Chapter 8: A Break in the Routine
A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews; and yes, Manufactured-triumph, especially Thorek has a ton to learn :-) The dish called viinerine is canon.
Asha's breakfast was interesting in appearance. Two fried eggs, but definitely not Terran ones; then some type of fish mousse, and flat bread in the shape of two triangles spread out like an open book. The dish looked very different from Asha's usual breakfast of toasted bread and honey. Kihika was already waiting for her.
"You just tuck the eggs and fish into the bread and close it up like a pouch," she explained. "Enjoy your first Romulan breakfast, my Lady."
Asha thanked her and followed her assistant's instructions. She took a deep breath and bit into it. It was…different, that was for sure. The fish was salty in a pleasant way and the eggs spicy. The texture of the bread was reminiscent of the Indian chapati, though it would seem that Romulans had a hard time keeping their hands off spices. Fortunately, none of it was pungent, and she looked forward to getting used to her new breakfast. The beverage, violet in colour, was refreshing, with a mint-like flavour.
As the days passed, she slowly gained an overview of Romulan foods. The meats were a challenge. They were high in salt content and the taste was often atrocious. The popular viinerine unfailingly made her gag reflex spring into action.
The confections were rather tart, and nothing even closely resembled chocolate. She heartily disliked Osol twists, and like on Earth, she steered clear of alcohol, her nose prickling unpleasantly at the slightest whiff of kali-fal. There was nothing to complain about the vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, many of which resembled Earth produce quite closely.
Thorek followed the culinary part of Asha's integration with curiosity, and he was pleasantly surprised to discover that she didn't turn up her Human nose at the food before trying it. On doing research on Indian food, he decided to introduce a very spicy array of dishes to their table. Asha, unaware of his research, began to encounter several meals that made her palate roar up into violent protest. Still, undeterred, she would almost grimly fork some new unknown morsel into her mouth. Her stomach, too, became upset, causing her to rush to the bathroom right after meals. Her husband was very puzzled.
Finally, one dish made her choke and run to the sink to stick her tongue under the tap.
"Chili – gasp – peppers! I didn't – splutter – know you had chilies on Romu – cough – lus!"
"We don't. I used a spice that I hoped was familiar to chili peppers," Thorek said, watching her in a confused manner. "It would seem that Human food is less uniform than I thought."
"That is an understatement. Human creativity and cuisine go hand in hand."
"It would also seem that I assumed wrongly you would enjoy spicy foods due to your Indian heritage."
"Let me guess: you did research on Indian food."
"Yes."
Asha laughed. "Ah well. It can be rather individual. Some people of Indian origin like spicy food, others do not. Besides, India is huge, with different culinary customs. I was also born outside the subcontinent and acculturated to English and American society. Call me an intercontinental and interspatial citizen."
"My apologies." He cleared his throat. "I have to work on my…bias."
"We both do," Asha said gently. "Earth claims a number of things about you based on encounters with your military and political forces. It is very rare that Federation citizens encounter the actual population."
She decided to leave it at that – she didn't have the heart to tell him she had been expecting torture at his hands, not after the trouble he had put into researching spicy foods for her sake.
He nodded, and they looked at each other for a few seconds. "I will see what my kitchen staff can produce for you to avoid this kind of unfortunate accident. I am learning more about my own cuisine than I ever did." He gestured towards the tap.
"Thank you." Then she dissolved into laughter.
"You are amused despite the discomfort you underwent?"
"Well, this whole gastro-experimentation is sort of funny."
The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "I can see the humour in the situation."
There was so much to get used to, and it was evident that her body was trying to adapt. She had not had her period for almost nine weeks. Finally, when it did come, it arrived with a brutality she had never known. Her periods had always been on the heavier side, but this torrent made her afraid to even walk. Kihika discovered her hunched over in bed after breakfast one morning with her hands on her abdomen. Her face was drawn with pain.
"My Lady, are you unwell?"
"I have got my period."
"Period?"
"I'm menstruating."
"Ah, I see, my Lady." She looked puzzled. "I suppose it is different with Humans, then. Ours is light, two to three days in length and every five to six weeks."
"Thank you for pointing out the superiority of your reproductive system to me," Asha said scathingly. "Now, what kind of products do Romulan women use during that time? Because I'm running out of my inferior Earth hygiene products."
Realising that her mistress was highly irritable because of her discomfort, she overlooked the sarcasm and focused on the question. "I'll just show you some."
Asha took a deep breath. "My apologies for being rude, Kihika. I'm feeling awful today, but it doesn't give me the right to lash out at you."
Kihika inclined her head gracefully. "No offence taken, my Lady. I will be right back."
She returned holding little square containers with rounded corners – the Romulan equivalent of menstrual cups.
"Thank you for your trouble, Kihika, but if I use those, they'll come swimming out like corks in a sea. A red clotty sea. Have you got something similar to what I'm currently using?"
Kihika managed to retain a neutral expression at this graphic description.
"We have products women use after childbirth. They are very similar to yours."
"Thank goodness! Is it possible to get me a stock?"
"I'll get you some right away, my Lady."
"You're an angel, Kihika."
"What is an angel?"
"A divine being that brings blessings and fortune to especially those undergoing times of doubt or difficulty. They have other roles, too, often mediating between people and their creator."
Her ears turned green. "Oh, my Lady, I am merely doing my duty."
She left hastily to procure the necessary articles for her mistress and was stopped on her way by Thorek, who was working from home and had noticed the unusual bustle.
