Harem House Chapter 43 Part 1

The sun had risen during their two-hour drive, but it had yet to warm the air to its daily potential. They made good time on the trip, but the bus moved more slowly than typical traffic since it had to observe speed limits more strictly. His and Kelly’s one-on-one time had also delayed their departure, but they still had time to kill before the opening ceremonies began. 

Arthur shivered at the temperature’s sudden difference between the bus’s heated interior and the outdoors. Arthur made a note that when planning his next outdoor costume for a day, he’d check both the low and the high. The loincloth wasn’t very much material, but the chill made it more comfortable in some places. 

The parking lot they parked in placed them at the edge of a long field, with the entrance to the Faire far enough away to look small from the bus parking. Even now, cars were pulling into spaces in a long line like invaders forming ranks for a siege. People stood outside their vehicles, dressing, putting the finishing touches on their costumes, smothering themselves in sunscreen, spraying bug spray, and finalizing their preparation for the day ahead. 

Arthur and his friends were no different, standing outside the bus, adjusting to the slight breeze that swept a few skirts, and prepping until they felt ready. 

“I want to take pictures!” Rani announced. The camera bag hanging on her left hip emptied in a second as she pulled her professional camera from its casing. 

“Who carries a camera anymore?” Mark asked, teasing her. 

“People who treat photography like an art form,” Rani answered just as cheekily. “Now shush, and no more expressing your opinion on progress unless you want to change those glasses out for contacts.” 

Maria laughed and patted Mark on his back. “Ha! She got you.” 

“Joke’s on her, I like my glasses,” Mark said, feigning hurt. “They make me look sophisticated.” 

“Eh,” Maria shrugged. “I met you with them, so honestly, it looks weird to me when you take them off, like your face isn’t the same.” 

“The shaved-beard effect.” Katelyn nodded sagely. “My dad shaved his beard once, and I freaked out. He looked so wrong without it.” 

“I did that too! He shaved it off when I was three, and I cried until the stubble grew back.” 

“Heh, yeah,” Katelyn said, stepping aside so that Kelly could pose against the bus. 

“And how old were you?” Kelly whispered. 

“It was last year,” Katelyn answered in a whisper that only Kelly and Arthur heard. They shared a laugh over it, and Katelyn stepped away to let Kelly pose before the bus. 

With Rani pointing the camera and gesturing for her models in turn, she took individual shots of everyone without their bags and burdens. Arthur posed in his loincloth first. He put his hands on his hips and smiled at the camera. 

Kelly went second. She posed in her off-the-shoulder pirate costume, giving the camera a sultry expression as she swept her asymmetrical skirt aside to show off her boots.

Kat posed with an awkward smile, wanting to step away even as Rani raised the camera. She lowered it and pushed Kat into a more confident stance. Shoulders back, back straight, chin up, arms crossed below her breasts, one leg forward, and suddenly, Kat looked like a confident barbarian woman in her tattered jungle bra and mini skirt combo. 

“Wow,” Jen said, looking between Kat and Rani as Rani took the picture. “You’re good at this.” 

“Thanks!” Rani said, taking another one for good measure and showing Kat the results on her camera’s screen. “I’ve studied.” 

Kat raised her eyebrows. “Wow! I look great in this!” 

“You look great,” Rani said, bumping Kat with her hip. “Full stop.” 

Kat blushed and stepped away, standing beside Arthur as Selene took her place. The reflective black bus served as a backdrop, showing the faint reflection of the model’s back as they faced the camera. Selene emphasized the lewdness of her chainmail bikini, silver hip scarves, and white silk wrappings by raising her hands, stepping one leg forward, and taking a belly dancer pose as if she were mid-step. 

“Gorgeous, Slut.” Rani said, taking the photo. 

“We should probably not call her that outside, right?” Brad asked, looking at Selene for approval. “We can call you Selene, right?” 

Selene looked at Arthur as if it were his decision. 

“What’s the Hindi word for slut?” Arthur asked Rani. 

Rani mused over the question as Selene and Katelyn changed places. Katelyn had added pink body glitter to her face, collarbones, and costume since they left the bus. It complemented her pink pixie dress and fake wings. She posed with one leg raised, her hands behind her, as if landing on the ground with one foot. The pose highlighted her long, bare legs, making Rani lick her lips. 

