Immunity, page 20
“Say it again, Snow Dove.”
“I am your harem girl, and I will remain your harem girl. But please don’t translate that name to them.”
I paced, and every time there was noise in the hallway, I went running to the door. The thing is, they weren’t any better. Even Chasianna seemed caught up. Then she started teasing me. “You don’t mind if I seduce your sister, do you?”
“Not at all.”
It wasn’t a very good attempt on her part.
Then there was a knock at the door. I nearly fell on my face, trying to make it to the door. I flung it open.
There was much screaming, and a whole lot of tears. I pulled them inside, and we hugged tightly, all crying together. I lost track of how many times Mom kissed the top of my head.
Finally, I got them to turn. “Otter,” I said in Elvish, “This is my mother, Lucy, and my sister, Lyric.” I switched back to English. “This is Otter. She is my best friend on Algonae. I wouldn’t have made it without her. She’s my roommate.”
“She’s in that harem,” Lyric said.
“Yes. Turn judgmental, and I’ll knife you. I mean it. She doesn’t speak any English.”
Otter tried to hold back, but Mom stepped forward and pulled her into a tight, tight hug.
“This is Chasianna,” I said. “She led the team that helped ensure my travels through Algonae have been safe. I consider her a good friend.” There were no hugs this time, but a lot of staring.
“And this is Rhosani. She is the leader of the elves of Algonae. She’s the reason I didn’t die of some mysterious reason. She kept me on Algonae, safe and secure.”
Mom said nothing. Lyric offered a poorly-spoken Elvish greeting. She must have learned it on the plane.
And Rhosani replied, also in elvish.
“So that’s how it’s going to be,” I asked in Elvish, but then I translated.
Lyric had brought someone with her, an attractive, shy-looking woman in her low-20s.
“This is Heidi Fields,” Lyric said.
She stepped forward and curtsied to the elves. “I am pleased to meet you.” She looked at me. “I don’t speak any Elvish. Was that okay?”
“Rhosani, stop being a poop,” I said in Elvish.
“Who is this girl?”
“Didn’t I ever tell you what my sister does?”
“No.”
I switched back to English. “Ms. Fields, have you published?”
“Just one book so far,” she said. “I, um. I work in a travel agency. They were supposed to let me plan historic travel adventures, but I think they lied when they promised.”
“Historic travel adventures?” Rhosani echoed, still speaking Elvish.
“I am not going to translate all week,” I said. I switched back to English. Again. “Let’s get you settled.”
“I’m starving,” Lyric said. “We had crap on the plane. Tell me there’s something open.”
“Lyric said crap in front of the elf queen,” I said.
Ms. Fields snickered then said, “She’s really the elf queen?”
“She has a palace and everything,” I said.
“You don’t mind if I seduce the little one and your sister, do you?” Chasianna asked.
“Feel free,” I replied.
* * * *
The hotel directed us to a restaurant that stayed open late. The food was good. Poor Ms. Fields didn’t know where to look – the Paris restaurant or the two elves.
Rhosani kept speaking Elvish. I glared at her, which she ignored. Ms. Fields was clearly, entirely smitten, and she wanted to know all about what she’d be writing. I begged off on that, explaining I’d had a long day.
“Do you have any idea how they’re going to feel when they finally realize you speak a common language?” I asked Rhosani.
She frowned and sighed. “Tomorrow I’ll tell them I didn’t want to intrude further than I have, and this should be your chance to catch up.”
“I’m going to tell them you didn’t want to get yelled at.”
“That works, too.”
From the other side, Lyric said, “That one keeps watching me.”
“Elven attitudes about seduction are more laissez-faire than human.”
She smiled. “She wants to seduce me?”
“She’s asked me twice if I mind. But I should warn you, she also wants Ms. Fields, and threesomes are common.”
“What?” asked the woman in question. Then she turned coy. “Really?”
Lyric snorted but didn’t otherwise comment.
“You still haven’t told me who this woman is,” Rhosani complained. “She is too old to be your sister’s daughter.”
“Ask her yourself,” I replied.
The meal itself was lovely. Ms. Fields was entirely smitten. Mom didn’t glower, which I appreciated. She also kept touching me, which didn’t bother me, either.
We made it back to the hotel. “We should sort beds. We didn’t make fresh reservations, so unless you did, Sis, we can make do here. This is a suite. Otter and I have one of the beds in there. There’s another double. The elves have the other bedroom. So, I’ll make some proposals. Mom and Lyric can share the other bed. Ms. Fields can share with Otter and me, if she does not snore, kick, or steal covers. Her other choices are to make up a bed on the sofa or sit down in Chasianna’s lap and see if she’s invited to her bed.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Lyric said.
“Tell them they can both sleep with me. Your mother looks like she steals covers.”
“What did she say?” Lyric ask.
“If you want to seduce them, that’s your business,” I said. And then I walked away.
* * * *
I got ready for bed, then returned to the living room. Ms. Fields had her head in an elf lap – Rhosani’s. But Otter patted her own lap.
Instead, I sat next to her.
“Tell us the story,” Mom said.
