Nymphaea

a/n: The person introduced in this chapter is not every reader's favourite due to her femininity. Please rest assured that Ayve will maintain a weakness for men. Just ignore her if you must.

Chapter 26: In blue

Alannah strolled down a crowded street. She had a day off from her present job in a music store (She changed jobs every few years to keep from arousing questions concerning her non-existing aging so she didn’t even try to build up a career. The job in the music store was fun: she got to meet all kinds of different people, especially in a city like London, and could at least sometimes talk about the thing that spoke to her heart the most: music. She was a violinist, with diploma and all – but a diploma from 1965 did not help much in getting a job if you looked as if you hadn’t even been born then.). Now she was on her way to meet Ayve.

Wasn’t it strange? Some guy presses the doorbell to her small apartment one day and talks about looking for a woman who is willing to conceive a child in order to… what had he said? Carry on some strong, old family line that had ruled her mother’s people for ages. At first she had giggled. Then the serious face and imposing appearance of that guy had nearly frightened her. For a moment she had thought he was mad or something. But then he had mentioned her mother and her father. Had made clear that he indeed knew who and what she was. That was when curiosity had hit her and she had agreed to meet that man the guy had been talking about.

Her daddy – who still lived in Ireland – had told her about the differing ways in which nymphs found their partners. That the nymphs that lived in traditional, exclusive nymph settlements did not even have real relationships. That man and woman did not live together there but merely met to sire a child. And Alannah had already realized how difficult it was to find a fitting partner in this world. Outside those traditional settlements (she had no idea where they were situated). Her daddy had tried to arrange something in her earlier youth but mixed bloods seemed not very highly regarded. Nymphs preferred pure-blooded nymphs. Alannah had once dated a man of her mother’s race but that had ended abruptly when he had wanted something more physical and she had not been ready.

And then a year later all of a sudden she had desperately wanted it. Had had severe problems of controlling herself. Her daddy hadn’t had an explanation for that. He had been genuinely concerned – until her aunt (daddy’s sister) had been consulted, had put up a mysterious smile and given Alannah what people these days called ‘the talk’. She had explained to her that female nymphs had a phase of ten years once in a century in which they could get pregnant and of course felt the need to get close to a male. She also said that she had noticed how that need had increased after she had not been able to obtain the herbs to make the traditional teas any longer and had guessed that this might be the reason why nymph ladies were more likely than nymph males to mate with someone from a different race – their sexual drive was stronger.

That had been a little over ninety years ago. Alannah was due in a few years. And somehow the thought thrilled her to live that need out, finally. Everywhere around her people ran around as couples, kissing, touching; the media was full of sex. But Alannah could not partake in the thing that was so highly praised by everyone.

She was curious what he would look like. He was mixed blood as well, so that guy had said. A relative of his. So perhaps they shared looks? That guy had not been bad at all. Would have looked a bit friendlier with a smile on his lips but apart from that… she blushed.

No, she needed to come down. Who knew what those guys truly wanted? The proposal in itself was strange enough. She was a bit naïve to go to that meeting, wasn’t she? But at least she had demanded to meet at a public place. He was to wait for her in a nice café she’d never been to before but that a colleague had told her about several times already.

But despite her misgivings, her heart beat faster as she entered. She nervously put a strand of her reddish hair behind her right ear as she looked around. Oh my, that must be him: in that corner. A man had gotten up as if he’d waited for her. She stumbled closer to him, checking her cloths on the way. Why did she have to wear that shirt of all! It was so wide! And that waistcoat… had she gone back to the eighties or what?! Too late. She stood in front of him. And goodness was he tall. Well, just like the other guy, she supposed. That was tall enough. She herself wasn’t taller than her nymph relatives. Her mother was not tall either. Probably the reason why she had put up with a nymph. But that one here was at least a head taller than Alannah was. Quite slim but in her eyes that was pretty attractive. And he did pay her a very warm smile. That calmed her down in an instant. Frighteningly so. Hadn’t she heard of some of her kind who could influence minds? Had he done that just now? If he was so powerful… But she could hardly ask him if he had. How awkward would that be? She probably had just experienced the same thing that had happened to her when she had first played in front of an audience: extreme stage fright directly before the performance and than suddenly complete ease on stage. That had to be it.

She displayed a nervous smile as she consulted the menu. He obviously had already chosen. Goodness, those eyes!

She ordered a coffee au lait.

“So, you are Alannah,” her date finally started the conversation. “I am Ayve.”

Had she honestly forgotten to greet him properly, with a bit more than an embarrassed smile and a clammy handshake? That was not her day… And his voice!

She licked her lips and nudged herself to finally get going. “And you are looking for a bond-mate, so I heard…” That hopefully made him put his intentions on the table.

He smiled politely and looked down for a moment as if he wasn’t quite comfortable with the situation himself. “Yes, sort of. I once had a bond-mate who died before we had the opportunity to raise a child together and now I’ve been approached with the appeal to look for a new bond-mate…” He looked at her apologetically. “I didn’t know anyone who could be considered so I had to choose this way…”

Their drinks were served. Funny: he had ordered the same.

