In Which CeeCee Requests a Bucket

February 16, 1195

"Don't you worry about the guests, dear." CeeCee's mother-in-law of barely more than an hour shut the door behind them and nodded toward the bed. "A woman's wedding day can be exhausting--the good kind of exhausting, mind, but exhausting all the same. I'm sure your mother and I can keep everyone occupied if you need to lie down for a while."

"Thank you." CeeCee rubbed at her arm, as if the stimulated veins within would keep her eyes open. In hindsight, perhaps the Carvallon trip--and everything that had come along with it--ought to have waited until after the wedding. Such a demanding occasion as her wedding would have better fared with her usual healthy body. "I'll try not to be more than half an hour or so."

"Oh, no trouble if you are. Many a woman needs rather long naps than that when she's expecting."

CeeCee squirmed, some lingering nausea from earlier that morning welling in her gut. She'd only told four people: Farilon, Renata, and her parents. Surely none of them would have told...?

"How did you know?"

Her mother-in-law laughed. "Well, I did birth ten of my own. I just hope any subsequent ones you have aren't this rough on you so soon."

Subsequent ones? CeeCee shuddered at the thought. "I'll tell you right now that I'm not doing this nine more times."

"I should hope not! You have a promising career ahead of you as well, and only you can figure out just how many children you feel right about taking on in addition to that. I know I couldn't have raised my ten if I'd had the demands of being a professor as well, even with the help of all the wonderful nannies we employed over the years."

The university, at least, did have nannies on staff--for her working hours, anyway. "I think I'll just focus on this one before I start worrying about any more."

"A wise decision." Her mother-in-law paid her a pat on the shoulder, then a sweet smile. "Now, do you need anything else? A cup of water, perhaps?"

"That would be nice, thank you." But even with the thought of fresh water, her stomach churned. "And maybe a bucket."

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