“You are… well together again?”
“Yes, but … I can understand you wanting to know what happened. You are a mother.”
The Matriarch’s tension and fear seemed to dissolve at that and relaxed into a soft smile once again before nodding, “I… am grateful you understand.”
Joe barked out a laugh, “I’m not sure I can understand you. I am a man. But I can understand your concern for her. Hmm… uh… how to start the story.
“Well, I woke… uh…” Ok… maybe not tell the mother her daughter was laying in bed with me this morning… so… “… this morning and I learned that I had … misunderstood some things. I learned that I was… engaged to both Kilniara and Gwenvair. I had no intention or desire to marry both. My people do not marry more than one. We do not think it appropriate.”
The Matriarch grew more concerned and even angry as she listened, “You… rejected her.”
Joe sighed, nodding, “Yes. I chose to remain true to the choices of my people. I had chosen Kilniara and I would remain true to her.”
“But you agreed,” the Matriarch replied with heat then tried to continue but finally ended without any other words and Joe felt he could continue.
“I understand your anger, but it was a misunderstanding. I… thought I was being asked to take her on as apprentice.”
The Matriarch frowned, staring at him, “But you asked for a Queen.”
Joe sighed, “I… told Kilniara I would treat her as my queen, not that I sought a queen.”
“But Acokzau cannot be queens.”
Joe frowned, “I … simply told her I would treat her well.”
“Is that what … a queen is?”
“Umm… no. It’s just … a saying. A queen, amongst my people, used to mean female leaders. Today, men use the word queen as a saying to describe how they will treat their wives well… amongst some of my people, anyway. I was telling her that I would treat her incredibly; that she would be important and I would care for her diligently. That she would be my… hmm… great priority in my life. That was the meaning of my statement.”
The Matriarch’s anger faded at that, turning to humorous disbelief, “You are telling me it was a misunderstanding.”
Joe chuckled, “Amongst other things.”
The Matriarch sighed deeply, “So… you cannot marry two… more?”
Joe huffed, “No. It isn’t … no. Nothing like that.”
“So you can?”
“Yes.”
“But you don’t want more?”
Joe paused at that, saying nothing.
The Matriarch quickly glanced at Joe when she noticed his silence, “You do want both!”
Joe snorted and shook his head, “Name one man who would say no to two beautiful women.”
The Matriarch stared at him then shook her head with humor, “At least you are honest.”
Joe sighed, “It doesn’t matter. It’s pointless.”
“Why?”
Joe’s next sigh was even more emotional, “Because. Gwenvair might be able to enjoy or tolerate her husband with another woman but Kilniara will not. As you said, she is not … her people are not predisposed to sharing husbands or wives.”
The Matriarch nodded, “Jealousy, yes?”
Joe looked towards her, a hint of surprise showing, “Yes. Gwenvair will be unaffected but Kilniara will … it will not work. I’m in a catch twenty two.”
The Matriarch was nodding along with Joe until the end, “Catch twenty two?”
“Ah, yes… It is a common phrase amongst my people. It means to be caught between two options that are mutually exclusive. You cannot have both. If I take Kiliniara but reject Gwenvair, Gwenvair will die, if … that is true. If I take Gwenvair, I will lose Kilniara, even if I take both as wife for Kilniara will grow jealous, then angry, then bitter. Then Kilniara will leave me… or us since I will accept both.”
The Matriarch frowned at that, “I can tell you that Gwenvair will die. She has bonded you.”
Joe frowned, “That seems… unusual.”
“It is our people’s way.”
“Then, how does it work?”
“What?”
“Queenship.”
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The Matriarch frowned, “A Queen is to lead the man’s house and even clan, if he is to aspire or grow to such status, for him. It is a … powerful position that is of critical importance to support a powerful leader.”
Joe frowned, “So… like a queen… uh the queens of my people?”
“But not… simply one of pure leadership… ahh… the word you used was ‘political,’ yes Queens are not political. They are familial. They are to maintain the household for the benefit of her husband.”
Joe frowned deeper, “His wives.”
“Of course. But more.”
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly as it does.”
“Can you tell me more?”
The Matriarch turned away from him, frowning and squirming a bit, “It is… not… easy.”
Joe frowned and turned to look at her once more, “What do you mean?”
The Matriarch continued to turn away from him and shuddered again. Joe came towards her.
“Are you OK?”
She looked up at him and Joe felt his eyebrows rise, asking once again “Are you OK?!”
The Matriarch took a deep breath, shivering before finally replying, “It is very difficult for Ulvan women to speak of Queens and Queenships. It affects us… deeply… something we desire intrinsically.”
Joe’s frown deepened and he stepped back with surprise, “We… should stop talking about…”
“Yes, please,” the Matriarch gasped.
Joe paused, uncertain how to respond and simply waited. As she struggled to regain herself, Joe remained silent and very thoughtful. She’s… physically affected just by speaking about it… in such a short time? This isn’t just… mental. There’s an actual physical component to it. Then… The realization hit him hard.
“She will die, won’t she.”
