Kelta awoke to find herself totally alone for the first time in a week. She wondered if Gavin's coming had been a dream, but a quick glance around the room told her he had defiantly been there. His long black overcoat was hanging neatly over a chair; his tall boots were sitting by the door alongside his beaten leather bag that had been with him on every voyage he had ever taken.
'And those blasted cards too!' she thought, catching sight of the deck of playing cards that were always on his person. A gypsy woman from Calormen had made them for him by hand and the deck was amongst his most treasured items. She picked the top one up, the six of clubs, and traced the familiar serpentine design on the back then flipped it over to look at the face side. Each card was different, some depicting fairies and nymphs, others with epic battle scenes, romantic couples in tender embraces, terrifying sea storms, and countless other wondrous scenes. It was not the cards Kelta despised but what they were used for. Gavin had lost weeks and sometimes months salaries gambling with the beautiful cards; it was one of the few things they fought over.
She looked up when she heard the door opening and saw Lucy peeping around the edge of the door before it was shouldered open by Gavin who was carrying a covered tray. A delicious aroma tickled her nose.
"Good morning Love." Gavin said cheerily as her set the tray on the bedside table and bent down for a kiss. He was clean and freshly shaved and the familiar scent of his soap washed over her.
"Good morning. I see you two have brought me breakfast." She said, giving Lucy a quick hug before peering under the tray's cover. Toast, scrambled eggs and two pieces of sausage with a steaming cup of fruity smelling tea were arranged neatly on the tray in typical Gavin fashion.
"Aye, breakfast in bed, a true luxury."
"Where are Lark and Mae?" she asked between bites of toast.
"At the beach with Doria and Susan hunting seashells." Lucy said from her perch on the end of the bed.
"And why aren't you out there with them Lovey? Not that I want you to go anywhere. We haven't spent much time together lately have we?"
"Lucy found me wandering about hopelessly lost and graciously helped me find my way to the kitchen and back."
The two smiled at each other in tentative friendship. Lucy would be good practice for Gavin; his clean-and-orderly nature made her worry about how he would deal with a child. Lucy was very mature for her age, Kelta could only suppose it had come with the responsibility of being a queen, but she was still young. Gavin did claim to love children and was very good with her nephew Ferrix but Kelta still worried about how he would cope with the huge, and messy, duty of caring for a child every day.
'He has enough trouble dealing with my messes…'
She had a sudden memory of the day she and Edmund had spent together wandering about the castle a few weeks ago. They had gone out to the gardens and run across some Narnian children playing a game of catch. She was surprised when they began to eagerly implore Edmund to play with them and even more surprised when he had done so with great enthusiasm. He had run and shouted and laughed as much as they had, letting them tackle him to the ground and hoisting them high about his head, producing peals of laughter from Kelta as well as the children. He was marvelous with children.
As she looked at Gavin talking, albeit awkwardly, with Lucy and remembered that day with Edmund Kelta felt herself being pulled in two opposite directions. On the one hand, Gavin was her dearest friend, her on and off lover, and the father of her unborn child. On the other hand, Edmund saved her from drowning, had been a steady friend during her stay in Narnia, and seemed to understand nearly everything about her and what he didn't understand, he accepted. Gavin had a tendency to avoid things that were different; Edmund seemed to embrace differences. Gavin was cut from the same material as her family and made his living from the sea; Edmund was a king.
'Is it possible to love two men at once?'
… … …
Later that afternoon Susan came to visit with Kelta. They talked about babies, fashion, dancing, books, and the troubles of wearing long dresses in summer while they took their tea on the balcony.
"I mean, of course they look beautiful, but they're such trouble to deal with!" Kelta said in reference to the new, more ornate hairstyles that were popular in court.
"They make my head ache dreadfully. It seems so impractical to me to spend an hour each morning on my hair." Susan took a small bite of raspberry tart before continuing. "I think it's an absolute waste of time and effort."
"I completely agree. I say tomorrow we protest that awful style and wear our hair however we please!" Kelta declared with mock anger. "Together we shall bring sense and comfort back to Narnia!"
Susan laughed quietly and took another bite of tart. She chewed slowly, appearing pensive. She studied Kelta with a small frown, set her teacup down decisively and turned to fully face Kelta.
"Kel, I've been wondering, have you felt the baby kick yet?"
"Well, no, but I'm only a few months along Susan, though I have been expecting to feel something now that you mention it." Her hands strayed to her stomach as though she might suddenly feel that tiny nudge from within her.
"Kel, I was thinking…you and your brother were twins, correct?"
"Yes."
"Well, I've heard that having twins is passed from generation to generation. Do you think that you migh possibly…"
"Be having twins!" Kelta finished in an excited whisper. "Susan you're a genius!"
"I wouldn't say I'm all that. It's just logical that if you are a twin that you would be able to have twins. It would explain why you haven't felt anything yet as well."
Kelta took a moment to enjoy the though. Twins would be wonderful, difficult, but wonderful nonetheless. Perhaps there would be a boy and a girl like she and Larken. A sudden dark though entered her mind. 'What will Gavin think?'. She was sure he would pretend elation but unsure as to its sincerity. One child he could deal with, but two? At the same time? She leaned in closer to Susan and lowered her voice to a hushed whisper.
"Susan, you mustn't tell anyone about this, not Lucy, not Peter, not Edmund, not even Gavin. Especially not Gavin."
"Why not?" Susan asked, giving Kelta a puzzled look. Kelta wondered whether she should confide her doubts about Gavin's parenting ability.
"Can I tell you something?"
"Of course you can." Susan slid her chair closer to Kelta's so that their knees were touching.
"You have to promise me you won't tell anyone."
"I promise." Susan said it with such sincerity that Kelta felt no more qualms about pouring out her heart.
"Susan, I'm not sure Gavin is ready for parenthood. I mean, he says he loves children but he's so…finicky about things I worry about how he'll handle a baby. Possibly two!" she toyed with the silver charm around her neck nervously. "I know he feels responsible for the baby, but what I don't know is if he…loves it. I mean, it hasn't been born yet and there's still plenty of time but-"
"But you feel like he doesn't really want a child." Susan finished for her.
"Exactly. Oh Susan, what am I supposed to do?!?" she wailed, pressing her hands to her eyes. "He tries to hide it but I can sense he doesn't really want this. And I feel like it's my fault somehow because-" Kelta was cut off when Susan suddenly reached up and grabbed her face.
"Kelta you listen to me!" Susan's voice had an edge to it she had never heard and Kelta looked up to meet her intense stare. "This is not your fault. This is a blessing, a blessing and you have got to remember that Kel! Gavin is a fool if he thinks otherwise."
Kelta leaned forward and rested her head on Susan's lap trying to fight off tears of frustration. Susan was unsure what to do for a moment, and then timidly began to stroke her hair. What the queen didn't know was that Kelta's tears stemmed not only from concern for her child, but from confusion in her heart about the two men she loved.
'What am I going to do?'
Hello loves! Sorry about the long delay but I had SOLS and then finals (lame excuse, but a true one). Now school is out and I'm home alone for most of the day so I can update speedy-quick! Read and Review please!!