray hair out of her face. “I must warn you that even though Uridian may seem like it is sexually open, lovers and infidelity are frowned upon. If you were caught bedding him, I would be expected to punish you. However, lest you feel this unfair to women, know that the same holds true for me. If I am caught in bed with another woman, you have the right and duty to punish me.”

“Do you realize how confusing that is!” Rohana cried out, sitting up to stare at him. “Your Kingdom allows and expects body servants to practically make love to a person on a daily basis, but taking on a lover can get you punished?!”

Felix shrugged, sitting up so that he could hold her hands. “I can understand how this is confusing. But body servants have strict rules to follow. Such as no penetration before a child is conceived. An unmarried woman is expected to have a female body servant or a male one who has been caged. – You actually could have a female one if you prefer,” he interrupted his explanation to give her that bit of information.

Rohana thought this over. “So... I think I understand. A body servant is a lover, but one with rules. This is to prevent infidelity and ensure that children are conceived by the right people. But... wouldn't it be easier to just... not have sex with anyone but one's spouse?”

“You ask that as a newly wedded wife,” Felix pointed out with a chuckle. “Wait until you've been married many years and then ask that! Actually, our Gods feel that sexual pleasure is a divine right.” He sighed and shrugged. “I guess I cannot explain it very well. Perhaps you should call for a Priest or Priestess to come explain it to you. They've been trained in this and should know the answers to your questions.”

“Wait...” Rohana murmured in thought. “Priests don't count, do they? They are like teachers, and so may be called upon to...” She faltered, unsure how to finish that sentence.

Felix nodded with an understanding smile. “That is true. If a person feels that they are not experiencing genuine pleasure, they may go to or call for a Priest or Priestess to teach them what to do or work through any problems they might have.”

“Oh!” Rohana exclaimed softly in understanding. “That makes some sense...” Which was true despite the fact that nothing seemed to make sense here!

“Your Majesty...” the female body servant dared to interrupt them. “Would you like me to bring you something for breakfast, now that you've missed it...”

“Yes Perdita, that would be wonderful,” Felix stated, covering his stomach as it growled.

“My Queen, would you like to get dressed, or would you prefer to wear a robe for now and take a bath before getting dressed?”

Rohana looked at her body servant. He was very good looking with his creamy chocolate skin, bald head, and soft brown eyes. It was a good thing that someone chose him for her, because if she had to try to chose a body servant, knowing that he would be fairly intimate with her, she would never have been able to choose!

“Yes – I mean, I would like a robe and then a bath after breakfast,” she replied.

Breakfast was interesting in that Felix told her anecdotes from his childhood that made her giggle. He was a kind and patient man who liked to make people laugh, and this was part of the reason he made such a terrible King. He wanted to please people and hadn't yet learned how to act in the best interests of the Kingdom.

Rohana at least knew a bit about that. Farming in general was a practice in doing what was best for everything so that it all grew well and didn't compete for nutrients. When she thought of running a Kingdom like running a farm, she felt a bit better about being Queen.

After breakfast, Felix and Rohana went to the palace bath, bringing their body servants with them. Rohana looked around the bath in awe. Prior to now, she had been using a portable tub that servants carried into her room, filled with water for her to bathe in, and then emptied and carried away when she was done. This was a large room containing a huge tub!

“Why is it so big?” Rohana asked. “If it is intended for only the King to use, shouldn't it be just big enough for one or two people?”

Felix laughed and kissed her hand. “This is not here just for me! This bath is intended for use by everyone in the palace!”

“But!” Rohana protested, trying to wrap her mind around this concept. “Wouldn't that lead to a long line if too many people wanted to use it at the same time?”

Felix tried his best not to laugh at her, but their body servants were softly sniggering behind them. “Bathing here is usually done together. I would guess that the only reason we have it all to ourselves at the moment is that we waited until most people had already bathed for the morning. It'll get crowded again later on.”

Rohana felt faint. “Th-th-then p-p-people will s-s-see me naked!”

“Eventually,” Felix murmured gently. “Don't worry, you will always have your body servant on hand to help you and keep an eye on you. If you also wish it, you can have a bodyguard to ensure your safety. However, I'm telling you now that bathing together is quite safe.”

Rohana thought this over in silence as her body servant, Pongo, helped her out of her robe and set it aside. He had already slipped out of the tiny garment that covered his genitals, and now led her into the large tub. She followed him meekly.

“My Queen, I shall scrub your back and hair. Only if you wish it will I scrub anything else. There is a variety of scents I can rub into your lovely hair once it's clean if you'd like.”

He pointed to a collection of bottles sitting in a basket on the ledge of the tub. This gave her something to think about as her body servant busied himself washing her up. As she smelled the various scents, she watched Felix.

“This one,” she stated and set a particular bottle aside once she had decided upon it. Felix smiled at her, holding his arms out so that his body servant could scrub him thoroughly.

