AN: This is the first thing I wanted to post in 2007. It's a very sweet series of drabbles on Margarry, Wyldon, and Cavall family relationships. Please let me know if you enjoy it. -Katie
50 Themes on Margarry of Cavall
01. Hugs
When Margarry was a little girl, she didn't understand that her father was a very busy man. In the evening she still brought him a warm cup of tea and wrapped her little arms around his legs while he sat by the hearth to relax.
02. Stories
"Read it again!" Margarry begged her sister. Thirteen-year-old Brangienne smiled and flipped back to the first page of the book of fairy tales. When Brangienne got to the part about the talking donkey, Margarry giggled.
"Quiet down!" Wyldon yelled. He had come back to the family's suite in the royal palace in a bad mood. Since then he and the girls' mother, Lady Vivenne, had been talking quietly near the fireplace.
"Wyldon, don't take this out on them," Vivenne said firmly. She smiled at her daughters. "Please play quietly girls."
"Why is Da so mad?" Margarry whispered.
"The king forced him to let a girl be a page," Brangienne whispered back.
"Why is that bad?" Margarry asked. Brangienne glanced at their father.
"I'll tell you later."
03. Viewpoints
"Most men stand firmly on the belief that women are the weaker sex," Brangienne explained, snuggling beside her sister in her big bed. "They don't believe that women are strong enough to be knights, and they're mad because women like Lady Alanna and Page Keladry prove them wrong." Margarry looked up at her sister, eyes glimmering.
"Good," she said resolutely. "I want to do the same."
"I wish you luck," Brangienne said, hugging her sister sadly.
04. Alone
Margarry had a hard time adjusting when Brangienne went away to the convent. Before she left, Margarry could go to Brangienne's room when she'd had bad dreams. Now she just sat on her older sister's bed, crying in the darkness.
05. Infertile
"That's a big word," Margarry said. "What does it mean?"
"It means that I can't have babies," Brangienne said sadly. Margarry felt like crying. She'd heard that word used to describe both of their older sisters, but it hurt more now than ever. There was no one she knew who would make a better mother than Brangienne.
"I'm sorry."
06. Wedding
Brangienne was the most beautiful bride that Margarry had ever seen. She was marrying, Gavin of Sigis Hold, a very nice young man. At the end of the wedding party, she hugged Margarry tightly, whispering that she loved her. Brangienne was very nervous. Margarry wondered if her sister's new husband even knew her secret.
07. Weapon
Before she married, Brangienne gave Margarry a brand new belt knife. The hilt was gold filigree, with jewel-cut butterflies dancing across it. It was a beautiful weapon, and Margarry was proud to own it. If only her father would let her wield it.
08. Disappointment
"Father, I want to be a knight," Margarry said. Vivenne dropped her fork, startled by this sudden outburst. She watched her husband's reaction very carefully. Wyldon took a sip of his wine, apparently unphased by his daughter's request.
"Father," she tried again. Lord Wyldon cut her off abruptly.
"Absolutely not."
09. Escape
Margarry enjoyed long rides through the meadow with her dull black pony, the Fair Ophelia. Once she got outside of Cavall's gates, she remounted. Now, riding astride, Margarry flew across the land. She decided that riding a winged unicorn could not be any finer than her Ophelia.
10. Mess
Margarry looked slowly around the stable door. Her father was standing in the courtyard with a man who was dressed in the colors of Naxen.
Margarry had taken an extra-long ride that morning, and she was splattered from head to foot in mud. She crept carefully around the side of the stables, hoping not to be seen.
"Watch out, Lady Margarry," a man cried, but it was too late. She ran into the servant who was carrying a large trough of scraps from the kitchen.
Lord Wyldon turned just in time to see his youngest daughter, covered in mud and the hog's dinner. Margarry felt her face growing red. She curtsied clumsily to her father and the other men then ran into the castle.
