For one week she was gloriously happy, she felt full of a terrible blush that was a bubbling warmth. That flooded out of her like a stream. How a half dozen kisses had turned into more, that ate her up every night in a terrible wanting.
That now, now, no part of it had to be denied. She had Magni, all to herself, every evening, she found a new way to lay with her, lay about her. Talk with her, even when there was scarcely a word involved. That of a morning, when she went back to her own rooms to change, get ready of a morning. She kept her eyes closed, humming the bath, in a game where Kashi would tsk like a fussing mother, Jhalkari would poke at love bites like an annoying sister and ask where did she think she was getting these bruises from. Then they'd all fall about in laughter, a lightness that stayed with her as she came back down to Magni for breakfast.
Pretending they were staring at each other, pretending the hall wasn't watching them staring at each other. Noting how indulgently Lakshmi turned up to face Magni when she lent to kiss her like she couldn't drop what she was doing fast enough. No task was too important, she'd found, to let it come first. The way Magni would always make sure she did before she went out for the day before she went out to attend all her duties as Jarl.
Just like the last two days. Lakshmi hadn't resented her absence in and of itself. She was a daughter of a great man, she knew where both their duties lay. What were two days? She had kept Magni to herself almost every other second for the last week? She could part with her for just two days.
She did not have many duties, particularly. Still, no more than a year here, they did not loathe her as a foreign woman. Magni's mother knew the harder details and handled them without much of Lakshmi's input needed, though she never felt ignored if she did speak. There wasn't much else to do but entertain those who did come to call, making sure the table was always ready and the ale was always quick. That she did well.
Except until it was happening. That a traveller noted where it was Magni had gone. Not so far past the Sabilline estate. Might have even gone to call there, was the Jarl friendly that house? He wasn't sure.
She set the cup down heavily, feeling something draining out of her. Dread, perhaps. Her eyes fixing in a middle space, her thumbnail biting into her forefinger, digging in harshly. Oh, was that so? Was it a rumour?
No, he had definitely seen her party going that way. Not a second after he finished, did the whispering come about. Slipping up between the cracks like oil. She could feel their words snaking around her ankles. The way it felt like half of them were suddenly staring at her in a way that had nothing to do with her happiness.
Her smile pulls, ever her role, ever her position, she would not let it falter. He didn't even seem to know what he had said. Her eyes looked up, across, Fjorleif was nowhere to be seen. No one to cut this conversation with. As the man went on - he wouldn't be surprised, if Magni were hunting out that way, it would be good game, many a pretty doe to shoot. It was Lord Sabilline, and - his family were passing the summer there. He thought the daughter as well, visiting from her new husband.
By the time he finished talking, she thought her lungs were about to fall out of her chest. She all but fled from dinner. Heart beating inside of her throat in something she hardly knew what to do with. Humiliation, some sense of betrayal over what she didn't know what. By the time she was out of sight, she was taking the stairs at twos. Up and up, startling Kashi who was in the middle of preparing her clothes for the next. It was hardly fair when she shouted at her to leave. Slamming the door behind her. Too prideful to weep, to sorrowful to think about it properly for a minute.
She didn't leave her room, the next day. Not for either of their knocking. The misery taking an easy turn into resentment, at the man for speaking, at Magni for going anywhere near their lands, at herself for not learning the maps better in their language to know where it really was that Magni said she was going when they spoke. For being so distracted so well, at staying all wrapped up and kissed thoroughly enough for not thinking about it.
Not until she hears the knock, Saheba, your mountain has come back, haa, won't you go and see her? It's then she opens it, miserable as she hasn't been for weeks, but they dress her, pinch her cheeks for colour even before she can swat them away. Try and coax some other expression onto her face other than her sourness. None of it works, not even as Lakshmi leaves her chambers does it lift. Making her way back to the hall where no doubt Magni was coming back too.
She doesn't venture a word, as Magni is welcomed back. Staying her place, not turning anything away. She was her wife, after all, their Grevinne, and she would never shirk her duties, no matter how furious she was. But she gives Magni her hand and not her cheek. She bows her head and offers no smile. Flat and hard in her expression and unwavering in it. When it's over, Lakshmi takes up her skirts in one hand and walks off. Back out of the hall. Let Magni deal with the hissing hornets. She hoped they stung terribly.
no subject
That now, now, no part of it had to be denied. She had Magni, all to herself, every evening, she found a new way to lay with her, lay about her. Talk with her, even when there was scarcely a word involved. That of a morning, when she went back to her own rooms to change, get ready of a morning. She kept her eyes closed, humming the bath, in a game where Kashi would tsk like a fussing mother, Jhalkari would poke at love bites like an annoying sister and ask where did she think she was getting these bruises from. Then they'd all fall about in laughter, a lightness that stayed with her as she came back down to Magni for breakfast.
Pretending they were staring at each other, pretending the hall wasn't watching them staring at each other. Noting how indulgently Lakshmi turned up to face Magni when she lent to kiss her like she couldn't drop what she was doing fast enough. No task was too important, she'd found, to let it come first. The way Magni would always make sure she did before she went out for the day before she went out to attend all her duties as Jarl.
Just like the last two days. Lakshmi hadn't resented her absence in and of itself. She was a daughter of a great man, she knew where both their duties lay. What were two days? She had kept Magni to herself almost every other second for the last week? She could part with her for just two days.
She did not have many duties, particularly. Still, no more than a year here, they did not loathe her as a foreign woman. Magni's mother knew the harder details and handled them without much of Lakshmi's input needed, though she never felt ignored if she did speak. There wasn't much else to do but entertain those who did come to call, making sure the table was always ready and the ale was always quick. That she did well.
Except until it was happening. That a traveller noted where it was Magni had gone. Not so far past the Sabilline estate. Might have even gone to call there, was the Jarl friendly that house? He wasn't sure.
She set the cup down heavily, feeling something draining out of her. Dread, perhaps. Her eyes fixing in a middle space, her thumbnail biting into her forefinger, digging in harshly. Oh, was that so? Was it a rumour?
No, he had definitely seen her party going that way. Not a second after he finished, did the whispering come about. Slipping up between the cracks like oil. She could feel their words snaking around her ankles. The way it felt like half of them were suddenly staring at her in a way that had nothing to do with her happiness.
Her smile pulls, ever her role, ever her position, she would not let it falter. He didn't even seem to know what he had said. Her eyes looked up, across, Fjorleif was nowhere to be seen. No one to cut this conversation with. As the man went on - he wouldn't be surprised, if Magni were hunting out that way, it would be good game, many a pretty doe to shoot. It was Lord Sabilline, and - his family were passing the summer there. He thought the daughter as well, visiting from her new husband.
By the time he finished talking, she thought her lungs were about to fall out of her chest. She all but fled from dinner. Heart beating inside of her throat in something she hardly knew what to do with. Humiliation, some sense of betrayal over what she didn't know what. By the time she was out of sight, she was taking the stairs at twos. Up and up, startling Kashi who was in the middle of preparing her clothes for the next. It was hardly fair when she shouted at her to leave. Slamming the door behind her. Too prideful to weep, to sorrowful to think about it properly for a minute.
She didn't leave her room, the next day. Not for either of their knocking. The misery taking an easy turn into resentment, at the man for speaking, at Magni for going anywhere near their lands, at herself for not learning the maps better in their language to know where it really was that Magni said she was going when they spoke. For being so distracted so well, at staying all wrapped up and kissed thoroughly enough for not thinking about it.
Not until she hears the knock, Saheba, your mountain has come back, haa, won't you go and see her? It's then she opens it, miserable as she hasn't been for weeks, but they dress her, pinch her cheeks for colour even before she can swat them away. Try and coax some other expression onto her face other than her sourness. None of it works, not even as Lakshmi leaves her chambers does it lift. Making her way back to the hall where no doubt Magni was coming back too.
She doesn't venture a word, as Magni is welcomed back. Staying her place, not turning anything away. She was her wife, after all, their Grevinne, and she would never shirk her duties, no matter how furious she was. But she gives Magni her hand and not her cheek. She bows her head and offers no smile. Flat and hard in her expression and unwavering in it. When it's over, Lakshmi takes up her skirts in one hand and walks off. Back out of the hall. Let Magni deal with the hissing hornets. She hoped they stung terribly.