Giselle was pregnant. It was no longer something to doubt. The two of them were expecting parents and Silvano could not hold in his excitement at all. He was nervous and worried, excited and overjoyed. He knew that it was something the two had been wanting, and he could tell that Giselle was excited about it. But he was nervous about, oh so nervous. What if something happened to her? What if something happened to their children? What if something was wrong with them? The what-ifs were plaguing him all the time, but he put on his happy, brave face for his mate. He was happy, he truly was. But he was anxious. He was afraid for himself, for the kind of father he would be to his children. Silvano's parents had three litters of their own, and he could sorely use his mother's advice. She was always the wise one, the one who knew what to do. She would have loved to know she would be a grandmother (even if it took her youngest children to start procreating).
And since his mate was pregnant, he refused to let her fend for herself and caught her meals for her. Not that she minded all too much. He had caught a pair of hares, rather plump from the summer foliage. He had cooked it in the kitchen of the Hotel, knowing that Giselle would probably not appreciate seeing him gut and skin the creatures. After he threw away the innards, he cooked the meat in its own fat (which had been considerable since the rabbits had been plenty chubby), and added a couple of wild potatoes. He managed to dig up some seasoning and threw it in. The potatoes were crispy brown and the meat was tender and golden. Silvano felt pretty smug about this too, since the best he often did was simply roasting his meat or eating it raw. At least the kitchen was partially stocked.
He carried the plate outside, where Giselle was sure to be. She would probably appreciate the meal. Hopefully she would stomach it well. Anything to keep their children healthy, and their mother too. "Giselle?" he called out, searching for his mate.
There was excitement, there was joy, there were fears, and there were doubts. Whatever passionate side had swept over Giselle all those nights ago had been worthwhile, for she had received a most precious gift. When she had discovered it, the red haired woman was far from prepared for the news. It was the Dauphin who had told her himself, having seen signs of other Court women when they were given the gift of life within them. Initially, it delighted the woman, but then scared her to tears. After calming herself later that day, giving the news to Silvano brought her emotions back to the surface again, as well as his. Giselle had never thought to see her mate express a spectrum of emotions, when it was mostly she who was prevalent in that area.
Regardless of how either of them felt, there was one thing that was certain: puppies were coming. At present, the woman put her dainty hands on her growing belly delicately, smiling down at the protrusion. She had been experiencing strange things that happened to pregnant females, and the auburn haired female wasn't sure if she liked them all that much. But none of those things were currently happening, as she breathed in the cool air of the young afternoon. Giselle was seated on a bench - the same bench Strel had put her upon when she was given the news - half of her body in the sun and the other half in the shade. Gusts of wind played with the hem her yellow sundress, which was starting to become rather tight around her midsection, and had flipped a few pages from the open book by her side. The petite female wasn't sure when she stopped reading and began humming, finding it mentally soothing by slowly rubbing her hands rhythmically across her belly as she did so.
Powder blue eyes were focused on the horizon, wisps of dark hair dancing in front of her shoulders. Giselle was daydreaming, as she often did, but instead she could see her own puppies playing in fields of gold and lavender. Since meeting a few young wolves, the snow white beauty had wanted some of her own, but couldn't quite express it to Silvano. The damsel wasn't all too sure how the knight would react, if he (or she) would be ready, or how they would raise them. Giselle loved young pups whenever she was around them... but how would she treat her own? The woman never knew her own mother, and so felt worried about the mother she would become. Her name being called out in the distance had put her thoughts to a brief end, though, as Giselle turned her flower-decorated head in the direction of the familiar voice. Oh, I'm over here~!
Her voice rang out, calling to him and making his heart race as it always did. Carrying the steaming plate in the direction of the voice, Silvano grinned at his mate. Her belly was starting to swell and it was obviously what lay within. She reclined on the bench, an open book at her side and the wind picked at her dress. It was tight against her belly and the Sadira could not help but grin at the sight of it. Carefully he carried the plate to the woman and set it beside her. Then, plucking the book from the other side, he sat himself down beside her. Giselle was glowing, and it was clear that he was happy to see her. Silvano gave her a lick to the cheek and placed a hand on hers, a calm warmth on her growing belly.
