fandomania | The Adventure continues...

Emergency babies:

Our eggs:

Our hatchlings:

The Story:

I awoke in my cocoon and all I could think about was how cold I was. None of the surrounding blankets seemed adequate. I started to feel movement outside the cocoon and voices, but I couldn’t understand the words. All I could think about was my deep need for warmth.

Soon the covers were torn away from me and faces and voices came with them. My brain was as frozen as I felt. “C-c-c-cold” was all that I could manage to say.

I felt warm arms holding me tight. It felt like we were running somewhere. Inside a house maybe? I felt more hands taking off my clothes. “C-c-c-cold” I repeated.

“You are okay, love. We are taking care of you.”

“Donal?”

“Yes, love?”

I heard a splash of water. I then felt myself being lowered into very hot water. I felt someone’s arms holding me and keeping my head above water.

“Donal?”

“I am here, love.”

“I love you.”

I felt him kiss the side of my head, just above my ear. “I love you too.”

“Loysa?”

“She is fine, love. She is getting a hot bath just like you are. And so is Reuel. You all are being cared for.”

“Orlando?’

I heard Rosa say, “I’ll have someone check up on him.”

“Make it someone who isn’t afraid of dragons,” replied Donal.

“I’ll send your grandfather.” Donal gave a loud laugh.

It took quite a while for the shivering to stop. When I did, I must have fallen asleep. When I woke up, I was in my bed, covered with many quilts and blankets.

I could hear Rosa talking to Donal. She was scolding him. “Donal, I know that you have your mind on Patra and her recovery. I understand that. But you have to be more circumspect, especially around the young maids. You have been sitting stark naked in front of them for several hours just now, as if that were a normal thing.”

“Tauntie Rosa. I am sorry if my care for Patra has been unconventional and has offended your sensibilities. I was not naked to show off or to titillate the maids. I was helping Patra get warm and not drown in the process. Nothing more. And if a woman enters my bedroom without knocking and sees me naked, that is her problem, not mine.” Donal’s voice sounded angry. “And a word to the wise, don’t enter my studio without knocking. I might just be sculpting in the nude.”

“Tauntie Rosa?” I called out, wanting to interrupt the argument.

“Yes, Patra, dear?” Rosa walked over to me.

“Would you have Vitha or one of the other nursery maids bring Vâlen and Gælen here to me?”

“You need your rest, dear. The nursery maids are taking fine care of your babies.”

“That is not the problem, Tauntie Rosa. My breasts are so full of milk that they are hurting me a lot. I need to have my babies suckle me, so that they will stop hurting.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Rosa, “I never knew that could happen. I will bring them in right away.”

With a few minutes, my sons were brought to me and I received relief. Donal sat in the chair next to the bed and watched intently as I fed my babies. When Vâlen finished, Donal took him and burped him, while Gælen had his turn on the other breast. “I hope that my nudity doesn’t disturb you or the maids, Tauntie Rosa?”

“Of course not, dear.”

“Then why is it that my nudity is okay in my bedroom, but Donal’s is not? When one has servants to help one dress or bathe, one has to be prepared for immodesty. It is the servant’s duty, if they have been trained well, to not look and to ignore the occasions when nudity occur. It is one thing for Donal to greet the family’s guests in the great hall totally naked. It is another thing for him to be naked in his own bedroom.”

The nursemaid had taken Vâlen from Donal. Gælen had finished, and I handed him to Donal to burp. I sat back and made no attempt to cover myself, although every instinct within me was screaming at me to do so.

“So all this was just a ruse to defend Donal’s argument?”

“No, Tauntie Rosa, I really was hurting, but lying here naked in front of you without a suckling baby is purely gratuitous.”

“I stand corrected.” Rosa huffed out of the room.

Donal finished burping Gælen and handed him to the second nursemaid. When she left, Donal and I were alone.

Donal was looking very somber as he looked at my nudity. “There were times this past day and a half, where I thought I would never see you again, either clothed or nude. I kept seeing scenarios with you being raped by your captors or you being married off to some monarch and forced to accept his lusts in order for Freedonia to get a new army to retake the country. And those thoughts were driving me crazy. I realized how inadequate I am as your husband and protector. Every fiber of my being wants to protect you and keep you safe. Every time something happens to you, I fail to do so. You on the other hand seem perfectly able to save me and you have done so several times. Not that I am not grateful for that, but it only shows me what a failure I am. I can’t even win arguments without your help.” Donal got up from the chair and walked out of the room.