“Uh, there are a few that might work. Maybe Paturiya?” Rani suggested as Katelyn and Mindy swapped places. 

“What about Korean?” Arthur asked. 

“Amkae,” Mindy said as she posed. Her black witch outfit was in danger of fading into the bus behind her, but Rani shifted the angle, and it stood out better with the lighting. Mindy’s double-slit skirt cleaved her thighs and exposed her fishnets to her boots, but her corset and the breasts it pushed up stole the show. Rani seemed especially appreciative of the photo. 

“Amkae seems easier to say,” Arthur said, stroking his chin. 

“Amkae,” Mindy said, saying the word slower to make the pronunciation clearer, though Arthur couldn’t tell if he had mispronounced it before. 

“Amkae,” He repeated, and Mindy nodded in approval. He didn’t hear much of a difference, but that was languages for you. His hopes to learn Korean and Hindi would have to wait until next semester, when he could enroll in the classes properly. Unfortunately, he was meeting Mindy’s parents officially on Monday, long before he’d learn anything impressive. He had no idea when he’d meet Rani’s parents, though. That seemed nerve-wracking for different reasons. He could only imagine the type of people it would take to produce someone as strong and lovely as Rani. 

Maria took Mindy’s place, posing in a curtsy with a smile in her peasant outfit. The dip emphasized her long cleavage in the billowy peasant top. Her underbust corset cinched her waist to accentuate her curvy hips. She raised her long skirt to either side, fanning it slightly as if at a royal ball.  

Mark went next, sliding his glasses up his nose before he posed. Between his hair, glasses, and costume, he looked like an unarmed pirate or commoner. The billowy white shirt, vest, pants, and boots had a typical, non-descript appearance. 

“What are you supposed to be, anyway?” Rani asked as she took his photo. “Medieval Harry Potter?” 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Mark asked, smiling for his photo. “I’m an NPC.” 

Rani chuckled as she showed him the photo, and he nodded his approval. Brad went next, adjusting the cuffs of his pirate coat as he stood rigidly, turned slightly to the side, as if gazing out at sea. Of course, the aesthetic was pirate, but the colors and the blue domino mask he wore with the costume evoked the comic book character Nightwing without much effort. 

Jen posed next, showing off her purple leotard, black corset, and mask as her Renaissance-era Huntress. Her outfit complemented his nicely, though Arthur still wondered why she hadn’t gone as Batgirl. Maybe black corsets were easier to find than purple ones? And the last time he’d seen a Batgirl comic, she’d been blonde, so maybe Jen’s natural black hair color had driven her to pick Huntress instead. 

After Jen, Rani passed the camera to Manasa, who seemed scared of it. She did her duty, though. She followed Rani’s explicit instructions and pressed the button once Rani took her pose, sweeping her arms to the side and turning her hip to present her red veils, dark skin, and ruby-laden gold jewelry in all her decadence.

“Seriously, that costume jewelry is amazing,” Maria said again. “The way the glass rubies catch the light, they’re almost dark enough to look real.” 

“Uh,” Manasa hesitated as Rani checked her work. 

“Okay!” Rani said. “These look good, thank you, Manasa. I might need you to take one or two more. Couple’s photos!” 

Kat sighed, but didn’t protest as people paired up. Jen and Brad taking their photo was easy enough. Same with Mark and Maria. Then came the harem. 

Arthur and Kat posed together first, then Arthur and Kelly, and so on. Each girl stood beside him, then Kelly and Katelyn took one together. Then Arthur and Rani, with Manasa taking the photo. 

Then one of Rani and Mindy, Rani and Selene, Rani and Kelly, Rani and Katelyn, and Rani and Kat, after Rani told her to stop whining and have fun. Then Selene and Kat took a picture together to commemorate the occasion. 

A picture of all the girls was necessary by popular demand. A picture of all the guys was less necessary, but much easier to arrange. Then they took one of the harem members posing together. 

Arthur stood in the center. Rani, Mindy, and Selene stood on his right with Selene under his arm. Kat, Katelyn, and Kelly stood on his left with Kelly under his left arm. Manasa shot a few takes, primarily straight on. 

Then everyone squeezed together for a large group photo, and Manasa took it with less skill but as much centering as possible. Eleven people in the same photo prompted them to shift into rows, with the shorter people — like Maria, Kat, Mindy, and Mark — in front. 

