There's a Bun in the Oven

Writers: Chelle, Eimi
Date Posted: 18th May 2012

Characters: Parale, Ioven
Description: In which he finds out he's going to be a father-again.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 7, day 13 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Telemon

The girls had gone to bed. Usually she would have already as well to
avoid talking, but she knew he would be home in a candlemark and certain
things needed to be said. It wasn?t like it wasn?t going to be obvious
soon anyhow. Sighing, she sat down and continued her needlework, trying
not to worry.

He had been working late, not to avoid his wife and children, but
to catch up with the work that had been put aside while preparing for
the Lord Holder's confirmation. Usually when he came home in the
evenings these days, the rooms would be darkened and his wife obviously
nowhere to be seen. For the girls' sake, he had tried to keep
everything much as it had been before, save for his new sleeping arrangements.
But it had been obvious to him that Parale found the physical separation
to not be enough, and had put further distance between them by avoiding
him whenever possible. It was quite a surprise, therefore, when he opened
the door and found the glows turned up and her sitting there.

"What's happened?" he asked, a little unnerved by the sudden change.
"Is one of the girls sick?"

"No." Her face wasn't showing anger, but rather a more resigned
expression. There was a hint of anxiety, however, if one looked hard
enough. She was pretty sure of his reaction, but she still wasn't sure
of their future. This was going to complicate matters-greatly. "I have
something to tell you."

Ioven could feel his stomach drop ever so slightly. She wasn't going to
leave them, was she? Their relationship had soured, for sure, but the
girls... She wouldn't leave them, would she? He couldn't imagine how he
could tell them. It was with grave seriousness that he took the seat
beside her, already wondering if she would finally find a way to lever
him into submission. He could stand his ground for himself, but for his
girls... "All right then. What is it?"

"You're going to be a father," she told him quickly. Now she was well
and truly in this marriage, for better or for worse-though she had never
considered divorce like Briata had.

He was glad he was sitting in that moment. A deep breath escaped him,
his eyes closing, squeezing shut. Of all the things she could have
said, this was one that was completely unexpected. They hadn't been
together as man and wife since the night of their fight. She had to
have known for some time. This certainly wasn't like it had been
before. There was no joy in this news. Not yet. "When?"

"I don't know yet. I have to see the healer." She bit her lip, not very
concerned about speaking with him about such things, though at one time
she would have been. "I'm a bit irregular...so it could have been some
time ago or recent."

Not so recent, he thought. "Do you already have an appointment?"

"Aye. They said a Master is coming here. So I've put in to see him."
Parale had never really met one of those so she was suitably impressed.
As it was, she was finally letting herself feel the slight uncertainty
that she had never thought about before when she'd wanted a baby so
badly.

Ioven was sure that just about every woman in the Hold had applied to
see the new Master Healer, but he hoped Parale would be given the
privilege. It was her first pregnancy, after all, and it was good to
get an expert opinion on these things. "Shall I go with you?"

"If you want to." To be honest, she wished he would. He had more
experience when it came to babies than she did. Parale had seen other
women pregnant but it wasn't the same thing exactly. She rubbed her hands
together. "It's like the usual exam they do." She _hated_ those. She
suffered them, but she hated them. In other words, if her husband had
an eye on the healer that was poking at her bits, there was less likely
to go wrong.

He watched her ringing hands, getting the feeling that she was rather
nervous about the whole thing. "Do _you_ want me to?" After all, she
was the one avoiding him, from his point of view.

"If you have the time. That way if something happened or he needed to
tell us something, he could say it at the same time." And she'd have a
hand to hold. Even though these days she found herself doubting their
relationship she would never doubt that he'd take care of this child and
she wouldn't deny him that.

"I can make time." It was important to him, also, to be there. He
wasn't sure how he felt about it all yet. It was just an abstract
thought at the moment. There certainly wasn't the joy mingled with fear
that he had felt when Narys had told him she was pregnant for the first
time. It just wasn't real. "Have you said anything to the girls?"

"No. I wanted you to know first, though I'm sure Venrys may be astute
enough to notice I haven't been feeling the best here and there." She
was surprised the girl hadn't said anything just yet to be honest.

"So you've suspected for a while?" If she thought his daughter would
have caught on by now...

"I was feeling ill. I went to see Parme about it and she suggested this
might be why. I thought it wasn't so I got something from her and went
on my way. I waited to...but the bleeding never came, even irregular as
I am. I went back and admitted she was probably right in the first place.
If I was when she thought I was, though, I should be to a point where I
won't lose it, but I don't know exactly." She wasn't sure of when still
and it would be necessary to see the healer to find that out, but at least
Parale was sure now that she was carrying. Her tone belied her slight
confusion and she'd be glad when she knew for sure.

Ioven wondered briefly just when it was that Parme thought she was,
before or after they started sleeping apart. But really, it didn't
matter. The healer would answer that question for them in the end. His
disinterest was slightly disturbing to him. **I should be feeling
something...** And yet he really wasn't. Too much in his life had a
question mark hanging over it. "You'll tell me when the appointment is
decided?"

"Aye. Do you want to tell the girls before or after?" The way she
phrased the question indicated Parale didn't plan on telling them by
herself, but she could if he wanted her to. Syren wasn't going to be
the baby anymore. It would be some time yet, but that was quite a bit
of a change for a young girl.

"After. They'll want to know when." He wondered how they would feel.
Venrys would probably be intellectually intrigued. Syren was a bit
harder to judge.

Accepting that, she took a breath and bent down to put her things away.
She was tired and had stayed up past when she would have usually. Before
too long she would start seriously gaining weight and she didn't look
forward to it since it would be cumbersome and make it harder to keep up
with the girls. Silently thanking Faranth for Venrys' help, she pushed
herself up and began to shuffle towards bed.

"Good night then," he said, pulling himself up on his feet as he watched
her make her way towards the bedroom they had once shared.

Last updated on the May 21st 2012

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There's a Bun in the Oven