06-06-2022, 08:29 PM
“Oh blessed be this day,” Mrs. Lockwood smiled as she squeezed Fintan’s shoulder before releasing him to tend to his wife once more. With a touch to her cheek to check for a fever she smiled at the younger woman and the infant in her arms as well.
“Young masters, let us prepare for the day. I know it has been a long night, but we must prevail.” Both of the older children wanted very much to protest but as Aurore touched both of their sweet little faces she agreed with Mrs. Lockwood.
Once upon a time she stood at the corner of a boxing arena just to shout at him and call him back down. What was he thinking letting some man beat upon him as such, and letting down his guard. She’d accused him of wanting to let them hurt him, so that he could at least feel. She hadn’t understood his need for such a test of survival until Lucian was born.
Aurore was much younger then and unmarried, a woman with every single luxury afforded to her station, but from the first time she felt her child move inside her she knew what true fear felt like. She had to survive, and it felt like madness. She hadn’t been as willing to take chances or speak so openly in courts that were no longer her’s to command, and by the time Magdalen was born she was still frozen with fear.
This time, everything felt so very different, and now that they were alone she didn’t feel the resentment and fear burn through her as before.
Im sorry.
You should be, if she were cruel she would have answered, but those days were gone and the tears in his eyes enough to remind her that he was already his own worst enemy. Her fingers moved to touch his hair and brush his skin as though to pull him back from that hell they both still visited elsewhere in their nightmares. He was lost in his thoughts and fears of the future, and she just wanted him to be here with her now.
Once the door closed behind them and the sound of the children were well down in the hall, Aurore drew down the covers freshly changed and sat up a little more in the fort of fine pillows Cat made sure to fluff.
“Come, my love, come meet your daughter who had to come first. Just—“ She motioned to his feet with her eyes, “No shoes.” A little bit of their inside humor as long ago he’d always fallen into bed so tired he didn’t even take off his boots. She wanted so much to lighten the moment and though it was nearly unheard of and something akin to a sin, Aurore wasn’t one to send him to his own rooms. Frankly, she had started using the wardrobe in there as well.
“Young masters, let us prepare for the day. I know it has been a long night, but we must prevail.” Both of the older children wanted very much to protest but as Aurore touched both of their sweet little faces she agreed with Mrs. Lockwood.
Once upon a time she stood at the corner of a boxing arena just to shout at him and call him back down. What was he thinking letting some man beat upon him as such, and letting down his guard. She’d accused him of wanting to let them hurt him, so that he could at least feel. She hadn’t understood his need for such a test of survival until Lucian was born.
Aurore was much younger then and unmarried, a woman with every single luxury afforded to her station, but from the first time she felt her child move inside her she knew what true fear felt like. She had to survive, and it felt like madness. She hadn’t been as willing to take chances or speak so openly in courts that were no longer her’s to command, and by the time Magdalen was born she was still frozen with fear.
This time, everything felt so very different, and now that they were alone she didn’t feel the resentment and fear burn through her as before.
Im sorry.
You should be, if she were cruel she would have answered, but those days were gone and the tears in his eyes enough to remind her that he was already his own worst enemy. Her fingers moved to touch his hair and brush his skin as though to pull him back from that hell they both still visited elsewhere in their nightmares. He was lost in his thoughts and fears of the future, and she just wanted him to be here with her now.
Once the door closed behind them and the sound of the children were well down in the hall, Aurore drew down the covers freshly changed and sat up a little more in the fort of fine pillows Cat made sure to fluff.
“Come, my love, come meet your daughter who had to come first. Just—“ She motioned to his feet with her eyes, “No shoes.” A little bit of their inside humor as long ago he’d always fallen into bed so tired he didn’t even take off his boots. She wanted so much to lighten the moment and though it was nearly unheard of and something akin to a sin, Aurore wasn’t one to send him to his own rooms. Frankly, she had started using the wardrobe in there as well.
