Knock, knock, knock!
"Wife?"
Jansetta's eyelids were sticky. Dragging them apart seemed like a chore. There weren't any windows to aim daylight into her face, but she could tell it was morning.
"Wife, are you awake?"
A long, heavy yawn came out of her. Her limbs stretched under the light blanket. "Ahhh ... Husband?"
"Good morning! Breakfast should be ready soon. Would you prefer to eat in your room, or with everyone else."
None of it was a dream.
Her eyes closed. She licked her teeth.
"I'd prefer to eat here this morning."
"That's fine. Would you mind if I ate near you?"
Jansetta had wanted to be alone, but she couldn't think of a way to deny his request without being rude. "I don't mind."
As she flipped her blanket off and sat up, she noticed that the very much unlocked walls didn't have a single crack for anyone to peek through. She imagined that he might not feel the need to look at her, since he would see her soon anyway.
Then again, he could peek at her while she dressed herself.
But ... he was her husband ... shouldn't he have seen her bare body by now?
Jansetta shook her messy hair about herself and decided to worry about certain intimacies only when she needed to.
"Thank you, Wife," said the voice from behind the walls. "I'll wait here with you for breakfast."
She went to search in one of her wardrobes for something to wear. There were a number of lovely garments to choose from. She chose a dark blue gown with a sheen in the fabric. Then, once her gown was laced in the back, she put a somewhat plain belt around her waist. Finally, an open robe of a pale coral color was placed over her body, completing the outfit.
Simon's voice was heard again as she searched for hair accessories. "Do you remember that we're meant to go to Anath?"
"I haven't forgotten, Husband." Jansetta found long ribbons that were a silvery color, and they glimmered as if they really were made of that precious metal. Then she found two silver clasps to hold her hair in place, and a matching circlet. "I hope that, as a foreigner, I will not humiliate you."
"You shouldn't fret. Everyone understands that a foreigner will not understand everything."
"I'm grateful, then." Realizing she had forgotten to give a prayer, Jansetta put her hair accessories onto her desk-like table, which she decided to call a dressing table, and then she weaved her fingers together, lowered her head, and closed her eyes. A short whisper of a prayer was made as she knelt before her dressing table. Then she realized she had left the comb on the square table.
As she went back to the square table, she heard Simon ask, "Have you decided on a gift yet?"
"No, Husband," was her reply.
"New jewelry, then? There are many centaur artisans, but dwarven jewelry is often favored."
She was combing her hair into a smoother state. "I have a safe home and healthy food, more than I thought I'd have when I was sold. I don't need much else."
"Perhaps I shouldn't badger you over this. Would you mind if I explained how we are meant to travel to Anath?"
"By carriage?" She parted her hair into two sections. "But, what of you and your brothers? You won't fit in a carriage."
"Even the king himself would run alongside a carriage. If a centaur is ill or injured, however, a long trailer might be used. We have to have many guards to run with us, though. It would be horrible if bandits overwhelmed us on the journey."
Jansetta was braiding one of the silvery ribbons into some of her hair when she asked, "Are centaurs ever bothered by the weather?"
"Not as terribly as other people. When it's cold, we would wear thick clothing to protect our barer parts, but a natural winter coat grows during this time, keeping the rest of our bodies safe."
Finishing her hairstyle, which was similar to what she had yesterday, Jansetta asked, "Don't you dislike having to run everywhere, even when the air is cold?"
"I know dwarven men don't like it. They use carriages just as their women do. As for we centaurs, running is part of our life, and we enjoy it. If we cannot run, we cannot smile."
"Ah." Jansetta put the circlet on her head. "That's understandable." She searched all the boxes for anything for tooth cleaning. She found some tooth powder and a few unused chew sticks, which were basically twigs with frayed ends. They were the same as the chew sticks she had used in her homeland.
She spent a few minutes brushing her teeth as she listened to Simon explain how the morning was to go. After breakfast, the women would find their nicest stockings, shoes, and summer cloaks. Then the men in the family would carry them off to the carriage.
Normally, Etiennette would ride on Simon's back, but Simon had a wife now. So, Etiennette would have to ride on a trusted, strong servant's back. The Chestnut Sisters would rely on their Chestnut Brothers to carry them. Once the family arrived in Anath, the women would return to their assigned men, and the shopping trip would begin.
