After my mother told me a little about her past, we set about preparing the guest rooms that the Empress and Sultana would occupy with their wives and daughters.
Thankfully, both the rooms, albeit large, were much smaller than the room the Marquess and Jahi owned.
Working together, I was reminded of my first few days in this new world, where I had first completed various small quests before getting a taste for what the future would be like: these large, a few hundred experience point quests.
Currently, I was in charge of the bathroom of each room, the quest awarding 300xp upon completion.
My mother was scurrying about, cleaning the bedroom and lounge, making sure everything was up to par.
Unlike her, I took my time, enjoying the peace and quiet, using it as a moment to think and contemplate the upcoming events.
Little was truly known about the Empress; she rarely went out, and had extremely competent women as her wives.
Lorelei Presa was one such woman. I remembered the passage ii had seen in a book Jahi had been reading. She had changed the system of the Academy, making it more accessible to the commoner population, as well as creating a branch of the Academy dedicated to the education of the servants that the nobility tended to bring.
These changes had been met with ridicule, with people like Baron Jilk demeaning Lorelei, calling her changes idiotic and a waste of money.
However, Lorelei had made everyone regret her words as she had personally sponsored three students in the first year; each one graduating at not only the top of their classes but being awarded with apprenticeships to some of the foremost specialists in the Empire.
One of the sponsored students was a young man who excelled in medicine, researching the exact uses of various herbs and extracts. He revolutionized the medicine of the Empire, making it more accessible and cheaper for the common people, extending the typical lifespan by almost a decade.
The other two sponsorship students were talented in combat, becoming the squires for Helian Solari, a Knight of Cinder.
After these three students showed their worth, the stuck up nobility tired to claim it was a fluke, a one time affair. In a sense, they were right, as those three were geniuses. However, every year a small group of talented commoners attends the Academy, placing in the top of their classes.
This was just her performance politically...
Thinking of that, as much as I dreaded having to share Jahi, I couldn't wait to meet her, as well as her daughter.
Same went for the Sultana and Kio Sera. Even after hearing the story my mother told, I couldn't find fault with the woman. After all, she never did anything wrong; objectively speaking, she was in the right when she turned away my mother. She was under no obligation to risk her entire pack just for one person.
Thinking of the Sultana's story, as well as hearing of Kio's heritage, their daughter should be quite interesting.
Again, I dreaded the idea of having to share Jahi, of seeing her divide her attention between us, but I was hopeful that these girls would have all the traits there parents did.
Sighing, I looked around the bathroom, smiling slightly when I saw it was fully clean. Seeing the notification that the quest was complete, I moved to the next, telling the system to just add the total up at the end of the day.
~~~
Time passed, and my mother and I had prepared the two guest rooms, making it so that a very brief cleaning would be needed a day before they arrived, instead of doing the work then.
That night, Jahi clung to me, showing her affections much more openly than she had before.
After a slightly stressful bath, we both lay in bed, Jahi's arms wrapped around me.
Feeling her breath on my ears, I felt the familiar jolt rush down my spine. Burrowing deeper into her embrace, I enjoyed the warmth of her body. Feeling her hand stroking my back, I heard her whisper "Are you sure, Kat? About letting someone else... join us?"
Hearing that, I moved back a bit, looking up at her eyes. Specks of gold shone through her amethyst eyes, and seeing her worried gaze I chuckled.
"We shall see, won't we? Besides, the Marquess and Countess are right. If you don't take at least on of them as your wife, the amount of women you'd be forced to marry to tie you to the Empire would be innumerable."
Looking at my eyes, she sighed, before a teasing grin spread on her face. "And what if I want dozens of women, hmm?"
Glaring at her, I turned over with a huff. Feeling her hold me tighter while she chuckled, I pouted.
She continued to hold me, staying quiet as she buried her face into my neck.
[Daily XP: 937.5]
[Level 10 (1323/3843) -> (2260.5/3843)]
Smiling at that, I closed my eyes, falling asleep to Jahi's light breathing.
~~~
Making our way towards the Music Hall, we entered, seeing Baroness Estra dressed in something new.
