In Which Asalaye Deems It Possible

September 10, 1181

"Oh thank God! Another adult!" Not that Asalaye didn't love her little boys, but the ability to converse with someone who'd been around about as long as she had was one of the things she'd been missing most since Lonriad had gone--well, aside from the obvious, of course. She had her sister and her brother, and an assortment of in-laws and friends, but of course none of them could center their schedules around her, so it was a relief that Rona had shown up, especially after several days of relative solitude.

And Rona's husband was also out of the country besides! If anyone understood her current low, it was Rona--er, if her anger had passed, of course. "I take it you're not going to whine at me to make your siblings share their toys, are you?"

"You say that as if they have toys I could want! None of my siblings are known for their good taste."

"Perfect! Because except for maybe Xeta, I don't know any of them well enough to impose anyway." Ah, who was she kidding? Not that she wouldn't. She'd considered briefly earlier in the week attempting to further acquaint herself with Abrich and his wife, and if she wanted to visit Xeta, she probably couldn't have picked a better time--not that she could understand how someone could be at their happiest when gestating something that would one day burst out through a sensitive hole much smaller than its head, but she wasn't in the business of judging. "How are you?"

"All right, I suppose. Just feeling a little lonely." Ah-ha! Lonriad had been right; Rona wouldn't stay angry long. "I brought the kids, but I handed them over to your maid to take to the boys. Is that all right?"

"Yes, of course. Your kids tend to keep mine in check anyway." Yvanette in particular--perhaps that sister she'd been dreaming up for her boys in the past few weeks would do them well. "But enough about kids, and other kid-friendly topics. Please, have a seat."

Rona obliged, though not without a blush. Still a bit of a prude, naturally, but it was nice to have something of a project. Especially when she herself wasn't getting any either.

"So if Lettie's estimates are correct, Lonriad and them shouldn't be more than a few days away now." A small smile. No, Rona was not angry. Not at all. "Thank God, right? I've bought enough cucumbers this past month to feed an army of rabbits--and I'll tell you right now, I can't stand the taste of 'em."

"...oh. Well, I suppose whatever keeps you... occupied." Heh. Interesting choice of word. "I've just been thinking a lot, I suppose. Maybe too much."

Asalaye shrugged. "As long as they're varied quality thoughts, I don't know if there's such thing as thinking too much. Though sometimes it is an awful lot of fun, not thinking."

"Mmmm." Though she got the sense that Rona wouldn't know it. Poor girl did tend to over-think everything, or at least all the wrong things. Asalaye hadn't seen fit to pry into her and Ashe's problems, but to hear Lonriad tell it, they both had that issue. Between the two of them, it must have factored largely. "Anyway, I was thinking..."

"A varied quality thought, I should hope?" Asalaye smirked. Rona flushed somewhat, but surrendered with a small breath of a laugh. Good.

"Varied from my usual thoughts, at least. Anyway, I know this is kind of short notice, but..." She forced herself to smile a little more widely--though if Asalaye saw what she thought she saw, Rona's eyes were a little more cooperative than her mouth. "Do you maybe want to help me plan a party? For when they get back?"

A party? All fine and good, but Asalaye never would have taken Rona for the sort of person who liked parties. Or Ashe, for that matter. Or even Isidro. The party would be solely for the benefit of Lonriad and Riona, and even then... well, the occasion seemed a bit small for a full-fledged party. They'd only gone on a personal errand; it wasn't as if they'd been at war.

Then again... maybe it was to Rona's benefit. Everyone did need some sort of occupation, after all, and not necessarily the sort that came from cucumbers. "How large of a party?"

"Oh, not large. Just family and good friends." That was, of course... probably a large party. Large, but manageable. Lonriad would enjoy it. "Do you think they'll be back by... the fifteenth, maybe?"

Five days. Tight, but possible. "They should definitely be back by the fifteenth."

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