Time for Admiration

[Ivory]

Kathryn moved through the booths at a slow, unhurried pace, occasionally stopping to admire a piece of artwork or craft that caught her eye.  Her maid traveled at her side, as did one guard, some distance back.  He was mostly just there as a precaution -- or as a babysitter, Kathryn thought ruefully.  Well, if something did happen, she would be glad to have him, she supposed; in the meantime, she settled for remaining several feet in front of him at all times.

As most days when outside her home, Kathryn wore a decorative outfit that simultaneously showed off how much money she had and how much money she was willing to spend.  She also wore a thin, decorative veil over the lower part of her face -- her own unique style to maintain her modesty, she claimed.  It had its other purposes, of which only she and her maid were aware, but it also made her a little more mysterious...and it set her one step higher than the commonfolk around her, for whom a decorative veil would only get in the way of their work.

The fair was a fascinating event here in the Hollow.  Kathryn came when she could -- it was an approved activity, after all -- and so she had a passing familiarity with many of the vendors and their works.  She stopped to admire a particular craftswoman whose glasses she often bought, eagerly taking in the tiny glass animals on display.  "These are absolutely beautiful," she complimented the woman, delighted at the array.

[Rhakōnba]

Rhakōnba was fascinated by all the things on display in the various booths. There were so, so many different items in so many different styles, all of it different from what they had in Bzulft. She had bought many things already, though the stall vendors had all initially eyed her warily as though they suspected her of thieving. Their tune had changed when she offered them gold; it still amused her how much topsiders valued an essentially useless metal. All it could do was look pretty, but it was worth so much to them!

Rhakōnba's own clothing didn't appear overly rich, though she had received a few ill looks for wearing what many considered 'masculine' clothing. But it was well tailored and nothing to sneer at-- embossed leather, brass buttons, gold braid on her tunic. It was not made to flaunt wealth, but if one paid attention then one could note the expense of the outfit. She did not yet wear the jewelry of a High Matriach-- gold piercings in parallel lines from brow to nose bridge to throat to breastbone-- but she did have thick gold rings on her horns. It was obvious that she had money if you knew what to look for.

Rhakōnba was drawn to a stall selling glass figurines of animals. She spotted it from across the market and made her way to it eagerly, carefully stepping around all of the fragile little humans. There was a well-dressed lady already at the stall, who Rhakōnba tried not to crowd or intimidate. "Oh wow," The giant breathed, tail thumping with delight, "so pretty!" She did not recognise many of the animals as a native topsider might, but she did like birds. "Such delicate work!" She cooed, examining the pieces carefully, completely unaware that she might be setting a certain bodyguard greatly on edge.

[Ivory]

The stranger caught Kathryn off-guard -- after all, it wasn't every day you saw...whatever that was.  She looked her over from the corner of her eye, but soon decided the woman was obviously no threat...  She looked as caught up in the pretty glass animals as Kathryn herself!

"They're fabulous, aren't they?" Kathryn agreed heartily.  "I love the colors..."  She lifted up a small, green turtle, intrigued by the differing colors and the way the worker had actually managed to texture the glass.  She had a vague sense of how such things were done, but it was still a marvel to behold the finished product!

Musingly, she asked the stranger beside her, "Is this your first time to the fair?"

[Rhakōnba]

Rhakōnba looked up when the lady addressed her, grinning wide and nodding once. The pieces were all certainly 'fabulous' as the human had put it. Glasswork wasn't common in Bzulft, occasionally used to magnify light, and it delighted Rhakōnba that the topsiders had made it into art. She had no real knowledge of the craft-- heat was used, perhaps?-- but she certainly appreciated the results. It must have taken much practice to hone the craft to this level.

"Oh, yes. My first time to any fair! My people do not have this sort of thing. I shall have to tell them all about it!" She thumped her tail again, excited at the prospect of introducing such things to her people. Maybe Bzulft would start producing glass art and holding 'fairs' too. Rhakōnba wondered how similar glasswork was to metalwork?

"Do you come to these often?" The giant asked the lady, pleased to find a human that didn't appear to harbor animosity towards her simply because of her appearance. Rhakōnba wondered why she covered her face with a veil? That seemed a strange custom. But Rhakōn figured that many of her own customs must have seemed strange to humans.

[Ivory]

Kathryn glanced towards the tail at the sound of the thump, but, realizing what was making the sound, she dismissed it quickly with a quiet laugh.  Well, she supposed, what other sound would a tail like that make?

"That's a pity," Kathryn answered.  This was clearly a foreigner -- every man, woman, and child in Connlaoth had been to a fair at some time in their lives!  She couldn't imagine a world without them, in fact; craftsmen and women were so widely respected and cherished!

"I do," Kathryn answered, momentarily distracted by the exchange of goods as she made her decision: a tiny, pink-clad lady with yellow hair that she thought her sister would enjoy.  It looked a little bit like her!  The tiny purchase joined the others Kathryn's maid carried before Kathryn continued.  "We have them all the time -- especially here in Matron's Hollow.  This is where most of the artists and craftsmen and women come to practice their skills. 

Musingly, she asked, "Do you not have artists where you're from?"

[Rhakōnba]

Rhakōnba made her choice-- every bird figurine at the stall-- and packed them very carefully into her bag, wrapping them in cloth to protect them. She glanced back at the lady, considering how best to reply to her question. It was a little complicated.

"Ah-- we do have artists, yes. But our definition of art is... Slightly different. Many of our 'art pieces' serve purposes around the city; the mechanisms that open and close the openings to the tunnels beyond Bzulft are considered 'art', so well-crafted are they. And often our distinguished wear 'art', or have art marked into their skin. We do not often create something solely to look at it, though it happens occasionally. Our works are commonly metal and rock. Diamond, if it's not being made into tools." Rhakōnba shrugged mildly. Her people preferred practical things over useless pretty things, but practical things could be beautiful too.

"Might I ask your name, my lady? I am Rhakōnba Neyt, at your service." She greeted the lady properly and respectfully, dipping her head. She was of the understanding that humans were much more formal than her own people, especially the wealthy ones. A lot of the ladies also got offended if you flirted with them even a little, and Rhakōnba didn't understand that at all.

[Ivory]

"Why, that isn't difficult to understand at all," Kathryn answered with a broad smile as she thought it over.  After all, humans often added decorative pieces to clothing and to doors and the like.  And architecture, too, could be beautiful as well as functional!  "In addition to those who create art for pleasure, there are a great many, too, who believe that art should serve a purpose."  It was unusual, yes, but it was not an entirely unfamiliar sentiment...

Her eyes brightened at the introduction, and she mimicked the greeting with a smile.  "I am Lady Kathryn Chandos.  My father rules the Duchy of Highheart to the South, near the Valley."  She wasn't at all sure if her new acquaintance was familiar with the country or politics...  "Would you like to walk with me?"  She gestured down the line of displays.

"I have to admit, I have never encountered your people before...  Where are you from?"

[Rhakōnba]

Rhakōnba smiled wide and bright, coppery eyes crinkling at the corners. "It would be my pleasure!" She accepted the lady's invitation congenially, tail thumping once more. One of her goals for her trip to the surface was to make friends, and it pleased her that this high-positioned lady was well inclined towards her company.

"The Duchy you say? So that would make your father a... Duke? There are so many different positions and titles here, it is all somewhat confusing." The red haired lady smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "There are few high positions among my people. Only the Matriachs, women with the most descendants in a clan. And the High Matriach, the Matriach of the biggest clan. That is the closest we have to nobles." She shrugged lightly. It was a much easier system to remember. The positions were not fixed like those of humans-- they switched hands often depending on who was having children at the time.

"Oh, I am from Bzulft, a city deep, deep underground. I am the first of my people to visit the surface in fifty thousand years; my father was the first ever. Many of my kind are too afraid to visit topside since they don't know what's up here, but I'm going to tell them about all the wonders and different cultures up here!" Rhakōnba grinned with her forked tounge held between her teeth, excited to share her treasures and tell her stories to her people.

[Ivory]

"Matriarch?"  Of course, the term was used somewhat differently in Connlaoth...  "You mean, your leaders are women??"  To a woman born and bred in a country like Connlaoth, the concept was difficult to swallow.  Kathryn was well-read, and she had spoken to people from other countries, and, yet, this was the way things were in Connlaoth and the way they would always be; it wasn't that women were treated as poorly as slaves or anything like that, but...  Women had their place, and men had theirs.

It was, admittedly, irritating...

But to imagine a woman in power -- in the Grand Duke's position or commanding an army!  For many, it would have been inconceivable...and for even Kathryn, it boggled the mind!

[Rhakōnba]

Rhakōnba blinked at her human companion, tilting her head. "Um, yes. The husbands of the Matriarchs' have some power too by association, but the Matriachs are the highest. Other than that, however, we have no difference in position between our males and females." She shrugged vaguely. It confused her that humans separated the sexes as they did-- and she personally disagreed with it, as the human females seemed as capable as the men to her-- but it was not her place to question their culture unprovoked.

