In Which Nora Notices the Noblewoman Things

November 18, 1176

"They certainly do play well together, don't they?" sighed Xeta as Lyssa walked Noah along the perimeter of the deck and CeeCee swapped his wife for one of the horses. "Lucky thing they're close in age, what with all these boys running about."

Atop Nora's lap, Donny squirmed. She ignored him and tried to look interested. "Mmm."

She liked Jadin's wife--she really did--but lately Xeta had been a bit... much. Little Lyssa had been two and a half before Xeta had managed to get pregnant again, which was apparently a ridiculous gap between babies--never mind the fact that there were three years between Nora's eldest two children and if anything it had been nice to have a bit of a break. Then again, maybe it was a noblewoman thing. Nora, after all, had been employed in those days. For women of Xeta's birth, maybe pregnancy was a means of passing the time.

It certainly was in Xeta's case. From the day she'd first suspected something amiss, all she could talk about was the possibility. Then Arydath had confirmed it. Then Lettie had gotten pregnant, then Nora herself. And now rumor had it that Asalaye had missed a couple courses as well. She would have thought all this pregnancy news would have been enough to make anyone tire of the subject, but apparently not Xeta.

"I hope yours is a girl, at least; girls are so much more fun. Mine though... well, Jadin's going to need an heir eventually, so surely it's better to have a boy sooner rather than later?"

"Yes, well... I guess it is what it is?" This was ridiculous. Xeta had always been a clever girl, but Nora doubted she realized what she'd just said. Jadin wouldn't technically "need" an heir until he was dead, which Nora knew Xeta wasn't wishing for any time soon. For that matter, Jadin would still be an heir himself until Severin was dead, which Nora herself wasn't wishing for any time soon--not when every precious minute they had to themselves somehow resulted in yet another child.

Then again, maybe that was another one of those noblewoman things she was now expected to understand but never would. Jothein wouldn't have cared if Nora had only born him girls, and of course Severin had three grown sons from Lady Alina. She'd never been expected to give anyone an heir; maybe it wasn't her place to roll her eyes at Xeta's musings.

But oh, how difficult Xeta made it! At least she was finally due to be confined any day now. "Anyway. You know how I mended up all of Lyssa's old clothes a few months ago? Well, turns out Leara and Rona made a whole new set for the new baby, so this one won't need the hand-me-downs. No sense wasting them, though; would you like them for yours?"

"Err... I guess?" Christ, why was she supposed to be thinking about baby clothes already? Her baby wouldn't be coming until April. It was November. Oh well--she supposed it was only a matter of time before it was Xeta in her place, going through the now-dull motions of Baby Number Nine, wanting nothing more than to scream at her glowing daughter-in-law that there was more to life than just sitting around being pregnant. For now, she supposed all she could do was change the subject. At least there was something important to discuss. "So. Severin and I went to visit Riona yesterday."

Xeta's head tilted. "Oh? Is she feeling better?"

"Much, thank God." Poor girl had slumped pale and shivering in Isidro's arms all through the night of the performance, or at least until he'd finally put his foot down and carried her off to one of Lorn's guest chambers. They'd had to borrow Leara's carriage for the ride home the next morning and a wet-nurse had been summoned for Shahira. Since then, Riona had barely been out of bed; every time she'd tried to get up, it was only a matter of minutes before she'd needed to lie down again. But she'd seemed a little stronger yesterday, a little more spirited, the color back in her face and the sparks back in her eyes. "Still. It's so strange, a perfectly healthy girl falling that ill that quickly."

Xeta smirked. "Maybe she's got another one on the way."

...

Hopeless. Just... hopeless.

"Speaking of babies, have you heard anything about Aldara yet, or--oh!"

At Nora's age, it was not an "Oh!" she'd never heard--especially not when she'd said it eight times herself. Xeta's face twisted into a pained mask as she clutched at her enormous belly and leaned forward in her seat, a suspicious stain on the couch cushion peeking out from beneath her.

So much for thinking it would be a week or so yet. "Oh."

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