The Prince and the Priestess

[Raja kumarie]

I lay curled in her lap for a bit crying. Before pulling my self to get her "thank you. You are very kind" I say moving beside her. "I am sorry to frighten yoy

[Shiori]

"Oh, you didn't.... it's just..." Shiori flounders for a moment before asking her servant to leave them alone for a time. 

"I can trust you, can't I?" she asks. Begs. 

[Raja kumarie]

'i have shared my deepest pain with you today please share yours and let us be sisters"

[Shiori]

Shoiri takes a deep breath, then another. "My husband knows, obviously, but nobody else... they all dislike me for being a former geisha, they think I am marrying well above my station... but they don't know... I am... like your handmaiden, Vashti. Physically. So I cannot... I have no experience with..."

[Raja kumarie]

"you are blessed beyond measure. Never let others foolishness burden you. " I say gently crashing her face. "you are beautiful inside and out... if you are uncomfortable in your body there are magics to help.... It is something I myself have experience with as I've done the ritual many times before. As for marring above your status who cares? Does he treat you well? Are you happy? If yes then why let them worry you"

[Shiori]

"Jiesha is my rock, and I am his guiding star." She blushes just a little, the happy flush of a newlywed deeply in love. "It's his friends that don't understand. And... Jiesha likes me the way I am."

[Raja kumarie]

" then there is no need to change. I have a book you may be interested in when you next visit I will reaf it to you. It's a guid to live by and it's portion on sex is excellent it includes bodies like ours and all the different ways to experience pleasure both sexual and non

[Shiori]

"There is no need to worry about that," she says kindly. "I had the best training as a Geisha that one could hope for."

[Raja kumarie]

"I have no doubt of your skill I simply find it refreshing that the illustrations are very accurate" I smile playfully "'still tell me everything how did you and jeshia meet? Was it love at first sight? Or did you charm him with your wit"

[Shiori]

"His friends were concerned about his lack of experience, and so he came to the teahouse where I was working. He was surprised to find out what I was, but also, I gave him the time of his life, and he came back again and again. Soon he was hiring me just to talk to me, to spend time together. We got married soon after, against his family's wishes. He says nobody understands him like I do."

[Raja kumarie]

I nod then ask "do you ever Miss the freedom of the tea House? The freedom to come and go as you like? That is the hardest for me. When I was living in the temple I went wherever I liked whenever I liked spend time with men and women and everyone in between. I miss that freedom sometimes. I know my husband loves me he cares for me and is doing all he can to give me that freedom that I crave but it is hard how have you managed to adjust to this life of being a pretty ornament in his house as opposed to someone who is free?"

[Shiori]

"I didn't really have the freedom you speak of, even then," she admits. "When I chose to live as a woman I chose to give up my freedom."

[Raja kumarie]

I nod " yes your people are very strange to me I have never known people to keep gender as riddfed and iron. Still. . Would you like to know a secret" when she nods I continue "I dress as a man and go ridding in the forest with Ryuu every day. It brings me great joy"

[Shiori]

"Oh! I wish I could do that, but if I were caught, Jiesha would be the one to suffer."

[Raja kumarie]

" what if it wasn't you riding? What if it was my male escort?" I say grinning mischievously "that way if we got cought it wouldn't be too women riding around it would be a forgin bride and her male servant a thing for gossips sure but with the proper diagise who would know?!"