DISCLAIMER: All recognizable characters belong to Tamora Pierce and are used here without permission for no personal gain.
Author's Note: This is an AU I wrote about Rosethorn and Crane. See, I wrote The Road Less Traveled, and then I thought, "I wonder what would have happened if she had married him." Anyway, this answers that question. Enjoy and please r/r!
The Road Not Taken
Part 1: Saying Goodbye
Count Isas fer Yorvan walked up the tall, circular staircase that led to the chambers where his family lived. He was a tall, thin man, hunched over slightly. Too much worry and work had creased his forehead with lines, and his eyes were red and tired.
He pushed open the door at the top of the stairs and forced a smile onto his face.
"How are you Niva?" he asked.
"Fine," she smiled. She was as white as chalk, and too thin except for the bulge of the baby. Her auburn curls lay limp on her head. "How are you?"
"Fine." He sat down on the edge of the bed. She did not look well to him, but he knew better than to argue with her.
As if on cue, three heads popped up and peered at him. The oldest, a boy, was tall and thin like his father, with dark brown hair and dark eyes. The second, another boy, was thin but shorter, and his hair was a mass of rumpled brown curls with a hint of red in them. The youngest was a girl, short and cute with plain brown hair and green eyes.
He smiled at them. "Hello children. How are you?"
"Fine sir," said the oldest, Albannon, said.
"Fine, Father," the little girl, Madigan, said.
The other boy, Nikolai, lay back down and curled against his mother. "Fine," he whispered.
"It's getting rather late. Have you all had your dinner?" When they nodded, he continued, "Then off to bed with you."
The children crawled over to their mother and kissed her. "Good night, Mother."
"Good night, Alba, Nik, Madi." She kissed each of them in turn.
Alba and Madi jumped off of the bed. "Good night, Father."
"Good night, children."
Only Nik remained. Slowly he climbed off of the bed. Isas was alarmed at how pale and thin his son looked.
"G'night, Father," Nik whispered.
"Good night, Nik." Isas' heart ached as he watched his son shuffle off to bed. Nik already looked so ill, and winter was only beginning. It would be many months before spring came. Nik had his parent's affinity for plants more than his brother or sister, and every winter he nearly died when the first frost came.
That reminded Isas of his wife. He turned to Niva. "How are you?" he asked again gently.
"I'm all right," she tried to reassure him.
He gently stroked her arm. She, like Nik, grew weak every winter. Added to that was the baby. Each pregnancy nearly killed her. The combination meant that she was bedridden through every winter and every pregnancy.
He too felt strained and ill when winter came. So did Alba and Madi. Their entire family had strong magic tied in with plants, and winter affected them all badly. But Niva and Nik grew dangerously sick. Often he would find the two of them curled up in bed together, their skin white and icily cold.
He smiled at her. "I love you."
She smiled back at him. "I love you too." Changing the subject, she patted her belly. "Do you think it will be a girl or a boy?"
Isas shook his head. "I don't know. I don't care what it is as long as it--and you--are healthy."
"I hope it's a girl," Niva confessed. "I know I should say that I don't care as long as it's healthy, but I really want another girl. Madi would be so happy with a little sister."
"Well then, I hope it's a girl." He felt a familiar twinge of anger and guilt. He hated this child. He hated that Niva was so sick. Before he had taken her to Yorvan, she had been energetic and active. Now, she was constantly sick. Often, even summer's arrival could not improve her health significantly.
He wondered if the children knew that he had hated all of them before they had been born. He loved them now, of course. He adored his children. But every time his wife was carrying a child, he hated it. All he wanted was for her to be well, and he hated the child for prohibiting that.
"Niva, I want you to promise me something," he said suddenly. "Promise me that this will be the last child."
"Isas...You know I want a big family."
He knew all right. He had been one of two children, and he and his older brother had not been very close. But Niva had five brothers, all of whom she adored and who in turn adored her. (They hated him, though, for being "a bag," for getting her pregnant, and for, as they put it, "dragging her to that gods-forsaken Olart.") After Alba had been born, she had begged him for another child, saying that Alba needed a brother or sister. Then, once Nik had been born, she had pleaded for another child, this time because she wanted a daughter. She had barely survived, but even that didn't stop her. She had begged for another child soon after Madi's birth. At first he had refused, but finally he relented. Now he knew that had been a mistake.
"Niva, we have three--almost four--children. That's all that I will give you. I won't give you another one."
"But Isas, please?"
"Niva! Look at yourself. You're already so weak, and it's only been a few months. Remember, last time the healer said that you might not survive another child."
"Isas, I'll be fine."
"I can't...I can't bear to lose you, Niva. Please."
Tears trickled down his face, and she relented. "All right, Isas, I promise. No more children."
He gave a gasp of relief and buried his head in her stomach. Tears ran down his face. She held him while he cried. "I love you so much," he murmured. "Please don't ever leave me."
She didn't answer. She held him until he stopped crying. "I love you too," she whispered.
He lay down next to her and held her. Exhaustion quickly overcame him, and he sank into a deep sleep. But Niva remained awake and held him, stroking his hair until at last she too fell asleep.
