“Come now, Abby,” Shasol sighed, “Gahne might be your future younger sister, but she’s still an adult.”
“Mn,” Abuin replied, taking his hand back.
Gahne cleared her throat, “It’s alright. I hardly feel like a real adult yet, having only just debuted.”
“It can take some time,” Hahsen agreed, “Oh, and Gahne, I hope my brother hasn’t been a burden to you. I had rather hoped he could be an ally, but perhaps I pushed him too much.”
“Not at all, your grace,” Gahne replied.
“Hahsen,” the Duke chuckled.
Gahne’s tail wagged, “Hahsen, then. I’ll admit Lord Dahle is… not a friend, but we have only just met, and first impressions can be misleading.”
Nie was proud of her – for all the jokes, he had been worried about Gahne’s debut – but it seemed while he was out of court circles, his little sister had grown up, after all. At least a little.
“Thank you for being patient with him,” Hahsen smiled, “I’m afraid our parents both passed from illness, and I took the title of Duke before I’d reached majority. Perhaps I spoiled my younger siblings too much.”
Grandfather Bahr had lost his spouse due to illness as well – given the ages, Nie assumed it was during the same outbreak of flu. It had been a particularly bad year for it, though fortunately, most who caught it had survived. Shoiva Wahnera had been weak from recently giving birth to eir own children, and e and one of the babies had sadly passed. Since they had not yet planted the child’s tree, they were buried together under Bahr’s – and when it was his time, their grandfather would join them.
“How many siblings do you have, Hahsen?” Nie asked, shaking off the morose turn of thought.
“Four. My twin sister married Grand Marquis Yehn Ohmehl,” the Duke replied, “Dahle is one of three – Rahmehn and my sister escorted Roim and Shemuin at the ball. With the amount of people that introduced themselves to you that night, I’m not surprised you do not recall meeting them.”
“Thank you for your understanding,” Nie replied.
“And my aunt is Shasol’s mother, though he may not have mentioned it yet,” Hahsen mused.
“I don’t see why I should have,” Shasol replied, “He’s not marrying into my family.”
Asahn tittered, “But you and Abuin are ushu, aren’t you?”
Nie’s brows rose as he looked to the valet.
“Not formally,” Shasol snorted, “We’ve simply always gotten along, so spent a lot of time together as children.”
Rabahni believed it was crucial for children to have siblings their own age – otherwise, they might become lonely. The practice of ushu was an expansion of this – where one parent with triplets or more would send one child to live with a family with a single child. It was a partial adoption of sorts – the child with many siblings was considered part of the family they joined but didn’t lose their old family name or status. Typically, it only occurred in families that were already close – as they would see each other often.
If Shasol were Abuin’s ushu, he would legally be considered a member of the Nehma family rather than an informal member through companionship.
“So, is Asahl your cousin on your father’s side?” Nie asked, attempting to make sense of the web of relationships.
“Just so,” Shasol chuckled, “My father’s brother, prime spouse of Greater Marquis Vahlohm – the previous one, in any case. Asahl’s twin, Radohn, is the current one. My sister Yaluha is the sitting Greater Marquess Imehn, and our sibling Ebal is yet to be married.”
“I see,” Nie said, wondering if he would have the misfortune of needing to keep track of the court with his new rank.
“Mn,” Abuin offered and shifted his betrothed to pull a folded piece of paper from his pocket.
“Don’t bring that out here,” Shasol rubbed at his temples with the hands not holding his cards.
“The chart,” Hahsen grinned.
Nie held his cards near his shoulder as Abuin did indeed unfold a chart, laying it on the table. Gahne leaned up in her seat to get a good look as well, then started laughing in surprise.
“You… carry around a chart of noble lineages…?” Nie asked in disbelief.
“Mn,” Abuin replied, “Single children run in the Nehma line, and my aunt and her partner never had children.”
Shasol sighed, “It only covers three generations of the higher court since that’s who we interact with the most.”
“I see,” Nie snorted, but did think it a convenient tool for those who struggled to remember all the members of the court and their relationships to each other.
Abuin folded it back up – but rather than put it back in his own pocket, pulled his betrothed’s jacket open enough to slip it into the inner breast pocket.
“Thank you, Abuin,” Nie said in amusement, patting his jacket back into place.
“Mn,” his betrothed said happily, tail wagging.
“Well,” Asahn chuckled, “Better to use a chart than forget someone important, hm?”
The conversation continued in the same manner for another hour or so before it was time to leave for home, Abuin gentlemanly escorting Nie and Gahne to their coach.
“Were you warm enough?” the Grand Duke asked as he helped his betrothed into the carriage.
“What?” Nie blinked in surprise.
Abuin tugged gently at a coat sleeve, “Linen.”
“… I was warm enough,” Nie replied. He shouldn’t have been surprised that the head of a family known for textiles – one that took a very in-depth approach to managing that business – would know his coat was too cold for the weather. He cleared his throat, “Thank you.”
“Mn,” Abuin nodded – then licked Nie’s cheek by means of farewell before heading to his own coach.
Gahne and Fahn were grinning as he sat.
“What?” he asked as the coach jerked forward.
“You’re blushing,” his sister teased.
Nie sighed and rolled his eyes, “It’s the wine.”
“So that was why the Grand Duke put you in his lap?” Fahn asked, also amused, “He thought you would be cold?”
“It seems so,” Nie replied.
“It was very sweet of him to consider that,” Fahn giggled.
“It’s alright if you like your betrothed, Nie,” Gahne added, “Ideal, even. He’s really not like the rumors at all – at least, not around you.”
“He is… surprisingly kind,” Nie settled on.
