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.”
