We used this RP to let our characters discuss recent events in Ebou Dar since we last rp’d together. A few laughs along the way…
Her heart beat in every part of her as his hand slid across her back and she came up from beneath the blankets. As expected her husband bore a satisfied and wool-headed grin in appreciation of her ministrations.
She’d been careful to listen to her new friends on what ways would keep your husband interested no matter how much you‘d been fighting only moments prior (in fact they insisted that, much to Telcia‘s lack of understanding & utter shock, this was the BEST time to engage in such acts!)
Ebou Dari women surely must have had the most interesting ideas of tickling a man’s fancies of any culture in the known world. Where she had, as a Domani woman, learned the subtle arts of smiles, touches, and hints of flesh beneath innocent areas of the gown… these Ebou Dari women must have studied the most lude acts of animals and assassins (what with their fascination of knives and threatening to cut their husbands all the time) and then duplicated them just to see which were the most effective on dulling men’s awareness of anything but their carnal demands of their wives bodies. Oddly, it seemed just like the sort of thing some browns she knew, might do and call research.
That thought made Telcia smile and almost laugh as she snuggled into the bridge between Iussi’s shoulder and chest. Draping her arm across him she held out her hand for the glass which came to her bidding thanks to a thick thread of air. Drinking deeply to wash away everything but the memory of her act, she wondered if her husband would sleep now (as he often did when they finished their marital acts) or if he would, as he sometimes managed to do, become more awake because of them.
Sending the glass back to the table she unwove the silence weave she’d tied off when they’d began. Sure, the children were snug in their beds and sleeping but after the first time Jelene came toddling in on them during their married rites, she didn’t want a repeat performance. Livia, the very next day, had helped her to put in a bell that would ring in their room from a rope outside the door if they were needed. This way, the bell was inside her silence weave and the children wouldn’t be awakened by Iussi’s … well… sometimes over enthusiasm. Sometimes, Telcia thought silently, her husband just lacked all sense of the world around him… rather like his children. Of course, burn her, that was what she liked about him.
Running her fingers across his bear chest she kissed the point where her fingers last touched when she lifted her hand away to sit up. She knew, as he always did, he’d try to keep her in the bed so this time she moved quickly to her robe and tossed it around her .
“I must drink my tea, husband…” She said in a teasing voice. “I’ll get you something as well.” With that she prepared the herbs that Livia secured for her each month and put a small pot over the fire in their room so that it could come to boil. For Iussi she had something sweeter in mind though.
“I have another gift for you.” She whispered. That was what she’d called tonight’s act… a gift for his foolishness in getting into yet another duel and winning. Of course she’d said gift with a tone that left him wondering if she’d cut him or drag him to their bed. Telcia was sure he was pleased it was the latter. What she didn’t tell him was that, despite her protests (which she felt she had to make in part of her children’s welfare) she actually adored that Iussi won so many duels. Her husband was gaining a name for himself and often in her honor and to her mind, it seemed there was no greater thing. Ebou Dar had no shortage of men who now had cuts from Iussi’s blades that had her name attached to them.
In a way, strangely, it was as if she was cutting each man foolish enough to suggest she was a shameless hussy simply because she was good at her chosen career. And while she could not paddle these men senseless with the one power (as she had done to foolish novices in her day) her husband could cut them bone deep and make them appologize for their stupidity and THAT counted for something. Iussi, contrary to what many might have believed of him, was an accomplished fighter… politician (though Ebou Dari politics for men was NO WHERE near the Tower’s idea of politics) … husband & father. He was a man she was proud to be married to… well, now that he’d gotten out of her way in the family business that is.
Reaching into a bag which she often carried with her when she wore brown dresses, she pulled out an old bottle of fine liquor. “Seafolk Merchants had this and when I saw it… I thought of nothing but giving it to you. Of course,” she put on a mock disappointed face. “maybe it will at least serve the purpose of dulling the pain of that eye; Light but I can’t imagine what the other gentleman must look like!”
She sighed gruffly and crossed the room to the bed where she uncorked the fine drink and poured her husband a glass offering it to him.
This really was the heaven on earth and Iussi Dyfelle couldn’t have been more satisfied. Well, maybe if they had had done it the normal way but this novelty had certainly been unexpected and quite pleasent. He had just had to make sure that Telcia got her pleasure too. They would have to start quarreling more often if it had results like this. Not that he really wanted to argue with his wife, or make her upset, but the different ideas they had of politics and how the society worked caused problems sometimes. Even after all her years in the Tower, Telcia was still used to how things were in Arad Doman and how Domani relationships worked. But they were in Ebou Dar now and even though Iussi was willing to compromise in what came to their marriage, he was expected to live and act like an Ebou Dari man. And that included dueling.
