That is a very good question. It is also something that I have absolutely no idea how to answer. I mean, how do you ask somebody that? It isn’t like getting on a boat… you can’t just say ‘permission to come inside?’ Can you?

  Kiyui was quite direct with me before. He basically said that the sex was going to happen unless I said no. But then again, he was the one being entered… are the rules different if you are the one doing the penetrating? Was Kiyui that direct because of his background as a prostitute? Or was it more because he knew that if he didn’t push me in that direction, I would have always been too scared and never done it at all?

  Seriously, are there rules for this? I am aware that my experience is probably far from the norm here.

  Kiyui: “Is she aware of the things that your father has said in these letters that you mentioned?”

  Dwynfel: “Good question… that’ll change things a lot.”

  Rosario: “I have not told her of the letters. I was unsure how to say it to her, so I omitted those parts when I spoke to her of them.”

  Kiyui: “I would start by telling her about the letters, sooner rather than later. That way she’ll have some time to think about it before your birthday. She is quite a direct person; she will likely appreciate your honesty. Also, given what she has already done to preserve this alliance, I am sure she will understand.”

  That is a good response. Kiyui is good at this stuff.

  Dwynfel: “What he said…”

  Rosario: “But that is what worries me. I do not wish her to do this out of obligation. I do not wish us to have a marriage of that nature. In my culture, you are a man as soon as you can sow the seeds, so to speak. If we were in my kingdom, I would have taken over the running of this house a few months ago. Here, I must wait until I am fifteen. Phoenix has always been so determined to give me a good childhood and not to let this marriage interfere with that. She has been my wife since I was five. I worry that she sees me as a child, rather than a man.

  Dwynfel: “But, you are a child…”

  Kiyui glared at me.

  Kiyui: “Shh…”

  He turned back to Rosario.

  Kiyui: “I know that your culture is different to this one. You aren’t regarded as a man until you are fifteen here. That being said, sex is generally considered fine at any age as long as both parties consent. Although, socially speaking it is frowned upon outside of marriage, despite the fact that almost everybody seems to do it. Stupid place that this is…”

  Well, that was horrifyingly clear from all the talk about marriages to eight-year-olds.

  Kiyui: “… my point is, she probably does view you as a child, and likely will do for a few years yet. She may always see you as the little five-year-old that she first met. We can’t change that. Since waiting until you are considered a man in these parts isn’t an option, you may just have to accept that. But that doesn’t mean she’ll say no. Nor does it mean that she will have a bad time. Sex isn’t necessarily about crazy mad lust. Between the right people it can be much more of a merging of souls. A spiritual and physical union between two people who love each other very much. I think if you try to view it more like that, then the experience will be more positive for both of you… plus it will shut your father up.”

  Rosario looked pensive… his shoulders relaxed a bit and he seemed to be less nervous than before.

  Rosario: “Perhaps you are correct.”

  Dwynfel: “Or… you could hold on for a few years. I’m sure your father wouldn’t risk going to war and losing hundreds if not thousands of soldiers just because he doesn’t get a grandchild the second you turn twelve.”

  Rosario: “You do not know my father. In his letter, he stated that should he not hear of a pregnancy by the time that I turn thirteen, then he will demand a formal bedding ceremony. Phoenix is a very private person. I will do anything to avoid putting her through that.”

  Dwynfel: “I understand that the bedding ceremony is a really uncomfortable thing… but I just… I think that twelve is too young.”

  Kiyui: “The age that people are ready is unique to them, Dwynfel. I concede that the vast majority are not ready at twelve. But I certainly was. Nobody should dictate to anybody when they are or are not ready for such things. It is up to the individual.”

  Rosario: “This is a matter of duty, not personal feelings. It took a lot for Lord Smythe to talk my father into this alliance in the first place. And my father was not happy when he saw how scarred my wife to be was. He almost called the whole thing off and fully intended to go to war because my bride was “defective.” I will not put Phoenix through that indignity again.”

  Tadwick: “What’s a diggity?”

  I looked down to see Tadwick wiping his eyes and moving the hair from his face. Rosario smiled at him.

  Rosario: “Good morning, young man.”

  Tadwick jumped up out of the covers and began jumping up and down and pointing at Rosario.

  Tadwick: “Wosie’s here!”

  Rosario began to laugh.

  Rosario: “I am pleased to see my that presence brings you mirth.”

  Tadwick: “What’s merf?”

  Kiyui: “Joy.”

  Tadwick: “Oh.”

  Kiyui laughed slightly before directing his attention to Rosario.

  Kiyui: “He’s been dying to ask you something since he saw you…”

  Tadwick: “Can I touch your horn?”

  Rosario: “Of course, young man.”

  Tadwick walked to the end of the bed and poked Rosario’s horn timidly… he then giggled and gripped it slightly before stepping back.

  Tadwick: “That is so cool! Have you ever wan anybody thwough with it?”

  Dwynfel: “That is not really the purpose of the horn.”

  Tadwick: “That’s what whinos use ‘em for.”

  Rosario: “Unicorns use their horns to channel magical energy.”

  Tadwick: “Oh… so you can like, shoot fireballs from it and stuff?”

  Rosario: “More beams of intense light, but yes.”

  Tadwick: “Can you show me?”

  Rosario: “Maybe after breakfast.”

  Tadwick: “Yay bweakfast!”

  Tadwick raised his fist in the air and turned to face the door.

  Tadwick: “Lead the way!”

  Kiyui: “Tadpole, honey. Hair and clothes first, we aren’t at home. You can’t go rubbing your bare arse on the fancy dining room furniture.”

  Tadwick: “But I don’t wanna put those cloves back on. They are all tight and uncomfy.”

  Dwynfel: “I agree with you there. But they are the only clothes that we have here.”

  Rosario: “It’s alright. Come with me young man, you can wear some of my old clothes from when I was your age. I’m sure I’ll have something that you’ll be comfortable in.”

  Tadwick: “Can we fly down the cowidor?”

  Rosario began to laugh again.

  Rosario: “Alright, but you will have to hold on tight. And do not touch my wings when I’m flying, otherwise we will fall.”

  Tadwick: “Yay! You are so cool!”

  Rosario opened the door. He went to exit but looked back and spoke.

  Rosario: “See you two at breakfast.”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Kiyui took a step towards the door with a look as if he just realised something.

  Kiyui: “Wait! Before you leave, I want to make something clear. I was giving you advice before because you seem determined to follow through with this. But I want to make one thing very clear. Do not do this if you do not feel ready to do so. I lost my virginity at the same age as you plan to and it was absolutely the right move for me. I was one hundred percent ready. But most people aren’t at that age. Dwynfel only just lost his and he is effectively twenty-two. I had been experimenting with my friends for almost a year. There was build up. I didn’t just dive right in. Dwyn didn’t go right in with full sex either. Time was taken. Do not underestimate the importance of time.”

  I still think twelve is too young. But what he says is true. Time is important. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to get through last night if we hadn’t spent time building up to it… getting used to being touched, etc.

  I know Kiyui rather took control of the situation… but it was something that I really wanted to do… it was fear getting in the way and he helped me through that… I’m beyond grateful to him.

  Kiyui: “When I was a prostitute, I was very popular with boys who were just starting out with this stuff. I have taken the virginity of a lot of boys. But every one of them felt ready and came to me. Some as young as twelve and many in their twenties, most fell somewhere in between. Fifteen seems to be a popular age for it. But there is no clear-cut age when you will be ready. Don’t let your dad dictate to you when this should happen. I know that there are political issues that are pushing you towards this. But if at the time you don’t feel ready, or it feels wrong in any way, then there is no shame in stepping away and waiting until you feel comfortable.”

  Rosario: “You have given me much to think about, Kiyui. I appreciate your council.”

  Tadwick was looking incredibly confused by this whole conversation. I think Rosario realised and decided it would be best to distract Tadwick with flight rather than risk having to explain what had just been discussed. So, he quickly removed Tadwick from the room and off they went flying down the corridors.

  Dwynfel: “If that is how you feel then should you really have told him all that stuff earlier?”

  Kiyui: “What do you mean?”

  Dwynfel: “Well… if you’re concerned that he isn’t ready… then why not just say that? Why give him all of the advice on clitorises and stuff?”

  Kiyui: “Thing is, Dwyn. He’s clearly determined to do this. Nothing we do is going to stop him. Best thing we can do is make sure that he has as much information as possible to ensure that it goes as well as it possibly can. Him going in blind is just going to make him a thousand times more nervous and make the entire situation much more uncomfortable for him. Better he goes in prepared.”

  Despite what Kiyui just said he looks rather concerned.

  Dwynfel: “In that case, you gave him good advice. It is up to him what he does with it.”

  Kiyui: “I do worry about him though. I know that I am fairly liberal when it comes to sex, but all the things that I have done have been my choice. I don’t like that he is being pressured. Even if it is to prevent a war. I one hundred percent believe that human culture is way too afraid of sex and needs to stop making such a big deal out of it. But I do not condone pressuring people before they are ready or outright manipulating people into it.”

  Dwynfel: “It is worrying. But you said yourself that when you were that age it was right for you. Maybe it’ll be right for him too.”

  I highly doubt that… but Kiyui seems very concerned. And he is right… we have no power to prevent this. All I can really do is try to ease Kiyui’s worries.

  Kiyui: “I just hope that his father isn’t the only reason that he wishes to do this. Maybe we should try and talk to Phoenix about it.”

  Dwynfel: “Are you insane? If we try to talk to her about personal stuff like this, she’ll kill us… well… me… she’ll kill me.”

  Kiyui: “Fair point, she is a rather private person.”

  Thinking about Phoenix… I wonder what he would have said if the situation were reversed and it was an eleven year old Phoenix asking us for advice.

  Dwynfel: “Umm… Kiyui… would you have given him the same advice if he was a girl?”

  Kiyui: “No.”

  Dwynfel: “Why?”

  Kiyui: “Because if he were a girl, he wouldn’t really need to learn any fancy techniques in order to get his husband off. Men are a lot simpler than women. If he was a girl, I would have been telling him to communicate to his husband about what he enjoys. If he does something good, encourage that, if something isn’t working and is boring, then say so. From what I have been led to understand, women don’t tend to communicate these things. And men don’t ask about them because they assume that if they are having fun, then so is their partner. So, a lot of women end up sexually unsatisfied. Some women have been in forty yearlong marriages and still don’t know what an orgasm feels like.

  I really hope that that isn’t true. That must be awful.

  Kiyui: “Sometimes they come to see us because they worry that they are doing something wrong because they aren’t getting any enjoyment out of sex and don’t want to upset their husbands. Obviously, the prostitutes know exactly what they are doing and the women go home incredibly relieved afterwards.”

  Dwynfel: “This is all very interesting… but when I asked about the advice… I was more meaning about his age.”

  Kiyui: “Ah, I get you. Well, I would have encouraged him not to get pregnant at twelve. Even if the body is capable of giving birth at that age, a baby is large, and a twelve-year-old is not full size. You don’t want to be forcing a baby’s head out of there at that age. It would hurt like hell. And from what I have seen, childbirth is not exactly pain free when you do it at a sensible age.”

  I feel like he’s going to be miffed when I point this out, but I feel like I need to.

  Dwynfel: “Doesn’t that rather go against your whole “the body will tell you when it is ready” theory. Surely by that logic, if the body can get pregnant then there is nothing wrong with it.”

  Kiyui: “Not really… being horny and having a baby are two very different things. Exploring sexual feelings is totally fine, growing a baby while you yourself are still growing is ill-advised. I would recommend an infertility rune to any girl who wants to explore these feelings.”

  Well at least he doesn’t encourage getting pregnant that young.

  Dwynfel: “But would it not be better to just recommend that they didn’t get involved in that stuff at all at that age?”

  Kiyui: “My advice on that is always the same. I would tell her to listen to her body. Tell her to only explore this stuff when she herself is ready. Not to do it due to external pressure from anyone. But obviously, the advice changes based on the person and the situation. If Rosario was a street boy, then I would absolutely be advising against having a baby because having a baby when you aren’t financially stable is a terrible idea. There is no clear set of advice that you can give to everybody with this stuff. Everybody is different and the advice will vary because of that. For example, I would never suggest to Chloe that she be more vocal about what she wants. Because we both know that she will make her opinion known, so that advice would be pointless.”

  He definitely has a point about Chloe. But I still don’t think anybody should be doing anything with anybody at the age of twelve… but Kiyui always has a bloody answer for everything… and those answers just lead me to about a hundred more question which normally leave me even more confused and disgusted… and we need to go get breakfast, so best just try to move on.

  Dwynfel: “We should really hurry to get sorted and go to breakfast before Tadwick tires Rosario out too much.”

  Right, I had better get some clothes on before somebody else decides to enter. I got my britches back on and Kiyui got his usual battledress out from a drawer.

  Dwynfel: “At least you have your normal clothes to hand.”

  Kiyui: “Yeah, kinda handy that I stayed here the night before the ball, otherwise you’d need to tie me back into that dress.”

  Dwynfel: “You did look beautiful in that dress…”

  Kiyui: “Oh, I know. That’s why I chose it.”

  He turned and winked at me before giving me a quick kiss on the lips.

  Kiyui: “I need to talk to you about the request that Annis made.”

  Dwynfel: “Oh yeah… your friend from the ball… anything to help a friend of yours…”

  Kiyui: “He wants us to rescue his son.”

  Dwynfel: “From who?”

  Kiyui: “From Petri Alstababitch, fourth prince of the Anubis Empire.”