by Zoey Ellis
Many of the women nodded. “It is difficult to adjust here,” one of the woman said. “For some of us it takes months.”
One of the ladies near the front leaned forward, a thin brow raised. “How have you managed to capture master’s attention so quickly and so completely?”
I’mya lifted her shoulder. “I’m not sure.”
“Are you aware that he never sees the same woman twice in a row? Except you.”
I’mya glanced at Elora and Nureen. “I did hear that, but I don’t know how true it is.”
“It is true,” said the one with the thin brows, and a few others echoed her as they nodded. “Some of us have been here for decades, so we know this is unusual.”
“What exactly do you do… in there with him?” one of the younger girls asked.
“What do you think they’re doing, Dorel?” called another girl on the other side of the group, who was rolling her eyes.
A titter of laughter fluttered from the group.
“I know the general idea,” Dorel shot back. “But how does it work with Master? Do you lie around on the table the whole time in between… I don’t understand how you’re able to cope with lying there for that long?”
I’mya frowned. “No, since the first night, I haven’t been on the table.”
There was almost a collective intake of breath as their mouths dropped.
I’mya watched all of them, bewildered. “Is the table something he always uses?”
They nodded. “So where does he have you?” the same girl, Dorel asked.
“On the bed mostly,” I’mya explained. “Sometimes against the wall, sometimes on the floor… It just depends.”
“This is highly irregular for Master,” one of the women muttered. She looked almost worried.
“But what about in-between,” Dorel pressed. “Is it awkward while you wait for the next round? Do you talk?”
I’mya bit her lip, wondering what she meant. “Do you mean while we’re knotted?”
A stunned silence followed; no one moved.
I’mya suddenly felt self-conscious, her shoulders tensing as she took in their astonished faces.
Some of the women noticed and immediately began telling their tales of their knotting experiences with other men in an obvious attempt to make her feel more comfortable. Eventually they all laughed, teased, and jested with each other about their sexual experiences. I’mya relaxed and began to open up.
She soon discovered that it wasn’t just knotting that was unusual—most of the things the dragorai did with her was a surprise for the kon’ayas.
“He actually licks you there?” one of the women squealed. “What’s that like?”
“Don’t pretend you’re so innocent, Meleah!” another one of the girl said, laughing and rolling her eyes. “Like Romet doesn’t live with his face between your legs. You’re no Mheyu!”
The whole group laughed and Meleah made a face back. “Yes, but it’s not Master’s tongue.”
I’mya chuckled with them, but heat rose up her neck. “Umm. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s…”
When she couldn’t say anything further, one of the women leaned forward and patted her knee. “You don’t have to explain to us, dove,” she said kindly. “We’re just very nosey and we’re used to sharing everything. It must be amazing.”
“Actually, I would like her to explain,” said Dorela, feigning being affronted. “I want every single detail.”
The group laughed again.
I’mya smiled at them and exhaled a heavy breath of relief. “You’re not like I thought you would be,” she admitted to them all. “I thought you would be annoyed I was taking away your time with him.”
“’Course not,” one of the older women said. She had the rare accent of one of the cities in the North. “Don’t mistake me, darlin’, we love the attentions we get from Master, that’s the reason we’re here in the first place, but it’s only part of our lives. We have other activities and talents and things we enjoy doin’, and many of us have meaningful relationships and even real love with other servants.” She leaned forward. “An’ if I’m honest wiv’ ya, some of those servants prefer that we don’t see Master, they don’t like the idea of that comparison.”
A few of the other girls nodded knowingly. “That has been a frequent concern in my experience,” one of the other woman said dryly.
“The only thing worryin’ for us,” the first woman said, “is what will happen if Master no longer has use for us and doesn’t wanta upkeep our lives here.”
“But Dayatha said that no one leaves,” I’mya said.
“Exactly,” the woman replied. “No one leaves… alive.”
There was a short and uncomfortable silence.