He grinned with pleasure when she cuddled against him and watched with wonder as she summoned a glass of water to her with Saidar. Soon he might be doing tricks like that with Saidin too. As committed as he might be to seeing it happen, the thought made his skin crawl, and he wanted nothing to spoil their wonderful moment. His whole body felt pleasently langourous and now when the activity had seized and the desire had calmed down to embers, sleep didn’t seem like such a bad idea. Well, not unless he wanted to get stabbed. But that was just wishful thinking since Telcia hadn’t embraced that aspect of Altaran culture quite yet.
At least this time there had been no patter of little feet. Light, that time he had been so enwrapped into what they were doing that he hadn’t even realized that Jelene was there until Telcia had noticed her. But there was the bell and the nifty tricks with Saidar that spared them from worrying about noises. Not that his wife had complained him biting her shoulder to keep quiet until he had fully accepted that voices were no problem. Another grin came when he remembered how she had sounded like just a moment before.
Maybe Telcia had seen his expression and thought that he would want a round two, he certainly was tempted with the way she stroke him. But she was a quick one and slipped off the bed before he could grab her. He got to admire a beautiful round behind and planes of perfect back far too short time as she covered herself.
The herbs, what herbs? Oh yes, the concoction that kept her from getting pregnant. He certainly had mixed feelings about that. They had already two lovely children who were more than enough. And Telcia had almost died delivering them, just like his own mother. So he certainly never wanted to experience that worry again. But still, a third child would have been quite wonderful… The time just wasn’t right and never might be again. Not when he was going to the Black Tower. A husband and father had to be there for his family and Light only knew how well he would last with Saidin back. Maybe that was why a little boy or a girl had been on his mind. Everyone wanted to leave a legacy and he certainly hadn’t achieved so much in life, save for Jelene and Jamal and somehow capturing their mother.
The promise of another gift certainly perked him up from the brooding. He arched an eyebrow at Telcia, half fearful and half expectant. Her tone wasn’t a clear indication of whether he would like it or not. Women could go to bed with you and be all sweet one moment, but they never fully forgave you, even if they let themselves to forget for a moment. Not that he was a huge expert on any other women but his wife and she was still about as uncomprehendable sometimes as the Wheel’s weaving.
The liquor bottle was certainly unexpected and he beamed at her and reached eagerly for the glass she was pouring. “If you were really that worried about the eye, you could just Heal me. But yes, I know. The little pain is a good reminder the next time I feel the urge to duel.” A cool smile rose on his lips when he thought the comments the Blue faction bastard had made of Telcia. “All pain in the world wouldn’t have kept me from this duel, though. He had it coming.” That was what worried him, what would happen when he wasn’t here to take care of situations like this. Of course Telcia could handle herself, she was an Aes Sedai and accustomed to the Great Game much more than he. But things were done a bit differently in Altara than in Cairhien. Would she hear all the rumours and deal with them in the upfront way the Ebou Dari expected.
The smile softened when Telcia offered him the glass and he took a hold of her wrist and kissed the veins under the pale skin before he accepted the glass. “It is a wonderful gift, dear. I will savour it and think you every time I taste it. And every time I think of you, I can taste you. A wonderful mix of sweet and salt. Mmm. Want to give me another banquet after you have finished your tea?” He nibbled her fingers half expecting a thwap.
“Don’t make me cut you…” she taunted and then she twapped him gently. “I was hoping maybe we could talk a bit. There have been things going on here you should know about and … well… I’d like to hear how things are going with Con.” She knew the topic was a sore one. She herself felt bad enough about it. She DID want him to keep his word but the other part of her that knew he’d leave her and the children, didn’t.
She sighed. She’d given her word not to tell even her husband about the Kin without their consent and Livia still thought of Iussi as a small boy with no control on his lips. Until the Council considered him less of a liability she couldn’t explain to Iussi that every step he took towards the Black Tower was another away from her… sadly, again, she had a duty to something other than her family. The Farm needed her.
“Oh don’t look at me like that Iussi Dyfelle… it’s not as though you’ve missed the whole of the children’s lives today while you were off training.” She resented the fact that he did this only for her. She hated that he didn’t want it for himself and didn’t understand the important role he’d play in the future of the world as an Aes Sedai. He was as bad as any novice ever was, worse in so many ways.
