Chapter Forty One

Joe woke with surprise when he heard a startled cry, a rather feminine cry, and Joe sat up quickly. He looked around the room blearily, a bit uncertain at what had awoken him when he heard another rustling coming from Kilniara’s room. Joe blinked in a daze, not sure what he was seeing or hearing until realization hit him. He jumped up and walked to Kilniara’s room, knocking on the door loudly before calling out. His knocking roused Zilnek who sat up blearily in his bed.

“Hello?”

Instant silence was the only response, and Joe tried again.

“Hello? Anyone there? I’m going to come in. OK, Kilniara?”

Joe pushed the door open, stepping cautiously into the room, giving plenty of time for anyone to react. Joe stepped in after allowing the door to swing open and his eyes able to see in the dark room because the massive gas giant easily reflected enough light through the window to light up the room.

Joe saw Garnedell sitting on Kilniara’s bed while she was huddled up against the head board as far opposite him as she could go. Garnedell had a pillow slapped down over his lap while Kilniara had the bed spread pulled up to her chin. Joe blinked a bit in shock before quickly turning around, preparing to leave quickly, but the look of a bit of fear on Kilniara’s face stopped him, and he didn’t leave the room, although he didn’t turn either.

“Uh… Garnedell? What is happening?”

Garnedell responded with some hesitance, seeming embarrassed, but not guilty, “I just… wanted to spend… um… be with Kilniara tonight?” Huh… maybe just, surprised I caught them?

“How long has this been going on?”

“Huh?”

“How long have you been sleeping with Kilniara?”

“Uh… I’ve never… we’ve never slept together.”

“Oh… I mean, when did you start going out?”

Joe felt the buildup of heat in his body once again followed by a shockwave as it flashed outward from him. Huh… which word? Oh.. maybe going out…

“Uh… I am not… betrothed to her. We are not a couple.”

“Oh. Huh… um… OK.”

Joe started to head out again but then stopped. Might as well check with Kilniara, too. “Kilniara. Are you sleeping with Garnedell?”

“I’ve never slept with him, no,” she replied with a very quiet and trembling voice. Is she scared? This…

“Uh. Sorry, but may I turn around, Kilniara?”

“Yes, Master.”

Joe turned and looked back and forth between the two, considering carefully, “Is it OK that Garnedell is in here with you?”

Kilniara seemed to shrink in on herself before answering, “Yes. He is senior apprentice.”

“Senior Apprentice? You want to be with a senior apprentice?” Maybe it’s a prestige thing?

“Um. I … I have not been with any man.”

“Oh.” That was a bit personal. Woah… um…

“So you want to lay with a man?”

This time she blushed a bright red before nodding her head yes, but very shallowly, embarrassment obviously overwhelming her.

“Oh. Ok. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you. If you want to be with Garnedell, I’m sorry. It’s your choice.”

Joe looked to the two, nodding, but when he looked at Kilniara, he seemed to still see a hint of hesitation and fear. Behind, he heard Zilnek shuffle up and crowd against him, looking int through the door.

“Zilnek. Please step back a bit. Kilniara? Do you want… to be with Garnedell?”

Kilniara froze up, saying nothing, simply staring at him with shocked fear and unable to move. Her eyes flickered back and forth between him and Garnedell and Joe finally felt his embarrassment recede and a hint of anger and a premonition settle over him.

“Garnedell. What is happening here?”

“I… master. You know. I’m coming to … Do not tell me your people do not…”

“No. Stop. I know that. What is…,” Joe dropped subtlety and went for blunt, “Garnedell. Did you ask Kilniara if she wants to sleep with you?”

Garnedell’s eyes crunched in seeming confusion as he cocked his head and looked at Joe, “No.”

Joe blinked in a surprise when he heard his response, a deep anger finally overwhelming him as he shouted at the boy, “Garnedell!?”

Joe then looked to Kilniara and began questioning her, “Kilniara. Do you want to be with Garnedell? Do you want to sleep with him?”

Her eyes still stared at him in fear and she seemed to have frozen up even more, and he quickly tried to calm her, “Kilniara. Relax. I’m not angry at you. If I am angry at anyone, it is Garendell. Do you want to sleep with him? If you want to, I am OK. I am happy. If you do not want to, then I am happy and fine with that as well.”

Kilniara seemed to have calmed slightly from that, looking past him to her brother, before she shook her head no quickly, a bit of her fear lessened.

“So, you do not want to have sex with Garnedell?”

