Crowns and Cradles

Six Months In

 Sundrop paced the train car, her stomach was growling loudly at her and she couldn't wait to get her food. "Ma'am it should be here soon." Comet tried to soothe Sundrop but she only shook her head, then suddenly the door opened and in walked a footmen with a tray. He set it down on the coffee table, bowed and left then Sundrop quickly ran to sit down and began to eat. "Is this a pregnancy thing?" Comet quietly asked, a little unsettled by Sundrop's behavior, she took a second and laughed then continued to scarf down the unusual food that was placed in front of her.

"And the gems don't hurt you?" Comet looked at her with a little fear in his eyes, Sundrop looked up at him with a smile. "They have magic in them, hurt like hell going in, but they feel great once my body absorbs them." Sundrop sighed with contentment as quietly preened her feathers and leaned her heavy side into a pillow for support. Her weight had doubled, as her appetite became never ending, Never in all her previous pregnancies has she been so constantly hungry.

Comet slowly nodded and sat down in one of the chairs that sat around the small coffee table, "When my sister was pregnant with my nephew, all she wanted to do was chew ice." He looked over to Sundrop who just smiled, "I once ate dirt," She looked to the plate that was now empty, a voice inside her begging her to lick the plate. "Are you serious?" He paused, and she looked to the floor. "It was just after the war, I was visiting my sons and well," Her words trailed off, and Comet went to say something then stopped.

She looked at him then gave a gesture for him to say what he was going to say, "visiting your sons?" His words cold and careful as he asked for more details, Sundrop took a breath and looked out the window. "I packed a lunch and sat by their graves." She said her words carefully, and he responded with silence. She glanced over to him, "I'm sorry." He muttered, and she blinked and smiled ever so slightly, "Why." She lifted up her head and he licked his lips and looked away from her. "I was told never to bring it up,"

"By whom." Sundrop felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as he clenched his jaw, his eyes refusing to meet hers. "Pretty much everyone when I started working at the castle," He finally looked her in the eyes, and she could see a twinge of fear melt away as she smiled at him. "I suppose that is good advice, but you and I, how long have we been working together?" She reached down for the cup of tea that had been sitting on the table, she gave a light blow on it as Comet clicked his tongue and thought. "Four, almost five years." He responded.

She sipped at the tea, and then looked at the bag still floating in the golden copper liquid, "Have you ever heard the story." She didn't look up at him, she heard him pause as he shifted in his chair. "I learned about it in school, The war-" "Have you heard My story." She looked up at him with intense eyes, his lips parted and he gently shook his head. Sundrop took a moment, then got more comfortable in the love seat. Setting more pillows to cradle her side and legs, and one to keep her neck and head upright but relaxed.

"Would you want to?" Her words were gentle, but the emotions hiding behind her ribs were thrashing about. "Yes ma'am." His words were barely audible, but his eyes were fixed on her, she noted how intense of a green they were. "I lost three of my sons to war, the first two where men, my youngest, who was murdered in an act of war." Sundrop looked at him with no emotion in her face, and he looked back at her with pure intrigue. "Can you stomach hearing about the death of an infant?" She watched carefully as his eyes went wide, the scales on the sides of his neck quickly puffing out then smoothing back down.

He swallowed hard, and shook his head. "I don't do well with those kinds of things." He responded, his voice cracking under the pressure, "Then I will tell you about the night I lost Blaze and Sunspot in the heat of battle."