Chapter 17 #3
“I think with winter able to bring new friends to visit with new treaties and trade, and also keeping the Jakals driven into caves and shelters and the deserts, you might come to appreciate the season,” Mystique mused as she cuddled back up to her husband.
“It’d be a miracle, but it may have its merits after all,” Reule said with a disbelieving shake of his head. “As for you, Liandra,” he said, shifting to a serious intonation, “you become Pack come the end of the month. Are you prepared?”
“As prepared as one woman possibly can be.” She plopped down her salve and leaned eagerly forward.
“Did you know that Delano is teaching me to defend myself? Mystique gave me some of her boy’s clothes and it’s so liberating I could sing!
Darcio caught me riding astride the other day and nearly popped a blood vessel.
One would think he’d be used to it, since his Prima does it often enough, but no …
he starts sputtering and growling at me like I committed a crime. ”
“And what did you say to him?” Mystique asked archly.
Lia flushed. “Something that I shouldn’t repeat, never mind having said it in the first place. Needless to say,” she continued loudly over their snickers, “he won’t be bothering me again.”
“I wouldn’t bet on it,” Reule muttered.
Mystique elbowed him in the ribs and smiled broadly at Lia.
“Makes me wonder what he thinks of me. Ah, well. You just do whatever you feel like doing,” Mystique said sagely. “Prime Shadow has no right to say anything to you about your behavior.”
“That was the nicer way of telling him what I said.” Lia giggled.
“Well, I’d better get dressed for dinner.
I’ve had to triple my wardrobe since I moved into the keep permanently.
Now we are actually entertaining the head of another state.
It’s so exciting. I’ve a dress picked out for Derrik’s arrival …
I wonder what he looks like. All the Yesu men are so big!
I know you say the women are big too, though you couldn’t tell to look at you, but honestly, how big does a girl have to be to not feel small around those guys? They’re giants!”
Liandra was pretty much talking to herself at this point as she hustled past the Prime couple and into the outer hallway. Mystique was used to this habit Lia had of chattering to no one in particular, but she still found it amusing. She looked up over her shoulder at her husband.
“I adore her.” She sighed happily.
“You said that yesterday about Chayne. And the day before about Delano.”
“And every day about you, I hope,” she rejoined.
“Without fail,” he agreed. “Kébé, I’ve something I need to tell you.”
“Oh?” Mystique turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she tipped up her chin. “What is it?”
“Well …” He cleared his throat and she could tell he was actually nervous. The idea bemused her. She drew back to get a better look at his rugged face.
“Did you do something wrong? Though I can’t imagine …”
“You’re pregnant,” he said in a rush. “I know you don’t know yet, but all males can tell if a woman is pregnant. It’s … it’s a Sánge trait. We can smell the … the change. We can tell if a woman is sterile, or fertile or …”
“Pregnant.”
“Pregnant,” he agreed with a grim sort of exhalation. “I’ve been awfully high-handed about this whole … thing … and I never actually asked if …”
Mystique giggled, her hand flying up to suppress the sound an instant too late, which earned her a black scowl from him.
“Reule,” she chided. “Are you trying to find out if I’m happy about becoming a mother, even though there’s nothing I can do about it now?”
He opened his mouth, but no words came out as his brain tried to untangle the nerve-wracking possibilities. “Yes,” he confessed at last. “And you think I’m an idiot, don’t you?”
“No. I’d never think that,” she scolded him.
“Silly, yes. Idiot? Never. Yes, my love, I’m delighted to know that I’m going to be a mother.
The first Sánge/Yesu baby and the new heir to your throne.
Why wouldn’t I be proud? I love you. Para will be tickled pink.
Rye will need some reassurance. And … oh, by the Lady, you mean they all know already?
” She gasped. “All of the men know already? How long have you known? How long have all of you known? Just when do you begin to ‘smell’ a pregnancy?” she demanded.
“Um, about seven days after.”
“Seven days?” He nodded and, by the expression on his face, she had a feeling she was about to kill him. “Reule, just how pregnant am I?”
“Well … do you remember that afternoon when we first met the Yesu and you got seriously—”
“A month!” she squeaked. “You’ve known for an entire month and you didn’t tell me?”
“Well, technically it’s three weeks and three day—”
“Reule!”
“Baby, its Sánge tradition. We wait until the first month goes by just in case there’s a problem, so expectations aren’t …”
“Oh, so, if I miscarried you’d be the only one to know? The only one to feel the loss? The only one to mourn? You selfish bastard!”
She shoved him, hard, this time making him move by using her power to weaken his muscles for an instant.
He stumbled back, cursing as he caught himself up against the wall.
It was a dirty trick, but, damn, he admired her for it.
Still, he had her by the wrist before she could flee and jerked her back, pinning her against the door frame.
“It’s tradition, and it’s not selfish. It’s caring and sensitive.
Do you have any idea how many women shed a conception in the first twenty-one days in this society?
How often it happens to a fertile woman in her lifetime?
In a lifetime of four centuries, average, that would lead up to more devastation than you can possibly realize.
So no, I wouldn’t feel loss. I wouldn’t mourn.
Just a little sad that it wasn’t meant to be.
But don’t stand there and condemn me for sparing you that sadness.
That is the essence of the love I feel for you, Mystique.
I will spare you pain whenever I can. I promised you that, remember? ”
“Yes,” she said, softening as a wave of sheepishness flowed over her. “I’m sorry.” She cuddled up to him now, her hands stroking over his back. “I’m focusing on the wrong thing, aren’t I?”
“That’s a fair statement.” He chuckled. “But I hear irrationality is a trait of pregnancy.”
“Hey. Don’t push your luck,” she growled at him sternly.
“Very well,” he said, lowering his head until his lips were touching her cheek, rubbing gently to and fro. “What shall I push, then?”
“You’re a very naughty man.” She giggled. “We have guests coming to dinner and I need to get dressed.”
“Yes. Which will require you to get undressed first.” Mystique felt his fingers tugging at the laces between her breasts. “I’ve been known to be quite helpful in that regard.”
She drew in a deep breath, lifted her gaze to his, and looked at him with nothing short of complete and adoring affection.
“Have I mentioned lately,” she breathed, “how very, very happy I am?”