"My mother is a blacksmith, my father a hunter, my eldest sister heads the city guard and my twin brother is a dancer. There are no ordinary positions barred from either gender in Bzulft. Only the Matriachs. If it were easier to trace paternal lineage then we would probably have Patriachs too." She explained to the lady, though parts of it may still have confused the human. The Lornün had very little difference in size or strength between the genders-- in fact the females were sometimes a little larger and more physically powerful, which was considered attractive-- and it was common for females to have multiple husbands; making paternal lineage difficult to follow. Rhakōnba only knew who her own father was because they shared the same distinct, rare coppery eyes.

And her sister was an excellent Captain of the Guard-- it would be foolish to turn her away simply because she had a uterus.

[Ivory]

"Why is it so hard to trace paternal lineage?" Kathryn pursued, unable to help herself.  "Can't you just...keep track?"  That's what they did!

"Here in Connlaoth, women are blacksmiths, tradesmen, merchants -- everything, really, except for soldiers.  That's why most of the people selling things are women."  She gestured around with a broad sweep of her hand.  "Women keep Connlaoth running in our fathers' and husbands' steads while they're defending us."  It gave her great pride to say it like that -- which, of course, was how all women in Connlaoth were taught to think.

"Of course, as the daughter of a Duke, my situation is different."  There was an edge of sadness to her tone, now -- if she had been born into a lower class, she may have had her fill of adventures already; as a noble, she was expected to have proper, ladylike hobbies.  What Duke would care to marry a blacksmith?  "I do not have to earn a living, of course, so I am held to different standards."

"My father has two daughters and no son to inherit his title.  The man I marry, if he is not already a Duke, will become Duke of Highheart.  If he is a Duke, I will move to his home and bear his children, and my sister must marry a man capable of becoming Duke of Highheart."  Which is, Kathryn thought, where some of their laws did get a little silly.  Most ladies did not even manage their husband's affairs while he was away; most had a steward for such things!  And that left a lot of idle time on the ladies' hands...

[Rhakōnba]

 "Well, we have something of an overabundance of males. This has resulted in most women having more than one husband. So it can be difficult to tell who the father of a child is. I only know which one is mine because we have the same odd coloring to our eyes." She shrugged again with a brief roll of said oddly-coloured copper eyes. "But it's not really important. All of my mother's husbands have acted as my fathers, and I love them all as if we were related by blood."

Rhakōnba made a peculiar snorting sound, mouth twitching into a wry smile. "Most women of Bzulft would be painfully offended if they ever heard it implied that they needed their menfolk to defend them. I know some who would feel the need to immediately disprove that, and they would just start throwing punches. And many men would be insulted if it were implied that they needed their wives to run things or them." She made that strange snorting sound again. "But hey, to each their own."

She listened close to the lady's situation, brow furrowing. That hardly sounded fair. She tilted her head, tail flicking with mild displeasure. "I... I do not understand. Why do you not simply inherit your father's position and become a Duchess? Why do you need to marry for someone to take the title?" She pouted, perplexed by this development. Human nobility made no sense at all to her, it was far too complex.

"...'bear his children', you make it sound like you have no say in the matter. I've heard that a couple of times, always 'his' children. They're not just his, now are they? Fairly certain humans work the same way and the mother contributes too, so why is fatherhood put on such a pedestal? I just-- it's all so complicated. Honestly, if I may speak frankly my lady, it seems to me that your men have massively overinflated egos. 'I must defend the women and my children, I rule the stuff and take the titles, I'll touch this barmaid's butt whether she likes it or not'," She put on a gruff mock-male voice. "No, seriously, I saw this guy creeping on a poor girl just trying to serve drinks. She was obviously upset but he seemed surprised when I told him to quit bothering her, like it was his right to harass people or something." She pulled a face; the man's conduct had freaked her out a little. Sure, she could pick him up and toss him out, but he had been stronger than the barmaid-- how far would he have gone if Rhakōnba hadn't been there?

[Ivory]

Kathryn's shock showed clearly on her face.  Imagine having multiple husbands!  She was still trying to wrap her mind around that as her new friend went on.

"Women cannot hold power in Connlaoth," she explained.  "Nor can we hold property, except if we are widowed and property left to us.  That's why I must marry."  Imagine, a woman simply inheriting a title!  She tried to imagine it -- simply not needing to marry.  It made her laugh a little.  "I'm not sure I would know what to do even if I did have the ability to hold the title..."  She simply had never been trained for that eventuality!

"I say they are his, because they will act as his heirs, and, by and large, we place more emphasis on our paternal lineage."  She fell back on words she hoped the woman would understand.  "It has nothing to do with who bears them or who raises them..."

