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Vivenne of Cavall
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Lady Vivenne rounded a corner into the kennels. She and her husband had been breeding their dogs all summer, and there were several litters expected any day now.

She stopped suddenly when she saw two forms kissing in the corner.

"Margarry?"

"Mama!" the girl exclaimed. Her secret beau, Squire Owen of Jesslaw, began to spout an apology to Lady Vivenne. She smiled, entertained.

"It's alright, young man. I remember what it's like to be young. A little kissing will mean no harm if it doesn't lead to my daughter losing her chastity." Owen blushed profusely.

"Mama!" Margarry exclaimed. Lady Vivenne smiled innocently.

"What I really want to know is how you intend to keep this a secret from your father? I swear the man has eyes and ears everywhere."

"You won't tell him, Mama, will you?" Margarry said, near begging.

"He'd probably have me castrated," Owen said bluntly. "Please don't tell him, Lady Vivenne."

Vivenne smiled. She heard one of the dogs whimpering. She checked on the animal, recognizing all the signs of labor.

"It'll be our secret if you help me with Mitzy," Vivenne offered. "The pregnancy has much weakened her, but she is fiercely afraid of humans."

"I'll sacrifice my hands to save my… never mind." Owen turned redder with his new outburst.

"I'll help Mama," Margarry said.

"You should run along, Master Jesslaw. I'm sure you have work to see to," Lady Vivenne said in dismissal.

Mitzy didn't really need any help with her puppies. Her instincts were good, and she took care of everything herself. She had a fine litter of seven, one of which was female.

"My goodness that looks painful," Margarry said as she watched the final puppy be delivered.

"It's even worse for humans," Vivenne said tactfully. "That's why it's best to wait a long time before… canoodling."

"Mama!" Margarry said in a near-whine. "Trust you to turn this into one of those talks. I really like Owen, but I'm not ready for that kind of relationship. And Owen… he's not mature enough yet. Let me assure you, I will wait a long time before I canoodle with Owen of Jesslaw."

"I'm glad to hear that," Vivenne said, assured. The puppies now suckled from their mother's tits. "It's good to know that you're sensible, Margarry."

"How long did you wait before you…"

"I was a virgin when I was married off to your father. We barely knew each other, so our marriage began very strained. Our first time was nearly three years after the wedding, and we efficiently made your sister at the same time. You see Margarry, you don't just need to be married, you need to be ready."

"You know, most of the girls at the convent would sooner die than to do this kind of thing with their mother," Margarry said.

"What kind of thing is that?" Vivenne asked.

"Deliver baby dogs and talk about how they were made," Margarry said matter-of-factly. Vivenne smiled.

"I'm glad we can talk too."