In Which Raia Sees the Point

March 20, 1177

"Ha! I can jump higher than you!"

"Nuh-uh! You just think that because you're taller!"

"Prove it!"

"I will!"

The sun had come early this year, but the past week had been plagued by such fierce winds that the children had been confined to the house despite the inviting skies and it went without saying that they were all feeling a little crowded. At least Alina and Sev had another live-in playmate for the time, Raia figured. Her nephew Dalston had come down with some nasty fever near the beginning of the month, so her father had sent the younger children away out of fear they'd catch it as well. Roddie was with Riona, which was just as well considering that Isidro had been meaning to take him as a page anyway. Lyssa and CeeCee were at Searle and Lettie's while Lonriad and Asalaye had taken Donnie. That left Raia with Falidor, which had led to some confusion with her husband of the same name and all... but he was Alina's age almost to the day and they played well together.

Most of the time, anyway.

"Rai-uh! Alina's trying to push me off the couch!"

Maddie giggled. Not really sure how concerned for anyone's welfare she was at the moment--she hadn't had a moment to herself in a good week, after all--Raia turned back to her grandmother. "But you did get your money in the end, right?"

"Raia, honey--I always get my money in the end." She winked, the hilt of a dagger peeking out from her belt. "That husband of yours owes me a couple of coppers, by the way; would you believe he got all the way to the baker's before he realized he'd forgotten his wallet."

That did sound like something Falidor would do. "I believe it."

Her grandmother laughed. "Good thing that man's head is attached, that's for sure. But on a more positive note, I saw little Dalston today. Still a frail little thing, but the worst of the fever's gone now. I'm sure young Falidor here will be going home soon."

"Aww!" moaned Falidor from the couch. "That means I'll have to start eating vegetables again!"

"Ha!" Alina chirped. "Grandpapa and Auntie Nora never make me eat vegetables."

"But my sister does."

"Shut up!"

Raia sighed. Even if they could sort of watch themselves now, she kind of missed the days when they couldn't talk. At least Sev was being nice and quiet, even if he was bothering the puppy. At her side, her grandmother chuckled. "They grow up so fast."

"Too fast," Raia agreed. And not fast enough!

Ah, but they'd been jumping for a good half hour or so; they were due to tire themselves out any minute now. When they did, they knew better than to come crying to her. She had a guest, after all.

"Anyway. I was thinking of riding up to Armion tomorrow to visiting Lear--"

However her grandmother managed to cut people off with the twitch of an eyebrow, she wished she knew. "Oh no. No, you are not going to Armion."

Ack. Remiel. Not that she wasn't suspicious of the man--after what he'd done to her little sisters!--but she couldn't understand why Laveria's forbidden sphere kept growing. First the chapel--fair enough, that was obvious anyway. Then the castle's entire south side--understandably cautious. But the whole shire? Brother Remiel couldn't be everywhere at once. "I wasn't planning on stopping by the chapel."

"I don't care. I don't want any of you within a mile of that man--not even your father, for all he thinks he can take care of himself. Duchess or not, your friend can visit you here."

But there were nannies at Leara's castle. Nannies! It was too much to ask of Maddie, watching four children under six and a puppy just so Raia could catch up with a friend. "But it's much more convenient--"

"More convenient? Ha!" As if she found anything funny. "I'll tell you what's convenient, girl: staying the hell away from that man, that's what. Now, don't you be running off where that son of a bitch might find you. And if you won't think of yourself..." The old lady grabbed the edge of the table and leaned forward, peering into the sitting area. "Think of your children, at least."

Raia glanced down at her son, who was still rubbing his face against the squirming Shadow's back, then up at her daughter and brother--still bouncing but not with the energy of before, thank God. Her babies. Christ, how they drove her up the wall, both of them. And yet, daily life would've been the dullest sort of hell if they didn't.

Defeated--graciously so, almost thankfully so--Raia locked eyes with her grandmother and nodded. "I see your point."