Rani seemed pleased with the outcomes when she checked Manasa’s work. 

“Fuck yeah, we’re hot,” Rani said, smiling as she pressed a few buttons on the camera. 

“Okay,” Kelly said. She rubbed her hands together as Rani packed the camera back into its bag. “Let’s get in line.”

Rani left her camera on the bus with Manasa, and the group did their final check. Most of the girls carried clutch purses to keep the modern bags small. Kelly carried a larger bag, which contained everything the clutches couldn’t. 

The eleven-person group joined the queue. Throughout the parking lot, people in various costumes or casual clothing prepared for the fun. A trio of young women in mushroom costumes, a Satyr, a Halloween-store Frodo, and a man in shiny steel armor stood ahead of them in line. Behind them, a mid-thirties blonde in a Rapunzel costume, and a busty woman in garters and a Gandalf costume (complete with fake beard and hat), complimented Selene’s hair. 

Arthur stood in the center of the group, with Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen ahead of him, and his girls around and behind him, with Selene squeezing to stand beside him. Katelyn stood toward the back of the group, complimenting Sexy Gandalf on her outfit. 

Ahead of them, the gates to the Faire remained closed with one line for those who’d already purchased their tickets (which the harem and co. had), and one for those who still needed to pay. Banners of various knights and noble houses decorated the walls and the faux-castle structure ahead. People atop the gates tossed flowers to those below, and bantered with them, but Arthur was too far away to hear their conversation. 

“Master,” Selene whispered. 

“Yes, Amkae?” Arthur asked. 

“Your phone keeps buzzing,” Selene whispered. “Do you want it?” 

Arthur checked his wrist, only to find that his Fitbit wasn’t there. He hadn’t put it on after his shower. He wanted to tell her to put the phone on silent, but held out his hand to receive it. She fished it out of her small white purse and handed it to him. 

He had a few missed texts. Several were from his mom. 

Mom: Your father told me what happened last night. 

Mom: I’m around if you need to talk. 

Mom: No pressure. 

Mom: I love you. 

He texted his mom back right away. 

Arthur: I love you, too. I’m out with the girls today at the Ren Faire. As crazy as last night was, I feel so much better about everything now that it’s behind us. Thank you for talking to Gabe and Mari for me. I know it’s your busy season, but after fall break, the girls mentioned taking you out for coffee? Is that something you’d enjoy? And you, me, and Dad should have dinner together soon.  

Mom: <3 Of course! 

Mom: Have fun at the Ren Faire! Take lots of pictures!

Arthur: Don’t worry, Rani’s on it. She’ll have a whole album for you. 

And probably one that his mother could never, under any circumstances, see. 

Mom: Have fun! Tell the girls I said hi! 

Arthur appreciated the exclamation marks. He knew his mother was feeling down, but hopefully his father was right, and seeing him being okay would help her recover. He didn’t assume her enthusiasm was genuine right now, but after a few days, she might feel better. 

The next text was from Gabriel, Lynn’s father. 

Uncle Gabe: Just giving you a heads up that I’m coming over to pack Lynn’s things today. Should be there about 10 or so. Not trying to walk in on anything, but I’ll be in the basement if you or your girlfriends use the pool. 

Arthur chose not to respond. Things with Lynn’s parents would be awkward for a while, and he wasn’t sure what to say to Gabe. He’d think of something later. 

The next text came from Caleb. 

Caleb: We’re here! Probably ahead of you in line. At least I didn’t see you, and we’re pretty close to the gates. Yvonne insisted we leave super-duper early. 

Arthur: We’ll see you in there! We’re in line now, but not close to the gates. 

And the last one was from Rani, with a zip file attached to a group chat she’d started that included the harem, and Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen.  

Queenie: Here's a million pics!

“Did you text us all the pictures already?” Arthur asked her, just to be sure. 

“Oh yeah, the camera can send them to my phone, and so I just sent them to everyone at once,” Rani said, looking up. “I hope it’s okay that I added y’all to yet another group chat, but I figured we’d need it this weekend.” 

Arthur nodded. “Thanks.” 