“I’m not sure why that would happen,” I’mya said, alarmed. “This is just temporary. His interest in me is not going to last very long.”
Smiles flashed up on many of their faces, and a few of them exchanged knowing glances. “Why do you think that?” one of the girls nearest asked. “There is no reason to believe that this will be temporary at all.”
I’mya frowned at her, but didn’t know what to say. Why wouldn’t it be temporary? He had a whole lair of women at his disposal.
“Do you know what temporary means to a being that is almost immortal?” she added.
I’mya lifted her head in understanding. “I see what you mean.”
“All we can do is see where his tastes and urges take us all,” another girl said in agreement. “But, we can be as brazen as you like, so you’re always welcome to talk to us about anything.”
I’mya looked over them with a new appreciation. “So you’re all truly friends?”
“We are a family,” one of the girls corrected. “We do have disagreements and arguments, as all families do, but there is no benefit in us working against each other. We all have to live here, and we all came here to serve and be safe. What’s the point in creating an unsafe or worrying environment for us to live the rest of our lives in?”
All the girls nodded in agreement. “That’s not to say we’ve never had someone enter the lair who has had that agenda,” she added. “But Dayatha is really good at getting rid of those pretty quickly.”
“But… you have sex all over the lair. Do you enjoy that?” I’mya asked tentatively.
Some of the girls laughed again. “Thank the goddesses that we are able to,” one of the girls exclaimed, clapping her hands together and holding them up.
“We don’t have to do that,” one of the older women said with a grin on her face. “We choose to do it. Just as many of us choose to have sex privately, or not have sex at all apart from the master. There was a time when we all discussed whether we would prefer to keep sex private, and we decided against it.”
“Why?” asked Syb.
“Firstly, it is an experience that we all share,” the woman replied, “and when we do it publicly, we normalize it for those of us who have negative or no sexual experience—those of us who never had anyone to ask, who worry about if it’s ‘right’ or ‘safe’ to enjoy certain things. We talk about it together, and Master has been kind enough to encourage it. Also, it keeps us protected.” A few of the woman nodded as she continued. “Sometimes servants come into our lair and make all kinds of declarations to one of us, but then make the same declaration to one of our sisters,” she said gesturing to the group. “We like to know if any of them are being deceitful.”
Nureen’s face dropped. “So sometimes they can be deceitful?”
“Since they’ve realized that we will talk, most have learned that getting on the wrong side of a kon’aya will mean no sex with any of us for eternity,” she remarked. “So that behavior has been minimized. It is mainly new servants who need to be taught that lesson. But regardless, it’s our way of life now.”
I’mya continued to talk to them until evening fell. It was eye-opening seeing the lair from their perspectives. She learned that older kon’ayas tended to transition f
rom that role into another servant role, if they were suited.
“Like Dayatha?” Elora asked.
One of the kon’ayas shook her head. “No, no one has transitioned from kon’aya to steward yet.”
She learned it wasn’t often that someone was forced to “leave,” and that the stewards were interviewing and watching applicants throughout the lands before selecting them so that a group arrived at the same time.
As dinnertime approached, one of the women rose to her feet. “I must leave now, but it was a pleasure to finally talk to you, I’mya. Please do not hesitate to ask us for anything you need. We’re excited to get to know you.”
One by one the girls got up, offering the same until it was just the new recruits left.
“That went better than I thought it would,” Syb remarked.
“What did you think would happen?” Elora said.
Syb shrugged. “I wasn’t sure what to expect. But at least we know everyone is friendly.”
The next afternoon, Dayatha summoned I’mya to her room. The steward had been bewildered by the dragorai’s constant request for her, but had been supportive, offering her potions for exhaustion and pain relief. They seemed to reach a level of tentative conversation where they could be of help to each other. But I’mya wasn’t sure why Dayatha wanted to see her. Maybe it was about her talk with the other kon’ayas.