Kilniara shook her head more firmly, “No, master.”

Joe’s face hardened and he looked at Garnedell, disappointment and anger plain on his face, “Garnedell. Why are you doing this?” Garnedell looked at him with some hurt and confusion, uncertainty plain on his face. It’s like he doesn’t know what he’s done wrong?

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Garnedell took a few moments to respond, “Because I want to lay with her?”

“But she does not want to. Why would … why must she sleep with you if she does not desire it?”

“Well… I am senior apprentice. She is second or third.”

Joe’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “That… that’s OK?”

“Yes? I am in charge of directing the lesser apprentices.”

Joe felt a bit disconcerted, uncertain how to respond to that. He opened his mouth a few times to give one, but found himself stymied. This isn’t right. But what’s the motivation behind it? I don’t want to just … Joe’s thoughts ran in circles before he quickly looked to Kilniara, “Kilniara. If you were senior apprentice and wished to have sex with a junior apprentice, would you ask?”

By this time, Kilniara had long calmed down and while she was still crunched up in the corner of her bed covering herself, she was feeling much calmer and answered quickly, “Maybe. Very kind apprentices might ask, but it is unnecessary. It is the benefit of senior apprentices.”

“So. You should give yourself to Garnedell.”

She nodded, although much more shyly, a blush now tinting her cheeks.

“Why don’t you want to?”

She seemed to flinch at that question before she glanced at Garnedell for a moment and continued, “I never believed I had a chance at apprenticeship, so I was saving myself for a good marriage to a fellow craftsman. But now, with my chance to become a Power, saving myself is unnecessary. I just, kind of reacted.”

Having said that, she quickly turned to Garnedell and bowed her head slightly, “I apologize, senior apprentice. I was … I was surprised. I did not mean to rebuff you.”

Garnedell said nothing, although he nodded his head a bit sullenly. Joe jumped in, not really liking where this was going.

“Kilniara. Do you desire sex now?”

Kilniara dropped her head again but responded quietly, “No.”

“Right. I need time to sort this out. Garnedell. Back to our bedroom. Kilniara, dress up and come into the room. Both of you light up the candles and lanterns. We need to have a talk.”

Joe went and sat on his bed, ignoring Zilnek’s grumbling and the movement in the room as it slowly brightened. Soon, the room was as bright as it would get with the candles and Joe remained seated on his bed for a few more minutes before he focused back in the moment. The three had been whispering quietly and rapidly to one another but quickly quieted, waiting with some uncertainty.

“Right. OK. So. Um…” Joe stopped himself as he realized he was just about to talk to an older brother his sister, sex, and rape, although Zilnek had been rather reticent as he watched what was happening over Joe’s shoulder. He looked to Kilniara and Garnedell as he reevaluated what he was about to say.

“Uh… is it OK if I talk with you and Zilnek?” Joe asked, looking at the other two.

Garnedell nodded quickly, seeming unconcerned, while Kilniara nodded just as quickly although with a bit more embarrassment. Seeing their quick and easy response, Joe decided to just be blunt and get the embarrassment over quickly.

“OK. Well, I want to talk about how you treat each other as apprentices. It seems here, in this world, apprentices have seniority. I understand that. I don’t have a problem with that, but I want to lay down some ground rules. You don’t get to tell other apprentices what to do or, well, take anything from them that’s theirs. Anything that belongs to them is theirs and cannot be taken from them. You can ask, and if they say yes or are willing to share, I have no problem. But their belongings are inviolate. Got it?” Joe asked firmly while he looked around at the three, especially Garnedell. All three nodded quickly.

“That means, you cannot take clothing or items that they have bought, found, been gifted, or anything else. Ask, never take! It also means their body! Their body is as much theirs as anything else. You must ask! You cannot take. If they say yes, you know what! I … It’s your choice, but it’s both your choices. Two people choose, two people say yes, then OK. One person says no, then it’s not. If I see or hear about anyone raping someone else, you are done. You will no longer be my apprentice. You may not even have a life or full working appendages, either!” Joe finished harshly. He’d felt the buildup of heat once again, thinking it was his anger swelling, but the following shockwave of magic during his speech surprised him enough to calm his anger as his curiosity overwhelmed his anger. I wonder which word was just translated? Was it… hmm… never mind. Focus. Important stuff now! He did see the look of shock on each of their faces as he finished the short speech and Garnedell spoke up quickly with Kilniara speaking up as well.

“Master, Garnedell was not raping me,” Kilniara interjected quickly.

