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Post by Naia Shahrizai on Jun 14, 2011 21:14:30 GMT -5
The day arrived that Sarielle was to come to tea. I was excited and nervous all in one, bustling about the house and cleaning up after the servants, who kept shooing me off. Hannah was making the tea and she had bought some pastries from a shop in the City that she said were the best. There was an assortment of fruit and cheeses as well, filched from Kendrick's cabinets yesterday when I'd brought Jace by for a visit. There was tea as well as fruit juice, and when the appointed hour arrived, everything was laid out in the small sunroom to the left of the front door. It was my favorite room in the house, painted a pale lemon yellow to reflect the sunshine.
I was there now, pacing, holding Jace and pausing now and then to make faces at him. He wasn't really laughing yet, or doing much more than cooing and sometimes crying. He hardly ever cried though, sweet boy that he was. I sighed and finally sat down, rocking Jace gently as I waited, afraid that Sarielle was going to change her mind and not show up at all.
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Post by Sarielle Shahrizai on Jun 15, 2011 9:30:39 GMT -5
I had gone shopping straight after I sent my missive back, accepting her invitation for tea, but I was sort of baffled as to what to purchase for her and the babe. Mostly because I wanted it to be good enough, and I wanted her to be pleased, but it felt like I did not know my sister, like I hadn't known her since she was a child, since before I left. That was the image, the Naia that stuck with me, but I knew she was older, more seasoned, more bitter at times, and hells, she was now a mother, my little sister, who I had been raising once was now raising a baby, and from what it looked like and what I've heard, without a father. Well, with a father, yes, that imbecilic Kendrick, but not in the family way. I wonder how it made her feel, starting with a broken family, but then again, starting with one was better than ending up as one. At least you knew what to expect adn did not expect any more than you ought to.
I finally settled on a present though. I bought her a bassinette for teh baby, a woven basket, painted in blues and greens with a gbraided handle and soft wolves fur lining the inside. The fur was a deep, chocolate brown. And a little rattle. I bought Naia an arrangement of bath salts, soaps, and oils for her to soak in after a long day of looking after her baby, the scents meant to soothe and relax. And a bouquet of flowers from my garden, which were blue and green and white blooms.
I showed up at her home, which I had enver seen utnil now. It was in the West End, and though I was happy for her, a part of me could not help but feel slightly jealous at it. It was lovely, and certainly too big for just her and the babe, but it was not my business. I dismounted from teh carriage once it came to a stop, the bassinette tied with a black and blue bow in one han, the basket of bath things and the bouquet in the other. I walked up the drive, and up the front steps to knock on teh front door. It was a little difficult, with hands full, but I managed.
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Post by Naia Shahrizai on Jun 15, 2011 19:41:16 GMT -5
I heard the knock on the door, and practically leapt from the couch, though of course Hannah would be the one to answer it. I was used to doing such things for myself, but Hannah insisted that it wasn't proper for me to answer my own door. I busied myself with kissing Jace as well, studying the painting I'd hung in this room ... a beach scene straight from our old house in Kusheth. I'd recreated it from memory, and I kept wondering if I had it just right or if I was misremembering.
I heard Hannah's voice greeting someone, it had to be Sarielle, and in moments they would be in here, and hopefully this time there would be no fighting. Without Kendrick and Gadleon around, I was hopeful that we sisters could reconcile our differences.
Hannah appeared then, helping Sarielle carry some things ... had she brought gifts? It was such a thoughtful gesture that I could have cried, but of course I only smiled.
"Sarielle, you made it!" I couldn't relieve her of her things, not with Jace in my arms, but I made a gesture for her to set them down. "And what is all of this?"
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Post by Sarielle Shahrizai on Jun 16, 2011 10:10:37 GMT -5
I was greeted by a woman, who informed me that Naia was in her parlour, and took some of the items from my hands so that I was not overtaxed. I smiled at her, and followed her as she entered the room. My eyes looked about curiously, the home was rather nice. I entered after her announcement, smiling, my smile growing wider as I saw the babe she held in her arms. I almost could have run to her, but I walked in, pacing my gifts down on the table before her.
"Oh just a few things for you and the babe," I said nonchalantly, though I could not help that my voice sounded happy. I was elated, regardless of our past, though no doubt we would truly have to discuss the things that had happened in Kusheth, and in the City as well, but for now, I was happy to just see her and the little one. I wanted to hug her, to give her and the baby a kiss, but I waited, standing still before her. "You look well, and so does he," I said, bending over to tickle his cheek with a finger.
