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[queeninthenorth]

If Jeyne had still been inclined to pray to the Seven, she would have thanked the Mother every day that Reynald was a healthy, happy, easygoing baby. Of course he cried and fussed at times as any baby did, but it was almost always due to being hungry or tired and he was easily soothed, unlike his cousin Rickon who seemed to drive his mother to

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[piratekingswann]

Elizabeth did not feel that she was avoiding Jeyne after the island trick, they did not see each other regularly after all. It was perhaps a relief not to be confronted with more memories of that incident. Yet when she saw Jeyne and her child beneath the dock - a regular destination for Elizabeth she sighed at the disturbing memories she prompted. But to walk away would be cowardly something Elizabeth abhorred and different as she was from Jeyne in everything but looks she was sure Jeyne was not any more proud of their encounter than she was.

"Hello," she said crouching down beside them a slight distance away and watching Reynald bounce and laugh.

[queeninthenorth]

"Hello," Jeyne answered, as Reynald turned toward her and bounced, smiling. "It's good to see you. Are you well?" It felt awkward, given what had happened when last they saw each other, but Jeyne had found there was little to do to resolve awkwardness than to simply ignore it and carry on.

[piratekingswann]

"Yes," said Elizabeth shifting as she made herself as comfortable she could, the more pregnant she grew the less she felt like herself and she was tired of being uncomfortable in her own skin. But she assumed this was part of pregnancy and did not count as being unwell even if she was inclined to complain. She watched Reynald look at her and bounce a little and that at least made her smile - clearly her odd island inflicted self had made a good impression on the child. "You and Reynald both seem so," she said and he laughed at her.

[queeninthenorth]

"I've been fortunate in that Reynald is a happy child," Jeyne admitted. "And healthy and strong." She looked from Reynald to Elizabeth and smiled. "I think he likes you," she said. Reynald reached for Elizabeth, clearly wanting to be picked up. "You cannot bounce on her, sweetling," Jeyne warned him. "You would not want to hurt her babe."

[piratekingswann]

Elizabeth had rather expected that Reynald's like of her would have ended when her desire to fuss over him had. But that of course was foolish for how would he know - she doubted very much that he could really tell the difference at his age. Though she did recall that he was not a difficult child - she was sure this made him the exception rather than the rule as babies went so after an awkward pause - in which Reynald carried on reaching determinedly at her undeterred by the delay she picked him up. "He does seem to," she said, puzzled for she felt very uncertain of him and foolish because of it - he was only a baby, hardly fearsome at all. "Though I suppose he must I'm likable with our resemblence" She didn't think Reynald could bounce hard enough to harm her or the child but she did suspect that in matters of childbearing Jeyne would know better than her so she balanced Reynald on her leg. He immediately reached for the sand which Elizabeth suspected was bad for children so she held him up a bit higher trying not to look awkward.

[queeninthenorth]

"I'm sure it's more than that," Jeyne assured her. Elizabeth seemed uncertain, but she was doing well enough with Reynald and Jeyne hoped to reassure her. "I didn't think I would know what to do with a babe, before he was born," she admitted. "Even though I helped with my younger brother and sister, it just wasn't the same. But some things just sort of come to you when you don't expect it."

[piratekingswann]

Elizabeth kept to herself that she had never applied herself to anything that was supposed to come naturally to women. But Jeyne's words did have her admit. "I'm an only child," she said. "I haven't a clue really." Which was a state of affairs she'd been perfectly happy about until now and had done little to remedy. The child reminded her of the futility of this by kicking her from the inside out, a sensation she might have found easier to grow accustomed to if it didn't remind her of when it had first happened and she'd been silly with joy about it quite against her will

[queeninthenorth]

"Oh, yes, there are," Jeyne replied. "Robb's sister Sansa has a daughter, Eddara; his brother Jon has a son, Rickon, and Jon's mother Lyanna has a daughter, Ygraine. But I think no matter how many children you tend in your life, when they are your own, it is altogether different. I would do anything for my nieces and nephew should they need it, and I love them dearly, but...for Reynald..." She hesitated for a moment, and though her voice grew quiet it became stronger. "I would kill if I had to, to protect him from harm, or give my life in trying."

[piratekingswann]

Elizabeth was surprised to hear such a thing from Jeyne and she tried to hide it - what she was saying reminded her of the island afflicted Jeyne but not the way she said it. She had heard women could be fierce for their children and though Elizabeth had never hesitated to be fierce - she would have acted as Jeyne said for her father or Will before their deaths and for James now but she knew the pregnancy had engendered no such feelings for her. "Did you feel that before he was born," she asked not caring if the question was improper, "or only after?" Perhaps she wasn't so unnatural or perhaps she was worse.

[queeninthenorth]

Jeyne did not know Elizabeth all that well, despite their similarities, but she knew her enough to know that she was not entirely in raptures about her child to be--so she chose her words carefully. "In some of the books my goodsisters leant me, books about childbearing," she began, "they say many women feel differently about the babe they carry. It seems different for each woman, but I felt

[piratekingswann]

Elizabeth had read none of the books James had acquired on the same subject - it was the first time in her life that she had ever been deliberately ignorant but she reading about childbearing seemed like something she would not have done of her choice and she refused to be moved from that just because she had a reason to need to know. Jeyne's first words seemed to be designed to be a comfort and then the next thing she said was clearly a confidence that proved just how deficient Elizabeth was. The idea of having to provide a man an heir was not of course unknown to Elizabeth, but she found it distasteful

[queeninthenorth]

Jeyne thought about Elizabeth's words. She was not quite sure what to make of her; she seemed not to want the babe she carried, and yet... the fact that she seemed concerned about her lack of concern was hopeful. "Mayhap the world would be a boring place if everyone only wanted what was normal," she ventured. "They do grow quickly. Your child might have a taste for adventure as well, when he is older."

[piratekingswann]

Elizabeth smiled genuinely at that for she had found her world very boring until she had gone to sea. But here it was not so bad - if it was dull it was not the dull proscribed life of being proper in Port Royal. The idea of a child with her habits - disturbing as her father had once called them was not unpleasant. "A thought that will thrill my husband," she joked. "I think he'd like a child less difficult than I was." Though he was probably going to be pleased no matter what - unlike her.