Page 17 of Downfall of a Princess

I watched them work for a few moments.

“What kind of pleasure can a man possibly derive from, you know... licking a woman down there?” I wondered out loud.

Gem ran a hand over her chestnut hair that had already been twisted into an up-do for the upcoming dinner but without any heavy adornments in it yet.

“Why would you worry about a man’s pleasure, Ari? Men are simple creatures. They like sex and reach their completion without any effort on our part. He’ll be there for you, not the other way around.”

“But how about my future husband? Wouldn’t I have to make sure he reaches his ‘completion’ in order to impregnate me with the heiress to the queendom?”

She tilted her head, playing with a dangling ruby earring in her ear.

“You have to keep in mind that sex with your husband has a different purpose than sex with a lover. One is for procreation. The other one is purely for pleasure. You wouldn’t do the same things with your husband that you do with a lover.” She winced at such a possibility. “It just wouldn’t be right.”

“So, the husband wouldn’t use his tongue?” I smiled through a sudden tightening in my chest.

The idea of people licking each other seemed fun, but a wisp of horror sneaked out from the dark memories that I wished I’d forgotten long ago. I shut my eyes and dropped my head down to hide my face from Gem while I trumped down on those memories, forcing them into the farthest corners of my awareness.

I’m not going to remember.

My past is not my future.

It has no power over me.

Not now, not ever.

I repeated in my head ad nauseam, until the shadows of the past had been contained once again and all that remained was sunshine and Gem’s words flowing in the warm summer air.

“...I’ve never been with a virgin before,” she chatted. “But I’ve heard the young, innocent grooms can get quite confused on their wedding night. Your future husband will know nothing about sex. You’ll have to show him where everything goes and how all the pieces fit together.” She winked. “If you know what I mean.”

“It really feels like a chore,” I muttered. “I wish men would be allowed to get at least some experience too. I would’ve preferred to learn it all with my own husband rather than with some random man.”

Gem made a face. “Ari, you don’t want your husband to know too much about sex, not even after your wedding. Too much sex can turn a good boy into a wicked one, and a man’s reputation is irreparable once it’s been damaged. As far as your husband is concerned, it’s best to focus purely on procreation with him. He’d be the father of your children. That’s what he’s been preparing for all his life, anyway.”

“But if they knew at least a little bit about procreation, I wouldn’t have to worry about all of this now.”

She shook her head vehemently. “A well-raised boy saves his virginity for his wedding night. It’s a man’s most treasured asset. If his reputation is ruined, no woman of any importance would have him. And then what is he to do? There are very few avenues available to a man to make a living on his own. He could possibly join the army, but the competition is pretty fierce for soldiers’ positions. We’ve had no wars for so long, there is simply no need to keep a large army permanently. If the boy is lucky to have the necessary talent, he could try to become a royal gladiator, a singer, or an actor. Gladiators receive a room and board, aswell as a pension from the crown. Actors often manage to entice wealthy benefactors to take care of them. But for a nobleman, if they lose their virginity before marriage, their reputation is ruined. No one would marry a ruined man.”

I knew the traditions of Rorrim’s society but until now, I hadn’t dwelled on them much. These gender roles were a part of the world that had become my home, and so far, I’d been focusing on just learning them without questioning.

“Do you think it’s fair to men?” I asked.

Gem stretched in her chair. “Every tradition has a reason behind it, doesn’t it? Keeping men’s chastity makes perfect sense. A woman always knows with certainty who her children are and how many she’s responsible for to raise into adulthood. With a man, one can never be sure. It’s not men’s fault of course, poor things, they can’t help it. Goddess created them as irresponsible slaves to their own desires. If allowed to run around freely, a man can impregnate hundreds or even thousands of women in his lifetime, possibly without knowing who or where his own children are. Can you imagine what that would do to a society?” Gem’s eyes opened wide at the horror of such a scenario. “Clearly, the Great Goddess intended for women to be the stronger, more responsible half to keep men under control. It’s in their interests, really. With men’s brains being so different from women’s, they need us to guide them and look after them.” She waved a hand in front of her face in an attempt to cool off. “Oh, it’s so hot today.” Reaching toward the side table, she picked up the bell and rang for a maid to bring her some ice water.

At the sound of the bell, Ria raised her head and blinked, waking up.

I lifted the puppy to nuzzle her fluffy forehead. “Are you awake, sleepy head? How did you get to be so adorable?”

My gaze drifted behind the puppy and out into the garden. A man was heading toward the two bricklayers. Stepping heavily, he stomped from behind the tower while carrying a huge load of bricks on his back. The stack was wide and high, propped by wood and strapped with leather belts that looped over his broad shoulders.

Unlike the women, the man had a long-sleeved shirt on. The sleeves were rolled up past his elbows, but sweat still soaked the fabric on his wide chest and under his arms. It would be highly inappropriate for a man to remove his shirt in public, no matter how hot the day was.

The man’s head was down, his brown hair hanging over his face, but I recognized his tall, large frame and his long scruffy beard. It was Salas, the same man who was whipped just last afternoon. Now, he was at work again, carrying bricks on his injured back.

Gem took a long drink of her ice water delivered by the maid.

“Let’s hope our trip to the theater yields some results,” she said optimistically. “Because otherwise, I’m out of ideas here. It’s not like I can take the crown princess to a fun house and pay for a night with a working boy there. Or even worse, bring one to the palace.” She signed. “They aren’t allowed to leave their brothel at night. Not to mention the scandal that would cause...” Her voice trailed off as she noticed my stare and traced it to the man with the bricks on his back.

Salas set his heavy load on the ground a short distance ahead from the women. As he straightened, the rusty streaks of blood on the back of his shirt came into view.

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