“So, tell me a bit about yourself, if you don’t mind. I’m curious. That other guy said you were mixed blood as well but still quite an important person… In what way?” Alannah asked.

This Ayve seemed very urbane, with good manners, not arrogant but not overly self-conscious either. He told her about his responsibilities and his lineage. She was impressed, although she did not know how to evaluate what he’d told her.

“Do you think I’m the right person for that job? I mean, I’m not an illiterate but I doubt I’m couth enough, experienced enough to be the bond-mate of such a man…”

He smiled. “Don’t worry about such things. I’m not the president of the United States of America. I don’t need a first lady. And I’d like to be frank with you: I don’t think I’m the right man to lead a marriage in the style the humans lead them. The main purpose of our bonding would be the siring of a child. I suppose that does not meet the romantic expectations of a young lady…”

She nodded. “But it’s better to put things plain,” she answered. She didn’t know yet what to think about that and wanted to move away from that topic.

“How come you are so well adapted to this world,” she motioned to their surroundings, “when you’re a leader of a traditional tribe?”

“For the same reasons that your father lives among humans: my tribe was attacked. And I had to move about in the world to gather my people back together. After that I considered it wiser to keep an eye on mankind. I spent half of my time here, half of my time with my people. I have to admit, being mixed blooded is nothing people approve of, as you probably know.”

“But you are their leader. Don’t they respect you?” Alannah enquired incredulously.

Ayve smiled. “Respect is one thing. Love is another.”

Alannah nuzzled her hair in annoyance. That sounded a little too familiar and the knowledge that even someone like him could not escape such prejudices unsettled her. He surely was older than she was? She asked him.

He answered that yes, he could easily be her father.

“And you don’t mind dating someone like me? Have you dated others?” she asked in surprise.

“One lady, indeed a little closer to my age. But she was not genuinely interested in the bonding, more in the social position she would obtain through it. I find you much more likeable,” he replied. “It shouldn’t be a number that decides whether two people bond, should it?”

“No,” she answered meekly.

“Are you generally interested?” Ayve asked cautiously. “I mean: to get to know each other and see where it leads?

I understand you are interested in music? We could go to a concert, if you like, sometime. I don’t want a firm confirmation by now. Such matters need time. But are you interested at all?”

Alannah silently nodded and brushed her hair back at the same time. She couldn’t help but feel attracted to this man.

They exchanged phone numbers – she gave him her cell phone number and in turn received a number that Ayve said belonged to ‘the guy’ (she grinned sheepishly as he quoted her like that) as he said he presently had no other and said good-bye.

She pointedly remained behind to see him in full height again. He was a handsome man. With adequate, smooth movements and a certain flair about him… His offer was tempting even with those restrictions.

Very tempting.

*

The next day at work Alannah told her colleague (and friend, although befriending humans always was short-lived) that she had met someone. Of course she couldn’t give any details but emphasized how cultivated and good-looking he was and how educated. And then she asked her friend what she would do if the only way to get together with your dream man was agreeing to something like an open relationship.

Of course her colleague gave her ‘the look’ and said something like ‘if he doesn’t see that you’re worth fidelity than he isn’t worth your love’. Well, that was the common conviction. Alannah supposed she had to make that decision on her own. But then again: he had not explicitly said what kind of relationship he wanted. She had only assumed that that was what he meant.

At least she had promised herself to wait until he took the next step. And he kept her on tenterhooks. Finally, after two weeks her phone rang and they agreed on the concert they would visit.

After the concert – in which he displayed a fine taste in and broad knowledge of music – they sat down to drink a glass of wine. She wore a nice evening dress this time, not showing too much but showing off her amenities. And she had tamed her hair as well and pinned it up. Which did not ease her nervousness in the least. This man gave her shivers down the spine non-stop.

After a bit of small-talk, she put the question forth that had hardly let her mind rest in the last weeks. “What exactly did you mean when you said that you couldn’t imagine a human-like marriage? Do you want it to be as noncommittal as a traditional nymph bond, or…?”

He smiled and raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know that they are noncommittal… What I mean is that I have experienced a few things in my life and I suppose they have made me quite a loner. Therefore I will not make any binding promises concerning a relationship between the two of us. Of course I will do what I can to be a good father. But…,” he paused and contemplated the matter for a moment.

Then he resumed his answering: “You said you like my frankness and I think it is the best way to go: You will never find me in bed with another woman, if that is what you wanted to know.”

Alannah nodded silently.

But Ayve motioned to her that he hadn’t finished. “What I cannot promise you is that you won’t ever find me in bed with another man. Truthfully: I am certain that will happen. Not that you will see me like that but that I’ll indulge in such activities.”

