My Darling Daughter

[hrhlavender]

Who: Lavender and Azkadellia, possibly Jeb later.
What: Being a mother
When: February Seventh, 7:30pm
Where: Azkadellia's rooms.

Comments

[az_of_the_oz]

"C-can you stay?" As a general rule, Az did not like being alone, really. It was true she had attempted to retreat into seclusion after both the Double Eclipse and after she had been rescued from the Realm. But both times, someone had come and pulled her immediately back out of her self imposed isolation. The punishment she had attempted to give herself both times for not fighting hard enough, even if she had never classified it as such at the time.

And when she did have to be alone, or at least the others, she thought, were too busy, the Princess would strike up a conversation with one of her guards. It was how she had heard so many stories being told in the oddly accented voice of Sergei's, of his life before the Longcoats came.

"You can," she searched for something her mother could do. Something that would keep her there just a bit longer. "You can tell me about this latest development. Are you hoping for another girl? Or a boy?" Strange that she was actually seeking to further their conversation, when the majority of their earlier conversations had all been clipped and quickly over. As if they were two wary prizefighters who met for the fight, and immediately retreated to their respective corners.

[hrhlavender]

"I'd love to. Well, I'm not sure. I have lovely daughters already. I suppose a son. I'll wait to find out." She smiled. "Of course. I'd love a grandchild. After the wedding. It was a close call with you," she winked.

[az_of_the_oz]

A little brother, that could certainly be interesting, "Cain suggested that either way the baby would be bound to be riding Sugar or Karma," the sleeping puppy, as she lay under the couch, gave a little snuffling sound at the thought. "I suggested a padded saddle." The smile that teased the ends of her mouth was a flicker of lightheartedness that had been sorely lacking from the rest of the conversation.

Amusement spiked at the comment that it had been 'a close call' with her. "Mother! Really?" That had not been a story she had been told before, although she had not actually ever looked at the dates of the Royal Wedding and the Royal Birth. "You were pregnant when you married Father?" Remembering something, she tilted her head. "And fit into that dress?"

Az's thumb came into contact with the ring she now wore on her finger, and she looked down at it for a second. The Princess realized that she had not shown either the ring, nor the box to anyone. And she really did want to show the gorgeous work Jeb had done on them both, as much as she loved the gifts. "Oh, I want to show you som-"

She stood suddenly in a fluid movement. Too suddenly, finding herself having to freeze as nausea roiled in her stomach for a minute.

[hrhlavender]

"We'll see," Lavender smiled. "If I've learned anything from being a parent is that your child will do whatever they want to do. You're absolute refusal to eat anything but strawberries when you were two, for example."

Lavender laughed. "Well, your grandmother altered the pictures. Little coverup."

Lavender jumped forward when Azkadellia reeled. "Azkadee! Are you all right?"

[az_of_the_oz]

"Strawberries?" That would explain her sweet tooth and the love of the fruit now. There was definitely a distinct memory of eating the cousin of a strawberry on her and Jeb's 'date' in the gardens that first night. "Well, they are delicious." She flashed a bright smile.

It really should have come to no surprise that the previous Queen of the O.Z., infamous for her rigorous sticking to the rules of propriety, would change pictures from her own daughter's wedding to cover up any evidence of her upcoming granddaughter's birth.

The Princess swallowed, eyes closing for a moment as she pushed back the rising nausea back into a negligible level. Her stomach had been queasy for the last several hours, as it had off and on for the last week. But she could not be sure when she had been nauseous in the wake of her nightmares, or if it was anything else. "Don't worry Mother, it'll go away. It always does." She took a slow breath, and then opened her eyes back up to meet her mother's. "I was just feeling a bit...spun about for a moment there."

[hrhlavender]

"Have you been pushing yourself, darling?" Lavender asked, automatically placing her hand on her forehead. It was slightly warm. "How long have you been feeling this way?"

[az_of_the_oz]

With a shake of her head, Az turned that thought down. "No, I don't think so." She continued training in the mornings, often with Eliza and LM joining her when she occasionally slipped among the ranks of the Ix. No meals were skipped, she was almost constantly watched to make sure she did not push herself beyond her limits.

"This last week, perhaps a bit more." The feeling of sickness ebbed away, and some color returned to the Princess's face. Well, as much as ever, at least.

[hrhlavender]

A wave of nausea hit Lavender, which made Behind the Magic flash into her eyes. Could Azkadellia be pregnant?

On an impulse, Lavender reached for her daughter's stomach. A dim light was visible under hand. "I think, perhaps, we should move up the schedule of your wedding, dear."