In Which Thetis is Given an Unusual First Impression

February 2, 1156

"Hello, Electra," Thetis greeted the woman seated at the table as she stepped inside the house.

"Hello, Thetis," she replied. However, she did not turn around to face her visitor.

Thetis frowned. Though often flustered, Electra ordinarily made an effort to make her guests feel at home; clearly, she was preoccupied.

"Is something the matter?" inquired Thetis.

The older woman sighed. "I've been feeling a little ill lately."

This, Thetis knew, was bad news--both for Electra and Thetis's own daughter. "Electra... you don't think... it's not what your husband has, is it?"

"Oh, no," dismissed Electra. "What Florian has is making him weak. He's lost a lot of weight since he's been sick, and his appetite's gone. Also, he gets stomach pains every so often. Me... I'm just getting the nausea, and it comes in waves. When Florian gets it, it stays for a while."

What Electra was describing, Thetis realized, was nothing to worry about at all.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," she began; she wasn't entirely sure about whether or not Electra was sleeping with her husband, given his condition. "But do you think it might be... morning sickness?"

For a moment, Electra did not respond. Then--

"I don't want to get my hopes up."

"Oh."

Thetis didn't know what to say to her. This woman was practically twice her age and childless, while she herself had a healthy pair of twins; any words she could give Electra would just be empty reassurance, a sort of awkward formality that would just end up being silently unappreciated, and really deserved no more than that.

"I have to go to the market for a few things," Electra muttered as she pulled herself out of her chair, seemingly more to herself than to Thetis. "Florian's asleep in the bedroom. Can you stay until I come back, just so Evera's not alone with someone who can occasionally wakes up and finds he can barely even stand, let alone take care of a baby?"

"I'd be happy to," answered Thetis truthfully. This would be her first time alone with her daughter since they had lived together at Lord Severin's keep; she had been secretly hoping for this opportunity for quite some time.

Electra gave a half-hearted smile. "I thought so. Thank you, Thetis."

"No, thank you, Electra," she protested, "for caring for her. I'm sorry to have burdened you like this, really."

The other woman shook her head. "Evera is anything but a burden."

They exchanged a quick, parting grin, then before Thetis knew it, Electra was heading out the door, clutching the back of her head, as if going to battle against a particularly malicious headache.

Thetis took a moment to observe Florian's crops through the window. Despite the farmer's ailment, they looked quite healthy--healthier than Norwan's even--and truth be told, it was nice to be able to see them from the kitchen. Thetis's own house only had one window, and it faced the road, not a single plant more interesting than grass in sight. Electra's was a comfortable house, considering it only housed three people, perhaps soon to be four; it was a little small for any more than that, though. Still, at least it wasn't unbearably dark, like her own house was. And to think, it was even made of stone instead of wood! This, Thetis was certain, was a house that would still be standing when Florian and Electra and their baby were long dead; Norwan's might not even outlive Goodman Diarn's current herd of pigs, for all she knew.

Suddenly, the door leading to Electra's bedroom creaked open. "Electra? Electra, are you there?"

Thetis opened her mouth to reply, but before she could tell him that Electra had left, Florian had emerged. They had never met before, and honestly, she had not known what to expect. He could have been deathly pale, or covered in boils the size of chicken eggs, or had veins popping through his skin like an elderly woman that had lived in Thetis's old village; but this, oh... this was so much worse than any or all of those things.

He was completely and thoroughly stark naked.

"Oh God!" he gasped, promptly throwing his hands up and turning away; Thetis found it somewhat strange that of all the things he could have covered, he'd immediately chosen his face. "Who... what... oh, for Christ's sake!"

"I'm sorry!" she screamed. "Really!"

It was like an eclipse. She knew she shouldn't stare directly at it, that it was dangerous... but for some reason, probably sheer, girlish curiosity, she was unable to look away. She didn't find the fact too surprising, but it was considerably larger than Norwan's.

"No, it's... my fault," he choked. "Look... I..."

Instead of finishing his sentence, however, he chose to retreat into his dark bedroom.

Thetis could not decide what the greater sin was. On one hand, she had just seen another woman's husband naked; on the other, she had just seen a man who was not her own husband naked. Surely, even one of those was worth a month's penance. She resolved to ask Father Quintus the next time she went to Mass, so long as Norwan was out of earshot.

She didn't have much time to wonder, however, as her new acquaintance had just reentered the room.

"Look, whoever you are," Florian began awkwardly, "I'm sorry about... that. I really should have made sure no one else was here, but we don't get a lot of company, so..."

"So you always walk around your house naked?" Thetis finished for him.

"No!" he exclaimed in protest. "I just... just... how old are you? Twelve?"

"Fourteen!" she corrected him, "Fourteen and a half, actually--almost fourteen and three quarters!"

"Whatever, same difference. Little girls shouldn't talk about such things."

Thetis sighed. "I don't want to talk about that. I'll just... can I just see Evera?"

"Wait," muttered Florian, striding toward her. "Are you... Thetis?"

"Does it matter?" she demanded of him, crossing her arms defensively.

"You are," he insisted.

"And either you're Florian," Thetis deduced, "or Electra is in the habit of keeping strange naked men in her bedroom."

"As far as I know, Electra has no such habit," Florian assured her. "I must say, those eyes are pretty on Evera, but they're even nicer on you."

She didn't know exactly what to do with this; Norwan hated her eyes, and never missed a chance to tell her that.

"Oh. Well... thank you."

"You've got a loose strand of hair," he informed her, "just above your left ear. Just so you know."

Thetis reached one hand to her face to push it behind her ear, but Florian shook his head. "Let me. It's the least I can do after... that."

As he brushed the lock back into place with the back of his hand, Thetis couldn't help but smile. She'd been in this kingdom for over a year now, and for the first time, she felt as though there was a reason for her presence there. This man was dying physically, and she herself was on the verge of dying emotionally. They were both stuck in loveless marriages, and without any family to miss them back in Dovia. It really had been quite some time since she'd had someone to relate to, Thetis realized. Sure, Falidor could be considered a friend, as could Lord Severin and Lady Alina, Electra and Mistress Indruion... but she couldn't shake the feeling that even though they'd just met, it was Florian who was her true familiar.

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