twenty-two #3
At least they’re farmers. Wealthy farmers, but Lewin had proven himself on both visits to Arrah that he was comfortable around horses, as his wife would require.
Their kids will be the best riders on Qahrain.
“I’ll miss you so much.” Until then, Graella had kept most of her tears at bay, but now they fell down her cheeks as she reached for Sulim’s hand. “You’re like a sister to me, Sulim. I know it’s because of me that you married into this family, and now I’m abandoning you!”
“What are you talking about? We’ll still see each other every couple of years. Sonall and I will come visit, and you two will come visit us.”
“You promise?”
“I know it takes a long time, and it’s expensive, but I do have some wanderlust in me…”
“Oh, me too! There are so many places I want to see!”
“Aren’t you going to Terra III for your honeymoon?” Sulim had already told Graella every place she and Sonall had gone on theirs, recommending every stop.
“No…” Graella averted her gaze. “We will be honeymooning locally after the town banquet on Qahrain. I don’t think I’ll be able to travel much for a while once I get there. It’s already such a long journey, even though we’re traveling First Class.”
“Oh? I didn’t think you got sick from space travel.”
“I’m worried about that one wormhole right before we get to Qahrain! It’s so rough!”
“I suppose it is.” Sulim didn’t really differentiate the two wormholes used for faster traveling between Qahrain and Arrah’s systems. “But it’s only really dangerous if you have heart problems or if you’re…” She stopped abruptly, almost dropping the sandwich Graella had packed. “You’re pregnant.”
Graella sounded like she was going to cry out in despair, but at the last moment, she grinned so broadly and let out a shriek that echoed in the canyon below them. While she said no words, the message was clear as she flung herself on Sulim and shook her like a doll.
“The fuck!” Sulim cried as they both landed on the blanket. “Since when!” Oh, what was she talking about? Since Lewin’s visit! “Did you not protect yourself?”
“Of course I did!” Graella offered a cute pout as she slammed her hands on her hips. “But I either messed it up, or we’re just that potent together.”
Ew. “People aren’t potent, Graella.”
“Whatever. Point is, nobody knows, okay? Not yet. I just told Lewin a week ago on our communicator call when I was sure. Do you know what he said?”
Since she was still grinning, it must not have been terrible. “What?”
“That he’s super excited and can’t wait to be a dad! And that he loves me sooo much!” Graella flung herself back onto the ground, burying her happy sounds in the dirty blanket.
“Wow,” Sulim said. “I had no idea.”
“You can’t tell anyone,” Graella said when she popped back up, her shoulder-length hair askew and in her face. “I’m waiting to tell Mother until right before the wedding. Assuming she doesn’t guess before that. I’m already gaining weight.”
“You should see a—”
“Oh, yes, I need you to go into town with me. There’s an obstetrician I’m gonna see, and you’re the only one I trust. I’ve already made the appointment. That said…”
“What?”
“Wouldn’t it be amazing to have the baby blessed by Lady Joiya?”
I dunno about that… Not based on what Sulim knew of the woman’s fertility problems. “Maybe. Tell your mother first.”
“Oh, she’ll be mad. I daresay that Lewin’s mother won’t care as long as we’re married.”
“I suppose it’s different when it’s your own daughter.”
“Maybe I’ll know one day, huh? Obviously, it’s too early to know what I have, but I’d love a daughter. And a son, of course. One of each.”
“An heir and a spare?” Sulim quipped.
Suddenly, Graella’s visage was quite serious. “An heir for both of us.”
Sulim didn’t know what to make of that at first.
“I know that you and Sonall aren’t having kids.”
“I… you know what?”
“You guys aren’t really romantic together, are you?”
“I…”
“Sulim, I knew about Eyne. And I knew about those other girls you dated.”
She couldn’t speak.
“I admit, when you accepted Sonall’s proposal, I was happily surprised. But you guys are just friends, aren’t you?”
Graella furrowed her brows. “Look, I’m still of Gardiah blood. If I have more than one kid, I can groom one to be the next heir here. You tell Sonall not to worry about it. I’ll do what needs to be done. Just pray I have at least one son. Otherwise,
you might have problems with the Arrahite line of succession. Oh! But listen to me. With my luck, I’ll have two daughters fighting over the right to be the Lady of Horses and nothing to do with farming sarrah weed for Terra III.”
“Graella, I…”
“Sulim.” She took her hands, squeezing their fingers together. The resolute look on Graella’s face was the most determined that Sulim had ever seen her. “This is what sisters do.”
It was easy for Sulim to digest this news with the assumption that Graella meant her, but later that night, after dinner, Graella took Sonall by the arm and led him to the back porch, where Sulim couldn’t overhear what they talked about,
but the looks in their eyes suggested that they would miss each other more than anyone else in that house.
“This is what sisters do.”
She had meant him, and Sulim was fine with that.