Chapter 1

It was late afternoon and Tavor had just returned home from his classes. Having studied things that he did not find very interesting all day he was eager to peruse his favorite book, an illustrated guide to horses.His sisters Satya and Natya had gone off by themselves as they often did. He loved them very much but they were twins, and had their own sort of closeness that he could never match. When they went off on their own he usually turned to books, and for over a year horses had been his obsession. His mother Seleme had taken him to the royal stables many times while she visited her best friend Kavya, and he never tired of watching the horses, petting them, even riding them with Kavya sometimes. He had always liked Kavya, and he was in awe of her abilities with the horses. She was some kind of important person at the stables, maybe even the big boss, Tavor wasn't entirely sure, as he didn't pay much mind to such things at seven years of age. All he knew was she knew more about horses than anyone else he had ever met. About the only thing that he didn't like about being around the horses was that he had to wear clothes and even boots. He much preferred the comfort of running around naked as all the other kids usually did. Even now as he sat in his favorite chair by the window wall he was unclothed; in this place and time there was no shame in this, in fact it would have been odd if he had found his own nakedness uncomfortable or embarassing. Of predominantly Jewish ancestry, Tavor was olive complected, with wavy, almost curly black hair and brown eyes. He was already tall for his seven years, with a wiry frame, but one would not call him skinny. Despite his semitic nature, his tiny prebupescent penis was uncircumcised, both parents being rebellious to their ancestral religion. As he read of Arabians, quarter horses, and all the other breeds of horse he heard his mother arrive home from the clinic where she worked as the Queen's midwife.

Seleme entered Tavor's room, and he leapt to his feet to give her a hug. Seleme was a bit lighter than her son, but her Jewish ancestry was still evident. Her hazel eyes, prominent cheekbones, and lighter skin reflected her Russian heritage. She embraced her son, picking him up and spinning him around once before setting him back down. She nudged him toward the sofa, peeling off her surgical scrubs as they went. They lay down together, and as Seleme queued up some quiet classical music Tavor grasped her breast and pulled it to his mouth, taking suck. Setting down the audio remote control she cradled his head, still seeing so much of her little baby in the face of this boy, so soon to be a young man. She felt her milk begin to flow, and relaxed gazing into her son's face. After a moment she had closed her eyes, relaxed and exhausted from a long day of work. As she tried to clear her mind she concentrated on the sensation of nursing, feeling a sensual pleasure though this was her own child. Then she realized that he was more than nursing, he was licking and suckling her almost as a lover would; her nipples had grown quite hard in response. Seleme allowed herself to enjoy this even as she knew that he was almost ready to leave her and go to his bodymatron. Her thoughts turned to Kavya, her close friend who had been chosen by Queen Miria to be Tavor's bodymatron from birth, when the time finally came. She could not help but feel a moment's passing jealousy at the knowledge that soon her son would be bonded to Kavya. She quickly smiled however, knowing that Miria's great wisdom was correct as it always was. She knew that the things her son was beginning to need were not things that she could give him. As his relationship with women shifted from mother to lover, he would need the bosom of Kavya to draw his sustinence. All too quickly Tavor's attention began to turn from her breasts, but even one swallow of her milk had provided him with powerful nanites, courtesy of Miria's own milk which Seleme drank regularly. He would be protected against poisons, pathogens, and even some types of injury for weeks to come. As she brushed his hair with her fingers, she knew it was time to ask Tavor about Kavya.

"What would you think about going to live at the stables with the horses and Kavya?"

Tavor's mind, still full of the horses he had just been reading about, was suddenly ablaze at the possibility of being so close to the horses he loved. "Could we really!?" he exclaimed, sitting bolt upright on her lap.

"Well, not 'we' Tavor. I had in mind that you would go to live there with Kavya. I would still need to live here in the royal apartments to be available to the Queen. Satya and Natya would need to stay here with me." She managed not to let her face show the pain she felt as his expression drooped. "You are getting to be a big boy. Before you know it you will be a young man. It is getting to be the time when you go to be with your bodymatron, to begin the next phase of your life." Tavor was not convinced, and she held him as she continued to explain. "You will still see me all the time. The stables are right down the hill from here, across the gardens. Either one of us can walk to the other in just a few minutes. These rooms aren't your home sweetheart, the whole terem is your home. You would just spend most of your time at the stables, and I know this is something you have wanted for a while now."

"But I will miss you mama," Tavor said, concern evident in his face. Seleme could no longer keep her emotions from her own expression, and she hugged him tightly.

"I will miss you too Tavor, very much. But we really will see each other a lot, and you are ready for some adventures now. You are a brave boy, I know you are big enough to start really learning about the horses. You like Kavya, don't you?"

Tavor seemed almost embarrassed for a moment. "Yes mama, I like her a lot."

Able to read her son as if he had spoken his thoughts, Seleme probed a little more. "You think she is pretty." It was more of a statement than a question, but Tavor raised his eyes to meet hers.

"I ... yes, I think she is really pretty. I..." Tavor's voice trailed off.

"Tell me sweetheart. You think she is pretty and..."

"I ... I like how she looks different than us. Like her dark skin," Tavor managed to say, almost in a whisper.

"She is a beautiful woman, and you are right to find her differences to be a good thing. Kavya's ancestors came from southern India, a long way from Israel where our people came from. You will learn much about that culture from Kavya. And don't forget it isn't just horses. Next door to the stables are the kennels, and next to that is the Royal Menagerie. You will learn so much about all kinds of animals. I think though that horses are your first love." They were both quiet for a while as Tavor considered all these things, and although he again clung to her and groped at her breasts, he seemed to begin to accept the idea of leaving the home he had always known and going to live with the horses.

"I do want to be with the horses Mama. I want to ride on my own, like the Tuareg or the Mongols did. I think I can do it."

Pulled in opposite directions by her emotions, Seleme held him closely and whispered, "I know you can do it, and Kavya will help you."

On the day of the ceremony Seleme bathed Tavor and placed a silken sash of Royal colors on him: crimson with trim of spun gold, draped over his right shoulder. This ceremony as much placed him in the service of the Queen as it did mark his transition from birthmother to bodymatron. Other than this adornment he was naked. Seleme, naked from the waist up, wore a floor length skirt of the same coloring, along with assorted jewelry and a small headdress, which she was permitted even in the presence of the Queen, given her status. After they were prepared they made their way, hand in hand, to the gardens just outside the Royal apartments. Almost as if by designed symbolism, the gardens were also located directly between the rooms where Tavor had grown up and the stables and ranch house where he would spend the next phase of his life.

They came into a portion of the garden which was a small lawn of soft green grass, lined by trees and ornamental shrubs from all over the empire. Tavor was a little nervous as he saw that there were many people gathered there. His father Asher was there, clad in a uniform tunic and red leather kilt. Satya and Natya, his sisters in all but blood were there as well, as were Ptella, Socratia, and other women he knew from around the harem. And there ... he saw Kavya talking with some of her fellow bodymatrons, each with their boy at their side. He felt a peculiar tingle as he laid eyes on Kavya. He had always felt a fondness for her, and now that he knew he was to live with her he realized just how beautiful and exotic she was. Kavya was Indian, of the Dravidian type; her skin was quite dark, and her hair very thick, long and jet black. Her large eyes were so dark brown as to be nearly as black as her hair, and it seemed as if she had black eyeliner on even when she did not. She was above average height, with broad shoulders and wide hips. She had a softness to her curves that overlaid her athletic body. Today she wore a crimson sari trimmed in gold and choli which was made of pure spun gold. She wore ornate gold jewelry in the Indian style, with a golden ring thru her left nostril and a bhindi upon her forehead. Her hands were decorated with intricate patterns drawn in henna, as well as gold rings on her fingers. When she turned and met his gaze Tavor could not help but look down, caught staring at her.

Seleme led him over to where Asher stood with Tarmar and a few other men, all in uniform. Tavor's father spoke words of encouragement as the crowd began to assemble in a semicircle around the raised platform where the queen's marble chair sat, currently unoccupied. A few moments later two amazons took up position behind the chair, and after a short time Queen Miria herself walked to the platform. She wore a relatively simple toga in white, trimmed in crimson and gold. She was barefoot as she walked across the soft green grass, and simple gold tiara crowned her head. Everyone bowed their head as she made her way to the chair and seated herself. She motioned for her bodymaidens, Satya and Natya to join her. The girls were dressed in similar fashion to their Queen, but without any headdress. Satya sat on a cushion just to Miria's right, her arm draped over the Queen's leg. Natya took up the same position on the Queen's left side. After surveying the assemblage for a moment, Miria spoke.

"We are pleased to see everyone gathered for the Matroning of Tavor Selemov Aya, son of Seleme Akhmatova and Asher Khelebov to Kavya Shivashankar. Seleme, present your son."

Seleme took Tavor by the hand and they walked into the open space in front of the Queen's platform, and they both knelt with heads bowed for a moment. With a word from the Queen, Seleme then gathered her son into her arms and brought his lips to her breast, symbolically giving him suck for the last time, though the Queen no longer enforced this strictly. As Seleme felt her milk begin to flow, she held back tears of both joy and sadness at this rite of passage for her son.

Tavor thought nothing of suckling in front of the crowd, having done so in semi public settings many times before, but he began to feel the import of the ceremony all the same, and knew that he would not be able to nurse at his mother's breast very much after this day. This saddened him at the same time that he was excited at the prospect of all the new experiences that were to come. While he was still suckling, Miria again spoke. "Kavya, come forward."

Kavya came into the open space before the Queen and knelt down next to Seleme, bowing with her forehead to the grass for a moment before retunring to a kneel and starting to unrap her sari from her shoulder. She moved with a slow, deliberate grace, and Tavor was able to look out of the corner of his eyes as she then removed her spun gold choli, baring her ample breasts to him for the first time. She was roughly a D cup, and her dark skin looked almost light next her her very dark brown nipples. After she set her choli aside she pulled her sari loosely back over her shoulder, leaving both of her breasts bare. Again, the Queen spoke. "Seleme, the time has come." At this Seleme gently pulled Tavor away from her breast and handed him to Kavya. For a moment all three looked upon their Queen.

"Tavor, you are a child no longer, though you are not yet a man. Seleme is and will always be your mother, but you need things that your mother cannot give you in order to become a man. Kavya is now your bodymatron, and you will respect her as you have your mother. You will follow her guidance in all things, and from this day forward it is she who will give you sustenance."

With a nod from Miria, Kavya took young Tavor in her arms for the first time as his bodymatron. Tavor quivered with excitement and anxiety as she cradled him and brought his lips to her breast, so much larger and darker than his mother's. Tavor's boyish crush and curiosity meant that he wasted no time in latching onto the offered breast, and he felt Kavya's nipple grow stiff in his mouth as he tasted the first drops of her milk. The taste was subtly different from his mother's but just as good, and he began to suck in earnest, swallowing mouthfuls of her warm milk. Before he was sated it was time to stop, this being a ceremony and not a feeding. Tavor reluctantly let Kavya's nipple slip from his mouth and at her gesture he knelt beside her facing the Queen. Tavor realized that as he had nursed his mother had quietly backed away, leaving just the two of them in the open grass before the Queen.

Miria now rose and walked to them, Satya and Natya following a step behind and carrying the train of her long toga. She motioned for them to rise, and they both stood before her with their heads bowed. Miria turned and placed her finger in a small jar of red ochre that Satya produced from the folds of her toga, then daubed it on Kavya's forehead just above her intricate bhindi. Satya wiped the Queen's hands clean before she turned to Natya, who held a single white lilly, which she now gave to Miria. The Queen leaned to Tavor and solemnly kissed his forehead, her mouth open to quickly lick him, then she brushed the flower over the spot, leaving a patch of yellow pollen stuck to his forehead in the same place as the ochre she had placed upon Kavya. As she straightened up, Miria again turned to Kavya and openly looked her up and down, admiring her semi nude body. She then embraced the newly consecrated bodymatron and kissed her heavily, Miria's tongue probing into her mouth even as her hands found her ass and groped it for all the harem to see. After a long moment she hesitantly ended their kiss and whispered into Kavya's ear. "In a few days I will summon you to my bed chamber. Be ready." And with that she gave her ass one last squeeze before turning and walking back to her chair.

Tavor wasn't sure what was supposed to happen next, but then he was overjoyed to see a boy a few years older than he was leading a white arabian mare into the clearing. The horse was one of the most beautiful he had ever seen, and her lines were unmarred by a saddle, as she wore only a bridle of crimson leather, trimmed in gold just as his sash was. The horse was led to them and Kavya deftly hopped onto her back, then Asher stepped forward and lifted Tavor up to sit astride the horse in front of his new bodymatron. With a nod from the Queen, Kavya placed Tavor's hands on the reins, her own hands over his. She showed him how to gently urge the mare to a gentle walk, and the gathered crowd parted to let them thru as they made their way toward the stables.

The stables were not far away, so it only took them a few minutes to get there, even with the mare moving at a leisurely walk. When they arrived Kavya dismounted, then helped Tavor down. She showed him how to take off the horse's bridle and secured her in a stall in the barn that was next to the ranch house.

"Let's go inside Tavor, we will have all day tomorrow to work with the horses, tonight we must get to know one another." Kavya took his hand and led him into her home, which was furnished in elegant simplicity. The walls were of light wood, and the furniture utilitarian but of the highest quality. She led Tavor into the bathroom, which was modest compared to those in the royal apartments, but luxurious by any other standard. She began to draw a bath in the large tub that occupied the center of the room, adding fragrant oils to the water. As the tub was filling, she removed Tavor's sash, folding it neatly and setting it aside. She knew that he would keep this sash forever as a reminder of this day, so she took great care to put it away safely. When the tub was full she stopped the tap and helped Tavor into the warm water. She then began to slowly unwind her sari, all the while looking Tavor directly in the eye. She let the sari fall to the floor, revealing her nakedness to him for the first time. Tavor looked at her in awe, taking in her beauty. Her dark curves and thickly furred mons left him somewhat dazzled, and he could do nothing but stare as she stepped into the bath with him. He instinctively moved close to her, and she took him in her arms, embracing him under the water. She buried her nose in his thick wavy hair and inhaled his fragrance; his scent was that of a boy, with no trace of musk yet. She just held him for a long moment, then she began to bathe him. She showed no reluctance to soap up every part of his body, and she felt his tiny penis stiffen somewhat as she washed him. She knew this was a reflex, and he showed no other signs of arousal, other than his seeming inability to take his eyes off of her. When Kavya had finished washing his hair and body she asked Tavor if he would like to bathe her in the same way. Tavor nodded and managed to whisper "Yes."

Kavya handed him the shampoo and he began to lather up her long, luxuriant hair. His mama's hair wasn't exactly short, but he had never touched hair like Kavya's, so long and black. He found the act of washing her hair to be strangely relaxing, yet exciting at the same time. Once he had rinsed her hair and then applied the conditioner she gave him, he was able to turn his full attention to her body. She gave him the same bar of soap she had used to wash him, and he began to smear the suds over her skin. He could not help but linger on her soft breasts, and he felt her nipples grow hard as he lathered. He was fascinated by how dark Kavya was, in particular her nipples, which were almost black. Tavor felt encouraged that Kavya made no attempt to dissuade him from his exploration of her body. In fact, she seemed to enjoy his attentions, and he began to sense some of the differences in the relationship that he was to have with his new bodymatron. Although he wanted to, he could not bring himself to touch Kavya's mons as he bathed her. Instead his hand moved from her belly to her thighs, as some nervous inhibition took over. This was short lived however, as Kavya gently grasped his hand and guided it to her thick pubes, looking him in the eyes as she did.

"Tavor, I am your bodymatron now, and you my zenar. We must have no inhibitions with each others' body, for we are bonded. You can wash me here as you would the rest of my body." Tavor gently and tentatively washed her, fascinated with the sensations and the soft suppleness of her body. Once they had bathed one another, they dried off and she showed him around the house, eventually coming to the kitchen/dining room. The dining room was really more of a breakfast nook set in the side of one wall of the kitchen. On the table was laid out a mediterranean feast, presumably brought by household slaves while they bathed. There was pita, humus, falafel, olives, grapes and figs. There were chunks of lamb and chicken, still steaming hot on skewers, the heady smell of the herbal seasoning permeated the air as they approached the table. There was a pot of tea, but only a single cup. There was also a bottle of olive oil and one of wine. Kavya sat down at the table and patted her lap, indicating that Tavor should sit there. She set the wine aside with barely a glance, instead pouring herself a cup of the piping hot tea. Tavor then noticed that there were no plates on the table, only the platters of food. Kavya picked up a pita, tore it in half and scooped up some humus and oil, offering it to Tavor. He accepted the proffered food, suddenly realizing how hungry he was. It had been a very busy and unusual day, and he was famished. Kavya was equally hungry, and they ate quickly at first, Kavya occasionally taking a sip of tea.

"Amah, what am I to drink?" he asked, seeing nothing on the table. Without saying a word, Kavya took her breast in her hand, pushing it up and offering it to him. She squeezed rhythmicly to start her milk flowing until white droplets appeared on her dark nipple As Tavor unhesitatingly took suck, she whispered softly to him.

"My Rashmi, drink of my body. Rashmi is the rays of the sun, as you have brightened and warmed my heart. And you are right to call me Amah, for I will care for you in always, and in all ways."

After slaking his thirst for the moment, Tavor picked up an olive and offered it to his Amah. She accepted it, playfully sucking on his finger for a second as she did. They proceeded to feed one another, Tavor occasionally taking suck just as she sipped her tea, which was a strong black variety. As succulent as the food was, eventually they could eat no more. After a moment of food induced stupor they washed up and went into the bedroom. The room was a sort of suite, with the bed in one part and a sitting area on a slightly lower level, complete with a sizeable fireplace set into the stone wall. A fire was already burning, warming the room which had begun to cool in the mid autumn evening. They sat on the suede couch and Kavya pulled a blanket loosely around them, the fire mostly keeping them warm. On the coffee table before them were some books and magazines, and Tavor recognized his favorite book about horses among them. They read the book together, Kavya expanding on it and answering his questions. She told him how there was so much more to horsemanship than just riding. He would learn to care for the horses, how to treat them if they were sick or injured, and how to repair their tack. Kavya was overjoyed to see how interested Tavor really was in horses, for it was clearly not a passing fancy. He had read about them, watched vids, and had occasional visits to the stables in the past. Before they knew it they had been talking about horses for hours, and the fire had burned low. The room was now more dimly lit, and Tavor watched the firelight play over the dark contours of his amah's body. He wondered at the new emotions he felt, cuddled up with his Amah, a mother figure but then also not his mother. "I love you Amah."