Belated Wedding Night

Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 29th November 2006

Characters: Miryene, Jio
Description: Miryene may not be in love with Jio, but she does everything she can to make him feel like she is.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 13, day 29 of Turn 3

Miryene found something soothing about watching Jio get ready for bed.
He'd taken Mio from her arms after the baby had fallen asleep while feeding, and it had given her a chance to brush out her hair as she watched him settle their son into his cradle.

She'd stopped trying to force herself to fall in love with Jio. The tenderness and gratitude that she felt for him was enough for now, and made it easy to take pleasure in his happiness. She was sure now that love would come in time, but if it didn't... well, she was content.

"I think he was worn out from the excitement of the day," Jio smiled over his shoulder as he pulled his sleeping trousers on. He picked up his Gather clothes that had been draped over a chair and frowned slightly. "I think I spilled something on my tunic."

Miryene smiled and set her brush aside, leaving her hair loose because she knew Jio liked it. "Just leave it there. I'll clean it."

"Had you ever had a roast so good as that one we had today? It was lovely, wasn't it?" He left the clothes and crawled across the bed beside her. "You know, they say there are some herdbeasts here that they give beer to in order to help flavor the meat and make it tender.
Have you ever heard of such a thing?"

"You should ask Daigoro," she replied, turning to face him. "Maybe he'll know if it's true. I bet he'd like it!"

"Oh, I bet he would." Jio couldn't quite keep the sarcasm out of his voice as he leaned back against the headboard of their new bed. The Hallsecond had _never_ liked him and he knew it.

Miryene's eyebrows came together in confusion. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Oh, he may like to know, I just don't think he'd appreciate hearing it from _me_." Jio could think of _nothing_ he had done to Daigoro, and yet it was obvious the man had never approved of anything he did. Daigoro had been barely civil to him at his wedding, and Jio was sure it was purely for Miryene's sake.

"Daigoro doesn't have any problem with you," Miryene said firmly, though she knew it might not be entirely true. But she'd been under the impression that Daigoro had agreed to give Jio the benefit of the doubt from now on. And if he hadn't... well, she'd talk to him and explain to him exactly why he should.

"Well, he never has been particularly friendly to me. I think he puts up with me for yours and Cinale's sakes but that's about it." Not that Jio minded all that much. It was obvious Daigoro was a good man from the way Miryene and the cook talked about him, but something about him rubbed him the wrong way.

Miryene smiled and slipped her hand into Jio's. "Well, he'd better be friendly to you in the future. He's married to my friend now."

"Yes." Jio smiled as he wrapped an arm around her. "I'm happy for Cinale. Truly. They were both positively glowing."

"They'll be happy together." She had every confidence in that, and no little envy. Cinale had found a man she loved and a man who would treat her well... and she'd found them in the same person. Sometimes Miryene wondered if there wasn't something a little wrong with her, that Jio's gentle, tender care for her failed to evoke the same passion that her rough, scandalous first night with Jhonnel had. She wanted to love him as much as he loved her. She just didn't know how to get there.

"You know, I'm a little jealous. They actually will be having a wedding night tonight. We didn't really, did we." Miryene's first husband had shown up to marry her again after her second had left her. She had married Jio out of desperation and fear. He knew as much. Jio knew, but he didn't care. He just wanted her - bruised, battered, pregnant with another man's child, but Faranth, he just didn't care as long as she could _finally_ be his. But it had been months even after Mio's birth until they had finally consummated their relationship. In fact, that kind of intimacy was still rather fresh and new. At least for him.

"I'm sorry you never had that," she said quietly, brushing her hand across the back of his. "You gave up a lot for me, Jio."

"I gained a lot more, Miryene," he quickly assured her, pulling her closer against him. "I have a son, and I have _you_. I would never have been happy with anyone but you. I know that."

It was sweet and perfect, so Miryene buried her uncertainty as deep as she could and tried to give Jio something that might begin to repay him for giving up so much for her. "We could always pretend it's our wedding night," she whispered softly.

Jio's fingers tightened around hers as he leaned forehead against forehead, feeling a familiar flip in his chest. "I'd like that, Miryene. I'd like that very much."

Last updated on the December 1st 2006

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Belated Wedding Night