Doe stretched upon her bed. Why couldn't all nights be like the one in the forest? She thought these lessons were to teach her all the ins and outs of her mother's trade, but repetitive, even boring, had her lessons grown over the past three years. That night with Elinor had showed her something new, something romantic.
And even that was something to look forward to. Besides her prospective duties as a queen, she'd be able to take a husband, just as her mother had. And it wasn't like the other lands, where kings and queens married their children off to build allies, or strengthen bloodlines. The Queen's Trade saw to the security of the realm like no other trade on Rynn. She'd be able to go out and choose whoever she wanted.
She had gone back to the Moonwatch Clear that very next day, and sat beneath the trees. But no faerie fluttered forth, no sign of creature came to dance for her. And as she had sat there she'd thought of what might lie deeper, or sit upon the great mountains that soared over the distant treeline, or roam the wilds of the continent away from the small palace she called home.
The door opened, quite unannounced, and Doe jumped. She was just about to berate the knight who had barged so uncourteously into her chambers, when she realised it wasn't a knight at all. It was the Queen.
"Mother!" she protested, covering her chest with an arm.
"Oh, please, dear, I've seen it all before. I was your age, once, you know?"
"What do you want?"
"Must a mother want anything to come and see her daughter?"
"In your case, yes!"
"You don't have anything you wish to talk about? I'd say get off your chest, if only you had anything on it."
"Well... well yes, in fact!" Doe spluttered, seizing a rare opportunity of bravey.
"Oh, good. I do like a bit of gossip."
"I've outgrown these lessons, mother. I thought they were supposed to be preparing me for anything and everything, but for the last three years I've got very good at one thing!"
"Sir Elinor assures me of that," the Queen smiled.
"And now, I fear, they have become a waste of my time."
"Much you will learn on the Trail, that is what it's designed for. And I know you're growing impatient," she held up a hand, "but it's not very far away now. Three weeks until my little baby walks the Trail all for herself."
"And whilst you're here, and we're on the topic, what is on the Trail? You know how impossible it is to get anything out of the court, and even Elinor refuses to talk about it."
"Elinor is an educated man, but I doubt he could tell you very much about such a thing even if he wanted to, having never walked it himself. But to divulge would be to ruin the surprise."
"You're just like your court," Doe grumbled.
"But that brings us to today's business, because I think I have a treat for you tonight."
Doe edged across the bed and stood up. "If you mean..." she looked between herself and her mother, closing her thin gown around her.
"Of course not," the Queen said without a second's thought. "You're almost twenty-one. I'm going to take you to pay your respects at the monastery."
"My... my respects? Mother, I am not married, and the whole kingdom knows you've had me doing... well, this, for the past three years. I'm not sure how much respect I have to give people who look less favourably upon such activities."
"Oh, come now, that's such an outdated view. The church is much more accepting in this day and age. You were there for your grandfather's funeral. You go every winter for the Coldtiding ceremony. And I'm going to take you tonight."
"Well, at least they're celibate."
"Mostly..." her mother said, and Doe rolled her eyes.
"Why mostly?" she sighed, getting a good idea of where this was going.
"They are the Monks of the Seven. Do you know why seven is such an important number to the church?"
"Because Rynn was made in seven days? Because there are seven prayers?"
"Because on the seventh day of each month, their inhibitions are... relaxed. You're right, the tradition perhaps does go back to the world resting after its creation. But tonight is the night they don't have to abide by such rites."
"You want me to go and fuck a monk, is that it?"
"Not exactly."
"Spit it out. I know you're used to swallowing, but I'd rather know what my mother intends to do with her daughter."
"Well, there are seven days, seven prayers... seven monks..."
Doe did a double take. "I'm sorry? You want me to have my way all seven of them?!"
"Not strictly speaking, my dear," the Queen said, losing patience. "They'll be quite happy to have their way with you. It's called the Moremaine Ritual, and it's all very straightforward. All you'll have to do is lie there whilst they deal you with."
"Sorry?" Doe blurted. "You want seven monks to take turns on me?"
"Oh, they won't be taking turns, Darling. I happens all at once."
"All at once?!" Doe tried to imagine it. "How...where do they all fit?"
"Wherever they can. They're very good at sorting themselves out. And I'll be there in case-"
"Oh, this just gets better."
"But they've not, as they put it, sinned for the past month. It's all over very quickly."
"So just to get this straight... tonight my own mother is going to take me up to the Moremaine Monastery, the most consecrated retreat this side of Casavar Mountains, gather the priors, and expect me to act as pin-cushion to their eager little pricks?"
"It' not that bad dear. Now I'm not going to make you do it, but I am going to make you visit the abbey with me. And if you choose to sit out, then you'll just have to watch your mother perform her queenly duties. But I thought you'd seen quite enough of that recently."