Chapter 10
When Gratiana met Lucient that night to tell her happy news, he realized it seemed everyone had known but him. All the men smiled when he went by; all the ladies giggled. But one thing nagged on his mind. "You have to have a daughter," he told Gratiana, fear encroaching onto his voice. "What?" "A girl. I never told you- there's a curse. Ever since my grandparents - instead of a single daughter, my grandmother had twins. A girl, Serenity, and my father, Endymion. Her husband murdered his sister, and my father became king. The curse continued through Galia, first with her bearing only sons, then with the affair being found out; the people won't take it anymore. If we don't have a daughter, they won't accept me as kind!" he warned. Despair, for a moment, filled Gratiana's eyes, but was soon overcome by courage. "My child is a girl. Our daughter, Serenity," she answered confidently. Lucient's voice lost its dangerous tone. "We can hope," he sighed, embracing Gratiana. * * * Guillaume appeared once again in Gratiana's sleep. "I'll warn you once more," he said. "Don't marry Lucient!" Gratiana smiled wryly. "I'm carrying his child, Guillaume; I'll marry him with or without your blessing," she spat. "What of the way he treats you?" he asked. "And what of the way you treat me?" she countered. "A murderer, my lady, and likely to murder you as well!" he cried. "Very likely," she answered calmly. "If I don't get him first. I always have my dagger . and I'm very good with it in a pinch." Guillaume turned red in anger, unable to get to Gratiana. "And what if this child, the child of Lucient's you are carrying, is a boy? What then?" "Don't you call her a boy," she answered, sarcastically scolding, shaking her finger at Guillaume. "She doesn't like it. Now SHOO! I want to go to sleep!" Guillaume angrily shook his head. "Curse you. And curse your child; your little Endymion," he said, fading. "Curse you right back," she sighed, slipping off to sleep. * * * When Gratiana awoke, Lucient was slaying beside her, arms softly encircling her stomach. He was still fast asleep, so she slipped away, carefully moving the dagger under her pillow into her boot top. She dressed, and then kissed his cheek before she left. "Sweet dreams," she whispered. "And find me when you wake."
When Gratiana met Lucient that night to tell her happy news, he realized it seemed everyone had known but him. All the men smiled when he went by; all the ladies giggled. But one thing nagged on his mind. "You have to have a daughter," he told Gratiana, fear encroaching onto his voice. "What?" "A girl. I never told you- there's a curse. Ever since my grandparents - instead of a single daughter, my grandmother had twins. A girl, Serenity, and my father, Endymion. Her husband murdered his sister, and my father became king. The curse continued through Galia, first with her bearing only sons, then with the affair being found out; the people won't take it anymore. If we don't have a daughter, they won't accept me as kind!" he warned. Despair, for a moment, filled Gratiana's eyes, but was soon overcome by courage. "My child is a girl. Our daughter, Serenity," she answered confidently. Lucient's voice lost its dangerous tone. "We can hope," he sighed, embracing Gratiana. * * * Guillaume appeared once again in Gratiana's sleep. "I'll warn you once more," he said. "Don't marry Lucient!" Gratiana smiled wryly. "I'm carrying his child, Guillaume; I'll marry him with or without your blessing," she spat. "What of the way he treats you?" he asked. "And what of the way you treat me?" she countered. "A murderer, my lady, and likely to murder you as well!" he cried. "Very likely," she answered calmly. "If I don't get him first. I always have my dagger . and I'm very good with it in a pinch." Guillaume turned red in anger, unable to get to Gratiana. "And what if this child, the child of Lucient's you are carrying, is a boy? What then?" "Don't you call her a boy," she answered, sarcastically scolding, shaking her finger at Guillaume. "She doesn't like it. Now SHOO! I want to go to sleep!" Guillaume angrily shook his head. "Curse you. And curse your child; your little Endymion," he said, fading. "Curse you right back," she sighed, slipping off to sleep. * * * When Gratiana awoke, Lucient was slaying beside her, arms softly encircling her stomach. He was still fast asleep, so she slipped away, carefully moving the dagger under her pillow into her boot top. She dressed, and then kissed his cheek before she left. "Sweet dreams," she whispered. "And find me when you wake."