Months.
It had been months since the request had been made, and he still had yet to arrive.
Alright, it had admittedly been little more than two weeks. Still, Neririe grew more anxious by the day. If it were not for concern over her unborn child, she probably would have hardly taken a moment to see to her own health. But, Lunelis was there to ensure she would not forget.
Her impatience did not help her morning sickness in the least. Why just this morning her maid had offered to fetch the doctor. "It is just a small bug, some honey and tea will do the trick," she smiled at the woman. The maid nodded in understanding, utterly convinced at her mistress's deception.
Though the only one who came close enough to notice her little bump at the moment was Lunelis, another few months and neatly draped dresses would not conceal her condition. She had to think of something. Her family's protector would come - she knew this - but she would have to come up with parts of the plan herself if she wanted to meet their deadline.
Thirty-two weeks would pass faster than she cared to think about.
Taking breakfast in the solarium, while contemplating the problem that had utterly consumed her thoughts as of late, she watched the colored morning sunlight dance through the intricately designed windows. The rays landed on the peonies by the pond, where large leaves of other plants dipped into the pool, and the fish inside nipped at them.
This was Neririe's favorite place - it was perfectly serene.
Near said pond a kitten played. Neririe could not help but to smile. Its little paws darted around to catch the sun's elusive rays to no avail. Standing up, she made her way towards the kitten. It looked at her curiously until she began taunting it with her shawl - then it was completely focused. Its little body crouched low trembling in excitement and pounced. Taking the opportunity, Neririe scooped him up and settled on the floor.
"Aren't you just the dearest," she tapped the thing's little nose. It gripped her finger between its tiny paws and gnawed on the tip. "You think that you are so tough, don't you? See the lion rawr… Yet here you are vibrating like a madman at the simplest ministrations," she had begun petting the silky fur next to its ears, which had set it to purring like, well, a kitten. "Do you even know how fragile you are...?" Just then a butterfly landed nearby, and the kitten shot after it like lightning. Neririe watched its movements as it stalked the unknowing prey. "No. I suppose you do not… You are fearless and quick as the wind. Even that silly dog Erenfee likes to bring around cannot catch you… Just wait until you grow - then you will be the one catching it… Your claws and fangs will pierce its flesh, and the pooch will never mess with you again..."
Then, as she watched the unassuming ball of fluff munch on its prize, wings shivering between its teeth, realization dawned. She quickly snatched the kitten up and fled the room. Storming down the halls in determination. The kitten held tightly to her with its needle-like claws, but she did not heed the resulting prick on her skin. Servants quickly moved to the side, bowing in confusion as she passed.
The elven queen found her husband in his expansive office looking over paperwork with his assistant. Upon hearing the door slam open and crack against the wall, Lunelis waved the other man away in dismissal, eyes focused on the little ebony-haired hellion heading for him - she was short for a moon elf and barely reached five-foot-seven. Bitty as she was, she made quite the imposing sight as the fabric of her ruby dress flowed behind her like a stormy sea. Walking around the desk, he leaned against its front before she had even made it halfway across the room. The other man bowed as Neririe passed him without a glance, "My Lady," he greeted, then continued and secured the door on his way out.
The next thing he knew, he was staring cross eyed at two glowing eyes surrounded by glaring white. "Look," she demanded. "It is perfect."
Leaning to the side, he met her gaze, "Quite so, my love. Not a hair out of place."
She huffed and pulled the kitten back to her chest, stroking its fur comfortingly, "Would you just listen for two seconds!"
He had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the slightly-crazed look in her eyes, "Sure…" Nothing could stop his little elf when she got like this, and she tended to forget that everyone around her did not know the whole story. Demand now, explain later - it was just one of the things he loved about her.
"The kitten! It is fast and fierce and sweet and independent and courageous and feisty and wily and elusive and cute and-"
"Breathe!"
"-daring and stubborn and mischievous and playful and tough! And look at it - it is white! It looks nothing like us!" As she spoke her smile grew until it was a full-blown grin. She held a lock of her long inky curls to the kitten's furry face, "See. It is completely different. No one would ever mistake the two."
"Tis true, I'll admit it. Black and white are certainly dissimilar," he gave her a toothy false smile. Where is she going with this…?
She visually deflated, and realization dawned for the second time that morning. "You don't get it, do you?"
"I am afraid not, my brilliant beauty," Lunelis's hand reached up to chuck her chin. He then patted her head, "You have yet to explain the conclusion so obvious to you."
Sweeping the arm not holding the kitten out then pointing at her stomach conspiratorially, she said, "The baby should be like a cat," she whisper-shouted, as if it were apparent.
Not knowing what else to say, Lunelis shook a finger in her face and settled with, "Oh, Neri, not this again… I got over it last time - after all, I will be a grumpy old man one day. You will just have to have patience… But this! You are telling me that you are into cats now? Is this face really so appalling to you?" He gestured to the angular plains of his face. Tearing up he said desperately, "I could put on the kitty ears for you - is that what you want? I'll do it!" He held up his hands beside his head where the ears would go and made a little cat sound. "How did I go so wrong, my love…? A cantankerous old man with nappy hair and kitty ears and a nice round bel-"
Neririe's hand shot out to cover his mouth, "You. Are. So. Infuriating."
As he lowered his hands from beside his head, he pulled her hand down with his own, "You are right… I might have to go retch up my breakfast because of the image I created for myself." He winced at the mental creation in his head - old men with cat ears... Meow. The disgusted expression on his face told Neririe that he had learned his lesson. Taking her hand, Lunelis moved to the settee in front of one of the large windows. In all seriousness he said gently, "Explain it to me, love."
Staring at the sleeping ball in her lap she acquiesced, not sure how to begin, "Well, I was watching this kitten playing in the solarium. It was so fast and absolutely fearless. You remember that little mutt Erenfee brought over the other day - he could not hold a candle to our tiny hunter here. And it is as cute as a button…"
He kept listening, not sure where this was going.
"I just thought - what if our child was like that? What if it was quick and agile, and no one could grasp it? What if it was able to stay away from any who sought to entrap it? What if it could beat that dog at her own game?... What if it did not look like us - purest white instead of ebony? What if no one knew it was ours?"
At last she looked up. She was hesitant to meet his gaze, but needed to know what he thought of her words. It was not as bad as she had assumed - he simply looked quizzical, as if he were carefully contemplating what she had said. She had said a lot, but then she had a tendency to do so - had a tendency to say a lot while others did not catch a word. Still, she hoped her message was getting through to the man who understood her better than any other.
Sighing, he replied, "I know you, Neri. You do not jump to conclusions or make trouble out of nothing. I know how much you have been worrying about our future - about our child's future. Even if I did not know you, I know myself. The Red Queen is not to be trifled with, and I see that…"
For the first time she came out of her own troubled thoughts enough to notice the exhaustion in her husband's normally luminescent eyes and the disheveled state of his dark hair.
Gesturing back to the large desk in frustration he said, "I have been going over everything I can find - looking at every angle - but nothing is helping. A friend of mine confided in me only yesterday that he would be moving his family closer to the Wilds. Can you imagine! We have all avoided that place like the plague for the longest time, and now it is one of the few sanctuaries from the Queen's anti-magic shtick."
Neririe put her hand over his clenched fist, smoothing out his long fingers to stop him from breaking the skin there, "Luna…"
Raising her knuckles to his lips for a brief moment then returning them to his lap, Lunelis continued while lightly stroking her wrist, "You are right - our child cannot grow up in this mess. But we cannot flee. I understand what you are saying. The baby will need those qualities to stay out of that woman's grasp."
"Exactly!" With brevity, she said, "It should be a cat."
Lunelis shook his head and sagged against the plush cushions. "Now that is where you have lost me - how is it even possible? Our baby a cat? What does it even mean," he mused looking into her eyes.
Smiling sweetly she said, "Cyphii - she was a green wizard, chaotic but powerful. They can do the most amazing and unconventional things. A normal caster can turn an ordinary human into a dragon… Don't you think a green wizard would be able to simply...merge...some aspects from one being into another?"
Holding her gaze he stated heavily, "That could never be without cost."
Looking once again at the kitten still nestled in her lap she replied, "A life for a life - that is what it would cost. Besides, of course, the coin... Does that make me a monster? After all, who could hurt this little thing," she stroked the kitten's nose, which twitched in return, but remained in its slumber.
Lunelis understood. With a sad, but un-accusing smile he answered her, "Sometimes you have to be a little cruel for a bigger cause." Wrapping an arm around her small frame, he pulled his wife close.
Neri took refuge there - her sanctuary. It was the only place she felt truly safe nowadays. She curled into his side, rubbing circles on his chest as she contemplated what needed to be done.
Playing with stands of her hair, Luna said, "I don't mean to change the subject, but, are you sure that you are an elf? Seems to me you may just be a nymph…"
Smiling sweetly, she leaned up to give him a kiss, and they tarried there awhile.