Concerns and Suggestions

Writers: Emma, Vix
Date Posted: 20th January 2009

Characters: Nikanna, Carlan
Description: Nikanna tells Carlan of her concerns about Marida.
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 13, day 16 of Turn 4
Notes: Mentioned: Marida

Nikanna stretched out on the floor of the quarters she shared with her
husband and daughter, watching Carlan play with Ryannae, but her mind was
elsewhere. "We visited Marida today."

"Who?" He wasn't sure he could place the name. "I don't think I've heard
that name before."

She sat up, smoothing her skirt around her. "I met her when I was out with
the baby one day. She was shopping for food for her husband. She's a bit
younger than me, in an arranged marriage?"

He thought for a moment? "Do I know her husband at all?"

Nikanna frowned as she considered her answer. "I don't know. He was studying
at the Weaver Hall and returned shortly before their marriage, so maybe not."

"Have they been married long?" asked Carlan as he rolled a ball in the
direction of Ryannae.

"A few months," she replied. "She's very . . . alone."

He listened to the way his wife said that. "It was arranged you said, not a
marriage for love?"

Nikanna nodded. "They took a walk together one day – a short walk. That was
their only time together before their wedding."

"Poor things," remarked Carlan moving closer to Nikanna. "I could never
imagine that. One look at you and I was smitten."

"We had time together before we had a life together." She lay her head on
his shoulder. "They know nothing about each other. They don't share any
interests, don't know what to say to each other."

"Maybe they should join us for a meal sometime?" suggested Carlan. "Here at
the hold itself, dining here with other people might give them something
more to talk about."

"Ooo. . . that might work!" She turned to him eyes shining with plans, but
suddenly frowned. "You don't think that they'd feel worse for not knowing
each other as we do?"

"I don't know on that one, but it might make for a nice evening for them. I
might even be able to find someone to sit with Ryannae as well."

That prospect made the evening seem even more interesting to Nikanna, though
she worried about leaving Ryannae with anyone. "That might be just what we
need as well. We never seem to get time with just adults."

"Shall I ask Lady Thalia's nurse if she'd mind taking Ryannae as well as
Lord Aslian for a candlemark or so then? She did say that we only needed to
ask her."

"If you're sure she wasn't just being nice?"

"She said it was no trouble to her to have another one, and in a way it made
it easier as they could play with each other." Not that his daughter was
really old enough to share her toys with anyone yet, she seemed to like
having them all to herself.

"In that case, I'd really like that." She turned to brush her lips lightly
over his. "Thank you."

"What for?" he said after a moment.

She snuggled closer to him, pulling his arm around her shoulder. "For caring
about what I do and think."

"How could I not care," he responded pulling her closer. "I love you and I
want to make you and our family happy. That's the most important thing."

"To me too," she told him. "But you seem to go so far beyond what I hear
that other husbands do."

"Maybe their wives just aren't as lucky as you."

"I'm beginning to think that you're right about that."

"Perhaps we should keep that our little secret."

"I think you're right," she said with a smile. "We don't want all the other
wives to be jealous."

"Exactly," he said as he bent to kiss her. No matter what anyone said,
Nikanna was all he needed.

Last updated on the January 24th 2009

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Concerns and Suggestions