Post by Rosie on Dec 23, 2010 9:46:09 GMT 10
Title: Sister to Sister
Rating: G
Bingo: stories + experiments gone wrong + teacher + snowball fight + giving
Summary: Lianne asks for help
--
"I wasn't sure if you would come," Lianne admitted, as Roanna brought Gary (holding him firmly by the hand, since he was still apt to get into whatever mischief he could) into the Queen's private garden.
"You asked me to, didn't you?" Roanna replied evenly, releasing her son's hand once she had secured the door behind her. His cousin beckoned him forward, one hand behind his back, and - once Gary was a safe distance from his mother - threw a snowball at him. It missed him significantly, but Gary's howls of outrage told a different story.
"It would not have been the first time you ignored a request from me."
Roanna wiped some of the snow off the bench next to her sister-in-law, before sitting down. "This time, it actually sounded like a request."
Lianne's lips quirked into a smile - a rarity, these days. She was becoming more and more withdrawn as her pregnancy wore on. Privately, Roanna was concerned for her, and that was the real reason she had answered the summons. "I thought it might be nice for the boys to play together in peace."
"I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, Lianne, but that most definitely sounds like war." The boys were by now tearing up the previously undisturbed garden. Roanna couldn't tell who was winning (though she suspected it wasn't Gary), but she approved of their flushed cheeks and bright eyes. This would wear Gary out nicely before his bedtime.
"Roald teases that Jonathan is like King Jasson sometimes. I think he's hoping to force diplomacy into him if he really does take after his grandfather. I don't think he needs to worry, though. I see a lot of Gareth in him."
Roanna tilted her head, wondering if that had been an attempt at flattery on Lianne's part. She suspected there might be a little truth in it, as much as a three-year-old could resemble somebody in their forties. Of course, she thought Jonathan would benefit from not being like his parents.
Lianne continued in this vein, perhaps imagining she was softening Roanna up by regaling tales of her older brother, the war hero. Another day, it might have worked, but Roanna was growing irritable as she grew colder on the bench. Finally, she broke in.
"I hope you didn't get me out in this weather just to tell me what your childhood was like." She exhaled sharply, watching her breath mist in front of her. "Pardon me for being bold, but I don't think it matters if anybody overhears that. If you have a point to this secrecy, I suggest you let me in on it now, before I call somebody to help me drag you back inside for the sake of your health."
A faint blush settled over Lianne's cheeks. "Of course. I had forgotten how imperious you can be."
"Don't tell anybody," Roanna said dryly. "I would so hate for it to become public knowledge."
The lack of answering smile on Lianne's face told Roanna they had reached the point at last.
"I don't mean to bring up the spring, especially not now Gareth has just let you back to Corus-" Roanna tried her best not to treat this comment with the derision she felt it deserved. "- but I'm worried, Roanna. I've half-convinced myself that it's because I had so many... problems, that I'm imagining there's an issue now when there's not."
Jon chose this moment to break in with a war cry. Roanna spared no thought of concern for her son - he would have to learn to sidestep Jon's charges sooner or later - and placed her gloved hands over Lianne's.
"It - I can't explain it," Lianne said, tears clinging to her long lashes. "It feels wrong. Did you feel like that?"
"You're very ill, Lianne," Roanna said gently, reaching for her handkerchief. "You knew this baby would risk your life, and yet you did not wear your charm."
"He needed the line of succession to be secure," Lianna whispered, her large hazel eyes fixed on Roanna's. "I had to do my duty. Roger isn't an option; he's his mother's son. If this is a boy, it will be worth-"
"Your life?" Roanna finished. "Jon's mother's life?"
Lianne's face crumpled. "Will you look after him for me?"
The conversation was taking an uncomfortable route. Roanna's heartache from her stillborn child remained raw, and she didn't enjoy raking over it. She rubbed her forehead, trying to determine the best course of action. "If it were to come to that, I would do my best," she answered.
Right. Time to do something.
"Boys, come here now. I don't want to see a single snowball making its way inside the palace with us, do I make myself clear? If I see so much as a puddle on the floor, I will know who is responsible."
--
"Busy day?" Roanna enquired sleepily, as Gareth climbed into their bed.
"Oh, more or less the usual. The new boy is improving in sword-fighting. I was thinking about giving a demonstration next week, though I might hold off and see how he does for a while longer." He leaned over and planted a kiss on her temple. "Nothing like your day, I warrant. I heard you've been ordering around the Queen."
Roanna flushed. "She asked my advice, and I gave it."
He chuckled, knowing what that meant. "I heard you gave her a healer."
"The Royal Healer's a fool," she retorted.
"I know," he answered, arranging the covers over them. "Thank you. I was worried about her."
