January 31, 1177
Somehow almost forgetting her own girth, Jeda launched herself into her brother's arms and squealed. "You're back!""So it seems." Sparron lifted her a few inches off the floor and spun her once around, then set her back down and stepped back, looking her over. "I see someone can't fit into her old gowns."
Giggling, Jeda landed a light swat on his shoulder. How she'd missed his teasing! No one else dared tease the Crown Princess. Ah, who was she kidding? No one else cared enough. "How are things in Dovia?"
"Same old--wedding this, pregnancy that, someone's dead and everywhere you look there's a kid with the duke's face. It was nice to get away, though." He reached for a stray lock of her hair and tucked it back. After all these awful years, it was good to see him smile again. "Nice, but a bit lonely. Come with me next time?"It did sound tempting. Unrealistic, but tempting. Shaking her head, Jeda gave her swollen belly a half-hearted pat and sighed. "I don't think I'll be going anywhere for a while."
"You could always come home."
Jeda sighed. She hated to wipe the grin off his face now that its long absence had finally ended, but someone had to be practical here. Ietrin was her husband--and her husband was the Crown Prince of Naroni. For all she didn't love him and he didn't love her, she was his lawful wife and he needed a legitimate heir. For all her father could intimidate him with threats and death glares, it wasn't as if he could actually lay a hand on him. For all Sparron could smile, she couldn't go home. God, she wished she could.But that wasn't going to happen and everybody knew it. "The baby--"
"--can come with you. Dea too." With a spontaneity she never would've guessed he had, he took her by the hand and twirled her beneath the arch of their arms. She'd seen such maneuvers before--Lorn and Leara, Jadin and Xeta, her father and stepmother--but never before had anyone tried such a thing on her. She supposed it was rather thrilling, at least compared to what she was used to... even if he was only her brother. "You know what? I hope you have another girl--just to spite that son of a bitch."
She knew she shouldn't. But she had to.
Had to laugh. "And I'll name her Geneva--so I can spite the king too!"A clear, impressed chuckle rang from Sparron's mouth. Jeda nearly stumbled backward in the rush of her own daring. She shouldn't have said it and she knew it, but like the laughter before, she'd just had to let it out. And for the first time in a long time, she felt... good.
At least, until reality came back to bite her in the fat, pregnant ass.
"But if I have another girl, Ietrin won't leave me alone. He'll probably bother me twice as much." And try to make me feel twice as guilty about it, too.
Nodding, her briefly-vibrant twin faded back to his usual grim. She hated to see him so miserable, but she knew that feeling went both ways. The world was a snarling bitch and she'd made chew toys of the both of them. "I hope you have a boy, then. And who knows? Maybe if you have a boy, Ietrin will let you take the children and come back home."
It wasn't something she could guarantee. He knew it, she knew it, their father knew it... they all did. But it was always nice to have a new hope, or at least it was before one remembered the sting it left when it died. "With any luck."NEXT CHAPTER:
9 comments:
I was really pressed for time with this update--I was out most of the day, then had a ton of homework to finish--so I kind of had to rush through it if I wanted to get to bed at a decent time and it shows. Sorry about that :S
Poor Jeda, she's so sweet and her brother loves her.
Naroni seems to be full of these people fufilling there duties but hating it too, I hope she does have a boy, or maybe she could have twins a boy and a girl and stick it to both the prince and king >:D
Sparron is such a good brother :)
Perceived duty seems to be a reoccurring theme in this story. It might be worth noting that most of the characters who have divorced themselves from the usual expectations--which neither Jeda nor Sparron has managed to do--are fairly happy.
Twins? Well, Jeda herself is a twin... so I think that raises the odds? I guess we'll see.
For all Sparron tends to get wrapped up in his own issues, he does love absolutely.
You laugh, Jeda. You deserve it.
And while we're at it, can I vote in favor of boy-and-girl twins, like Ekho? Either that or a boy. (Mostly for Jeda's sake.) And if she doesn't have a boy ...
Then I vote that she find a way to point out that he has a wife and a mistress and he's had both for years, and only has four kids between the two of them; ergo, the problem isn't with her. In front of Roderick and Laralita. And preferably the rest of the kingdom, but I'd just like to see their faces.
Yeah, can you tell I'm not the royal family of Naroni's biggest fan? (At least those parts of it that include Roderick, Laralita and Ietrin. Somehow Leara and Camaline managed to inherit all of the mother's awesomeness.)
She can certainly use all the laughter she can get.
I don't know if Jeda would point that out herself--unless Ietrin pushed her absolutely over the edge--but who knows? Maybe someone else will put two and two together (in this case, quite literally).
Leara and Camaline really dodged a bullet in regards to the Roderick genes :S
Catching up. I almost wish I hadn't started with this one, it's so sad. I'm glad she can find laughter even in black humor, and it's so rare to see Sparron find anything to smile about. I hope for her sake it is a boy, and that she can at least find a little measure of freedom from what seems like a breeding pen.
It's certainly a rarity, seeing these kids enjoy themselves. They're probably happiest around each other.
I don't think Jeda would admit it, but she's hoping for a boy too.
These two really have the most miserable lives :(. I thought Sparron was the saddest person in Naroni but I forgot about Jeda. At least Sparron has known some love.
That whole family has a rough decade or so ahead of them :(
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