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Gweneth was relieved to find Selene hadn’t ventured that far. When they finally caught up with her, she was standing alone at the end of the street, beside a brazier that flicked with orange flame. She was standing with her hands in her pockets, watching the sea, loose licks of black hair whipping in her eyes in the wind as her dark braid fell long down her back. When she saw Gweneth and Calain approaching, she did not seem pleased, but rather annoyed, and Gweneth held back a laugh, knowing she couldn’t blame Selene.
Since they were small children, Gweneth and Calain had done nothing but torment and tease Selene. Sometimes it had been good-naturedly, and some of the time it had been deliberately to annoy her. She had always taken it in stride, only occasionally becoming angry enough to actually start a brawl with one of them. Tonight, however, Zelda, Cassandra, and Aereth were in danger, and Selene was on edge because of it.
Gweneth and Calain drew near Selene and stood with her in silence, also staring at the sea.
“Perhaps I can persuade Grandmother to allow you back inside,” Selene said eventually. “Tis fast growing cold out here, and you should not suffer because of your short-tempered stupidity.”
Calain laughed. “You have my thanks, Selene.” She stared at the sea in silence a moment and then said, “What shall we do when Zelda returns, do you think? We cannot return to Wolf Fortress.”
“You mean after the orgy in Neserie’s living room?” joked Gweneth and was amused to see Calain and Selene both blush a little.
“Come, you were both thinking it, I’m just saying it,” said Gweneth, folding her arms and gazing off at the sea as well. “Now that Cassie has returned to us, imagine the four of us having our way with Zelda.” She saw the others stare off with glazed eyes as they thought of it, confirming her suspicions that they’d been fantasizing about the four of them laying with Zelda at once as much as she had.
“But not in my grandmother’s living room!” said Selene, and the three of them laughed.
“Aye. Her skill with a broom is deadly,” agreed Gweneth. “Best not.”
“And not with the child near at hand,” added Calain thoughtfully. “We shall have to be careful now that Zelda has a daughter. The gods forbid she should ever walk in on us.”
“Aye,” said Gweneth with a weak laugh. “I don’t think I’m ready to have that talk just yet.”
“You think she’ll fancy men?” wondered Selene unhappily.
They all fell silent as they grimly considered it. If Aereth were to take a male lover, then it would mean raising a girl they could not provide romantic advice and guidance for. They couldn’t even teach her about proper sex! None of them had lain with a man or really cared to know how it was done beyond the basics that everyone knew so far as reproduction went.
“If Aereth fancies men, we shall all be doomed,” said Gweneth with another toneless laugh. “She and us both.”
“Maybe she’d figure things out without us,” said Calain, shrugging. “How hard could it be to fuck a man?”
Selene laughed. “Tis not the man’s pleasure we worry about, tis Aereth’s. We know what a woman should expect from a lover, but how do we tell her what to expect from a man? Just thinking of a man with a woman makes me ill, I confess.”
They were silent again as they considered it.
Gweneth prayed the gods would be good and let Aereth fancy women as they did. Then they wouldn’t have to worry about explaining a version of intimacy to her that they themselves did not grasp or even care about. Unless . . .
“Aereth was conceived of a Wilde Woman,” Gweneth suddenly remembered with great relief. “All Wilde Women fancy other women. Perhaps Aereth will be the same.”
“But Aereth is only half Wilde Woman,” Calain reminded Gweneth. “She could just as easily be normal like Zelda . . . as ‘normal’ as Zelda is.”
Selene laughed. “Aye. But I don’t think anything about Aereth is going to be normal. She was born of a sorceress and a Wilde Woman through a magick potion! And now she’s been captured by fairies, and the gods only know what horrors they are visiting upon her right now. She shall be changed forever.”
The knights fell silent again, and this time they were angry.
“Would that we could enter Elwenhal,” said Calain bitterly, “and lay the fairy court to waste.”
“This time we must trust Zelda’s strength,” soothed Selene.
“And if she doesn’t return?” said Calain quietly. She was looking at Selene like one lost, the green eyes strained.
Selene put a comforting hand on Calain’s shoulder. “Then we shall stay together because we are sisters in arms.”
“And stay celibate for a thousand years like Arryn?” snorted Calain. “I’d rather swallow my sword.”
“A thousand years!” cried Gweneth, amazed. “How is Arryn still walking about sane?”
“More likely she’s mad and good at concealing it,” said Calain.
“Aye to that,” laughed Gweneth.
Selene shrugged. “Perhaps we shall find another lady to serve . . . Or perhaps separate ladies, one for each of us.”
“I dunno,” said Gweneth, arms still folded. “I kind of liked all the group sex. If Zelda doesn’t return, I shall find a woman who looks like her, and vent my sorrow in her bed.”
Selene gave a soft, scoffing laugh. “Of course, you would.”
They fell silent again, each lost in worry and fear. Then Selene said into the silence, “We should head back to the house in case Zelda returns. Grandmother doesn’t like her. She called her a tart. We should not allow the two of them in a room alone.”
“Aye,” said Gweneth with a laugh, and the three knights turned and headed back up the street.