Wyldon never told Margarry for sure, but she was almost positive that she'd ruined a marriage contract with Sir Gary's eldest son.
11. Damage-Control
"Your manners and ways must improve greatly, young lady," Wyldon told his daughter. Margarry had bathed and changed quickly. Her hair dripped around her shoulders, making little wet spaces on her dress, but at least she was not muddy.
Her father had called her into his office, speaking to her alone. He was not yelling, but she could hear the anger in his voice. That scared Margarry more than his screaming ever could have. "I have made arrangements for you with the Mother of the Mountains convent. You leave in three days. That is all."
"But Father-"
"Silence!" Wyldon snapped. Margarry lowered her head. "You've been spoiled over the years, Margarry. I just hope that the sisters can cure you of your bad habits before it's too late to make a good marriage for you. I'm doing this for you. Some day you'll thank me. That is all, Margarry."
The girl was biting her lip, refusing to cry until she was safe on Brangienne's big bed. She pulled the curtains around the sides of the mattress and lost herself in tears.
12. Sympathy
"Margarry?" She heard her mother's soft voice calling her name. The curtains around the bed parted. Lady Vivenne had found her daughter's favorite hiding place. She sat down next to Margarry, stroking her hair soothingly.
"Father doesn't love me," Margarry protested when she had calmed down. "He doesn't care about my dreams. It's not fair!"
"I'm sorry you have to leave us, my sweet. But I promise you that the convent will not be as bad as you think." Vivenne stood. From the door, she looked back down at Margarry. "Your father's not always right, you know."
Margarry never looked at her mother the same way again.
13. Honor
"What is the greatest achievement that a woman can attain in her lifetime?" the nun asked. She pointed her measuring-stick at Margarry. She thought about what she wanted most.
"Knighthood is very glorious," she said almost shyly.
"That is incorrect," the nun said, waiting for Margarry to hold out her hand. She cracked her stiffly on the knuckles, and then moved on to the next pupil. "Lady Aileen, maybe you can enlighten Margarry."
Aileen smiled delicately. Margarry groaned inside. She had already learned that Aileen was the primmest snob in the entire convent. To prove another pupil wrong would make her entire week.
"Yes, Sister Yara. A woman's greatest achievement is to bear her husband a son."
14. Friendship?
"Don't worry about Aileen." Margarry turned at the sound. A tall brunette stood behind her. "She'll get hers. She's too thin to bear sons easily. It will be very painful. But you and I- well, let's just say we have a lot of our fathers in us."
Margarry smiled.
"I'm Margarry of Cavall," she said, trying to decide what degree of curtsy was proper to the situation.
"Patricine of Mindelan." Margarry's attention peaked.
"Mindelan? You're Keladry's sister? What is she like?" At the mention of her sister, Patricine looked immediately uncomfortable.
"I don't know Keladry very well anymore," Patricine said uncertainly. "We aren't very close."
"Oh." Margarry said. She got the distinct impression that Patricine was ashamed of her sister. It made Margarry's homesickness for Brangienne double. If Margarry was training to be a knight, her sister would be proud, no matter how many people teased.
Patricine changed the subject, and Margarry followed along to sewing class.
15. Routine
Margarry was very bored with her routine. She woke at dawn, spent two hours grooming, ate a tiny breakfast, sat in lessons, ate a smaller lunch, danced and curtsied her heart out, then ate another small meal before the early curfew. The next day, it all repeated, over and over again.
16. Lessons
Crack!
Margarry's fingers smarted. Blood was dripping onto the desk and smearing across the thick, creamy parchment. Some had even stained the nun's measuring stick.
But Margarry's penmanship was perfect. She was learning quickly that anything less would result in bloodied-knuckles.
17. Changes
By the time Margarry had been at the convent for two years, she was Sister Yara's prized pupil. Margarry knew all the answers. She despised the person she had become. She knew who all of the most eligible men at court were. She could dance gracefully and flirt charmingly. She was a lady.
She hoped that her father would be pleased.