It all -- always -- came back to the man.  "But you can really have multiple husbands?"  For just a moment, she imagined herself married to a proper Duke or gentleman...with a certain thief on the side.  It made her grin -- but it also made her blush lightly.  She couldn't imagine either ever standing for it!  "Don't they get jealous?  And can you marry outside your class?"

[Rhakōnba]

Rhakōnba pulled a face, head tilted. "You--? Seriously? You are not allowed? Hm! I cannot imagine having to marry just to have things by association." She looked off vaguely for a moment, considering it. "... I wouldn't like that at all. So your only options are to marry? Oh dear. Hm. Well, so long as you find someone you love, I suppose." She looked positively bewildered. It hadn't occurred to her that one might marry someone one didn't even know or like for position and wealth.

"You wouldn't know what to do? Well, surely you'd have your delegates to handle all the details and make decisions to better the area under your rule! Your father does it, clearly, so you must have some of his ability swimming in your blood. But I s'pose it's not an issue if you're not allowed." Her ears drooped down, still troubled by the implication.

"...Hm, alright. Seems strange to me, but alright." Rhakōnba waved a hand as though she had accepted the issue as well as she could. She still didn't understand how the humans ad come to the conclusion that paternal lineage and male heirs were more important than their girls, but it wasn't her place to sneer at other cultures. She just had to let that one go, she supposed.

"Ha, yes. My mother has twelve husbands, which is an admittedly unusually high number. She's a beauty though, has all the boys swooning. They don't really get jealous, no, because... Hm. How to explain..." She looked down, rubbing her mouth in thought. "... A female has to make sure that a prospective husband gets along well with the ones she already has. If they do not all take well to each other, then the applicant is turned away. While a male may marry a female, he is also considered married to all of her other husbands, see?" She explained as best she could, knowing that it would seem strange to a husband. "So the entire group loves and cares for each other, rather than having the males all fighting for the attention of their wife."

"And we don't really have 'classes', either," She continued, considering how to explain this to a human, too. "Rather, we have those who have acquired wealth and those that are poorer, but this is subject to change amongst individuals. We do have clans, and some clans may be wealthier than others-- I suppose they would be the closest we have to an 'upper class'. But yes-- if a wealthy jeweler and a poor farmer were to fall in love, there is nothing stopping them from marrying." She nodded once, satisfied that she had explained it well. "Can you not marry lower than yourself?" She asked, again confused by a quirk of human culture. Marriage was for love, surely? Why would one not be allowed to love someone of another class?

[Ivory]

Kathryn shook her head slightly, a bit ruefully.  "Certainly not.  I think it may be different among the lower classes.  If they chose, a merchant might marry a man whose mother was a barmaid.  Or the other way around."  She hadn't really given much thought to the marriages of those beneath her, come to think of it...  "And, I suppose, those women may be allowed to choose their husbands for themselves."

"As a noble, I am expected to marry someone of equal or higher rank.  And I have no say in the matter.  If my father wished me to marry a detestable slug, I would."  She suppressed the shudder that attempted to crawl up her spine as she remembered Lord Philippe...  Yes, if her father had told her to marry him, she certainly would have had to...

"But, if I were truly unhappy with the marriage, I could have gone to live in a convent once I provided him an heir...and with my husband's leave, of course.  It's an acceptable way for a woman to save face.  And the only way."

Looking down at her hands, she fidgeted a bit with the ring on her finger.  "You must think humans are awful silly."  Sometimes, Kathryn certainly did...  "But this is the way it has been in Connlaoth for generations, and very few people try to swim against the current."

[Rhakōnba]

Rhakōnba looked positively appalled at the notion that lady Kathryn could be forced to marry someone that she didn't want to. Her expression twitched through a variety of expressions, settling on a mixture of enraged and deeply saddened. How terrible to be made to marry some foul man and then, on top of that, be required to provide an heir before being allowed to leave. It make her feel a little nauseous.

"Surely your father would not force you to marry someone you did not even like?" Rhakōnba could not imagine her own father handing her off to some gross person she disliked. In fact, her father might physically fight anyone awful that pursued her. Fathers were supposed to look after their daughters, was that not true of humans too? Was it more important to them to marry them off for status and wealth than for their daughter's happiness?

"'With your husbands leave'? You cannot make decisions for yourself without his permission?" This truly filled her with rage; to take away a persons autonomy like that was vile and despicable! She looked away from lady Kathryn and gave a sharp huff, a plume of smoke jetting from between sharp teeth. No fire yet, she was not old enough to produce the little jets of flame occasionally spouted by more mature members of her kind, but she could manage little puffs of smoke when she was angered.

