"Come down NOW!" Daine yelled. She was answered by crazy giggles."If you don't come down I'm telling your mothers!" Daine cried. There was no response. "Don't MAKE me make them come get you!" Daine knew Alanna and Thayet wouldn't come, but she thought maybe the children would respond to the threat. "I'm counting to three! One...two....," Daine began.
"THREE!" yelled Thom, jumping down, stumbling and falling into a pile of mud. "Yuck!" he said, smiling. There was mud everywhere! Daine rubbed her temples. 'Be patient!' her subconsience scolded her. 'Don't lose your temper.'
At that moment, Kally jumped down and landed neatly on her feet. She grinned wickedly, and fell back in an exaggerated manner right into the mud. Roald soon followed. The children were giggling.
Daine took a breath and surveyed the damage. Thom's hair was muddy, and so were his clothes. There was a long tear in his shirt. Roald, covered in mud, had ripped a half a leg off of his breeches, and Kally wasn't wearing shoes. Daine took a deep breath, trying to control her temper. "Get. Up. Now." her voice was icy. "We are going home." She turned on heel, and heard the children follow.
They walked home in silence, except for Kalasin who'd moan when her bare feet struck a rock. Daine pushed open the door, and walked upstairs. She could hear Alanna breathing and Thayet chattering about something. She was marching down the hall, the three children in tow, when Thayet popped her head out.
"What in Mithro's name HAPPENED?" she gasped. Alanna quickly appeared.
"Thomas George! What have you DONE! I should have left you in the nursery. You are in SO much trouble. You just-," Alanna was cut off by a contraction.
"Alanna, lie down," Thayet commanded. "Your contractions are about seven minutes apart. The midwife is on her way. Relax."
"I can't relax when my oldest son acts like a two year old," Alanna glared at him. "You are to clean up and go to the nursery." she spun around and wadddled back to bed.
"You, too, Kally and Roald," Thayet said, walking over to the bedside and picking up a weed. "Chew this," she told Alanna.
"But I'm not in pain!" Alanna complained.
"Chew it," Thayet said, shoving into Alanna's mouth.
Daine led the muddy children into a room. She whispered to a servant to prepare a bath, please, and then she rounded on them. "Roald will bathe first, then Thom, then Kally. While the one is bathing, the other two are to clean the child who is bathing's clothes. So, Thom and Kally will clean Roald clothes, Kally and Roald will clean Thom's clothes, Thom and Roald will clean Kally's clothes. Understood?"
Roald smiled innocently. "I don't wanna bathe first."
"I don't wanna go to the nursery," Thom whispered. "I'm SEVEN!" (A/N: I am the AUTHOR! I am GOD here, know he's not seven, but he is in my story! ;) )
"You're also disobediant and dirty," Daine said.
The servant rushed up and told her the bath was ready. Daine turned to thank her. When she turned back around, the children had scattred. Daine ran down the halls. "ROALD! KALLY! THOM! COME HERE!"
Thayet popped her head out of the door. "Did they run off?" she asked.
"Obviously!" Daine snapped. "Sorry, Thayet. I'm just vexed."
Alanna spit the weeds and herbs out. "I'm vexed, too. Can't a woman give birth in peace? Where's the midwife?" her voice was strained. "WHERE'S THOM?"
Thayet cleared her throat. "ROALD JONATHAN! KALASIN MILDRED! Get in here!"
The three children marched in, guiltily.
"Your middle name is MILDRED?" Thom asked Kalasin.
"No," she whispered, shamefaced.
Maude suddenly burst in. "The midwive's here, Alanna darling!"
"THREE!" yelled Thom, jumping down, stumbling and falling into a pile of mud. "Yuck!" he said, smiling. There was mud everywhere! Daine rubbed her temples. 'Be patient!' her subconsience scolded her. 'Don't lose your temper.'
At that moment, Kally jumped down and landed neatly on her feet. She grinned wickedly, and fell back in an exaggerated manner right into the mud. Roald soon followed. The children were giggling.
Daine took a breath and surveyed the damage. Thom's hair was muddy, and so were his clothes. There was a long tear in his shirt. Roald, covered in mud, had ripped a half a leg off of his breeches, and Kally wasn't wearing shoes. Daine took a deep breath, trying to control her temper. "Get. Up. Now." her voice was icy. "We are going home." She turned on heel, and heard the children follow.
They walked home in silence, except for Kalasin who'd moan when her bare feet struck a rock. Daine pushed open the door, and walked upstairs. She could hear Alanna breathing and Thayet chattering about something. She was marching down the hall, the three children in tow, when Thayet popped her head out.
"What in Mithro's name HAPPENED?" she gasped. Alanna quickly appeared.
"Thomas George! What have you DONE! I should have left you in the nursery. You are in SO much trouble. You just-," Alanna was cut off by a contraction.
"Alanna, lie down," Thayet commanded. "Your contractions are about seven minutes apart. The midwife is on her way. Relax."
"I can't relax when my oldest son acts like a two year old," Alanna glared at him. "You are to clean up and go to the nursery." she spun around and wadddled back to bed.
"You, too, Kally and Roald," Thayet said, walking over to the bedside and picking up a weed. "Chew this," she told Alanna.
"But I'm not in pain!" Alanna complained.
"Chew it," Thayet said, shoving into Alanna's mouth.
Daine led the muddy children into a room. She whispered to a servant to prepare a bath, please, and then she rounded on them. "Roald will bathe first, then Thom, then Kally. While the one is bathing, the other two are to clean the child who is bathing's clothes. So, Thom and Kally will clean Roald clothes, Kally and Roald will clean Thom's clothes, Thom and Roald will clean Kally's clothes. Understood?"
Roald smiled innocently. "I don't wanna bathe first."
"I don't wanna go to the nursery," Thom whispered. "I'm SEVEN!" (A/N: I am the AUTHOR! I am GOD here, know he's not seven, but he is in my story! ;) )
"You're also disobediant and dirty," Daine said.
The servant rushed up and told her the bath was ready. Daine turned to thank her. When she turned back around, the children had scattred. Daine ran down the halls. "ROALD! KALLY! THOM! COME HERE!"
Thayet popped her head out of the door. "Did they run off?" she asked.
"Obviously!" Daine snapped. "Sorry, Thayet. I'm just vexed."
Alanna spit the weeds and herbs out. "I'm vexed, too. Can't a woman give birth in peace? Where's the midwife?" her voice was strained. "WHERE'S THOM?"
Thayet cleared her throat. "ROALD JONATHAN! KALASIN MILDRED! Get in here!"
The three children marched in, guiltily.
"Your middle name is MILDRED?" Thom asked Kalasin.
"No," she whispered, shamefaced.
Maude suddenly burst in. "The midwive's here, Alanna darling!"