“You got it, my King.” Rani curtseyed slightly, earning her several looks from strangers in line who noticed the way her skirts shifted and jewelry jingled. The bells on her anklets, bracelets, and nose-to-ear chain made soft but cacophonous noises as so many tiny bells rang together. 

“Oh, I look amazing in these,” Maria said. “Damn. We can post these, right?” 

“I’m okay with that,” Arthur said, looking to the group. “Any objections?” 

The girls looked at each other. Some of their costumes were risque, but the photos were still considered safe for work. It was no different than Halloween. Any family members following their socials would just think they were out with friends. 

“Maybe don’t post anything in the captions about the polycule, until we’ve all had a chance to talk to our families, but I don’t see why not,” Katelyn said, looking at the photos. “I look super cute!” 

The girls chatted over the photos, comparing. Arthur posted the picture of everyone, the picture of himself and the harem girls, and his solo pic to Instagram as a slideshow. He tagged everyone and added a musical clip from The Fellowship of the Ring. 

Caption: Ren Faire Day!!! 

Then he set his phone to do-not-disturb, turning off notifications, and passed it back to Selene. She put it in her purse. Arthur put his arm around her, hugging her to his side as they waited in line. 

“I love you,” Selene said, unprompted. 

“I love you, too,” Arthur said, appreciating that she didn’t tack Master onto the end of it, even though it sounded like she’d considered it. 

He turned his eyes ahead, looking for Caleb, Logan, or Yvonne in the line, but he didn’t spot them. There were too many costumes, props, cloaks, hoods, tall people, and painted faces to discern anyone more than a few paces away. People who came to the Faire this early were true revelers, ready to have a good time without concern for what their coworkers might think on Monday. This was the Ren Faire, a genuine Wonderland where what was normal here seemed strange elsewhere, and what was normal elsewhere was alien and out of place. 

A performer danced past them, a jester in a full harlequin costume, their bells jangling from their cap and slowing as they reached Jen and Brad. “Oh, what a lovely masked couple. The Masquerade isn’t until tonight, you know.” He winked at them. “Fools only! Of course!” He cartwheeled away before Brad managed a response. 

A woman selling roses in a basket stopped in front of Mark, but Maria shook her head. “No, thank you.” 

“I’ll take six,” Arthur said, surprising the woman selling them, but she didn’t protest the sale. Selene handed him his wallet before he asked, and he pulled out the cash before giving it back to her. 

“Ye should visit the tailor’s shop in our lands, mi’Lord! Get yerself some trousers with fancy new inventions called pockets!” The Flower Lady quipped. 

“He doesn’t need pockets,” Selene said. “Not when he has an elven slave to carry his things.” 

The woman raised her eyebrows, but played along well enough as she gave Arthur the six roses. “Enjoy the roses, young master.” She winked at Selene as she walked on to the next group, stopping at Rani and Mindy, who stood arm-in-arm, but they shook their heads and pointed at Arthur, who gave each of them a rose. 

The flower lady continued her quest, moving along the line. 

Arthur gave each of his girlfriends a red rose. It wasn’t until Selene put hers in her hair that the others realized what they could do with them. Kelly stuck hers behind her ear. Katelyn added it to her bun. Kat wore hers on her top’s shoulder strap like a flower in a lapel. Rani added hers to her waist chain, wrapping it around on her left side. Mindy placed hers with its stem under the band of her pointed witch’s hat, adding a splash of blood-red color to her black ensemble. 

Another performer passed them, their eyes never leaving Arthur, as each woman kissed him on the cheek in thanks for their flowers.  

“So you’re even weird by Ren Faire standards,” Maria said, chuckling. “Good to know some things never change.” 

Arthur chuckled. “Could be worse,” He said. “At least Selene hasn’t called me Master in public.” 

“You mean since we left the bus?” Maria chuckled. “She would if you’d let her, though,” She glanced at Selene’s ears. “Wait, what’s elvish for Master?” 

Selene glanced at Arthur, her eyes asking permission without words. He nodded, and she produced her phone to search for the answer. “Herdir?” Selene tasted the word to determine how it felt in her mouth. “That can be your Barbarian name?” 

Arthur shrugged. “Sure. Though you could probably just get away with ‘sir’ here without anyone thinking twice.” 

“I’ll still refer to people by the harem names if you want,” Rani said, “But some brats might not like it.” 

