Creating something new, day 43

Jane's decision

I wake up and in the haze I feel that I'm holding someone and have pushed my head against that someone's breasts. The size tells me nothing. Open my eyes or feel around? Eehh, nope. This is just nice, and I fall asleep again.

Too bright. Too early. Too nice. I still feel my head resting against someones breast. I just adjust my position to lie more comfortably when something touches my nose and it itches. Reflexively, I raise a hand and feel something hard on the way to scratching my nose. The brain slowly ticks, and eventually it stops at 'huh?'. I opens my eyes and sees a gold ring through the nipple and I realizes I holding Ciara. Still in the haze from waking up I look around and see I'm holding Ciara, who smiles, kiss my head and hugs me against her naked body. Huh? Where are Iselin and Kari, and why is Ciara here in bed?

"Good morning. They left so I could give you a special wake-up, but as soon as I crawled into bed you just grabbed me, curled in against my breasts, drew a happy sigh and fell asleep again. You looked so content, so I have just enjoyed it since."

Ciara press herself against me and gently massages my scalp, as I slowly come out of the haze, yawning and trying to focus. It helps when Ciara whispers that her nipples are close to my mouth...

It's closer to eight when we finally get out of bed, as Ciara brought breakfast in with her, and jam can be spread on more than bread. Good morning.

Out in the garden its a beautiful day and the sunlight is too damn bright, so I take my boonie hat and squint. I can use my sunglasses, but I want to make something here and save them until I need eye protection, so they're protected from being scratched. Polycarbonate is easily scratched, and I have been thinking of something like classic snow goggles used on snow. I suspect that the glass has too much distortion, which would make me nauseous in the long run and give me a headache, but it is worth the effort to try to polish up glass lenses the best I can. Alith and Jane are sitting in the shade of the tree, and Jane is wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I wish Iselin and the others would occasionally wear clothes like that, because I'm a little feed up with their dresses. That looks so much better. Jane and Alith look relaxed and quite happy with life, so I join them and just sit and let my lazy gaze drift around the garden. Alith seems to be making an effort to hold back a comment, and tries to give a more dignified impression than usual, which is probably difficult as I sit in shorts and a shirt and is half asleep. I must look furstly and regal as fuck.

"Good morning Alith, Good morning Jane. Slept okay?"

"Not the first hour or two. Just the benches and the change of environment."

"We both know they were sending a message."

"I also received the last one a while ago - loud and clear - although if I understood Alith correct she's always loud."

"She is, but I've gotten better at reading her. She scared the shit out of me the first few times, especially as I was so on edge about giving her a bad experience, and I tried to be in submissive positions. I really didn't want to be associated with how other men have treated her." Jane grimaces when she realizes the issue. "Anyway, guess I should be thankful that you have a slightly posh but lovely british accent, it sounds so much better than some brittish dialects thats just horrible."

She have a pretty and pleased smile, before responding with a slightly exaggerated accentuation and pronounciation; "Thank you. Although father complains that I have lost my Britishness and are using all to much vile slang and Americanisms, making a complete arse of myself in polite company. The accent still there though, Thank God."

"You know you have to learn the norse language, right? You can't just talk to me. I have had to learn it too, and so do Ciara. I'm still improving it with every conversation. Thats why Kari was here from the start. I asked for a language, reading, writing, etiquette, law, history and more teacher."

"I see - and heard - she took the 'and more' to heart."

"Well, she was in a bad situation too. She's an orphan that's literally been raised and indoctrinated from childhood by the Kings clan to be the perfect concubine, and was to be given to someone as a concubine which she couldn't choose, and no matter what, she had to be a 'good gift'. She was getting 'far too old', and rightly feared it might be as an exotic concubine in a faraway land, getting used pretty much as a sexslave or babymaker by some cruel smelly man, and hated by his wife. This world has so much cruelty with our standards, and women can be treated horribly, especially in other countries, although that applies to boys and men too. Gunhild and Hillevi spent years as her only real company, protecting her virginity.

But Kari saw a small opportunity with me as a more desirable future for her, that she sort of could choose, and even though I didn't like it, I don't blame her for make the best of what she could. Who wouldn't in her situation? I was slightly paranoid about her since I thought she was a spy for the King, or a honey trap to get me in a legal bind. She actually was both, so I guess it was justified paranoia, although it now seems the King secretly hoped for us to develop feelings for each other. Everyone have plans and agendas, and they have homeworld and cultural advantage. Anyway, just for me to accept reality and move on, and its not really that difficult or a burden considering how knowledgeable, skilled and nice she is." Jane grins and is about to say something obvious, so I interrupt her." ... and I mean outside of the bedroom."

