November 25, 1194
"I can't believe they're not here yet!" Shahira indulged her fingers in a nervous twitch as she stared down the door, daring it to open. "Yes, I get that CeeCee and Renata would rather drink Falidor under the table and I get that Alina would rather make out with Gualtiero in the pantry--but damn it, it's your wedding! You'd think it would be no trouble to spare five minutes to see you to bed."
Alya shrugged. Her sister wasn't too high-strung a person, but she did have an impatient streak and woe behold those who tested it. The girls were running somewhat late, and Alya suspected that Shahira would rather get the rituals of the evening over with and spend more of her precious holiday time with her son and husband. With that in mind, she had more stake in getting this over with than Alya herself did."You don't need to stay if you don't want to--and they don't need to come either. Do you see me wearing white right now?"
"No, but still: it's your wedding night, and you deserve a special one." Shahira sniffed. Perhaps her own unceremonious wedding had spurred in her a desire to see better for her sisters. If that was the case, Alya could appreciate it. "Besides, Izzy's been babbling about babies--and since the timing's not right for a brother or sister, the least I can hope for is a new little cousin for him as soon as you and Roddie are ready."
"A new little cousin?" Alya smirked as she took her sister by the arm. And here she'd thought all those mad dashes to the privy had been so obvious. "Well, if that's what you're hoping for, then it might interest you to know that that has already been taken care of."
"What?" Eyes wide beneath her thick lashes, Shahira clasped her hands together. "You're expecting?"
Alya grinned. "Expect a little niece or nephew in July.""Oh, how wonderful!" Her sister flung her arms around her and kissed her on the cheek. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you! Just don't tell Mother and Father just yet." She winked as they parted with a squeeze of each other's hands. "Or any of our siblings; you know how none of them can keep a secret."
"Ah, yes, of course." But, if Shahira kept walking around with that sort of smile, then it was only a matter of time before one of them suspected something. "Might I tell Aldhein? I'll need to get the good news out of my system somehow.""Yes, you can tell him." Aldhein, after all, was a Tumekrin. Everyone knew that Mistress Tumekrin hadn't raised any blabbermouths. "Just maybe be careful what words you use around Izzy, at this stage in his speaking career."
"It would be more fun to see you answer him when he asks what happened to your belly anyway."
She would say that!
Not that Alya would have it any other way. "All right, but if he wants a little sibling so much, then expect him to pester you about your belly for a while."NEXT CHAPTER:
4 comments:
I have high hopes for Alya and Roddie's baby in the looks department. High, high hopes. :)
Well, let's hope that your hopes won't be crushed. xD
Not many Naronians end up virginal on their wedding night nowadays, do they? xD
Not that the Melorians/Syntychians/Bellingars are any better in that department. I think I can count the ones that were on one hand.
Mistress Tumekrin couldn't have raised a blabbermouth. Who could trust their father with any sensitive information? XD
Aww, a Alya and Roddie baby already! It'll definitely be a cutie. Hopefully, Big Izzy got his fears out of his system. Although, if not, another go-round should help.
Mimus: Here's hoping! But I'm sure they won't. Roddie is a Kemorin, and Kemorins typically breed well. And Alya is just gorgeous.
Haha, yeah, wedding night virgins seem to be a minority in Naroni, especially if you're either a Kemorin or marrying one. Granted, Lyssa was a virgin when she got married, as was her aunt Viridis, but they're in the minority there. I think it's become enough of a standard that most Naronians don't really think much about a non-white dress any more.
(Also, I know that the white dress = virgin thing wasn't really around until Queen Victoria, but I needed a way to distinguish wedding dresses from run-of-the-mill formal dresses in the early days. XD)
Winter: Indeed! No one can be a blabbermouth with a Florian in the vicinity. XD
Suffice to say, I was quite pleased with the dice that day. :) Yeah, Big Izzy should have an easier time of it this time around. He's bonded with Little Izzy now, and Shahira made it out okay and has also adjusted well enough. He'll be as worried for Alya as any parent would be for an adult child expecting a baby, but I think having gone through the grandparent jitters before and knowing that Alya is actually ready to have a baby will help.
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