Stepping into the room, she remained by the door. “You wanted to see me?”
Dayatha was busying herself with her vine-like bookshelf. “Yes. Please sit.”
As I’mya sat down, Dayatha picked up the yellow teapot with the constant steaming spout that sat in the corner of the room and brought it over to the desk along with its two matching teacups. “How are you?”
“I’m… well,” I’mya said hesitantly.
“I see you have been attending some activities and meeting with the other kon’ayas.”
I’mya nodded as Dayatha placed one of the cups in front of her and began to pour.
“Obviously you’ve been missing your studies with the other new recruits because you’ve been with Master, but there are some things you do need to know. I asked you here to talk about them.”
I’mya relaxed a little. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting.
“The most important thing right now is your heat,” Dayatha continued. “Omegas in this lair have the option to suppress their heats or they can allow them to run their due course. Most choose not to suppress.”
I’mya’s brows rose in surprise. “Why?”
“Many of them follow the teachings of the Seven, which suggest that omegas should not interfere with their natural cycles. Suppression, obviously, has certain risks, and also it is the culture of this particular lair to embrace it. The kon’ayas prefer to be open and honest about sexual activity, even if it means enduring their heat cycles.”
I’mya nodded, taking a sip of the fruity tea. She could certainly see that.
“Usually, an omega’s heat is dealt with by a servant in the lair who is relieved of his duties to spend time with the omega. There are specific rooms where they spend time until her heat is broken. The servant is allocated the task of caring for the omega during this time.”
“And what if the dragorai, umm, Master requests her?”
Dayatha shot her a wry smile. “Master has never requested anyone before. He has always accepted whoever has been presented to him. In any case, he has strictly instructed us to never to give him an omega in her heat.”
That was a surprise. “But why? Surely an Omega in her heat would be perfect for his needs?”
“He has never explained it, but I don’t think it would be,” Dayatha said slowly. “He enjoys his kon’ayas on his own terms and omegas require an attentive alpha. He would not want to be obliged to serve an omega over a period of days.”
I’mya nodded, seeing how that could be unattractive for someone like him. “So is it just anybody in the lair that is allocated to the omega?”
“No,” Dayatha said, taking a sip of her own cup. “It can be, but usually kon’ayas have established acquaintances, relationships, or friendships with other servants who they have sex with regularly anyway, and usually they like to pick their own person. It’s not always the case that the person will accept the role, but there will always be someone willing to take the spot.”
“But the omega heat is a breeding state,” I’mya pointed out. “They are likely to conceive during that time, aren’t they?”
“That is one of the reasons why some omegas choose to suppress, and why some servants may not wish to engage in the activity,” Dayatha admitted. “If an Omega, or anyone one for that matter, conceives, the child is given away.”
“What?” I’mya asked disbelief. She stared at her. “The child is discarded from the lair?”
“It is not killed,” Dayatha clarified. She seemed almost offended. “Just given away to be cared for elsewhere. We cannot have children here, obviously. You’ve seen the environment. Do you think it is suitable for children?”
“Then why not just suppress everyone rather than have this happen?” I’mya said. “There is a war happening. How safe can they be?”
Dayatha sighed. “Suppression has never been perfected, as I’m sure you know.”
I’mya remembered that some of her faction had tried suppressing their heat and ended up in a lot of pain. “But surely you have potions and charms you have tested?”
“Yes, but the omega breeding state is so powerful and integral to her hormones that it’s difficult to shut off that side of her,” Dayatha explained. “Many suppressants make the omega barren, and that is the good result. Most, however, cause a lot of pain, bleeding, and a shortened lifespan.”
“But does being infertile matter that much to the kon’ayas if they are living here and will never be able to have children for the rest of their lives?” I’mya asked.
“Making them barren would also reduce their appetite for and ability to be pleasured during sex.”
“Ah.” That would definitely be a problem.