Jane is pleased that I read her mind, and just seems to enjoy talking and listening. I can imagine that it was a while ago, which she soon confirms.

"You've really have had a few interesting months. I must say it's just so very very lovely to be able to talk with someone. Really listen and understand the language, using complex words and nuances. It's been months. Your English is rather good by the way."

"Thanks, I never really practise speaking it except on holidays, or writing it, so I make mistakes, especially in writing, but I see movies and TV shows without subtitles - they just distract me with translation errors - and I read plenty of books per year mostly in English. Swedish isn't a huge language to translate works into. I've read books without realising they where in English until someone pointed it out. I had one interesting trip in Ireland a decade back where I had no real problem understanding the guides, but a young American couple with a child basically just wanted me to repeat what the guides where saying, since I was easier to understand. Both me and the guides thought that was funny when we understood.

Irish English is charming and can be sexy, Irish Gaelic also sounds nice but is horrible to understand. Ciara by the way has a form of Gaelic as her primary language, or atleast close enough that she sort of understands songs in Gaelic, which is cool. Most have never seen a map, so its hard to understand where they mean, but neither Scotland or England exist as a country, but a big part of Scotlands called Alba, and some part of England seems to be a region called Avalune. It might be a coincident, but it might also have something to do with Avalon from the King Arthur legends." Jane gives me a surprised look, and begins to disappear into thoughts. "French isn't the same language, its called Frigones and I guess they're related, but I don't really speak French so I have no real idea how close they are. German would be slightly easier to understand, but I don't know if that exist here either, or if Alfheimr version actually would be easier. Anyway, thought and decided on your answer?"

"You really don't faff about much do you? You should know better and give a girl some time to warm up, but you're not a bore." Jane shines up, and give me her pretty and white smile. "Yes! I will be your painter and general artist for three years, and I will help and share knowledge. Its a really wonderful deal, and its so much better than what I was stupidly trying to force - and we both know it. Thank you! You have my sincere gratitude, especially for the life lesson and your graceful handling of my epic stupidity last night."

"Then some groundrules. Again, try to limit what you say about our world, even to my people here - best to not say anything really. If you wonder if you should talk or mention something - best not to. That's what I try to do. But you can always ask me, and I do enjoy being able to really talk to someone. They all have very good memory, probably since this is a oral culture, and no-one takes notes or write stuff down, and books are few. Either something is remembered or its lost, and they have trained that since childhood. Iselin knows our world best, but she knows little and in specific areas. I'm warning you that she's really smart, remembers everything and ask piercing questions. Say something and she might give you a follow up question you don't like answering, which she will notice, and then she will use her femine wiles until I cave. Or just poke me. That's why she knows about the solarsystem, stars, the universe, seen pictures from Mars and astronouts in orbits. She have seen the damn Hubble Deep Field pictures. Completely blew her mind, but she cried with happiness and awe. She really wants to try building a telescope in the future."

"You have all that on your phone?! You have a charger too!"

"I have a phone and a small tablet computor with big memory cards and many hobbies and interests, and a hiking solarpanel. But you see that weird rotating thing over there? Vertical wind turbine."

That surprised the hell out of her, and she blurts out; "You've brought electricity to the Viking age?!"

"Yepp. Really made it, including the rechargeable batteries it charges, although I modified a small USB adapter so I can connect normal cables."

"You've made a windcharged powerbank with USB - in the Viking age!"

"Yes. Its not especially effective, but it works, so I'm not solar dependent which will be really nice the comming winter, and I will upgrade the system now that its proven to work. I'm a bit proud over it, even though that's not the really hard part of charging something. The details always gets you - in everything - and a lot I simply need someone to make for me, since I never really done something like pottery. I'm confusing the hell out of some craftsmen and craftswomen in Borgarsandr."

Jane giggles and smiles. "If you're building stuff like that I can only imagine! I was wondering what it was, but I never guess electricity. Bloody hell. That must be magic for them!"

"You have no idea. I'm pretty much storing magic. That copperwire has to be handmade is a huge problem I have to overcome, along with insulation, but I can make simpler electromechanics now, like a telegraf, and simpler electric motors will probably happen this winter. I might charge your phone for you, but you do not do it alone. I will charge your phone and powerbank on the condition that you don't show it to anyone, or use it when they might see or hear it even by accident. There is a really good quote from Arthur C Clarke that's so true here, and it should always be in your mind: 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic', and you have to be careful with all things they see as magic.

My girlfriends know a bit, but I have limited their knowledge and exposure to all technology. They know what a compact camera is and that is stores a memory, a moment in time, but they don't know about it's flash or focuslight because I've turned it off. They have seen my tablet and a small fraction of what it can do, and that it too have cameras. Alith here knows and have seen my compact camera, and gotten pictures taken to see herself because Ciara spilled the beans to her. The other guards havn't, and I trust them to guard me and my stuff. They don't need to know, so they don't know.

