Reflecting|Aegestrom, Maelstrom

[Kender Bard]

That did console her, a little.

She could still be special. Maybe.

"Yes," she said, slowly. She still wasn't happy but she wasn't outright sulking either.

[Northen Light36]

"Then it's a promise," Shadow replied, hugging Lumi gently. "And a promise from a King to a future queen is a solumn oath, never to be broken." He tickled her a little, trying to make her smile, and asked, "Do you feel better enough to come down to dinner, sweetie? Or would you rather you and I stayed up here for a bit longer and we'll steal something from the kitchen when you're hungry?"

[Kender Bard]

Luminous didn't feel greatly up to dinner. "Stay here," she murmured. Something he said chafed with her. "So, if it's a boy, you won't have to keep your promise because I won't be queen..."

[Northen Light36]

"I wondered if that was on your mind," Shasow murmured gently. "Lumi, love, come with me. I want to show you something." Taking Lumi's hand, Shadow led his daughter to his study and handed the girl a piece of parchment. "Read this sweetie."

The language the document was written in was the annoyingly formal and complicated lanaguage of legal documents, but Shadow prompted and coached Lumi through reading it until it's meaning became clear. It was a draft of a change to the law that would mean that first-born children - regardless of gender - were their parents' Heir unless the head of the household was to declare otherwise.

"You will be Queen, Lumi," Shadow informed his daughter.

[Kender Bard]

Luminous's eyes widened a little. Her grasp on politics was still very shaky, very loose. But she had a little better idea of how court worked, having watched several. "People are going to say this is okay?" she asked cautiously.

[Northen Light36]

Shadow smiled. "Oh, there might be a little grumbling," he admited. "But not a fraction as much as there was when I married your mother and I didn't care then either." He kissed her on the top of her head and added, "Lumi, love, when you're Queen you'll learn that every so often you have to tell the court to go jump off a cliff - not too often, so save it for the really important things, but often enough that they don't forget who's actually in charge."

[Kender Bard]

Luminous couldn't help but feel a strange sort of pride in her father at that and at his kiss she managed a small smile.

She still wasn't happy about the sibling that would come. She wondered if she would change her mind after it was born.

But she had a little time before it was a problem in her life, she figured, so she'd try to enjoy what time of normalcy was left to her. She clung tightly to Shadow. "Thank you Daddy."

[Northen Light36]

"You're welcome, sweetie," Shadow replied, hugging her back. "Now, how about we go have a little bit to eat, then go spend some time with Lya and afterwards, we can go for a moonlight ride together. Would you like that?"

[Kender Bard]

"Yeah," Luminous agreed with an eager nod. Now that she was over her fit, she was starving. "You and Mommy aren't angry with me, are you?"

[Northen Light36]

"Of course not," Shadow replied, leading Lumi towards the dinning room on the off-chance Lya was still eating her dinner. "We're both sorry you were so upset, but we weren't angry with you for that. Forces, Lumi, you're allowed to be upset, my darling girl."

[Kender Bard]

Lya was mostly pushing her food around on her plate with a saddened look.

Luminous squirmed when she saw her mother. She hated to see Lya sad. "Um-"

Lya glanced over, blinking in surprise. She glanced at Shadow with a cautious, questioning look.

[Northen Light36]

"Sorry we're late, dear heart," Shadow remarks calmly, as though there's nothing unusal going on at all, though he does give Lya a reassuring smile. "Lumi and I had some important business to take care of, didn't we sweetie?"

[Kender Bard]

"Uh huh," Luminous remarked, going to her seat and sitting. "Important paper stuff. King and princess stuff."

Lya smiled, reassured. "How prestigious. You're already taking on duties?"

"Well, sort of," Luminous mumbled as she accepted her plate from the servant that brought it to her. "I would like something important to do! Besides study."

[Northen Light36]

"You're old enough that it probably is about time you had something to do," Shadow admitted thoughtfully as he took his seat and accepted his own plate of food. "Let me think about it a little, all right? Unless you have a suggestion, Lya?"

[Kender Bard]

Lya shook her head. She felt that Luminous's studies were enough and couldn't think of anything that wouldn't burden their daughter.

"All right," Luminous agreed easily. "Daddy and I are going riding later."

Ah so he bribed her, Lya thought. She wasn't sure if that was the best move, but at the moment, she was thankful that Luminous had been mollified. "That sounds lovely. But we will still have time to stargaze won't we?"

"You'll tell me stories about the stars, right?" Luminous added.