The Heir Speaks

Writers: Yvonne
Date Posted: 10th August 2007

Characters: Thalia
Description: Aslian's first word is a bit of a disappointment to Thalia
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 5, day 9 of Turn 4

"Is this your runner? Can you say 'runner' for Mama?" Thalia held the little stuffed runner just out of Aslian's reach and made it dance across the rug. Garnet Valley's heir sat forward and reached clumsily for it, grinning a gap-toothed smile and burbling happily. "Can you say 'runner', baby?"

"Bllp!" said Aslian.

Thalia sighed and sat back on her heels. Her son was almost a full turn old - it was amazing how quickly time had passed. **At least Aswic got to see his son...** she thought, a little sadly. What would he have thought of the little blonde boy sitting up so nicely with her? Would he have been proud? Indifferent? "My mother said that I was speaking by this age. I could say 'Mama' and 'Dada' and 'milk' quite prettily." She hesitated, then asked the question that had been bothering her for weeks, now. It was almost impossible to voice. "Do you think he's slow?"

"Not at all, Lady." The wetnurse, Liddy, sat in the corner nursing her own son, Lidin. Who already said three words, and could stand on his own, briefly. Thalia thought she could detect a hint of smugness in the other woman's voice. "Some children just grow a little slower than others, but he'll catch up before he's two. Before long, these two little brats will be tearing around and you'll have a hard time catching them!"

"I'm sure. He's certainly got enough to stimulate him mentally." The room was littered with toys and blankets, and the ceiling fairly pulsated with dangling mobiles and wooden dragons. Still, the worry that there was something wrong with her son persisted. "Perhaps I ought to come in to play gitar more often. Do you think that would help?"

"Maybe." Liddy hesitated. "He'd like it if you came in just to play more often, too."

A pang of guilt wound its way through Thalia's middle. She ought to spend more time with Aslian, but truth be told, she didn't quite know what to do with a small child. She loved him with all her heart, but he was still too young to share in the things that she loved to do, and taking him out of the nursery was such a chore... "I know. I- oh Aslian, look at you!"

While they'd been talking the little heir had crawled away from his mother and hauled himself upright on the edge of a crib. Thalia smiled and waggled her fingers at him from where she sat, and Aslian beamed back. "You might want to go spot him," Liddy called from her corner.

"Do you think?"

"He sometimes still gets his feet tangled up when he tries to walk on his own, or he loses his grip."

Thalia began to rise, but before she got very far Aslian did just as Liddy had predicted. He tripped over his clumsy baby feet and fell, knocking his head on the base of the crib as he did so. Thalia was already half ways across the room as he began to wail. "Oh! Oh poor baby! You poor thing! Did that hurt?" She scooped him into a hug and kissed the top of his head. "My poor little man-"

"NANA!" Aslian screamed and squirmed in her arms and reached out a pudgy baby hand toward Liddy. "NANA!"

"Oh dear," said Liddy. "Hang on a moment..."

"'Nana'?" Thalia stiffened as her baby continued to wail.

"I hadn't wanted to say anything..." Liddy dislodged Lidin and came to Thalia's side. Aslian watched her through teary eyes and as soon as she plucked him from Thalia's arms, he quieted. "There there, Aslian. You're such a big boy to be making such a fuss!"

"What, that he _has_ begun to speak? I'm happy. I was worried before," Thalia said frostily. Aslian whimpered and hid his face in Liddy's arms, and jealousy clawed at her insides. Her baby hadn't asked for her and didn't even know her name... and yet he quieted instantly at the touch of a woman who wasn't even his _mother_. And what was even worse was that Liddy hadn't bothered to soothe her fears that Aslian was slow by _telling_ her that he could speak as soon as he uttered his first word!

"I thought... we've been practicing 'mama'..." Liddy wouldn't meet her eyes. "He really is a bright little boy, Lady. He just knows me better since we're together all day."

"And not with his mother. I understand." She ached to wrestle him from Liddy's hands and run off to her own rooms with him, but she didn't. Instead, Thalia slowly rose to her feet and brushed a hand across her rumpled skirts. "In any case, I have things to do. Please excuse me."

"Will you be back today?" Liddy asked.

Thalia paused with her hand on the door knob. Aslian was still sniffling unhappily, but she knew when she wasn't wanted. It tore her up inside, but she shook her head. "Perhaps tomorrow."

"Will you bring your gitar?" Thalia left without answering.

Last updated on the August 11th 2007

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The Heir Speaks