"And how are you today, sweetheart?" he said softly, stroking her stomach with a gentle finger as he looked at her carefully. "Feeling alright?" He was worried about her, but she was not the kind of woman to overexert herself. She did not hard riding, nor did she farm heavily. There was no heavy lifting to be done and nothing much more. Silvano leaned over and picked up the plate from the other side, holding it before his mate. "I got you some food. I even managed to find a patch of wild potatoes. I cooked them, since I know you like it that way." Silvano smiled at her, cocking his head at his woman, his Giselle.
WC: 377. Just listen to teacher~ Also, I'm a posting failface
And it's warm and real and bright o/`
Another breeze played at the edges of her dress that dangled around her ankles, and felt the tightening of places that hadn't felt so tight before. The petite woman wondered, then, how much tighter her clothing would get before she would have to make a bigger dress, or to walk around naked. Giselle shivered at the thought of being exposed in public, though the wolves of the area hadn't looked twice at someone who went without clothing. To her, she felt uncomfortable looking at others in that way, but even moreso when she herself was exposed. It was a long time before she could relax around her mate, though, and it didn't seem so bad anymore.
She was not facing Silvano as he approached her and plucked the book from her side to replace it with his own body. Giselle seemed to come to from her thoughts when a wet tongue came in contact with her powdered cheek, and looked up at him and smiled. There were no words, for a moment, until she placed her hand gingerly above his, where it rested on her protrusion. I'm wonderful, now that you're here~ She voiced sweetly, never removing her gaze from his striking eyes. Only when he moved to pick something up did she blink, and her nose began to wriggle as it caught the smell of food.
Oh, you're very kind! Her palms came together excitedly, suddenly realizing her hunger. It smells just wonderful, Silvano. You didn't have to do all of this, the dark haired girl said, as one hand gingerly picked up a potato with her fingers and brought it to her mouth. It was delicious as she chewed, but when she felt the starch travel down her stomach, her hunger seemed to disappear altogether. Please, help yourself. She tried to sound courteous, as her mate went through all of the trouble, but Giselle suddenly felt full, but knew that it was her growing concerns that made her belly ache. An attempt to smile at the man melted away like snow in the spring, and she turned away from him and out towards the plains. A long silence overcame her, then, and she bit her lip before finding the courage to speak. Silvano... I'm scared...
Silvano beamed as his mate grew excited to see the food he had put before her. But it fell flat the moment she took a single piece and swallowed, suddenly offering him the meal. His forehead furrowed as he looked down at the food. Was it not to her taste? Did she not like the potatoes? Did he screw up royal when he was making her the food? He thought it had tasted good, from the slice or two he had taken from each. His unaccustomed palette had been a bit surprised at the taste and texture, though it had been a sweet thing as it dropped into his stomach. It sat well, heavy as it was, and he knew that Giselle needed heavy food to keep her strength up. Babes were not easy to carry and she could not starve herself. "Is something wrong with it?" he asked, a hint of worry in his words.
Her smile disappeared and Silvano felt his heart's beat pick up as he looked at her with worry. She looked away from him and he wondered what was wrong. He almost reached over to touch her white belly covered by cloth but refrained from it. He knew women in their weeks of pregnancy were touchy and could be very hormonal, with mood swings that sent them every which way. He was not too afraid of Giselle but he didn't want to stress her out or upset her, so he kept a careful stance with her, though his love overflowed. They would be parents and he could hardly believe it.
Silvano looked surprised for a moment, then looked in the direction his mate gazed in. She was afraid, and she should be. There was no one to talk to about it, except the other women of the Court but it was not easy when they were not close. "I am too, Giselle," he said softly, turning his emerald gaze back on the ivory woman. "But I know that everything will be okay," added the mottled male, reaching to take a petite hand into his. "What are you afraid of?"
Photo taken by Luana. Table style inspired by Kitty.
