AGE OF FURS AND FEATHERS

THE NUPTIAL EVENING

The Nuptial Evening...

She had never eaten a more delicious meal. Kathryn and Odette had snickered quietly at the way she'd ravished her morning food. She wanted more of that delicacy, but she had also wanted to stretch her legs. She had felt a bit dizzy after she was done with her meal, but she also didn't want to stay indoors anymore.

Lord Arram had given her a limited time to which she was to remain outdoors, and she hadn't wanted to waste another moment. She was currently outside, in the garden, where her maids had been ordered to escort her, holding a pack of sweets. She studied the flowers, especially the white lilies and purple hibiscus because they were her mother's favorite.

Her mind drifted to Lord Arram; has she had heard, Lord Arram had never released any of his mistresses to go outdoors. They were locked up till they were needless to him, which was quite painful if one thought about it. He too treated women like useless beings made for bed and fertility.

She remembered the time he forced her to sleep with him and cringed...it wasn't the best night. But recalling the words of Odette, a man loses interests in a woman the moment he has had her in bed. She had mentioned the statement a day ago when she dressed Dionne for the night and Dionne had pondered on those words. She had also said an intimate intercourse with a man could cause a woman to fall for him, but not necessarily the man.

She had furrowed her brows at the thought, because it didn't make any sense. Why would the woman feel something for the man and the man, nothing? It made her wonder though, was that the reason she was beginning to have feelings for him? She sighed, shaking her head, that wasn't possible. It could be an act of her will, or was it? She'd never really thought about it. But that wasn't even the point.

What had stricken her was the last statement Odette had said. If a man still, cherishes, cares, wants, is protective, patient, and appreciates you even after he had slept with you, it means the feelings he has toward you aren't just mere feelings...its love. Odette knew what she knew probably because she was mated and married to Ace, Lord Arram trusted army general. Dionne judged Lord Arram qualities with what she mentioned and realized that he didn't dispose her after that night, he didn't treat her like she was useless, fragile yes, but not useless.

She had no doubt that he cared; neither did she doubt that he still wanted her. He indeed was protective, but she still wasn't sure how patient or how much he appreciated her. She was a woman after all, what was there to appreciate? They couldn't work or do anything; they were born to be idle and commanded. If he didn't appreciate her, she would understand.

She sighed for the umpteenth time that day, but continued to admire the flowers. In a way she wished she was like her mother; the goddess of fragrance. Her love for flowers was undeniable. Their scents deserved to be perceived around the kingdom.

She believed that scents had different kinds of ways they were perceived...some were made to ease the mind, to give the body peace, while some were made to deceive the body, and some were made to make one prideful. The scents expressed the standard of the one who used it and gives a signal to others who perceive it. Only high ranking gods like the king, and the gods that were close to him used those kinds of scents. The authoritative kind...the ones that demanded respect, even the one she currently used.

"I just love the scent of flowers, this one..." Odette said, sniffing the flower in her hand '....is so relaxing." She sighed with a relaxed demeanor.

"This one smells like the flower every man offers to his lover, it even looks like it." She pointed to the rose, before plucking it out. She admired it for a while. "How does it feel to be loved by a man? I'm certain the feeling is like roses. The way the color captivates your eyes, and the warmth of it that fills your heart, yet you cannot bring yourself to take your eyes off it." Kathryn said. It was quite obvious she hadn't found her mate yet. "What is love to you Odette? Being that you're mated...you'd know this more than anyone here."