Bard's Tale 01 - The Beginning

"What does that mean?"

"You have sex as often as we want," Tia said. "And the way we want."

"And we want it a lot!" Mindal added.

"Okay. Do I get to ask? Try to persuade? Or is that only for you?"

"Certainly, you can ask," Tia said. "And with you, I suspect most of the time that simply asking will work. Sometimes kisses and gentle touches and heated looks may be needed. We get tired, cranky, feel good, sleepy, and all manner of ways. Same as men do."

"But no means no!" Tahna added firmly.

"That's a given. I'd never take you against your will," he assured them.

"That also means," Tia explained, "That if we say stop, even if you are having orgasm, you pull out or stop what you are doing."

He nodded. "I'll do my best. It might take me a moment or two to catch on there's a problem."

"That's acceptable," Tia said, and even Tahna gave a grudging nod.

"Just so you know," Mindal added, "I might like it if sometimes you grab my hair and get a little rough. That's fine as long as it's not all the time. Sometimes I like it hard and fast, but I also like it slow and gentle and loving."

"How will I know which one is the right one?" he asked.

"Practice," Tia answered. "And getting to know us. After a while, you will be able to read our cues. But it never hurts to ask."

"I'm not shy. I'll let you know," Mindal assured him, before taking a bite of potato and egg.

"This is fascinating and arousing, but I need to change the subject. Otherwise, I'm going to be preoccupied with thoughts of making love to each of you."

"Making love?" Mindal asked, with a smirk. "Or hot, frantic animal sex?" Then she leaned over and peeked. Definite tenting going on.

Ignoring her, Reison looked at Tahna. "Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"No," she said. Still staring at her half-filled cup of coffee.

"I'd feel better if you did." He picked up her plate and scooped some eggs onto it. "Eggs usually go down easy. Please, for me?"

A pause. Then she quietly replied, "All right." Picked up her fork, and took a bite, all the while keeping her eyes on him.

Reison grinned at her. "Thank you, beautiful."

"Now I'm getting jealous," Mindal said.

"No need for that. I'll look after both of you, too, my pretty girl."

Mindal grinned in delight.

"You want to study to be a bard, isn't that right, Reison?" Tia asked.

"Yes, I do."

"Endearments are welcome. But don't try to shine us on. Mindal there is an expert, and if you try it, she'll out you faster than you can shake a stick at. Be honest in your feelings and what you are thinking and everything should be fine. Oh, and no secrets. That never works out well."

Tahna stopped eating and put her fork down, looking away.

"No secrets." Reison nodded. "Never thought I'd be negotiating my marriage, let along like this. But agreed. No secrets. Uh, let's see. I'm allergic to wool. I break out in hives. So no wool blankets or anything. And, I'm not terribly fond of mutton or lamb, so there's that."

"No wool. No mutton. Good to know." Tia took a long drink of her tea.

"Not going to finish your food, Tahna?" he asked.

She shook her head, refusing to look at him.

"Are you okay?"

At his question, tears began to spill. "I'm fine," she insisted. "I'll wait for you outside." Getting up, she briskly strode between tables, and left through the front door.

"Was it something I said?"

"She has a lot on her mind," Tia explained. "And, she has a lot of things to tell you, things better coming from her. Truly, it's nothing you said or did. You're fine. I appreciate you dealing rationally on this matter. And I agree with you. This is sort of how I'd imagine an arranged marriage to go. Still, it's good to get the important things out in the open at the outset."

He just nodded.

"I want to say I'm reassured by your thoughtfulness," Tia told him. "I look forward to the day your rite is over and we can be together."

"Me, too!" Mindal echoed.

Reison raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

Tia nodded. "Oh, yeah. If you already had experience, Mindal and I would both be all over you. My rational mind is screaming that it's too soon, but I need to say this. Reison, I'm pretty sure I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you. Every time since then, when you look into my eyes, I melt inside and want to make love to you." Then she nervously bit her lower lip as she awaited his response.

"Wow."

"I'm pretty close, too," Mindal added. Held her index and thumb up, then moved them until they nearly touched. "Real close, in fact. Only the fact that you said no, because you gave your word to Tia has kept me from ripping off your clothes and us having wild monkey sex."

