It feels good to work in the workshop with Iselin, and discuss any topic, where the latest topic is that my furstdom should have an official name and flag. Of course, Jane and I have mentioned stuff several times, and there was that discussion about nation-building and flags at our wedding feast. And actually naming the furstdom and giving it a flag might actually be the first in the world to do so, which would be a bit cool for future generations and hopefully something to be proud of. The name of the furstdom is pretty easy as 'Ackerek Furstdom' or 'The Furstdom of Ackerek' makes sense as most of the land in my furstdom is the two islands Large Ackerek and Small Ackerek. The Flag is more complicated. We could use the 'Academy flag' which is light blue background with a yellow A in a yellow triangle, partly because the first letter A is the same by pure chance, but in my opinion a nation flag has a different purpose and need, and lettering on a nation flag is ... bad. There should be no text at all, not even a letter, but a symbol is fine. A big 'logo' in the centre just feels so wrong on a nation flag. A flag should be very clear and distinctive from a distance, even when the wind is not holding the flag outstretched. The colour choice is also important, especially here as colours are limited and some are not that lasting, but colours should be kept to few like two or three, and there the Academy flag passes. A national flag is a symbol and something that unites people into a group, and something they should be proud to carry and display. However, a blue background with a yellow A in a triangle is a simple design and something a child can draw with crayons, and will be recognisable even if proportions or colours etc are not exact, which is really good for a nation flag.

  It still feels weird doing handiwork and looking up through the window at a darkening landscape as the sun is just about to set, thinking about a flag for my nation. I still haven't gotten used to actually being a regent, and with the power that actually means. And I kind of don't want to be used to that either. Absolute power, corrupts absolutely.

  Caecilia knocks on the door and says Unn is here and serious about something and says she needs to talk to us, and has Jalida with her. So we put work aside and go into the meeting room where Kari, Ciara and Jane are waiting.

  Jalida is pregnant.

  With my child.

  'Shit' is all I can think as I lean back on the couch and close my eyes. I don't need to ask when. About a month ago, and the only time we've had sex although she's tried to get us to have sex several more times since then. Unn is absolutely sure, and that also explains why Jalida was sick and puking a few days ago. Apparently she has been dizzy almost every morning lately, and feels sick if she as usual she starts working without eating anything right away, and she needs to pee very often. Jalida sits with her head bowed and her eyes averted as Unn speaks, but doesn't seem unhappy about the news. Iselin just stares while Kari is really controlled neutral. I recognise that face and posture now, and Kari is not happy. Not happy at all. Jane gives me a few quick glances and looks so damn guilty, and I get her too. Ciara looked like she wanted to congratulate me, but read the mood and how Iselin and Kari reacted, and have said nothing.

  Jalida was quite convinced of her pregnancy as she has missed her period, the dizziness and peeing, her breasts are swollen and tender and she is so tired all the time. Unn confirmed it, and according to Jalida, she has only had sex once and with one man since more than six months ago, during the Stag night.

  Damn.

  Fuu.... Shit!!!

  Kari is unhappy and happy at the same time. Because it means I might be able to have a healthy child with an elf woman, and thus with her, but she wanted to be first, or at least second. Iselin tries to comfort her and make her see the positive. Yeah, it's easier for Iselin, who has had more than a week to accept that Haera is pregnant. Damn, Kari won't be first or second.

  Damn.

  One in two hundred is just that. A chance. Haera and Jalida. Wait a minute. Kari and I have the same thought at the same time; Jalida had an IUD, right? Yep. Jalida tells us she pulled it out before she visited to Unn, but it accidentally broke when she pulled it out, and Unn sits down next to me and shows us the IUD that Jalida had. Although it is obviously broken, I can only comment that it looks good, nothing wrong with it, but it may have been damaged and faulty placed before she pulled it out, which explains if it didn't work as it should. Liv told me that she had a few that broke. And one in two hundred is still a chance. Unn sighs, takes up another IUD and place it next to it, which she says was made at the same time and that she saved just to test the ageing process, as I wanted her too. They look exactly the same so I don't understand what she means. Unn whispers to look at the copper surface and shade. If Jalida had had the IUD in her for the last 4 months, the copper would have been different from the one made at the same time and kept in a drawer for the same period.

