Chapter 12(Von)
There was considerable giggling the next morning as Ynarana Sethelel and Safafi erotically washed each other with wet cloths early the next morning.
The three women sat naked on the stone floor next to buckets of water drawn from a drinking water barrel, wetting clean rags in the buckets and sliding these wet rags over each other's naked skin.
"(Giggles), that's COLD!", Ynarana squealed, as Sethelel slapped an extremely wet cloth flat over her breast in such a way that the cloth stuck in place to her skin, setting Ynarana's nipple erect.
Sethelel giggled back, and squealed as Ynarana gave her a taste of her own medicine.
Safafi laughed happily, washing Ynarana's back with another wet cloth.
The three women playfully made each other giggle and squeal with cold water on rags, it was extremely silly.
Ynarana screamed and laughed when Sethelel suddenly tipped a bucket of chilly cold water over her head to clean her hair!
"That's COLD!", Ynarana giggled, shivering and covered in goosebumps.
Ynarana dumped a bucket of cold water over Sethelel's head in revenge, making her scream. Ynarana and Sethelel then spontaneously ganged up on Safafi and tipped a bucket of cold water over Safafi's head, making her squeal and laugh.
The three giggling women were cold and shivering now, and huddled together for warmth, slippery naked skin pressed together in a way that Ynarana found wonderful.
The three of them continued to wash each other sensually with the chilly cold wet rags, kept warm solely by each other's collective body heat, giggling the entire time.
"I hope we can get clean, I fear that the smell of urine and sex won't wash out", Safafi chuckled happily, making Ynarana and Sethelel giggle.
"You girls were just so naughty", Safafi giggled approvingly.
"You were pretty naughty yourself", Sethelel replied back huskily.
Safafi giggled melodically.
The giggling women slowly got each other completely clean, squealing from the cold the entire time.
Ynarana pounced on Sethelel, kissing her passionately, and the pair fell over to lay sideways on the wet floor, entwined in each other's arms kissing heavily.
"Don't get dirty again, we just got clean!", Safafi teased them, poking them both in the sides to make them flinch and laugh ticklishly.
Sethelel and Ynarana fended off Safafi's poking with their arms, and pounced on her, ganging up on her to tickle her ribs and sides, making her laugh hysterically.
Safafi was not at all offended when they stopped tickling her a moment later, and Sethelel kissed Safafi erotically, making the bound bride moan.
The three elf women gradually stood up, shivering all over and covered in goosebumps, and hurried over to huddle around the tiny fire they had set up earlier in an empty part of the large cool room.
The room clearly could use a bit more ventilation holes drilled into the roof, and the ceiling was a bit smoky, but the current ventilation holes seemed enough to at least keep the air breathable down at walking level of the tall room. No one had suffocated.
The three giggling women air dried in front of the meagre fire, and used ribbons of clean dry cloth to wrap up their wet hair to hold it up off their backs and dry it faster.
Ynarana checked the time on the candle clock, an extremely long candle deliberately crafted to burn very slowly at a constant rate, with pins driven into the wax at precisely measured distances from each other. As the candle burned down over time, the embedded pins would gradually drop out one by one, the number of dropped pins measuring fairly precisely how much time had passed since the candle clock was lit.
Ynarana calculated the time with the help of the candle clock, and judged it to still be a good two hours before sunrise.
"At least two more hours before sunrise, why the hell did we even get up so early?", Ynarana told the others.
"We got up this early to maximise our time together", Safafi reminded Ynarana happily.
"Sleeping would be kind of a waste of time for this one night we have", Sethelel agreed, stifling a yawn.
"Did we even sleep at all last night?", Ynarana asked playfully.
"Oh, I think we may have gotten a good three hours of sleep", Safafi laughed.
"I am liable to fall asleep straight away on my wedding night", Ynarana laughed.
"Torvines might have other ideas", Safafi giggled happily.
The three women moved three wooden chairs and the table of food closer to the fire, and sat, eating a cold breakfast of last night's food.
All were still naked, having at least two hours left of complete privacy, but they were warm enough close to the fire like this, just slightly cold but bearable.
"We ran out of wine", Sethelel noted disappointedly, inspecting all of the completely empty wine bottles on the table.
"It's not a good girls night if the wine isn't all drunk", Safafi tittered.
"This was one hell of a great girls night", Ynarana laughed.
"Best girls night in the history of Naggaroth", Sethelel agreed, chuckling.
"I don't think I will ever forget this girls night", Safafi chuckled gayly.
"I could have done with less tickling though, I wet the damn bed!", Ynarana grumbled cutely.
Sethelel and Safafi snorted with laughter at this memory.
"We ALL wet the bed in that bride binding, I pissed everywhere!", Sethelel giggled.
"I'm also sorry about wetting the bed, my ribs are very sensitive, and the wine filled my bladder so fast, I couldn't hold it", Safafi apologised fondly.
"Wine plus tickling in bride binding is just asking for a wet bed", Ynarana snorted.
"They are not a good combination", Sethelel agreed with a chuckle.
"Do you think the mattress will dry?", Safafi asked curiously.
"I will need to replace all of the straw in this mattress and wash the mattress bag, it won't be dry before tomorrow. Torvines and I have a spare mattress bag thankfully, I will just have to put fresh straw in it some time today before bed", Ynarana explained.
"That mattress is pretty soaked, I'm amazed we could even sleep on it", Sethelel noted.
"We were pretty drunk, drunks can sleep on anything", Ynarana laughed.
"You didn't even untie me when I peed, it's little wonder it got so wet", Ynarana scolded playfully as an afterthought.
"There was no point untying you by that stage, a bit late for the chamber pot", Sethelel teased.
"It was so mean, the pair of you tickled me half to death", Ynarana playfully scolded.
"You got your revenge on us though", Sethelel reminded Ynarana.
"Aye, that I did", Ynarana smirked at Sethelel.
"It was a very nice tickle the two of you gave me", Safafi said happily.
"Very nice?, You enjoyed it?", Ynarana asked.
"It was lovely", Safafi nodded happily.
"I kinda enjoyed it too", Sethelel admitted naughtily.
"Me too actually", Ynarana admitted, "it was fun even though I hated it the entire time".
"It is a paradoxical pleasure", Safafi said with a grin.
"I'm just glad I went first and got it over with, then got my revenge on you. The anticipation of not going first and waiting for your revenge would have been horrible", Ynarana teased Sethelel.
Sethelel rolled her eyes, not taking the bait.
"I liked all those carrots you put up my bottom in bride binding, how many did you fit inside me?", Safafi said happily.
"Five I think?, No that was your vagina. I fitted five carrots in your vagina and… Three?, Yes I think I fitted three carrots up your bottom at the same time", Sethelel mused.
"Only three fit?, I'm disappointed", Safafi laughed.
"I probably could have fit more, but I didn't want to tear you open", Sethelel chuckled fondly.
"That is very kind of you", Safafi laughed, completely at ease.
"This was a fun night, one of the most enjoyable nights I have had in a long time", Safafi said warmly.
The conversation briefly paused.
"You have so many bruises", Sethelel mused without warning, pointing to Safafi's body.
Safafi looked down curiously at her bruise covered bare chest and stomach and hips and upper legs.
Safafi Movavul's body was splotched all over with bruises, a whole spectrum of black and blue and brown and yellowish bruises ranging from brand new bruises to very old almost healed bruises, and every point in between. The bruises were not all the same size or shape either, as though caused in many different ways by many different implements of pain.
The bruises seemed to deliberately cover only parts of her skin that would never be bare in public. The painful looking bruises covered her breasts all over below the cleavage line, but carefully avoided all the skin that cleavage might display. Her arms and shoulders, face and neck, feet, ankles and lower legs were all likewise completely free of bruises, all being parts that various outfits might possibly leave bare in public. But every single inch of the rest of her skin was a tapestry of painful looking bruises.
"Yes, I have quite a few", Safafi said fondly.
"A few is an understatement", Sethelel chuckled.
"My husband is fond of disciplining me", Safafi said happily.
"You get off on pain, right?", Sethelel asked seriously.
Safafi laughed at the question.
"Silly question, I know", Sethelel chuckled.
"I am rather kinky", Safafi admitted happily.
"I didn't even notice", Ynarana quipped.
Safafi giggled.
Sethelel smirked.
"To answer your question, I got a thrill of pleasure from every single one of these bruises, pain makes me wet", Safafi admitted honestly.
"We should have hurt you last night", Sethelel said disappointedly.
"No, I'm glad that you didn't, my husband wouldn't like it if you left bruises on me", Safafi said apologetically.
"How would he even notice?", Ynarana asked slightly incredulously, looking at the mass of bruises covering Safafi's skin.
"He would notice immediately. My bruises take so long to completely disappear that he is actually very careful to only bruise me in certain places that have already healed. He has a careful system in place, "bruise farming" he affectionately calls it", Safafi fondly explained.
"Bruise farming?", Ynarana inquired.
"Yes, it's just an affectionate private name we call it. My skin is like farming soil for "growing" bruises. New fresh bruises are like the freshly planted crop, as the bruise slowly heals it is in the "growing season", and when the bruise is completely gone from the skin it is "harvested", He can then "plant" a new bruise on this healed skin", Safafi explained merrily.
Sethelel and Ynarana both giggled at this adorable explanation.
"If you bruised me it would mess up his entire schedule, new bruises would end up on top of old bruises that haven't fully healed yet, fresh "harvested" skin would be bruised, denying my husband the pleasure of bruising it himself, he would be most annoyed", Safafi chuckled.
"He takes sadism so seriously", Sethelel laughed.
"He does indeed, he takes great pride in thoroughly disciplining me as his bound bride. In House Movavul it is considered very prestigious for a man to have a very thoroughly disciplined bound bride, men judge each other by how well disciplined their bound brides are", Safafi said proudly.
"Oh?, So it's more than just a kink for your husband?", Ynarana asked curiously.
"It's both a kink and more than a kink. My husband certainly does get very great sexual pleasure from disciplining and dominating me, but it's also about status", Safafi explained unashamedly.
"How does this status aspect work exactly?", Sethelel asked curiously.
"For male elves in House Movavul as young and newly married as Torvines it is not really that important, but when a male member of House Movavul gets a bit older and has been married for quite a while, they really get judged quite hard by how well disciplined and trained their bound brides are. It is actually considered shameful for an older male who has been married for a long time to have an undisciplined bound bride", Safafi explained seriously.
"Shameful because they have been married for a long time", Ynarana noted.
"Yes, in the early years of marriage, bound brides might remain stubborn and difficult to tame, excusing poor discipline. But after a certain length of time, even the most difficult women should be able to be tamed and disciplined successfully, the husband just starts to look weak", Safafi explained.
"Just as poor discipline in a bound bride becomes shameful, extremely good discipline becomes praised and lauded, increasing the reputation and standing of the husband. I still have a long way to go to have completely perfect discipline, maybe another hundred years of discipline and punishments will train me enough to really stand out", Safafi said with resolve.
"How do the members of House Movavul know how well disciplined a bound bride is?", Ynarana asked with interest as this would affect her too.
"At House Movavul gatherings in the great halls of the House. Like most middle born and higher ancient extended families, House Movavul owns properties that have been in the House for generations, upon which are built great meeting places to serve the entire House. Members of our House gather periodically in these great halls", Safafi began.
"In the privacy of these great halls, husbands strip their bound brides naked to show them off, showing our bruises and making us perform displays of discipline, like holding extremely uncomfortable and painful positions for long periods of time without moving, obeying cruel orders from our husbands to do extremely unpleasant things, just a whole range of things that cause us great suffering", Safafi explained calmly.
Ynarana shuddered.
"That doesn't sound pleasant", Ynarana said fearfully.
"It's not supposed to be pleasant, that's the whole point. Even I struggle to remain perfectly disciplined during some of these tests, the tests are designed to be difficult and unpleasant and downright painful to separate the truly disciplined from those that are lacking", Safafi explained apologetically.
"If even you struggle, I will have no chance", Ynarana lamented.
"You are getting married literally today, no one expects a new bound bride to pass such tests. Only the bound brides like me who have been seasoned by many years of punishment and discipline are expected to pass these tests", Safafi reassured Ynarana.
"But eventually I will be expected to pass", Ynarana said glumly.
"That will be so many years into your bride binding that you will be fully tamed by then anyway. By then you will be as happy and carefree about everything as I am, it won't bother you as much by then", Safafi promised.
"Really?", Ynarana asked hopefully.
"Yes really. It actually becomes somewhat thrilling to take part in these horrible tests, I get a wonderful satisfaction when I pass. I wouldn't exactly call it "pride", I have had most of my pride beaten out of me by now, but I do get a feeling of genuine pleasure when I am able to display how well my husband has tamed me in front of his peers", Safafi said warmly.
"I am still coming to terms with the fact that I will be a House Movavul bound bride, it feels like it is happening to another person not me", Ynarana admitted.
"If you lived in the city you would be involved in House Movavul activities more often, but out here in this plantation you will be separated from most of these things. Some time this year, probably in winter when the plantation is hibernating and can spare you and Torvines, you and Torvines will need to visit the extended family and be presented to the House Movavul elders as a new bound bride", Safafi explained.
Ynarana gulped nervously.
"It isn't all that bad at the gatherings. When we are not being tested for our discipline, we get to mingle with the family. Many of the bound brides are formidable warriors, some even outrank their husbands in skill and status as warriors. Not all are no longer working, some are dark riders, some are heralds, some fight on foot as black ark corsairs or other esteemed warrior occupations. The conversations with fellow bound brides can be extremely interesting", Safafi reassured Ynarana.
"I find the idea of a bound bride being a corsair so odd to picture", Sethelel laughed.
"Bound brides are highly disciplined by our very nature, and resistant to pain and discomfort. This makes bound brides who are warriors of some variety extremely disciplined fighters, with supreme discipline in using swords or whatever other weapon they train in the use of. Do not underestimate the fighting prowess of a bound bride", Safafi said seriously.
"But bound brides are so nice, if they are all like you at least, I can't imagine them hurting a fly", Sethelel chuckled.