After her teeth were brushed, she put on a set of stockings and soft leather shoes. Then breakfast arrived. Jansetta opened a wall so she could take a tray from a servant. She left the wall open as she placed the tray onto her square table and knelt down.
She saw Simon with a table of his own, standing in the hallway and smiling at her. He had on a charming orange muffin hat with straight white feathers attached to the brim. An orange tunic was on his humanoid torso, attached to a matching festoon over his horse-like body, and a chain of gold metal and onyx stones was pinned near the humanoid shoulders, creating a different sort of festoon. There was something new belted onto him, a very long, sheathed sword, which was likely for self-defense. It was common even in Jansetta's homeland for a man to carry a weapon, from farming implements to very sharp and expensive blades.
Jansetta sighed into her food. She told herself that the hot vegetable soup was heating her face and body, and it wasn't the dazzling sight of such a well dressed man sending favorable looks her way.
When the meal was finished, Simon gently suggested that she take a light cloak from one of the wardrobes. It was a very sunny morning. It wouldn't do to have no protection. In fact, after he gave the suggestion, he left to his chamber and returned with his own cloak, a pale green one. It was slightly shorter than a human man's cloak, because it only covered the humanoid back, and didn't have a set of human legs to protect.
Simon turned to show Jansetta that he already had a saddle for her, and a belt was in one of his hands. There were also a few leather pouches tied to him, probably for money or something else. "We should show the rest of the family that we are ready," he said plainly.
Jansetta walked over to him and climbed into the saddle. She took the belt from his hand and used it to link their waists together. Then he carried her around to look for the family. The other women turned out to be just as anxious to go as Simon was. They were all on a man, fully dressed and excited to go to town. The Chestnut Sisters had apparently been given permission from their mother to try the latest fashions. They had gowns and robes similar to Jansetta's clothing, and their braids were in innocent looking loops.
The centaurs all carried the women down a set of equestrian stairs lined with earth. Jansetta wondered if any centaurs were hired to do any traveling where there were hard surfaces. If so, would those centaurs wear horseshoes?
Eventually they were taken outside the keep and towards the outer wall. It was quite noisy. There were still many workers outside the wall, trying to build up a newer one. Jansetta wondered if Sabina and Kornel were with them, possibly looking at technical drawings together, or giving someone an order. She wondered about whether or not their lives were satisfying. Certainly, they were not rich people, but they had steady work, and they would always have something challenging to occupy their minds with. They had seemed quite happy, even excited, to work on this project.
The well guarded carriage the women were placed in was rather plush. Jansetta could even say she felt secure and comfortable in the vehicle. When they were being pulled along, she was able to have an enjoyable conversation with Etiennette while the Chestnut Sisters occasionally nodded, their cold, pale faces reminding Jansetta of snow.
Once they were just outside a crowded marketplace teeming with activity, the women went right back to their assigned males. The group was made even larger with most of the guards following close by. Jansetta was concerned because centaurs took up a great deal of space, but when she noted the great amount of space everyone, from commoner to noble, was allowed to walk on in the marketplace, she realized that these men had built everything to suit their bodies.
It was the dwarves who had to adapt, carrying around ladders and stools so they could be at a reasonable level with centaurs as they sold or purchased goods. The human women, though, didn't need to worry about crowding the area, because they were all on centaurs, even the peasants. However, it was quite obvious that the peasant women had to walk around on the ground at times, usually when working. Their feet were either covered by worn boots or simply bare and darkened by soil and sunlight. They were also attached to the men with those same harnesses Jansetta had seen during her first ride through this land. There was a good bit of slack in the leather leashes, which were looped up to keep from tripping anyone, and Jansetta didn't quite understand why they were there.
"Husband? I hope I won't offend anyone when I ask this." She reached over his humanoid shoulder and made a very subtle gesture towards some of the peasants. "Why are those females attached to men like animals? They already have belts, as we do."
"In rural areas," Simon explained as he turned to look back at her, "the law is not as well enforced. Another man could snatch a woman, or even a girl child, away from you. The harness is for their protection as they work. I imagine they don't bother removing the harness when they are carrying the females for the sake of convenience."