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Kat said. “But it might be more appropriate just to use names, since we’re in public, and there are kids around and stuff.” She pointed to a few people ahead of them, where several small children argued, carrying wooden swords they clearly intended to misuse the moment their supervisors looked away. 

“She has a point,” Arthur said. “Just use our real names. We’ll know what you mean.” 

“Yes, Arthur,” Selene said, frowning as she tried it out. “Is it okay if I stick with Sir?” 

“Yes, that’s okay.” Arthur nodded. “I’ll stick with Amkae for you.” 

“Thank you, Sir,” Selene said, hugging his side again. Arthur draped his arm over her, and Kelly took his other hand in hers. It earned them a strange look from one of the Mushroom girls ahead of them, but she didn’t comment. 

“Caleb said he, Logan, and Yovnne are in line, but I think they’re ahead of us,” Arthur said, gesturing toward the gates. 

“Ugh,” Maria said, her smile evaporating. “Let’s just pretend Yvonne’s not here, okay?” 

Arthur grimaced. It made sense that things might be a little more tense between Yvonne and the other Theater Club members, since she hadn’t apologized to them yet. She and Arthur had worked things out, but as far as Arthur knew, the last time Yvonne and Maria talked was when Yvonne rage-quit. 

“Don’t worry, today is drama-free,” Rani said, asserting her will over the universe. “I’m calling it now. Anyone starts shit, and I’ll knee them in the ovaries.” 

“Is that like kicking them in the balls?” Brad asked, confused. 

“Genitals vary,” Rani shrugged. “I focus on results.” 

Laughter rippled through the group until a loud trumpet call from the gates announced the queen’s arrival with her court to welcome the Faire’s visitors. The show she and the other performers put on made Arthur miss being on stage again. There was something about live theater, hearing the crowd laugh at jokes, feeding the energy back to the performers who danced, sang, and acted their hearts out. 

“When are auditions for the spring show?” Arthur asked no one in particular. 

Selene squeezed him. “Next month, Sir.” 

He squeezed her in return. He hadn’t auditioned for the fall show because it was one-act plays that he had no genuine interest in. Of course, Lori’s departure from his life had its effect on his decision, with his mood so low he couldn’t even think of performing. 

Somehow, it seemed so silly to have been sad about her leaving him when this was what he received in exchange. He put his other arm around Kelly’s waist and hugged her to him. She slipped her arm behind him, crossing Selene’s arm, and squeezed him. 

The queen departed the gates, but the minstrels lingered, leading the crowd in songs Arthur didn’t know but caught on to quickly enough. The call-and-response kept people engaged and entertained as they waited, and the time passed quickly. The Faire performers flawlessly worked the Halloween theme into their acts, playing up the spooky pumpkins they brought out to decorate the gates. They warned children and adults to beware the ghosts around the shire, and to keep an eye out for any who might want to steal their candy. 

Soon enough, the trumpets blew again, and the gates opened. The crowd trudged forward, one step at a time. Arthur held Selene and Kelly’s hands as they walked. Kelly held Mindy’s hand, who held Rani’s, who held Katelyn’s, who held Kat’s, who held Selene’s, closing the loop. They walked with the crowd in a circle that refused to retain its shape, shifting like a rubber band as the crowd moved and slowed. 

They released their hands at the gate, because they had to show ID if they wanted to do any drinking today. Everyone over 21 got their hands stamped. Mindy didn’t. She’d confirmed the after-hours events were 18 and up, not 21 and up, so she hadn’t bothered with a fake ID. 

Many people stopped just inside the gate, unsure of where to go first, despite the performers' periodic shouts not to do so while the crowd waited in line. Rolled maps in baskets waited by the entrance, and many grabbed one as they passed. Kelly had hers in hand, plucking it from her belt as though it were a treasure map. 

“Okay, Artisan’s Boulevard is this way,” Kelly said, pointing to their right. “If we don’t get distracted, we can make it there, buy Selene a collar, and make it to the central Royal Pavilion for the start of the ceremonies in half an hour.” 

“Can we get a little distracted?” Mindy asked, following Kelly as she started walking. “There’s so much to see! Look! Pickles!” She giggled at the giant green pickle sign tacked to the front of a faux-Tudor shop. The courtyard by the gates was a battleground of food vendors calling out to hungry visitors. 

Arthur suspected that it was partially to draw them away from the gate, but it probably didn’t hurt their business either. All the Faire and festival foods were present, from Turkey Legs to Funnel Cakes, but there was no time for that now. Kelly led the way, and their group followed, striding after her through the less-populated sections of the Faire as guests split up to go to different attractions. 

The typical Medieval/Renaissance decor was everywhere. Performers and patrons in garb filled the lanes, mingled with modern conveniences like strollers, cell phones, and people not in costume. 

Still, as this was the weekend before the holiday, Halloween crept in, showing through in places. Fake spider webs adorned the trees, suggesting Mirkwood spiders might lurk somewhere in their branches, unseen, but waiting. Jack-o’-lanterns decorated the lanes, their dark, hollow eyes watching everything as their wide gap-toothed grins signaled their amusement. 

Signs posted at various businesses suggested that children could trick-or-treat there, in exchange for fun-sized candy of all varieties. Scarecrows stood sentinel, with empty brains and fake ravens on their shoulders, looking out over the crossroads. 

The spooky decorations were amusing, not terrifying, to Arthur and those with him. It was early in the morning, and the sun was bright in the sky, causing any ghostly apparitions to flee. Arthur wondered if everything would look spookier after dark. 

“Wait, they sell lightsabers here?” Brad asked, pointing at a weapons stall where several artisanal lightsabers hung on corkboard walls. 

“The anachronism is baked in,” Mark reminded him. “Plus, a lot of history people also enjoy sci-fi. The stories have similar themes.” 

Kat laughed. 

Arthur smiled at her, and she smiled at him. As the group reformed, he took Kat’s hand in his right and kept Selene in his left. Mindy and Rani walked ahead of them, offering a fantastic, if somewhat distracting, view. Mark, Maria, Brad, and Jen walked ahead of Mindy and Rani. Kelly took the lead, and Katelyn hovered between her and the four friends. 

Seeing everything pass in a blur, they crossed stalls, booths, and fake buildings until they came to a corner of the realm with a somewhat circular ring of vendors on the outside, surrounding a humongous gazebo with sound equipment. Signs pointed in every direction for different amusements. Living Mermaids caught Mindy’s eye, and she pointed with excitement. Fairy Tea Shoppe made Katelyn nearly diverge from the group until Mark asked her where she was going. 

It was the signs for blacksmiths (with live demonstrations!), glassblowers, and tanners that led him here in the first place. 

“What do you think, Amkae? Leather, or metal?” Arthur asked. 

“Well, my first collar was leather, right? Specially treated, and it was comfortable,” Selene said. 

“Sure, but it was a training collar, and leather will degrade over time, especially if you wear it twenty-four hours a day, every day,” Arthur said, pointing out the flaws in leather. He expected she’d have as much difficulty removing this one as she did the last one, so they needed something that would endure. “It would look similar to your old one, though.” 

“Hm,” Selene said, contemplating how well the dark brown went or clashed with everything she wore, or didn’t wear. “What are the downsides to a metal one?” 

“Well, stainless steel might be a bit tough to find here, but if they have it, it would obviously be more rigid and more difficult to pass off as a choker,” Arthur said. “You might have to swap it out sometimes for a necklace if you’re going about your typical vanilla day.” 

“Hm,” Selene continued to contemplate. 

“Either way, we can request they engrave or emboss it, though we might have to pick it up later if we do that,” Arthur said. 

“Tough choices,” Mindy said, thinking about it. “What are you going to do?” 

Selene pondered her options and then smiled. “I’m going to wear whatever Master decides I should wear,” She said. 

“Ha!” Rani patted Arthur’s back. “Oh, damn, even your back is all muscle.” She got distracted, poking his shoulder blade. “Mm.” 

“Behave, Queenie,” Arthur said, glancing around. They’d beaten the crowds to this part of the Faire, so there wasn’t anyone to overhear them except the workers in their booths, who were, hopefully, too distant. “Let’s shop. Everyone meet back here in twenty minutes?” 

“Last one back gets a spanking!” Mindy said, grabbing Rani’s hand and running in the direction of the live mermaids. 

Arthur blushed, looking around. “And uh, maybe don’t go shouting things like that, in public.” He sighed, retaking Selene’s hand as they walked toward the leather shop. 

Kat and Katelyn looked at each other and split off toward the Fairy Tea Shoppe. After a moment’s indecision, Kelly trailed after Mindy and Rani toward the live mermaids. Brad and Jen split off toward a blacksmith shop displaying a variety of weapons outside. Mark and Maria split off to wander through the lane, looking to see what they might find. 

~~~

Katelyn ducked through the green-beaded entrance first, the plastic ivy leaves twisted into the beads scraped gently over the skin on her arm. “Oh, my god, Kat! Look how cute this is!” 

The Fairy Tea Shoppe was impossibly adorable, tucked between a stall that sold leather boots and another selling felt hats. Its almost-hidden entrance on the green tent’s facade was a secret the Faire intentionally failed to keep. The signs pointing the way helped, as did the colorful quartz stepping stones leading to its door from the main path. 

Inside, everything shimmered from the mismatched lanterns hanging from the ceiling at different heights. Their colorful stained glass coated everything in shafts and specks of colored light. The air smelled of jasmine, honey, mint, and something Katelyn didn’t recognize. 

Behind the log counter, a young woman in a flower crown and billowing yellow sleeves poured a cup of black tea through a strainer set atop the mug, with claw-like hooks along its edges. 

“This is ridiculous,” Kat said as she entered behind Katelyn. However, her smile belied any discouragement in her words. Her eyes combed the rows of teacups on the shelves against the wall. A hand-made sign told her they were hand-crafted, each one with a different ornate pattern reflecting the natural world. Tiny wings, paw-prints, dragonflies, butterflies, dragons, unicorns, and many other creatures, natural and fantastic, decorated each mug no bigger than her fist. “These are adorable. I hate how much I want one.” 

“Welcome, travelers!” The young lady behind the counter, not much older than they were, said with an excited smile. “You’re my first guests this morning, please accept this token of welcome!” She left the counter behind and pressed an acorn into Katelyn’s palm. 

Katelyn kept a straight face, accepting the acorn with a smile, but that effort failed when she and Kat made eye contact. They both laughed quietly, shoulder-shaking giggles, as Katelyn passed her the acorn. 

“We’re not making fun, I promise,” Katelyn assured the shopkeeper. “We’re just—this is so cute.” 

“Cute is what we fairies do, but you know that,” the woman said, gesturing to Katelyn's wings. “Now, judging by your dress and the flower in your bun, I’m going to guess you’re a rose fairy?” She led Katelyn, and consequently Kat, to a corner table barely big enough for two teacups and a plate of shortbread shaped like maple leaves. The chairs, saucers, and even the tiny spoons were cobbled together and mismatched as if taken by a fairy from their rightful homes, yet they somehow fit. Each jigsaw piece Katelyn’s eyes fell onto matched everything else in energy, if not in any other discernible quality. 

“We only have about twenty minutes,” Kat reminded Katelyn. 

“I know, but we can sit and have some tea, can’t we?” Katelyn asked. “Look, it’s fairy tea!” 

The menu above the board listed types, names, and prices, each with ye olde spelling, and fairy-based names. Puck-ermint Tea, Sugarplum, Unseelie Spice, and more. Each one piqued Katelyn’s interest until she read the next, and the process began again.  

Kat chuckled. “You and Arthur with the tea. I’ll stick to coffee, thank you.” 

Around them, two more guests entered the oversized tent, which was more like a canvas building from the inside. The couple that entered murmured in hushed tones, as if speaking too loudly might break the spell the tea shoppe cast over them. They were both in full costume, like Katleyn and Kat. The man wore a tunic, and the woman holding his hand wore a gown. Behind them, a girl who couldn’t be more than ten was very seriously studying a pamphlet from the shelf about reading tea leaves. 

“Remember when you threw that tea party your freshman year?” Kat asked, suddenly. “With that old tea set you brought from home?” 

“The one with the roses.” Katelyn smiled at the memory. “You insisted on using the cup with the chip in it because you said it had character.” 

“I was correct,” Kat said, chuckling. 

“You were also the only person to stay,” Katelyn said. “My suitemates laughed at me for hosting a ‘Girls Only Tea Party’. I’m lucky they didn’t report me for sneaking in that hot plate.” 

