In Which Laralita Considers the Time

October 21, 1184

The door creaked, and Laralita's sister--the only sister she had left now--slipped into the bedroom. Renata had accompanied their nephew into Dovia for the funeral; while Koradril was staying with his father, Renata had opted for Laralita's guest chamber, probably more out of pity than anything else.

Odd that they would be the last two sisters alive. Apart from possibly Cladelia, who had rarely gotten along with anyone, the sheer lack of any common-ground made Renata Laralita's most distant sister, even if they weren't openly hostile.

"Mind if I sit with you?"

Laralita shrugged. They may not have been close, but Renata was civil--and Laralita just didn't have it in her to shun these days. "Go ahead."

Renata did as she would and joined her on the bed. Laralita shifted, crossing one leg over the other. Above covers or not, she hadn't shared a bed with anyone since Roderick, nor had she particularly wanted to. She supposed her sister was the least offensive option, especially just after the funeral of their other sister.

"Meraleene would have appreciated the service, I think. It may have been a match of convenience, but Oswald did pay her the respect she deserved."

"He did." More than that horrid stepson of hers had paid Roderick. "I'm glad he waited. It would have been a shame to exclude you and Koradril on the basis of time." There had been no chance of Riona and Ramona making it back in time. They wouldn't have learned of Roderick's passing until after the funeral.

"Koradril especially. Poor kid."

"And the rest of them too."

"And Mother and Father." Renata sighed. Her fourth daughter had been gone four years now, and Laralita had lost two children of her own. Cladelia and Meraleene hadn't been strangers to that loss either. At least Alina had never known it, even if she had Viridis with her once again now. "They've lost four now--all in adulthood.

"They must have never thought they'd live to see that. I know I hadn't expected to outlive Ramona."

"Nor I Elhina or Ietrin."

"Maybe I should call on Mother and Father tomorrow morning, just before Koradril and I leave. Spend some more time with the pair of them." Not a thing most seem to consider doing with their parents.

But first Roderick, and then Ietrin, and now Meraleene. There had been too much loss in recent years. If there was still time to be spent, then why not spend it? "I'll come with you."

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