(Continued from Princil's Magic Chapter 1)
Ishtral considered Princil's words. He was like a son. They were close, but now she turned her attention to the issue, she realised there had for a long time been something which had kept them apart. She had sensed, but never interpreted, the glances and occasional gaze from her husbandson. She was reminded that he had found her attractive. On reflection she was used to seeing his eyes avert from her, rather than become too invasive.
She had often appreciated his paleskinned smooth features, his fine head of straight ravenblack hair. He was a special child, gifted in the arts. She had considered him a strange one, one who chose to stay home and be lonely so often, but she recognised he was special, and had never doubted his growing abilities as a mage. When he proclaimed his reasons for this request she believed him to be genuine. His lust for her was not what drove him. She believed him when he said he could create a magic which might save them. She had to believe him. Could she enjoy this invasion of her person? Of course, what woman would not appreciate Princil's slender frame. And a woman of her age was grateful, even in circumstances of normality, for the offer of youth. Because of their close second motherson relationship she had never really considered him as a potential lover. Let the young ones explore each other across the household, she had always thought, and they had. Serena's children had known hers well in adulthood, binding the household even closer. But she had never sought to join them, taking her younger adult lovers from outside.
Ishtral admitted inwardly to having had latent sexual thoughts about him as a teen, but no adult could breach the strict rules regarding the protection of a child's innocence. She had been a very sexually satisfied woman with many lovers always. She had spared only passing thoughts about what she knew she could not have. But now she could have she sensed the stirrings of lust within her.
In the afternoon, before the terror which now assailed them had changed everything, she had spent sexual time with her firsthusband Chanceleord (Remzain and Princil's father), enjoying still the fading beauty of his gradually aging body, enjoying also the tender ministrations he had given her. Serena had come to them, as she often did, offering herself to them if they would have her for a short while, before she went elsewhere on duties. Thus they had shared Chanceleord many times over the years, and still did from time to time.
When Serena first joined the household as Chanceleord's secondwife Ishtral had initially felt some sense of loss as her powerful husband, who was such a special man, was now to be shared. That loss was in the closeness of their relationship. She would no longer be the sole female mother of the household, and might lose her position at the centre of it. Chanceleord had always had a large sexual appetite, as she had also, so from the earliest days of their marriage they had shared each other's partners and given each other the sexual space to have other partners and privacy when it was asked for. But to live from day to day with another woman had been a sharing of her husband which she had not looked forward to. The arrangement had however worked well over the years and her bond with Serena had become far stronger than she had ever expected. After the first few months of sharing the household Ishtral realised she would have had it no differently, if it had been her choice alone.
At the first Serena had wanted Chanceleord to herself whenever possible. Chanceleord and Ishtral had accommodated her in this, as long as they too had their private times. Chanceleord had been as keen to partake of Ishtral's favours as ever. There was never any sign of his own ardour cooling. He probably viewed them both as being ideal beauties for his collection of wives, and why would any man not want the best and love them both equally?
Ishtral had been taken aback by Serena's ripe beauty when she first laid eyes upon her, and feared for her position in her husband's favours, as an older wife, as the young woman had entered the household. She remembered the day when Chanceleord suggested he take both of them to his bed together. She had always thought Serena attractive, but as a rival in love more than someone with whom she felt a powerful fascination. It was strange how attraction can so easily be clouded by mundane jealousies. It would of course be interesting and she had happily agreed. Ishtral had been taken aback by Serena's excitement. As soon as Ishtral agreed Serena's face had lit up with pleasure and she had been keen to begin. In that first triple sharing bedroom encounter they had become lovers of each other, as well as of Chanceleord.
"We will depart," spoke Serena, "while you choose what you will do." She said this to Ishtral, who was a close partner to her in most matters, but this was different, and may prove difficult for them both. She did not wish to embarrass her lover in this sensitive issue. It was one easy matter to share male lovers, but to take a lover's son from her in this family home was bound to make Ishtral feel awkward. Ishtral would not wish her to be present as she invaded the youth of her son. Ishtral might even refuse to do Princil's bidding! But if she and Remzain were to depart Ishtral would feel easier to do this necessary deed, which might save them all.
Serena's own mind was still reeling from the shock of her son's suggestion. She had thought there were no taboos which could shock her. There were no sexual ideas, save unpleasant tortures and pain, which could not be at least entertained in her mind, even if they were unacceptable to the rules of society. She regarded herself as a sexual nymph. She would share her own beauty, to some degree, with anyone, male or female, generously, and loved to be the centre of others' sexual attention, even if her own desire were not strong. Unfortunately it was impossible for anyone to make themselves available to all comers at any time. She had always kept her son outside her sexual thoughts, as mothers do, but she was proud of him, and she regarded him as an attractive man. If she had not been his mother she would have wanted him too. The thought that he might want Ishtral, or that Ishtral might enjoy him had not offended her in fact. He was quite old enough to choose to love his secondmother. She had noticed Princil's sexual interest in Ishtral over those recent years when he was becoming a man. She had regarded his desire as perfectly natural, although she had not expected him to act upon it with his secondmother, or for Ishtral to reciprocate. It would not have been considered seemly for Ishtral to encourage her husbandson, although after adulthood such a match was not forbidden.
She imagined that, if Ishtral had not been her son's secondmother and been closely involved in his upbringing, the beautiful matriarch would have been keen to share her essence with a fine youth such as Princil, who, Serena knew well, was of a type which usually appealed to the matriarch.
"Ishtral, if you agree to my son's request you will have my blessing," Serena declared. "There is no shame in this, for this may save us all. Such a joining is not forbidden, even in the good times. Come Remzain we will go to our rooms while they decide." Remzain followed her mother out of the hall, her eyes still wet with the shock of the awful tidings, and a look of something else, unfathomable, in her face.
"We must begin then!" Ishtral said, spreading her arms in welcome, feeling the urgency of the situation, hoping the urgency and fear in the back of their minds would not foil Princil's magic.
"It is I who must first be aroused," said Princil, in a voice which was clear and concise, the instructions of a teacher, strange to be coming from her husbandson who had been like one of her own, taught partly by herself, in much that he knew about the world surrounding him.
