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Alice opened the door with her free hand while resting a basket of clean laundry on her hip. Elodie followed her into the master bedroom, cradling Clarissa in her arms as she dozed. The dogs trailed after them, Daisy taking a sedate pace following the after-dinner walk, and Jasmine snuffling at the walls, a restless little fluffball.
While Alice set about putting the laundry away, Elodie wandered over to the window. Talarist had decided to stay out for a while longer, enjoying the sunlight on the warmest day so far this year. From this vantage point, she could see him sitting by the riverbank at the western edge of Lampsi Island, slightly downhill from the castle. Beyond him, the river delta glittered in the afternoon light.
Jasmine padded over and nosed at her leg, carrying a toy rabbit in her mouth. Clarissa started wriggling and babbling, reaching for the toy.
Elodie went to sit on the cushioned stool next to her harp. As soon as she was seated, Jasmine rested her front paws on her knees, allowing the baby to grab her rabbit.
Clarissa giggled and waved the bunny around, then threw it onto the floor. Jasmine darted over to pick it up, then offered it to the baby again, pushing it into her grabby hands. Clarissa smushed her face into the toy, chewing one of its ears for a few seconds, until Elodie pulled it out of her mouth. Clarissa looked like she might kick up a fuss about that, until Jasmine jumped up to squeeze onto Elodie's lap, nuzzling the baby until she started laughing again.
Elodie held her steady for a few more rounds of fetch, and stroked her fingers over her fluffy pink hair. In a few more months, it would be long enough to decorate with ribbons...
Eventually, Clarissa got tired of the game, and snuggled close for a rest, the toy clutched in one tiny fist. Elodie pressed a kiss to her forehead, then carried her to the nearby cradle and set her down gently. When Clarissa latched onto the toy cat that was waiting there for her, Elodie picked up the rabbit and handed it to Alice, who had almost finished putting away the clothes.
"Would you mind cleaning this with the next batch of laundry?" Elodie asked.
"Sure, of course." Alice slipped it into her apron pocket, then hung up one last dress in the wardrobe.
Elodie returned to her seat by the harp, and brushed her fingers over the strings, playing a few chords to warm up. Clarissa rolled over to watch her play, still hugging the toy cat. Jasmine's ears perked up while she rested on the floor by the cradle. Daisy got up from her dog bed and came over to curl up at Elodie's feet, keen as always to hear the music from the loudest spot in the room.
Alice lingered by the door, her empty basket dangling from one hand. "Could I listen for a while?"
"Of course." Elodie offered her a smile, nodding to the nearest armchair.
While Alice made herself comfortable, Elodie continued playing, adding an improvised melody to the chords that rippled from the strings. Whenever she hit upon a particularly promising arrangement of notes, she repeated it a few times, trying out variations, then paused to jot it down in her pocket notebook.
Now that spring had bloomed into early summer, a season of celebrations lay ahead, and she planned to debut some new songs during the upcoming events. In just a few weeks, the fifth anniversary of her coronation would fall on her twentieth birthday. Soon after that, she'd be celebrating her second wedding anniversary at the height of summer. Once the leaves started to turn, her daughter's first birthday would fall the week before the harvest festival on the autumn equinox.
Clarissa hadn't made many public appearances yet, but everyone in the palace had taken to doting on the young princess. When Joslyn had first met his granddaughter, the smile on his face had set Elodie off crying, and she hadn't been able to fully untangle why until later. Above all else, they'd been tears of relief, as their shared grief had finally been outweighed by shared hope for their family's future. Talarist had understood, proud father that he was, and all the gifts that he'd showered upon the royal family during their courtship had paled in comparison to the way he'd held his wife and daughter close until they'd drifted off to sleep in his arms.
The courtship had been a beacon of hope in and of itself, in the years leading up to the wedding. The weight of the world had landed on Elodie's shoulders while she was at her lowest point. Receiving jewellery and attention from a handsome suitor hadn't fixed everything, but it had been a very welcome distraction, and a reminder that there was light at the end of the tunnel. Once she had been crowned, his visits had gradually become more frequent, scheduled in between their other diplomatic duties in the aftermath of Shanjia's short-lived invasion. Talarist had been courteous and attentive whenever they'd traded news and discussed policy. As they'd gotten to know each other better, they'd fallen into the habit of talking for hours, figuring out whether their goals and dreams were compatible. The answer had always been yes. Some issues had required compromise, when it came down to the day to day politics of Nova and its allies, but even then, Talarist had been easier to deal with than most of her own nobles. They'd each been keen to become someone the other could rely on, as a foundation for the future they wished to build together. Even in the early days, she'd held that glittering dream close to her heart. I can have a fairytale romance. I can have a spectacular wedding. I can have a loving husband. I can raise a family in a peaceful and prosperous land.
