Woman of Sorrows-The Black-Veiled Woman

The Valley

Thane did not come home until later that evening, perhaps an hour or so later than when he usually arrived. When he entered their house, he found Chalandra bustling around, obviously trying to make a more elaborate dinner than usual. When she heard the door open, she turned, wide-eyed, smiling as he made his way over to her.

"What are you doing, my love?" he inquired, putting her arm around her shoulder in hopes of stopping for her a moment.

"I had a mind to make dinner," she answered, trying to escape from his grasp.

"I can see that. Will you not let me help you?" he asked, holding her against himself and kissing her head.

She had been a bit more agitated of late, but tonight, that seemed to have broken. She seemed pleased with herself, for having made dinner for him. Last night, she had been quite off, but now, that seemed to have changed.

"No, I can manage," she answered, a bit shortly, though still cheerfully, "Just go do whatever you usually do."

He stood, hesitant to leave her without assistance, but she seemed resolved. Taking a deep breath, he made his way into their bedroom and changed into some cleaner clothes. When he returned back out to the kitchen, she was setting some roasted meat and potatoes on the table for them. She had obviously set the table a while before, though was just now finished preparing the meal. After their plates of food were down, she got them each a cup of water, then set a mixed salad of some kind on the table as well. Finally, Thane could take it no longer.

"Please, let me help you," he requested again, though he doubted she would permit him to.

"Just let me do this," she refused, shaking her head and putting the last few things on the table.

Once she was done, she looked to him, gesturing to the head of the table where she always insisted he sat. Her setting was just next to his, on the left. Nervously, he took a seat, unsure why she had gone to so much trouble. Once she was seated next to him, she took a deep breath and smiled, eagerly waiting for his approval on her cooking. Still unsure as to her motives, he took a bite, then nodded to her.

"It's quite good," he complimented, nodding, "Though I rather fear I do not know why you put yourself through this. Have a missed an important day?"

"No, not at all, though I think that it may become important to us in the future," she answered, starting on her meal as well.

"Though I hesitate to admit it, I still do not know your motives in acting as you have. Would you care to shed some light on the matter?"

"Soon enough," she assured him, "Perhaps after dinner?"

"Could it not be any sooner?"

"No," she replied, "I would rather us enjoy our dinner together first, and then we will discuss it later."

"Have I done something to upset you?" he asked, fearing he had done some kind of wrong.

"No, nothing is wrong, Thane. Nothing at all. I think it to be very good news, some that you will be quite excited about yourself."

Nodding slowly, he turned back to his meal and worked steadily at it for a time. He could not deny that the food was good, but he also could not quite force himself to put aside his worry enough to thoroughly enjoy it. Eventually, he found himself compelled to ask again.

"Chalandra, I do not mean to spoil your fun or to ruin your plans, but I fear I cannot put aside my worries nor my fears until I know what this is all about. I am concerned that I may have missed something or that I am not quite understand what I need to."

Shaking her head, she smiled, then answered: "No, it is nothing like that. I merely went down to the village today."

"Did you? Why was that? Did you not want to go with me?"

"You know I always appreciate your company, but I did not want to confide my suspicions in you and permit you to get your hopes up over nothing."

"What, what on earth are you talking about?"

"I went to see Trisha, for I needed her opinion on a certain matter, one that she had much experience with, and that I have none."

"What matter is that? And who is Trisha?"

"Well, as you know, I have been rather irritable lately, along with having drastic swings in my temperament. I have had back aches and nausea, and seem to have gained a bit of weight," she replied, skirting the question about who Trisha was.

"My darling, these things are not normal, should we not find you someone who might better cater to your needs? And I have not noticed any additional weight, though I can venture to say it would hardly hurt you."

"No, Thane, it is nothing like that. I am quite well, and all of this is normal for me."

"How can it possibly be normal?" he asked, fearing for her health.

"Because, my love, I am with child."

With her words, the world around him froze. He felt a wave of shock pass through him, paralyzing him. Without intending to, he dropped his fork. It clattered dully against the plate as he tried in vain to process her words. He heard the sound of his heart thumping in his ears, though he failed to speak for a long while.

Finally, he stuttered: "What? How..."

Barely able to contain herself, she nodded excitedly and took his hand, then said: "Well, I believe we both know how, but I am with child!"

"But I never thought..." he muttered.

"Nor did I. Yet by some miracle, we are going to have a baby."

For a long time, he stared at her, his mouth partially open as he tried to process her news. His breath came in short gasps, and he heard nothing but the dull sound of his own heartbeat and his own breath. Everything else around him was muted, his own mind totally silent. He opened his mouth to speak, only to once again close it, shaking his head a little in disbelief. Closing his mouth fully, he swallowed once having found his throat dry and his mouth sticky without moisture. He furrowed his brow, fighting to find some response to her news. He could feel her hand on his, the warmth welcome as he attempted to come up with an answer. Still, his words failed him, until finally Chalandra grew worried that he was disappointed. A bit concerned that he was not excited about her news, she withdrew her hand, frowning.

"I am sorry," she muttered, trying to understand why he was so emotionless and obviously having a difficult time with her news, "I always thought you would be excited. I suppose I never thought that perhaps now was not the best time, or that in some way, we are not ready, financially or emotionally. I suppose I did not even consider the harder side of it, that we have only just moved here, and that you are still working at the smithy's and will be for at least another year, and then even after you will be working for Charles and away on business to support us until the first few harvests come in. I wish, then, that we might have delayed it a year or so, until we were a bit more stable, if only to help put your mind at ease and help you not be forced to toil so in order to provide for us. I can easily take a job, or work in the fields with you. That way, it will not be so difficult, nor will you be so alone-"

As she spoke, Thane shook his head, then raised a hand and interrupted her: "My darling, I know that you, just as I, do not wish for this to be in any way delayed! I merely cannot believe that you would ever come to me with such news, for we both thought it impossible for you."

"You are not thinking that the timing is poor?" she asked, though she herself did not think it was, but was rather concerned that was what caused such a reaction from him.

"No, my love, I would never put off having a child with you," he answered firmly, a few tears glinting in his eyes, "I simply cannot believe it is to be true."

Realizing he was sincere, she pressed her lips together, then laid a hand on her stomach. She herself found tears in her eyes, for this was the last thing she wanted to be able to give him: a child. She had given him her love, her hand in marriage, her body, for he loved her greatly in return. But this was the thing she thought she would never give him, his child. And yet, it was so.