20
Katja woke again for a meal – some sort of stew made of some sort of game.
“Janas,” the woman explained, bringing a pot to the table. “Similar to your rabbits. Very good for convalescence.”
“What did you do with my clothes?” Katja asked, standing and seeing herself in a looking glass. “This is beautiful, but not mine.”
“They were not suitable for this land. You may wear them whenever you return to your world, but here they would look very odd. I have a room for you upstairs for as long as you stay now filled with clothing which I think will suit you very well. Rachel has the other room for now. You may look after you have finished your meal.”
“Thank you, I’d like that,” Katja answered politely.
Rachel entered the room at this point. “Katja!” she exclaimed rushing to hold her friend in an embrace.
“Rachel! You look so beautiful!”
As they embraced, Katja found the long ribbon from Rachel’s head garland. “What’s this in your hair?!”
“She has become betrothed to Breyind only yesterday!” gushed Stella as if she had held back the news just as long as humanly possible.
“I’m getting married!” Rachel gushed in turn.
“So much happens in a couple of days!” Katja exclaimed hintingly. “You will have to tell me all about him!”
Rachel just smiled. “We can giggle all we like later... I’m starved.”
The stew was very delicious. There was also a flat sort of bread which was dipped into the stew. It was also very good and filling. The old woman looked delighted that Katja enjoyed the meal.
There was a knock at the door. Stella let the two men in.
Rachel stood and rushed to kiss Breyind.
“Sit and eat,” Stella invited the men. Rachel returned to her spot and Breyind sat next to her.
Adrick sat at the table and gazed at Katja. “I hope you are feeling better,” he said.
“I think so,” she replied. “I have so many questions!”
“I don’t want to get into more trouble with Stella though – so I can’t tell you everything tonight – maybe tomorrow we can go for a ride and I’ll tell you a bit more, what do you think?” he invited.
Katja smiled and nodded.
“Velantia is so beautiful!” Rachel replied. “I want you to see just how much!”
Katja smiled thinly at Rachel. She wasn’t convinced.
After the meal, Katja was getting excited again.
“This isn’t good you getting all upset,” Stella said to the young woman. “Adrick, come back in the morning.”
Katja felt upset even about Adrick needing to leave.
“Breyind, you too,” Stella encouraged. “This needs to be a girls’ night.”
Katja saw that Rachel felt upset too, but Breyind nodded his head at the old woman and gave Rachel a good night kiss. “I will come for you first thing.”
“Why don’t you show Katja to her room?” Stella suggested.
Katja and Rachel went upstairs.
“So, you’ve got your Tom Johnston!” Katja exclaimed as soon as they closed the doors.
“And you’ve got your Ewan Baker!” Rachel replied. “Isn’t he exactly what you wanted?”
“At first glance, definitely! I still have to get to know him. But Rachel! If you are getting married, it means you’re staying in Velantia, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but I can visit our old world when I want.”
“Are you sure about this, Rachel?”
“Katja, I’m learning from Stella. I can be a healer...just as I have been playing at for awhile now.”
“Rachel, I’m so happy for you!” Katja exclaimed hugging her best friend. “I’m going to miss you!”
“You don’t have to go back,” Rachel said. “But let’s not discuss this now. Let’s try on your dresses.”
Katja giggled, forgetting her worries. She sat on the bed as Rachel selected a variety of gowns.
“They are all dresses!” Katja said surprised. “I never wear dresses!”
“You will here!” said Rachel. “Here, try the yellow one. We can be matching!”
“Yellow?!” asked Katja with distaste, but put it on anyway. She found that the neckline was quite low, displaying her full bosom prominently. Katja looked at her reflection in the looking glass. She looked very beautiful and the dress flattered her figure. She would feel better if she saw other young women wearing similar dresses, but she hadn’t yet had the opportunity.
“Show Stella!” Rachel encouraged. Katja and Rachel went back downstairs. The old woman looked up from her mending.
“There’s a beauty!” she exclaimed at Katja. “The two most beautiful women in the realm and they are in my cottage!”
Katja blushed.
“What will you teach me tonight?” Rachel asked Stella.
“Help me pour a bath for Katja,” Stella requested. Rachel joined her.
The bath full, Stella added a bunch of herbs to the water. She muttered some words that Rachel did not understand. “You can learn this last bit though,” Stella said. “Mar… sin… bíonn… sé – it means ‘so be it.’ Hold your hand over the water as you say it.”
Rachel obeyed and repeated. “Mar sin bíonn sé.” The words sounded so good on her tongue.
“It’s a bit of old Gaelic – from when my mother was teaching me. This is the same kind of bath I gave you previously. Just accentuating what you already have. Katja will require all the help she can get.”
“But it doesn’t interfere with free will?” Rachel confirmed.
“Not at all – just opens her heart and mind a little more.”
Rachel nodded.
“Bring her in here,” Stella instructed.
Katja came in and Stella left so that the young ladies could have their privacy. “It’s so nice!” Katja said as she relaxed in the hot water.
“Not bad for no electricity or gas, eh?” Rachel asked. Then she left her friend to bathe. She wanted to talk to Stella alone. She found the healer in the living room, organizing some herbs.
“You need to talk?” Stella asked her. “I’ll sit if you want, but I feel you don’t need that.”
“What do women here do if they don’t want a baby yet?”
“Now I understand what has gone wrong in your world. Babies are seen as inconvenient, something to fit into a busy lifestyle – then, they give them to someone else to raise…,” Stella said somewhat harshly.
“Couples in my world like to put off babies for awhile so that they can enjoy their time alone together first. Then, they like to space them to make it easier to raise them. After they’ve had their two or three kids, they make sure they don’t have more than what they can afford.”