18. Approval
"Lady Margarry, we have received a letter from your father. He has been pleased with the reports he has received of your progress. He wants to bring you home. A carriage will arrive from the Cavall estate a week from today."
Margarry grinned at Sister Yara.
"I want you to know that I am proud of how far you've come," the nun said. Margarry smiled. For the first time in a long time, it was a genuine smile.
"Thank you, Sister."
19. Homecoming
Margarry accepted the footman's offered hand and gracefully stepped out of the carriage. Remembering to hold herself with perfect posture, she walked into her mother's open arms. Then she gave her father a low curtsy.
"Have I improved, my father?" she inquired quietly.
"Greatly, Margarry," Lord Wyldon said. He turned to go back into the castle. Vivenne and Margarry walked arm in arm. That was when Margarry discovered the boy that walked on her father's heels. She turned to her mother with inquisitive eyes. Lady Vivenne smiled.
"Your father has a new squire."
20. Reunited
Margarry felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Fair Ophelia was grown up- and beautiful. The pony had turned into a silky mare, black from head to foot. Her brown eyes looked warm as she nuzzled Margarry's shoulder.
"She missed you," a voice called from the doorway. Margarry looked up to see her father's squire.
"I missed her," she said, running her head down Ophelia's glossy mane.
"I'm Owen," he said. Margarry looked up at him. She gave him her name.
"This is the Fair Ophelia. Isn't she gorgeous?"
"No one breeds like your father," Owen said. Margarry raised her eyebrows and looked at the squire. "I mean horses. And dogs. Not people."
Margarry smiled politely. Her father's squire was a very peculiar young man.
21. Jealousy
Margarry sat in a balcony window, watching her father and his squire with the hounds. Wyldon was a different person within his kennels than he was anywhere else; there he was a good man. Margarry saw her father bend down beside a dog to give the squire instructions. She jumped to her feet and changed into a riding gown, hurrying out to the kennels. She wasn't about to let this squire become closer to her father than she was herself.
22. Rust
Margarry pulled a box out from beneath her bed. The lid was dusty. Slowly she pulled out the belt knife that her sister had given her. The gold filigree needed to be polished, as did the jeweled butterflies, but the dagger was still as beautiful as ever.
After she cleaned the knife up, Margarry began to go through the lunges and retreats that she had once known so well. She was clumsy and stiff after years of lazing about at the convent. Her body had forgotten.
23. Tension
Margarry came upon Lady Vivenne as she sewed. She had seen servants ripping old linens into bandaging. Her father's armor was being polished. All over Cavall, preparations were being made for hard times.
And now Vivenne was making clothes to keep her husband warm in the cold northern snow.
"Scanra?" Margarry asked. Lady Vivenne nodded solemnly. "I didn't realize things had gotten so bad."
"They keep our girls well-sheltered at the convent," Vivenne said. "It's not an official war yet, but your father has given me an inkling that it may become one. We may not be seeing him or young Owen for awhile. I hope I can get all the winter clothes finished in time."
Margarry sat down and picked up one of Squire Owen's shirts. She began to work on the basting, deep in thought about the coming war.
24. Explanations
Margarry sat alone on Brangienne's bed. She was excited; her older sister was due to arrive with her husband any day.
But as nice as it would be to see Brangienne, Margarry was still worried about her father. Lady Vivenne had told her how upset losing two squires to their Ordeals had made him. Margarry didn't want him to go north with a mindset of failure.
"You seem saddened," a deep voice said. Margarry looked up to see the subject of her thoughts. She smiled lightly.
"I'm just tired," she said, dismissing her father's statement. She was quiet, thinking deeply about the impending war. "Is this why you brought me home? The war?"
"That's part of it," Lord Wyldon said, motioning towards the edge of the bed. "May I?" Margarry nodded. "I wanted to see you before I left. You've grown up into a fine young lady, Margarry."
