Kaier Bride two

The path to this place had been agony, but I could not maintain any anger when everyday I woke up in and Edenic paradise. Things here seemed larger, more colorful, and more truthful, like a primordial revelation suddenly remembered. Brilliant Birds I had never seen on conceived of flew freely through the buildings, coming down from the higher elevations near the waterfalls, and lagoons. The cooling gentle breezes they flew on brought in the fragrant and complex array of aromas from the plants and flowers in the gardens. Playful hordes of children ran around the gardens playing and laughing. 
   Music was played to mark the passing of time in this otherwise uniquely timeless place. The instruments ranged from massive metallic drums filled with rainwater to long wooden tubes, reed flutes, and elaborate clay octarinas. The sound was like a meditative psychedelic marimba band mated with a gamelan orchestra, and it was common for the two dozen women that live here to practice dance . 
   I was senior among them, but I knew the household benefitted from my lack of desire to impose rule down upon it. My sister brought in the status seeking from Kaier, and presumed to speak for me perhaps more often then she should, but it worked because there were relatively few problems in a place that hardly knew aging and never knew sickness. It worked because of me, and in spite of me. It worked because My sister's considerable charms and talents had come across the sea with her, as witnessed by The frequent long and vigorous visits to the room we shared by our husband and master of this house. She was already slightly beginning to show with her second child. She would often say that she never could have made princess in Kaier with all the competition. 
   With me he had taken a more tender approach. One wall of our spacious room was filled with tsotchkes from his battles, and every little thing he could gather from the outside world. they ranged from worthless to priceless, the absurd to the sublime, and in most cases it was the thought that counted.
   He came to our room tonight emerging from the darkness as sparkling eyes, and a brilliant yellow smile, As he lit the lanterns it was clear he was excited to tell us something. As we awaited his announcement sitting next to each other on a reed mat with our backs against the wall he turned his back to us like an impressionist preparing an impression. Then he turned around grinning ear to ear with his fearsome sharpened teeth. He held a small nose ring up to model it for us. According to local custom a man was to wear a ceremonial nose ring as a gesture of respect when visiting his wive's family. We bit our lips and shook our heads " NO" in unison.
 He acknowledged our disapproval with a quick nod, but then proceeded model 4 more increasingly elaborate nose rings, ending with a large metal and ivory one that depicted opposing alligators with open jaws holding the head of a deceased enemy. By now my sister could barely contain herself, she had tears welling up in her eyes and was beginning to shake. he raised and eyebrow at our rejection, but quickly a light of false understanding came to his eye.
 Then he turned around and produced the most massive nose ring yet with a proud flourish that would have put most stage magicians to shame. It was so large it would have snapped the neck of a lesser man. it was garish even by local standards. it was made of exotic dark hardwoods with bone, metal, and several small gems inlaid in the relief. It depicted a large coiling serpent crushing his enemies. several small silver skulls hung from the bottom, and the gems had been treated with a low magic to illuminate in sequence.
 My sister could no longer contain herself, and tears poured down her cheeks, and she hit the floor with her fist as she shook with uncontrollable laughter. It was easier for me to stifle a snicker when I saw the massive and fierce warrior before me looking like a confused and defeated young boy on the playground. As i got up and held his hand our child crawled up from coiling around me, and briefly coiling around our arms jointly before slithering off into the dark.
  We walked holding hands in the garden as i tried to explain the relative cultural value of nose-rings, and a couple of other thing he would know. I believe at the end of the conversation we both needed a little non verbal reassurance. I found my self laying exhausted on the rocks after We had consummated our marriage for the first time since I had become lucid. he swam over to me and caressed my cheek with his finger. HE looked at me for a long time intently before he began to speak.
 HE looked at me like a dogged and determined warleader trying to raise his troops morale on a strange and unfamiliar battlefield with a serious and solemn oath.
 " Do not worry my woman, when you father sees the beautiful feather cloaks, when he gets the canoes filled with gorgeous carvings, when he sees his daughters happy and well fed with swelling bellies, he will want to give his youngest daughter to our family too, and you will be happy then."
Exhausted for by his good intentions and affection in more ways then one, i found myself out of rejections for him, as he tenderly carried me back to the house, all I could think that it was going to be an interesting few months.