Female complications, day 23

  Banging and shagged

  I'm not sure why it feels strange to wake up with Haera next to me in my bed. After all, she's hardly the first woman to do so, or the oldest. The only thing that's really new is that she's the ex-wife of an acquaintance and pregnant with my child, which feels ... wrong. But that doesn't stop us from having a sexy moment together in the morning too. It might be her last time with a man for the rest of her life. Not surprisingly, I have become more liberal in some areas, and she is a very charming woman, and quite beautiful even newly awake, and I like that in a woman.

  Given how inexperienced she seems to be, I think Asbj?rn is a poor lover, but his level is probably the standard level in this world. I doubt she acted surprised and slightly shocked when we tried many different positions, but since the Stag Night night she wasn't shocked when I went down on her and did many other things. I really let her experience everything from foreplay and sensual tenderness all the way to more intense harder sex, dildos and simple cloth strip bondage. After a while Haera seemed to give up trying to contain the sounds she was making, or she realised that it was an advantage to be heard, and she is almost like Ciara in volume.

  Haera is pleased that I appreciated and complimented her on the teddy. She never got to show it to Asbj?rn, although she's sure he's already seen his favourite concubine Virun in hers. Melka has probably got one and maybe Sylvi too. Haera plans to sleep in the teddy from time to time, as she feels luxurious and sensual in it, just like Kari and Iselin said she would, and she's going to compliment Jane on the creation.

  It's a small good ego boost that Haera seems to be completely honest when she comments that she wish she had known last summer, and returned earlier, because she could have persuaded Asbj?rn to let her visit the farm where I was working in Borgarsandr, to 'inspect the work'. During the journey to the islands, Asbj?rn told her that if she had only asked him to have a lover or concubine before she betrayed him, she could have. He would also have accepted a permanent solution between Haera and me after I became a Furst, if I were willing, since I am neither one of his subjects nor a Daes, and a Sejdman is outside the normal social structure. If it happened at certain times of the year, it could be interpreted as a religious contact more than just sexual lust, which he and we could have reinforced the impression of, and it could have happened discreetly in Borgarsandr, or here.

  That 'if' could have changed many lives. I hope I would have gone out of my way to avoid any sexual relationship with the Queen, even if the King had given me his consent, just for the worry and possibility of trouble. I also wouldn't have liked to be seen as some male go-between for worship to Freya, which is basically what some people see me as anyway. But if, for example, I had been summoned to the palace a few days after Kari showed up and the royal couple told me that the Queen wanted me to be her discreet lover, then I don't know, especially since the future Academy agreement surely depended on it, in one way or another, or it after I became Furst, was expected as a semi secret part of the agreement. It would be a completely different situation now, and Kari would probably never have become my concubine, because Haera would probably have wanted to limit other women around me, although Haera would have pushed Sefa away as well. Kari probably wouldn't have inherited Skarde either. So, it would probably have been better for Asbj?rn, and definitely better for Haera, but it would have been worse for me and the others, and much worse for Kari whose future would be unknown. So I'm happy with how things turned out.

  Our musings and silence are interrupted by Elvira knocking on the door and saying that breakfast is in half an hour, and that she has brought a dress for Haera. I get up from bed, and Haera promises that she will be as little trouble as she can. I just nod and respond with a kiss on her hand before we get dressed.

  Mission accomplished.

  As we sit down by the breakfast table and enjoy the meal, no one can miss how content and happy Haera is. She hardly eats, and mostly sits dreamily staring into nothingness with a satisfied little smile as she distractedly eats a little now and then. Gunhild guarding and Elvira serving are unusually neutral and passive, but it's nothing major or rude and I honestly don't know if Haera notices, and I don't think she cares. What is her thoughts? Is she just pretending?

  But Haera's way means I leave once I've eaten, and Iselin joins me heading to the workshop. Haera calls out and hurries to catch up with us. She take Iselin's hand and says that Iselin should never ever be as stupid as she was, and if the thought of other men pops into Iselin's head, she should know that she will surely be disappointed, because Haera's fantasies were nowhere near Iselin's reality. Regardless of honesty, it feels like a damn good ego boost, especially when Iselin gives me a side hug and just replies, "I know," with a confident smile.

  I don't like keeping secrets from Iselin, and I do since she doesn't know all my reasons for experimenting with oxyhydrogen production, storage, etc. I am very well aware of the danger, and maybe I am a bit too worried, but better that than the other way round. We have eye protection, face protection, ear protection and leather aprons. Iselin looks so darn cute in the earmuffs with soft fabric cat ears on them, which are also Ciara's favourite pair of earmuffs. I should probably have have another pair made, since it's quite often that they're both in here.