Alith is my Guard Captain, and pretty much my bodyguard. And no, its not because of her boobs. She and Bodil where my first guards, and Bodil prefer staying in the background. I had to have someone protecting me during my secret blackpowder tests, and Bodil was busy with other things, while Alith was bored - so she saw stuff. I continued letting only her be close by during the following tests, so she knows about my cane. Bodil and Gunhild have seen what it can do, so has my girlfriends since they witnessed when I shot that man with it, but no-one but me knows how it really works. I only told you yesterday because you would figure it out and be curious. But thats... it. Crap, I just called them my girlfriends several times and ment it, when in reality only Iselin is."

"You said girlfriends several times last night too."

"I did? Crap. Iselin is actually my fiancée since I did propose it to her after explaining what it ment, and I have been introducing her as it, but here, that's an unknown status compared to a concubine. It just felt wrong and dirty asking her to be my concubine, and I didn't want one. And we both know how that worked out. Huh. I just realised maybe thats why she told me to accept Ciara as my concubine later the same day. She got proof that she was special to me. Anyway, I guess Ciara and Kari's not really concubines for me anymore, or even close friends with benefits which is what I prefer seeing them as. I don't like having concubines. Crap. That didn't last many weeks. It will make Kari happy since her longtime goal really is becomming my second wife."

Jane grins as she replies: "I thought a female Machiavelli would aim for first."

"She is smarter than that. She understood that I wouldn't 'appreciate' if anyone forced Iselin aside, and she want a happy married life with me as her husband - not just the title. So instead she tried to make sure that even the King wouldn't come between me and Iselin, but that she eventually might become my second wife. Someone I ask to marry me as my second wife, as I've learned to love and cherish her, and I then want her to be my wife."

"Oh."

"I probably should point something out. Yesterday you didn't just insult me, you insulted them too. I don't think they will do anything towards you, since I've told them to drop it and forget it, but if you had done that to Karis face in public... Do I need to say more? Guess not. Never insult someones honor or status. If you havn't already, you should probably apologize in some way to Alith, since you did do it to her face, and she still helped cover for you. But make it sincere, and not just with words. It doesn't have to be today or expensive.

Where was I? Right, girlfriends. I have to be careful thinking it since I probably can't tell Ciara for a long time. It's so important for her to be my concubine. Usually a concubine is just declared so infront of witnesses by both parties, but that wasn't enough for her. She even changed the contract before signing, to make it harder for her to break it and if she breaks it, her punishment is being my concubine. I atleast gave her a way out so she can ask me to void it."

I realize that I'm again telling her things I probably shouldn't, but it's nice to be able to really talk to someone who can understand, and she looks appreciative and gives me a thoughtful look.

"Your really do care about all of them."

"Sorry, I shouldn't bother you with this, but yes; I do. I might not show it clearly and with grand gestures, but yes. I care about Alith, Bodil, Gunhild and Hillevi too, just not as deeply. I prefer to think of them as friends who guard me, not nameless guards, and I really, really don't like having them work 24/7 even though thats the norm here. I try giving them freedom and days off, but they spend them doing the same thing. Your work is your life, and you can't really do much here. Then again, workdays include time spent on the beach, as I've been trying to teach all of them how to swim, and they've been bathing and sunbathing a lot the past month, as I'm mostly busy working in my room. Add shopping days where I've given them half a years extra salary they had to spend on cloth and jewellery to look good, and stuff like boardgames, playing with boomerangs and watching fireworks."

"You horrible slave driver!" Jane pretends to be horrified, before she cracks a smile.

"Yeah, they pretty much consider a lot time of their duty as fun time off, and think I'm spoiling them. Which I am. I had to force them to accept the knifes, since they're worth something like three years salary. But I need guards that look good, and I don't see its value like that."

"If I might ask: Boomerangs?!"

"Yes, but only was a simple flying toy and for fun. I tried to make frisbees too, and they worked, but too heavy and bad in wood, and not durable enough. I'm thinking about trying to make both in Papier-mâché instead. Its just paper, water and glue, but I will try to reinforced with cloth, metalwires and so on, and I have a vague recollection about linseed oil might be use to make it more waterproof, and of course the right paint on the outside once its completely dry. Its pretty much the only composite material I can make right about now, and it will be important to introduce, with a lot of uses. It can be thin and have complex shapes."

"Flying toys, that must have been magic for them."

