Chapter 15
The mayor and sheriff relented, and Ursula agreed to hold her festival within the village, much to the unvoiced relief of the Fangrys castrati.
She soon discovered that organizing a community event was different from organizing a dedicated conference or party for a single organization.
There were additional considerations to handle, including coordinating with other merchants on the streets that would be closed for the festival.
Those entrepreneurs were, of course, busy running their businesses, and many were disinclined to speak directly to the Fangrys Prima, demanding instead to deal directly with the new Third of the Fangrys Triad.
That annoyed Ursula to no end. After wasting time and energy complaining, she changed strategy and sought and received introductions to the matriarchs of those business owners’ families.
She spoke with the wives of mated merchants and the mothers of unmated merchants.
Most of the females were intrigued by her proposition to assist in the organization of the festival and delighted by the honor and prestige of helping the Prima of Fangrys.
The village ladies threw themselves into the project with an infectious enthusiasm that spread throughout the region and into neighboring provinces, including Omari. Ursula’s former coworker and the Omari Prima called her.
“Carmen, it’s wonderful to hear from you! How are you?” Ursula greeted her friend, another human-Urib hybrid bride.
“Hola, chica! I heard about your festival and wanted to let you know that the boys and I will be coming,” Carmen replied.
“I assume ‘the boys’ includes your triad as well as the kids?”
“Of course!” Carmen laughed. “You know I never go anywhere without those big lugs.” She paused, then asked, “How are you getting along?”
“It’s been… weird.”
“Weird how?”
“Well…” Ursula chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before launching into the story of meeting Zul and him being accepted as the new Third in her mated triad.
“Well, you know my men will just have to meet him!” Carmen giggled. “And I’d like to take a gander at him, too.”
“Carmen!”
The other woman’s delighted laugh chimed like bells. “I’m married, not dead!”
Ursula chuckled, glad of her friend’s mirth. “Oh, and let me tell you what else I’ve been doing.”
“Stirring up trouble?”
Ursula gasped with fake offense then laughed. “Of course. You know I can’t resist causing trouble.”
“That’s my girl! Strike one for women’s liberation!”
Ursula snorted. “The Women’s Lib movement isn’t coming to Uribern anytime soon. You know that just as well as I do.”
“Bah. I can always dream.” Carmen sighed. “You know, it’s up to us, the human hybrids, to make it happen. We’re the only ones with the fire and determination to lead the way for women’s rights.”
“But how far are we willing to go? How far are you willing to go?”
“Therein lies the rub,” Carmen admitted. “It’s really hard to justify rebellion when we’re so richly cosseted. It’s not like our husbands are drinking their income and coming home drunk to beat us because we didn’t buy meat for supper.”
“We’ll have to find another angle,” Ursula said. “Perhaps forced marriages?”
Carmen threw another roadblock in her way: “Have you met an unhappy Urib mate?”
“No, I have not,” Ursula was forced to admit. “But it’s not like I’ve met many.”
“So, tell me what you’re doing to cause the males of Fangrys to clutch their pearls.”
Ursula snickered at the mixed metaphor and related her dealings with the village ladies.
“Oh, that is precious, just precious!” Carmen crowed. “I’ll have to take a page from your book and duplicate your work here in Omari.”
Ursula laughed again. “Can you imagine what would happen if we got all the human hybrid brides to hop on the bandwagon?” She shook her head in incredulity. “Talk about a grassroots uprising.”
“I’d say it’s worth a try.”
“You’re connected with the other brides, right?”
“Ah, my little networking party planner, I still have some connections in the embassy. It seems a few of those folks stationed at the embassy were not pleased when Ambassador Hamilton handed me over like so much chattel. Office administration has yet to recover from the loss of my superb efficiency. Anyway, they’ll dig up the contact information for those women, and we’ll get this grass roots revolution started. ”
They chatted a while longer, Ursula talking about her son, Crow, and his antics as well as her business and Carmen relating the typical family drama of being mated to a warrior triad and a mother of two children.
She confessed to wanting a third child and her hope that maybe, just maybe, she might be blessed with a daughter.
“I’m drowning in testosterone,” Carmen complained.
Ursula commiserated, “Tell me about it.”
They ended the call, Ursula sighing with pleasure in knowing she had one good friend who understood her. She carried that happy feeling into her studio where she threw three more pots and glazed four.
We’re back, elska’adir, Bran’s voice rang through her thoughts.
I’m in my studio, she replied as she scrubbed her arms. Just finishing up.
Zul had an interesting tale to tell us.
Ursula sighed, dreading a decree to cease and desist with planning the festival.
We will not undermine Zul by canceling your festival, but this is something you should have discussed with all three of us first.
Ursula attempted to reason with him. I’m a competent, intelligent adult who built a career organizing events. This is what I did for years before coming to Uribern. It’s not like I’m attempting something dangerous that I’ve never done before.
Gil interjected himself into the mental conversation. You are intelligent, competent, and precious to us. However, this endeavor is a not-so-subtle attempt to assert your independence… and we cannot have that. You are our mate and the Prima of Fangrys.
It is not just an attempt to “assert my independence” as you accuse me of doing, she objected. The festival will draw additional business to the village, foster community spirit, and help people get to know one another better. It will be fun.
I think we need to remind you who’s in charge of you, Bran commented, his tone practically a purr. Ursula squeezed her thighs together as her body responded with heat and moisture. Wear your hair down, elska’adir, so that we may entwine our hands in those silky strands.
I will wrap your hair around my fist while I fuck you from behind, Gil added with a mental growl.
Ursula whimpered as lust sizzled through her flesh.
She glanced at the time and quickly calculated how long it would take her mates to divest themselves of their gear, bathe, and dress in their at-home clothes.
Of course, they’d want to spend time with Crow, too.
Their son would have missed them as much as they missed him.
It had been too long since she and her mates had sated their physical needs. After supper?
After supper, Gil and Bran promised.
Ursula shivered as her re-energized libido sent another surge of heat through her. She knew that evening Zul would join them and she would receive him with joy.