“Not all the details,” I said. “Are the two of you really going to pretend not to understand?”
“You would still have to translate for Otter,” Rhosani pointed out. “But this is a chance for you to spend with your mother and sister.” She dislodged Ms. Fields from her lap. “I’ll see you in the morning,” she said to Mom. And then she collected Ms. Fields’ hand and drew her to their bedroom.
“Did that just happen?” Lyric asked.
“You can stay for the story, or you can always go with Chasianna.”
“I would, but I want to hear the story.”
* * * *
It was somewhat later that Chasianna intercepted Lyric on our way to bed. My sister went with her.
* * * *
“I should spank you,” Rhosani said.
“Did you finally admit you speak English?”
“Yes.”
“Mom,” I said. “Rhosani has a confession.”
“She speaks English,” Mom said. “I figured that out last night. Why was she hiding it?”
“Because she’s a big, fat, elvish chicken.”
“Because,” Rhosani said, “Last night was for the three of you.”
“And Chasianna?” Mom asked.
“She speaks English, too,” Lyric said. “Oh. Em. Gee.”
“And you, Otter? What kind of name is that?”
“Elvish,” I said. “No, she speaks Elvish, but her birth language appears to be Persian. It’s the dominant language of humans on Algonae.”
“We haven’t finished addressing your spanking,” Rhosani said.
“She spanks you?” Lyric asked.
“She threatens it a lot,” I said. “In between calling me names I don’t deserve. Don’t give me a hard time. I thought we’d discuss it today.”
Lyric snorted. “Heidi spilled the beans, I take it.”
“I assume,” I replied. “You said you wanted someone to write a history of Algonae. My sister may have found someone for you. Stop acting like you’re not over the moon and thank Professor Newman.”
Rhosani stared at me, but it was Chasianna who began laughing. “You’re both professors.”
“She copied me,” I said.
“You copied me. I was seven when I said I wanted to be a professor. You were twelve when you read Lord of the Rings and declared you wanted to learn Elvish.” That was all true.
Ms. Fields appeared looking bed tossed and entirely satiated. She didn’t say a word, but she climbed into Rhosani’s lap and settled in.
“All right,” I said. “Both of you understand that elves are not monogamous, so don’t expect rings.”
“Rhosani explained if I go to Algonae, I will live in the harem. But I am to talk to you and Otter before I make a final decision.”
“We can talk about it over breakfast,” I said.
“I want to see the Eiffel Tower,” Lyric said. “Can we go up?”
* * * *
We got ready for the day and made our way to one of the cafés. Ms. Fields asked if we could talk about the harem. I said, “Will one of you translate for Otter? I’ll translate back, if she wants to say anything.”
Ultimately, Lyric asked as many questions as Ms. Fields, and they also wanted to know how much history there was to write about. Ms. Fields spent much of the conversation grinning widely, although blushing happened, too.
At the end, she verified a few of the terms. “No men.”
“No human men,” Rhosani said. “And very few elven men.”
“But you don’t share your harem with any men.”
“No, and I never will.”
“I would have no expenses.”
“None,” Rhosani confirmed.
“And hot elven sex with hot elven women.”
Chasianna snorted, and Rhosani said, “Oh, yes.”
“Unfettered access to you and others.”
“I wouldn’t say unfettered. We all have other duties, and not everyone is going to want to talk to you.”
“Some carry emotional wounds.”
“We all carry emotional wounds, but yes.”
“On the downside, the best technology is a manual typewriter.”
“Yes, and the conversations will be in Elvish.”
“You speak English.”
“And yet, the conversations will be in Elvish.”
“Which I’ll learn in the harem.”
“Yes,” I said.
“And parade around half-naked.”
“Yes,” I repeated. “And while I may seem quite dominant, I kneel.”
“She goes through phases,” Rhosani said. “You would enter and remain in a deeply submissive phase. If you struggle with that.” She leaned closer. “We would help you.”
Ms. Fields gave a little shudder. It looked like a good shudder. I’d had more than my share of those shudders.
She opened her purse and pulled several things out. A ring of keys. An unsealed envelope. From the envelope, she pulled out the title papers to a car, found the right place, and signed it. There were more papers in the envelope; I don’t know what they were. She slid it all to Lyric. “Sell the car and close my apartment. Sell or donate the furniture; it’s all cheap, anyway. Store the more personal things, if you can.”
“I’ll see to everything and forge your signature on your taxes,” Lyric said. She sighed. “You suck,” she said to me.
“Why is everyone insulting me lately? What did I do now?”
“I want to go.”
“This isn’t your only chance. I imagine there are a lot of stories to be told.”
“Oh, shit,” she said. Then her features fell. “I’m not joining my sister’s harem.”
“Maybe I’ll form one,” Chasianna said.
“You can do that?”
“It’s not the palace,” she added. “And it wouldn’t be as expansive.”
“About twenty percent of the elves in Algonae City have harems,” Rhosani said. “A few are bigger than mine, but most are two to four human women.”
“When is my next chance?”
I turned to Rhosani. “You told me once a year,” she pointed out.
“That’s too much work,” I said. “Unless we can make a portal from the city.”
