Belle, or Beyla, was again the more playful of the three shrine maidens. She had grown up without responsibility for others and for that reason, I expected, spoke her mind without a lot of thought for consequences. Belle would try anything and was eager for sexual experience. If I asked her to do it, she wouldn’t even think before she jumped to do whatever it was. Both Belle and Rani were adept at making up their own bawdy rhymes and were delighted when they thought that maybe they had found a way to make me blush with their ribaldry.
Every one of these girls had jumped into my arms and my heart, and even my bed, after a courtship that lasted less than a minute. It was strange to me, but it made perfect sense to them. I mentioned it to Sashar a few minutes later when she began to rouse herself.
Sashar took a long breath and let it out and gave a satisfied “Ooh, that was um, nice.”
I said, “I thought so.”
She said, “Hey, can I touch it? Your penis? It felt really nice inside.”
I said, “Princess, my body is yours for whatever you want.”
She cooed, “Oh, a playground!” and she slid her hand down my thigh and then back up between my legs, cupping my balls and then rubbing the shaft up and down the length of her palm. She announced, “I like it!” and she smiled at me and lay her head back down on my chest and continued exploring me.
I said, “Sashar, can you tell me something?”
She said, “If you will play in my playground too. I liked it when you touched me. You can touch me anyway you want, anytime you want. It’s only fair after all.”
I said, “Well, that sounds like a good deal. I like playing in my playgrounds with my mouth and tongue too.”
She said, “Ooh, how does that work? Hmm, let me see if I can figure it out,” and she bent down and took the head of my penis between her lips and sucked at it and then licked up and down the shaft and around my balls and between my balls and my leg.
I said, “Whoa! Whoa, oh that feels nice!”
She looked up from my crotch and smiled and said, “Yeah, it does.”
I grabbed her under the arms and pulled her up onto my chest with her face close to mine.
I said, “But wait, I really do want to ask a question.”
She said, “Oh? OK, what is it?”
I said, “Sashar, we had really never spoken and you didn’t know me at all, but when I called for you tonight, you ran to me and accepted my declaration. Why?”
She said, “What?”
I said, “Why did you immediately accept me the way that you did? Aeyli, Rani, Belle, and Alexia have all done the same. Why?”
She raised up on one arm and cocked her head said again, “What?!?”
I said, “Why did you accept when you didn’t really know me?”
She said, “I don’t understand. I did because I did. I knew you because I knew you. Didn’t you say that I was the flower that had captivated your heart and that you loved me and that we would be happy?”
I said, “Yes, and I meant it.”
She said, “I know. You said you loved me and I knew that I loved you. What are you asking?”
I said, “How did you know that you wanted me? Instead of someone else?”
She frowned as if I were stupid and said, “Because I didn’t want anyone else! People aren’t hard to get to know. Did you know Alexia when you met her?”
I admitted, “Yes, it was strange. I felt like I was connected to her. But it surprised me that she would feel the same way. I did feel like I knew her on some level, but she also accepted me instantly. Why?”
She frowned even harder and said, “Because she knew that you knew her and saw what no one else did and that you loved her and she knew you and you knew that she knew you and that she loved you. That only takes a moment. You know this, so why do you ask me?”
I said, “Uh, I guess you’re right. I do know it, but it’s still a surprise to me. I still have things to learn.”
She looked intently at me, staring into my eyes and asked, “Mark, are you really from the shrine? From another world? You are! I can see it! People have been saying it as a joke because you came to us on the arm of a shrine maiden, but I can see in your eyes that it’s true!”
I asked, “Does it make a difference in your decision?”
She said, “My decision to be your princess? Yes, it makes a big difference! How wouldn’t it? Our lives would be very different if you weren’t from another world. But as far as my decision to be your princess, I could not have chosen differently. I told you why already. Whether you’re from this world or another, it won’t change in the choices that our hearts make for us,” and she kissed me.
I said, “I have told Aeyli that on my world, deciding about a mate might take many years as two people try to get to know each other and determine if they would have a good life together.”
She said, “You mean that they need to know things about each other? Trivial things like what food they like to eat? How can that be anything? You know a person in an instant. I see you in the market and I hear what you say and I know my heart. If you know your heart, you call my name and we’re mated. It’s simple.”
She was right. If no one lies, and no one hides who they really are, and if everyone pretty much knows who they are, things like what they like to eat really don’t matter much. When I met the girls, even Alexia, I felt like I knew them and that was enough. They knew me and that was enough. She was right, it was simple. And, stupid to do it any other way… except for the fact that Earth didn’t work that way.
I said, “I see. That makes sense. Thank you.”
I reached down and spread her thighs and pushed her toward my penis and it found its way in and she slid on with a satisfied moan.
I said, “This time, go slowly. Take your time.”
She said, “But you feel so good… and it’s so tight… and feels so good.”
I said, “Alexia wants us all to go into the wilderness together for a while. Is that OK with you?”
She moaned, “Uh huh. Um, sure, Oh, shalock is nice. Yeah, where you go, I go. We can leave now if you want to carry me.”
When we were done, we kissed for a while and I finally said, “Sashar, will you go down and send Aeyli up to me? I want to see her for a bit.”
Sashar smiled and kissed me again and ran off to wake Aeyli.
When Aeyli and I had spent time together, she sent Rani, and when Rani and I had taken our time, she sent Belle. When it was almost dawn, I woke Belle and asked her to go down stairs and ask Alexia to come to the roof again before the day broke.
Alexia came sleepily and crawled into the bed and I pulled the fur over us.
Alexia said, “Oh, did you want something?”
I pulled her to my chest and said, “No, hush, just sleep,” and she snuggled in and we slept until sunup.
Chapter 27
Alexia’s Story
As the sun came up, we stirred in each other’s arms. Alexia looked up and smiled at me.
“Good morning, my prince,” she said.
I was astounded at the depth of change in her since the day before. She really was like a woman released from a prison. It was as if a part of her, the part that connected to the world emotionally, had been locked away and was now free. It made me wonder.
I said, “Alexia, when we met yesterday, you had a very different way of talking. I was struck by it and immediately wanted to get to know you. You know that it’s what made people call you the odd girl. But, you weren’t always odd, were you? Will you tell me about it?”
She laughed and said, “I like laughing, by the way. And smiling. And shalock! And you! And no, I wasn’t always so odd. When I was a child, I was like other children. When I was a young girl, I was like other young girls. But as I grew taller and as I saw how few men there were in Tranna, and I saw how few girls found mates, I knew that none of the men of Tranna were for me. When the old women began to instruct us in the ways of being women, I quickly saw that my life was not going to be like other girls.