She nodded, her eyelids fluttering shut again. "We all were."
Rating: G
Bingo: stories + experiments gone wrong + teacher + snowball fight + giving
Summary: Lianne asks for help
--
"I wasn't sure if you would come," Lianne admitted, as Roanna brought Gary (holding him firmly by the hand, since he was still apt to get into whatever mischief he could) into the Queen's private garden.
"You asked me to, didn't you?" Roanna replied evenly, releasing her son's hand once she had secured the door behind her. His cousin beckoned him forward, one hand behind his back, and - once Gary was a safe distance from his mother - threw a snowball at him. It missed him significantly, but Gary's howls of outrage told a different story.
"It would not have been the first time you ignored a request from me."
Roanna wiped some of the snow off the bench next to her sister-in-law, before sitting down. "This time, it actually sounded like a request."
Lianne's lips quirked into a smile - a rarity, these days. She was becoming more and more withdrawn as her pregnancy wore on. Privately, Roanna was concerned for her, and that was the real reason she had answered the summons. "I thought it might be nice for the boys to play together in peace."
"I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, Lianne, but that most definitely sounds like war." The boys were by now tearing up the previously undisturbed garden. Roanna couldn't tell who was winning (though she suspected it wasn't Gary), but she approved of their flushed cheeks and bright eyes. This would wear Gary out nicely before his bedtime.
"Roald teases that Jonathan is like King Jasson sometimes. I think he's hoping to force diplomacy into him if he really does take after his grandfather. I don't think he needs to worry, though. I see a lot of Gareth in him."
Roanna tilted her head, wondering if that had been an attempt at flattery on Lianne's part. She suspected there might be a little truth in it, as much as a three-year-old could resemble somebody in their forties. Of course, she thought Jonathan would benefit from not being like his parents.
Lianne continued in this vein, perhaps imagining she was softening Roanna up by regaling tales of her older brother, the war hero. Another day, it might have worked, but Roanna was growing irritable as she grew colder on the bench. Finally, she broke in.
"I hope you didn't get me out in this weather just to tell me what your childhood was like." She exhaled sharply, watching her breath mist in front of her. "Pardon me for being bold, but I don't think it matters if anybody overhears that. If you have a point to this secrecy, I suggest you let me in on it now, before I call somebody to help me drag you back inside for the sake of your health."
A faint blush settled over Lianne's cheeks. "Of course. I had forgotten how imperious you can be."
"Don't tell anybody," Roanna said dryly. "I would so hate for it to become public knowledge."
The lack of answering smile on Lianne's face told Roanna they had reached the point at last.
"I don't mean to bring up the spring, especially not now Gareth has just let you back to Corus-" Roanna tried her best not to treat this comment with the derision she felt it deserved. "- but I'm worried, Roanna. I've half-convinced myself that it's because I had so many... problems, that I'm imagining there's an issue now when there's not."
Jon chose this moment to break in with a war cry. Roanna spared no thought of concern for her son - he would have to learn to sidestep Jon's charges sooner or later - and placed her gloved hands over Lianne's.
"It - I can't explain it," Lianne said, tears clinging to her long lashes. "It feels wrong. Did you feel like that?"
"You're very ill, Lianne," Roanna said gently, reaching for her handkerchief. "You knew this baby would risk your life, and yet you did not wear your charm."
"He needed the line of succession to be secure," Lianna whispered, her large hazel eyes fixed on Roanna's. "I had to do my duty. Roger isn't an option; he's his mother's son. If this is a boy, it will be worth-"
"Your life?" Roanna finished. "Jon's mother's life?"
Lianne's face crumpled. "Will you look after him for me?"
The conversation was taking an uncomfortable route. Roanna's heartache from her stillborn child remained raw, and she didn't enjoy raking over it. She rubbed her forehead, trying to determine the best course of action. "If it were to come to that, I would do my best," she answered.
Right. Time to do something.
"Boys, come here now. I don't want to see a single snowball making its way inside the palace with us, do I make myself clear? If I see so much as a puddle on the floor, I will know who is responsible."
--
"Busy day?" Roanna enquired sleepily, as Gareth climbed into their bed.
"Oh, more or less the usual. The new boy is improving in sword-fighting. I was thinking about giving a demonstration next week, though I might hold off and see how he does for a while longer." He leaned over and planted a kiss on her temple. "Nothing like your day, I warrant. I heard you've been ordering around the Queen."
Roanna flushed. "She asked my advice, and I gave it."
He chuckled, knowing what that meant. "I heard you gave her a healer."
"The Royal Healer's a fool," she retorted.
"I know," he answered, arranging the covers over them. "Thank you. I was worried about her."
She nodded, her eyelids fluttering shut again. "We all were."