A Fine Establishment

~It had been a long time since Jared had the money or the time to take his new wife Amarra out for an actual meal in a reputable place, and now that she was expecting, they had good reason to celebrate.

Standing at the door of the establishment, he settled his hand protectively on the curve of Amarra's back, and nodded to the server. "A table for two, as reserved.." the hostess asked his name, and he laughed "Jared Carthallion, you can't pretend you don't know me." She nodded in response with a small smile. "Of course we know you..please, the best table is always reserved for the Carthallion family. Come over here..."

Jared nodded and grinned to Amarra. Squeezing her hand he lead onwards and encouraged her to follow him. Eventually, they had a nice candlelit private corner. Jared pulled out a chair for Amarra and then sat himself down.

"What would you like to drink? Water?" He asked, as the waitress brought the menus over.~

~settles herself comfortably in her chair and smiles at Jared~

Yes, water, thank you. I'll need more of it than usual for a while.

~looks around the room casually, enjoying being someplace different, and especially being there with her husband. She watches him, though, still not quite sure how he feels about their most recent... development. She takes a menu from the waitress with a nod of thanks and scans the pages for something that suits her fancy~

"I er.." He cleared his throat a little "I went to Grorr to see Ralean. I've been given a new job." Jared felt the need to be honest with her. He smiled "Its not much...but its something, we'll be alright." The waitress approaches and so he looks up at her rather than Amarra.

"Yes..I'll have..um..water." He closes his menu "I'll also have a steak..." He looks to Amarra "Do you fancy anything? Try to eat..." He smiled with concern, and a half shrug. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the waitress and focused his full attention on his wife.

"I...wondered if you...had thought about if you wanted a girl or a boy."

Salmon, please, with the seaweed salad. And a pitcher of water.

~hands her menu back to the waitress with another smile, then turns fully to Jared~

We'll be fine. I'll get paid for being a lady in waiting, too. What will you be doing for Ralean?

~smooths her skirts under the table almost nervously. They hadn't talked much about her condition before this. She can't help but feel unsettled by it all, being such a new situation~

I don't know. I think either would be good. I'd like a daughter, of course... dresses and bows and ribbons... But a handsome son that looks like his father would be just as welcome.

"I'll be a Captain of the guard...of sorts. I hope to train the new recruits and such, but mostly I'll do whatever Ralean has in mind at the time. I'm not fussed - a paycheck is a paycheck." He smiled to her, his eyes aglow from the candle flame. Reaching out his hand across the table, he gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Ralean has invited us to live at Castle Grorr. I know you wanted your own home...but it is more than I can offer right now. He thinks there is enough castle for all of us, we wouldn't have to be under his feet all the time. If I am working, it would help to be there. I can understand if you don't want to..but it would be cheaper than buying our own home."

He paused in his thoughts and took a sip of water. "I'm not fussed what sex the baby is either. So long as they are healthy and well...its just..a big responsibility. I've no idea where to start."

Jared, we really are going to be fine. Between what you and I both make, we'll have what we need.

~Squeezes his hand in return and keeps hold of it~

If you want to live in the Grorr Castle, I'm sure it will be perfect, as long as you know I'll be traveling to and from Meriddia most every day. I don't mind doing that, though when I get far along I might need to take a room there. It's very generous of Ralean to offer that. I've never lived in Grorr. It might be a nice change.

~smiles reassuringly~

I don't know where to start, either. I guess it's one of those things we'll have to figure out as we go along, as any parent does.

Jared smiled with relief. It seemed that things were not as bad as he had first thought them to be. Nodding to Amarra, he returned the squeeze to her hand.

"I'm glad we were able to find some suitable arrangement...I really didn't know what else to suggest. You're right, it was generous of Ralean to offer that we stay there." He paused as the waitress returned with their food. Smelling it, he laughed. "Ah...it smells good, but isn't half as nice as the palace chief at Meriddia. I need to encourage my mother to marry another rich king.."

Your mother is already married. For better or worse, as they say.

~makes a quick face, then changes the subject, not wanting to think too much about Queen Bathory. She's worried about her, but there is nothing she can do for now, so she tries not to dwell on it.~

It does smell good, and I'll bet it tastes even better. Excuse me a moment, I suddenly feel like I haven't eaten all day.

~grins and for once abandons her careful manners, digging in before the waitress has even left their table. Unfortunately, after only a couple bites, she's struck by a fit of hiccups~

There was some quite for a moment after Amarra mentioned that his mother was already married. Jared paused and had a sip of the fresh water. "I....still haven't heard from her. I hope..I really want her to be safe." There was sincerity in his voice, he meant every word of it. "I want her to know she'll be a grandmother, even if it will make her feel old." he added, laughing a little.

Seeing that Amarra was ready to tuck into her food, he nodded saying "By all means" before also taking the time to enjoy the food, taking a few bites.

I think she'll be pleased, as long as you're *hiccup* happy. She'll be able to *hiccup* bounce the baby on her knee and then give it right *hiccup* back. Oh for Neptune's *hiccup* sake.

~gives up talking and instead picks up her water glass, drinking the entire contents in almost a single gulp. She pauses a moment, just waiting, before going on~

She's alright, Jared. I miss her, too, but I know she's okay. She's Queen Bathory, how could she be anything but okay?

~He knew she was right. Bathory was more than capable of taking care of herself. He felt like her only true son, and he felt responsible for her. "I can't help it..she's my mother, after all. Yes, she would relish the idea of bouncing a grandbaby off her lap, although, knowing her, she would be concerned about ruining her dress.

