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forty-nine

Moyrie

T he fae male is jumpy. He broods. My family accepted our presence—a bit unkempt after our long trek—with open arms. We are on turn two of my people’s mating ceremony, a rhythm when the whole of the Silver Sands clan get together and eat, dance, drink and be merry for seven turns of the suns. On the final turn, we will sacrifice to Osear, and he will bless our union.

My fae male shows no interest in the proceedings. I had given him a reprieve before. Maybe it was his first time with a woman. But now, as I have spent more time in his company, I grow concerned this is not what he wants. If such is the case, Osear will not bless our union, and we will not bear children, but this is hard to explain to him when we do not share a common tongue.

He has also not shown any interest in my body. My people are an affectionate and open species with each other. Most newly mated pairs within my community can barely keep their hands off each other. No one else from the Silver Sands has brought in an outsider as a mate, so this whole process is new and strange to me.

Rivern towers over me in the seat to my right. Mother and Father sit to my left as each of my people approaches our dais in the outdoor auditorium to gift us with the fruits of their labour. Some hand over intricately woven materials, finely crafted daggers or auspicious herbs. They lay these gifts at our feet, my people warmly welcoming the foreboding fae male next to me.

I grab for his jumping hand on his jittery leg, and at the barest of contact, Rivern pulls away. My face pulls down at the sides, and I will him to look at me with my eyes. He does not move his head, staring blankly at my people in front of him like he is looking straight through them.

Taking in a large lungful of air, I look at the next person approaching us and give them my broadest smile.

I will not let this fae male destroy this for me and my people. I only get this experience once, and if he won’t show happiness about it, I will do it for both of us. But he has another thing coming if he thinks he can get away with his strange presence at our mating ceremony.