by Robin Roseau
“I hear old ladies know things,” Juleena said with a smirk.
“Hey!” Alta and I complained together. Then, speaking over each other, she said, “I’m not old” at the same time, “They’re not supposed to have told you I said that.”
Alta turned to me. “Who did you say about it?”
“I’m sure I don’t remember.”
“It was that old priestess,” Juleena said. “Umma. Afra.”
“Ulla?” Alta said. “You and Ulla?”
“Heavens, no. It was a joke.”
She turned back to Juleena. “I’m not old. I’m older.”
“Tell the truth, Juleena,” I said. “She’s still got it, doesn’t she?”
“Yeah,” Juleena says. “She’s still got it.” She smiled, then frowned. “I’m not doing this in the dark, Mother.”
“Of course not. We’ll announce a three-way marriage to the entire world.”
Juleena looked at Alta. She looked at me. “And that bit about consummating the relationship?”
“Oh, I already called that part off.”
Juleena stood up and held out one hand to me and the other to Alta. We took the offer and rose. Laughing, she dragged me from Ralalta’s chamber and upstairs to mine.
* * * *
Hours later, we lay together in a tangle. I’m not sure who kicked the maids out, but they’d taken one look, peeled back the covers of the bed, and split. We hadn’t seen or heard from them since.
I was spent, utterly spent. From the looks of it, so were Alta and Juleena.
And so we lay together, tangled, limbs entwined, and I wasn’t quite sure whom I was touching where.
But that was definitely Juleena’s breast on which rested my hand, and I thought it was Alta’s hand on my breast. But I wasn’t quite sure.
Inside, I could feel them. Both of them. The spell the Goddess had set into me triggered, sometime in the middle of everything we did. I was linked to both of them, and I knew they were also linked.
“I can feel you both.”
“I should hope so,” Juleena said. “That’s your hand there, isn’t it?”
“That’s not what I mean. Inside.”
“No, I’m pretty sure neither of us is still inside you.”
“Juleena! Can’t you feel it? We’re linked. Here?” And I tugged on the link I shared with her.
“Oh,” she said, nearly a moan. “Oh, do that again.”
So I tugged harder, and then they both moaned.
“You two should be able to do that to me, too,” I explained. “And I think you can do it to each other.” I grinned. “You might have to practice.”
“Often,” said Alta.
“Definitely,” agreed Juleena. “So, about this courting thing.”
“Forget it,” I said. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re married. Any arguments?”
“No,” they said together.
“I didn’t buy you a wedding gift yet,” Juleena said.
“I don’t want you to buy me a wedding gift. I want you to do something for me. Two somethings.”
“What?”
“I want you both to become fluent in the other language,” I said.
“We’ll teach each other,” Alta said. “Agreed, Juleena?”
“Agreed.”
“From you, Juleena, I want something very important to me.”
“Anything.”
“I want you to open your heart to the Goddess. I want you to let my priestesses teach you.”
“For you.” Then she rolled closer and kissed me, then rolled half over me to kiss Alta as well.
“I’d like to join those lessons,” she said. “Obviously, I already know about the Goddess, and she has my heart, but...”
“Of course,” I said. “Tomorrow.” Then I snuggled into both of them, and we slept.
Afterword
It was late when I slipped to the temple. Ralalta was there. She had pulled a chair in front of the statue and had fallen asleep, staring up at the Goddess. I knelt down beside her and caressed her cheek.
Her eyes opened, and she turned to look at me. She smiled. “I had such dreams.”
“Good dreams, Mother?”
“Yes.” She caressed my cheek. “I love when you call me that. Are you happy?”
“Completely.”
Then she gestured with her nose. “She’s real, isn’t she?”
“Quite real.”
“The words in here. I like these words, Yalla.”
“They are the first words I learned.”
“You love her.”
“It’s impossible not to.”
“I want to meet her.”
“You won’t be able to see her.”
“We talk through you.”
“Yes,” I said.
“I want to meet her. But I don’t know when I could travel to Alteara. Do you think she could accept an invitation?”
“I don’t know. I know she wants to meet you. Ralalta, she hopes you’ll accept her into your heart.”
“I think I’d like that.” She sighed. “I should go to bed.”
“I was going to talk to her for a few minutes. Could I move you to one of the sofas and then walk you home?”
“That would be lovely.”
I straightened and then helped Ralalta from the chair. I drew her to the left and set her into one of the sofas. Then I moved the chair back to its usual place before taking a seat at the feet of the statue. Then I spoke in the language of the Goddess.
“I felt something, Prestainamatta. Inside. I don’t understand.”
