In Which Severin Finds It Easy

June 21, 1196

"Four of them." Four of them. Even the most backward, bone-headed, presumptuous assholes alive would think twice before giving Rina shit now. That thought would have to provide significant intermittent relief and comfort over the next couple decades, with four crying infants and then four troublesome children and then four bratty teenagers all at once.

But it would never be as comforting as the sheer fact of Rina's survival. "I'm just... I'm so happy you're all right. I'd never been so terrified before, and I've never been as relieved as I am now."

"They're here, and I get to see them grow up." Tired as she was, she still found the strength to laugh. "And none of them will ever ask about more siblings."

I'll say. That sort of suggestion from a child old enough to keep their mouth shut would merit a cuff to the back of the head. "You're probably right. It was enough of a pain growing up with a twin."

"I suppose we ought to talk about names now."

"What, we can't just dress them in different colors and call them by their clothes?"

"Only if you want your father to have a fit about why he didn't think of that first, Blue." Rina pecked him on the cheek, then let her head droop back against his. "I always wanted to name my third son Tertius, if I had three sons--for my grandfather. We have two sons, but the younger one is our third child; there's no reason Tertius couldn't be a name for a third child instead of a third son, is there?"

"I don't see why not." Hell of a lot better than naming either of the boys 'Felron'. "And in that case, my father will kill me if the older boy isn't Florian."

"That's the boys settled, then. But the girls might be trickier. I want to honor our mothers, but my grandmother has been so supportive since my father cast me out. Same with Aunt Nanalie."

"Hmm. I don't know if there's any way we can combine two and two into anything half-decent."

"Yes, good luck stumbling across two winning names that way." Rina sighed. "I don't know... Thetrica and Renalie?"

"Huh." Hadn't expected it to be that easy. "Those are actually both kind of pretty."

NEXT CHAPTER: