I am Princess Willow.
I awaken on the morning of my nineteenth summer solstice and break my fast with fruit, bread, and a cup of wine. Nothing is expected of me today until the short ceremony that will install me on the throne as queen of our tribe. The second and equally important ceremony of the day will not take place until the sun sets. It will mark the beginning of three days of feasting and games in celebration of the solstice, my ascension to the throne, and Conception Day. Since I have little else to do this morning, I settle back into my bed of soft furs to think about my tribe and what lies ahead for me this day.
Our tribe is the largest known to us, comprised of many tens of people and, unlike the others, is matriarchal. My mother, the current queen, will yield the throne to me but retain her Council membership until her death. My grandmother, once queen herself, still serves on the Council. The other members, all women, were selected by the tribe in acknowledgement of their dedication, compassion, and wisdom. All important decisions affecting the entire tribe are made by the Council. Issues facing individual families are decided by the senior woman in the household.
Men are consulted in matters of security, safety, and warfare which, other than hunting, are their primary duties in our society. Once their advice is given, the Council determines the path to be taken. If the path leads to warfare, which is uncommon, the Council delegates power to a Chief who will lead the tribe into battle. Adults, both male and female, are proficient in the use of clubs, spears and slings. No one can recall a time when we did not prevail over our enemies. When the danger has passed, or our objectives met, the Council resumes its position of superiority.
We fight other tribes for only three reasons; to repulse an attack, to strike first if we suspect that a serious threat is headed our way, or to take young captives for breeding purposes. The Council closely monitors male and female pairings within the tribe to ensure that we produce healthy children. Captives, once they have adopted our ways, are welcomed into the tribe and live among us as equals.
We hunt, fish, and till the soil. Throughout the summer, the men bring home meat and fish while the women gather what nearby fruit, herbs, and edible plants that Earth Mother chooses to provide.
As winter approaches, we retreat to the inner depths of our large cave in the mountains where we have ample stores of dried meat, fish, grain, water, and wine we make from grapes that grow wild near our summer encampment. The cave is quite cool in winter, but far more comfortable than above ground, so we leave for only a brief period at the winter solstice to celebrate. We will not emerge again until the spring equinox when we begin our migration south to the shores of a large lake. We remain there, lodging in spacious tents made of animal skins, until harsh weather once again forces us to take refuge in the cave.
Unlike most of the other tribes we have encountered, we are a clean and well-groomed people. It has always been so. Our furs are combed and brushed and our leather garments cleaned daily so that we remain free of vermin. Our lodgings are swept twice each day and we bathe often.
In deference to Earth Mother's wishes, we are a highly sexual society. Copulation is encouraged as our bodies mature. Our artisans, in their carvings and paintings, often depict men and women enjoying sex. The walls of our cave have many drawings of male and female sex organs, often exaggerated in size to emphasize their importance in our culture.
But, in spite of frequent and enthusiastic copulation among the members of the tribe, I remain a virgin. When my body began to mature, our Seer gave me a weekly potion that suppressed all desire for sexual activity. Custom dictates that, as princess, my virginity be preserved until Conception Day.
That is not to say that I have no knowledge of copulation. Sexual activity among the members of our tribe is carried out with little privacy. I have witnessed many such acts and often envied the women who seem to enjoy what their men are doing to them, their cries of approval echoing in our cave or riding on the lakeside summer air. As I lie abed this morning, I know that I will soon join the ranks of those tribal women who have experienced such pleasure. The thought thrills me.
****
The Council and my mother have been preparing me for this day since my birth. When the sun is at its zenith, I will ascend to the throne to become queen of the people and leader of the Council. My days as the tribe's sole princess will be over.
Yesterday, my mother had me closely observe an attractive couple copulating on a raised platform similar to the one I will soon lie upon. Mother sat by my side as we watched and explained what was happening so I would be prepared when my time came.
"This woman was given a strong potion a short time ago that greatly enhances her sexual urges," she told me. "As you can see, she is in a highly agitated state. She can only achieve relief through vigorous copulation."
Although I had often seen people copulate, and overheard their exclamations of pleasure, I had never had the opportunity to witness the act from beginning to end, so I watched in fascination as the man mounted the platform to kneel between the woman's widely splayed legs.