Noticing the hiccups that Amarra was having, he pours her an extra glass of water in a spare wine glass. "Here, my sweet...have this. I'm sure these difficult times will pass. They say the worst stages are the first and last...but what would I know?" He smiled to her, teasing.~

~laughs softly as she imagines what Queen Bathory were do if a baby were to spit up on her. She takes the glass of water gratefully and drinks it all, too, not taking any chances~

I don't know how long these hiccups will last. My people don't usually leave the sea when they're with child, not that they often do any other time, either. Nobody would have known what would happen on the surface. I guess you and I will find that out together. Maybe if it gets too bad I can convince you to take a short trip with me.

~nibbles cautiously at her food, afraid she'll start hiccuping again, but a grumble from her stomach convinces her to eat a little more quickly~

~He sits and eats some of his food, pausing for sips of his drink as Amarra talks to him of hiccups and new adventures. "We shall have to see...there is a great deal of things that are unsettled in the realm at the moment, to leave, might mean we will have a hard time finding our way back. We might return to find Jaric has turned Aegis into one large citadel. The latest fashion here will become lightweight chainmail" He grins, only partly joking.

A female servant returns back to the table to see if everything is alright. "Yes! It is, we're celebrating!" The waitress asks them what about, and in turn Jared replies "Its about new beginnings. We're having a child together.." He raised his glass to Amarra and laughed. "...and my wife just agreed to dance with me after we have finished eating. Isn't that right, My Lady?" He winked and teasingly offered his elbow across the table.~

~smiles sweetly at Jared, then looks up at the waitress~

And my lord husband has reminded me that he needs to make sure his shoes can stand up to a lot of trauma. That's important in his line of work.

~turns back to Jared straight-faced, but with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes~

I don't care what the fashion is, I'm not wearing a gown made out of chainmail. Lightweight or not, can you imagine how heavy that would be? I could see you in a nice steel tunic, though, maybe with some red accents here and there. You'd be dazzling, especially in the sunlight.

~a hiccup makes her pause to pour herself another glass of water from the pitcher she'd requested~

I wouldn't leave Aegis, not now. I just meant to the lake or somewhere like that for an afternoon. It would be nice to spend some time alone, just us, while we can.

~"I don't think you're as bad at dancing as you think you are. Besides, I never claimed to be great at it either. We can learn together." He smiled and looked back to Amarra as the waitress turned and left them alone.

He noticed the mischievious twinkle, and thought how much he liked that about her. "You're right, we do need to spend more time together. I always try to, I hope you know that. A visit to the lake sounds perfect, we'll arrange it."~

Of course I know that. It just isn't always as easy as we could wish. Sometimes I wish we could go back to that cabin in the woods and just hide from everything and everybody. Though I'm sure we'd get bored eventually.

~takes a moment to finish cleaning her plate, making sure to find every last crumb. She doesn't usually eat so much, but she's ravenous this evening~

We'll get a big tub for our room in Grorr. And some curtains. And a rug for the floor... That will have to be moved aside, though, if I let you make me *huccup* dance.

~grins~

~Jared finishes his food, taking his time to enjoy each biteful. He'd picked a good resturant, and was glad he didn't have to worry about affording it anymore. It had put him in good spirits, for once, everything felt as though it were in its rightful place. He had his beautiful wife, and a child on the way - not to mention a job with Ralean and Gil, two of the men he trusted the most.

"I miss the cabin sometimes, too. There's no reason why we can't have one built on the outskirts of Grorr perhaps, in the Everest forest - just closer to our home." He laughed, adding "We'll get Ralean and Giligan to babysit!" He was enjoying the fact that they were returning to Grorr, it had become one of his favorite places. It was a relief that Amarra was willing to try out living there.

"I'm sure whatever we get in Grorr will work out. We'll make it work, as you say." He finishes his drink. "Aye, we'll dance in the privacy of our own home. Beats having to dance in public - Bathory always used to force me to at those stupid balls." He laughed, remembering "I hated dancing, do you remember? She always used to insist it upon everyone..remember the lessons with that dance instructor..what was his name? Oh, Calico! Ha! Didn't she make you dance with Sorcha?" He started laughing again. "No wonder you hate it now!" ~

~laughs and shakes her head~

Oh my goodness. I think I'd repressed those memories. Yes, she was always insisting on everyone dancing. She did try to teach me herself a few times. I've just never been able to get the hang of it. At least I'm better at it than I am at riding horses.

~makes a face at that, for the moment ignoring the fact that she'll be relying on horses to get her to and from Meriddia every day, then giggles at the thought of their potential babysitters~

Ralean and Giligian babysitting... we'd have to lock up the wine! I can't think of any better protectors, though, besides us of course. Which one do you think would be changing the diapers?

~Jared chuckled and shook his head. The memories were strong for him, as if they had happened yesterday.Yet Aegis was now in a different place, his heart ached for what once was. Not desiring to sour the mood he kept his thoughts private. After all, who knew who could be listening and watching?

"Ralean or Gil would take it in turns to change the diaper, they make a good team." He laughed again. "You're right though, the child could not be in better hands. I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

Raising his glass, he gestured with his hand for Amarra to do the same. "Let us toast...to us, our new home, and our new child."~

~raises her glass and touches it to his carefully~

To new beginnings. As long as we're together, we can make it anywhere.

~winces apologetically as she hiccups and sloshes a little water on Jared's hand. She takes a drink quickly to stave off more hiccups, then rests her other hand on his to let the water soak into her own skin. That mishievous glint enters her eyes again as she levels an otherwise apparently serious gaze on him~

And speaking of diapers, maybe we should get a doll for you to practice on so you know what to do when the time comes.