On Lerran’s birthday’s, everything went according to his plan. He awoke in the morning and enjoyed the usual small breakfast with Tass. After that, Eseveer and he had made their preparations for departure. If they left today, they’d reach Squora on the 20th, likely at the same time as the ambassadors from Var Nordos. Lerran had been readying himself all week for the tedious negotiations that would follow; at least the money figures would be high enough to give him a thrill.
While Eseveer and he prepared their horses, their supplies, and their guards, they tried resisting the smells emanating from the kitchens. Despite Lerran’s insisting, a small feast was being prepared for his birthday meal. He could smell bread, sweet fruit pie, and honey mead over the smell of the stable.
He cleaned up a bit, trimming his beard down a little shorter and washing away the sweat and dirt from the stable. The large manor housed a sizeable dining room on its first floor. A few of his siblings were there already, as well as Aunt Mara. Soon, Tass joined him along with Gadra. Even Antha joined them, though she spoke little. Yarua brought Lerran a bottle of wine, but Gadra knew better. She got him a large bottle of aged dark rum. He popped its cork free and poured himself a mug to go with the pie.
Lerran spoke a bit about all the missing members of his family, but he didn’t want to ruin the mood.
“What do you hope for the next year?” Gadra asked.
Lerran raised his mug. “We’ll be the richest family on the continent!” he declared. “And I will hold Havard to his elusive word—if Ren and Vanci do not reappear before the year is out, well, we’ll have to sail to Kedar again and get some answers.”
“I miss Ren lots,” Yarua said, quietly.
“Agreed,” Lerran said, but he had never been as close to his younger brother as his youngest sister. He sipped his rum. “What do you all hope? Any concerns?”
Antha lowered her head and took a drink, while the others spoke up more.
“I want this deal to go well,” Gadra said. “And I’d like to see the Grey Brethren put in check.”
“I want to know what happened to Gharo,” Yarua muttered sullenly. She’d been the one bent on bringing about their father’s death.
Eseveer timidly took another drink of mead, then said, “I’d like to meet someone.”
“Meet someone?” Gadra asked, with a laugh. “Like a man?”
“Yes, a man,” Eseveer said, blushing. She seemed so innocent in that moment that Lerran wondered how she filed such grim paperwork without anxiety—she knew more about their criminal operations than anyone save Gadra and Lerran themselves. Clearly, there was a disconnect between her lifestyle and the business she oversaw. She’d never had to get her hands dirty. Even when Lerran had kept a single-armed man in their cellar, Eseveer had remained hidden in her office.
Tass held Lerran’s hand as they listened to their sisters joking around and sharing stories. Yarua cracked a joke about her visit from Bork the Rebel King, but no one followed that up with anything else than awkward silence. Tass stifled a laugh and someone called for more wine.
After the meal was done, they all walked out into the courtyard. Isar and fifteen guards were all standing by a row of corralled horses. Eseveer and the girls got some of her stuff ready, while Gadra gave her some tips. Tass led Lerran along the porch of the house, instead of letting him descend the steps to mount his horse.
“Bring me back something from Squora,” Tass said.
“Why?” Lerran asked. He folded his arms and leaned against the wooden railing. “So that you know I’ll come back home safe?’
“No.” Tass flicked her long brown hair back over one shoulder and gave him a small, sassy smile. “I know you’ll come back home safe.”
Lerran shrugged, confused. “Why, then?”
“Because I want something to remember the first time the father of my child left me alone,” Tass said. She stood facing the courtyard beside him, her hands spread to either side along the railing. Out of the corner of her eyes, she smiled at him.
Lerran blinked. “The father of your… you’re pregnant?!” he exclaimed. “We did it, at last?”
Tass nodded, with watery eyes and turned to face him. “We did,” she said, grinning.
“How do you know? Never mind, you know,” he rambled. “Gods, we’re going to have a baby!”
“I know,” she whispered. “Are you happy?”
“That’s a stupid question—you never ask stupid questions. Of course, I’m happy!” Lerran grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her against him. He felt tears in his eyes, felt her tears on the skin of his neck. He held his wife close. They were going to be parents. He pressed his lips to hers and they kissed for a long moment. When they pulled apart, he looked into the courtyard again. “I’m scared,” he confessed, in a hushed whisper.
“Of what?” she asked, pulling away.
Lerran shrugged. “I’m just worried for the Family, for our family. We’ll protect him—or her—more than anything.”
Tass nodded. “But we’ll give our child all the chances we can too.”
“Of course,” Lerran said. “I didn’t mean—”
“I know,” Tass replied. She put her hand on his. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” Lerran kissed her again. The others were starting to mount up, but he didn’t want to leave this deck or his lover’s embrace. “How can I leave now?
“Well, we need some treasure for our little son or daughter,” Tass said, nonchalantly.
Lerran chuckled. “That’s true,” he said. But his plan would also make him one of the most infamous criminals in the world. He only hoped that the gold would pay for its own security. He nodded and hugged Tass once more.
“Stay safe, husband,” she whispered.
Lerran felt the breeze on his face—he was sweating, he realized. He held her close and smiled. The mother of their unborn child. What would the next year look like? What would his young son or daughter look like? More like Lerran, with a square jaw and sharp brow, or a small timid face like Tassina’s? His sisters had brought him alcohol for his birthday. He chuckled, clutching his wife to his chest. “What a gift…”