"Seasoned bound brides do not take joy in the taking of life, but are obedient to a fault, trained to obey the orders of their husbands. The career of a bound bride is entirely the decision of her husband, she will change careers without question at his command, and she will not quit her job unless her husband tells her to do so. If her husband wants her to be a corsair or other military occupation, his bound bride will obey without question and will unflinchingly slay foes in battle to obey her husband", Safafi explained seriously.
"I hope Torvines doesn't make me quit my job in this plantation", Ynarana fretted anxiously.
"Some time in the future he may, but probably not in the immediate future. The money he earns as Chief Herald of this plantation is far more generous than he is likely to get elsewhere, being the Chief Herald of Lordling Runor is a position he would be crazy to give up", Safafi opined.
"What does House Movavul think of Torvines?, What will they think of me?", Ynarana asked.
"Torvines is reasonably well regarded as the Chief Herald of a Lordling, as well as for his prodigious horsemanship. He is too young to have gained any real clout in House Movavul yet, but for an elf of his age he is well respected by the family", Safafi began.
"You on the other hand are completely unknown to the family, House Movavul needs to inspect you in person at a gathering in a great hall to make any real opinion about you. You are lowest born, so they will initially have some prejudice against you, but my husband and I will give our own personal report about you to the family, we plan to give you a glowing recommendation by the way. This will help you to be less prejudiced against".
"Ultimately I think you will be well received in time. Despite your lowest born origins you have great potential as a bound bride, your body is beautiful and strong, you have a lovely personality, you lack ambition. You have the makings of a charming and highly disciplined bound bride once you are tamed, and I can see you and Torvines rising high in House Movavul many years from now". Safafi encouraged.
"What do you, I mean we, what do WE bound brides do at gatherings exactly?, Just get stripped naked, made to do unpleasant things, and then mingle with other bound brides afterwards?", Ynarana asked.
"Well, what we actually do is obey our husbands without question or hesitation, and they tell us exactly what they want us to do. It's your husband who will decide what you do, who you speak to, everything. We are bound brides, dominated completely by our husbands, we simply obey", Safafi said calmly.
"That is noted, but it doesn't really answer my question", Ynarana said seriously.
"Well, it is usual for bound brides to be naked at these gatherings, as a sign of humility and submission to our husbands. Bound brides may be allowed to wear a sword belt or similar weapon with the permission of their husbands, to protect themselves from assassins or enemies if the great hall is attacked during the gathering, but nothing more than this. It is considered disobedient and insubordinate for a bound bride to be clothed once a gathering starts", Safafi explained.
"As for activities, all bound brides including new ones like you will be tested to determine your discipline. You are guaranteed to fail these tests as a new bound bride, everyone expects you to fail, and there will be no shame or punishment for you failing this early on".
"You and the other relatively new bound brides will be taken aside out of the way of the tests when you inevitably fail, and will be expected to be softly spoken and not distract the rest of the gathering from the tests of the seasoned bound brides who are expected to pass. You may speak to the other new bound brides in quiet voices, and may speak in reply to any men who engage you in conversation, but may not initiate conversation with any man except your husband, and must show the uttermost respect to your husband at all times",
"The tests will go for a few hours, me and the other seasoned bound brides will all either pass or bring shame to our husbands, those seasoned bound brides that fail will be taken aside and put in a position of shame until the tests are over. At the end of the tests, the respected male elders of House Movavul will carefully give their verdicts of the discipline of each seasoned bound bride who passed, commending their husbands for their skill in disciplining their bound brides. We get ranked against each other based on our performance in the tests, the bound brides with the most perfect discipline are named and their husbands receive the most honour".
Ynarana and Sethelel listened silently with rapt attention, this all sounded perfectly misogynistic so far.
"After all of this, we start the social part of the gathering. There is food and drink, (and with permission from our husbands we may eat and drink), there will usually be mingling and fellowship and talking to people. We will remain naked, and are not allowed to attempt to cover our modesty, even if we feel humiliated".
"That sounds perfectly horrible", Sethelel noted honestly.
Ynarana nodded, it sounded ghastly and completely humiliating.
"It is just our path as bound brides I am afraid, we take it in our stride like any other punishment we must endure", Safafi said sympathetically.
"So what happens once the mingling part starts?, Any other horrible stuff?", Sethelel asked distastefully.
"It is usually not so bad from then on. There is talking, eating, drinking, fellowship. Bound brides are as lovely and carefree as me, the conversations with them tend to be joyful and pleasant. It is usually a time of great joy for everyone", Safafi reassured happily.
"When do you get to put clothes on again?", Sethelel asked sardonically.
"When we are leaving we get dressed, not before then. The great halls are kept pleasantly warm with fires, we don't get too cold", Safafi reassured.
"That all sounds absolutely humiliating!", Ynarana exclaimed to Safafi.
"Yes, that is a common complaint. But after so many years of attendance I don't even think about it anymore, you just get used to it", Safafi soothed.
"At least you get to see all the other women naked, I guess that's fun at least", Sethelel mused.
Safafi giggled.
"How am I supposed to hide the fact that I am a Gwendil though?, I will be wet the entire night talking to the other new bound brides in the nude, they will see that I am aroused", Ynarana fretted.
"It won't matter, you will already be a House Movavul bound bride, the House protects its bound brides. Even if they suspect you they will not get you beheaded, even if you admitted to the other members of House Movavul that you are a Gwendil they still wouldn't get the law involved. Bound brides are protected", Safafi promised.
"Well that's not so bad, well that aspect at least", Sethelel conceded.
"House Movavul is actually lovely, much nicer than my own middle born House Ezzaq that I was born in. House Movavul is an extremely nice family to marry into. As long as you know your place as a bound bride, the family takes care of you." Safafi promised.
"Even if you are a Gwendil?", Ynarana asked.
"Even if you are a Gwendil", Safafi promised.
"Did they take it well when you told them?", Sethelel asked Safafi.
"I am not Gwendil the way that you and Ynarana are, I don't really stand out", Safafi said, truthful from a certain interpretation.
"Yes, I can certainly appreciate that. I had absolutely no idea you were a Gwendil either", Sethelel chuckled.
Safafi grinned happily.
"Should I disclose that I am a Gwendil to your, erm, OUR House?", Ynarana asked seriously.
"That decision is entirely up to Torvines as your husband, he will make all the decisions for you from the moment you are married this afternoon", Safafi said seriously.
"All decisions?", Ynarana asked, slightly nervously.
"Well, within the bounds of common sense. He won't necessarily micromanage every second of your day, but he will certainly make all the important decisions", Safafi explained.
"Well what do I do as his wife?", Ynarana asked seriously.
"Obey him, submit to him, and trust him. You will belong completely to him", Safafi informed Ynarana.
"Like a slave?", Ynarana asked nervously.
"Yes, in some ways like a slave. But in turn you will enjoy the benefits of being a bound bride, it is a good trade I assure you", Safafi encouraged.
"I don't want to be a slave", Ynarana said quietly.
"You won't, you will be a WIFE, you will bear his children, join his House and be cherished by him. You will be kept safe, and your heart will be healed of all that pain within you", Safafi promised.
"It will be ok?", Ynarana asked seriously.
"It will be ok. The taming process can be unpleasant, but once you are tamed you feel wonderful for the rest of your life. You will be as happy as me", Safafi reassured wonderfully.