“Yes, Joe. It is… a real affect. A Queen who is bonded to her man will die if reject… and for denial… worse… But, yes… it is very real. If a woman capable of becoming a Queen does so without a man or before finalizing the bond, she is known as a free Queen, and will bond any man who takes her. When the bond is finalized, it cannot change once it is set upon the man she bonds. She has no choice. Neither option is… envious. Some species bond slowly, others quickly while some die slowly or quickly. Some bond or die slowly or quickly based upon the depth of emotional love and attachment. Gwenvair… would have died very quickly.”
Joe grimaced with anger, trying to turn the topic away from Queens but still find out the information he needed to know, “But now I have lost Kilniara. I do not appreciate being forced to choose another because of emotional blackmail.”
The Matriarch stared at Joe with a bitter smile, “Kilniara sought out Gwenvair. And you approved. You asked for this.”
Joe chuckled in despair, “And she does not understand that she has destroyed her future happiness.”
“I do not think you understand how Queens work.
“You yourself pointed out the difference between species. She will become very jealous and bitter,” Joe replied with no little amount of his own bitterness.
The Matriarch nodded, “Much the same way ulvan become jealous or bitter if their husband takes a woman behind their backs.”
“Yes, exactly. But Kilniara will feel that way with Gwenvair, even if she ‘accepts’ it now, she doesn’t understand the bitterness she will feel.”
“And I do not think you understand the role of a Queen. Gwenvair has already resolved that issue.”
Joe paused at that, some sense of relief beginning to grow, “What do you mean?”
“You warned your wives of this before. The bitterness of jealousy and how it can destroy relationships. She has taken that into account in her Queenship. Kilniara will feel no jealousy.”
Joe frowned, “How?”
The Matriarch chortled, shaking her head, “That is what I am trying to tell you. You have done well teaching Gwenvair… and even my clan. I thank you, truly, for revealing this flaw in our Queens. We have not had Queens for generations upon generations for the latest Queenships have all failed… fallen into bitterness and infighting just as you warned. We did not understand the jealousy of other races.
“We have jealousy, true. Ulvan can feel jealousy, but it is outside their pack… their family. So we did not guard against it from within.”
“So how … you can’t … Kilniara will still feel jealousy.”
“No,” the Matriarch spoke with soft reassurance, “She will not. Gwenvair has placed upon her domain a removal of jealousy for those within your family. She has been quite cautious of this.”
Joe frowned, really not liking where this was going, “She can do that?”
“Why do you think Queens are so jealously desired? They are incredibly powerful within their domains, especially ulvan Queens. And an ulvan Queen is quite powerful within the domain of family and clan. She will not allow your family to fall apart.”
“She can… control things like that?”
The Matriarch nodded, “No this. She cannot work against you and your best interests. There are Queens who can do so, but ulvan Qu… You did not know.”
Joe looked up at her with a bitter smile, “No. I know nothing of Queens.”
The Matriarch softened even further, smiling, “Then know this, you have spent the entirety of your luck on this. She truly cares for you… truly loves you. She will do well by you and your kin. All she does will be for your benefit, both because she is your Queen and because she is yours.”
Joe sighed, grimacing but at least taking the time to ponder what the Matriarch said before frowning again and rebutting, “Yet the previous Queens did fail.”
The Matriarch frowned at that and nodded, “Yes. They failed because they did not understand this and allowed other non-ulvan into the relationship. But you allowed for fluid change and warned of this as well. You taught Gwenvair and prepared her for her Queenship very well.”
“When? I didn’t… oh… when I was talking about healthy marriages and relationships.”
“Yes.”
Joe grimaced a bit at that and then sighed, settling his back against the wall before sliding to the floor, “I still don’t… like it. There is a visceral… rejection of it.”
“I can see that. But this is… a personal issue you can resolve, yes? Not an intrinsic part of who you are?”
“Yes. But … do you understand how complicated everything will become?”
“Not truly? What is complicated?”
“I must now balance my relationship with Gwenvair and Kilniara carefully so as to not…”
“You truly do not understand what a Queen is, do you?” the Matriarch replied and stared at Joe with genuine wonderment at his lack of knowledge.
Joe paused at that, looking up at the Matriarch, “No. I don’t… but I still have to be equal in my time with each, not showing favoritism… so I’ll have to count each meeting, each time, each event… everything.”
The Matriarch smiled then laughed brightly, “You really don’t know what a Queen is. Trust in her. That is her domain. This … this is my gift to you, since you do not know what a Queen is.”
“Then, please… teach me.”
The Matriarch smiled at that, then looked at how Joe was seated. She stared for some time before finally smirking and sliding to the floor beside him.
“My clanners would be… shocked to see me thus.”
Joe smiled, “I won’t tell them. Promise.”
The Matriarch chuckled then grew serious once more, “I will be more than willing to teach you of Queens, domains, and their Queenships. You will have to be… patient with me, so that I may restrain and calm myself as I need to. In fact, I likely need a break right now.”
“I… am more than willing wait. There is plenty of time.”
The Matriarch smiled at that then nodded, “Yes… yes there is. Please give me a moment. I take a moment to gather myself now.”
The two paused for a time, the Matriarch breathing deeply and closing her eyes in careful meditation for about a minute or two before opening and turning to him once again.
“I apologize, but I will need to calm myself often.”
Joe nodded, “Of course.”
“But, I can begin now.”
Joe smiled, “Then, please, when you are ready.”
<Chapter 96 Continued>