dipped his head graciously when the latter ruefully conceded defeat. He turned around as a broad-shouldered Deir came to him with a towel and a drink.
Ruomi towered over him. Indeed, Keiran barely reached his shoulder, an unusual sight considering Keiran was an enyr of noble lineage and Ruomi a sedyran commoner.
He quickly gathered Keiran’s things then escorted him out of the hall. Just before they exited the chamber, they spotted Naeth. Ruomi came over to briefly instruct him on what to do when Reijir was finished then quickly rejoined Keiran who was obviously in a hurry to go.
Many watched them leave, some taking care to conceal their curiosity, others openly intrigued and not ashamed to show it. Fortunately, Keiran did not care one whit what others thought and was untroubled by speculation about him and his affairs. And speculation there was in abundance since he had chosen to break with certain of the traditions that ruled the enyran upper class.
Naeth’s residency with the Arthannas had taught him much that he had not known as a country-bred Half Blood. He was not ignorant of Deiran betrothal and nuptial traditions—it was the custom to instruct one’s children in these matters as they approached the age of consent. But his parents had not imparted to their children the differences in culture between the upper caste enyra and the lower caste sedyra , doubtless because never in their wildest dreams had they envisioned one of their sons winding up a member of a True Blood’s household and an aristocrat of royal lineage at that.
Nothing had befuddled Naeth more than the sexual mores of the True Bloods.
Among the sedyra , sexual roles were completely interchangeable; no distinctions were made between partners. With spouses, the choice of who would bear children was based on capability—who had the more fertile womb or was the haler and thus could carry a child to term—and sometimes both chose to breed. The same rule applied to the selection of the primary caregiver—the partner whose time and profession were more flexible was the one who usually raised the children whether it was he who bore them or not.
But for the enyra , and especially among the nobility and upper gentry, such was not the case. From childhood onward, most True Bloods were assigned their spousal roles depending on circumstances. Foremost of those circumstances was an enyr ’s rank in the family. A firstborn son and heir was expected to play the sword and sire progeny. Later born children could and were often designated as bearers that they might be wed to other families’ successors who would then beget children upon them.
This was not to say that the enyra never ventured outside their assigned roles but, as the acceptance of said roles was instilled in them virtually from birth, seldom did they act otherwise. Furthermore, the virginity of a highborn bearer was as important a clause in a
nuptial contract as the more tangible conditions of land, power and wealth. Many came to their conjugal beds with little to no experience, and even if one had some carnal knowledge, it was expected that he had not yielded himself to any save his contracted mate. Thereafter he only ever played the sword if permitted by his spouse. It was yet another source of bafflement for Naeth, and one he found as strange as the enforcement of distinct marital roles, if not more so.
The exceptions to this rule were the scions of the great Houses wherein entry into said Houses was a prized condition in many an arranged union and therefore precluded the demand that their members yielded themselves in intercourse. Thus, none of the Essendris, unless they wed among themselves, were expected to play the sheath to their sexual partners and even less the role of childbearer.
It was this particular tradition that had spawned the speculation about Keiran.
That Ruomi Garvas was his long-time lover was no secret, but who did the yielding in the relationship was still a matter
Ruomi towered over him. Indeed, Keiran barely reached his shoulder, an unusual sight considering Keiran was an enyr of noble lineage and Ruomi a sedyran commoner.
He quickly gathered Keiran’s things then escorted him out of the hall. Just before they exited the chamber, they spotted Naeth. Ruomi came over to briefly instruct him on what to do when Reijir was finished then quickly rejoined Keiran who was obviously in a hurry to go.
Many watched them leave, some taking care to conceal their curiosity, others openly intrigued and not ashamed to show it. Fortunately, Keiran did not care one whit what others thought and was untroubled by speculation about him and his affairs. And speculation there was in abundance since he had chosen to break with certain of the traditions that ruled the enyran upper class.
Naeth’s residency with the Arthannas had taught him much that he had not known as a country-bred Half Blood. He was not ignorant of Deiran betrothal and nuptial traditions—it was the custom to instruct one’s children in these matters as they approached the age of consent. But his parents had not imparted to their children the differences in culture between the upper caste enyra and the lower caste sedyra , doubtless because never in their wildest dreams had they envisioned one of their sons winding up a member of a True Blood’s household and an aristocrat of royal lineage at that.
Nothing had befuddled Naeth more than the sexual mores of the True Bloods.
Among the sedyra , sexual roles were completely interchangeable; no distinctions were made between partners. With spouses, the choice of who would bear children was based on capability—who had the more fertile womb or was the haler and thus could carry a child to term—and sometimes both chose to breed. The same rule applied to the selection of the primary caregiver—the partner whose time and profession were more flexible was the one who usually raised the children whether it was he who bore them or not.
But for the enyra , and especially among the nobility and upper gentry, such was not the case. From childhood onward, most True Bloods were assigned their spousal roles depending on circumstances. Foremost of those circumstances was an enyr ’s rank in the family. A firstborn son and heir was expected to play the sword and sire progeny. Later born children could and were often designated as bearers that they might be wed to other families’ successors who would then beget children upon them.
This was not to say that the enyra never ventured outside their assigned roles but, as the acceptance of said roles was instilled in them virtually from birth, seldom did they act otherwise. Furthermore, the virginity of a highborn bearer was as important a clause in a
nuptial contract as the more tangible conditions of land, power and wealth. Many came to their conjugal beds with little to no experience, and even if one had some carnal knowledge, it was expected that he had not yielded himself to any save his contracted mate. Thereafter he only ever played the sword if permitted by his spouse. It was yet another source of bafflement for Naeth, and one he found as strange as the enforcement of distinct marital roles, if not more so.
The exceptions to this rule were the scions of the great Houses wherein entry into said Houses was a prized condition in many an arranged union and therefore precluded the demand that their members yielded themselves in intercourse. Thus, none of the Essendris, unless they wed among themselves, were expected to play the sheath to their sexual partners and even less the role of childbearer.
It was this particular tradition that had spawned the speculation about Keiran.
That Ruomi Garvas was his long-time lover was no secret, but who did the yielding in the relationship was still a matter
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