One month left before the midwives said she was due to give birth.
Olympia wasn't sure if she was quite ready for it, but at the same time she could think of nothing better than having her son in her arms and the extra weight off of her body. She'd grown quite large and swollen of late, to the point that shoes were uncomfortable and she walked barefoot but only for the short distances her maids allowed. In a basic white chiton with her favorite blue robe about her shoulders and her hair pinned up loosely to keep it from her face, the young queen had begged her guardians into helping her down through the palace and to the gardens.
Her cousin was due to visit and Pia wanted to use that as an excuse to take as much fresh air as she could before the weather grew colder and they kept her abed for good. Sitting on a bench near the garden's entrance, she closed her eyes and tipped her head back to welcome the sun on pale skin, whiter than usual for lack of time spent outside since she had become queen. They rarely spent time outside anymore it seemed, where before her marriage she had always been found traipsing about the beaches and gardens, on horseback or foot with her many sisters and companions. It was driving her mad to be told she ought to stay in and rest when all she wanted to do was move about.
A maid cleared her throat to bring attention to the guard approaching with her Uncle Fotios' daughter in tow. Smiling broadly, Pia stood and opened her arms to embrace the other girl warmly. Though she was not as close with this side of her family as she was with Evangelina and Konstantinos, Dafni was family and a breath of Leventi familiarity that she hadn't had lately. With her father taken ill and her mother attending both to him and her sister Theodora's upcoming wedding, Selene and Nana had been her only visitors from her family, and even their visits had become less frequent.
Sometimes her own home felt more like a prison than anything else. It was not even so much the rules that were the problem, more the monotony of it all. Day in and out nothing ever changed and even if they did, they did not in Dafni's day-to-day life. The same lessons, the same dinners and even her new cat Phoebe was not as exciting as the first time she held her in her arms. And she only had been around a couple of weeks now.
So Dafni had tried reading more about Artemis and Melina had given her some texts, but after a couple of minutes she found herself staring into the distance, daydreaming about being a Duchess, Baroness or some sort, ruling over people, with a husband, who was always away at war and never wanted any of that gross adult stuff. Eventually she just gave up and had given Melina the texts back, telling her how intriguing they were and hastily excused herself to her rooms, where she tried out several of her outfits just for fun.
This is when one of the maids informed her of an invitation she had received and this was certainly big news. Dafni could not even remember the last time anyone had sent her anything, so with shaking hands she opened the letter and read a simple, yet elegant invitation from her cousin Olympia, the queen.
Dafni had no special memories of Pia, except her marvelous coronation. She had become a queen now. Everyone had been and still was proud of her, since she had achieved the most any woman could. Well, she still could top it by having a boy. But so fast after the wedding? Dafni was not entirely sure, if that was even possible and shortly pondered her limited knowledge about intercourse and pregnancy, but soon returned to her cousin. Dafni had not heard from her in months, not that she was particularly invested in anyone but herself, but it would be a nice change and after all: Who would refuse the invitation of a queen?
The preparation for this took some time and ended in a fashion disaster more commonly known as Dafni. Entirely overdressed and mixing copper and gold she started making her way towards the palace. She had been here before, but still Dafni could not hide her amazement. Several times the maid had to shoo her along, because she had stopped and gawked at something with an open mouth or simply pointed at it.
Arriving at the palace and being led into the magnificient garden, she took a short moment to breathe the air, thick of the fragrance of the different flowers and then she spotted Pia. A very round Pia. So she let herself be hugged, took a small step back, mustered her cousin from head to toe and simply said: "You have gotten fat, Pia." Entirely ignoring her question.
Olympia managed to keep her smile in place with only a tiny slip as her cousin pulled back and threw a barb at her. At least with Dafni she was under no impressions that the girl had any real mean spirits, she was just blunt as always. After the moment of shock passed her over, the queen burst out laughing and let her hands drop from the younger girl and rest on her belly instead.
”I should hope so, just barely a month left before this little one makes his entrance. And then I’ll be back to normal.”
Oh gods she hoped she would be back to normal. Stephanos clearly still found her desirable in this state, but what if she kept the weight on without the benefit of carrying his heir? Would he go back to his mistresses and drinking or love her still?
