Cultural Context of Concubinage:
Details the Del'Mari traditions surrounding concubinage, highlighting its role in politics, alliances, and household dynamics.
Outlines the criteria for selecting concubines, including lineage, rank, and personal skills.
Selection of Candidates:
Arla and Cylvia prepare a list of six prospective concubines, each representing influential houses.
The list includes women of high rank and unique talents, ranging from espionage and engineering to diplomacy and military strategy.
Preparation for the Bedding Feast:
Plans are made for the Spring Bedding Feast, a culturally significant event where potential concubines display their value to the lord and his household.
Governance and Statecraft:
Dorian oversees efforts to rebuild and fortify the duchy's infrastructure, including repairing castles, fortifying borders, and enhancing the military presence.
Strategic alliances are sought with southern dukes in preparation for the brewing civil war.
Family and Legacy:
Arla gives birth to twins, Aiden and Nadia, securing the continuation of House Tor'Ael's lineage.
Cylvia delivers a son, Lorell, solidifying the ducal succession and Dorian's regency until Lorell's majority.
Cylvia's Postpartum Struggles:
Cylvia struggles with her postpartum body and fears losing Dorian's affection.
Dorian reassures her with love and devotion, renewing their physical and emotional bond.
Long-Term Projects:
The council of lords decides on critical measures, including the recruitment of additional soldiers, the construction of proper roadways, and the restoration of neglected fortifications.
Plans are set for a civil engineering collaboration with Firoan experts to build sustainable infrastructure.
Dorian's Household Strategy
:
Discussions arise regarding the political implications of accepting all six candidates as concubines.
Dorian balances cultural expectations with his household's needs and his growing political influence.
Chapter 5 - So, In Walked Six Concubines
The Tor'Ruk Valley was one the wealthiest duchies in the realm, and Reapers Rock, the home of the Ducal Seat, was a reflection of that. A daunting citadel built almost entirely from granite mined from the To'Ruk mountains over six centuries ago. In the entire realm, only the Blue Palace of the royal family was grander.
It was, therefore, a suitable venue for my Bedding Feast. An event that would host two dukes and more than a dozen lesser lords looking to curry favor and seeking favorable terms; no greater venue could be expected.
Weddings might be more important and celebrated more officially; however, it was the Bedding Feasts of high-ranking nobility that brought more nobles together. It was also true that Bedding Feasts had much more revelry. Many attending would bring with them their most desired concubines, and the night would eventually be concluded with carnal activities.
Although fornication with another's spouses or concubines was not tolerated, a legal and culturally accepted precedent was available. The exchanging of willing concubines is accepted and often enjoyed by the Delmarie nobility. Many lords and ladies might exchange concubines for the evening while the women involved, both concubine and high lady, consumed terad root extract in the morning to ensure no bastard children would result from the union. It was a legal loophole, but an accepted one, and reasonably harmless.
It was a practice enjoyed by lords and ladies who had secure succession lines and multiple offspring. In addition, the exchange always required mutual consent. By law, no bastard could be claimed from such an event, at least legally. Mutual exchanges were not always required. Some lords would, on occasion, offer a concubine to warm the bed of a visiting lord or lady, in attempts to win favor or smooth a path to negotiations on matters of state.
Regarding the harem quarters, Reapers Rock could house up to thirty concubines comfortably and was in itself an entirely separate wing of the castle. The late duke's concubines had all departed back to their families' homes upon his death, as none of them bore him any children. Nobody could say why this was; not all lords allowed their concubines to bear children for a variety of reasons. It appeared the late duke was one of the lords who chose to keep his offspring within the confines of his legal wives.
My wife, Arla, took it upon herself to oversee the preparation of the harem quarters, the hiring of the staff, and the selection of the guards. Even though my household would reside in Reapers Rock, the concubines would be of house To'Riken, and thus, Lady Casandra would officially occupy the position of Mistress of Pleasures. She served my father and taught me well. She would know my tastes and would ensure that any one of the concubines would be trained to please me to the best of her ability. The previous caretaker, Mistress Caspan, had joined my mother-in-law at Harvest Hold.
The harem quarters was not just a space where a lord could enjoy carnal activities, it was rather a dynamic space, which reflected the culture of the time. During the day, you could find concubines participating in a variety of pursuits, whether creating a piece of art, composing music, composing historical literature, or even tutoring the children of the household.
The harem quarters of Reapers Rock contained many spaces for various pursuits. Apart from the private rooms and rooms dedicated to pleasure, there was an art room, a greenhouse, a study, a small library, and a space for physical exercise. One of the more notable communal spaces was the bathhouse. Built using Feroan engineering, the hot water was supplied from a local geothermal well. I was initially surprised to hear of the wondrous room, and asked my wives why they had never told me about it, to which they replied, "You never asked."
The feast began as any such occasion might presume, with the introductions of the various attendees. Rank and authority were always paramount in any feasts associated with the nobility, especially in how members were seated. Noblemen and noblewomen were seated nearer the table of the hosting household, the higher ranked they were.
The event started when the host and their spouses were introduced and seated. The host lord was fully expected to acknowledge each house in attendance and convey the appropriate etiquette based on their respective rank.
The candidates, themselves, would be introduced shortly after the appetizers were served. As with their households, they would be introduced by rank in ascending order. Each candidate would enter the hall and present themselves before the gathering, but more importantly, to the lord and his wives, who could reject her immediately. In that case, their entire household would be required to leave, and the offered concubine would be considered so unsuitable that compensation would be required from the rejected house for the insult of presenting such an unsuitable applicant.
This was why preparing a Bedding Feast and vetting the applicants was so important. Rejecting a candidate upon first viewing was deeply insulting to any house of equal or greater standing. Such a decision could result in the establishment of rivalries and even conflicts between houses. Duels had been known to be called, and nobles grievously wounded in the process.
Thus, it was the practice that noble concubines of higher rank would be considered ahead of time by the host family and would at least proceed to the final round of selection.
It would be important to note that commoners were selected as concubines more frequently than not, but would never apply during a bedding feast unless a noble house sponsored them. Most commoners who ended up as concubines were invited and their consent was required. Their families were also provided financial compensation. For many young, nubile, common women and handsome young men, this was a dream come true, and a financial windfall for their families.
After the applicants were introduced, they would be seated at a separate dining table, facing the host. This allowed the host to view them continuously during the feast and discuss them with spouses. At a certain point in the evening, normally after the entrΓ©e was served, the applicants would be individually escorted to a separate room where they would meet with the host lord or lady.
The interview stage aimed to judge the applicants' willingness to be in an intimate setting with the receiving noble. Legally, any manner of request could be made of the concubine applicant, short of actual intercourse and any form of sexual penetration. Typically, the interview process was used as a form of foreplay, an opportunity for the two parties to be fully acquainted in the type of relationship that a concubine would have with their lord or lady. To ensure the applicant was always protected, the applying house would supply a witness, normally their Mistress of Pleasures, to act as a guardian.
The evening would then culminate with the selection process. The approved applicants would then be escorted to the concubine residence, and the host would join them for whatever type of pleasures might ensue. It should be noted that with concubines claiming to be virgins, the maidenhead cloth ritual would be observed, but was not required to be completed the same evening. For this, each house claiming they were providing a virgin female applicant could be expected to have their witness remain at the host's keep for a week or more.
Virgin concubines were highly valued and considered a great gift, resulting in greater favor being bestowed. The end goal of such approval was to engender approval, build relationships, and foster bonds between houses. Ultimately, this resulted in better trade and easier negotiations, and was considered a form of non-financial currency.
For example, the two dukes who were offering their highly prized daughters might, in turn, seek improved trade agreements; maybe the first choice in betrothal negotiations; a better rate on loans; or any number of favors considered equal in value. Of course, the value in question was debatable and subject to negotiation, and it was just a small part of the great game of houses within the Del'Mari Kingdom.
And soon the evening of my Bedding Feast arrived, when I arrived at the hall, flanked slightly behind me by Arla and Cylvia. The guests stood as music played. I was wearing a stylish black doublet and a silk white tunic, which matched my house colors.
Arla was jaw-droppingly beautiful, as usual, with a shimmering blue silk dress of her own design. Her dress was a boat-neck sheath gown, with the fabric folded in waves starting from the low-cut bust, which presented an awe-inspiring cleavage that kept a tight fit unto the hips, where a slit exposed her left leg.
Cylvia wore an elegant emerald
,
green satin dress, cut to expose her left shoulder while sheathing her other arm to the wrist. The tops of her breasts were slightly exposed in a flat-line cut, and as with Arla, her left leg was also exposed in a designed slit.
We took our seats and were served vintage wine grown and distilled within the duchy. There was a short wait before each attending house, from lowest ranking to highest, was introduced. It was after this formality that I made my welcoming regards.
I stood up and regarded my audience, including two visiting dukes and all the earls and some barons from across the Duchy, "My honored guests! It is my honor to welcome you to Reapers Rock and to begin my Bedding Feast formally. I acknowledge the presence of my bannermen, the Earls of Tor'Ruk Valley!" The guests gave a respectful, "Here, here," before allowing me to continue.