In Which Ellona Doesn't Outright Object

January 6, 1181

"You're going to read us a story, right?" That had been Neilor's job when Ellona and her children had been living with him, but there had been a shortage in bedtime stories lately as Ella found neither Ellona nor Casimiro's readings satisfactory ("You're not doing the voices!"). But Casimiro's mother could have been a master of the craft for all Ella knew, and it had apparently been long enough that the little girl was willing to take a chance with a new reader. "Right?"

"Of course!" Eliana smiled. Ellona's mother-in-law hadn't made much of an impression on her personally, but she had to admit that the woman seemed to have a way with anyone under twelve or so. Even Roddie, apparently too stylishly independent to have much to do with grown-ups, seemed to have gotten a kick out of her.

"Do you do voices?"

"Is there any storyteller worth listening to who doesn't?"

Ella giggled. Kaldar proved a little more difficult. "I'm too old for stories. Can't I stay up a while longer?"

"Not if you want to go for that sleigh ride with Alina and Sev, you can't." Her son turned around and pouted, but she wouldn't let that sway her. She knew she'd be in for a lot worse if he missed an outing with his friends. "Just listen to Grandma Eliana's bedtime story with your sister. Who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky and it'll be a story about dragons."

"Oh, there will definitely be dragons," confirmed Eliana with a wink. That seemed to perk him up a little. "Now, both of you go and get dressed for bed. I'll meet you in Ella's room after I get us a few little cakes from the kitchens."

Cakes? Hadn't they had enough desert at Isidro's? "No cakes!"

"Did I say 'cakes'? My mistake. Of course I meant 'carrots'." Eliana shot her a wink before heading through the door, the children trailing, leaving Ellona and Casimiro alone for what seemed like the first time that day.

Just in case the walls weren't as soundproof as she believed, Ellona waited a minute or so before speaking. "Well, she's... she's very good with the children."

"She is. It's only once you're old enough to start producing children of your own that she starts to get annoying." Casimiro shuddered slightly, probably in the throws of some rogue memory he'd been struggling to suppress. Ellona opted to grant him his privacy. "Sorry about supper, by the way. She's normally not that bad, but that's the first time she's ever been around two of her daughters-in-law at once. The wine didn't help either." He sighed. "She means well. She really does. She just..."

"Expresses everything in the most egocentric way possible?"

Casimiro laughed, possibly the first true smile of the evening breaking from his mouth. "Exactly. What better way to say 'Who will mourn you when you're gone?' than 'I want grandchildren'?"

"It is admittedly less morbid."

"That and she actually does want hoards of grandchildren. Every birthday since thirteen, she's scolded me for wasting yet another year of valuable baby-making time."

Ellona sniffed. "Well, I still think I prefer her to my own mother. Not that that takes much." Casimiro's mouth twitched again, though not with the same sureness. She could understand, though. Mothers were an awkward topic, and she doubted anything else that could come from this conversation would be any less. "So... I guess I should ask for the formality of it: where do you stand on the children front?"

"Children?" Stray locks fell away from his eyes as he tipped his head back in thought. He had kind of a comical face--must have come from his father--but she supposed there were worse things kids could be than strange-looking. "Well, I don't feel like I'd die unfulfilled if I never had any. It might be nice to have two or three, but I won't force it if you don't think you want any more."

"Hmm. Well, I don't think I'd outright object to one or two more, as long as you don't want a whole army of them." She didn't, really, especially now that both of her children with Ietrin were big enough that she didn't need to cater to their every beck and call. Still, she'd had enough stress in her life in recent months. "I don't want to start trying immediately, though."

"Neither. I think there would be too much pressure if we tried while my mother was still here--plus apparently Bernardo and Hilla are thinking about trying again, so she might appreciate it if they were spaced out somewhat. Less of a baby drought."

"Plus you'd probably need some time to brace yourself for the idea of sex with me again."

He grinned apologetically. "Maybe just a little. Do you think we should maybe postpone the rest of this talk until spring? See how we're both feeling then?"

Spring. A good few months away, far enough into the future that their opinions could change, not so far that they couldn't predict most major obstacles. It was as reasonable a suggestion as any. "All right. Spring."

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