Although he had not yet entered her, she was rocking her hips in anticipation as a frown of frustration began to appear on her lovely face.
"Now!" she commanded, reaching down between her thighs to grasp his stiff appendage and guide it into place as he penetrated her womanhood. A loud moan of pure pleasure accompanied his entry.
Days earlier, the Seer had begun giving me a potion to act as an antidote for that which I had been taking for several years. Apparently it was working because I began to feel unfamiliar but pleasurable sensations between my legs as the man started thrusting his organ in and out of the woman's body.
She was soon crying out loudly and matching his thrusts with counterthrusts of her own. Within a few short minutes, she began to buck and thrash erratically, clutching at the man's shoulders, and screaming incoherently as a violent paroxysm seized control of her body.
The man responded by throwing back his head to let out a guttural cry as his body convulsed four or five times before he lowered much of his weight onto the woman's still trembling body. Long moments later, he withdrew his dripping member, now only partially erect, and sat back on his haunches.
"Come with me," my mother told me as she took my hand and rose to her feet. "They will remain as they are until we finish our examination."
As we stepped up near the platform, the woman looked over at me, smiled, and beckoned me to move closer.
"This is Alana," my mother began. "She and her mate kindly agreed to demonstrate what will soon happen to you. As you can see, the hair between her thighs is moistened with some of his seed, left there when he withdrew. Much still remains inside her, although she is unlikely to conceive because this is not her fertile time of the month."
"Look at her mate's phallus," my mother continued. "His erection is fading, but the men of our tribe recover quickly. He will soon be able to repeat his impressive performance when the potion forces Alana to demand more attention."
"Do you have any questions, my princess?" asked Alana with another smile.
"Is copulation always this pleasurable," I asked. "I have heard others make sounds of satisfaction, but none as prolonged or as loudly as you."
"It is the work of the potion," she responded. "Most adult women take a small amount before they copulate to make their pleasure more intense, but we take a much larger portion when we wish to conceive. The extremely strong paroxysm you observed makes conception much more likely if you are fertile."
"Are you completely satisfied?" I inquired, noticing that Alana's body was still trembling.
"No, my princess. The effect of the potion remains strong. When I have answered every question to your satisfaction, my mate and I will return to our lodging where we will copulate often until the potion has worn off.
"Then I won't keep you," I reply with a smile. "My mother or the Seer can answer any further questions I might have. Thank you for taking the time to help me understand."
"You are most welcome, Princess Willow. I wish you good luck and a successful reign as our queen."
****
The ceremony installing me as queen occurred precisely as the sun reached its zenith. The entire tribe gathered to observe as my mother escorted me to her throne, removed the delicate copper crown from her head, and placed it on my own. Everyone knelt as I took her place. Moments later, I gestured for all to rise. It was a simple, quiet, dignified ceremony. All knew it would be followed a few hours later by an entirely different, and far less somber, event.
My first task as queen is to produce an heir. Few things are more vital to the tribe than for me to have a daughter who will replace me on the throne when she reaches her nineteenth summer solstice. Once I have conceived, the Seer will announce the sex of my unborn child. She rarely errs so, if she announces that the child is to be female, there will be much jubilation. If the child is to be a male, I must wait until the end of my term, deliver the baby, and then conceive again as quickly as possible. I will repeat that cycle until a female child is born.
Although I will likely bear more children before I become barren, the first female child is heir to the throne. If a second or third female is born, they will, in order of birth, be in the line of succession. My grandmother is the only member of our tribe in many generations who, as second daughter, ascended to the throne after the untimely death of her older sister.
It is nearing the time of the setting sun. The tribe has now gathered in the common area at the center of our lakeside village. It is customary for all to witness a new queen's deflowering and conception. The men have constructed an elaborate raised dais in the center of the area and covered it with several layers of clean, soft animal furs. Three wooden steps lead up to where I will soon lie.
I stand beside the lowest step and look out at the tribe, secure in the knowledge that they are pleased and proud to attend an event that will only happen once, or perhaps twice, over the course of their lives. I know all of them by name. They are now my people, my responsibility, and will remain so until I step down from the throne many summers into the future.