"Is the Lady unwell?" he inquired.
"She is indisposed," Kihika said delicately.
"In what kind of manner?"
"She is menstruating after nine weeks and experiencing pain," she replied clinically.
"Ah." His frown deepened. "I will have to read up on the anatomy of the female Human."
"Maybe," Kihika suggested gently, "speaking to her might save you the time. I have given her an analgesic and I'm fetching products to replace her Terran ones."
When she returned and showed her purchases to Asha, she was greeted with a radiant face. "You saved my whole week, Kihika. If you could please tell me from where I can get these in the future, I would be much obliged to you."
After things had settled down, Thorek went upstairs and knocked softly on the door, which was ajar. His wife opened it herself. He felt sorry when he saw her tired face.
"I see you are in discomfort. Do lie down."
She obeyed. "We talk very openly about menstruation and bodily functions in Romulan society. In fact, we have several poems praising the complexity of the female reproductive system. Is it considered shameful among Humans?"
"It used to be. No longer, fortunately. I wasn't sure about your society, though, and Kihika said that Romulan women have a far lighter and shorter time of it. There is a lot of variance among Human women, though. I have never had it as badly as this time. It must be the change in environment."
"Probably. Should this continue, I would suggest a doctor who specialises in reproductive medicine."
"I'll see how it goes over the next few months."
"It would be a sensible idea if it were not for the discomfort you are going through. For Romulan women, it is usually a very mild inconvenience. I suspect Human women are far more delicate."
She shot him an irritated look. "There are millions of Romulan women on this planet. I am sure as wide a spectrum of menstrual discomfort exists as it does with Humans, so how can you be so sure that it is a mild inconvenience for every Romulan woman? You wouldn't happen to have studies or statistics on the subject?"
He raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. "Not to my knowledge, but I have known several women intimately in the past, including their cycle patterns. My experience is extensive."
"Oh boy," Asha muttered.
"Sexual education and thorough experimentation are vital to a Romulan's wellbeing," he added candidly, not realising that his wife was forming a rather wild opinion of his mating practices.
"In my next life, I hope to be born a Romulan woman," she announced dryly. "Light periods, drugs, sex and rock 'n' roll."
"That is very flattering to hear, but drug-dealing is strictly prohibited over here and punishable by a long prison sentence or execution. What is rock 'n' roll?"
"Well…I would define it as a specific genre of music which is wildly popular with Humans. Definitely not punishable by prison or death. Not on Earth, anyway." She decided to change the subject. "Kihika is wonderful. She administered an analgesic and got products to help me through the next few days."
"I am pleased to hear it."
There was a brief silence, during which they looked into each other's eyes. Finally, he rose. "Please tell me if you need anything."
"I will."
He gave her his usual brief nod and went downstairs. Asha couldn't help smiling at her husband's candidness about what Humans would call his dating experiences. She decided that she rather liked his open manner when it came to such topics.
Thorek was irritated. He had arranged for Kihika to assist Asha, but that Kihika was always ten steps ahead of him and had effortlessly established a bond with his wife annoyed him. She was doing everything, from showing Asha the city to teaching her the finer nuances of food, language and even the Romulan reproductive system in a discreet unobtrusive manner.
And now the two of them were bonding over menstrual discomfort. He thought of R'ëal with whom he had enjoyed intimate hours even when she had been menstruating. And with some of her predecessors as well. Human women seemed very difficult indeed. Then he realised that he was doing both of them a big injustice by placing his former lover on a pedestal and viewing his Human wife as someone grovelling submissively at that pedestal. Besides, Asha could definitely not be described as submissive. On the contrary: she was spirited, determined and eager to learn.
In the meantime, a Senator with keen blue eyes strode through the hall, once again encountering a group of awed tourists, as he so often did. Merken tr'Vreenak paused ever so slightly, but all he could see were Romulan brow ridges. It was to be expected. It had been a few days since he had walked quite close past the group and spotted her in that crowd of Romulan faces. Who was she? Where was she? What was she doing on Romulus? He recalled her dress. Green and airy. Romulan wear. Braided hair resting on one shoulder. Beautiful odd-coloured eyes. Not used to the way of the Romulan people, to judge from how she had had to copy the salute the Romulans had given him. And the way she had looked right back at him! Without hesitation. Without abashment. With pride. There had been an assistant with her – a young Romulan woman. He made up his mind.
The data on the security devices installed all over the building might contain more clues than his memory. He pulled out a PADD to call a security officer and request a copy of the data taped by the cameras installed in the hall. He had to know what a Human with a Romulan assistant was doing in the senate building – especially one with so bold a reaction to his stare. He had once suggested installing fingerprint scanners even for tourist groups. Despite the paranoid mindset rampant in his society, his suggestion had sat badly with most of his colleagues and especially with the Romulan Department of Tourism. His opponents had argued that most tourism consisted of Romulans visiting other Romulan provinces. Fingerprint scanners would put them off visiting other places on Romulus and damage the economy. Vreenak had scoffed. As it was, every citizen was listed in a detailed database. What harm would an extra precaution do? But the idea was scrapped. It didn't make sense when most of the tourism fell under the category of domestic tourism. It was too Tal Shiar.
One of the things that had made Senator Vreenak enjoy such a stellar career was his principle to see things through and leave no stone unturned.
He had to know more about that Human woman. As much as he could.
Now.
