Love Comes Softly

Writers: Heather, Avery
Date Posted: 21st November 2015

Characters: Zelah, Runnfreya
Description: The ladies have a discussion about heirs and husbands.
Location: Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 2, day 17 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: Bryvin, Raghad, Danrina, Hadrid, Morin

Zelah

Runnfreya wore a stunning white dress for her luncheon with Sunstone's Lady Holder. The garment was cut to accentuate her trim waist, and plunged in the front as scandalously low as was possible. Covering up some of the cleavage Runnfreya wore one of her favorite silver necklaces that dipped low and swayed softly with long pieces of fringe.

"Right this way ma'am, if you'll just -" the man servant tried to extend his arm to Runnfreya but she waved him off with a flick of her perfectly manicured hand.

"Not necessary. I know the way." She smiled prettily and winked, sending the young man blushing to the roots of his hair.

Momentarily stunned, the young man finally gathered his wits and darted ahead of Runnfreya into the sunny, parlor room, "Um, announcing Lady Runnfreya."

Xeladrie took care to give a polite acknowledgement to the young man who ran in. Then she gave Runnfreya a smile. "Welcome in. Please, take a seat. The kitchens have done fine work today."

"It looks like it." Runnfreya agreed as she took the offered seat. "How have you been dear?"

"I am so ready to be done with this," Xeladrie said with a motion at her belly. "How did you bear it?"

"It is most unbearable the first time, because you don't know how great the reward will actually be." Runnfreya's voice grew softer as she thought back to her first pregnancy with Hadrid. "Then they place this small life
into your arms, a small life that has just caused you great agony and pain, but when you look at them it doesn't seem so bad."

The Citrus Bay lady's eyes flicked back up to Xeladrie, "Listen to me getting all sentimental." She shook her head and reached for a glass of what looked like lemonade.

Xeladrie was quiet as she listened. What Runnfreya described sounded very good. She didn't love her babe now. But maybe it would change when she held the child... "You make me hope I feel that level of connection once he's born."

Runnfreya tilted her head a little, "Tell me if I am being too forward," she often was, "but was this a pregnancy for an heir, or something that you wanted?"

"I found out that in order to keep Sunstone he must have an heir to prevent another succession crisis like after Morin died. Thus the marriage, and the child. We are making what we can of it, but in truth I don't know if this is more than an heir for either of us."

"I'm sorry, I can't imagine what that must be like for you." Runnfreya set her glass down. "All I had to worry about when I married Raghad was all of his children calling me a gold digging whore." She smiled and lifted her eyebrows to lighten Xeladrie's mood.

"Do you get along with them any better now?" Xeladrie asked curiously. If Bryvin had had a by-blow, she wasn't sure how she'd feel about that.

Runnfreya lifted her shoulders, "They tolerate me, I believe, but only so long as Raghad is alive. We don't hear from them most of the time, and I try to just focus on my own children and providing a loving family for
them." There were time when Runnfreya thought she would like to have another baby, but Raghad was over eighty now.

Xeladrie had never been to Citrus Bay, though she was pretty sure her father had some contact with them - weren't they near the border with his land? Geography had never been her strong point. She wasn't aware of the
political situation there, but she realized it would be good for her to learn more.

"You've a fosterling as well as your own, yes?"

"Yes, Torianna. She's just come of age. I was actually hoping you might be able to recommend some possible suitors for her. With no parents me and Raghad are doing our best to find a suitable situation for her where she
will be well taken care of." Runnfreya had no intentions on forcing Torianna to marry, but for women in their situation a good arrangement was the best they could hope for.

Matchmaking was a duty that she could hopefully take up without her husband intending to intervene. She thought she could argue that it was part of the Lady's duties. Although it wouldn't hurt to consult him to make him feel like he mattered.

"I'll look into finding some good men for her. I'm still bothered by the horrible man who married Danrina."

Runnfreya wrinkeld her nose at the mention of it. "I would not allow Torianna to be married off to someone like that. It doens't have to be love, but it should be someone who understands we expect him to care for her."

"Are you hoping for someone of a reasonable status, such as a son of one of Sunstone's minor holds?"

"Well, that would be lovely if any were to show interest in Torianna." Runnfreya did not say it aloud, but she had doubts about Torianna garnering much interest because of her lack of pedigree.

"I'll see what I think of the sons first, to make sure they're reasonable," Xeladrie assured. "But if one is, I'll remind them that better ties between the minor holds strengthens the whole territory, and with Bryvin and Sunstone rising..."

Runnfreya liked the way Xeladrie thought. "Thank you, milady. Sunstone is certainly doing well. Raghad and I were just down in the markets yesterday shopping around. There were a lot of nice things." She thought of the
diamond necklace Raghad had selected for her.

"I hope to see it succeed, since it's my home now. Having the minor holds become closer to each other seems to be smart in my opinion. They seem more disconnected from each other and the main hold than in my father's territory. Fostering exchanges, and intermarriages, seem like a way of fixing that."

Xeladrie wondered if Runnfreya thought she sounded naive, or smart. Turquoise Bay's politics might not apply to Sunstone, but her father was successful, so why not borrow some of his tricks?

At the mention of the markets, her eyes lit up. "I love the market. There's a variety of things there, and the trading ships bring lovely items. The inland holds don't seem to have nearly as nice ones."

"I agree, and coming to Sunstone always guarantees some good looking men to flirt with." Runnfreya smiled unabashedly. "After all, I see the ones at Citrus Bay all the time."

"Does Raghad mind, or does he know it's just teasing?" Xeladrie asked, daring a bold question herself.

"He minded when we first were married, but after all these Turns together he knows where my loyalties lie." Runnfreya pursed her lips a little as she studied the condensation that beaded on her cold drink. "It would be easy to lay with another man. Being brought up a drudge, I acquired all the talents necessary to win over a man's attention." She flicked her fingers over the very outfit she wore. "But I do love Raghad, and I owe everything
I have and everything that I am to him." The clothes she wore, the food she ate, even her education, she owed it all to Raghad.

"So despite what my wonderful step-children believe, I am faithful." She knew many people found that hard to believe, especially since her husband was on in Turns and she was a young, healthy woman. "But a little flirting
never hurt anyone."

"Your marriage sounds like a lovely one. I confess, I wish I'd had the luck to love my husband, as well as to be obligated to him."

"Aye, well, it wasn't love in the beginning. I was a young drudge eager to get out of the kitchens, and Raghad was an older man of wealth who could provide me the things I wanted." Runnfreya looked down at her perfectly
manicured hands. She could easily remember a time when they were raw and red from scrubbing pots and pans. "Sometimes, milady, love does not happen all at once, sometimes it just sneaks up on you when you aren't watching. Sometimes, love comes softly."

Xeladrie wasn't sure if she wanted that kind of love between her and Bryvin. After all he'd done to ruin her life - hurting her sister, bearing her away from her family and into this marriage - the idea of loving him
made her queasy. But would affection be better than bitter hatred? Would it make her days more livable?

"Then I should hope it comes for me," she answered. Maybe Runnfreya's beautiful words were right. Maybe there were other possibilities.

Last updated on the November 30th 2015

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Love Comes Softly