"In many things humans are brilliant and innovative and adaptable. In other ways they cling unreasonably to rotten things because they are 'tradition'. My lady, none should have any say over your life but you-- but I understand the position you are in. It would be unreasonable to expect you to stand against the wills of so many others, especially when such thought is not encouraged. But things will change, eventually; unfairness never goes unchallenged for long, though it may be many human lifetimes before it is seen." She was confident that this gross injustice would be corrected, even if she had to interfere in human courts herself for a few thousand years. This would not stand.

"Though some of your men might be in for a shock. My Matriachs intend to strike trade deals and other such things with the humans, and will tolerate no condescension because they are women. The Matriach of my clan in particular can be very forceful, and will not hesitate to voice her views." Rhakōnba shot a wry smile at Kathryn, tail thumping. "I think you would like her. Or find her intriguing, at the least."

[Ivory]

"If it were the only option, then, yes, he would..."  And, given the way the luck of Highheart had turned, that may very well be the case...  "I may not even meet my future husband until the wedding day.  That isn't really that uncommon at all."  If she were to marry a troll, she rather hoped she wouldn't find out until she was at the alter, for that matter...

"I'm not defending my people -- not really.  There are things I wish I could change..."  Not broad, sweeping changes, not really.  She just wished she had a right to carry her weapons like any man or not have to consider a man's feelings when hunting.  And she wished she had the right to choose her husband...  It didn't seem like much to ask!  She smiled wryly.  "We have a saying for these types of situations.  If wishes were horses, ever the beggars would ride."

When her new friend mentioned her Matriarch, Kathryn brightened a bit.  "If she's anything like you, I think I truly would enjoy her company.  What is she like?"

[Rhakōnba]

"Oh good lord, that sounds dreadful." She gave a full body shudder, physically sickened by the idea of marrying someone she had never even met. Rhakōnba was not especially prone to violence, but she would definitely commit a murder if backed into that sort of corner.

"...Hm. That's true enough, but only really applies to wishing without action. Too many are afraid of-- what is the phrase? 'Rocking the boat'?" Rhakōnba was very glad that she had not grown up a human. It was an awful culture in some ways, especially regarding their attitude towards women and other races. Individual humans seemed fine, but their society was less than favorable.

"Her name is Buibui, and she is tall even by our standards-- nearly nine feet tall! She's twelve thousand years old and very wise. A little rude and abrasive, but well meaning. She has a tendency to sass everyone she meets, and has a rough sense of humor. I don't think I've ever seen her not-pregnant, but it doesn't slow her down at all! She has only two husbands, and she dotes on them all the time. People tend to like her a lot, she has an enjoyable personality." Rhakōnba had spent time playing with Buibui's children growing up, and even now that they were all grown the Matriach still fussed over them all, Rhakōnba included. Buibui was almost like a second mother to her.

[Ivory]

Kathryn's eyes widened slightly at the description, giving her a very childlike look of wonder.  It was fascinating to hear such wild stories -- stories that few people in Connlaoth might have ever heard before.

Pregnant all the time?  Kathryn tried to imagine it!  "How many children does she have??"

"I really don't think I'd care for that at all," she went on, abashed as she tried to imagine.  Her mother had already cautioned her what pregnancy entailed -- and she did not care for it, even now.  Of course, Angsar would give her as many children as he saw fit, be it two or twelve.  She very well could spend the rest of her days pregnant!  "My mother told me she was ordered to remain in bed for both of her pregnancies.  And she was so sick!  How can she bear it?"

[Rhakōnba]

"Umm... I'm not sure, she started having them when she was ten thousand years old, there's an average of three per litter, one litter per year...? Somewhere between five and six thousand, though some of them have passed away of sickness or injury. That must sound like an awful lot, humans only have one at a time don't they?" Lornün were significantly more prone to multiple births than humans, and most never bred at all-- Bzulft would need to be constantly expanding at a terrifying rate if they all produced young.

"Ha! We do not usually get sick when we bare, save for perhaps a little irritability and an increase in appetite. And I would like to see anyone try to keep Buibui in bed! She is a force to be reckoned with, swollen belly and all! She would probably punch someone if they tried to keep her cooped up." Buibui was something of a role model to Rhakōnba, who absolutely adored her Matriach.

"I hope to have many young, but not before I turn three hundred. I want to get some adventuring done first!" Not that bing a mother would stop her, but she would need to take breaks for her children in between adventures. She had over a century yet, though. Plenty of time.