Galmar made love to Rozenn as the day broke, loving her long and languid and, frankly, loudly. Panting and gasping, they clung to one another as their racing heartbeats returned to normal.
"Good morning, wife," Galmar said quietly.
"Mmm. Good morning, my big Bear Man," Rozenn grinned.
"Good morning, My Thane," Calder called sarcastically from downstairs.
"You knew the risks when you chose the path of Housecarl, Calder," Rozenn called.
He made no audible response, but the smells of good cooking began to permeate the house.
"Do you want breakfast, or..." Galmar began to ask uneasily. He had visited Rozenn once during her stay in Winterhold, and the early mornings had not been pretty.
"I'll have some broth, or maybe some nice, fresh bread. I feel better nowadays than I did in Winterhold - you won't see my breakfast reappearing, don't worry," replied Rozenn with a cheeky smile.
They dressed quickly, she in blue and he in brown, and sat together at the long table, enjoying a light meal and chatting pleasantly about nothing of any importance. At one point, Calder caught Galmar's eye and nodded toward Rozenn's Enchanting and Alchemy lab, beside which was Sofie's bedroom. The little girl was up and awake, and staring at Rozenn with such a heartbreaking look of dismay on her features, that Galmar didn't know what to do.
"Sofie? Do you want some breakfast?" Galmar called out to her, beckoning with the hand not occupied with food.
"Oh, I ... Yes, thanks," the little girl replied, not taking her eyes off Rozenn's midriff, visibly pregnant under the dress she wore.
"Good morning, Sofie. My name is Rozenn," Rozenn stood, smoothing her dress with one hand and holding the other out towards the little girl. Sofie didn't take it.
Galmar didn't like that, or the brief look of hurt in his wife's eyes, quickly disguised by a too-bright smile.
"Sofie," he rumbled. "Greet my wife politely."
"It's alright, Galmar, she must be half-starved, poor thing," Rozenn said quickly.
"I... You have a baby in your belly," Sofie said flatly.
"Yes, that's right," Rozenn said, smiling and stroking her belly as she spoke. "It's not too obvious, though, is it? I haven't told Ulfric yet."
"I'll pack my things right away, it's just... I'm so hungry," Sofie said sadly.
"Why would you be packing your things, girl? You only arrived, and we're not moving out of Windhelm," Galmar said impatiently.
"But she has a baby in her belly. You don't need me. It's ok, Galmar, it's not the first time this has happened to me. Maybe I'll go to Honorhall in Riften. Aventus said Constance Michel is much nicer than Grelod the Kind, and that they think most of the kids'll get new homes now," Sofie said, matter-of-factly.
"Rozenn did not take you in off the street, girl. I did. And I knew my wife was with child when I took you in, because I did not take you in because I felt I needed a child, I took you in because I wanted to, and you are NOT GOING TO RIFTEN!" Galmar bellowed, standing up to unconsciously use his sheer size to emphasise his point.
Rozenn absently patted his arm while Sofie stared up at her new father with eyes like saucers.
"I think what he means, dear one," Rozenn said gently, "is that you are now a part of our family, and whether that family remains at three or increases to four, five or fifty, you are a part of it. Will you stay? Will you be my little girl?"
Sofie looked at Galmar, standing still and panting to control his temper. She looked at Rozenn, who had a hand wrapped around Galmar's wrist and the other resting on her belly, anxiety writ clear in both their faces. She looked at Calder, who was staring at Galmar inopen admiration. Sofie shrugged.
"Oh, very well, then. If you insist," she said with a smile.
Fill: Oh, Very Well, Then 6/6
"Good morning, wife," Galmar said quietly.
"Mmm. Good morning, my big Bear Man," Rozenn grinned.
"Good morning, My Thane," Calder called sarcastically from downstairs.
"You knew the risks when you chose the path of Housecarl, Calder," Rozenn called.
He made no audible response, but the smells of good cooking began to permeate the house.
"Do you want breakfast, or..." Galmar began to ask uneasily. He had visited Rozenn once during her stay in Winterhold, and the early mornings had not been pretty.
"I'll have some broth, or maybe some nice, fresh bread. I feel better nowadays than I did in Winterhold - you won't see my breakfast reappearing, don't worry," replied Rozenn with a cheeky smile.
They dressed quickly, she in blue and he in brown, and sat together at the long table, enjoying a light meal and chatting pleasantly about nothing of any importance. At one point, Calder caught Galmar's eye and nodded toward Rozenn's Enchanting and Alchemy lab, beside which was Sofie's bedroom. The little girl was up and awake, and staring at Rozenn with such a heartbreaking look of dismay on her features, that Galmar didn't know what to do.
"Sofie? Do you want some breakfast?" Galmar called out to her, beckoning with the hand not occupied with food.
"Oh, I ... Yes, thanks," the little girl replied, not taking her eyes off Rozenn's midriff, visibly pregnant under the dress she wore.
"Good morning, Sofie. My name is Rozenn," Rozenn stood, smoothing her dress with one hand and holding the other out towards the little girl. Sofie didn't take it.
Galmar didn't like that, or the brief look of hurt in his wife's eyes, quickly disguised by a too-bright smile.
"Sofie," he rumbled. "Greet my wife politely."
"It's alright, Galmar, she must be half-starved, poor thing," Rozenn said quickly.
"I... You have a baby in your belly," Sofie said flatly.
"Yes, that's right," Rozenn said, smiling and stroking her belly as she spoke. "It's not too obvious, though, is it? I haven't told Ulfric yet."
"I'll pack my things right away, it's just... I'm so hungry," Sofie said sadly.
"Why would you be packing your things, girl? You only arrived, and we're not moving out of Windhelm," Galmar said impatiently.
"But she has a baby in her belly. You don't need me. It's ok, Galmar, it's not the first time this has happened to me. Maybe I'll go to Honorhall in Riften. Aventus said Constance Michel is much nicer than Grelod the Kind, and that they think most of the kids'll get new homes now," Sofie said, matter-of-factly.
"Rozenn did not take you in off the street, girl. I did. And I knew my wife was with child when I took you in, because I did not take you in because I felt I needed a child, I took you in because I wanted to, and you are NOT GOING TO RIFTEN!" Galmar bellowed, standing up to unconsciously use his sheer size to emphasise his point.
Rozenn absently patted his arm while Sofie stared up at her new father with eyes like saucers.
"I think what he means, dear one," Rozenn said gently, "is that you are now a part of our family, and whether that family remains at three or increases to four, five or fifty, you are a part of it. Will you stay? Will you be my little girl?"
Sofie looked at Galmar, standing still and panting to control his temper. She looked at Rozenn, who had a hand wrapped around Galmar's wrist and the other resting on her belly, anxiety writ clear in both their faces. She looked at Calder, who was staring at Galmar inopen admiration. Sofie shrugged.
"Oh, very well, then. If you insist," she said with a smile.
"We do," Galmar, Rozenn and Calder chorused.
*-*-*
FIN