Page 452: A Happy Sickness
A Happy Sickness
Summary: Nedra has news, so do Saffron and Kamron.
Date: 18/10/2012
Related Logs: None directly.
Players:
Kamron Saffron Nedra 
Reading Room, Four Eagles Keep
18 October, 289

Kamron and his Lady Wife are in the Reading Room. They're not reading, but at least they're not doing anything untoward — well, not really untoward. Sure, Saffron is sitting on Kam's lap, but they've got a book open and they're reading it. Kamron is running a finger along the text, laughing at whatever amusing story they're working through. "Too bad you can't tell this story to the children, my dear. They would love it, so long as they didn't get the subtext."

The newlywed Mallister lady offers a warm and gentle laugh that is accented by dimples. A gentle pink blush blooms at her cheeks, though she clears her throat with a touch of dignity. "There will be plenty of stories to tell our child, we don't need to tell him this one for a little while." Her pale eyes dance with amusement before she leans her head against her husband's. Now she gently turns the page, revealing the next set of text columns and a vivid picture in a gold-painted frame. "It is rather pretty though." And she tilts her head a bit as if trying to look at the image sideways.

Nedra hates to intrude, and as such she hesitates in the hall outside the reading room for a long moment, listening to the laughter from her brother and goodsister, feeling a smile form on her own face in response. A glance is sent towards Anathe, the hesitation evident in Nedra's expression and heeds the firm tilt of her Septa's head toward the room before she steps inside. She has the good sense to tap her knuckles lightly against the door frame before moving into the room. "Mind if I join you two?" is asked in a hopeful tone of voice.

Kamron laughs softly at Saffron's words, brushing his hand across her abdomen a moment. "It is very pretty," he agrees, then looks up quickly at the knock, his left hand dropping quickly away from where his first child may be quickening, looking almost guilty for a second. When Nedra speaks up, however, he lets his hand settle back on Saffron's waist, a slightly less scandalous touch. "Of course, Neddie." He shares a glances with his wife, then smiles, "We were just reading."

Saffron offers her husband a warm smile, touching the hand that rests at her abdomen. "Another few weeks and not even the Septas could deny that our child will be here soon," she murmurs. Then the knock also draws her head up, and she almost seems to be on the verge of rising from his lap. Then Nedra announces herself, and she settles once more with a small smile. "Come on in, Nedra. We were just chatting." She tilts her head a bit as she regards her goodsister with a warm smile.

"Chatting and reading," Nedra replies with a laugh as she steps more into the room. "Sounds like the ideal way to pass the day, actually. And a quiet way, at that. It's so crowded right now that finding one square foot of peace and quiet isn't exactly the easiest thing to accomplish," she adds in a rueful tone of voice. "Have you both seen all of the newest arrivals, or the returning guests?" she wonders, carefully easing down the conversation path as she looks from Saffron to Kamron and back.

Kamron tightens his hand on Saffron's waist just a touch as she starts to get up, grinning crookedly at her. No. No getting up. He nods his head at Nedra's statement of the difficulties of finding privacy, although he chuckles a bit, noting, "They've stayed well away from us. I think we embarrass them with how well we treat one another." Some of his amusement drains from his voice as he speaks up again, "I met Lord Lothar briefly, and he and his eldest brother rode with Justin and I." Leaning back in his chair, he sighs softly, "I've been trying not to poke my nose into Terrick business."

Saffron does not get up! She remains neatly rooted on her husband's lap. She does frown a bit as they turn their attention to the rearrival of the Terricks, and she reaches up to rub at the back of her neck. "I know that Anais has been worried about what they have planned with their return. And what with all that has happened with Lucienne, and Jacsen still being missing…" Her shoulders grow a touch heavy, and she tries to comfort herself by rubbing at her flat belly.

Nedra nods slowly again, one hand curled around a small slip of parchment that she's kept tucked into the folds of her gown before she bites at her lower briefly, hesitating, then exhaling a quiet sound. "I think that I have some information that might change things. Maybe not, that is, everything changes. But it's only news but .." she unfolds the bit of parchment and eyes it for a moment. "It would appear that with the change of vassalship of Highfield away from Charlton to Frey that House Fenster is left in a lurch. Lord Alric and his cousin, Ser Trajan, are stranded here at the Roost, on Mallister lands. I think that they may not have anywhere to go to at this point," she looks up again, once more worrying at her lower lip as she tries not to crumple the parchment to the point that the ink is illegible. "I wasn't sure if it was common knowledge, the state of House Fenster."

Kamron nods at Saffron, "They're hungry." His hand rises up from her waist to rub lightly at the back of her neck beneath that fall of cinnamon hair. Nedra's words draw a frown onto his lips as well, "The Fensters?" He blinks, stops, and goes back, "Wait… the change of vassalship? Highfield is splitting from Hollyholt?" Apparently, there are bigger issues in Kam's mind than what a minor house will be doing in the midst of this chaos.

Saffron lingers her pale eyes on Nedra, though she does cast a glance toward Kamron with the smallest purse of her lips. "No," she says quietly to him. "I've heard something about this… Hollyholt has broken from the Freys entirely and swore themselves directly to the Tullys." She frowns a bit with thought. "But I didn't think that they would abandon House Fenster during the transition." There is the shortest pause as her gaze lingers on Kamron briefly before she looks back to Nedra. "I'm not sure what can be done for the Fensters though."

Nedra looks at the parchment again, "Setting aside the general issue with Lord Alric, he did send me word so that I would know that he is in the Roost, politely, mind, so that I wouldn't run into him without warning," she says, making sure to preface that, first and foremost. "I think what ever you said to him, Kamron, did the trick," she adds with a glance up and a smile at Kamron, relief in her eyes before looking back at the note. "But he said that Highfield is vassal to Charlton no longer and now serves house Frey. He wrote that he intends to send word to his father but seems unclear about what this means in the long run." Again she glances up, but this time to Saffron, "I don't really know either. But I just have the feeling that they're stuck. Between here and Tavin's Rest is Hag's Mire, if I recall my geography correctly, which is Nayland held. Would it be a accurate guess that the host of Nayland's that hold that region would not be welcoming to any body of Charlton's - past allegiance or not - moving through their land?"

Kamron nods slightly at Saffron's words, frowning in thought. He's silent for a long moment, then notes, "If they're stuck in The Roost, it means they cannot get back through Highfield or Stonebridge to cross the Green Fork back to Hollyholt." Arching an eyebrow at his sister, he queries, "Right? So the House hasn't been left in a lurch, but Lord Alric and Ser Trajan have." And then he catches up on what Nedra said while he was thinking, "Hrm? Actually, I told him not to contact you at all, Neddie, until you told him he might. So he's already gone against that. But I suppose I can overlook that, considering how he did so. But yes, it sounds like Lord Alric and his cousin are stuck, unless someone will let them through to go home."

"Certainly they could seek to be given passage by the other Naylands," Saffron offers with a hopeful note. "If the Charltons have dismissed the Fensters, then certainly they could no longer be associated with the House and therefore could request safe passage." She decides not to comment on Alric's letter to Nedra as she is not about to become the irritating goodsister. She continues to hold her hand gently over her pelvis with a touch of protectiveness.

Nedra curls the bit of parchment up again, tapping it lightly against the palm of her other hand as she nods slowly. "I don't think he was or is deliberately disobeying so much as he wanted to be sure that he wasn't suddenly just THERE and put me in a position of having to do something rude. Truth be told, if the man would just never, ever broach the topic of courtship ever again, I would not have issue with him," she admits with a small shrug of her shoulders. "But. I also think that it would be good to know what it is that Ser Aleister is up to. Even if it's just a small measure of insight, all knowledge is useful when applied in the correct dosages at the right time. It may not be all that bad of a idea to find out more about the state of things." She draws another quiet before before sighing, a rueful expression now aimed at Kamron and Saffron, "I feel sorry for him, in a way. I shouldn't, and he'd probably be terribly offended. But I do. Not pity, mind. But.. empathy. I don't think things are going at all the way he'd planned."

Kamron shrugs at Saffron, "A Nayland is a Nayland." There's a pause, and then he adds, "Well, Lady Jocelyn isn't as bad as the rest." Kamron studies the tapping letter, but he doesn't comment on it either, managing not to stick his nose into his sister's business — well, not quite that much. "If Lord Alric knows what Ser Aleister means to do, that would be valuable. But Ser Aleister does not have the greatest opinion of Lord Alric, from what I've seen. I doubt he has shared his inner plans." Laughing softly, he smiles, "I don't think anything ever goes the way any of us plan. I'm certainly not where I would have thought I would be."

"Well… we could always…" Saffron starts to suggest, though her words hitch just a bit. "We could…" And then she raises her hand up to her mouth as her stomach gives an uncomfortable lurch. "Excuse me," she tries to say gracefully as she bounces out of Kamron's lap and quickly heads for the door before she lets her weak stomach get the best of her.

"Lady Jocelyn is really quite nice," Nedra interjects in turn. "THough I've only met two, or is it three now? Nayland's, that is. The Lady Anathema, and she gave me a lovely Finch," she adds, smiling at the memory of the timid bird. "It would be valuable, even if it's just some insight - - " is as far as she gets before she watches her goodsister bolt from the room suddenly. She looks puzzled at first then feels her eyes widen as she turns from the empty doorway and back at Kamron, "Kam..?"

Kamron starts to sit up at Saffron's sudden hitch, then settles back as she hurries out, looking utterly unconcerned. Pleased even. "Yes Neddie?" He keeps his tone light, innocently teasing, and then he laughs richly, "I believe she'll be alright if I tell you. We believe that Saffron is pregnant. From shortly after the wedding, we think."

Nedra lets out a laugh of delight and rushes forward to hug her brother, "That's wonderful!" she declares, laughing again. "Congratulations! This is wonderful!" said again, followed by another exuberant hug and a broad grin. "You do realize that once mother and father know that mother is going to be absolutely beside herself with joy!"

Kamron rises to accept the hug, laughing again and returning it, "We're trying to keep it quiet for a little longer." He squeezes his sister gently, then disengages a little, "Just to be safe." Smiling a bit, he nods, "Yes. Once they know, Father will be happy, and Mother will be…" shrugging a little helplessly, he steals his little sister's words, "…beside herself." He glances out the door, "But I should make sure that she's alright. It just started."

Nedra nods and steps back, "Go," she agrees with a nod toward the door, even nudging Kamron with one hand lightly. "And hug her for me, will you?"