My Commander(36)

She paused and sniffed dramatically. