In Which Rona Grasps at Straws

April 30, 1180

"Well," chirped Asalaye, twirling about as Rona shut the nursery door. "That was certainly a struggle! I'll count us lucky if they sleep half as long as it took us to lull them all."

Rona indulged her with a small smile. It hadn't been long ago that she would have found the prospect of an afternoon with Asalaye some sort of karmic punishment, but Ashe spent so much time with Lonriad and Yvanette seemed to like the boys, so she'd swallowed her pride and resolved to be civil. But it hadn't taken as much resolve as she'd guessed; it seemed she'd overestimated the longevity of the grudge, not to mention the effort required to befriend her. No, Asalaye wasn't Riona or Hilla, but she certainly wasn't the horrible monster the Rona of yesteryear had made her out to be. And her nose wasn't even as large as she'd thought!

"God, you're lucky you only have one of them. Enjoy the relative peace while it lasts."

"What peace? Yvanette's a handful as it is." And that was exactly why--for all Leara and Xeta could drop their hints--they weren't actively trying for another one!

"Oh, they all are--when they're awake." Asalaye gave a knowing wink. "But at least when Yvanette's asleep, you know that all your children are asleep. If Sevvie's not up, Adonis is and vice versa. Makes it difficult for Lonriad and I to get any time for ourselves; you wouldn't believe how tough it's become to have sex in the middle of the day."

...Eh? "You have sex in the middle of the day?"

"Um. Yes." Rona blinked. She had to be joking. Surely, she was joking... "What, you don't?"

Rona shook her head. "Just at night."

"Ouch. Well, I hope it's at least most nights."

Er... "No, not quite most... a couple times a month, I guess?"

"Oh." The corners of Asalaye's mouth drooped to the level of their midpoint. "Oh, honey. What's the matter?"

"The matter?" Rona grimaced. Sure, it wasn't as if there was nothing she wanted to change about her sex life, but never in considering that had the focus been on quantity. What was wrong with a couple times a month, anyway? Especially when there was a small child around? "You think there's a matter?"

"Only a couple times a month? Sweetie, there's got to be a matter." Asalaye smoothed out a wrinkle in her sleeve and peered toward the door from the front room--as if anyone around would intrude without knocking. "I don't get it. You're both young, healthy, good-looking people; you'd think you two would be at it like rabbits every time you get a second alone. When you do have sex, who usually initiates? Him, or you?"

"Me." The other woman squinted and Rona wasn't quite sure why. It wasn't stereotypical, sure, but Asalaye herself was hardly nun-like; surely she brought it up as often as Lonriad did? "Ashe... I don't know. I guess he's making an effort not to put any pressure on me."

"Well, there's not pressuring--which is good--and there's not realizing that sex is a possibility at all--which, not so much. Or oh... maybe he's embarrassed?"

"Embarrassed?" Could that have been it? She'd never given him a reason to feel embarrassed. Had she? "Why would he be embarrassed?"

"I don't know. Any mechanical issues? You know--trouble getting it up, finishing too quickly, that sort of thing?"

Rona shrugged. "What constitutes 'too quickly'?"

"Oh, honey." That wasn't an answer! "Well, how is he in bed?"

"Uh..." Shit. How could she put it in a way that wouldn't leave Asalaye snickering after she left? Was there any way to talk about the awkward shut-eyed strain on his face as she looked up at him, the hesitation with which he entered her and the clumsy thrusts that followed? "He's very... gentle."

"So, boring."

She grimaced. Oh Lord, maybe he was embarrassed. "A little."

"Hmmm. Sounds like he might be a little afraid of you." She wished she could find that surprising. "Maybe you just need to get his confidence up a bit. You know, do something to show him how much you want it--or how much you want him. Maybe that'll give him the kick he needs to bring it up a notch. Here, sit down; I'll show you something that might help."

Not sure if she was in any position to protest, Rona did as she was told while Asalaye opened the wardrobe and started to fish through it. "Now, granted, I never had any problems like that with Lonriad. But after Adonis was born, apparently he didn't think the herbs I was taking were sufficient assurance and he wouldn't go any further than some heavy petting--until I got this."

"What?" She couldn't quite see with the wardrobe door in the way. "You'll see in a minute." Asalaye's gown fell to a crumpled ring of silk around her feet; Rona didn't think she wanted to. "So there's this seamstress in the village, Ivilia. She used to work for Lady Alina. She's also Lady Leonora's sister-in-law by her first husband--his sister. Anyway, the story goes that Lady Leonora commissioned the first one of these for Lord Severin's birthday some years back, and apparently it worked like a charm, at least until one of the maids walked in on them. But anyway, the story spread and pretty much any woman who can afford it has been commissioning Ivilia for one of these ever since. Lonriad's sisters all have them, and his stepsister. Lady Valira has one too. So does Nanalie, believe it or not, for all I'm sure she got the most drab color possible--hell, don't be surprised if your sister has one of these too."

"One of what?"

"One of these!"

Well. It didn't look much like the sort of thing Xeta usually wore. "It... doesn't leave much to the imagination, does it?"

"Oh, not at all! But sex is so much better when no one's over-thinking it." Asalaye flipped back one ponytail and popped her hips across the line of her torso; Rona feared for a second that one of her breasts might burst right out of their barely-existent restraints. "Anyway. Ever since I got this, all I have to do is wear it and there's absolutely nothing in the sack that Lonriad won't do. He could come in dead tired after a long day of chasing things around the woods, but as long as he sees this, he will put in every last bit of effort he's got, because he sees that I want it and men have that primal need to accept any and all challenges."

Did they? "I don't know if Ashe has that."

"Would he be so embarrassed if he didn't?" Eyes rolling, Asalaye planted herself down on the center of the couch; Rona made a mental note never to sit on that cushion again. "Honey, he probably knows that the sex hasn't been great and maybe he thinks you've given up on him. Trust me--set the bar high, but show him that you know he can reach it. If you expect him to do well, he'll do everything he can to meet those expectations."

Her skepticism not exactly defeated, Rona forced herself to glance over Asalaye once again. It couldn't have been reasonable to expect one garment to fix everything--especially a garment so tiny. But perhaps it couldn't hurt to grasp at straws? "You're sure?"

"Definitely." Asalaye flashed her a smile--and, thank God, nothing else. "Now, be a dear and fetch the boys' nanny while I change? We're going down to Ivilia's to get your measurements."

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