Looping her arm through Dafni’s, Pia pushed aside her insecurities and instead gave a secretive smile as they walked ahead of the maids that attended to their comfort, one carrying a small basket of light food and drink if they chose to sit somewhere in the gardens. Another carried a blanket and shawl in case it got chilly, while yet another ported fans to combat the heat.
”Though, the king certainly has taken no issue with the extra weight. He shares my bed every night lately.”
Perhaps it was too bawdy a topic to discuss with the youngest of her uncle’s daughters, but since Selene had been preoccupied with Vangelis of Kotas and Nana showed no interest unless there was a compliment to her, and Theo and Imma hadn’t bothered to come visit her, she had been feeling rather bereft. Desma was getting old, and Dioreen was as sweet and innocent as any. She needed company close to her age and rank. And in any case, she remembered being Dafni’s age and learning slowly to be less blunt.
Dafni shot her cousin a wide grin, before she joined in the laugh and let her take the lead through the palace garden. Dafni was quite entranced by the wide arrangement of different flowers, trees and fruits, so much she almost forgot Pia for a while. She had always thought the Leventi garden was beautiful, but this one was a whole new level of decandence.
I should hope so, just barely a month left before this little one makes his entrance. And then I’ll be back to normal.
"I honestly have no real idea how it works, but Mother and Auntie have had many children and still are beyond beautiful, so I don't think you have to worry about something." There was a warm undertone in the childlike way she spoke about this as if it was a big taboo. The warm tone almost sounded as if she wanted to comfort Pia after all. Then she looked down at herself, having been a bit too tall and too skinny her entire life. "And you know a few curves won't harm anyone." She sometimes wished for more, but had waited her entire puberty for anything to happen. A big sigh escaped her lips.
Dafni remembered the coronation well, she had been so proud of her family and of Pia for marrying the king. Now some time later, nothing really had changed, only for everyone who was important or involved and that was not her, but now in this magnificient garden with her cousin on her arm, she wondered why she had not shown up more often and swore secretly to do that before the child was born. Mostly because she was not very fond of babies as they got way too much attention.
Dafni furrowed her brows. "How do you actually already know it's a boy?" There was a soft shade of red slowly creeping into her face and it was definitly not the sun or the heat, as they had not been outside in the garden that long. Dafni's knowledge was very limited and she remembered when a female servant mentioned a 'slithering worm' when describing intercourse. This was when Dafni vowed never to ask anything about the topic again. She hated worms. They were slimy.
Though, the king certainly has taken no issue with the extra weight. He shares my bed every night lately.
"Ewwww, Pia, please don't talk about such disgusting things." Dafni squealed almost now and ducked herself a bit away as if she could have escaped the topic like this. "I mean the king is cute and all, but...no... I don't even want to picture Ac....I mean....Anyone this way." Her face looked like she had used too much rouge by now and her eyes darted from flower to flower through the garden without any real focus.
Her heart warmed at the kind words of her cousin, and Pia gave the other girl's hand a squeeze. For all that Dafni was a bit rough around the edges, and very much spoke her mind, it was something that came around full circle in that she knew when the girl spoke, it was all honesty. The thought that her cousin believed she would be just as beautiful as her aunts and mother after the birth of her child meant more to her than she could say, and so she simply smiled until the girl commented wistfully for curves.
Giving a soft laugh, Pia shrugged her shoulders and patted a hand on her belly, looking down at the expanse of her that had changed so much from when she had first begun carrying on with Stephanos. She had been quite as thin and lacking large curves as Dafni before she'd gotten pregnant, and now she had grown accustomed to the size of certain things, she would be thrilled when her stomach finally went back to normal but she hoped some of the curve in her hips and breasts stayed the same since her husband clearly enjoyed it.
"I was just like you, remember. Perhaps it's in our Leventi blood to lack curves until we bear children. Except for Theo and Selene of course, but they have always been blessed many times over."
The queen smiled down at her stomach as the babe within shifted, as if hearing her cousin's question and responding with indignant fervor. Exhaling a breath at the pressure, she shook her head and patted the little one within. "If this child is not a warrior with how much he moves about, I don't know how I will be able to carry one. I dream he is a boy, and of course the king needs an heir, so we pray he is a prince for us. To bring honor to both houses, Leventi and Mikaelidas."
A peal of laughter escaped at the expression on Dafni's face at the thought of sex, clearly disgusted and intrigued both at once and Olympia remembered when she herself had a similar reactions, until Stephanos had taught her otherwise. The slip of the tongue that the other girl let had her raising a brow, though she didn't push it. If the youngest Leventi had curiosity, or someone in mind who she might like to wed, that would be something best to let her reveal of her own accord.
