In Which Honora Is Promised a Dog

April 9, 1193

"Happy birthd--"

Only a word and a half and a barely-closed door, and that was greeting and privacy enough for a smooch where Thetis was concerned. As always, Honora tried to relax best she could. Thetis lived in a large castle, after all. Her mother had greeted Honora personally and told her she could find Honora in the bedroom--never mind that her brows had lowered somewhat as she'd said it. None of Thetis's siblings lived at home any more, her father was in conference, her mother and sister-in-law had been just about to leave, and if any of her nieces and nephews were around, they'd chosen to keep to themselves. They weren't about to be caught.

Not that that ever stopped Honora from worrying. She was sixteen years old, the same age her parents had been when they'd married. She knew he was joking, but her father was already starting to pester her about whether she had her eye on any of the young men, and there were a troubling numbers of rumors circling about in regards to the identity of her 'secret suitor'. She didn't know what she'd end up having to tell him. She was neither religious enough nor academic enough that he'd believe she'd gone off to join a nunnery.

"Thank you." Thetis winked as she let go, oblivious as ever to Honora's awkwardness. That was part of her charm. "I'm so glad you managed to get here early, and not just for the obvious reasons. I've come into possession of some most interesting knowledge, and I believe it will prove relevant to us."

"Oh?" What interesting knowledge could have applied to them? Had her Aunt Hanna's mother been caught with someone? Not that Honora knew anything concrete about Aunt Hanna's mother, but she had her suspicions. If she'd been caught, and if there was a punishment in the works...

"Good news!" Thetis assured her. "I overheard my parents talking about it. You see... it seems that my sister-in-law and Camaline are an item."

"Xeta?" Honora frowned, puzzled. She hadn't known Thetis's brother Jadin all that well before his death, but surely a woman who'd been so taken with that sort of man had no interest in...

"Yes, I was surprised too. But, my mother pointed out that a person can like apple pie without losing their taste for blueberry, and I suppose it's not any of my business if a person likes both rather than one or the other." Thetis shrugged. She had such an easy-going, devil-may-care view of the world that Honora both admired and envied. "But anyway--the two of them will be moving into a cottage together in the summer."

"Living together?" She wouldn't pretend that the thought hadn't crossed her mind. But... "Though, they're both widows. It's not that strange, the idea of two widows sharing a residence; no one will think much of it."

"Nonetheless, it's a point of inspiration. If two widows can share a residence without attracting any scrutiny, perhaps two not-so-maiden aunts can take up together as well."

"Without a man to protect them?" Whatever would her father say to that?

"Man!" Thetis snorted. If the pair of them hadn't fallen in love, Honora had no doubt that she would have ended up in a loveless, economical marriage with a not-unpleasant man who she only bedded for the sake of babies; Thetis, on the other hand, had no interest in even feigning a romantic interest in men and would gladly take to the highest tower of her father's keep to announce her distaste for the lot of them. "We'll get a dog. A dog is a much more useful protector than a man."

"Don't let your father hear you say that."

"My father told me that!" She laughed. Her father could probably hear her from his study--though Honora hoped she was wrong about that. "But, I suppose we have plenty of time to plan. No sense in thinking much about it until we're partway through university, at least."

Honora nodded--though, now that it had been said, she doubted she'd be thinking of much else until it either happened or didn't. "I guess so..."

"Indeed!" Thetis clapped her hands together and pecked Honora on the lips once again, light and fast this time. "So... birthday sex?"

Honora smirked. Thetis wasn't any quieter in bed than she was out of it, but something about the act made it more difficult to fret. "Just lock the door."

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