“We can’t,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“Every three years?”
“And you won’t use the S-word?”
“And I won’t use the S-word.”
“Every three years.”
“And you control where the portal appears?”
“Yes, with significant limitations.” By that, the portal must arrive either at a natural fairy ring or a natural portal.
“Three years from now,” I said to Lyric. “How does Hawaii sound?” I turned back to Rhosani. “Can Hawaii work?”
“Yes.”
“Hawaii is perfect. Can we get advance warning?”
* * * *
Mom and Lyric flew home. The goodbyes were tear-filled. Ms. Fields made a few final phone calls.
We took one more walking tour of Paris, primarily because I wanted to sit in a café before we left.
Three hours later, after a car ride out in the countryside and a hike into the forest, Rhosani and Chasianna summoned a portal to Algonae. Ms. Fields stared. And then she took Rhosani’s hand.
We stepped through, and we were soon surrounded by pleased elves. Teriani looked at me and said, “So, she came back. I knew she would.” She turned to Ms. Fields. “Who is this?”
“Harem girls,” Rhosani said in a firm voice. “Strip and kneel.” She repeated the order in English for Ms. Fields.
Otter and I turned and began helping each other. It didn’t necessarily go any faster, but it was a lot more fun. But then Ms. Fields said, “Is she serious?”
Otter looked over at her. The flashed me a grin, and we both turned to the new harem girl. She backed away from us, but in doing so, backed into a wall of very tall elven warriors. Otter and I stopped, and then Otter made a “come here,” gesture.
“The time to change your mind was before we stepped through the portal,” I said. “Yes, she was serious. You can try begging if you’re backing out, but if you’re not, come here.”
She looked at us. She looked at Rhosani, who folded her arms. And then she straightened and walked directly to me.
She let us undress her. A minute later, our clothing folded, Otter and I turned to Rhosani and knelt. “Like that?” Ms. Fields asked.
“No, we were lying to you for the last three days.”
“Now is not the time for sarcasm,” Otter said.
“You don’t know enough English to know I was being sarcastic.”
“I know your tone.”
“Otter tells me I shouldn’t be sarcastic right now. My apologies. Yes, Ms. Fields. Like this.”
She knelt, far less practiced than Otter and me. But then Otter scrambled around to her other side, putting the noob in the middle, and nudging her a little to improve her position.
“Good girls,” Rhosani said. “Teach her the most important five words.”
“I am your harem girl.”
It took time, and her pronunciation was terrible. We would work on it. But she got the words out.
“Good girls,” Rhosani repeated. She nudged Ms. Fields. “From this moment forward, your name is Tail.” She said the last word in Elvish. “It is a play on words in two languages. In Elvish, we have one word for a story or a tale.” She said that word. “The name I have given you is the Elven word for a tail, the sort a kitten might have.”
Tail giggled. “Cute,” she said.
“What is your name?”
“Tale,” she said in English.
“No!” Rhosani said. “It is Tail.” Elvish. “Teach her.” And so we did. “Good. Snow Dove, remove my boots.”
I crawled forward and did so. Teriani provided towels, and I cleaned her feet as well. And then I kissed, lingeringly. I knew Tail was watching.
Rhosani offered her a foot, sliding it under her head.
“I’m supposed to kiss.”
“Khaleesi, may I speak to her?”
“Of course, my lovely Snow Dove.”
“An elven foot has a subtle scent, uniquely elven, sometimes mixed based on the sandals she is wearing. I find it soothing. Do not be stingy.”
She kissed, and yes, it was stingy. Above her, Rhosani sighed. “This was a mistake,” she said in Elvish.
“She’s going to send you back,” I said.
“She can’t!”
“She can,” I said.
“I kissed!”
“You pecked,” I said. “Like a chicken. She should have called you Chick or Peep.”
“I prefer Tail,” she said. “I’ll kiss! Please don’t send me back.” And yes, she kissed, and she was lingering about it, and I could tell the moment she realized it was nice.
I considered a sarcastic remark about how the Khaleesi didn’t even have to beat her new harem girl to turn her submissive, but I didn’t think anyone else would find my attitude refreshing.
Home
Algonae City never looked so good. Enania was on the gates. “You again,” she said to me with a smile. She cupped my cheek. “We’ve missed you.”
“Perhaps you’ll come to dinner in a week or two,” I said, smiling back.
“You seem to have an extra human.”
“We pop up like…” I sighed. “I have no idea.”
She laughed. “All humans must be registered. Does she speak Elvish?”
“About ten words.”
“Then please translate.” So I did.
Our troop dispersed, although Teriani made rope-tying gestures at me. “Any time.”
Tail rubbernecked. She was at least as tired as I was, and three times as sore, but there was a lot to look at.
The entire palace turned out to meet us, humans and elves alike. As soon as Rhosani stepped inside, the humans knelt. Otter and I grabbed Tail’s arms and brought her to the harem girls, kneeling down beside them. She was slower, but she joined us.
Rhosani gave a short speech to express pleasure at being home. And she introduced Tail. I softly translated for her. She finished simply with, “I’ll see you all at dinner.”