"I've never seen a monkey, so I'll take your word about how wild it is. I have no problem imagining it. But I know that Tia is wise, and this is what she wants to happen before we can be together. And I have to tell you, Tia, I really like kissing you and holding you in my arms. And I want you, too, Mindal."

"Okay," Mindal growled, getting up. "I need a kiss from you, right now!"

Just as Tia rose up, they heard the distant sound of bells ringing. Pausing, they waited, counting. Seven bells.

Mindal came around the table, sat on his lap and laid one on Reison. While they fervently kissed, Tia counted out five silver pennies for their breakfast. After counting to sixty, she nudged Mindal. "Hey, little sister, quit hogging our man. My turn."

As they broke apart, Mindal blinked up at Tia, her face flushed. At another nod from Tia, she reluctantly got up and Tia took her place. She hadn't wanted to stop, and seeing her being kissed like that, his hand moving to cup her butt, Mindal felt a green twinge. But seeing her sister happy, as happy maybe as she herself felt with him, and knowing that with this arrangement, she would get to continue living with her sisters? Well, she could share. She remembered her father telling her once that the more love is shared, the more it seems to grow.

Suddenly Tia broke their kiss, gasping for air. "We need to go. Need to go now."

Getting up, they collected their gear and exited the commons area. Reison blushed a bit as some patrons made encouraging comments to him and having two woman obviously interested in him at the same time.

Reison walked behind them, watching their amazing forms. He thought over what lay ahead for himself and his life with these three sisters. All the time Mindal had been on his lap, it felt like a renewal. And, like the dream he'd had at the monastery, he'd begun to hear music. And, to his surprise, he'd heard the tune he was coming to associate with Tia when she was in his arms. Reison wasn't sure if he loved them, but he was definitely smitten. With them both.

As they met up with Tahna, he hoped that whatever was bothering her would be resolved soon. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to hold her and kiss her, too.

With Tia leading the way, Mindal hooked her hand into his and they followed, with Tahna behind them. Together, they proceeded across town, passing through the merchant quarter and entering the temple quarter. Along the way, they passed hundreds if not thousands of others about their own errands, some moving urgently and others strolling casually, singly and in small clusters. There were no interruptions, no encounters to distract them.

Finally, they reached their destination. At the base of the white and grey marble steps to the temple to Osh Mayan, they halted.

"This is it," Tia announced. "I'll go in to get you introduced to the staff."

"Can we go inside with you?" Mindal asked.

"Wait!" Tahna said. "Please, a moment. Reison, I have a confession to make to you."

Reison grinned at the warrior monk. "I can tell this is bothering you. All I want is a chance to prove myself, that I will treat you with the greatest of respect and kindness. I know that you are an honorable woman, doing incredibly tough work. I couldn't imagine doing things you have done. All the bad guys you've brought to justice! I'm looking forward to--"

"I'm not!" Tahna blurted out. "I'm not a good person! I'm a monk. An agent of the church tasked with enforcing the law. The Lawgiver tested me and I failed the test! Reison, I've been reading you and your words without your consent since yesterday. It's wrong and I know it. I shouldn't have accepted the offer, but I was suspicious of you. I only wanted to protect my sisters."

He looked perplexed, then frowned. "Read me? How exactly are you doing that?"

"Whatever you say, I know how much of what you say is truth. And I'm sorry. I'm really, truly sorry. I'm supposed to ask before doing something like that, and I didn't. I'm ashamed for what I've done."

A pause. Then, "I see. Is this something you can do all the time?"

Tahna shook her head. "It's complicated, but no, it's just for a year, unless we don't get married, and then it goes away immediately. And I'm sorry, but I'm still reading you. I can't turn it off."

He looked at her for several seconds, then shrugged. "I see. Well, I don't plan on lying to any one of you any time soon. I'm not exactly happy about this, but I don't have anything to hide, and it helps that I know you really were trying to protect your sisters. I forgive you. Let it go, Tahna. But now that I know this, I do think you are beautiful, strong, and brave. And I've tasted the sweet lips of Tia and Mindal, and I want to know what it's like to kiss you as well. To really and truly kiss you. Like you deserve to be kissed."

Surprised, even as tears spilled anew, she barely managed to say, "Okay." Then she shyly held out her arms.

Reison embraced her, drawing her in. Then his lips met hers. Gentle and cautious at first. As he held her, the kiss deepening, her arms slowly rose, then held him tight.