  It's frighteningly easy to make oxyhydrogen by simply passing a current through water and letting the oxygen and hydrogen bubble up and mix into oxyhydrogen. A similar thing happens to some extent in all our lead-acid batteries during charging, as those around me are well aware. In this case, the production is the goal, and via a pipe the gases are led down to a bucket of water that acts as a water trap. The oxyhydrogen gas builds pressure in a sealed brass tube that acts as a pressure tank, which is turned upside down in that water filled bucket. Eventually the oxyhydrogen gas has filled and squeezed all the water out of the brass tank, and still under the surface and upside down, we close the valve and disconnect. The brass tank is now undoubtedly a small bomb and I wish I didn't have to handle it with my hands, and very deliberately try to use only my left hand which also has a thick leather glove, and only hold the thicker part at the end with the valve. Should it detonate, the walls on the 'pipe' should be weaker, and if I survive the blast, which is very likely due to small volume and pressure, then at least my right hand should not be damaged. I'll store it in a bucket of water with a high ohm resistor to earth, since that should eliminate any static spark, and the water should convert some of the explosion force to rain and splashing.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  To show the danger and test what we have done, we go out to the pavilion where preparations have been made. We fill one of the simple paper envelopes that Iselin glued together, and using a long stick with a piece of smouldering rope at the end, I set it on fire. BANG! We repeat it so Iselin also gets to blow up an envelope. We've improvised a high-voltage capacitor, crank generator and switch, and Iselin has made some paper cases with two wires and a narrow spark gap, so we fill one of those, and from a safe distance Iselin gets to press the button. BANG! Alith is shocked and doesn't know exactly what we've done in the workshop, or what the brass tank contains, and doesn't really get what we're doing to the envelopes, but that shock has turned to eagerness and she really want to press the button. There will probably be many bangs to verify that it really works. Especially Iselin's expression, excitement and knowledge exactly what we've done and how easy that was. And the windows facing the pavilion have many curious elves, but that was expected.

  Okay. The oxyhydrogen production clearly works, and so does the electrical detonation. Now I just need to build a test rig that uses the oxyhydrogen gas to try to launch a bullet to see what bullet velocity and energy can be obtained, but I'm not motivated to do that. A firearm will obviously require something that uses higher gas pressure in a tank to get enough stored gas volume to be practically useful, which is risk and complication. I'd much rather do air guns, even when their tanks have really high air pressure. At least with air I don't have to worry about static electricity and such, and a small leak will just causes the pressurised air to seep out and is virtually harmless. Explosive gas and especially oxyhydrogen gas? Completely different! In the future I should also try to make electrolysis cell with separation of hydrogen and oxygen, and partly try to use them as a cutting torch or for welding. The gas probably needs to pass through a small filter to prevent unnecessary moisture being taken into the gas. I don't know if the filter is needed, but feels easy to create and test any difference. But my nerves have endured enough for the near future, so I will focus on Haeras mansion. The sooner it get started, the sooner she will move out.

  I go up visit Haera in her room, to see what she things of a sketch and floor plan of her future mansion. Of course we partially touch on what we did last night and this morning, and the Stag Night. I tell Haera how distressed I was when I didn't know which woman it was I had sex with, and feared it was her daughter Sefa. Haera admits that it would have been a clever idea, but she agrees with Asbj?rn that it is better that our families just stay as friends, and there are much better and easier ways to arrange a marriage if they wished. Haera seems disappointed when she comments that Sefa is unfortunately not enterprising enough to do something like that. Coming up with the bad idea? Oh-yes. But not to actually do it, which is good when it is a bad idea.

  I don't think Haera knows her daughter as well as she thinks.

  Haera admits that Sefa is a bit dangerous for her tendency to convince someone else to do something dumb - like her little sister or the ladies-in-waiting - without properly thinking through the consequences. Which Haera realises can be argued applies to her too. Sefa loves her little sister, but she doesn't think beforehand, and Haera has tried to teach Sefa that. Thankfully, Ulfarna is getting married this June. Haera is a bit worried about what trouble Sefa will cause now that she can no longer keep an eye on Sefa because Asbj?rn is .. not good at it, and she wish that Sefa had been married off last autumn. It's just hard to find a suitable husband for Sefa, because if something happens in the future to Hagthorn and his children while he's the regent, Sefa becomes regent until the next Northmen's Ting, and her future husband and children might stay on the throne, depending on who the husband is, and from what family.

  Of course, they can't marry her to someone too closely related, and with some other powerful family, that family might take over the kingship, because people and other families may support the bond and association. It can also increase the risk of Hagthorn being assassinated, in order to take the throne via Sefa. It can increase the risk of an attack on Asbj?rn and Hagthorn, and it doesn't even have to be Sefa's future husband who is behind it. It could be others who see benefits from the shift, depending on who the man is. Or just one of Asbj?rns enemies. Then the man and his family must also be worthy of Sefa, etc. Haera wish that Asbj?rn or his brother had had more sons who lived to adulthood, so that everything didn't depended on Hagthorn.

  Her words remind me that this is a violent culture, that attacks and assassination happen, and Haera confirms my guess that the royal lineage-family is not as united as it seems. She worries that if I, a newcomer, know this, others willl too, and perceived weakness might lead to action. But I try to reassure her by saying that Kari is trying to keep me informed.

  Though, Sefa is a bigger problem than Haera knows, so I tell Haera what her daughter did during the marriage week.

  Haera is embarrassed. She is a bit annoyed that I didn't tell her or Asbj?rn, but understands why I didn't. She have regrets and apologises that they were such terrible guests, and are still a burden to us and especially me. After all, it was a wedding where they were amongst those few invited, and they were treated so incredibly well here. Haera is ashamed of both her own and her family's ways. What must I think of them and their family? Especially women of her blood? First what she did and how it affected us, and then her eldest daughter. And then last night to cover her mistakes. I must think of them as uncivilised barbarians considering everything that has happened, and she says that me and my sambos are more regal than them.

  I don't really know how to respond to that, but tell her that I've had a lot to get used to, and try to cheer her up by saying it could have been worse. It can always be worse. Haera resignedly ask how, so I just shrug and say that Hagthorn or Asbj?rn could have drunkenly tried something with my sambos. Haera's face falls, and she agrees that it could have been much worse. That would have meant the end of their lineage, one way or another. No matter what I would do, Haera seems convinced that Freya would not accept it.

  Am I ever going to get used to the whole religious aspect to my existence?