Kat’s smile lingered, forming a dimple on one cheek. “Yeah, but hey, we had fun.” 

Katelyn nodded. “I used to throw tea parties all the time as a kid. My stuffed animals probably got tired of it, too.” 

Kat shrugged. “I enjoyed it. I never got to have tea parties as a kid. Selene would always ruin them.”

“She what?” Katelyn asked. 

“She’d play wrong,” Kat said. “I don’t know why, but it was a major source of conflict in our house between the ages of three and eleven.” 

Katelyn giggled, falling quiet as the shopkeeper brought them a small tea kettle and a tray of tea to choose from. 

“Okay, fine,” Kat said after Katelyn gave her the pleading puppy eyes. “I’ll have some tea if you put that pouting lip away before it falls off.” 

Katelyn giggled as she picked a Mother Ginger (gingerbread) tea for herself. Kat chose the Redcap’s Brew (apple cinnamon tea). They sat in comfortable silence as they strained their tea. The couple and their daughter bought the book on tea leaves and left, thanking the woman behind the counter. Outside, the chatter of people filled the path, and distant notes of music floated through the air. Dust motes danced to its melody on shafts of slanted, jeweled light from the lanterns. 

“We should do this more,” Katelyn said, letting her tea steep. 

“The Ren Faire?” Kat asked, confused. 

“Not the Faire, necessarily, just this. Going to new places, trying new things, together.” Katelyn said. 

“Last week hasn’t been enough new things for you?” Kat asked, but her tone made it a rhetorical question. She tried one of the shortbread cookies on the table. “I mean, we—oh, these are good—yeah, we should try new things more often.” 

Katelyn chuckled. 

The woman in the flower crown smiled at them as she passed, straightening one of the mugs on her shelves. 

Other people came in as they drank their tea, and the woman helped them, served them, explained the different teas, and sold them her wares. Everything in the tent was for sale, from the lanterns above them to the teacups in their hands. They sipped their tea, blowing on it between drinks to help it cool. 

“We’d better get going,” Kat said after a few sips over a few minutes. Time had a way of hanging in suspension here, and she had no idea whether it had been close to twenty minutes or close to an hour. She pulled her phone from her purse to check and winced. They were a minute overdue. Hopefully, the others were just as late. 

“Can we come back later?” Katelyn asked. “I like it here.” 

“Sure,” Kat said, shrugging. “But if we throw off Captain Kelly’s schedule, she might make us walk the plank,” Kat said, setting her tea cup down, standing up, and adjusting her mini skirt before anyone looked her way. 

Katelyn giggled. “Knowing Captain Kelly, she’d probably just make us do planks.” 

“Oh, that’s so much worse. I’d rather take my chances in the sea,” Kat said, swiping another cookie for the road. 

Katelyn followed her example, wincing as she shifted. Her still-red ass from her spanking didn’t appreciate the sudden lift off the cushion. “Are you okay if I use that later? The Captain Kelly nickname? It works on a few levels, right?”  

“If she likes it, it was my idea. If she hates it, it’s all yours.” Kat said, moving to the counter and pulling her card from her purse to pay. 

“I can cover my half,” Katelyn said on reflex.

“Don’t worry, I've got you. I can handle some tea and cookies at least.” Kat insisted. 

The young woman charged her card with a small iPad, and Kat chose the email receipt option. 

“Thank you!” Katelyn said, hugging Kat. “This was nice.” 

Kat chuckled. “Yeah, yeah, come on. Let’s go, Pet.” She took Katelyn’s hand, half to make sure she left the store with her, and half to set the pace as they hustled back to meet the others at Artisan’s Boulevard.

The woman in the flower crown smiled as they left, turning as her partner entered the shop from the rear ‘employees only’ entrance. The shorter woman in the toadstool garb and mushroom hat yawned as she tried to say good morning. 

“I can see it’s busy,” She said, looking at the empty tent. 

The flower-crowned woman smiled as she replaced the tray of cookies at the corner table and cleared away the saucers, teacups, and spoons. “You missed the cutest pair of lesbians so far this season. They reminded me a lot of us when we were younger.” 

The short woman grunted. “Did they buy anything?” 

The flower-crowned woman giggled, kissed her wife, and deposited the dirty dishes in the sink behind the counter. “Come on, we’ll get more of a crowd after the storyline kicks off.”