middle of the night when Elentinus gently gathered me in his arms. He lifted me off the bed and carried me several paces. I didn’t know what he was doing so I just pretended to be asleep. I felt him set me down and opened my eyes. I was in a different bed in an alcove thirty feet away from where I’d been. Elentinus covered me with a blanket, soothed some hair off my forehead, and tried to sneak away.
I scrambled to sit up on the side of the bed. “What? What is this? Why did you put me here?”
Elentinus looked startled for a moment. He walked back over to me.
“That’s your bed, my darling. I’m sorry you weren’t shown where it was sooner.”
“What do you mean this is my bed?” I was raving. A powder keg of emotion had built up inside me all day and this was just the spark I needed to detonate. “We’re married. We share a bed!”
Elentinus ran his fingers through my hair with a soft smile. “Was that the custom in your time?”
“Of course it was.” I became plaintive. “Husbands and wives eat together, they sleep together, they cuddle and kiss.” I started to cry. “What’s wrong with you people?”
Elentinus hugged me against his middle. “Shh.” He stroked my hair with a tender hand. “If that’s what you wish, then of course you can come back to my bed. The Dak-Hiliah normally only share a bed with our wives for mating. You stayed with me that first night so our record could be photographed in the morning.”
“Why?” I snuffled. “Why don’t you want to sleep in the same bed with your wife?”
He tilted me back so I could look up at him.
“It’s not a matter of wanting things one way or the other. The druid Shindray told me, my father, and my grandfather before him to sleep separately from our wives. He gave us many stern rules to follow with our spouses. Those rules were a curse from the dark god who resided in him. It’s what led us to the dire circumstances we find ourselves in today.”
I had an unblinking stare fixed on him. I really needed to finish up my Dak-Hiliah studies.
“We have a new druid in the holiest seat now. He decreed that Shindray’s rules don’t apply to any female of human descent. It’s a new beginning for us. A chance to return our empire to the glory days we knew before Shindray took his seat.” He paused to caress the side of my face. “Unfortunately, my dear, our new high druid is a little boy. The god within him must contend with the faculties of a child for the next decade. So, although he’s eradicated Shindray’s harsh rules, he’s given us precious few new ones to replace them.”
I rose and walked back with him to our bed.
“I’ll give you some rules,” I said, while dabbing my eyes. “Your wife should be your best friend. You should be equal partners, sharing everything with each other. And you should be free to love each other without any rules or restrictions.”
Elentinus sat on the side of his bed with me and took my both my hands. “My dear, you are in a very unique position. You’re the first bride brought to our time since Shindray’s death.”
This revelation struck me.
“I want you to write a letter to Pakpo, the druid in the holiest seat, describing how husbands and wives coexisted in your time. I’ll have Hor provide you with means and procedures to compose such a letter. Make suggestions to Pakpo.”
I hugged Elentinus’ hands to my chest. “Oh my God, I would love that.”
“We’ve existed by Shindray’s rules so long there’s no one left alive who remembers when things were different. Educate us, my dear. Pakpo is my—well, technically, he’s my half-brother. As his only blood relative on the council I’ve become a bit of a darling to him. I know he’d welcome suggestions from my wife.” He ran is fingers through my hair. “You
I scrambled to sit up on the side of the bed. “What? What is this? Why did you put me here?”
Elentinus looked startled for a moment. He walked back over to me.
“That’s your bed, my darling. I’m sorry you weren’t shown where it was sooner.”
“What do you mean this is my bed?” I was raving. A powder keg of emotion had built up inside me all day and this was just the spark I needed to detonate. “We’re married. We share a bed!”
Elentinus ran his fingers through my hair with a soft smile. “Was that the custom in your time?”
“Of course it was.” I became plaintive. “Husbands and wives eat together, they sleep together, they cuddle and kiss.” I started to cry. “What’s wrong with you people?”
Elentinus hugged me against his middle. “Shh.” He stroked my hair with a tender hand. “If that’s what you wish, then of course you can come back to my bed. The Dak-Hiliah normally only share a bed with our wives for mating. You stayed with me that first night so our record could be photographed in the morning.”
“Why?” I snuffled. “Why don’t you want to sleep in the same bed with your wife?”
He tilted me back so I could look up at him.
“It’s not a matter of wanting things one way or the other. The druid Shindray told me, my father, and my grandfather before him to sleep separately from our wives. He gave us many stern rules to follow with our spouses. Those rules were a curse from the dark god who resided in him. It’s what led us to the dire circumstances we find ourselves in today.”
I had an unblinking stare fixed on him. I really needed to finish up my Dak-Hiliah studies.
“We have a new druid in the holiest seat now. He decreed that Shindray’s rules don’t apply to any female of human descent. It’s a new beginning for us. A chance to return our empire to the glory days we knew before Shindray took his seat.” He paused to caress the side of my face. “Unfortunately, my dear, our new high druid is a little boy. The god within him must contend with the faculties of a child for the next decade. So, although he’s eradicated Shindray’s harsh rules, he’s given us precious few new ones to replace them.”
I rose and walked back with him to our bed.
“I’ll give you some rules,” I said, while dabbing my eyes. “Your wife should be your best friend. You should be equal partners, sharing everything with each other. And you should be free to love each other without any rules or restrictions.”
Elentinus sat on the side of his bed with me and took my both my hands. “My dear, you are in a very unique position. You’re the first bride brought to our time since Shindray’s death.”
This revelation struck me.
“I want you to write a letter to Pakpo, the druid in the holiest seat, describing how husbands and wives coexisted in your time. I’ll have Hor provide you with means and procedures to compose such a letter. Make suggestions to Pakpo.”
I hugged Elentinus’ hands to my chest. “Oh my God, I would love that.”
“We’ve existed by Shindray’s rules so long there’s no one left alive who remembers when things were different. Educate us, my dear. Pakpo is my—well, technically, he’s my half-brother. As his only blood relative on the council I’ve become a bit of a darling to him. I know he’d welcome suggestions from my wife.” He ran is fingers through my hair. “You
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