"We had a wonderful fun evening, and they have used them since. Iselin will be happy to show you her skill. You might not know this, and you really need to know, especially around me. Magic, spells, charms, hexes, fortune telling, some medicine, Voodoo magic or whatever - it is all called sejd here. Sejd. And sejd is for women only. When I realised the deep shit I was in arriving here, I thought I was smart pretending to be a mysterious traveling wizard, and people assumed I was rich too with my luxurious cloths and weird stuff like magically light telescopic aluminium walking sticks with mystical symbols, or my stainless knife. But I made the mistake of not knowing that magic here is for women only. Any man that uses magic is automatically unmanly, called ergi, and its usually a terrible thing to call a man unmanly, it might be a duel to First Blood right there. A man have to prove and defend his manliness and 'word' all the time to have honor, since a man without honor can't be trusted, make deals, marry and so on. Refusing to defend a challenge to honor or manliness can have terrible consequences like being named 'Niding'. That usually ruins a mans reputation beyond recovery, and you might as well be called a lawless outcast, and just leave the nation.

So, never say or call any male unmanly even by mistake, because they are forced to prove it. My duel happened because a stupid aggressive man got angry and loud when I - an unmanly man - didn't want him in my ships crew, which is a manly job. The two women I did accept didn't help. So I literally told him to calm down, go have a drink and pick up women. But I used a very common Swedish word which means 'pick up', but it sounded to close to another word here, thats never used since its worse than just calling someone unmanly; it basically means he likes to be the submissive male and taking it in the butt. Never ever say that to a man here, its beyond deeply insulting. Discreetly look at Alith now. Their word is 'ragr' and my swedish word is 'raggar'. Told you, and she's female and it wasn't aimed at her. Just a word among many. I couldn't even have said it if there was another man present." I switch to Norse and explain to Alith that I'm telling Jane about the duel.

"Anyway, as a Sejdmann - their name for a male magician - I'm automatically unmanly, so me using that word against a man was beyond horrible, and no excuse or payment was enough to take it back. I had to goad him into letting me murder him with 'magic', so I used that he infront of a crowd, couldn't admit to being afraid of a unarmed womanly man using female magic - because First Blood duel law and his rage ment he would have tried to kill me and probably succeded, and I couldn't refuse because I would have been named Niding. Either way my girlfriends would be in a terrible situation, since as the accused winner he would claim all my 'possessions', and he would rape them to prove his manliness. Probably in public, and infront of me if I survived."

"Bloody hell! I guess you weren't exaggerating last night. Yesh! All that from just a simple one word language mishap sounding too close? I'm so happy we hardly could make us understood, and were afraid to use technology because we didn't want to be burned at the stakes. Wait. You're a King surrounded by gorgeous young women whom seems to adore you, and you're considered unmanly because you're pretending to be a magician?"

"Some probably think I surround myself with women to compensate, or that I have used magic to make them so. They really believe in magic and the power of spells and such here. Love poetry and love songs can put a spell on someone and its usually not the females fault, but the poet or bard who seduced and bewitched her, and he can get her entire clan after him. They might force a marrige since he have 'bewitched' her. Here the heartthrob badboys are the warrior poets and warrior bards. Imagine being a teenage idol here."

"Oh God!" Jane laughs, and say several funny lines, one after another, like if there is an upper limit to how many women a man can be married to.

"It could be worse; a generation ago they pretty much homogenized the kingdoms law and wrote it down in books. Before that, love poetry and love songs were outlawed in a couple of places - with the death penalty."

Jane pretends to be a grumpy old woman. "Oh, this younger generation, they're going soft on crime!"

"Also, my girlfriends are not young according to their standard, that would be about 13-17 years old. I've tried to establish some kind of vague data. About a sixth die before the age of 5, and a third never reach 20 years. If there is war or raids, another third of men might die before reaching 30 years, while several pregnancies and childbirths takes a sixth of women. So about 30-40% of men reach 30 years, and about 50% of women. For women it sort of stabilize and mostly sickness slowly decrease their numbers, while men continue to travel, duel and fight. Only 15-20% of men and 40% of women reach 40. If you live to reach 50 - your old, especially as a man. Just having two children doesn't cut it, because the population would decrease fast. If you were born here, you would have married 5-10 years ago, and given birth to two to four children, and one child might have died by now, and its about 25% chance your husband would have died too."

"Oh God! Thats a reality check! Bloody hell. Its no wonder that a man might have two wifes, if two thirds of the older population is women. Thats a lot of young widows with children too."

"Yeah, and you might have lost the land too, so you stand there with nothing - no house and nothing to support yourself and two young children. No social safetynet. You would probably be grateful if another man wished to take you as his concubine and support another mans children. This is a harsh world. As I said, they're not young, and grow up fast. But there's still places in our world thats quite close to here - we both grew up in the best parts of your world. But keep listening, as there's lots of things you need to know, and I wish I'd known it.