Heaven Can't Wait ۞ Baldwin IV

XVI - Home

Lluna's arms slid down Al Mualim's neck as he placed her down on her sheltered cot slowly.

"Ymma will be here in a moment. Let me fetch her."

When Catalina reached the Queen's chambers, hearing the groans of discomfort that Lluna could no longer conceal grow louder made her halt briefly. She watched Ser Linus poke his head into the chambers at that moment.

"Your Majesty...?" Linus called.

The grandmother continued, hearing another sound. As faint as it was, her old ears paid no mind to their age, and they picked up another set of steps behind her.

When she peeked through the door frame too, Catalina had an immediate sense of what the situation could be, and it did not concern any man.

Turning around, she found that the person behind her had been the King. He, Linus, Fernando, and Al Mualim stared at her with stiff and disconcerted demeanors, but with the disposition to help if necessary.

"It is all right," she told the men, touched by their worry and dismissing them respectfully.

Baudouin's hand started to leave his side, rising timidly.

"I would like to know—"

"If there is anything for you to know with necessity, your Majesty, you will be the first."

Once inside, the sight proved very similar to one Catalina was used to, though not quite the same as always. And one could not expect it to be, all things considered.

So she opted to get something out of the way first and discard any possible alterations to this state. And naturally, because she cared. Men could appear completely different in private, in contrast to how they presented themselves in public. This King was still a stranger, in both ways.

Catalina sat next to Lluna.

"Was he rough with you?"

The woman had heard what they said of lepers. And unfortunately, she had little actual first-hand knowledge about their condition, only theory could serve her to help Lluna. Nevertheless, her common sense dictated her to disbelieve such a notion. But now she had her granddaughter here to attest to it, possibly.

"It is not that," Lluna uttered a little too loudly, embarrassed by what was implied, and protective, for some reason.

"All right." Despite the semi-foreseen response, the way of expressing it did not fail to take aback the grandmother. "Then...?"

"My cursed menses." Lluna averted her gaze, flinching as she held back the feeling to writhe where she lay. "It had been too long. I thought they may have been gone for good."

Suspicions confirmed, the grandmother exhaled. She sought Lluna's hand in support.

"It is normal. The stress of our journey affected your sisters too. And then the stress of adapting to this city, this palace... it was too much, but it had to return eventually, Lluna mya. You are like the Moon after all, and with it must you be in alignment."

Valentia saw nothing normal in it.

"I wish not. I wish the Sun was my master."

With permission, Catalina began to exercise a few pressure points on the hand with the help of one of the necklaces she wore. The girl reacted with a grimace here and there as the pressure increased. At the very least, the secondary discomfort provided some measure of distraction.