Their plans had started, for her, as 'something to look forward to' , sealed with a kiss on the back of her hand. By the time his visits had developed into discussions of 'this year or next?' , he'd been more than happy to kiss her on the lips whenever she asked. When her feelings had shifted from giddy anticipation to the impatience of 'what are we waiting for?' , they'd set a date for the wedding.
As Elodie reminisced, she let her feelings guide her hands, coaxing a cascade of notes from the strings. She paused to pick up her notebook, then looked up as the bedroom door opened. Her king consort stepped in, carrying a punnet of fresh strawberries.
"Were you listening from the hallway?" Elodie asked, a smile on her lips as she rose to greet him.
Talarist nodded, offering her a one armed hug while holding onto the strawberries. "I haven't heard that song before."
"I'm writing something new."
Elodie gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then stood back as Daisy trotted over and sniffed the fruit. After a few seconds of deliberation, the dog carefully bumped her nose against Talarist's arm twice, then headed back to her bed. No poison in this harvest, apparently.
"Are these for me?" Elodie asked.
"For you and Clarissa. The staff are harvesting the first strawberries of the season, and I thought they might be soft enough for her to try." Talarist went to stand by the cradle, and stroked his daughter's hair as she gurgled sleepily.
Elodie picked up one of the strawberries and squeezed it gently, testing its ripeness. "Yes, these are fine."
Clarissa reached out, clearly curious about the strange food. Elodie giggled and handed it over, letting her daughter smush the fruit in her tiny fingers. Most of it ended up in her mouth, though bits of it dripped from her fingers and chin. She blinked as she processed the taste, then squealed in delight and rolled over to bite at her toy cat.
"Would you like another?" Talarist asked, holding out a second piece of fruit.
Clarissa babbled and rubbed her face against her toy.
"She'll be hungry again later." Elodie took the punnet and set it on a side table for now.
"Sticky little thing, aren't you?" Alice approached with a clean napkin and wiped away the remains of the first strawberry. Clarissa fussed as her face was cleaned, but settled down again quickly.
"Do you need anything else?" Alice checked, tucking the cloth away in her pocket.
"Not for the moment, thank you," Elodie replied.
Alice nodded and left, empty laundry basket in hand.
Talarist pulled up a chair and sat next to the crib. He reached down to pet Jasmine, then leaned back and pulled a notebook from his pocket. "While I was out, I tried my hand at something new."
"Oh? Can I see?"
"Well, it's a - a lullaby, for Clarissa. I know I could have commissioned one and gotten a better result, but she's not at an age to have high literary standards."
"I'm sure she'll love it." Elodie perched on her stool again. "Are you going to read it out? Or would you like me to sing it?"
"I'll read it to her. If you don't find it too embarrassing, perhaps you could make up a melody and sing it next time?"
Elodie nodded, and waited eagerly.
Talarist flipped open his notebook, cleared his throat, and started reading, his ears turning slightly pink.
"Wibble wobble, bonny baby,
Little cradle rocks and sways.
Let's eat carrots dipped in gravy,
Roasted nuts and sugar glaze.
Dribble honey on a cracker,
Wipe your sticky fingers clean,
Fry a fish in oily batter,
That's a feast fit for a queen."
Clarissa listened quietly, staring up at her father, and babbled happy noises once he'd finished speaking. He tucked the blanket round her shoulders, and she caught hold of his finger, babbling again before letting him go.
"I think she liked it," Elodie told him.
"Well, she didn't hate it, at least." Talarist flipped the notebook closed, and offered his wife an embarrassed smile. "I don't think I'll be contributing any great ballads to the summer festivals, but if I can make my daughter smile, that's enough for me."
"If you feel like indulging your creative side more often, I could teach you to sing, or play an instrument," Elodie suggested.
"Perhaps another day. I've always considered myself more of a patron than a performer, but it would be nice to join you in more of your creative endeavours."
"That sounds lovely." Elodie took a moment to consider whether it was still too soon to share the news that she'd been mulling over for the last few weeks. The priestesses had cautioned her against raising her hopes early on, but she could sense the magical presence growing stronger by the day, just like the first time around... She laid a hand over her stomach, and caught her husband's gaze. "Our children will be proud of their wonderfully talented father."
Talarist blinked, then leaned forward to rest his hand over hers. "Already...?"
Elodie drew him in for a celebratory kiss, savouring the warmth of his touch and the scent of strawberries.