NEXT CHAPTER:

In Which Falidor Succumbs to a Smile

February 2, 1161

The twins played as they always did, Fenrick chattering away loudly as he maneuvered the figurines about, barely allowing his sister to get a word in, while Riala rolled her eyes and followed along, occasionally committing some rebellious act such as stealing an animal or 'accidentally' kicking her brother in the leg. It was just another day for them; the little dears didn't even realize that their mother was noticeably absent, giving birth to their sibling on the floor below.

Half-sibling, Falidor corrected himself hastily. How bizarre this was, his wife was about to have a baby that was not his. She hadn't even bothered to pretend that it was, nor did she claim rape or immaculate conception or anything of the like. She had simply been unfaithful--end of story.

Perhaps she knew he was a soft man, and did not fear him. What would he do to her? Nothing. Maybe he should have. Maybe he might have if he honestly cared more.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a knock on the nursery door. "Yes?" he called with a sigh.

"Everything went well," Laveria assured him as she barged into the room, Ailede's baby in her arms, "or, as well as it could have gone, I suppose. Ailede named her Madelheina, for her mother."

Falidor had to admit, he was somewhat surprised that his wife had named a child for one of the parents she so despised--it seemed almost a crime to willingly christen a baby after a person one loathed, a mark of some similar emotion felt toward the child herself. He had spent little enough time feeling sorry for himself, but even that which he had might have been better spent feeling sorry for the baby.

"Madelheina," he whispered as he pulled himself from his seat and made his way toward the pair; the name seemed somewhat prettier when not applied to his shrewish mother-in-law. "Does she resemble Ailede much?"

Laveria quickly glanced down at the infant's face, frowning. "Not really. Looks more like Willott's former apprentice than anyone else. I hear he's set up shop in Chalwin Village in Tetranshire if you feel the need to go pound the stuffing out of him."

"Thanks, but I'll pass," Falidor declined; he did not think it wise to pick a fight with Grayer Maesflein, who was not only considerably bigger than he was, but also a man who tore apart dead animals for a living.

She allowed herself to laugh, for which he was grateful--he didn't appreciate the way most people had come to walk on eggshells around him upon learning of his wife's infidelity. "Come and see her."

Shrugging, he did as he was told. At first, he had no idea what to make of the girl--though he could not claim to love his wife, the baby was a sort of symbol of his humiliation--but as those brown eyes met his and that little mouth formed a small smile, he could not help but return the grin. This tiny angel, he was fully aware, had nothing to do with her own conception. This was a little girl, with a distant mother and no father, and all she could ever want was just a little bit of love.

Falidor was not the smartest of men, nor the strongest of men. He was neither a smith of words nor a great visionary. Even he himself was well aware that there was nothing at all remarkable about him.

And yet, he had a lot of love--more than enough for his wife's baby.

"Can I hold her?" he asked as they continued to gaze at one another.

Laveria nodded, then gently lowered the baby into his arms. She was not a small newborn, but all the same, Falidor could not recall seeing anyone ever so tiny.

"Papa?" asked Riala suddenly from the floor. "Papa, who's that?"

"This is your sister, dear," Falidor informed her--the word 'half' seemed suddenly insignificant. "Be gentle with her, though--she's only a baby."

His daughter nodded solemnly. "All right."

"Good girl," he muttered as he held the baby close. "God, she's warm."

"She's perfectly healthy, if that's what you're thinking," insisted Laveria. "Besides, I'm somewhat warm as well. It may just be the room... or you."

Falidor raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Most men are a little colder when presented with their wives' bastards, you realize," she sighed.

He snorted dismissively. "Well, maybe their wives' bastards just aren't as sweet as this little one. Isn't that right, Maddie?"

The baby replied with a small yawn, then snuggled herself into his shoulder. She was such a darling; it was true that he wasn't her father, but he was perfectly happy to be her papa.

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