  Shit. I know how copper oxidises and is affected by air and time. Missed that. Thank goodness for Unn. Shit. Jalida simply has not had the IUD in her but deliberately pulled it out, probably soon after she got it. I doubt it's because she doesn't trust the IUD, but instead because she wanted to get pregnant. There aren't many men here, and the timing is too convenient as I doubt Hrappr would have waited until the Stag night, and everyone here should know that any child is likely to be very noticeable half-human, so I guess I was her target.

  So I ask Jalida, and she denies it; says she pulled it out this morning and just rinsed it off before going to see Unn. I point out that then - just like the roof, which has slowly changed colour and look - it should have had a different copper tone than the one Unn has had in a box for the last few months. Jalida collapses, sighs, looks at the floor and admits that she pulled the IUD out the same day she had it inserted. Kari is obviously not happy about that confession, and I can feel Iselin's hand gripp on my arm gripping stronger.

  Jalida keeps taking in a low voice how she for the last few months hoped that we would have sex and she would have my child. She has seen how well I take care of my sambos, and how Caecilia got me to accept her, moved into the main building and became important with high status. Jalida also wants to be more than a servant, and have a rich and powerful husband and children. So Jalida saw an opportunity, because as the first mother to a child, hopefully a son, I would probably accept her as my concubine and take care of her too. Bring her into my group of women. Become a sambo.

  She was worried when Miss Kari had them get IUDs, as she didn't want to seem overly obvious but instead it happened by accident. But if I thought she had an IUD, I would be more easily tempted to have sex with her thinking it was safe, and she could present it to us afterwards like she did. She thought her plan was excellent. The biggest problem was that I have not had sex with her. She's been trying to get us to have sex since the Tosra gathering, but I just haven't been receptive to her advances, but that goes for a lot of women. Jalida knows she screwed up when she and Ida let Shakini do more of their work too, and I forbade them from entering the main building until the wedding, except when summoned. Then I have preferred Elvira or Shakini to serve me and clean my rooms with Caecilia, although I've never have had sex with Shakini either, and Elvira only during the stag night. The two of them even got their own room.

  During the stag night she took her chance, and she locked her legs around me when I tried to pull out, excusing herself by saying she was coming and ecstatic, which she was out of happiness that it was finally happening, especially so good in relation to her bleedings. She was so happy that she actually got pregnant the first and only time we had sex, but unhappy that there hasn't been any sex since. She was looking forward to having lots of sex with me as my already pregnant concubine.

  Jalida hasn't looked up from the floor since she started confessing.

  I just sit leaning back against the backrest and look at the ceiling. Shit. Iselin tries to calm Kari, who is anything but calm on the inside, even though her exterior is a neutral facade. Iselin has learnt to read Kari too. She's probably better at it than me. Iselin is probably also quite unhappy. I just tell Jalida to go to her room and close the meeting room door behind her, because we need to talk, and Unn follows her out without being told.

  Once the door is closed, Kari starts talking and she clearly needs to vent. First Haera moves in, who turns out to be a deceptive sinful woman we can't get rid of for months and who will live on the island forever, then Jalida has gotten pregnant and is far more deceptive. This is a horrible week for her - us - she corrects it to. She has missed seeing Jalida for the sneaky viper that she is.

  Kari is dead serious when she say that we can't let Jalida slither into our group, it only opens up for more problems in the future with other women or staff. I can't take her as my concubine no matter what, which I already agree with.

  Kari goes on to say that Jalida shouldn't think she will have it easy just because she made herself pregnant. She'll have to keep working, at least with light chores until it's bad for the baby, because that's all she's worth now. The baby she is carrying. Kari wants to know that I can have healthy and well-formed children with Elvish women, and Iselin and Ciara nods agreeingly. Jalida will feed the baby with her milk and take care of the baby helped by the others, and work in the meantime, because in two years when she is no longer needed for the good of the baby and no longer produces milk for the baby, Kari wants us to banish Jalida from the this furstdom. The child will be used to real food by then, and will have had all it can from her milk, and the child will be well cared for and will grow up with us.

  Jalida's punishment for her deception will be to not live with her child and its family. If it turns out that the baby is not born healthy and well, it is best to not let it live - it will just be bad for the baby and too painful for us. No matter the childs health, Jalida will no longer have any value as far as Kari is concerned. Iselin and Ciara nods and dead seriously agrees, while Jane is more reluctantly nodding.