"Thank you," Margarry said, smiling as her eyes glistened with happiness.
"I know your sisters all went into their marriages straight from the convent, and now two of them have died. Neither one had spoken to me since their wedding days, because I forced them to marry men they did not want anything to do with. Brangienne lucked out, she married a nice young man. Your other brothers-in-law were brutes, but necessary alliances for the family.
"Margarry, I want you to know that I am not an insensitive man. I realize the folly in my belief that women cannot be warriors. You would have been one of the best, simply because you wanted it." Margarry searched her father's face. He was more sincere than she'd ever seen him. He looked vaguely into the distance. "I wish I could change the past. But that's not possible, so I'm going to change your future. If you should wish to marry, I want it to be your decision."
Margarry smiled. She leaned towards her father, giving him a hug. And he hugged back, a hug like she hadn't had since she was five years old; he held her like a father.
25. Sisters
"Brangienne!" Margarry squealed, flying down to the carriage door, convent training forgotten. Her brother-in-law smiled lightly as he helped Margarry's sister down. Brangienne looked at her husband and grinned.
She turned and held out her arms for her sister. Margarry dove into them, nearly crying with her joy. She backed up suddenly when she felt her sister's large belly.
"You're?"
"Yes, Margarry. It's a baby," Brangienne said, laughing.
"But I thought-"
"I did too," Brangienne whispered. "I was wrong, the healers were wrong, and it's a girl. I'm going to name her for her favorite aunt." She hugged Margarry close.
26. Transforming
"Your decision? He said that?"
Margarry nodded. She and her sister were preparing for supper. Margarry had told Brangienne about her conversation with Lord Wyldon.
"He really has changed," Brangienne said, pulling on a green velvet dress that hugged her growing belly. "So have you. You really are a lady."
"We've all changed," Margarry agreed.
27. Books
"Stand still, Heart," Owen commanded. Margarry was in the stables, unsaddling Ophelia from her afternoon ride. Owen was grooming her father's horse, Cavall's Heart.
"If you're good, I'll give you a carrot." Margarry watched the strange squire for a moment. He dropped a bottle of healing ointment. Expensive healing ointment. It shattered on the ground with a loud crash. Owen didn't seem at all upset. Instead, he spouted poetry. "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him well."
"You've read Hamlet?" Margarry asked, highly surprised.
"Yes! Lord William of Shaken Speare is one of my favorite authors. He's jolly good," Owen said, sighing blissfully. "I wish he was still alive, I'd love to meet him."
"I would too," Margarry said. "I've read nearly all of his works. Reading was one of very few acceptable activities at the convent."
"I love books," Owen said. Margarry smiled.
"I do believe that we have one thing in common."
28. Rest
Brangienne's baby kept her at Cavall longer than expected. The pregnancy was difficult, and a healer ordered Brangienne to bed for its duration.
Brangienne's Gavin had to leave. Like his father, he was an advocate, and a good one. He had several cases that needed his attention in Corus. This made Brangienne even more anxious. To ease her worries, Margarry and Lady Vivenne kept Brangienne company. Margarry read aloud from her favorite books, even doing voices to make her sister laugh.
Lord Wyldon extended his stay in Cavall to await the arrival of Brangienne's child. This worried Margarry more than anything. What if her father knew something she didn't? Or was he just worrying because he'd already lost two daughters to childbirth?
No matter how many healers he brought to Cavall, they all said that one thing would be best for Brangienne: rest.
29. Invitation
Margarry heard a knock on the door. She put down a book to open it a crack and saw her father's squire.
"Yes?" she asked. Owen smiled hesitantly, Margarry decided smiles were becoming on his round face.
"I thought you might like to have a picnic lunch, since it's such a beautiful day." Margarry smiled, glancing back at Brangienne.
"I'd love to, but I should stay with my sister," she said. "The baby is due very soon."
"Margarry?" Brangienne called. Margarry asked Owen to hold on for a moment, and hurried to her sister's side. "I'm fine. I have more energy today than I ever have. I could use some time to think on my own before the baby comes."