“It’s just, well, you know I took the children to the palace for weekly tea today…” Oh, yes, today had been quite a circus. She would have been utterly embarressed if her new friends hadn’t found the whole thing humorus beyond words. “I was sitting with the ladies discussing next week’s raceday outting and one of the nursemaids came running into the room looking as if she’d been through she’d been attacked by a dozen cats. I swear she looked like a chicken fresh from the butcher’s hands.” Telcia rolled her eyes at the memory of the spectical.
“She’s ranting on about the children, something about a riot and a duel!” Riot, indeed. Silently Telcia hoped the Queen had the woman flogged for letting things get so out of hand. “Of course we all leapt up and went to the play area where the children were all chanting ‘fight’ loudly and screaming in … well… perhaps as much glee as horror and at the center of it all I found our child involved in a duel of all things! Light only five Iussi!” She shook her head. “A knife Iussi, albiet a butter knife but well… someone might have been killed!”
“I think it’s time to have a talk with them…” she sighed, this wasn’t the first time she’d had to force Iussi to talk to their daughter over her errant behavior. “again.”
An eager grin was a response to the threat of cutting but Iussi knew that Telcia wasn’t going to actually carry through with it. Le sigh. Talking was good too. The topic just could have been better. He wanted to hear about their children and not talk about his own frustrating day. He just wasn’t progressing as he hoped with the Flame and Void. But it was difficult to unlearn something that you had relied on for almost a decade.
Then his wife begun to tell him of their day. It was a bit unsettling still that his wife was meeting the Queen and various noble ladies frequently. That certainly was above their station as a merchant family but then an Aes Sedai belonged to the upper echelons of the society. The hilarious image Telcia painted of the nurse made Iussi chuckle and he leaned eagerly forward to hear the rest of the story.
Ahh, true Ebou Dari blood. The future of the country was in good hands when the children learned the fighting spirit so early on. And hearing that their child had been involved, that Jamal had finally gathered his courage and become bolder made his heart nearly burst with pride.
“That is awesome, Telcia. I have been worried about Jamal as he was so sedate. Jelane must have affected him positively. But we mustn’t make a too big issue out of it, or he will think that we didn’t accept him like he was. So wonderful. Maybe he would like to learn some basic moves from his father. And a knife, we have to give him a real knife now. His very first duel.”
As Telcia watched her husband become more excited she began to prepare a good scathing lecture on his duties as a father and responsibility. Light help her she even grabbed her marriage knife! Now THAT was a first for her. Perhaps she had been in this city for far too long.
However, as she saw his pride growing she lost all heart to be angry. His mistakenly placed pride was overwhelming and his statement of fear for Jamal crushed Telcia utterly. Of course, she was concerned that Jelene might never settle down and learn the arts of the proper lady but still… that didn’t mean her little Jamal wasn’t going to grow into a fine young man.
She swallowed hard as he came to a pause point in his praise and plans for his son’s first knife … a point of pride for all Ebou Dari men. Telcia sighed. “Iussi… pumpkin…” She lost her words. Two lifetimes of speaking in front of the world’s most impressive political body and she failed to have the proper words now with her husband. It was humiliating for the Domani woman.
“He… well he did get his due in but it wasn’t Jamal with the knife. Actually, as the story goes Jamal was being teased for reading a book and it was stolen out of his hands. It was Jelene who took a butter knife from a near-by snack tray and challenged the boy to a duel for her family’s honor.” Telcia touched Iussi’s arm reassuringly.
“Jamal wasn’t going to get involved it seemed… but the boy got the knife from Jelene and nicked her favorite dress as we came in. Of course, perhaps this is what you could take solace in I suppose… Jamal wouldn’t have that and so he slugged the young man making his nose bleed.” Telcia shook her head regretfully. She hated that she’d scolded Jamal now for having done that, but his & his sister’s behavior had caused her to apologize to a terribly arrogant woman who deserved a bloody nose of her own to match her son’s.
“Do you think I was too harsh in putting them to bed without pudding tonight? Its the mildest thing a mistress of novices might have done to two fighting novices… I didn’t birch them or anything so … barbaric. The truth is that I was more angry that I had to make nice to that brutish hussy of a woman Meredith.” Telcia let out a scoffing noise at having even said her name in her own bed chambers.