  I don't feel good about taking Jalida's child from her, but it's a long time until then, and at least for another year unless the child is stillborn, so they may soften although I doubt Kari ever will. Or Ciara. Jalida will have most of the household against her, so she will know how unappreciated her deceptive and selfish choice is. She has upset the balance in our home, and her future depends on the baby she is carrying. It is fortunate that the child is desirable and valuable to my sambos, otherwise I guess Jalida would have 'accidentally miscarried' or just 'had an accident'. There is some kind of concoction/medicine that triggers an abortion here, and I have no doubt that Kari or Ciara would see to it that Jalida ingested it more or less voluntarily. Ciara may look calm, but the look she gave Jalida was not to be trifled with.

  Once again, I repeat what has become my mantra: Accept reality, learn and move on. But I will keep a distance from Jalida, which is basically just carrying on as I have been. I can't start falling for her or bring her into the group even if I wanted to, and I am complicit in creating that child regardless of how the others see it. Jalida hasn't exactly been one of my favourites so far, and just because we're going to have a baby together won't change my mind. I really don't like the way she has deliberately done it, and actions need to have consequences.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  I wonder how Kari will react when it becomes known that Haera is also pregnant with my child. Iselin and Jane seem to see the Haera situation differently, because Haera was just careless about the sex not really thinking about a child, and wants to take care of our child herself and live in her own mansion. Close is still not 'here', and not as one of my sambos and women which Jalida wants to be.

  There is no point in keeping it a secret that Jalida is pregnant, which everyone agrees with, although it should not be deliberately spread to the public. Kari gets up and starts to leave the room, clearly seething inside. Iselin just leans in, kiss and hugs me and whispers that the stag night was a bad idea, to which I just noddingly agree, then she gives me another kiss, say she loves me and gets up and goes to support Kari, and Ciara joins her after giving me a kiss, and receiving one on her cheek, which makes her smile. Life as my wife and concubines is not all roses. And roses have thorns.

  I really need to learn to be a hell of a lot more careful which women I have sex with and how, and not be so nonchalant about it. Two women, neither of whom had IUDs, two children. Same night. Should have been low odds, but there were many women that night, and odds are odds. Somebody's gonna eventually win the lottery even at one-in-a-billion odds. At least we will know what the chances are for well-formed children with elven women, at least at birth. Problems that may arise in the future will have to be dealt with then, because waiting 15-20 years to have children is not an option, and Iselin, Kari and Ciara wants to have children. It does feel good that I've generally been careful, even with Caecilia in the beginning, because ... holy shit if it turned out three or four months ago that Lova, Iselin, Ciara, Disa, Myrun and Alith were with child. That would be a real mess, and it's bad enough now.

  There is a chance that Dagny is pregnant with Tom's child since 4 months back, so it might be an idea to try to find her once again, to get an earlier answer on a human father and elvish mother. It's been more than 3 months since Jane and Kari saw her, but Dagny should have realised if she were pregnant it by then. She should have been 1-2 months pregnant. But she might not have let them know. The same goes for Lawman Filison's wife.

  Another problem is that the sejd women's hopes for ritualistic sex and children with me as the sejdmann will probably be something we have to deal with. At least I can postpone that for almost a year, hopefully, but Unn and Liv will of course have it in their thoughts. Then there is stuff like the dumb spring fertility ritual where the regent takes the virginity of a young slave woman from the land and country the regent rules, ie a born slave woman who grew up in the kingdom. The women come from Meysala, which is a monastery island in the hinterland. Noblemen and others sometimes give a young beautiful born slave girl to Meysala monastery to gain the favour of the gods, or it just might be a parentless unwanted slave child. The purpose of the ritual is to 'fertilise the land' for good harvest and prosperity, and religiously speaking, in the ritual, the King is just the obvious representative of manliness and elvish people in the kingdom. Should the land be ruled by a Queen, the Meysala Monastery council appoints the Queen's oldest son or someone else as the rituals male representative. If the slave woman becomes pregnant, she is made a free woman, but the child is not considered to be the man's and he have no claim at all to it, as the child is a blessing from the Gods, and the child and the woman usually continue to live on and help to manage the monastery's land.