Margarry smiled. She hugged her sister tightly.
"I'll see you soon."
30. Picnic
"It seems like you and your sister are very close," Owen observed as he spread a blanket out on the ground.
"Yes, we are," Margarry agreed.
"I have two sisters. We used to be close, until they decided that their favorite game was to dress me up for a ball." Owen unpacked the lunch he had scavenged for them: triangular ham sandwiches, ruby-red apples, and tiny chocolate cakes. They chatted mildly about books and horses as they ate.
Owen finished with his meal much quicker than Margarry did.
"I used to take my little sisters on picnics," he said, plucking daisies and weaving them into a chain. "They always wanted me to make them flower necklaces."
"And did you?"
"Of course. What else are big brothers for?" Owen said. He finished the chain and lifted it over Margarry's head. "I think that you make the flowers look prettier than ever."
Margarry felt a light blush growing on her cheeks. Owen leaned towards her slowly. She braced herself for her first kiss.
Hoof beats broke the mood. Margarry jumped up. Owen rose slowly in her wake.
"Excuse me, Lady Margarry," the horseman said. "Your mother asked me to fetch you. Your sister has gone into labor."
31. Pain
Margarry winced as Brangienne squeezed her hand. She looked up at her mother. The labor had gone on for hours. It seemed as though it was taking much too long. The midwife didn't think so, however.
"I don't know how you did this so many times," Brangienne said to Lady Vivenne. He words were forced between laboring breaths. Vivenne put a cool cloth on her daughter's forehead, and one on her chest, trying to lessen the heat.
"It's worth it. You'll see. When you hold your little daughter, you'll see." Brangienne cried out and squeezed Margarry's hand again.
"It's time, Lady, push!" the midwife said from the end of the bed. Margarry began to feel sick to her stomach as she watched Brangienne push her daughter into the world.
At last the cries of the baby were heard and Brangienne's body relaxed. The healer placed a tiny bundle in the new mother's arms. Vivenne and Margarry leaned close for a look. Margarry felt tears in her eyes.
"It's your baby, Brangienne," she whispered. Margarry's sister kissed her daughter's forehead. "It's your miracle."
32. Gratitude
Vivenne led Margarry out of the birthing chamber, giving Brangienne time to bond with her new child. Lord Wyldon and Owen were waiting in the hallway.
"It's a beautiful little girl," Vivenne said, stepping into her husband's hug. Wyldon had his arm around his wife's shoulders. They talked quietly, grins lighting their weary faces.
Margarry turned to Owen, giving them privacy.
"I'm sorry I had to leave so abruptly," she said.
"It's alright, my lady," Owen said. "Your sister needed you. Now you get to see a jolly little baby. What's her name?" Margarry blushed. She didn't feel worthy of the honor her sister had bestowed to her.
"I'm going to have to think of a clever nickname, because my sister was fool enough to name her for me," she said.
"I think Margarry is a lovely name." Brangienne's infant began to wail. Wyldon and Vivenne went back to see the baby and help their daughter calm her. Margarry and Owen were alone in the hallway.
"What a jolly day." Margarry looked at Owen. She remembered the interrupted kiss from earlier. She leaned up and gave Owen a peck on the cheek. She turned quickly, ready to slip into the bedchamber and away from Owen, but he was fast. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into an embrace, kissing her soundly on the mouth.
The kiss left Margarry breathless. Owen disappeared down the hallway, leaving Margarry's feet stuck to the floor.
33. Happy
"Which horse do you think would be a good match for my squire?" Wyldon asked his daughter as they worked in the stables one day. He presented Margarry with two choices. She looked them both over carefully.
"I think Windtreader would be the preference," Margarry said.
"Explain," Wyldon asked.
"The spotted roan is too tall. Windtreader would be easier for Owen to mount. And he's excessively patient," she said, poking him in the belly with a brush. The horse ignored her.