Wearing a low cut top that exposed her midriff, with long, flowing sleeves covering her arms, as well as the long pants that stopped at her ankles, Baroness Estra looked much like the belly dancers I had... seen in the past.
Looking at her with clear confusion, she chuckled when she saw our faces.
"Yes, I know, this is much different than the conservative dresses I normally where, right? Well, the Marquess requested I show you both the dances, clothing, and some of what you can expect from the Sultana and her wife."
Looking over at Jahi, I could see her gaze roaming the Baroness' body. Squeexing her hand, she gave me a small smile before focusing on the Baroness' face.
Gesturing for us to take a seat, the Baroness stood in front of us, before sighing. Still seeing the slight confusion in our gazes, she explained "My husband is from the Sultanate, and I have always lived on the border. While I tend to prefer the dresses and dance of the Empire, I learned the dances and traditions of the Sultanate for him..."
Saying that, a light blush dusted her cheeks, before she coughed.
"Alright, listen, the two main styles of dress over in the Sultanate are either this, which is loose, light fabric that exposes you to the beating sun, but allows the sweat to evaporate quicker and keep you cool. Conversely, some wear full robes and multiple layers, which wards off the heat. In the Sultanate, it comes down to personal preference, but most wear less, showing themselves off."
Saying so, she twirled, giving us a full view of the outfit. Squeezing Jahi's hand again, I didn't even need to turn my head to know that she was ogling the Baroness.
Looking back at us, the Baroness continued.
"The type of dance from the Sultanate is much more upbeat and expressive than here. While the Empire's dances display elegance and formality, the Sultanate is more about expressing yourself. As such, the clothing grew to this, adding a pleasing view to the dance where the loose cloth flows behind the dancer.
When the Sultana and her wife visit, the Marquess wishes to hold a banquet in the Sultanate's style, and wishes to end the day with a small dance. Since the Sultanate is primarily women, it is the women courting their partners; as such, there isn't a dance for males, but rather the dances are used to attract someone. So, when the Sultana's daughter dances that night, it will be a courtship dance. Additionally, there is no one way to dance; unlike the formal dances of the Empire, the dance changes from person to person, and event to event. There are three ways to react to the dance; rejection, acceptance, or abstaining. Anyways, I will show you the dance first, then the way for you to respond."
Saying so, the Baroness moved towards Jahi, stopping a few feet from her. Taking a deep breath, the Baroness started swaying gently, lifting and lower her hips slowly, creating a rhythm for herself. Closing her eyes, she took another breath before starting to move around.
Taking short, light steps, she continued swaying her hips, causing the cloth attached to her arms and legs to flow. Bringing her arms up, she started swaying them as well, moving the cloth around her arms and creating an enamoring scene.
Picking up pace, she grabbed the cloth of her pants, raising it slightly, twirling. Continuing, she moved faster and faster, causing the cloth to ripple and form patterns as she danced.
Time passed, and I was enamored. The dance movements themselves were simple; twirls, swaying, raising hips, and so on. It was very simple, but the patter that the Baroness weaved together was complex and created a beautiful scene.
Finishing, a light sheen of sweat covered her body, making her more alluring. Moving towards Jahi, she gave a shallow bow before extending her hand out.
"Acceptance is taking the hand and kissing the back of the hand.
Rejection is ignoring the hand, or moving it away.
Finally, abstaining is grabbing the hand with both of yours, giving it a squeeze. It shows interest, but also means you aren't sure yet."
Turning towards me, she said "As you could see, the basic movements are easy; it's creating a flow that is difficult. Additionally, there are many ways to change the dance, as well as adding bells or charms to the cloth to add an auditory element."
Nodding, I pursed my lips. Seeing how Jahi had a slight problem taking her eyes off the Baroness, I smiled, realizing I would have a perfect birthday gift for her in the far future.
---
So, not entirely confident in the whole dance thing; unlike the waltz, it is much harder to actually describe this dance. Additionally, I tried finding a couples dance, but wasn't impressed with the only one I could find, so I said 'whatever, belly dance it is.'
Additionally, as many people are currently aware. It is HOT as hell everywhere, and my AC seems to like barely working. So I am currently sweating and exhausted, so the chapter may be lacking slightly at the end.
Hopefully the weather cools down soon...
---