Tahna felt the rightness of it, felt herself responding to the taste of him, inhaling his masculine scent. And it felt right, too, that being the same height, they kissed as equals. Deep in her heart, she knew he kissed her because he wanted to. She realized she wanted to know, too. Tahna hadn't kissed anyone like that since Lysandra--

He felt her stiffen and didn't resist when she pushed him away. But he didn't let go of her arms. "That was a good start, Tahna. I enjoyed it, and I had the distinct impression you did, too. So why did you stop?"

Looking away, she said, "It's... it's not you. I liked it. The kiss, I mean. I have unresolved issues."

"What sort of issues?"

Tahna began to increase pulling away from him.

"Tell him!" Tia insisted, getting up beside her. "He deserves to know!"

Feeling cornered, Tahna looked the other way for an escape, but found it blocked by Mindal. The bard scowled at her. "If you don't tell him, I will. And I know I'll cock it up for sure because you always tell Tia a lot more things than you ever tell to me."

Seeing the look in Tahna's eyes, Reison let her go and held up his hands. "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to. That's wrong. You'll tell me when you're ready."

Tia glared at Tahna.

Mindal stepped back and rolled her eyes. "She's still mooning over someone she says she fell in love from twenty years ago. She was only with her for a few months--"

"Mindal!" he barked at the same time as Tia snapped out, "Stop it!"

Holding out his hands between the sisters, he said, "I'm going to have my say, because I don't have a lot of time and need to get inside."

Tia, about to say something, closed her mouth.

"You three have some time to get things worked out, and I hope you'll do so while I'm gone," he continued. "Alright, Mindal, listen up. I'm going through this rite because Tia said I needed to do this before we can get married. I trust all three of you. If Tia says something, I am going to believe it. Just as I would anything from you or Tahna. I know you have a past history together, but I won't abide mocking another person for their feelings. You may not agree or reciprocate, but you were being mean to your sister. Those feelings belong to your sister, they're hers, and should be respected."

Mindal dropped her gaze, ashamed.

He looked at Tahna. "So I have to ask you, Tahna, if you still love this... I thought I heard you say 'her,' but I could have misheard." Tahna nodded. "If you love this woman, why aren't you with her? Is she dead? What's the deal?"

Tahna looked to her big sister, but Tia said quietly, "You knew this was coming. You need to do this, Tahna. I will support you, but you need to face him and say the words."

Taking a big breath, Tahna answered. "I'm not with her because Lysandra just disappeared. She went to get some supplies and didn't come home for dinner. I looked for her! I did. For four years." She saw the sadness on his face. "I tried mages and priests to find out information. A clue, something. Anything! Tia even came to help for a while. Nothing. Not even from the gods. She's not dead, but she's not alive... not alive..."

Tahna began to cry, but to Tia's surprise, Reison stepped up and pulled her in, hugging her tightly. To the surprise of both sisters, Tahna hugged him back, nestling her face into his neck as she sobbed.

Though it was hard for her to watch, Tia was happy about the outpouring of emotion. Twenty years was a long time to hold in one's grief. Between this and the previous night, this was long overdue in her mind, and a necessary step for her sister finding peace and healing. And if she was to join in their shared marriage, for her moving on.

After a few moments, Reison said, "I think I see how you are, Tahna. Emotions are fierce things for you, aren't they. Mindal tells me your name means wild heart. You don't let people in very often, because once you do, there's no holding back. You give them everything."

Tahna suddenly gasped and looked up at him, feeling very vulnerable.

He smiled at her. "There were thirty seven orcs and wargs that attacked us. There were six around the carriage, and you jumped right into the middle of them. Then you charged into another, much larger group, laying waste to your enemies like a tornado. You are a brave, fierce, awesome woman. But you hold back on opening your heart to others because you have to. I think there are only three people you've truly opened your heart to like that, and two of them are standing here beside you."

Mindal was stunned at the revelation.

Tia, her own eyes beginning to leak, looked at Reison holding Tahna and grinned happily.

Just then, the bells of White Tower began to toll, and all of them looked up. The bell was two blocks away and quite loud. In the far distance, the bells of Eastgate and Milli's Station took up their echoing response. The hourly bells rang from six in the morning to ten at night. Hours after that were called out by the Night Watch. An eighth time the bells rang out, before fading into silence.

