Omorose, as a Nubile Daughter, knew that it could happen, but she never thought she would ever be given away as a virgin Princess. Ram’s army was just too mighty. Or so they all thought. Then came the Mambian invasion. None thought the barbaric tribesmen of Malroo’s interior would ever amount to much, but somehow nomadic clans of Mambia had unified across Race and Class lines and metamorphicized into an unstoppable force bent on capturing the riches of Ram… and capturing its Princess. The Mambian’s had captured all the dessert outposts, they had devoured like locust all the fertile riches of the Lile river valley. They had desecrated the Valley of the Gee’s, where all Omorose’s ancestors lay buried deep inside pyramids and other immense monuments to their dynasty. Now the Mabians under the leadership of the Barbaric Azeman, Hokid Fangee surrounded the gates of Neffra, the capitol of Ram and there was but one way to stop them from destroying all that was Ram: Offer up Omorose as a Nubile Bride. A noble practice of peace, and one that may go back as far as the first day of the first month in the first year. The custom throughout Malroo kingdoms and royal houses. It predated recorded history, and is thought to date back before the division of the Gods. To a time when Quont, the God of Fertility himself, or herself depending on how that chose to show himself, had agreed to help Stop Tul, the God of war from decimating a then very young Kingdom of Ram. In exchange he demanded Siri the daughter of the Great Tutu, then Gee of all Ram, to become his concubine. Siri, much like Omorose herself and the thousand of Nubians this event was eventually responsible for, was young, slender, divinely shaped, but most importantly untouched by any male. Their skin, as dictated by tradition, is a smooth chocolate, dark or light, but it is so flawless that in the blue full Moon of Araf, the skins and the highlights it radiates almost as if lightly covered with Dryoil. All Nubile’s eyes would be dark, sometimes even black, but full of life, catching even the dimmest glimmer of light. Each royal family, and even those of other high born families, would pray to Quont for beautiful daughters and once born, would hold at least one, often more depending on how many enemies they had, in the Service of the Nubile Order. Praying they would never have to sacrifice their daughter, but content in the knowledge that the law of the land would require their enemies’ to accept the Nubile virgin bride in return for the enemy leader granting one request from the family who gave her up. Omorose, with her father’s Kingdom in tatters, her very home city Neffra surrounded and near to starvation would be offered as a Nubile offering to the Azeman Hokid in the hopes that he would find her acceptable. With his acceptance, Hodik would be required to grant her father one request that could not be denied and that request would be the end of war so Ram could continue as a Kingdom and the Gee line could continue to rule. There was little doubt that Hodik would accept, he had made it very clear that his interests were not in the valleys full of valuable papyrus, it was not in the Massive Gems of the Fathers hidden in the pyramids of Ram’s ancestors, not even in the rich gold mine in Alzuce Mountains North of Neffra. His interests were on Omorose Alone. The massive hairy beast wished to make her his wife and to have her bear his children. But I will never marry him! Omorose thought defiantly, all the while knowing that the decision was no longer hers. I at least have until Siberlee’s Blue Moon Araf is full in the sky. This was how it always came to pass, the Nubile Offering would always have brief reprieve to make peace with the life and their family before being given. This reprieve was a Moon or less depending on when the agreement was made. The actual time is determined by when Siberlee, Goddess of the Lion, and all that is Good, saw fit to allow Sola, Goddess of the Sun to bring forth...