  If there is no child, that is acceptable but obviously not a good sign. If the woman dies during the year, it is a bad sign regardless of whether she is pregnant or not, but the worst is if the pregnant woman or the child dies in midwinter childbirth nine months later, after the Gods might have given a good harvest etc, because it is of course a very bad sign for the next year. The male representative, the King, should then have sex with 3 young virgin slave women during the coming spring ritual, during the same evening-night ritual, because the Gods are obviously displeased and it's to try to prevent the people or the King from being punished during the new year. If that year's harvest is bad and bad things happen or there are no children even then or they die etc, then the ruler should continue to take 3 virgin slave women next spring until all is well, or there is an obvious sign that the Gods are pleased.

  I have seen this as an 'Asbj?rn problem', and dumb religious shit that does not involve me, since the ritual is for Meysala monastery and the kingdom-land, but the V?lvas, Sejd women and the women who run Meysala monastery don't see it like that. My furstdom is no longer a part of the whole larger kingdom and I am both a regent and The Sejdmann and there are enough virgins even for me too. As most local people see it, it is an advantage that my furstdom is small and surrounded by the kingdom, because if me performing the ritual means a good growing season for my small furstdom, then of course the surrounding region will also have a good growing season. After all, not performing the ritual might make the gods unhappy. So most people see it as an excellent chance for the region to have a good growing season while the rest of the kingdom has to rely on King Asbj?rn. I really really want to avoid getting involved in this ritual and all the consequences, but I don't feel like I have much choice. At least a positive thing is that it's actually doubles the chance of a slave woman becoming a free woman, so I understand that my participation is positive for the slave women too, even though I'm so much older than them. But so is King Asbj?rn. The only positive for me is that there are older and adult virgins, but unfortunately it is a fertility ritual, so of course the woman need be young and 21 years is the maximum. Apparently Kari has discretely exchanged letters with the three women council who run Meysala, because it's one of the potential problems she have realised and tried to prevent from becoming a big issue. However, Kari doesn't see anything wrong with the fertility ritual itself and didn't try to stop my participation, but more how it is performed if I need to be involved.

  Of course, Unn, Gauthild and Kari know about the Meysala monastery and some of the rituals and religious work, but from slightly different perspectives. Kari actually partly grew up in the monastery and received some of her indoctrination there, but she was not one of the monastery women, and was not allowed to visit all the places or participate in everything that happened there. The monastery has buildings for outside guests and particularly women, who are there for various reasons, but generally to give birth. The Meysala monastery owns the lake and its surrounding land, and it is strictly forbidden for the general public to visit the monastery island and its holy monastery, and men need a really good reason to get an invitation. All guests are escorted and can only visit certain parts. For example, King Asbj?rn has no right to visit at all, even though he has tried to make at least one monastery virgin woman pregnant every year for the past two decades, and not even the Tingsmen and Tingswomen can visit without a good reason, even though the monastery is legally speaking under the Northmen's Tings law. Caecilia is one of the few who can visit without invitation because she is a hóra, but even she is escorted. However, a clearly pregnant woman is always welcome, and if she wants to give birth there, she can, because Meysala Monastery is focused on children, fertility etc, and the Meysala Monastery midwives have a very good reputation.

  Meysala Monastery actually has a sex ritual month in late spring where invited men participate, and from what Kari, Unn, Gauthild and Haera said about it, it seems to be for the men to have sex with the older women of the monastery, because the goal is pregnancies. Children are life and future, and the Meysala monastery 'nuns' try to have many children, they just don't generally have sex at any time of the year as they follow the seasonal rhythm and yearly cycle of life. A woman who becomes pregnant during that special month can help with the summer's work, gives birth at the end of the next winter, and can help again during that summer and autumn's work. The children from that sex ritual month belong to the mothers and thus the monastery, and they eventually grow up on the surrounding land of the monastery. The men and fathers are often not even told if they made any woman with child, although the monastery keep good records of that and all the people and relationships in the closest region. There has been some discussion about whether I will get an invitation to that sex ritual month, which most near me assume since I am also The Sejdmann, but genetic compatibility etc is of course a complication that Kari have made the Meysala Council aware off. Which may now have disappeared, or at least been severely weakened.

  The women-nuns are not forbidden from having sex during the rest of the year, it is just not okay to leave the island whenever they want, and beside being an image thing, there are few reasons to leave the island, and almost no men visit the island. According to what Kari said, a lot of the women are pleasuring themselves or each other, and nudism is completely accepted depending on the situation, work and time of year. For example, the kitchen tends to be hot, and those who cook and bake often do so naked, with just their hair wrapped in cloth. Those extra low-cut dresses that didn't cover the butt that were on Radgeirrson's 'Freja feast', were inspired by a religious garment that the Meysala nuns sometimes wear, partially during the spring ritual, but on those dresses it's the front with the vagina that is exposed in addition to the breasts.

  I really don't like the cult vibes that I get from Meysala monastery and its rituals. Just 'enticing men' with sex with young women feels like a classic cult thing, however, the monastery is not trying to get donations or male members.

  Jane straddles my lap and pull me out of my thoughts. We kiss and hug as she sinks into my lap and sighs.

  "I was really bloody stupid to cause that whole Stag night mess. That just keep causing problems, and it's all my bloody fault."

  "No, it is not."

  "Well, I better fucking learn, because my dumb action sure have huge consequences. Consequences that I'll see grow up! I can't remember if I've told you, but I was already convinced that we're genetically compatible with Elves. Humans have Neanderthal DNA, and at least appearance wise, there is far more difference between Neanderthals and Homosapiens than there is to Elves, and given Bifrost etc who's to say Scandinavians don't already have some Elvish DNA in them?"

  That is true. I know there have been many other human types like Denisovans and Floresiensis, but the question remains whether the children will be healthy and able to have children of their own, and if they'll have fertility issues. So I nod in agreement, and reply:

  "At least we know that I can make Elvish women pregnant."

  "Oh Gods... You no longer need me! Are you dumping me!?! I'll be cast aside as you enjoy all the carnal sins with hot young Elvish babes! Noooo! I'm gonna grow old and alone, while you enjoy your Elvish harem!"

  Jane pretends to be beyond all hope, and that I no longer need her now that I can have children with the others and will cast her aside etc. She's overacting like hell and it makes me smile. Biggest ham ever! Ciara who has just returned hears Jane complaining, and Jane switch language to Norse to lament her future and dreadful fate. Ciara comes rushing over in dismay, hugs us both and tries to make me understand that I have to keep Jane as my concubine and lover! That Jane can't live without me and a quick death would be better than me throwing her out! Oh ... shit. Ciara clearly doesn't realise that Jane is acting! So I try to explain that Jane is just pretending, to which Jane who hasn't understood the situation, keep pretending and thus making it worse, which makes Ciara even more desperate! Shit! Ciara is crying and distraught, saying it's real for Jane and so so important, that Jane's life is important and I must never throw her out!

  This isn't fun but serious, and Jane has finally understood that and tries to help calm Ciara down, saying she was just pretending and she didn't mean for Ciara to take it seriously, but Ciara doesn't trust that Jane isn't pretending about pretending. I hug and kiss Ciara and try to guide her up to my bedroom so I can cuddle and sooth her there, as this might take a while, but Ciara won't let Jane go. She has to come along with me and have sex, because Jane has to know for sure that I care about her, and Jane reluctantly lets herself be dragged along to the bedroom, because Ciara is so stubborn, sad and dead serious, and Jane feels bad that she once again messed up and caused it.

  Well, this is an awkward after sex cuddling.

  And the sex was awkward too, as Ciara insisted that we had a threesome, and that it mostly was Jane and I having sex while she watched us, although she extremely out of character tried to help us both and participate, so that Jane would know she is loved and wanted. She even tried to convince Jane that I should cum in her and wouldn't a child be nice and truly confirm our commitment? At least Ciara has calmed down and is smiling where she lies with her head resting on my chest, listening to my heartbeat and feeling me breathe, while hugging us both. We're all hugging each other, and Ciara tried to get Jane to find comfort in listening to my heartbeat and feeling me breathe. Jane softly says:

  "I guess I never truly understood how important you are in Ciara's life, and I thought Caecilia had it bad. I know that Ciara believe I need you a bit like she does, and if she gets that bloody desperate for me, I can only imagine..."

  I kiss Jane's lips, stopping her from saying anything more as I slowly shake my head. It doesn't matter if it's in English because Ciara is right next to us, and I don't know what she might think we're saying when she doesn't understand. Jane just nods that she understands, and we have another kiss, mostly for Ciara's sake.