A/N: As requested by Raider, Duncan and his wife.
Saberin: I keep a running list of recommendations with the Themes list. For you I've just said your name followed by all your suggestions :)
Raider: Glad you like them!
Alex the Rogue: Yep...still awkward...
The Gold Patronus: Glad you've caught up! Always love reading your reviews! I also think it's sweet that you apologized to Saberin :)
NOTE: I'm not John Flanagan.
067: Fading
Duncan dismissed the nanny quietly and went to his daughter on the rug. She hadn't noticed his arrival yet. She was too focused on her make-believe game. His little Cassandra had built a castle with wooden blocks as big as she was and now sat in its center having a tea party. No doubt she'd spent the better part of her day assembling such a structure. Generally the rule was to put toys away before bed but he didn't have it in his heart to demolish his daughter's masterpiece just yet. The father in him wanted to show it off to his advisors the next day. Afterall, how many men could say their five year old daughter accomplished so much? His wife was generally the disciplinarian anyway. Cassie could get away with this one slide for now.
"How impressive, Princess," he complimented her as he sat on the carpet with her. "Maybe tomorrow you can make one big enough for me to join you."
Cassandra shook her head. "I'm too little to do that, Daddy. You're too big!"
Duncan laughed gently. "It's time for bed, Cassie."
Cassandra looked back at him with her lip sticking out. "Aw, Daddy…"
Duncan lifted her up over her wall. She squealed with laughter. Duncan set her in his lap and kissed her cheek.
"Can we see Mummy first?"
Duncan's smile weakened. "I'm sorry, Cassie. Not tonight."
Cassandra stuck out her lip. "Please?"
"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. Mummy needs to rest."
"But Daddy…"
"Tomorrow we'll all have breakfast together, just the three of us."
Cassandra lit up. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "With strawberries?"
Duncan laughed. "I'll send your request to the kitchen, Your Highness."
He lifted her up and walked to her bedroom. He knew he spoiled her filling it with toys but she needed as much distraction as he could give her from her mother's illness. He lay her on her canopy bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.
"Daddy, will Mummy feel better tomorrow?"
Duncan sighed. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Good night, Princess."
Without further questions Cassandra reached for her favorite doll and rolled over into her pillow. Duncan blew out her candle and left her room. Servants performing the last of their nightly duties bowed to him as he walked past them. He went to the guest room that had been converted to his wife's bedroom. To his surprise, she was awake. Queen Lacy smiled weakly at him as he sat on the edge of her bed, just as he had done with Cassandra just moments before.
"How was your day?" Lacy asked as he took her hand. Duncan kissed it gently.
"I'm more interested in your day," he replied. Lacy smiled. Even in her sickly state Duncan admired her. Her illness baffled physicians. At first she'd just had bad days, then bad weeks. A month ago she deteriorated to the point she had to move out of their bedroom, where secretaries and maids disturbed them at all hours, to a calmer environment. What used to be a guest room was converted to her sick room and now she stayed down the hall from Duncan.
Her head maid, a longtime friend, went through great lengths to keep her comfortable. Duncan made sure she had a full purse for whatever may be required. Lacy's favorite duvet was used to cover the bed and on good days she could rest by the window on a comfortable chaise specially designed for her.
"I never leave this room," Lacy told him. "I've nothing to talk about."
Duncan kissed her cheek. "A new physician arrives tomorrow. This one's from Gallica."
"Well, at least the company will be entertaining if his medicines don't work."
Duncan grinned. Lacy did too. He could tell she needed to sleep but the unknown of her illness frightened him. He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could.
"How is the Ranger's Corps coming along?" Lacy asked.
"Quite well," Duncan replied. "Crowley and Halt have done a good job taking that over. I hope things settle down with them so I can send Halt back to Hibernia to find Pritchard. I think having his experience could really set it off."
"Halt doesn't want to go back to Hibernia."
"He's never said that."
"He refuses to talk about his life there. We've never heard him talk about family or friends there. It's my understanding he's even trying to lose his accent."
Duncan sighed. "So you think I'd be making a mistake if I were to order him back to find Pritchard?"
Lacy nodded. "I think he'd leave and never come back. You need him if you want the Ranger Corps to have any prayer of surviving. Crowley's good, but Halt seems to have more knowledge in navigating politics."
"What do you mean? Crowley's the one taking lead on establishing the Rangers with our courts."
"Yes, and when things get tense he does only what Halt tells him to do."
Duncan rubbed his forehead. Lacy ran her thumb over his hand.
"Let's not talk business," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We don't have time for that."
Duncan leaned forward to kiss her. He missed her health desperately. His beautiful blonde wife, once fierce with passion and elegant in court, had wasted away to almost nothing physically. Still, she had her soul. After watching an elderly advisor's mind slip long before his body, Duncan felt grateful Lacy was still with him as herself.
"I promised Cassie we'd have breakfast together in the morning, if you're up for it."
Lacy smiled weakly. "I'd love that. Did she request strawberries?"
Duncan laughed. "Of course."
Lacy relaxed back against her pillows, her energy spent. "Will you write a note for me?"
Duncan nodded. He reached to her bedside table and collected piece of paper and pen. He still couldn't get accustomed to Lacy's lack of strength. She must be truly weak if the act of writing were too much for her.
"Megan won't wake me unless she's got instruction to," Lacy explained. Duncan nodded and scribbled out the note for Lacy's head maid. "And love?"
Duncan paused, looking up to his wife.
"Make a note that she's to bring a selection of gowns."
"My dear, it's just me and Cassie. We won't think less of you if you wear what you've got now. No reason to get dressed up for just us."
Lacy shook her head. "They're for Cassie."
"What will Cassie do with your gowns but ruin them? She's not exactly neat."
Lacy looked back towards the window. "I know," she whispered. "I won't wear them again, Duncan. We've got to accept that."
Duncan bit his lip. These conversations were becoming more and more common. Though they were important, he hated them. He hated everything they implied and then some.
"We'll put them in storage," he offered. "Cassie can wear them when she's older and think of you."
Lacy let out a painful breath. It was then Duncan reminded himself of the main reason Lacy had moved out of their bedroom. Her illness brought her pain. Sharing a bed physically hurt her. He loosened his grip on her hand.
"She'll want her own when the time comes."
"Lacy…"
"Put back my wedding dress, just in case she decides she wants it when the day comes. You go with Megan personally if you want to save certain ones for her. While you're there, let Megan have two or three for herself. She worked so hard to make them. She should get some use from them."
"Lacy…"
"Duncan."
Duncan snapped his mouth shut. Back when she was healthy the couple had enjoyed the occasional argument over silly (though sometimes serious) things. It was a good break from their stressful lives as royals and often ended in memorable activities. Both were certain Cassie was the product of their banter over oak versus cedar for the new floors in a space that was once Duncan's changing room. Lacy's choice, oak, had won out and just a few months after the new floor set they moved their perfect daughter into the room.
"Let me have this time with Cassie," Lacy pleaded. "Her nanny and Megan will be on hand if needed. The last ball I got to attend she tried on the gown while Megan got me ready. She loved it. Let me have that again, Duncan."
Duncan nodded. He finished the note for Megan, giving special instructions about the gowns, and set it on the tray with Lacy's water where the maid would see it. He kissed Lacy again, forcing himself to be more gentle than usual. Lacy kissed him back as much as she could.
"Good night, love."
Duncan stood and, as he had with Cassie, blew out Lacy's candle.
"Good night, dear."
