In Which Wolf Invokes a Thought

June 2, 1197

"Oh God, Gennie, I'm sorry I couldn't get here any sooner." Wolf punctuated his apology with a kiss on the cheek, though the idea that Gennie would have wanted him at the castle was more wishful thinking than genuine intuition. "My grandfather thought it would be a good idea if I was present for his audiences with the people today, and of course this would be the one day so many of them showed up..."

"It's fine. It was a quick birth anyway; it may very well have been over by the time the messenger reached Veldora."

Wolf sighed. He could probably count on one hand the things he knew about childbirth, but that didn't sound impossible. At least, he could guess by Gennie's lack of distress, that it had gone well. "So... Dea and the baby are both well?"

"Very. Here Mother was, thinking no baby could possibly go easier on her than Sparron had. Perhaps being queen merits some divine intervention when it comes to pregnancies."

"Well, a queen does need princes and princesses to succeed her, I suppose. Speaking of which--?"

"It's a girl." Gennie smirked. "Congratulations on taking a whole minute to ask the first thing most people want to know."

"Give me credit for asking about health first; you know that will be the first thing on my mind when we start having children."

Gennie blinked--and inside himself, Wolf cringed. What a stupid thought to voice, especially when they both knew she didn't feel for him quite like he felt for her. "You think about that sort of thing?"

"Uh... sometimes?" At least, he could admit it wasn't at the front of his mind all of the time. "I think about lots of things--most people do, really."

"Mmm. Yes, I suppose it's difficult to stop thinking." Though she probably wished she could stop thinking about the thought he'd just invoked. "Anyway, since you're here, you ought to come and meet my niece--or maybe occupy my nephew while everyone dotes on his new sister."

NEXT CHAPTER: