Agree to share a room with Adella

“Tell him that will be fine,” says Stewart, not wanting to risk offending his host.

Adella looks at Althesire and says, “We are aroused by your solicitation. The king and I will mutually pleasure ourselves in this place of passion and love.”

Stewart gulps at her words, trying to filter out the sexual overtones.

Althesire appears pleased. He grasps Stewart’s hand with both of his and shakes it heartily. “At least this weird language doesn’t extend to its practices,” thinks Stewart wryly. “Otherwise we’d probably be giving each other a handjob right now.”

Althesire motions toward the door and says, “Begin your foreplay for our great orgy. When you are aroused, hard, and prepared to gangbang, you will come to me. I shall be in the bordello, preparing by inseminating my prostitutes.”

Adella translates: “He says we should go into our room, refresh ourselves, and get ready for the — I’m still not sure if he means ‘feast’ or ‘celebration.’ When we are ready, we will find him in the ballroom, where he will be — I think it’s ‘working with’ or ‘giving instruction to’ — his paid servants.”

Stewart tries to keep from rolling his eyes at how needlessly distracting this language is. It’s a wonder they don’t have a population explosion in these parts with everyone talking like high school boys in a locker room to each other all day.

Althesire steps to Adella and clasps her hands in his. “You make my penis extremely long and hard. Tonight I wish to part your thighs and penetrate your maidenhead. Together we shall enjoy such bliss as you cum for me repeatedly.”

Even Adella cannot help but blush at these words, but she smiles and nods her appreciation before Althesire departs.

Stewart looks at his sister sardonically. “Let me guess.... He said that he grows gardinias and he hopes you can help him with the aphid infestation?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Althesire is simply happy to find that I can converse with him. He said that he hopes to have many conversations with me so that together we can overcome the barrier between our two races.”

Stewart opens the door to their quarters and lets his sister enter first. “If diplomacy was half as fun as he just made that sound, I would enjoy my job a lot more.”

“Why, Stewart!” says Adella with a playful wink. “I had no idea you harbored such thoughts about ‘penetrating my maidenhead’!”

Stewart becomes flustered at her response. “Stop it! This language is so screwy; it’s no wonder relations between our races soured. I can just imagine a representative of the Crown having met with his counterpart back in the day. The magical representative probably asked where the bathroom was, and our guy thought he was being invited to cuckold the other guy’s wife!”

“Oh, I seriously doubt that, Stewart,” replies Adella, lightly. “‘Bathroom’ most closely translates as ‘mother-in-law.’”

The two siblings cease their banter long enough to look around their quarters. Rather than the grand suites they are used to, this is a single room, consisting of a low-sitting bed with a heart-shaped mattress, festooned with rose petals. In the corner of the room is a four-footed bathtub.

“Rather — er — intimate, wouldn’t you say?” says Stewart. “There’s not even a curtain around the tub. And look at that bed! Did they think you were my wife or something?”

Adella looks around, as well. “Perhaps.... They do seem to have a different perspective on personal space than we do. There’s not even a sofa for one of us to use tonight.”

“I’ll make do on the floor,” says Stewart.

He walks to the bed and picks up a purple cloth. “Why would they give us silk napkins? Is that a cultural thing? Should we have brought gifts for them?”

Adella picks up the other cloth and studies it. “I don’t think they are napkins, Stewart. These appear to be our dinner attire. Remember Althesire said we would find clean clothes for the festivities?”

Stewart looks at the item skeptically. “Surely not!”

Adella giggles. “I’m serious! These are loincloths, just like what we saw Althesire and the others wearing. I hope you worked on your tan before coming here.”

Stewart grimaces as he holds the article in front of him. “Why, it’s indecent! If I bend over, or if there is a breeze, this will not offer the slightest modesty!”

“Well, remember what I said about the cultural custom that values transparency and openness? This explains why Althesire seemed so troubled by our clothing. I’ll bet they view excessive clothing as a sign of deception and a desire to cover up more than just the body.”

Stewart remains unconvinced. “Perhaps it is just sleeping clothes,” he says. Even as he says it, he feels an inner conflict building. Sharing a room with Adella was going to be difficult enough, let alone this small one, with a single bed and no privacy. The thought of doing so while the two of them are scarecely removed from nudity may be more than he can handle.

Adella stoops down and lifts the bedcovers, looking underneath the bed.

“What is the matter?” he asks.

“I’m just looking for the rest of my outfit,” she replies. “The only thing I see is the bottom.” She continues to look around the room, but turns up empty handed.

“Perhaps their women go topless,” she says, dubiously. “After all, we’ve only seen men so far.”

“Topless? The Princess Royal of Mirantia? Absolutely out of the question!” declares the king.

“Now don’t jump to conclusions, Brother,” she says, soothingly. “Perhaps it is just an oversight, but if that is what is expected of us, do you truly want to risk jeopardizing what we have started here over a couple of little things?”

Stewart realizes that his thoughts are not on ‘a couple of little things,’ but a couple of things that are larger and I conveniently attached to the chest of his sister. The mental image of Adella, clad only in a silk loincloth, was one that would be hard to get out of his mind. In fact, the stirring between his legs made him grateful that he did not already have his loincloth on, or she might have gotten a clue about his inner turmoil.