Author's Note: This is an AU I wrote about Rosethorn and Crane. See, I wrote The Road Less Traveled, and then I thought, "I wonder what would have happened if she had married him." Anyway, this answers that question. Enjoy and please r/r!
The Road Not Taken
Part 1: Saying Goodbye
Count Isas fer Yorvan walked up the tall, circular staircase that led to the chambers where his family lived. He was a tall, thin man, hunched over slightly. Too much worry and work had creased his forehead with lines, and his eyes were red and tired.
He pushed open the door at the top of the stairs and forced a smile onto his face.
"How are you Niva?" he asked.
"Fine," she smiled. She was as white as chalk, and too thin except for the bulge of the baby. Her auburn curls lay limp on her head. "How are you?"
"Fine." He sat down on the edge of the bed. She did not look well to him, but he knew better than to argue with her.
As if on cue, three heads popped up and peered at him. The oldest, a boy, was tall and thin like his father, with dark brown hair and dark eyes. The second, another boy, was thin but shorter, and his hair was a mass of rumpled brown curls with a hint of red in them. The youngest was a girl, short and cute with plain brown hair and green eyes.
He smiled at them. "Hello children. How are you?"
"Fine sir," said the oldest, Albannon, said.
"Fine, Father," the little girl, Madigan, said.
The other boy, Nikolai, lay back down and curled against his mother. "Fine," he whispered.
"It's getting rather late. Have you all had your dinner?" When they nodded, he continued, "Then off to bed with you."
The children crawled over to their mother and kissed her. "Good night, Mother."
"Good night, Alba, Nik, Madi." She kissed each of them in turn.
Alba and Madi jumped off of the bed. "Good night, Father."
"Good night, children."
Only Nik remained. Slowly he climbed off of the bed. Isas was alarmed at how pale and thin his son looked.
"G'night, Father," Nik whispered.
"Good night, Nik." Isas' heart ached as he watched his son shuffle off to bed. Nik already looked so ill, and winter was only beginning. It would be many months before spring came. Nik had his parent's affinity for plants more than his brother or sister, and every winter he nearly died when the first frost came.
That reminded Isas of his wife. He turned to Niva. "How are you?" he asked again gently.
"I'm all right," she tried to reassure him.
He gently stroked her arm. She, like Nik, grew weak every winter. Added to that was the baby. Each pregnancy nearly killed her. The combination meant that she was bedridden through every winter and every pregnancy.
He too felt strained and ill when winter came. So did Alba and Madi. Their entire family had strong magic tied in with plants, and winter affected them all badly. But Niva and Nik grew dangerously sick. Often he would find the two of them curled up in bed together, their skin white and icily cold.
He smiled at her. "I love you."
She smiled back at him. "I love you too." Changing the subject, she patted her belly. "Do you think it will be a girl or a boy?"
Isas shook his head. "I don't know. I don't care what it is as long as it--and you--are healthy."
"I hope it's a girl," Niva confessed. "I know I should say that I don't care as long as it's healthy, but I really want another girl. Madi would be so happy with a little sister."
"Well then, I hope it's a girl." He felt a familiar twinge of anger and guilt. He hated this child. He hated that Niva was so sick. Before he had taken her to Yorvan, she had been energetic and active. Now, she was constantly sick. Often, even summer's arrival could not improve her health significantly.
He wondered if the children knew that he had hated all of them before they had been born. He loved them now, of course. He adored his children. But every time his wife was carrying a child, he hated it. All he wanted was for her to be well, and he hated the child for prohibiting that.
"Niva, I want you to promise me something," he said suddenly. "Promise me that this will be the last child."
"Isas...You know I want a big family."
He knew all right. He had been one of two children, and he and his older brother had not been very close. But Niva had five brothers, all of whom she adored and who in turn adored her. (They hated him, though, for being "a bag," for getting her pregnant, and for, as they put it, "dragging her to that gods-forsaken Olart.") After Alba had been born, she had begged him for another child, saying that Alba needed a brother or sister. Then, once Nik had been born, she had pleaded for another child, this time because she wanted a daughter. She had barely survived, but even that didn't stop her. She had begged for another child soon after Madi's birth. At first he had refused, but finally he relented. Now he knew that had been a mistake.
"Niva, we have three--almost four--children. That's all that I will give you. I won't give you another one."
"But Isas, please?"
"Niva! Look at yourself. You're already so weak, and it's only been a few months. Remember, last time the healer said that you might not survive another child."
"Isas, I'll be fine."
"I can't...I can't bear to lose you, Niva. Please."
Tears trickled down his face, and she relented. "All right, Isas, I promise. No more children."
He gave a gasp of relief and buried his head in her stomach. Tears ran down his face. She held him while he cried. "I love you so much," he murmured. "Please don't ever leave me."
She didn't answer. She held him until he stopped crying. "I love you too," she whispered.
He lay down next to her and held her. Exhaustion quickly overcame him, and he sank into a deep sleep. But Niva remained awake and held him, stroking his hair until at last she too fell asleep.