"Hush, my dear, hush. I miss him too." As she spoke a tear rolled down her cheek. She longed for Garion to return home from his trip but knew he would not for a while. Suddenly out walked Ce'Nedra's other child, Geran. Quickly Ce'Nedra gathered herself together, wiping her damp cheeks. She thought she looked normal but young Geran was not fooled.
"Mother, are you all right?" he said. He was a particularly intuitive boy for his years. Then again, he had been through a lot for a child of just 4 years, and come out relatively unscarred. Ce'Nedra quickly wiped her eyes, and smiled fondly at Geran.
"Of course I am sweetheart, but there's no need to be so formal...no one else is here" She laughed as Geran's shoulders' slumped in relief and marvelled at the transformation he made from Crown Prince of Riva to just her ordinary-but-adorable son. She sometimes worried that one day these two distinct people would merge but Geran seemed to realise that he had to have a sense of proprietary when in front of others while still managing to stay a normal little boy when separated from the formal stiffness that seemed to possess his future subjects when in his company.
"Mama, why won't Bela sleep?" he asked, calling his sister by his pet name for her.
"Nothing dear, she just misses her father," Ce'Nedra said gently beckoning him forward.
"I do too" Geran said, "But I'll look after you and Bela while he's gone, so don't worry." he said, trying to look brave. Ce'Nedra smiled at her the look on his face but replied solemnly, trying to hide her amusement.
"We know my darling, and we love you for doing that. Now why don't you hold Bela and put her to sleep. Geran's face lit up as he sat down on the swing next to her. Ce'Nedra gently placed Beldaran in his hands and kissed his forehead. As she rocked backwards and forward she suddenly noticed how much Geran was starting to look like Garion. But then, in all fairness, Ce'Nedra was starting to think that the bushes were shaped in Garion's image so her opinion could not really be trusted on such subjects any longer. Slowly she left her bubble of thoughts to the welcome sound of silence. She realised with a start that this welcome sound or lack thereof, was due to the fact that Princess Beldaran Dicayr del Faille, member of the Rivan royal family, daughter to the godslayer, had drifted of to sleep. Geran seemed to have come to the same conclusion, though rather more swiftly, and his face lit up with pride at his achievement.
"Seems she likes you better than me" Ce'Nedra teased her son, arching an eyebrow as he handed her the pink little bundle and stuck his tongue out impishly, half mocking her. Ce'Nedra bended forward and swiped at the little blond head, intentionally hitting the air a few inches short. Geran ran off inside, leaving tiny tracks as his little sandals pattered against the soil. Slowly she got up and followed him into the palace. She headed swiftly to the nursery where she knew full well at least 5 young women would be waiting to take Beldaran of her hands and see to her every need. But Ce'Nedra brushed away such ridiculous thoughts; she was Princess of Tolnedra, Queen of Riva and wife of Belgarion, Overlord of the West; she had no time in her days for thoughts worthy of a lovesick servant girl.
To Be Continued...