“You're used to this, aren't you?” She asked, seeing how relaxed and at ease he was.

“Well yes,” Felix answered with a shrug. “I've been bathing like this my whole life.”

“In the Valley Kingdom, we have a room in each house dedicated to bathing. It's a very private experience. Outside the room, there's a barrel set over a fire to keep it warm, and another barrel full of colder water. When one begins, they tug a rope that signals water from each barrel to mix so that it is warm and won't burn. Then it sprays out from a pipe just long enough to get the bather wet.”

Rohana took the washcloth from Pongo and used it to scrub her front. “After that, they soap up their body and hair as the mixing bucket refills with hot and cold water. When the bather is ready to rinse off, they pull the rope again. Sometimes, they need a second rinse to get rid of all the soap, but then they are done and it is their duty to refill the buckets and make sure that the fire is well fueled.”

“That sounds interesting,” Felix remarked with a smile. “I'm sure I could ask one of my smarter courtiers to work on something similar, if you'd like.”

“Hmm...” Rohana hummed in thought.

“Of course, the device would be installed in here...” Felix added in warning.”

Rohana laughed softly, finding him adorable at the moment. “Of course.”

“Now that we are clean, do you wish to linger and relax?” Felix wondered, leaving the decision up to her.

She shrugged, moaning lightly as Pongo massaged the wonderful scent into her long and wet red hair. “I don't know. I'm not used to sitting in a tub.”

“Then we'll return to our chamber and get dressed,” Felix stated with a smile. “I daresay that my adviser is probably chomping at the bit by now!”

“Poor him! We should have hurried!” Rohana exclaimed in dismay.

“No,” Felix denied confidently. “If we work on the schedule of our advisers, we'd never get any sleep! They would work us to death!”

“Oh...” Rohana murmured in enlightenment. “I see...”

They exited the tub, slipped into their robes, and then walked back to their spacious chambers. Neither touched the other because Rohana was feeling inexplicably shy again, but his body servant whispered an assurance in her ear that it was normal for her to be shy for a while after marriage.

She nodded in thanks even as she blushed and looked to the floor. “I'm not sure I'll ever get used to our servants being nearly naked!”

“But it's fun to be naked!” Perdita protested with a pout.

Rohana laughed and shook her head as she turned to look at Perdita. “I'll have to take your word for it!”

“A word, Queen Rohana?” Lord Arturos asked politely. He even bowed slightly to her, which shocked her a bit.

“I object!” The main adviser to King Felix protested. “I have been waiting to meet with them for hours!”

“Well you must wait a while longer,” Felix stated mildly. “My Queen and I have yet to dress.”

Rohana looked from Lord Arturos to Prince Orion – who looked towards the ceiling with a blush – to Chyllen. She then looked to the floor as a blush settled on her own cheeks. Never in the Valley Kingdom could she have imagined having a situation occur in which she would be wearing only a robe as she walked around in public.

Felix saw her suddenly ashamed expression and kissed her hand. “I'll leave this decision up to you. If you would like to invite your dear Valleyins into Our Royal Chambers for a private chat, you may.”

“But your Majesty!” His adviser protested, feeling cheated.

“Hush!” Felix commanded. “Her Majesty is feeling a bit homesick this morning and I am certain that a visit from her companions will do her a world of good!”

“Yes, my King...” his adviser stated with a sigh, and then got comfortable waiting on a bench once more.

Rohana smiled at her husband gratefully. “Actually yes, I would like to invite them in for a chat. Pongo, are you the one I would ask for tea? And perhaps some cookies?”

Pongo looked delighted to hear her address him by name. He grinned at her and gave her a deep bow. “Yes, my Queen! Right away!”

Guards opened the door as Pongo rushed off. “Majesty,” they intoned respectfully. Felix led the way into their chamber, and then kissed Rohana's hand again.

“I shall be in the closet if you need me,” Felix informed her.

“My Queen,” his body servant murmured as she bobbed a curtsey to Rohana and then followed her master into his closet.

Rohana felt embarrassed by the fact that she was wearing nothing but a robe, but since it covered her thoroughly, she forced herself to remain calm and sit at the table. It was big enough for six to eight people to sit around, so she gestured an invitation for them to sit as well. Lord Arturos gave her a compassionate smile as he sat, Prince Orion and Chyllen following his lead.

“How are you today, my dear?” Lord Arturos asked with a sympathetic smile.

“I'm as well as can be expected,” Rohana murmured, wishing she had a cup of tea already to hide her blush in.

“He didn't... hurt you...” Chyllen asked, looking to the floor. Rohana could see that he was in mental agony thinking about all the things that could have gone wrong.

“No,” Rohana assured him with a tiny smile. “We had a half dozen religious clerics to witness... it... I am fairly certain that if he was hurting me, at least one of them would have stopped him and lectured him until he could not hurt me.”