"One day, you might think differently sweet. I certainly have come to."
Dafni had to slow down her pace a bit to match Pia's, but easily found it and listened to her. She wondered how it would be to be pregnant, how to carry a child to the point that your body was heavily impacted by it. How wonderful and horrible it must be at the same time, what a wonder and what a curse. Dafni's thought shortly bounced to the question of how the birth would be, but hastily chased away any thoughts of that.
I was just like you, remember. Perhaps it's in our Leventi blood to lack curves until we bear children. Except for Theo and Selene of course, but they have always been blessed many times over.
"Were you jealous of them, when you grew up?" The question left Dafni's mouth faster than she had anticipated or wanted, eventually she twitched slightly at that. "I'm sorry. We should not speak of this. All Leventi women are great, are they not?" It was almost as if Dafni expected Fotios to be hiding in the bushes, listening in at them. Her words sounded studied, insincere.
If this child is not a warrior with how much he moves about, I don't know how I will be able to carry one. I dream he is a boy, and of course the king needs an heir, so we pray he is a prince for us. To bring honor to both houses, Leventi and Mikaelidas.
Dafni stopped dead in her tracks, gently turned Pia towards her and spoke with a tone in her voice, that was usually not her's. "Pia..." For a moment Dafni thought about lying to her, lying for her, but she could not. So she spoke with clarity and confidence. "I do not understand your situation, nor could I ever put myself in your footsteps, but know that my love and loyalty for you will not change, no matter what. And I am gonna love your child, if it is boy or girl. Plus I am certain you have many chances to birth many sons to the king."
Dafni blinked, slightly confused, where that had come from. She lowered her gaze. She wanted to lie to herself, tell her that she did not know where that came from, pretend like Pia had not stepped in that cursed hornet's nest, which was the disappointment of her and her sisters having been girls. But it was her disappointment and her story and that was a revelation that she suddenly got. "I am sorry, my cousin. The gender question is a difficult one for me."
Dafni slowly turned around again and started slowly walking further. She pressed her lips onto each other until they were as white as her skin. Then she tilted her head slightly and confessed: "Men are generally not very interested in me, nor am I in them. It confuses me. Is something wrong with me?"
"Of course, I love them but the jealousy is natural. Two older sisters who are so beautiful always made me feel overlooked."
It was a moment of honesty, and Pia turned to Dafni with a smile. She had sisters as well, surely she understood the jealousies between girls of the same family. Imma was talented and artistic, Nana was fashionable and beautiful, Selene was the gentlest soul along with her stunning looks, and Theodora was passionate and witty. Stuck in the middle of four such sisters it was a miracle they were all able to get along as they did. The only thing she felt set her apart was that she had accidentally fallen into the role of queen. Without that there wasn't much special about her, she was just a girl from a family that had a certain amount of power but none of her own.
The younger girl's comments about the love that she would bear for her child whatever it was warmed her heart, and the unprompted display of love and loyalty moved her to the point of stopping them in their paces and wrapping her arms around her cousin in as tight a hug as she could manage with the belly in the way. Hearing that at least one person didn't care and would love her child even if she was another Leventi girl and not the Mikaelidas son needed was what she had been waiting for. Someone to remind her, even by accident, that it wasn't a failure if this first one was a daughter. Sons could follow, would follow. And as confident as she felt that she was carrying a boy, that inkling of fear and worry for a girl was always there.
"Thank you, Dafni. You can't know how much that means to hear."
Releasing her as the topic progressed, Olympia walked aside her cousin in silence as she listened to the girl's fears. Indeed she'd felt much the same until the eyes of the King had landed upon her. Before that she had been nearly hopeless in catching interest with so many beautiful sisters around her, always the middle in introductions, and never the first thought of when it came to making a match. It didn't help that their father had always doted on Selene and wanted her to make a match of love, it put a hold on everyone else, but she adored her eldest sister more than any other and could never fault her for that.
"There is nothing wrong with you, sweet. It's a struggle sometimes, I have only really been interested in a few men, and I married the one I had most interest in. But it takes time, we cannot all be Nana flirting and sighing over every man who pays us mind. You are like me, I think, we are flowers that bloom later in the years."