“I honestly don’t know whether to laugh of cry,” Stella said shaking her head. “When you disconnect the act with the potential result, you get boredom – the need for toys, affairs and such things.”
“You really think those things are connected like that?” Rachel asked, shocked.
“I do. When you take away the natural spice associated with sex, you need other spices to replace it – and none of the others quite make up for the loss of the original… the one that nature designed to go along. I could give you some herbs to discourage conception, I can also teach you about your fertility cycle so that you can delay conception if you wish, but you have to realize that nothing is 100% guaranteed to work – if you have relations, you need to be ready to possibly have a baby. Why are you so worried about it? You’re a healthy girl and of a healthy age – and you’re betrothed.”
“I’ve been told my entire life that part of women being equal to men is our ability to not have unplanned babies – that this is the responsible thing to do, even once married – to avoid too many people.”
“In your 1600s, they thought it was overpopulated. Then, there was the Black Death – killed ½ of the population of Europe. In the 1800s, it was thought again, but then, there were advances made that allowed more food to be grown than ever before. Who died and made us gods?” Stella asked. “In any case, Velantia is still struggling to overcome the plague that stole so many of our young – no worries of overpopulation here.”
“Lots of things that I’ve never had to think about before – having never had a boyfriend, well, not more than a kiss anyway,” Rachel replied.
“I think you need to think carefully about what you want. I can help you live your world’s lifestyle in this one, but I’m not a chemist. Remember, you now live in a world where children are welcomed as gifts from the gods, not seen as an inconvenience, a tax on the poor or luxury for those with money. I also want you to think about why you were permitted to enter Velantia and the fact that Breyind has long waited for someone like you. I would suggest talking to him about it if you want to do anything other than the natural way – the way it’s always been done in Velantia.”
Rachel lay awake quite awhile. She gazed at her hair garland on the bedpost, wishing that Breyind could be with her tonight… but that made her wonder about all the things Stella had said to her – challenging the way she’d been taught to think in the Other World. She blew out the candle and closed her eyes, trying to meditate on the mysteries presented to her. What did the Guardians think, she found herself wondering. As soon as she asked that question, she knew the answer. She still wondered about the future, but knew that she would be very happy in Velantia. She just wished she knew Breyind’s secret.
In the other room, Katja also lay awake thinking. What would Velantia bring her? Could she learn to love it? Would she always long for her old home?
Supplemental Materials
Prologue, map, character list
The Legend of the Sacred Trio
Links to Buy the ebooks
(Note: If anyone knows how to make this table look better in markdown, please comment!)
| Please catch up! | Links to buy |
|---|---|
 |  |
| Birth of the Neví – 829 T.C.E. It is a tumultuous period of Terrenden history. As is all too common, there are those who wish to profit from the misfortune of others. Some of these come together in a new "charitable organization" and step on the toes of the notorious Uugli. Combine this with draconian new measures to combat pollution and Terrenden has a situation ripe for a power struggle. | Rebound of Power: 850 T.C.E. Collection of Romance Terrenden is being terrorized by a previously underestimated Neví who through the mysterious “Curator” have been controlling elections all over the planet. In this collection, we meet some interesting women. Iyva, a homeless teenager in Irola whose untrained power leaves her close to death; Marc’la, a breeder of prized caballus in Kasago whose heart lives in the past; Zukie, an abused widow whose heart is afraid to try for future happiness; Jenna, an elections assistant manager and masseuse who has a prejudice against A’mara; and Kami, a chola student in Varkevand who has been assigned to protect Ardin, a man who has his own reasons to distrust A’mara. |
| Coming | Soon! |
| Rise of the Neví - 830 T.C.E. The Neví begin their rise in power with the completion of several large housing projects that seem totally charitable, but also hide a great evil within. The draconian measures brought in the previous year has caused major distress throughout the world, perfect for giving the Neví a further foothold on the Terrenden stage. Will the A’mara, now removed from the Council of Peers, be able to shut down the Neví? | Acting the Part - 851 T.C.E. Collection of Romance - The Neví continue to make a nuisance of themselves, infiltrating the Terrenden Freedom Party who have been winning most elections around the world. Dr. Jarly is still on the run and the Curator still dominates a larger part of the Terrenden stage than most would like to know. What’s more, famous actor, Derick Aiden has decided to release his Neví expose film, causing them to issue a Death Edict on him, forcing him into hiding. In this collection, we meet more interesting women (and revisit some we’ve already got to know.) Kauri, a simple receptionist who doesn’t realize one of her wildest dreams has come true; Tirry, an elections manager who is always the bridesmaid and never the bride; Zara, a chef who has all but given up on finding love for herself; Dzani, who isn’t even looking, but has to chaperone her more vulnerable roommate; Soala, the daughter and heiress who is expected to marry, but refuses to marry someone she doesn’t love; and Moxara, one whose past griefs have locked away her heart. We also get updates on some of the lovely ladies we met previously. |
Don’t forget!
I’m still offering 1 Steem Basic Income share for any minnow who asks me a question which prompts an “Ask the Author” post! I’m thinking about putting these into a Dbooks ebook all its own, actually.
Image Credits:
Brighid's Blood cover art based on:
- Mountain background shot (on the border of Slovakia and Poland) – PublicDomainPictures.
All three images were under the creative commons licensing, (no attribution required.)
- Shaze picture developed from PXhere
Shaze divider based on:
- Sword image from Wikipedia Commons
All maps/editing by myself on GIMP and Photoscape, both free programs.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Although the penalty of knowing me in real life is that you will influence the creation of my characters; any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Writing and artwork copyright myself 2005-2018 – all rights reserved.
If you are interested in helping me publish these works, please contact me on Facebook or Discord, viking-ventures#2883.
Lori Svensen – A'mara Books & Viking Visual
