In Which Riona Finds Nothing Out of Keeping

**Trigger Warning

June 23, 1187

"Sorry. You said Grandfather summoned you a few months back?"

It was more of a struggle to listen to Danthia now than it was usually, Riona found. Cladelia had been gone for some time now, and Haldred had told Riona and Catalina that they could use her old sitting room if they pleased--but never had Riona taken him up on that offer. She entertained her friends in the smaller sitting room, and not one of them had ever taken issue. Her sister, however--Princess of Naroni and all, though Riona couldn't for the life of her see the appeal of that land--had insisted on being entertained in the baroness's sitting room, as Riona would be baroness after Haldred and Tarien were gone. Riona wished that on neither of them, but as always, Danthia was not above voicing such thoughts.

"Yes. Good to see you were paying at least some attention." Danthia sniffed, waiting just long enough for Riona to sit. Though, it was hardly a surprise, old Searle of Valcria wanting to see Danthia; while the rest of the family seemed wary of her, she'd always been the apple of their grandfather's eye. "He wanted to know why Farilon and I had yet to conceive a child. When I told him Farilon had refused to bed me since our wedding night, he was furious. He knew I would be the one blamed, which just isn't fair, of course."

Possibly the only thing to have ever come out of her sister's mouth with which Riona agreed. Her own eldest had been born a lengthy four years after her wedding, and that had not come without its snide comments. But if Farilon simply did not want to sleep with Danthia, that was his business. "All right..."

"So, Grandfather decided to pay Farilon a little visit one evening. He brought some of his finest wine along. Farilon doesn't much care for wine, but everyone knows better than to insult Grandfather's generosity, so he had to drink every cup Grandfather poured--and Grandfather poured him quite a few. So, Grandfather left some hours later, and Farilon stumbled into bed, no doubt barely even aware of his own name--"

"Oh, no." There was only one place this story was going. Sad to say, Riona found nothing in this out of keeping with her sister or their grandfather. "You didn't..."

"Oh, we did." Smug, satisfied, and without a thought to the implications. Or to poor Farilon's well-being. "Come January, I'll be the mother of a Prince of Naroni."

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