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Post by Naia Shahrizai on Jun 17, 2011 21:31:24 GMT -5
"Thank you," I said, smiling at the way she showed interest in Jace. I loved showing him off to anyone who would look at him, because he was just so perfect. "We you like to hold him while I pour our tea?" I said, offering him to her as Hannah came back into the room with the tea things, setting them out on low table, arranging the food neatly.
"Thank you, Hannah," I said, having modeled Sarielle's habit of being extra nice to my servants, because I admired the way they served her.
Turning my attention back to my sister, I smiled encouragingly, knowing that she would want to hold Jace, because, well, who wouldn't?
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Post by Sarielle Shahrizai on Jun 23, 2011 10:14:58 GMT -5
I smiled at the offer, reaching my arms out as I settled in beside her. Her maid, Hannah, came by setting up the tea things. she seemed nice enough, and I was glad that Naia had not decided to be like our father and rule her servants with an iron fist instead of a sweet tongue. The fact that they knew you could have always been teh latter always seems to make them even more grateful that you arent.
"Oh yes, let me see teh babe," I murmured, my voice soft, soothing as my gaze fell from hers to the precious little boy. I was anxious to hold him, but not afraid. i had held babies before, Naia being one of them. I had changed her, fed her, clothed her, and played with her, until she was old enough that father did not want me to have anything else to do with her. I looked at teh baby, and couldnt help the lump that rose in my throat, which I tried to fight down with the slight clearing of it, not wanting to make lnoises too loud to disturb the babe.
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Post by Naia Shahrizai on Jun 25, 2011 18:19:28 GMT -5
I watched with a touch of anxiety as Sarielle took Jace, that strange fear that he would somehow be taken from me always present. Perhaps it was not so strange, considering that I had never had anyone truly constant in my life, except father, who had ruled over it with fear and pain and then gone and left me to a life I was utterly unprepared for.
"Isn't he cute?" I said, smiling and trying not to ask her questions that I was afraid of the answers to. Had my mother ever held me like that? Loved me like I loved Jace? Had Sarielle? I busied myself instead pouring the tea. I added a small bit of sugar and cream to mine and then turned back to Sarielle.
"Cream and sugar?" I asked, my spoon poised above the sugar bowl.
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Post by Sarielle Shahrizai on Jun 29, 2011 9:56:40 GMT -5
"He truly is," I murmured softly before placing a very gentle kiss upon his smooth cheek. "He looks so much as you did when you were just a babe," I whispered absently, my eyes dazzled, warm and wet with threatened tears as I forced them back and smiled down upon the little bundle of joy. I absently heard her ask me how I wanted my tea, but I did not take my eyes from the child.
"Yes, please, both," I murmured thoughtlessly as I marvelled at him. "So much like you, my goodness," I whsipered, cradling him in my arm while I let my fingers play with his tiny little fingers, with their tiny little finger nails, cut short. His fingers wrapped around my single one, his entire hand just big enough to grip it, and a strong grip he had too. I alughed softly, musically, before I hummed a little. It brought back the memories of looking after Naia when she was a babe, fond memories, memories I had held on to for years, so many years, and now here they were pouring back as vivid as ever as I looked into Jace's eyes.
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Post by Naia Shahrizai on Jun 29, 2011 15:49:45 GMT -5
"He does?" I asked, setting her tea down in front of her and scooting a little bit closer so I could look at him too. I could definitely see myself in him, in the line of his nose, his cheekbones, the blue black hair and the Shahrizai eyes. There was something of Kendrick in him too, but I liked to think there was definitely more of me.
Hearing Sarielle talk about me as a baby made me more sure than ever that my father had lied. About all of it, about how she had left because she hated me and how she had never written and everything else. She was looking at Jace with something in her eyes that I could only hope had ever been there for me.
"Did you take care of me a lot when I was a baby?" I asked, though I had always imagined being left to the servants.
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Post by Sarielle Shahrizai on Aug 17, 2011 14:02:04 GMT -5
I nodded, though my eyes remained on the little child and how he seemed so terribly precious. He was going to break hearts, for certain.
"TYes, father hated that I took such a shining to you, but without maman, you needed someone to look after you, and I loved you dearly. I even had one of the servants feed you as he would not hire a wetmaid for it... he wanted boys," I murmured, "and he got two girls. Oh how he would have hated and envied you now if he were alive," I said, my tone slightly bitter as I thought on him, though I softened it, if for no other reason than to not upset Jace. "I loved looking after you, though. You were far better than a doll," I said with a soft chuckle.
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