Ynarana nodded, but still admitted that she was absolutely terrified.
"That is normal on the wedding day of a bound bride, all feel terrified. I myself had full blown panic attacks on my wedding day, it was a miracle that my own mother-in-law could coax me into even attending the wedding", Safafi said fondly.
"How did you and your husband even end up together if you were so afraid of bride binding?, Didn't you know that House Movavul are traditionalists?", Ynarana asked curiously.
"No, I was ignorant same as you, that's how the men of House Movavul get you, by exploiting your ignorance", Safafi chuckled.
"Oh?", Ynarana asked, prompting Safafi to continue.
"He used the same tactic as Torvines used on you Ynarana, found a woman he fancied, romantically pursued her, got into an intimate sexual relationship with her, deliberately made no mention that his House practiced bride binding, proposed marriage, got engaged, organised the wedding, and then got his bound bride mother to break the news just days before the wedding. I was absolutely furious!", Safafi laughed, as though this deeply amused her.
Sethelel and Ynarana both burst out laughing, unable to help themselves, that was such a sneaky trick!
"That is so SNEAKY!", Sethelel laughed, barely able to breathe.
"It was a beastly trick, I wanted to stab him at the time", Safafi laughed.
"But you are middle born, as a low born I at least have the excuse of being unfamiliar with the names and practices of the middle born houses. How did you fall for this trick as a middle born?", Ynarana asked, slightly incredulously.
"Because I was very young and silly, and Tovonnith was deviously sneaky", Safafi laughed.
"Well that goes without saying, but apart from that, how come you didn't find out until just before the wedding?", Ynarana giggled.
"I met Tovonnith on a black ark, on a two year voyage patrolling various sea lanes far from Naggaroth. We were both working as dark riders on the black ark at the time, part of the same dark rider regiment at that time." Safafi began.
"There were many middle born elves on board, divided into many regiments of dark riders that acted as land scouts for the armies during occasional land invasions to take slaves. Must have been almost a hundred different middle born Houses present amongst the dark riders, the black ark just mixed us all together in regiments, billeted in onboard barracks rather than the properties of our own Houses, it was very confusing to even be sure which House someone was."
"I was the only member of my old House on board at the time, House Ezzaq, I had no relatives to talk to or get advice from for two entire years. If I had been a bit older I might have been more suspicious of Tovonnith Movavul, but I was young and lacked the knowledge to remember the name of every single House that practiced bride binding".
"Couldn't someone else in the regiment warn you?", Sethelel asked curiously.
"A bunch of spiteful malicious dark elves from other Houses?, Of course those that knew didn't lift a finger to warn me, they probably found it funny watching me walk into Tovonnith's sneaky net", Safafi snorted.
"I was this young naive woman, separated from my House on the two year voyage, easy prey for Tovonnith's trickery", Safafi laughed.
"You were so silly", Sethelel giggled.
"Yes, I was a silly thing back then, I probably still am silly now if I am honest", Safafi laughed melodically.
"He had no difficulty courting me, he was, still is, very handsome, and was extremely charming. We became romantic early in the two year voyage, and he was a very romantic and attentive lover, I really liked him. Towards the end of the voyage he proposed marriage to me after we had already been together for over a year, and I didn't hesitate to say yes to him, he was my boyfriend of over a year, I really liked him, it seemed only natural that we should wed", Safafi recounted nostalgically.
"Tovonnith was adamant that we should get married mere days after we ended our journey on the black ark, I naively agreed, and we both sent letters by fast ship to our respective parents informing them of our engagement and imminent marriage, the letters arriving days before the black ark itself landed in port at Clar Karond".
Ynarana and Sethelel both giggled, like most dark elves finding extreme amusement in these sorts of stories about devious trickery.
"I was so excited and proud to be engaged to him, I held my head up high as I disembarked the black ark on his arm. Tovonnith took me straight to meet his parents before I even had a chance to see any of my kin in House Ezzaq, and his mother then presented me with bride binding supplies…"
Ynarana and Sethelel were by this point rolling on the floor laughing, (it was a very dark elf type of humour).
Safafi laughed happily, not at all offended by their choking laughter.
"You poor thing", Ynarana giggled, fighting for breath.
"It truly is a testament to the talking skills of Tovonnith's mother that she managed to talk me into going through with the wedding, Tovonnith was perilously close to being left at the altar of Khaine with an absent bride", Safafi chuckled.
"Just like you are doing to Ynarana, using your talking skills to keep her from running away", Sethelel accused playfully.
"Too late to run now Ynarana", Safafi laughed, playing along with this premise.
"Torvines is not even close to the raw sneakiness of your husband, that trick your husband played on you was just diabolical", Ynarana grinned.
"It was, but I am so glad that he did, otherwise I would be absolutely miserable today, drowning in my own inner toxins. I am now profoundly grateful", Safafi said sincerely.
"I am totally screwed, aren't I", Ynarana said, not a question so much as a statement.
"Yep", Sethelel agreed.
"You will be grateful one day, you will wonder why you even hesitated", Safafi promised.
"I can't get out of this now anyway", Ynarana sighed in resignation.
"How did all of these traditions get established, like get so bad at least?, Bride binding so a wife can't murder her husband in his sleep is one thing, I kinda understand that part of it, but why all of this other horrible humiliating ritualistic sadism?," Sethelel asked Safafi seriously.
"That requires a bit of history to explain", Safafi said happily.
"The short version will be fine", Sethelel chuckled.
"Well, to skip all of the specific historical details, the original bound brides were abducted high elf women, and the men of House Movavul were extremely nasty to them and enjoyed hurting and humiliating them at every opportunity", Safafi abridged.
"High elves deserve nothing less, but I'm still confused", Sethelel admitted.
"Well that's where all these sadistic family rituals came from. The unmarried men of House Movavul acquired high elf war brides of excellent breeding quality during the sundering, force marrying them and using them for breeding. House Movavul delighted in making these hated high elf women cry as often as possible, and their husbands got very creative in finding new ways of making them cry", Safafi explained with perhaps a hint of slight distaste.
"At family gatherings the husbands would strip these women naked in front of everyone and force them to remain naked for hours, just to humiliate them. They would beat them with sticks to make them penetrate themselves with foreign objects in front of the entire gathering, as the entire House laughed at them. They were just beastly to these crying women", Safafi said distastefully.
Ynarana and Sethelel were by this point crying with laughter, having a healthy dark elf hatred of high elves, but Safafi wasn't laughing at all for some reason.
"Well anyway, that is how the traditional sadism started, that was also when the men learned the benefits of getting inside their wives' minds by torturing all the secrets out of them to dominate them completely. The traditions then slowly changed over thousands of years into what they are today", Safafi abridged.
"How did it go from treating high elf women the way they deserve, to doing this same treatment to dark elf women?", Sethelel asked, blinking tears of silent laughter.
"That is a very long story. The short answer is, the men of House Movavul grew so fond of these bound brides that they eventually stopped marrying dark elf women the normal way, and preyed exclusively on high breeding quality high elf women that they abducted to be bound brides. Then, at a certain point in time for a variety of reasons, no high elf women of good enough breeding quality were available in sufficient numbers anymore, and, rather than resorting to inferior quality high elf breeding stock, the men of House Movavul were forced to instead prey on high quality dark elf women", Safafi explained.
"But why treat the dark elf women as severely as the high elf women?", Ynarana asked unhappily.
"By this point House Movavul was simply used to treating wives this way, a tradition had been established and the men didn't want to change this tradition", Safafi explained with a shrug.
"But I'm not a high elf", Ynarana complained.
"That's a very good thing, dark elf bound brides are treated much MUCH better than high elf bound brides. We enjoy all sorts of protections and special treatments that high elf bound brides are denied. The men have at least some respect for us dark elf women, we are tenderly cherished and loved and cared for in a way that few high elf bound brides ever are", Safafi replied.
"I should certainly hope so!", Sethelel muttered.
"Are there still high elf bound brides in House Movavul?", Ynarana asked curiously.
"Yes, not many, but a tiny handful of good enough breeding quality are still occasionally captured to this day. They are the most wretched creatures, I feel so sorry for my poor sister-in-law", Safafi said sadly.
"What?!", Sethelel and Ynarana squawked in unison.
"Tovonnith's brother has a high elf bound bride. I have never seen a woman cry so often, I pity her", Safafi explained sadly.
"Why would you feel pity for a high elf?", Sethelel asked accusingly.
"She hasn't been a proper high elf for over 300 years now, she has spent far more of her life as a bound bride of House Movavul than she has spent as an enemy of Naggaroth. She barely even remembers Ulthuan anymore, she has been a bound bride for just so long now. I personally think that she has been punished enough now and should be considered an honorary dark elf", Safafi explained sadly.
"Well, if she has truly learned her lesson I guess that she could swear fealty to the Witch King", Sethelel offered grudgingly.
"She already has sworn fealty to our esteemed king a long time ago, but she is still treated like scum by most of the men in House Movavul. Many women like me are ready to accept her as a dark elf, but there is still much disagreement about this point among the majority of the men of House Movavul, and the men make all the rules", Safafi explained sadly.
"That's not fair, it sounds like she just wants to put her youthful high elf folly behind her and join the heroes of Naggaroth", Ynarana opined generously.
"Maybe", Sethelel allowed uncertainly.
"I hope so, she has cried enough over the last 300 years, I think she has earned some respite", Safafi said sadly.
"Why would she cry so much if she is a seasoned fully tamed bound bride of 300 years?, Wouldn't she just happily endure everything like you do?", Ynarana asked curiously.
"Being a bound bride is much harder for a high elf than a dark elf, they don't get the same joy and peace from being tamed, for them it is just painful and cruel", Safafi explained sadly.
"They don't enjoy getting all the inner toxins out of their hearts?", Ynarana asked curiously.
"That is the whole problem, high elves generally have no inner toxicity to purge from their hearts. They are already happy and peaceful before they are captured, and then a dark elf man rapes and tortures them for the rest of their life, the high elf woman will just cry", Safafi explained unhappily.
"Really?", Ynarana asked in genuine surprise.
"As terrible as their political views are, high elves tend to have much healthier hearts than our own. For a dark elf woman, being tamed is a glorious feeling because we carry so many burdens, but for one who never carried such burdens, all they receive is the pain of their treatment as a bound bride", Safafi explained, tears suddenly filling her eyes.
"I'm sorry", Safafi apologised, wiping tears from her eyes.
"Why are you crying?", Sethelel asked sympathetically.
"The situation with my poor sister-in-law really bothers me. I have known her for a along time, I don't see a high elf when I look at her, I see my dear sister-in-law. I just want her to stop crying!", Safafi broke down into sobbing.
Ynarana and Sethelel instantly cuddled Safafi soothingly, and she cried in their arms for about a minute before composing herself.
"She will be happy to meet you in the great hall one day I think Ynarana, she loves meeting new people, it cheers her from her sadness", Safafi sniffed.
"You seem to have a very close bond with your sister-in-law", Ynarana encouraged Safafi.
"I have a close bond with all of the House Movavul bound brides, all are dear to me. Bound brides in the same House fast become friends, beautiful souls all", Safafi said with a sad smile.
"Even the high elf?", Sethelel asked slightly skeptically.
"It took far longer for her to be accepted by the seasoned bound brides, but 300 years is a long time", Safafi sighed.
"I guess so", Sethelel hesitantly agreed.
"The seasoned bound brides are very accepting and kind, that's also why they will be unbothered that you are a Gwendil Ynarana, these women have beautiful kind hearts as a result of being tamed, it is such a wonderful House to be a part of", Safafi said, cheering up.
"The women sound nice, but what are the men like?", Ynarana asked.
"The men are sadistic and very dominant over us women, but only our own husbands touch us. Men who are not our husbands will avoid touching us and certainly will not harm us if it can be avoided. Men in House Movavul don't like other men touching their bound brides and get very protective of us", Safafi explained calmly.
"Even the high elf is protected from other men?", Ynarana asked curiously.
"Yes, her husband is very protective of her. In his own highly sadistic way I suppose that he is fond of her", Safafi replied.
"Does the high elf and Tovonnith's brother love each other?", Sethelel asked curiously.
"She claims that her feelings regarding her husband are complicated. She does kiss him sometimes without being ordered to, and they will sometimes talk to each other about domestic subjects like any other married couple might. Her husband himself has a certain affection for her, just an affection that is expressed mostly in sadistic ways, he enjoys making her suffer, but he will also not hesitate to heroically protect her if she is in harms way. It is a complicated relationship they have", Safafi said, seemingly deep in thought as she spoke.
"Is the sex always rape?", Sethelel asked.
"No not at all from what she tells me. Sometimes he rapes her, but many times she consents or even initiates the sex", Safafi explained bittersweetly.
"It sounds like her husband has developed a soft spot for her", Sethelel smiled.
"They have been married for over 300 years and have many children, it is natural for him to grow comfortable with her", Safafi said with a phantom of happiness.
"Why do the girl children grow up wanting to be bound brides?", Ynarana slightly changed the subject.
Safafi blinked at the question, thinking.
"Again that is complicated. The most straightforward answer is because their mothers and grandmothers and aunts are beautifully joyful bound brides, and the girls want to experience this joy for themselves. Bound bride mothers of dark elf origin tend to sing the praises of their lifestyles very enthusiastically to their daughters, and make it sound very appealing", Safafi explained happily.
"What about the high elf mothers?, Do they also encourage their daughters to be bound brides?", Sethelel asked.
"The high elf mothers tend to have more mixed feelings about this subject, but the daughters will usually have enough other female relatives who are dark elves to convince them of the benefits of becoming a bound bride", Safafi explained.
"The daughters kill their husband if he doesn't bind them, right?", Ynarana asked, remembering this infamous detail.
"Yes, they want to be bound brides. If their husbands won't treat them like proper bound brides then they will remove him to widow themselves, and search for a more worthy man to bind and tame them. Usually they will deliberately pursue men from other bride binding Houses, asking to be their bound brides", Safafi calmly explained.
"If these girls are actively chasing the men of the bride binding Houses, then why do House Movavul men resort to devious trickery to catch unwitting women like you and me to be bound brides?", Ynarana asked seriously.