Wyldon's eyes laughed. "Well chosen, my daughter."
Margarry beamed.
34. Eagerness
Gavin rode up to the gates of Cavall at full trot and looked around feverishly. Lady Vivenne smiled and took him to Brangienne's rooms, to meet his little daughter. Brangienne grinned up at him from her chair near the open window. Gavin gently kissed her cheek, and then lifted their infant into his arms, eyes sparkling.
"Isn't it jolly?" Owen asked Margarry as they watched from the hallway. She nodded briefly, eyes fixated on her sister's husband.
"At the convent the sisters taught us that our husbands wouldn't want daughters, only sons." Owen checked to see that no one was looking, and then brushed her cheek with his lips.
"The sisters were wrong."
35. Meeting
Margarry paced the length of hallway before the Fair Ophelia's stall. Owen and her father were leaving in the morning. They were headed north, to a place called Fort Steadfast, where Lord Wyldon would enjoy the command.
Margarry had agreed to meet Owen here in the stables to say goodbye. As soon as he arrived, Owen slipped his arms around Margarry, kissing her like there was no tomorrow.
There may not be for us, she thought as she led him into the hayloft.
36. Farewell
"I love you," Margarry whispered, smoothing Owen's tunic. He kissed her, hands on her waist and her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. The sky was beginning to turn purple with dawn.
Owen climbed down from the hayloft and Margarry watched over the edge. "Be careful up there, Owen."
Three hours later, dressed for the day, Margarry said the same words to her father as he and Owen rode out of Cavall's gates.
37. Love
Margarry set down Owen's letter with a content sigh. He wrote of the refugee camp that Lady Knight Keladry was in charge of, and the cute little boy she'd taken in. He closed by telling Margarry that he loved her.
"Your father's squire has sent out many letters for you lately," Lady Vivenne said, looking up from her embroidery. Brangienne studied her sister's face.
"You love him!" she said, setting her daughter on toddling legs. Margarry sighed again and nodded, tears forming in her eyes.
"And I miss him. I'm so scared that he won't come home to me," she whispered. Vivenne set aside her sewing and wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"I know, dear," she said soothingly. "It hurts when they leave, especially when there's danger."
"I'm a selfish girl," Brangienne said. "My husband is an advocate, not a soldier. Even though we may be separated, he'll come back to me."
"You have to have hope, Margarry," Vivenne said. "Or love means nothing."
38. Waiting
Margarry wore a chain of dry daisies beneath her dress, a chain that brought back memories of a spring picnic. She'd been wearing it for days. Owen and her father were due back from the border any day now.
The war was nearly over, and Lord Wyldon was needed in the north. But now it was time for Owen's Ordeal of Knighthood. The Ordeal was something Margarry tried to push from her mind.
Suddenly Margarry spotted horses on the horizon. One bore a flag with the Cavall crest on it. Margarry jumped up.
"They're here!"
39. Embrace
When they were alone, Owen lifted Margarry in his sturdy embrace, giving her a passionate kiss. He returned her to the ground, pulling her close.
"I missed you," she whispered, kissing him again. Owen pulled away, grinning.
"Margarry, there's something I have to ask you."
40. Box
Margarry looked down into the eyes of the man who kneeled before her. She could see the sincerity in his eyes, hear it in his words, feel it in the hands that held hers.
"Yes!" she said, and he stood, picking her up and spinning around in a circle. Then Owen removed the ring from its little box and slipped it on her finger.
41. Ordeal
You have to have hope or love means nothing
Lady Vivenne's wisdom played over and over in Margarry's head that night. She was so scared for Owen. She wished that she was the one waiting for her Ordeal, sitting a long, cold vigil.
Owen wasn't the only one who didn't get any sleep that night.
42. Hero
Owen's shirt was sweat-soaked, and his legs shook, but he walked out of the Chamber of Ordeal relatively unhurt. He passed Margarry, leaning on her father as he limped away to sleep.
