Very Lucky

Writers: Emma, Vix
Date Posted: 5th July 2008

Characters: Carlan, Nikanna
Description: Carlan offers Nikanna some time to herself.
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 10, day 16 of Turn 4

"Love," Carlan sat on the side of the bed. "You awake??"

"Barely," was Nikanna's muffled reply.

"I didn't mean to disturb you," he said softly as he looked at her. "I just didn't want to go off for the day while you were still asleep."

She raised her head and forced a tired smile. "That's nice of you." Of course, she would have preferred if he had let her rest until Ryannae awoke.

"I just wanted to remind you that I'm giving a gitar lesson to Lady Thalia this afternoon," he said returning her smile.

He shifted her body slightly, now more awake. "I'd forgotten that. How late will you be?" "Shouldn't be too late," he said. "And you know I can take Ryannae with me if you want, she's said many a time I can leave her with Lord Aslian's nurse for a candlemark or so while we practise."

Nikanna took a moment to formulate her reply, frowning as he sat up, the bedclothes rumpled around her. "I don't know. . . Ryannae's my responsibility – our responsibility – and I'd feel strange leaving her with the nurse." Though Nikanna had spent much of her own childhood in similar care, that life seemed so far removed from her current one that it seemed to belong to someone else.

"I thought you might like the time to yourself," he said.

She puzzled over that – it had been so long since she had been baby-free, a year plus her pregnancy. "To do what?" "Take a long hot bath maybe, or read a book?" There was a small library at the hold with some novels there. "Just to have some time for you."

It definitely had been a while since she had done either of those. Bathing was done with Ryannae, washing the child as she submerged herself. And reading – nothing beyond picture books since the baby had been born. "That would be . . . nice." "I thought you'd like the idea," Crlan sounded pleased with her response. I was just beginning to occur to him how much she had to do in looking after their daughter especially having grown up as she had. "Let someone else take her for a candlemark or so and you can pamper youself a little."

Tempting, so tempting. . . "But that puts so much more pressure on you. You have your own job to do and I shouldn't be shirking mine for something selfish." "But I can get a break from duties and it's so very rare that you can get a break from Ryannae. Take the chance to indulge yourself for a bit," he urged.

She thought it over briefly, staring at the bedclothes before raising her eyes to him. "Alright. And thank you." "Don't thank me, you deserve to pamper yourself once in a while.

She uttered a light laugh, stretching now that she was fully awake. "Why shouldn't I thank you? You're a loving and thoughtful husband and not every wife is as lucky as I am." "Not as lucky as I am to have you." And he meant those words, not many daughters of a Lord Holder would have looked twice at a young Harper.

Nikanna edged across the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Then I suppose we're both lucky to have each other – and Ryannae." He hugged her back. "Very lucky."

Last updated on the July 9th 2008

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Very Lucky