Alannah was a little shocked by his bluntness. Perhaps overwhelmed by the whole situation: it was only their second date and they already discussed such matters. But in the end it made sense to do it now before anybody was hurt. Alannah had heard rumours that it was common amongst males of her mother’s race to indulge in homosexual affairs. It still took her by surprise to be confronted with that now. That probably just showed her inexperience.

But on the other hand Ayve deemed it important or otherwise he wouldn’t have made it a topic so he probably did not talk about a casual affair. She shared these thoughts with him. He watched her understandingly.

“I grew up amongst nymphs,” he explained. “Sexuality is not broached there. Homosexuality does not occur. That is part of why I wanted to point out to you that I do have such preferences. But the main reason is that I indeed do not speak about anonymous sex. I talk about a serious relationship.”

That of course did not leave her cold.

“Are you in one at the moment?”

He negated.

“But you find women attractive?”

He smiled reassuringly. “I am aware that you are a charming lady. I’ll do my best to make you enjoy the time we spend together if you decide that this is what you want.”

She nodded in understanding, pressing her lips together. “I need time.”

“Of course.”

Alannah took a moment to collect her thoughts. The evening had drawn to an end, but she felt something was not yet solved.

She looked into his warm eyes. “Would you mind kissing me?”

Ayve looked intensely into her eyes as if he wanted to probe her mind, see whether she really wanted what she had asked for. Then he put his drink down and slowly leaned forward.

Her heart beat faster in anticipation. She wanted to know him like that before she made up her mind. Wanted to know what he felt like.

He softly cupped her cheek with his left hand and seized one of her hands with his right gently. His face lingered a few centimetres before hers. His gaze was so captivating. Her knees were weak. His lips looked soft.

She could make out fine white lines, like scars across his skin. That made this only more exciting. His thumb grazed her cheek. Alannah leaned forward impatiently. That set him in motion again and he extinguished the last small gap between them.

His warm lips touched hers lightly, teasing them. She drew her breath in sharply.

He pursed his lips and kissed hers. His eyes were closed.

She watched him. He looked so beautiful, so kind. Her hand still rested in his. Then she closed her eyes and felt how he sucked in her lower lip, licking it with his tongue, sending shivers through her whole body. She was too impatient to bear this!

She leaned forward and captured his mouth. Was he chuckling? She pushed inside him, exploring him, tasting him, her hands on his thighs to support her.

Only when she feared to pass out from lack of oxygen did she let go of him.

She took a deep breath as she got up and seized her mantle. “So: that’s settled. Kissing is definitely your area of expertise.”

That made him chuckle even more. Was he flushed? She gave him a broad smile and left the bar.

*

Alannah spent her holidays in Ireland, with her parents and her little brother. Cian had just reached the stage when he could be on his own for a while, did not feel the need to stay with his mother twenty-four-seven. That lightened up her mother’s spirits. After all she was no nymph and found this way of raising a child very tiresome.

When she told her parents about Ayve’s courtship, they were delighted. They of course knew about him. And that other guy. ‘Pheus’ Ayve had called him. Her father was taken aback to hear Ayve was a mixed-blood though, whereas her mother seemed familiar with that fact.

Of course Alannah kept the ‘special’ terms of the proposed bonding to herself. That was between her and Ayve, wasn’t it? So she did not receive any piece of advice in that respect. But the confirmation of the things Ayve had told her about his social position at least gave her certainty that he was genuine. And who could truly aid her in making that decision? She had to find in herself whether she was ready for such a relationship. Ready to accept that she might not be part of the greatest love story ever.

Alannah was very attracted to this older man. Attracted to him as she had never been to any other person. Would that make things easier or worse? Would she be so proud of being his bond-mate that she could accept that she had to share him or would the fact that she was tremendously in love with him (she was not yet but she was sure she could be) make the thought that he did not feel the same for her but for some other guy make her go crazy?

And apart from all this pondering about how she would feel in that relationship Alannah had to take something else into consideration as well: her possibilities were limited. She couldn’t be sure to end up with anybody. She had not found any man who wanted to bond with her so far. So odds were that she either ended up alone or in bed with someone less acceptable that just took advantage of her willingness in certain years.

And thinking about it: she wanted a family of her own. She wanted a baby. The question was: what would life be like then? He’d have to spend some time with his tribe. From what they’d talked about so far she didn’t think he expected her to live with his people. She’d hardly fit in there. And if he’d wanted a nymph family he would have picked a nymph bond-mate, wouldn’t he? So Alannah would probably stay somewhere, care for the child (after it had finally been born) and wait for him. But would they share an apartment at all? If he said he wanted a serious relationship with another male he might as well move in with that guy. Oh my. Or with no one at all. After all he had emphasized that he was a loner. No, whoever else would show up in Ayve’s life, Alannah had to put up with the fact that Ayve would not be available at all times. That she would have to make decisions on her own (or wit the help of her parents).

She contemplated hinting to her parents that Ayve had told her about his responsibilities and that those would consume much of his time and that their relationship therefore would not be as fulfilling as a young lady might wish for. But what could they say to that? No, she had to make up her mind on her own.

***