In reply to Millicent Gerthrim (msg # 479):

"Let's see how Pinja has been doing." Difyr said to Millie after they left the room.

"All right. I'll see you later, Aunt Brie, Uncle Shawn. And you too, Lek."

"Can I come with you?" Lek asked Millie. "Not in your room or anything, I don't want to scare Pinja... I just have an idea I want to talk to you about."

She eyed her twin quizzically. "Sure."

Sileas eyed Wulfsen. She waited for him to yell at her or worse, discover that he wouldn't have cared if she had gone. Her fingers clutched her skirt at her sides.

In reply to Sileas Spenser (msg # 485):

Wulfsen sunk into the chair next to the bed. "Why were you running away? Have you changed your mind?"

"No, I hadn't changed my mind. I felt like my heart had been broken into a million pieces again. I never wanted to feel like that again." Sileas wiped at her eyes. "But if I'm to be nothing but a bed warmer to you, then perhaps I do need to rethink my future."

"You're a what?!" Wulfsen stared at Sileas. "You are much more to me than someone to share a bed with. When I proposed to you I was willing to even have separate beds in case you preferred it that way after what Andy did to you. Why do you think that?"

Sileas sighed, then sucked in a breath. "Because you didn't protect me against the things Yehudit was accusing me of. We should be one another's strength, I would never have allowed someone to talk to you like that. And then all I remembered was hearing the boys saying they didn't want to be with me because I was too strong and didn't need anyone." She lowed her head, a tear slipping down her cheek, "I want what my parents have. I'm tired of being strong all the time. I want to feel and know that I am loved and treasured." She ended on a hiccup.

"I'm never sure how to respond when Yehudit gets like that." Wulfsen's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, I failed you."

"All I need is to feel protected and safe," Sileas whispered. "Yehudit is always that way. We're also going to need to find a way to get our private time away from her. And whenever I say I want to be alone, I mean away from her. I always want you to follow me. And don't allow me to push you away."

She glanced at him. "I don't want separate beds, but I do need to warn you that at times, I still have nightmares. Just make sure I know it's you holding me and hold me close."

"How much of Yehudit is just Yehudit and how much of it is Molech's child?" Wulfsen asked. He hesitated a moment, then rose from the chair to sit next to Sileas on the bed. He wrapped an arm around her. "I think I can do that... but I don't want to smother you."

"Truthfully, I don't know. She just won't give me any space. That was why Larrigan and I locked her in the coat room in the schoolhouse."

She snuggled into his arms. "I don't think you'd smother me. It's not like we'd be together all the time, not while you're doing your work for the keep. And I think I would like to return to teaching during the day," she added, unaware of what any of her responsibilities as his wife would be. She rested her cheek against his chest and slid her arm around him.

"If you have time for teaching..." Wulfsen said, stroking her cheek.

"Why wouldn't I have time..." Sileas paled and rolled her eyes. "Please don't tell me you want me to learn to cook. I don't think anyone would teach me...I nearly burned down Aunt Aislyn's bakery the last time."

Yehudit heard... something... that did not sound like Wulfsen comforting Sileas over losing a babe. She blushed and stomped to the healing room door.

"They can't blame this one on me being a bad influence." Yehudit grumbled, then threw open the door, covering her eyes with her free arm. "Stop that you two! Get decent!"

Yehudit reluctantly lowered her arm to look at Sileas and Wulfsen. They were sitting in a bed but were fully dressed. Those sounds were not coming from them.

"Oh meyn got!" Yehudit felt like she was going to die when she realized who she was hearing making those noises. Somehow it was more uncomfortable than deliberately barging in on Sileas and Wulfsen. It took Yehudit several minutes to recover.

"Sileas, are you all right? Is the baby all right?"

In reply to Sileas Spenser (msg # 495):

"No cooking, but-" Wulfsen was interrupted by Yehudit barging in with her eyes covered and telling them to stop and get decent. Wulfsen was confused because they were behaving, even if they were sitting on a bed, and they were decent.

"I don't know what to do with your cousin- what do you want me to do?" Wulfsen asked Sileas in a whisper.

Sileas was equally confused by Yehudit's outburst. "The babe and I are fine, Yehudit." Her confusion was evident in her voice. "You can return to the feast, we'll be rejoining in a bit, I believe. We're just taking some time for me to rest and talk some things over. Alone."

"I don't know," she whispered. "We might need a small group of guards just to keep her out when we want privacy."

"And in moments like this?" Wulfsen whispered to Sileas.

"Are you going to behave yourselves?" Yehudit asked suspiciously.

In reply to Wulfsen Thornblade (msg # 499):

"Yes, because I believe serious conversations between a husband and wife should be in private." She glanced at Yehudit. "Yes, we're behaving ourselves."

"Okay, you have..." Yehudit calculated in her head, taking in the couple's fancy clothes. "Fifteen minutes and I'm barging in again."

Yehudit shut the door and clopped away.

"Do you want me to bar the door?" Wulfsen asked.

Sileas stared in shocked silence at the door, surprised Yehudit had taken her at her word. "Let's see if she keeps her word and waits fifteen minutes. Now then," Sileas began. "You said no cooking, but..."

"You're going to be in charge of the household..." Wulfsen said.