“Master, I would never rape Kilniara!”

Joe stopped, a bit of surprise on his face, especially with Kilniara’s defense of Garnedell.

“Oh! I’m sorry! You wanted to sleep with Garnedell? I’m… I…,” Joe responded with some embarrassment to Kilniara.

Kilniara dropped her head before shaking her head, “No. I … did not wish to sleep with Garnedell, but he was not forcing himself on me. It is the duty of the junior apprentices to serve the senior apprentices. We must…”

Joe quickly cut her off, “I’m sorry, but if you do not want to be with him, then he is raping you.” Even as he said this, he saw Garnedell’s jaw literally drop in shock, tinged with fear. Joe continued, looking to Garnedell, “I know that your customs say that a junior apprentice must offer themselves, but I’m not … That is not happening here; not with my apprentices. This is not a duty or a responsibility. You may choose this if you want. If you want to be together… If you both want to be together, I am fine! I am happy for you! But if even one person does not want to be together… No! It will not happen. Among my people, it is considered… very wrong. I know for you, man or woman, a senior may have his or her pick of a junior apprentice, but… No. OK?”

Kilniara actually looked a bit relieved at this while Garnedell, although a bit miffed, accepted it. Joe smiled at Garnedell, “Garnedell. I… I am shocked, but not at you… just at this… situation. But I am not comfortable allowing this to happen. I assume that as Master, I could have sex, if I wished, with any of you?”

The three looked away from him, embarrassed, but nodded, “OK. So… then… would you want to have sex with me, Garnedell?”

The boy looked at Joe for a moment before shaking his head a bit, no.

“And if I forced you?”

Garnedell nodded yes, reluctantly.

“Would you enjoy it?”

Garnedell seemed to grimace a bit before shaking his head no, “I’m sorry, master. I’m just not… interested in such a relationship with yo… with men!” Garnedell finished in a rush of clarification.

Joe nodded his head quickly, “And now you know how Kilniara feels. I doubt it would be very enjoyable for her.”

Garnedell actually seemed to take the news seriously, realization dawning on him as his eyes took on a faraway look, lost in deep thought. Joe nodded, satisfied that Garnedell understood well enough and he looked to the other two. “You two understand?”

They quickly nodded and Joe decided to drive the point home, “That means, if I get another couple apprentices, and they are your juniors, you cannot have sex with them!”

Both accepted well enough and Joe smiled, nodding, “Look, guys. I’m not against sex. If both of you want it, then I’m fine with it. Just… hmm… Right. Ok. How about this. I want you all to pretend that everyone else is senior apprentice and you are their junior apprentice. So. Garnedell, you are junior apprentice to Zilnek and Kilniara.”

Joe turned his eyes to Zilnek, “Zilnek! You are junior apprentice to Garnedell and Kilniara!”

Once again shifting, Joe looked to Kilniara, “And Kilniara, you are junior apprentice to Zilnek and Garnedell. All of you pretend you are the lowest apprentice here. Treat each other with deep respect and consideration. You are a team. Work together and help each other. Everyone else is your senior apprentice. Talk to them as if they are your senior apprentice. Ask them as if they are. Consider them as if they are. Make decisions as if they are. Do things as if they are. Treat them as if they are. OK?”

The three seemed shocked at the idea, confusion overwhelming them as they seemed uncertain how to interact in this way. Garnedell quickly jumped in, defending his territory as senior apprentice, “But mas… Joe, how will we get anything done? How could we accomplish…”

“You do it. If they are there, ask them for help.”

“But if they are my senior apprentice, they will not help me.”

“You will speak to them as if they are senior apprentice, but if they speak to you, they speak to you as what…”

Garnedell blinked before responding, “They will speak to me as senior apprentice.”

“If a senior apprentice asks for help, what will they say?”

Garnedell sat back as realization hit him, “They will say yes.”

“And if they ask you for help, what will you say?”

“Yes.”

“And if they speak to you, how will they speak?”

“With deference and respect.”

“And you will speak to them…?”

“With the same: deference and respect.”

Joe looked at the three, a smile on his face as he noticed the realization coming to both Garnedell and Kilniara easily. Zilnek seemed a bit confused, although delight seemed to dance in his eyes and as Joe finished, Zilnek quickly interjected.

“So… I’m senior apprentice?”

Joe saw both Kilniara and Garnedell shake their head in consternation, then look at each other as they both noticed each other’s reaction. A giggle quickly broke out between the two and Joe had to fight to keep a mocking smile off his face.