He reached up and brushed Tahna's cheek. "I'm sure there's more that you need to tell me, Tahna, but I need to go. I don't want to leave you, but I want this marriage. I still can't believe that she insists that I come here to this temple and have a lot of sex with total strangers before she will bed me. I know some women who would literally birth a cow over that notion."

At that, Mindal snickered, and even the other two smiled.

"Tahna, please understand, I really want this," he said. "Believe me when I say I know how great an opportunity this is. I hope to not just learn from Mindal, but from Tia and from you as well. But I think this is also a chance to find a lot of love and happiness. And for me to give each of you some of that back to each of you. I know I'll make mistakes, but I think I'm a pretty quick study."

"Come on!" Tia urged. "The last bell's rung. We're going to be late."

Tahna let him go, but he took her hand in his as they hurried up the marble steps. Onto the wide landing at the top. There were four sets of huge, ornate, double-doors, each door being seven meters tall and four wide, made of tempered oak, and reinforced by wide, thick brass supports. Even this early in the day, there were already scores of people moving into or exiting the temple. As they entered the wide open foyer with its even higher vaulted ceiling, Tia led them toward a priestess standing next to the service counter.

The middle-aged priestess, wearing blue robes over a green skirt, bowed to Tia. "Mother Tia," she greeted.

"Reison, this is Mother Nayli, priestess to the Son of Heaven. Mother Nayli, this is Reison Whisper Wind, the young man who's to receive temple instruction."

The chestnut-haired priestess with hazel eyes smiled at Reison, looking him over. "I look forward to working with you, Reison. I understand you aren't Ba'lorian yourself. Have you been told what to expect?"

Seeing he still held Tahna's hand, the priestess raised her eyebrows but didn't comment. "I'm to learn how to be a good lover."

"That's part of it. There's more to being a good man than grunting and spewing seed. You'll spend time in the nursery where you'll learn how to hold a baby and feed it from a bottle. Bathe it and how to change its diaper. Pleasing your partner is only part of it. With sex, there's often children, and they need care, too. Thank you, Mother Tia, I'll take it from here."

"Well, I guess that's our cue to say goodbye," Tia said. "We won't be allowed to contact you during your time here, Reison. It's part of the process, to encourage self discovery along with the learning. But trust me when I say we will be thinking of you."

Reison grinned and gave Tahna a tug, pulling her back into his arms. Once her arms were around him and he began to kiss her, he held out his arms. Mindal and Tia both slipped to his sides. Where they took turns kissing him.

Nayli was floored, but managed to keep her mouth from dropping open. She knew Tia had been married once, before she herself became a priestess. In all those years they'd known each other, she'd seen Tia be affectionate, but not like this. And Tahna Landers? She thought the monk was a cold rock. Nayli knew almost nothing about the third sister, other than she was a famous bard and that the duchess like her a great deal.

After several minutes of kissing, Nayli cleared her throat. Reluctantly the three women let him go. Kept him in view as they walked backward, waving at him. The bard blowing kisses at him, like a love-struck teen.

Taking him deeper into the temple, a new phase in Reison Whisper Wind's education began.

* * * * *

Part 9

* * * * *

When they got back to their suite, Tia sent a note to the duchess, letting her know of their arrival in town and her availability. Later in the afternoon a note came back, inviting Tia and Tahna to meet with the duchess at nine bells the following morning. Mindal was welcome at anytime, and all three were invited to stay for dinner.

While Tia dealt with correspondence, Mindal sat in the chair by the window, staring out at the people moving in the street below. Tahna plunked herself nearby.

Mindal looked over at her. "Are you okay, Sis?"

"Emotionally tired, but yeah. Better, I think."

"So you are considering this marriage then?"

Tahna nodded. "He's a good man. And, he's a lot wiser than I expected. There have been times I think he could see right through me. It's unsettling, yet settling at the same time. If that makes any sense."

"It does. He forgave you, too," Mindal observed.

"That he did." She let out a long, slow breath. "And he stood up for me against you. Defended my feelings about Lysandra. You two have been thicker than thieves ever since the battle against the orcs."

Mindal shrugged. "He was right, though. I should have treated your feelings with respect. You are my sister. You deserved better from me. I'm sorry for what I said. All of us have been out of sorts for so long, we let bad habits creep in, and worse, have taken each other for granted. And I think I'm more guilty of that than either of you."