All Comments on 'Conception Day'

A different kind of story by this writer. Very plausible and extremely arousing!

All the other women have mates, but the queen only has sex once year on Conception Day with faceless men. The young woman only talks of her mother and grandmother, and is curiously silent about her siblings. No friend or confidant? Is she discouraged from even interacting with men during the rest of the year? Having experienced sex, won't she want to repeat the act? Or as queen, is she conditioned to only think if sex as a means of breeding?

What would happen if a queen suddenly died, and a younger sister was paired with a man - does she have to give him up upon ascending as queen? If such a new queen had a daughter already, would that girl become heir, or - because the father was known, be prohibited from succession?

Is there a significance to why the ascension takes place at age 19? Why not 18 or 20? If she doesn't conceive after the first three matings, are another three men selected for a repeat the next night? Or does she wait until the next year to try again? Presumably, the drug inhibiting her libido does not affect fertility. Or does it? Once pregnant, does she resume taking the drug? If so, does it affect the personality of the child? It was mentioned that the women take a counter balance drug when they want to have sex so as to better enjoy it. Does the libido reducing drug also have birth control properties then? The protagonist was not given any foreplay - just straight to the rutting. Is that, too, designed to socially keep her distant, to prevent her from enjoying the sex too much?

I assume there is a religious significance to the wine the morning after, though it would tend to further dehydrate the woman. My first ex- would drink one or two glasses afterward making love, and would have a headache the next morning if she didn't.

These types of ceremonies are more commonly associated with farming groups, not hunter gathers. The rite itself appeared to be totally secular rite, curiously lacking in religious invocation. Is Conception Day, then, only for the queen? And everyone else getting aroused is just an excuse to party?

During fights, does the queen fight alongside her people? Or does she stay back? What keeps the war chief from keeping control after the war - other than custom?

The sense of being separate from the rest of the tribe is well conveyed; the young woman is almost dispassionate about her experience. Polite to others, but she appears emotionally distant, and we don't know if that's the effect of the drugs she takes, how the heir is groomed, or just the personality of the protagonist. Or, even some combination of the above.

These are observations, not criticisms. Your story is well written, and these above questions are the sort that naturally spring to my mind when a new society or culture is introduced. Thanks for sharing. 4*

Very good. Very sexy. Would be ideal for the new queen to find out eventually who the three hooded men were, though.