Page 6 of Right Next Door
“Wonderful.” Tsok said in approval. “A companion will be nice for her. Make sure it cannot get itself into trouble.”
“Of course, char,” Davard inclined his head. “Though, I’ve been informed that she will be bringing many supplies for the creature already and that it is unlikely to be a bother.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Just the one. Would you like me to find an opening in your schedule? I’m sure we can make half a mark, maybe a quarter mark, for her every few days. At least once a tenday.”
“Huh? Why?”
“For whatever mated beings do, I suppose.”
Tsok frowned, thinking, before he waved away the words. “I’ll see her for events and important meetings. I can’t imagine any reason I would need to spend so much time with her aside from that quite yet. That can wait.”
Davard hummed. “As you say. However, the human manuals do indicate that humans require a courting period as part of their mating process.”
“Ah, I see the misunderstanding. I’ve actually read the report from the experiments that formed those manuals. The courting period isn’t required, it’s highly encouraged. Humans can mate by first sight alone. And even if she doesn’t, I shall not be properly mating her anyway, so there’s no reason to expect she properly mate me.”
Davard brightened. “You are indeed wise, honored char. That is very fair. Though, what if shedoesbond to you?”
“You think that’s a concern?”
“Youarea highly desirable male,” he said, inclining his head, like it was a simple fact.
And it really was. It wasn’t at all vain or prideful to state a simple fact. Tsokwasa highly desirable male. He’d enjoyed the company of his fair share of females. Though his species did not mate, there was no taboo against sex. In fact, with proper protections in place, it was quite a wonderful way to spend some time and release some stress.
Though, of course, as a mated male, he would not be doing those things any longer. Ideally, he could enjoy physical pleasures withhis mate, though he could concede that it might not happen. After all, his former bedmates were females of equal rank to him. Important females that, like himself, wanted only a few marks of fun between their busy schedules.
Though, as this human was his mate, she would be a perfect match to him. She might be inclined to schedule their liaisons anyway. They could get their pleasures, then go about their lives, all without needing to make or steal time from elsewhere.
Yes, that would be perfect.
Though humansdidenjoy a longer courtship, the type he wouldn’t be able to spare time for, he imagined it wouldn’t happen. That was fine. He had come to terms with his future celibacy. Unless, of course, she asked for him. If she desired his company, or perhaps younglings. Then, of course, he would do his duty for her.
Yes, Tsok was going to be a good and accommodating mate indeed.
“Tell me about the changes to her manor,” he said to Davard as they came down the stairs.
“Ah, yes. You’ll really like this. Fellbud Manor’s unfortunate state of disrepair was indeed a tragedy. It has such historical significance as the home of the charina.”
“The what?” Tsok blinked, confused.
“Charina,” Davard grinned. “It’s an old term. It’s meant to refer to the mate of the current acting char. Fellbud Manor was created for a charina many generations ago who did not like it here in the Glass Manor. Her mate was a fiercely loving and devoted female who then built Fellbud Manor to be more to her tastes. That’s why the two manors are so different. And since then, the charina was always given Fellbud manor to do with as they pleased. Some lived there, some worked there, others usedit for charity purposes. But after the last charina retired with his mate, it has been largely ignored. Which really is a shame, because the gardens alone are a marvel.”
Tsok chuckled. “You are quite interested in history.”
Davard held his head proudly as they walked down the long, glass stairs of the Glass Manor. The beautiful, crystalline structure was absolutely exhausting to keep clean, but the effort was well worth it as it sparkled with golden rails and accents.
“History is one of the most important subjects to learn. It forms who we are as people in the present. It’s quite important for the future. It truly was a pleasure to restore Fellbud Manor to its former glory. With modernization, of course. Only the best for the newly revived post of the charina.”
Tsok smirked, pleased. He was a male who demanded the best. Both from himself, and from the people around him. And in return, he also gave the best. Fellbud Manor was indeed beautiful, though in an old style. Reviving it and making it a comfortable home for his mate, his charina, truly was a worthwhile endeavor.
He listened as Davard described everything done to the manor to make it not only modern and repaired, but safe and ready to welcome its new mistress. While Tsok was leaving all of this to Davard, he felt it was only proper that he made sure it was done right.
The transition for her was sure to be a strange one. He had been informed, through Davard from the ratchi ambassador to Earth who handled the transfer of human mates, that his mate was quite eager and willing to make this change and that, per her own words, wasn’t leaving anything worthwhile behind. But still, it was a large change for her. A good mate would be understanding about that and ensure that everything went smoothly.
Glass Manor was a very old building. It sat on land belonging originally to an old king from many ages past. There had once been a grand castle here, but it had been destroyed in a war generations ago. The land had then belonged to the government and wasn’t utilized for anything. However, after joining the Coalition, it was given to the current acting char as their residence. The char was the kreecharma’s representative among the Coalition. It was a position you could only be designated to perform by the leadership of Kree, but once yours, unless expressly taken from you, it was yours until you retired. It was a position Tsok had been filling for over a decade now.
And, upon the land granted to the char, the Glass Manor had been built as something of a recreation of the castle that had once been there. But, aside from the general shape and design, the colors and construction were very different. All the windows were widened, much larger than their historical counterparts, and there was an abundance of sunroofs. The grand glass staircase was just one of the many glass adornments. There were glass statues and many mirrors in beautiful, golden wood frames spread throughout the entire manor.