“Yalla,” I heard very faintly. “I am your Prestainamatta. Is it so unexpected I may work a miracle? Congratulations, and congratulations, and congratulations once more. I love you.”
And then she was gone again. But I bowed my head for a minute.
Then I rose and collected Ralalta.
“So soon?”
“Yes,” I said. I wrapped her arm in mine and led us from the temple. We turned right and then we came to my door. I turned us right again.
“I thought you were offering to walk me to my bedroom.”
“I am, but there’s something you need to hear first.” I stepped forward and opened the door, then pulled her in.
Alta and Juleena had woken, and they were murmuring softly.
“The queen is with me,” I said. “Pull some clothes on and come sit with us.” I moved Ralalta to a sofa then sat beside her and took her hand.
It took Juleena and Alta a minute, and I heard a curse or two as they struggled to figure out whose clothing was whose. But then, together and holding hands, they came to us.
“Make a circle,” I said. “Pull that sofa closer. Juleena here.” I waved. And then I was holding her hand, and Ralalta reached for Alta’s. “The Goddess wants me to have children,” I said.
“There is time,” Juleena replied.
“Yes. Nine months. Apparently, she is impatient. I am pregnant. And Juleena, I think you’re the mother. Congratulations. Alta, I think she intends you to be mother to the next one.”
The third volume of the Pawn Series is due later in 2016.
About Altearan Names
Altearan names are meant to be pronounced as they are written, but they are long and complicated. Below are some examples.
In general, an accented vowel that follows another vowel is pronounced separately and with emphasis. See Mesenorié, for example. An accented vowel that follows a consonant is probably pronounced as part of that consonant. See Féla and Naddí.
There are no silent letters, although I have written names such as as Talíahmarteen, and the -teen ending is said just like an American would pronounce the shortened form of the word teenager.
Americans are likely to set the accent in the wrong place, especially for names like Mesenorié. Temptation is to place the accent one syllable from the end, as if it is Meh-she-nor-EE-eh. We don’t like to end words in an accent. We’re more comfortable with Féla than Nadd
í and would be more likely to pronounce the latter as NAH-dee. The double-D doesn’t help. We tend to pronounce fiddle as “FIH-del” or “FIH-dal”.
Féla: FEY-la
Resaírelteena: (Féla’s full name) Re-sah-EAR-el-tee-na or Re-sah-EE-rel-tee-na
Naddí: Nahd-DEE
Mesenorié: Meh-seh-nor-ee-EH
Terél: Teh-REL
In the end, feel free to pronounce the words the way it works for you. But if it seems like you stumble over them when you encounter them, rest comfortable that you aren’t alone. So does Yallameenara, which is why she asks for shortened forms. Their foreign names, after all, and should feel strange and uncomfortable.
Robin Roseau
June, 2016
About the Author
A writer by avocation, Robin has a renaissance interest in many areas. A bit of a gypsy, Robin has called a few places home and has traveled widely. A love of the outdoors, animals in general and experimenting with world cuisines, Robin and partner share their home with a menagerie of pets and guests, although sometimes it is difficult to discern who is whom.
Robin can be reached via email as [email protected]. Robin's web site is http://www.robin-roseau.com.
Works by Robin Roseau
The Madison Wolves Series
Fox Run
Fox Play
Fox Mate
Fox Afield
Fox Revenge
Fox Dish
Fox Lost
Wolf Watch
Wolf Ways
Wolf Women
Fox Fate
Fox Short Stories
Hunting Pups
Fox in the Water
Fox Rematch (set after Fox Mate and Fox Afield)
Fox Opponent
A Foxy Valentine
Other Books in the Madison Wolves Universe
Familiar
Poor Little Witch Girl
Seer
Seer: Thrall
The Selected Series
Collected
Taken
Volunteer
Candidate
The Games People Play Series
Stories that ask a simple question: do you want to play a game?
Do You Want to Play a Game?
My Soul to Play
Other Novels and Novellas
Anonymous Bidder
Blood Slave
A Charming Brew
Emergency Claus
Fitting In
Free to Love
Galatzi Trade
Galatzi World
In Custody
Lost in the Words
Privateer
Stark's Dell
Submission
Surprise
The Interrogation
Tresjolie
Trust
The Ski Bindings Shorts
Short stories of love and lust amongst the slopes.
Snow Fox
Short Stories
Cooking for Love
Southern Night
Captured by the Raptor (writing as Rosetta Robins)
Bishop
Copyright 2016 by Robin Roseau
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, copied in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise transmitted without written permission from the publisher. You must not circulate this book in any format.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
* * *
License Notes
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