First, the girls' room:
Next, the boyz:
Fountains appear in the bedrooms of every Fae male. Because sexually active women are considered to be "ritually impure", Fae men wash their hands and arms after sex. Every time.
Move'n On Up
I think it's fairly safe to say that the Mindelsohn kids can't possibly stay by themselves anymore. Ermengarde needs special care. Elise needs special training. And Arnaud is just a problem child. Kvornan is going to have to convince Vince that they need to come back with him. And if he can do that, then the kick-ass bedrooms that have been outfitted for the kids back at the palace will not go to waste.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
So if they gave Vince a double bed and fountain, they're practically expecting him to have sex? I wonder what he'd think of that--he doesn't strike me as the type of guy with much interest in sex, or maybe that's just because he's been too busy being Dad to his siblings.
ReplyDeleteLovely rooms, by the way. Gorgeous decor.
Hmmm... you'd think a people as world-weary as the Fae would be a little more forward-thinking about gender roles. Obviously, in order for there to be sexually active men (which, evidently, are considered pure), there have to be sexually active women (which, as you said, are not). Unless of course the men were gay, but I somehow doubt that homosexuality is seen as acceptable in Fae society. Or is it? And does a man even have to wash if the woman is his own wife?
I think that it was put in there as more of a precautionary measure and so that they don't have to switch out the furniture later. But yeah, girls terrify Vince. He could never even work up to courage to talk to one, let alone what they're thinking. And with Arnaud sharing that room too? No way.
ReplyDeleteTheir ideas on gender are pretty backwards, it's true. They are a long way from the whole, "everyone is equal and should be treated equally" thing. But it's more to do with their religion that their politics. This is going to be a topic of discussion in an upcoming chapter, actually.
For them, ritually impure means the following:
Because of the potential for pregnancy, sexually active women are not allowed to participate in the magical ceremonies at temple. If a woman is sexually active, she's not even supposed to touch the sacred scrolls or the tea chalices or any objects having to do with the ceremonies. The reason for all of this is the potential for pregnancy. If a woman's energies are shifting and dividing because she is pregnant, then the ceremony could theoretically have ill effects on her and the baby. By extension, any man who touches her, needs to wash his hands. When he does this, he isn't actually ridding himself of her energies or anything. It's more of a willingness to follow the rules above and beyond what is necessary.
Sexually active women still go to temple and pray. But for the ceremonial bits, they just sit back and watch. So yeah, even if the woman is his wife, he's gotta wash. And in all honesty, the woman is supposed to be his wife.
The role of homosexuality in the society is actually a changing, fluctuating thing. When Kvornan was coming up, there were no real sentiments against it. But right now, there are pretty strong sentiments against it. Why? Because the fertility rates are shockingly, shockingly low.
That is stunningly beautiful. I wanna live there.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa! I'd live there in a heartbeat but then again, my taste in decor has always been a little old-fashioned. Dark wood, distressed leather, browns with gold undertones.
ReplyDeleteOkay, that makes more sense now, with the pregnancy thing. But yeah, the whole washing thing is a little over-the-top, but at least the woman aren't participating in the ceremonies because they might get sick as opposed to because everyone thinks they're whores.
ReplyDeleteWhoops, I didn't mean for it to sound like she might get physically sick! It's more to do with the energy-altering potential of magical activity. If she ends up doing something that changes the composition of her and/or her baby's energy, then she and/or her baby would not turn out as it/she/they were intended to be. Or at least, that's the belief.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same with vampirism. If a vampire alters your life energy, then you are not as you were meant to be and you are therefore TAINTED! That was Amunet's big fear in the chapter where she was attacked by Mr. Hotness.