She caught his eye and smiled. Owen was her hero.
43. Kraken
Owen's Ordeal was over. Margarry's was just beginning. She clasped the new knight's hand as they neared her Lord Wyldon's private study.
"I'm scared," she whispered. Owen smiled dryly.
"Me too," he said, squeezing her hand. "We can do it, right?" Margarry didn't answer, only reached out and knocked on the door.
"Father, may we speak with you?" she asked, pushing the heavy door open.
"We?" Wyldon asked. Margarry stepped aside to reveal her affianced. "Jesslaw?"
"Father, I have chosen the man who I would like to marry."
"Jesslaw?" he repeated. Vivenne's eyes danced above her sewing. Margarry grinned.
"You said I could pick," she began. Wyldon sighed.
"So I did. Very well, my daughter, I will send a letter to his father." Margarry squealed with joy and threw her arms around Owen's neck. When she remembered herself, she went to Wyldon's side and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Father."
44. Ceremony
Margarry wore yards and yards of creamy white fabric. Wild daisies decorated her hair. Owen looked stunning in his white-and-gold outfit.
She gazed around as the priest performed the wedding rights. Owen's father was grinning, as were his sisters, and Margarry's mother. But Margarry could have sworn that she saw tears in her father's eyes.
Owen squeezed the hands he held and recaptured Margarry's attention. She smiled as she became lost in his warm gaze, bound to him forever.
45. Introduction
"I'd like you to meet someone," Owen said, taking Margarry's hand. He led her over to a young woman who wore a lovely velvet tunic and matching breeches. She looked elegant, with her brown hair cut even with her chin, and her hazel eyes were dreamy. "Keladry of Mindelan, this is my jolly bride, Margarry of Cavall."
The lady knight grinned, standing.
"So you're the one who's captured our Owen's heart," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine," Margarry said, shaking her hand.
46. Gratification
Margarry cried for two hours when she heard the news of Lady Aileen's death. She had died giving birth to her first son. It was ironic, considering that sons were what Aileen had wanted most.
47. Delight
As Owen placed a hand on Margarry's growing belly, her heart swelled with pride. Giving Owen an heir no longer felt like something she had to do. Now it was something she wanted to do. She was so glad that her body seemed every bit as fertile as her mother's. The healers promised that she'd bear her husband plenty of babies.
48. Jolly
Her labor lasted longer than Brangienne's had, and she'd never known such intense pain, but it was soon forgotten. Margarry had tears of joy in her eyes as her mother placed her son in her arms. Owen smiled down, running a calloused finger over the baby's cheek.
"Look at our baby," he breathed. "He's the jolliest baby in the realm." Margarry took in a shaky breath, grinning and crying all together. "What should we name him?"
49. Namesake
"His name is Wyldon?" Lord Wyldon asked.
"We'll call him Wyl for short," Owen explained. Margarry smiled.
"Father, we wanted to give him a good, strong name, a name that he could be proud of, and we chose to honor you at the same time."
Lord Wyldon's eyes filled up with tears as he gently cradled his first grandson.
"Thank you."
50. Midwinter
Margarry was warm in the big red chair that was placed nearest the fireplace. Wyl rested in her arms, contented to hold onto her finger with his strong little grip.
Her father passed on his way to the seat at the head of the table, leaving a kiss on Margarry's cheek. He sat, clasping Lady Vivenne's hand. Owen plopped down beside Margarry, cooing at the baby.
Brangienne and Gavin sat across from her, their little girl between them. Brangienne was very visibly pregnant with her second child. The babe was predicted to be a boy, another miracle it seemed.
Margarry watched her father gaze at the family surrounding the table.
"A toast to my wife, my children, and my grandchildren," he said, raising his glass. "May we have many, many years to spend together under this roof."
Margarry felt tears growing behind her eyes. She raised her own goblet, smiling.
"So mote it be."