“And very attracted to you,” his sister laughed, “I can see how he got into a state if he wasn’t aware.”
Nie sighed, looking out the window of the coach and feeling chilly – then chiding himself for missing the warmth he’d felt in Abuin’s lap.
As he still had time off, Nie took the next day to go over the household accounts – working in his office would give him a break from considering the wedding or his… enthusiastic betrothed.
Nie looked up near midday at a knock, then stood, “Rahle?”
“Good day,” his colleague chuckled, nodding to Ervahn as the butler took his leave.
“Is something wrong?” Nie asked, still standing as they closed the door behind them. Rahle had been to the estate before – birthday parties, mainly – but never uninvited, though they were welcome.
“Not exactly,” Rahle sighed, holding up a bag, “Your betrothed stopped by yesterday – he’s… a big man.”
Nie felt his face color, “In more ways than one, I take it?”
“I thought you should know what you’re in for since you elected to take the twelve-week course,” they chuckled again, “And not on a day when you had work with clients.”
“I appreciate the forbearance,” Nie said, waving to the seats and low table in the room.
“I’ve only used this size once before,” Rahle said, taking out the false knot closest to Abuin’s size and setting it on the table.
Nie stared, then hesitantly held out his arm and said, “It’s the size of my forearm.”
“I had not considered that comparison, but yes,” Rahle agreed.
While savbahn were bigger than humans, their cocks tended more towards extra girth than extra length by comparison.
Nie sat back in surprise, trying to picture something that big going into him.
“Still want to go with the twelve-week course?” Rahle asked, looking somewhere between amused and horrified as they no doubt made the same mental comparison of his frame.
“Considering my betrothed is… very attracted to me,” Nie sighed, using his sister’s words, “I think it’s still best – just in case.”
“He has gone into a state over you already,” his colleague agreed with their own sigh, “Well, so long as you’re still certain.”
“How did Semlah take the news?” he asked, sure Rahle had told their wife about his engagement.
“She laughed,” Rahle snorted, “Then she realized I was serious.”
“That sounds accurate,” Nie chuckled dryly.
“Some of us were going out for drinks tonight,” his colleague added, putting the false knot back in their bag, “Want to come?”
“Yes,” Nie replied, “Where and when?”
“Around five at Fool’s Gold,” Rahle replied, “I’ve got an appointment here in the Upper City, or I’d stay longer. Ah – I didn’t consider it before since most people don’t have the space, but did you want to have sessions at the Guild, the Wahnera Estate, or the Nehma Estate? His grace said he’d defer to you – I recommend here so you can relax afterward.”
“We’ll do that, then,” Nie nodded, then considered the false knot again before nodding, “Yes, that’s probably best – what day do you have open?”
“Ebuinedo, in the afternoons,” Rahle replied, “We can start this week. And I need your signed copy of the contract.”
“Most people have enough space for massage sessions, don’t they?” Nie asked, going to his desk to retrieve the contract – he’d signed it previously and had intended to take it in on his next work day.
“For the table, yes,” Rahle agreed, “But you need a space that isn’t going to smell too strongly of you to begin with – I’m sure you’ve a rarely used parlor languishing, my lord.”
Nie snorted, handing them the contract, “Yes, I see your point – and yes, we do have a spare room or two that would be suitable.”
Rahle chuckled, tucking the contract away, “Well then, I’ll see you tonight, your lordship.”
“See you then,” Nie rolled his eyes, though he walked with them to the halls they were more familiar with.
He was sure that if he were also savbahn, Rahle would have specified that it needed to be a space that didn’t smell strongly of Abuin either – but as he was human, that wasn’t a concern. He went to the kitchens in search of Ehmra, as it was her most usual haunt.
“Good afternoon, young master,” Ehmra greeted him, helping her spouse the cook with the meal.
“We’re almost finished, young master,” Wahne added. Ce was generous in all things – from cer kind disposition to cer figure, and cer blond hair that hung all the way down to the base of cer long tail with the exception of the portion pulled up into a half horsetail.
“It looks wonderful as always,” Nie smiled, taking a moment to enjoy the smell of a freshly cooked meal before continuing, “But I actually came to discuss another matter with Ehmra.”
“Oh?” the head of staff huffed, “Have another surprise visit from your betrothed for me?”
Nie chuckled apologetically, “No – though it is related. His grace – ah, Abuin and I agreed to take an Intimacy Course through the guild with Rahle. We’ll need a spare room for them to use – preferably one away from the rest of the household, please.”
“An Intimacy Course,” Ehmra rolled the words around her tongue, gently enunciating each syllable, “And what does such a course entail, young master?”
He knew she was teasing him – she was well aware of what the Intimacy Branch did and fond of Rahle besides. Knowing didn’t stop the blood from rushing to his face.
“Preparations for the wedding night,” he replied, knowing if he evaded, she would just tease him further.
Wahne laughed heartily, “I can see why you’d want to be away from the rest of the household, young master!”
Nie sighed, “Yes, indeed.”
“Don’t worry, young master,” Ehmra laughed as well, “We’ll have it all prepared – when will the first session be?”
“This Ebuinedo, in the afternoon,” he replied, “I’ll be out with my colleagues tonight; I’ll confirm a hard time with Rahle then. Thank you, Ehmra.”
“Mm-hm,” the older woman smiled, “Well, it’s good one member of this family is responsible, at least. Most of the time.”
“A fully responsible Wahnera?” Nie replied, “Those exist?”
“If they did, I’m sure I’d be out of a job,” Ehmra scoffed, “Now run along and collect your grandfather and sister for me.”
“Of course,” Nie said, leaving the pair to their work as he obliged.
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