It’s a tale told to all Xavianns; a lesson in greed, corruption and how one male’s selfish acts changed our species forever.
“Unfortunately, King Gahaari’s actions very much affect Xavianns today,” I say, trying to hold my body still as if my little human were a prey animal I’m trying not to spook. “If he had been the only one to use the suppressants, then our old ways of courtship and bonding would have likely survived, but it started with his inner circle of nobles,” I say, daring to lift my hand, to make a circular gesture above the water. “And soon spread to others. Males would publicly choose a bride to be ‘bonded’ to that was advantageous to their wealth and social status. But secretly, they would not be affected by their bride’s bonding bite, leaving them free to have many mistresses - normally females from the poorer communities.” I chance a glance at her then, finding her beautiful brown eyes fixed on me. “You have to understand, my people did not even have a word for a second female to mate with before all of this. It simply did not exist.”
“Didn’t people find out? Weren’t they mad at what these men were doing?”
“Eventually, yes. But it is said that a great number of King Gahaari’s court was partaking in the practice of mistress-taking, and those that did not, were too cowardly to speak out about it. Some even offering their daughters to become brides, knowing their males would do such a thing.”
“Why?”
I turn to look back out at the lagoon waters, my throat feeling suddenly dry. “Why do you think?” I ask, clearing my throat. “In exchange for riches and elevated status. There are even numerous records of the common people making deals with noblemales, effectively selling their attractive, unbonded female family members to become mistresses in exchange for a better life for themselves.”
“That’s awful,” Niska comments before she’s quiet again, no doubt letting the crimes of those males turn over in her head.“I thought the women went crazy in a one-sided bond. Didn’t anyone notice all these brides were getting ill?”
I grimace to myself. “The male physicians would lie and claim they were suffering from a fabricated female disease of the mind.”
To my surprise, Niska snorts. “Typical,” she says, shaking her head. “You know, humans did something similar in our history. They called it hysteria.”
Hysteria. I tuck that away, making a note to do some more research on human history. Particularly the role their females have played within their society. I must confess, my research so far has swayed toward their various mating rituals, and I will need to broaden my efforts.
Her thigh is still pressed to mine, and I find I really,reallycannot be sitting so close to this female any longer. Especially as she is obviously now ruminating over a very serious injustice, and all I can think about is how this little Goddess is going to allow me to strap her to the breeding bench.
Which reminds me, I will need to learn all her preferences if I am to commission the best damn breeding bench Xaavia has ever seen. I will make sure it is made from her favorite colors, and the fabrics are soft and pleasant to touch. I have learned from my research that human females enjoy vibration, so perhaps I should try to incorporate that for her to rub her little-
I jump up, trying to switch the direction of my mind. I am trying to explain how the current mating customs of my people came into being. But instead, find myself distracted by mental images of my little Niska desperately grinding against a breeding bench.
Fuck.
Do better, Kiahn.
“Uh, so, anyway,” I babble, distractedly rubbing at the base of my left horn. “Use of the suppressants that blocked a female bonding venom became rife among noblemales, and it caused the following generations of male Xaviann offspring to be born already immune to their partner’s bonding bite. Even now, only a small proportion of males can be bonded. Of course, when the scandal was discovered by the public, the artificial wombs came into play, and-”
“Whoa, wait, hold up,” Niska interrupts my rambling. “Artificial wombs?”
I rub a hand over my jaw and blow out a breath, forcing myself to slow down. Does she even know the effect she has on me?
Focus, Kiahn,I think, clearing my throat and trying to slow down.
“Yes. King Gahaari had long passed when everything eventually came out. It was estimated that around eighty percent of the noblemales were partaking in the suppressants. The wider population were angry. The females in particular, were filled with rage.”
“Rightfully so.”
I nod my head along with her. It is a blight on our long history, and my female ancestors were justified for their fury. “It marked the start of a great mistrust from the females toward males. None of them wanted to become brides. Daughters defied fathers. Birthrates among nobility dropped like a bird shot from the sky. Even the female commonfolk revolted for how they were wronged. The solution came in the form of technology. An artificial womb. Offspring born from science that does not put the female at risk of being bonded to a male that could never bond with her in return.”
“Well,” Niska says, tilting her head as she blinks at me. We both pause a second as the holographic moonflies dance in acluster between us before moving on. “That sounds like a good solution. No one is at risk. What’s the issue?”
“The issue is the other venom we possess. The Bloodline Venom,” I tell her, wetting my bottom lip with a quick swipe of my tongue. “Most Xaviann’s venom is dormant. But active lines are most commonly found in the noble families, they are a gift from one of the four Goddesses. When injected into someone’s bloodstream through a bite, they each have different qualities. Some create an intense feeling of euphoria, some can heal any wound, some can cause an instant madness or intense clarity of mind. Some, very rare ones are painful, or lethal. They are all considered a prize. The stronger the Bloodline Venom, the more valued you are to my father’s court at the capital. Unfortunately, babies born from artificial wombs rarely possess an active Bloodline Venom, no matter who their parents are.”
I watch as she lets her back fall against the wall of the lagoon, her eyes unfixed on the moving waters before her as she lets my words sink in. “So… you guys started the breeding contracts so that you could keep this Bloodline Venom stuff going?”
“Yes,” I say, nodding. “The females willing to enter a contract are putting themselves at risk of being bonded in the hopes that their offspring will possess a strong venom, keeping its properties going, where many are already long extinct now.”
Niska blows out a long, slow breath before looking up to me. “That’s kind of fucked up.”
16
Chapter 16 - Niska
I sit there a moment, letting my mind absorb everything Prince Kiahn has just told me. No wonder his aunt is wanting to push him to start making babies. The way Vel had explained it, although their lands are divided up into principalities, the real power still lies in the capital, with the King. If the only way you can get heard by the king and his court is to prove that your ‘Bloodline Venom’ is strong, then you need to start having these super special kids with super special venom.
