Lyees smiled stiffly. I thought maybe she was trying her best to ignore the other ladies in the group, but I couldn’t be sure.
“The Founding is a maze challenge. The two of you will be placed in the maze at the start of the day, without food or water, and tasked with finding your way out. It’s an exercise in cooperation, to see if you can avoid fighting while you are hungry, thirsty, and lost. Most hopeful couples cannot.”
I sat up straight. “What’s the consequences if you dissolve into a screaming match, or if you fail to get out?” I asked, frowning at the implication that they could try and stop Rema and I from marrying just because of a little spat while hangry.
Lyees’s smile warmed, her eyes softening. “There are no consequences, Patty. It is only meant to let you discover who your potential spouse is at their worst before you join with them.”
Ah, that was smart. “Wish we had something like that back on Earth. Would have saved me a lot of hardships.”
Humans should have to do trials like this. Imagine finding out your boyfriend was a huge asshole when he was madbeforeyou moved in with him. Fucking game changer.
“The mating ceremony is the very last thing a pair does before marriage. Most have been courting for years before they complete the eight days of trials, but still, it is a last measure of compatibility. Challenges are a good way of showing true character. How often does a couple face adversity while courting? It has saved many unnecessary heartaches.” She paused, her head tilting. “Though you and Rema are unique. Both because you’ve only been courting for a short while, and that time has been fraught with challenges, but also because you are different species. The Neldre don’t usually mate outside of their own kind.”
I snorted. “If by challenges you mean war, then yeah, we’ve faced some challenges.” Rema and I had fought and killed side by side while on Korsal. I’d say we were good at facing hardshipstogether. Not to mention he’d been the one who’d been with me when I’d discovered I could make roots and vines.
“Yes, exactly. I have no doubt that you and Rema will excel at tomorrow's challenge.”
One of the harpies—the redhead—sniffed as she brought her silver cup to her lips. “Yes, I’m sure their shared barbarism will aid them.”
Lyees gave the redhead a sharp quelling look, before returning her smile to me.
“On the second day, Challenge is issued. That will be Rema’s time to prove that he can provide protection. It’s an arena event that usually attracts a rather large crowd. The city makes a day of it. It will also be an opportunity for any other males to present themselves to you and to challenge Rema for the right to be courted by you. I will go over it with you tomorrow evening after you’ve rested from the Founding.”
I was picturing a Roman gladiator arena style thing with one on one combatants, and couldn’t help but smile at her. “Sounds interesting. But what if I don’t want any other males to present to me? Is that not a factor?”
Not that I thought there would be any. The Neldre didn’t strike me as the interspecies dating type. Rema seemed to be the outliner and that was probably because of his years serving on the Solus. Hard to be xenophobic when surrounded by everyone but your own kind. Or would it be speciesism?
Huge assholes worked too.
Lyees nodded. “Yes, that is absolutely taken into account. I can let it be known that you are not allowing any challengers for courtship.”
Another snort from the peanut gallery. “As if she would have any other Neldre interested.” The redhead again.
I shifted to look at her. “Why? Is it the scales? Or the lack of wings? Oh, it's the only having two arms, huh? I can understandthat. If all of the Neldre males have huge cocks like Rema, I could see how having four hands for the job would be preferred,” I said, blinking my eyes at her innocently.
The redhead blushed, her eyes flaming in affront. “You are a crude creature.”
I blinked owlishly at Lyees. “What did I say?”
The pretty blonde was blushing as well, but her smile had widened. “We are unaccustomed to bold language outside of our own matings. And it is the smaller males that are the more sought after, so two hands would be more than enough for the task.”
Smaller?Well, that ruled Rema out. That ruled him out BIG time.
“Well aren’t I lucky. There isn’t anything small about Rema. Not one single thing.”
The group of harpies actually shifted uncomfortably on the couch. Cowards.
“Is that why Rema wasn’t swarmed with females trying to court him? I’ve only heard of the two?”Nice slide into the topic, Patty. Must know who to stab. Can’t have any would be lovers trying to take what's mine.
I kept my face merely curious and not at all like a rabid dog. Still, my heart clenched for Rema when Lyees nodded her head.
“He was courted by several females, not just the Queen’s kin. He is, after all, from a wealthy House. But yes, that is part of it. He is much larger than what is desirable to the majority of the population. Though the larger reason would be that he wanted to be a Unity soldier. He pursued it relentlessly in his youth, much to his mother’s disapproval, and left as soon as he was able. We don’t leave our families very often, much less one of our planets. And for first sons to serve in the military is frowned upon here.”
Rema the rebel. How adorable. I’d noticed the guards along the wall on our way to the throne room were shorter and leanerthan Rema, but I hadn’t really thought much of it. But now that Lyees had pointed it out, Rema was at least a head taller than everyone we’d met, except for the Queen. Even sitting as she was, she was noticeably taller.
“So you all prefer short, leanly muscled males who don’t leave their mommy’s house? What the hell do they do then?”
Lyees’s head tilted back on a laugh. “Yes and no,” she said, giving me a sly, cryptic look, still chuckling. “Our males move into their wives' House when they are married. Most males serve a time in our security forces, as well as various guard duties around the cities, but once they are joined to a female they are expected to devote their time to their children and home.”