Chyllen dared to look her in the eye. “But I know you. I don't think you would have let on that you were being hurt if you thought you were doing the right thing!”

Rohana smiled at him, happy that he was concerned for her, and also eager to reassure him. “I'm serious. The Priestesses were very helpful in telling me what to expect and the Priests helped to calm me down and be relaxed. I am not hurt!”

Chyllen sighed in relief. “I was so afraid that...”

“I know,” Rohana murmured softly. “I was afraid of that too, at first.”

Pongo arrived just then with their tea. He quietly handed out cups, poured the tea, and then arranged a selection of cookies on small plates for each of them. When he was done, he stepped back and pretended to be nonexistent as he attended to her every need.

“Thank you Pongo,” Rohana murmured, looking vaguely in his general direction. She wasn't used to servants waiting on her and wasn't quite sure how to treat him yet.

“My pleasure, my Queen,” Pongo stated with a respectful bow. He noticed that she didn't really look at him, but since most people never even bothered to thank them, he already felt like the luckiest servant alive.

“May I ask,” Lord Arturos began with an interested smile. “What exactly happens during the Ritual of Blessing?”

Rohana blushed just about as red as she ever had and buried her face in her hands. “By the Gods! Don't ask me to explain it to you!”

“What is there to be embarrassed about?” Pongo asked curiously, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't supposed to speak without permission. “Three Priests and three Priestesses come to prepare a newly wedded couple for their wedding night according to our Gods' wishes so that they may conceive a child.”

“Prepare how?” Lord Arturos wondered, smirking at Rohana in a way that let everyone know he found her embarrassment adorable.

“Well, they start with a massage...” Pongo replied, putting a finger to his lip and staring at the ceiling as he thought this over.

“Thus calming and relaxing a newly married couple, I see,” Lord Arturos stated with a nod. This made sense to him. He half wished that there were Priestesses available to come to him on his wedding night, once upon a time ago. He had been so nervous that he still wasn't confident that he had pleased his wife.

Rohana got to her feet. “Pongo, I'd really like to get dressed now.”

“Yes, my Queen,” he said obediently.

“I'm sorry to cut this visit short,” Rohana apologized. She hadn't planned to, but she just couldn't hear her servant explain what had happened. It was far too embarrassing!

“Wait just a moment more,” Lord Arturos bid before she could rush away.

“We need to tell you something important,” Prince Orion added, feeling relieved now that the conversation no longer revolved around her wedding night.

“What?” Rohana asked curiously.

“We're... leaving...” Prince Orion announced apologetically. “Our mission here is done.”

“I see...” Rohana murmured sadly. She looked at Chyllen. The expression of hidden misery on his face tugged at her heart. She dared to take his hand into hers. “I'll miss you more than you'll ever know.”

“I still say that you should hire him as your official body servant,” Felix stated unexpectedly, alerting them to the fact that he had returned from the closet. He leaned in the doorway, watching her with a smile.

“That wouldn't be fair to either of us,” Rohana murmured. “In the Valley Kingdom, we do not have such servants, and forcing him to walk around wearing only that would be far more embarrassing than I can stand!” She pointed to Pongo's tiny garment.

Felix chuckled. “I daresay that you'd get used to it very quickly.” He then shrugged. “Whatever you want. I only wish for you to be happy.” He turned to walk to the door so that he could finally meet with his adviser, stopping a few feet later. “Perhaps you could hire him as your bodyguard.”

Rohana looked at Chyllen's hand in hers. A big part of her did not want to let him leave the Uridian palace, ever, but most of her wanted him to be happy. She just didn't think that he could do that here.

He shook his head. “No... I could not bear that.”

“I didn't think so,” Rohana murmured sadly.

Felix walked over and nodded his head at Chyllen regally. “I am truly sorry that I have stolen the woman you were meant to marry. I promise that I will treat her well.”

“That's all I ask,” Chyllen murmured, got to his feet, bowed to King Felix, and then left the room.

Rohana noticed that her hand – the one that had been in his – followed him of its own will, so she pulled it back and cradled it against her heart. Lord Arturos got to his feet and gave her a compassionate hug. He brushed the damp hair out of her face and bestowed a kiss on her forehead.

“Do not fret about him too much,” Lord Arturos advised. “More than anything, he wishes for you to be happy.”

“As I wish for him,” Rohana replied, returning the Lord's hug. “Please watch over him for me and make sure that he doesn't mope and wallow.”

Next, as her husband let his adviser into the room, Rohana gave Prince Orion a small hug that made him blush. “I hope I'll get to see you again someday.”

He dared to return her hug, and then as he tried to pull away, she kissed him on the cheek. He blushed a bit harder, holding a hand to his cheek. “You have represented our Kingdom well. I'll make sure that everyone knows of your bravery and heroism.”

“Thank you,” she murmured softly, feeling the very opposite of brave at the moment.

Go To Part 5