Arcaea/Dining Hall Late 08-09/How to Unsettle Jenred
Jenred finally arrived back in Nocaneb, his unit trailing him in Remton. After being assured by the waiting servants that the gift (and the book he'd picked up along the way) would be looked after, he set off with a brisk stride. If Edara followed her usual pattern...She'd be getting ready for a late meal to watch the sunset...
He slipped quietly into their rooms, the guards silenced with a wink and a finger to his lips. He could see Edara struggling out of her formal robes, she must have been holding court...He grinned, slid up quietly behind her, and wrapped his arms around her just as she finally made it free of the Duchal robes. He buried his face in her hair and held her close before mumbling indistinctly...
"If I ever have some fool romantic idea that involves me leaving you for over a week again, then please tell me to soak my head."
She turned, clutching at him and giggling at this welcome, and they held each other for a long moment.
"Missed you, ke'chara...Mmmm...And I think...Since you just happen to already be undressed..."
Jenred picked her up and carried her away, raising his eyebrows in a mock-innocent expression to make her giggle again. He did love what that did to certain parts of her anatomy...He grinned wickedly and kissed her fiercely as he pushed the door shut behind them. Aenil above he loved this woman...
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
Waking in Jenred’s arms…was there anything better? Edara snuggled herself closer and kissed his jaw. Her world had seemed out of balance when he was gone…like she was missing a part of herself…
“My lovely Jenred…I will never let you go away from me for so long again…because I will just get on my horse and come with you.”
He opened his eyes and smiled down at her, not surprised by her only now referring to his earlier remark…she had been somewhat…distracted…for…sometime. He kissed her nose and pulled her even more firmly against him.
“Plus, I don’t think that you should ever be gone so long…all sorts of interesting things have been happening. Have you read all of you r correspondence? Did you see that Maddy’s Tenal came? She’s so happy! And he has loads of ideas and things to say. And Arcachon has some sort of plan for a colony…which we just found out about. Oh…and the way that people have been talking in the council…calling names and things…We needed you to be here.”
Edara squeezed him hard and planted a row of kisses along his jaw from his chin to his ear, “And I always need you to be here. Missed you so,” she pulled back a little so that she could look at him seriously.
“I’m ready to get married…right now. I’m tired of waiting. I want to be your wife. I want to say ‘My husband’…I know that you are mine…but I want everyone else in the whole world to know it. Jenred Bedwyr…mine…besides…if we never get married…how can we make any babies?”
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Nocaneb
Jenred looked up sharply. He had been about to laugh a little...When he caught Edara's expression and realized she was serious. He paused a moment to think carefully before responding. Children...He had never really considered it. Before, his life had been so unsettled, and recently...Well, he'd had other things on his mind...
"Edara...Honestly, I hadn't thought about it. It's...Well, I don't have to explain to you...But after what my father...I..."
Jenred stopped and took a deep breath.
"I'd like to be a father someday. I know I could be a good one...After all, I just have to think of my father to know that I...Well, couldn't be like that. But...Ke'chara, we have time. We're...Well, you are young, anyway. I was looking forward to a few more years of...This...Just us..."
Jenred stopped talking, to let her respond, and sighed mentally. I go away, and Arcachon announces a colony, Tenal shows up, chaos breaks out, and my lover wants kids. Memo to me, DO NOT go away for longer than a week...
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
Edara smiled at him serenely, “You will be the best father there ever was. Better than Uncle Dougal, even.”
She looked away for a moment and said wistfully, “I wonder if I will be a good mother…my mother…was gone so much…”
She returned her gaze to his face, “We do have time. I didn’t mean…I just never realized…while you were gone…I...uh…I just had time…to think…and…well…I never…I thought…I would like to have children someday…your children…I didn’t know that I wanted to be…a mother. I only knew that I wanted to be a wife.”
Edara stroked his face lightly and smiled softly, “I wasn’t saying tomorrow, kerensa…I know that we never…talked about…children…but…when you met me…I was still a child,” her smile broadened to a grin, “Compared to you…I’ll always be a child…old goat!”
She tickled him suddenly…just for a few moments…just to see him gasp and twitch.
Whilst he was recovering she added, “I just thought…I wanted you to think about it…that we should talk about…that I wanted to know if…one day…that if you wanted…I just…we never talked about it…” Edara trailed off.
Lady Edara Kindon Duchess of Nocaneb
After catching his breath from the unexpected tickling, Jenred cradled Edara's face in his hands.
"Ke'chara, you will be a wonderful mother. And, when the time is right...Perhaps when you've grown up a little more, young one..."
Jenred grinned back at her, before softening back to a smile.
"My dearest love...I will be proud to be the father of your children."
Sir Jenred Bedwyr Imperial Magistrate of Arcaea