“All right,” I’mya said, exhaling. “So what happens to the children?”
“They are given to the Mheyu.”
I’mya relaxed a little at that. At least the Mheyu were not affected by the war and the children could grow up in a safe environment. Maybe she should have thought about leaving I’yala at one of their sacred temples. “And the omegas are happy with that? Their children being taken away to grow up in a monastery?”
“They all know the risks,” Dayatha said. “As do you now.”
“That’s not an answer,” I’mya said, smiling.
Dayatha sighed. “They can’t have it both ways, I’mya. Of course not all of them are happy when the child leaves the lair, but they are comforted knowing that they will be cared for by Mheyu guardians. There is no safer place for them in the Twin Realms—not even any of the other lairs.”
I’mya thought through what she said. She was right.
“So, your heat will be coming soon,” Dayatha said carefully. “What do you wish to do?”
“Suppression,” I’mya said immediately and without hesitation.
“Are you sure?” Dayatha was looking at her strangely.
“I’m not particularly attached to sex the way the other kon’ayas are.”
Dayatha laughed. “You probably have had more sex than anyone in the Twin Realms. I assure you, you’re most likely attached to it.”
I’mya rolled her , but she was smiling. As she sobered, she asked, “Then you think I should put myself in a situation where I could have a child here?”
“Not particularly,” Dayatha said carefully. “But it could mean a lot of pain. And if you lose interest in sex and Master doesn’t, you’ll have to endure nights with him in a very different mood. Remember, you cannot refuse him.”
That was true.
“Whereas… if you choose to have your heat, then Master will take a break from you until it’s over.”
>
I’mya lifted her head, realizing what Dayatha was trying to say.
“If that’s what you want,” Dayatha added hurriedly. “I admit, I did not think that this would ever happen. But now that it has, if you wanted to take a break that would be a way for you to ensure he is forced to select someone else for a few nights.”
Yes, her heat could be her escape. And maybe if she was unavailable for a while, the dragorai would go back to selecting some of the other kon’ayas, and they could be a little more reassured about their place in the lair. “I would have to select someone, wouldn’t I? For my heat?”
“If you prefer it,” Dayatha said. “Or I can select someone for you. Someone who would be caring and gentle and who is experienced in knowing how to give an omega in heat what she needs.”
I’mya almost wrinkled her nose. She couldn’t imagine anyone being able to give her what she needed more than the dragorai, but that was the whole point of this. She discarded the thought. Her addiction to him had to be broken eventually. Why not on her terms? At least in her heat, she wouldn’t be thinking about him. She’d be thinking about the man tending to her… At least she hoped so.
“How long do I have?”
“The lair regulates omega heats naturally through the magic here,” Dayatha explained. “It would be a nightmare to have all omegas in heat at the same time.”
“I can imagine,” I’mya murmured.
“Yours will be in about two weeks.”
I’mya nodded. “I will see if I can choose someone in that time.”
“Good,” Dayatha looked pleased. “The kon’ayas will be able to help you if you struggle to find a servant or staff member.”
“Thank you,” I’mya said as she rose from her seat. “I’m sure I’ll be able to find someone in time.
As the second week began, after meeting the other kon’ayas and having that discussion with Dayatha, I’mya tried to socialize more. She began taking reading lessons in the library with Elora, Syb, and a number of other servants in the lair—green-robed, blue-robed, and red-robed men and women, who all had different jobs that I’mya didn’t even know existed. From cleaning, to gathering and preparing food, to the upkeep of the master’s dan askha to weeding the garden. There was a mixture of men and women, various ages and different personalities. They were all friendly, and I’mya found herself laughing for the first time in a long time and not having to think about anything else. She couldn’t help the pang of guilt at the thought of her enjoying herself while her family was gone, but she tried to push aside those thoughts as much as possible. She couldn’t change what happened, and she came here to live as her family would want her to; safe, content, and happy. So that’s what she would do.