August 15, 1202
"Cladelia! You're so gorgeous!" Alyss clasped her hands together with a squeal. She could always be counted on to pay a compliment, even when no such compliment was necessary. Today was one of those days, but now that Alyss was not only Cladelia's follower-turned-friend but her sister-in-law as well--for all the idea of anyone wanting to marry Koradril still boggled her mind--of course she'd be the first to fawn over her wedding gown.Especially since who knew when Cladelia would next return to Naroni, what with marrying a Dovian and all.
A Dovian baron. The same Dovian baron she'd once drunkenly written to, pretending to be her brother, warning him that he might have impregnated some fictitious young woman. Life was strange.
"It doesn't matter what any of those people think." Her sister sniffed. Cladelia, though she usually won most over in the end, did suffer from that terrible need to be liked--but Riona seemed to have inherited their mother's utter indifference toward approval. "Apart from your own self, the only person whose opinion might matter here is Arkon's, and clearly he thinks you'd make a good enough baroness if he asked you to marry him."
"Who's to say he asked?" Cladelia joked, if only to mask her pangs of sisterly inferiority. "But I suppose you're right. He's had ample time to rid himself of me if he'd wished.""Exactly. And if you're worried about anyone else, it's not as if you won't prove them wrong before long. You'll make an excellent baroness."
Huh. Unlike Alyss, Riona had never been one to toss around compliments lightly. Why should she have, when she herself had never had much need of them? "You really mean that?"
"I wouldn't bother saying it if I didn't." Riona took her by the arms and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. "You'll do just fine--and Arkon won't ever doubt that he made the right choice."
"Thank you, sister." Compliments might have meant more from those who thought they needed to be earned. "I'll try to borrow your confidence there."NEXT CHAPTER:
3 comments:
Still sort of catching up on life. This was not helped by sleeping for fifteen hours today.
Eh, if nobody/nothing wakes me up, I manage that, too. xD'
Unlike Alyss, Riona had never been one to toss around compliments likely.
Did you mean to write "lightly"?
Aaaaand that's why I shouldn't post after a fifteen-hour sleep. :S
Post a Comment