"Often the men DO marry these extremely willing women from other bride binding Houses, but sometimes they are looking for something else in a wife besides extreme willingness to be a bound bride. Women from other backgrounds tend to make more interesting and challenging bound brides, the excitement of the challenge of successfully getting an outside woman to be a bound bride and taming her is very appealing", Safafi replied.
"Should I be flattered by that?", Ynarana chuckled.
"Diversity is good for the House, it would be boring if everyone was just the daughter of a bound bride", Safafi smiled.
"What do the daughters do during the House gatherings when their mothers are naked and having cruel things done to them?", Sethelel asked curiously.
"The unmarried daughters remain clothed at gatherings, they are not treated like bound brides. The daughters leave the House anyway when they get married, they join the House of their husbands, they will never be House Movavul bound brides but rather they will become bound brides of their husband's House", Safafi explained.
"Are your own daughters bound brides?", Ynarana asked.
"Most of them now are, a few are still unmarried. I encourage them to take their time and not rush into marriage", Safafi said happily.
"Does it bother you knowing that their husbands are beating them?", Sethelel asked slightly tactlessly.
"As a mother, sometimes it bothers me, there is a very natural instinct to protect your children from that sort of thing. But then when I see them, and they are beautifully tamed and so completely happy and peaceful and tell me how wonderful it all is, then I relax and my mothering instincts are soothed", Safafi said with a contented smile.
"I still don't understand why bride binding affects high elves and dark elves so differently, are any dark elves ever unhappy as bound brides?", Ynarana asked.
"Dark elf women won't be unhappy as a seasoned bound bride unless her husband is an idiot who doesn't know what he is doing. Some men from Houses with no bride binding tradition will sometimes attempt to tame a woman and fail miserably. The woman has to be tamed properly and have her heart emptied out", Safafi explained.
"Will Torvines be able to tame me?", Ynarana asked slightly nervously.
"He will tame you in time, it won't happen instantaneously, but he will have no trouble taming you. My husband has educated all of my sons in the art of taming a bound bride, Torvines can always ask the House for advice too if you prove difficult to fully tame", Safafi reassured.
"Why can't high elf women be tamed?", Sethelel asked curiously.
"Oh no my dear you misunderstand, anything can be tamed to submission if you beat it hard enough. High elves certainly can be cowed to obedience with pain, and interrogated of their every secret, effectively taming them. But they get no joy or peace from this state", Safafi explained.
"Why do dark elves enjoy it so much?", Sethelel asked.
"Because dark elves are in pain on the inside their entire lives, we are so used to this pain that we don't even realise the screaming agony our hearts are constantly in. Having the pride beaten out of us and being forced to heal this inside pain is so soothing that it is nearly orgasmic. We experience outside pain, but this outside pain takes away our inside pain. The inside pain is a hundred times more terrible than the outside pain, that's why we can be covered in bruises but still feel less suffering and more joy than the average dark elf", Safafi explained deeply.
"You make it sound like something is terribly wrong with dark elves", Sethelel noted unhappily.
"Well, that is a whole other topic that could take all day to discuss", Safafi chuckled happily.
"It all sounds very sexist. What about wives binding and taming husbands?, That sounds MUCH more enjoyable", Sethelel opined.
"Reverse bride binding?, Yes that is a very popular sexual kink among some dark elf men, there are even prostitutes who specialise in this kink", Safafi began.
"I know fully well that kinky people exist in Naggaroth, I know about those prostitutes too. But I'm serious, why can't it be the other way in a real marriage, with a bound husband?", Sethelel asked seriously.
"Plenty of married couples do practice this dynamic as a private sexual kink, I can think of some infamous examples such as that high born, Lady Baehthera Man-Humbler", Safafi began.
Ynarana and Sethelel burst out laughing, Lady Baehthera Man-Humbler was an infamous kinky sadist in Clar Karond who's sexual exploits were the stuff of legend.
"Lady Baehthera's husband is effectively a bound husband", Safafi explained.
"If I have to have a husband one day, I want the sort of husband that Lady Baehthera has", Sethelel giggled.
"Don't say that too loudly, you will be fighting men off with a stick if that became known", Safafi laughed.
"I somehow doubt that", Sethelel chuckled.
"If you arranged for a parchment to be nailed up on display in the public squares of Clar Karond, reading something along the lines of "young woman seeking man as bound husband in a reverse bride binding relationship, expressions of interest please come in person to this plantation", so many men would turn up at the plantation gate that Lordling Runor might mistake them for a besieging army", Safafi giggled.
Ynarana and Sethelel exploded with laughter at this mere mental image.
"Surely you exaggerate", Sethelel chuckled.
"Well, the besieging army might be an exaggeration, but men would certainly arrive to make inquiries about you. Some men would be willing to make such a marriage with you", Safafi insisted.
"Would I actually be impressed with the quality of the men that might make such advances?", Sethelel asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Ah, well that is perhaps a different matter", Safafi laughed merrily.
"They would be creeps", Ynarana laughed.
"Very likely", Safafi agreed with a giggle.
"I would want them to at least be of high enough quality that my parents would be excited to have them as a son-in-law", Sethelel quipped.
"How low are their standards?", Ynarana teased.
"Not low enough for the sort of suitors I would get I fear", Sethelel chuckled.
"If you ever find a cold one knight looking for a low born wood bender's daughter to be the bound husband of, send him my way", Sethelel chuckled.
"Only a cold one knight?, Surely a lord would be better", Ynarana teased playfully.
"Anything cold one knight or higher is fine", Sethelel quipped playfully.
Ynarana giggled.
"It's getting closer to dawn, we should start getting you ready soon Ynarana", Safafi noted during a slight pause in the conversation, glancing at the candle clock.
"We still have time", Sethelel disagreed.
"That may be true, but it is prudent to do things early on a wedding day, not leave anything to the last minute. We need to get Ynarana beautiful for her wedding", Safafi advised.
Ynarana nodded and got up, moving to her carefully laid out wedding clothes.
"No no no my dear, we need to get your hair perfect first", Safafi tutted.
Ynarana merely smiled, nodding her head in happy amusement.
***…
"I again offer you my most sincere apologies for letting my men lay a hand on you Sethelel", Torvines was currently reiterating.
"I already said that I accepted your apology, no need to keep apologising", Sethelel replied, perhaps slightly coldly.
Girls night was now officially over and the sun was up outside. Sethelel, Ynarana and Safafi had opened up the door, and Torvines, Tovonnith and Ynarana's parents had entered, the door being closed again for privacy.
As Sethelel had demanded, everyone of these people had looked her in the eyes and given her their solemn word that they would tell no one that Sethelel was a Gwendil.
"I just want to be sure that the damage is healed between us", Torvines pressed, transparently hungry for Sethelel to forgive him swiftly, so that she might very soon agree to have threesomes with him and Ynarana.
Ynarana sighed inwardly.
"I appreciate that, it will be healed soon enough I am sure", Sethelel promised, looking slightly harassed now.
Torvines looked eager to press his luck even more, but his father Tovonnith subtly shook his head in warning. Torvines noticed this warning from his father, and wisely stopped pressing the issue with Sethelel.
Torvines currently looked absolutely ridiculous, wearing traditional wedding clothes that had not been a fashionable style in at least thousands of years. It was a deep crimson coloured robe that Ynarana could only really describe by drawing a picture of it. Suffice to say that it looked absolutely ridiculous to any fashion conscious dark elf, and the only reason Torvines could get away with wearing it today was because today was his wedding day.
Ynarana herself looked equally ridiculous in matching female wedding clothes, emblazoned all over with the runes and heraldry of House Movavul. The wedding garment was hand stitched all over with black horses, which were the symbol of House Movavul, the stitched horses holding a distinctive position that was slightly different from the black horse symbols of countless other Houses, letting many Houses share the same patron animal without confusion of their specific House symbols.
Ynarana had been slightly surprised that none of the heraldry had any allusions to bound brides, like perhaps a coiled rope or something. A black horse on it's own looked so harmless and unassuming, though given the way women were often tricked into becoming House Movavul bound brides, maybe that was the whole point of the innocent looking House symbol?
The others were dressed finely for the wedding, but none wore any ridiculously unfashionable traditional garments, leaving Ynarana and Torvines alone looking like prized fools right now.
Ynarana walked forward and took Sethelel's hand, holding it with a reassuring squeeze, happy to finally have her Gwendil lover out in the open with no more hiding from the people in this room.
Safafi smiled encouragingly at this open hand holding, Torvines looked excited, and Tovonnith looked calmly unreadable, but Ynarana's parents looked markedly less impressed.
"So the two of you…", Ynarana's mother said trailing off, looking at Ynarana and Sethelel holding hands with naked disgust.
"I don't mind the two of them at all", Torvines added charmingly.
"Yes Filovha Mekrath, the two of us", Sethelel replied to Ynarana's mother, ignoring the interruption from Torvines.
"I don't want you holding hands or any other Gwendil acts with Ynarana today. I will not tolerate you ruining this day, and I will not tolerate you getting between Ynarana and her husband either", Ynarana's mother told Sethelel coldly.
"What do you mean by that exactly?", Sethelel asked equally coldly.
"Today is my daughter's wedding, I want this day to be about Ynarana and her husband, and I want the rest of her life after today to be likewise about her marriage to her husband. I don't want it to be about YOU!", Ynarana's mother said sternly.
"Today is all about Ynarana and Torvines not me, I assure you", Sethelel replied coldly.
"I don't think you get just how important this day is!, Ynarana isn't just getting married, which would be eventful enough, she is getting married to a MIDDLE BORN CHIEF HERALD!, Her husband is PERFECT!, He is handsome, dashing, brave, romantic, well spoken, impeccably well bred, and loves her so much that he will even overlook her being a GWENDIL!, This man is the best husband any woman could ever have!", Ynarana's mother shouted and continued.
"Torvines is the sort of son-in-law that I could never even dream of ever having, a man who will take care of her, provide for her, clothe her, house her, elevate her status beyond anything I could have dreamed!, She's not just getting married to him in the normal way either, she is becoming a BOUND BRIDE!, That's a sort of marriage so exotic and classy that none of our own class can ever practice it!"
"Don't you have any idea how PROUD I and my husband are feeling of Ynarana today?!, I have never been prouder of her in my ENTIRE LIFE!", Ynarana's mother shouted passionately.
"Mother…", Ynarana murmured, feeling strangely touched by these words.
"Ynarana has achieved the IMPOSSIBLE!, For a tanner's daughter to become the bound bride of such a perfect and well bred man is all but UNPRECEDENTED!, This man right here is Ynarana's greatest achievement and entire future, and I don't want all of this to be ruined!, I don't want this woman who is YOU getting in the way of Ynarana's success!", Ynarana's mother snarled, almost in tears.
Sethelel said not a word, face appearing to be stinging with wounded feelings, almost in tears from these words.
There was a stunned silence in the wake of these words.
"I appreciate your extreme confidence in my son Filovha Mekrath. I think that Sethelel takes your point and that your feelings are well noted", Tovonnith said calmly.
"I also appreciate your extremely high opinion of our son, but let's not have such negative feelings on this joyous wedding day. Perhaps we should return to this conversation about Sethelel's precise… Place, in Ynarana's life, at a better time on another day some time in the future?", Safafi told Ynarana's mother diplomatically.
Ynarana's mother nodded silently, blinking angry tears, still obviously emotional.
Sethelel looked extremely upset, and Safafi gave her a reassuring cuddle, soothing her with soft noises.
Tovonnith cleared his throat, restoring some order to this gathering.
"I think that it would be prudent to pause this conversation here and return to it at another time. We have all done what we intended to do in this meeting, we have all given our word to be discreet regarding Sethelel and Ynarana. I think that we might relocate back to the plantation house now, and join Lordling Runor before our absence this morning is interpreted as rudeness", Tovonnith suggested calmly.
There was general agreement about this, and the group left the cool room.
Ynarana couldn't tell if Sethelel or Ynarana's mother looked closer to angry tears right now…
***…
"So how was your girls night?, What did the three of you get up to?", Lordling Runor asked charmingly when they joined him in a crowded sitting room in the plantation house a few minutes later.
"I'm afraid that what happens at girls night stays at girls night", Safafi giggled with disarming warmth.
"As wild as that was it?", Lordling Runor chuckled graciously.
"It was indeed a night to remember", Safafi giggled evasively.
"Even a hint?", Lordling Runor charmingly fished for details.
"I fear that young Ynarana and Sethelel would be embarrassed if I told you about their raucous drunken antics last night", Safafi laughed beautifully, her charming warmth disarming any hint of temper in Lordling Runor.
Lordling Runor's sharp eyes suddenly noticed the very negative body language of Ynarana's mother and Sethelel.
"Is something awry?", Lordling Runor asked them.
"Ahem, there was a small… Argument, between Sethelel and Filovha this morning. Tempers raised, some things were said, and this is the result. Wedding days have a way of bringing tempers to the surface, so much stress seeking an outlet", Safafi said very diplomatically.
Ynarana's mother and Sethelel both started at these words, but Safafi immediately soothed them both to silence with warm gestures.
"I see…", Lordling Runor said tactfully, and did not press this particular topic any further.
The little group sat down at the table with Lordling Runor with his leave.
"So, about your girls night…", Lordling Runor playfully began.
Safafi burst out laughing.
"How wild did Ynarana and Sethelel get exactly?", Lordling Runor asked Safafi with a charming grin.
Ynarana laughed and even Sethelel chuckled, but both said nothing.
"Well, I might shyly admit that I was in fact the primary culprit for last night's noteworthy antics", Safafi admitted happily.
"Oh, do tell", Lordling Runor pressed eagerly, infected by Safafi's disarming warm charisma.
"Well, it's actually embarrassing, are you sure you want to hear about my drunken escapades?", Safafi giggled, she was definitely going to lie, Ynarana knew this, but her face and body language and tone gave away no hint of deceit.
Lordling Runor nodded eagerly, Safafi now the centre of his rapt attention.
"Well, have you heard of the girls night game called, "where dare you put this carrot"?", Safafi asked.
Ynarana blushed, as did every other woman in the room. "Where dare you put this carrot" was an infamous drunken girls night game.
"I may have heard of it, but refresh my memory?", Lordling Runor fished eagerly.
"Well, you sit in a circle at a girls night, each holding a carrot. You all pretend that the carrot is the, ah, genitalia, of your intimate male companion…", Safafi trailed off.
Lordling Runor (and almost every other man in the room) eagerly gestured at Safafi to continue.
"Well, you take it in turns and get asked by all the others "where dare you put this carrot", and have to show where on your body you would let an intimate male companion, well, put it in", Safafi continued to rapt silent attention.
"The others then urge you to prove that you would let your man, ahem, put it there, by putting the carrot inside that place. The majority of the time there is giggling and the woman refuses, with the mouth being the only place the carrot is routinely put. If you refuse to put the carrot in the chosen place, you have to have another drink, and it is the turn of the next woman", Safafi explained giggling.
Every man in the room currently had his eyes glued to Safafi, you could hear a pin drop in the silence.
Safafi was enthusiastically gestured at to continue.
"Well, Ynarana and Sethelel were pretty shy, but I, well, this morning I am somewhat tender in my bottom…"
The entire room exploded with laughter, men were howling, even the Gwendils were laughing, their wasn't a straight face.
Safafi silently waited for the laughter to cease, (it took a little time).
"You put a carrot up your bottom?!", Lordling Runor asked incredulously, squeaking not to laugh.
"I did, I was very drunk", Safafi agreed with a laugh.
"What else did you do?", Lordling Runor asked eagerly, straining to keep the laughter from his voice.
"I, erm, may have wet Ynarana and Torvines' wedding bed…"
The room once again erupted with laughter.
"I had too much to drink", Safafi explained loudly over the laughter.
"Are your clothes wet?", Lordling Runor asked, subtly eyeing the seat she was sitting on.
"I was actually already naked at the time…"
"Why were you naked?"
"I was masturbating my bottom with my carrot…"
The room was by now in pandemonium with laughter, elves seemed in danger of suffocating from lack of proper intake of breath, such was their mirth.
"WHY were you doing that?", Lordling Runor asked howling with laughter, voice straining to be louder than the laughter in the room.
"Because the carrot was Tovonnith's penis, I couldn't just give it a taste of my bottom without finishing him to climax",
Dark elves were rolling and crawling on the floor with gasping laughter, struggling to even breathe.
"I was really drunk…", Safafi loudly explained defensively.
It took considerable time for decorum to return to the room, and by this time Tovonnith had put a dominant arm around Safafi, apparently a gesture to command her to remain silent for now. His face looked stern and slightly annoyed.
The other elves in the room clearly wanted Safafi to continue talking, but paused respectfully at the sight of her husband.
"I think it is sufficient to say that my wife has had quite a bit too much to drink last night", Tovonnith said calmly but uncompromisingly.
Safafi was completely silent now, looking extremely submissive now.
"Do forgive me for laughing Tovonnith Movavul, your wife is quite remarkable", Lordling Runor said placatingly, good humour still in his eyes.
Safafi smiled at the compliment but still remained completely silent, completely submissive to her husband.
"Safafi has always been very entertaining to have as a bound bride, she is a delightful woman", Tovonnith said proudly, looking at her.
Safafi grinned happily at these words, but still said not a word.
"You are a lucky man Tovonnith Movavul, you have a wonderful wife", Lordling Runor said graciously, deeply amused by Safafi.
"I hope you kept good track of that carrot, it won't end up in our food I trust?", one of the men in the room enquired, generating raucous laughter.
Safafi submissively remained silent under her husband's domination.
"The entire sack of carrots will need to be disposed of", Sethelel answered quietly.
"An entire SACK!", almost every man in the room exclaimed in unison, roaring with laughter.
"It was only a small sack…", Ynarana added quietly.
Maintaining decorum in this room was almost impossible now, and it took a long time for any sort of calm to return.
Tovonnith had by this time despaired of bringing calm by silencing Safafi, and seemed to have given her permission to speak again now.
"I am sorry about wasting so many carrots from your kitchen Lordling Runor, I will pay to replace them", Safafi was currently offering.
"Oh no it's not wasted, those carrots can still be fed to the slaves, I don't mind at all. Staff members constantly take carrots, I HOPE as snacks to eat on duty and not put up their bottoms", Lordling Runor laughed, generating feverish denials and much laughter.
"Fed to the slaves?, Oh no the poor things!, Don't feed them my bottom carrots!", Safafi exclaimed in apparently genuine distress, generating yet more laughter.
"I can buy some fresh carrots for your slaves instead, please, I would be mortified if they ate those soiled carrots!", Safafi begged sincerely.
"You would buy fresh carrots just for slaves?", Lordling Runor asked laughing.
"When I cook for our slaves at home I buy fresh vegetables, yes", Safafi agreed happily.
"You COOK for your slaves?!", the entire room exclaimed in disbelief, not offended but still utterly shocked.
"If I don't stop her she will happily cook for all the house slaves", Tovonnith admitted with a fond chuckle.
"You are ridiculously kind", Ynarana laughed, completely imagining the beautiful hearted Safafi doing something like this.
"She also tells bedtime stories to the slave children…", Tovonnith confided.
This generated a mix of laughter and being told that this was adorable.
"To the slave children?, Would I be surprised if next she admitted to telling stories to the horses?", Lordling Runor laughed, deeply amused.
"Actually I do tell stories to the horses yes, they seem to enjoy them and become very calm", Safafi admitted fondly, generating smiles and praises and fond laughter for being so loving to elf horses.
"She also tells stories to the cats…", Tovonnith added.
The room was once again a tempest of laughter.
"Sometimes I will find Safafi sitting in a comfortable chair, with a sleeping kitten on one side of her lap and a sleeping human slave child on the other. It is absolutely adorable", Tovonnith admitted fondly, stroking Safafi's hair.
"Aw!", went many of the Gwendils at this cute mental image.
"It sounds like those house slaves have it pretty easy", Lordling Runor chuckled, eyes twinkling with happy amusement.
"If not for me they would do nothing. I am quick to put a boot up their bum and a stick to their back to get them working again", Tovonnith chuckled.
"Not the sleeping slave child in her lap?!, That would be too cute to disturb, and with a kitten too!", one of the Gwendils gently protested in disappointment.
"Well, if it is something really adorable like that I am more likely to spare the stick", Tovonnith chuckled indulgently.
"It does sound pretty adorable", Ynarana's mother added, surprising Ynarana.
"That child is still a SLAVE", Lordling Runor reminded them all with a chuckle.
"The really little ones are just so adorable though", Safafi chuckled fondly.
"You never cease to surprise me with your kindness Lady Movavul", Ynarana's mother said, apparently coaxed out of her moody silence now.
"I concur, you have so much joy to give", Lordling Runor praised Safafi fondly.
The entire atmosphere of the room was now happy and calm, bewitched by the beautiful soul of Safafi, and the conversation was safely far away from any dangerous territory.
Ynarana carefully relaxed, feeling safe.
The conversation continued, jumping from random topic to random topic, with Safafi the undisputed centre of attention, and Ynarana rested her head against Torvines' shoulder in contentment.
This was a beautiful family she was marrying into.
***…
(Author's note, this chapter is already ridiculously massive, I will continue the story in the next chapter.)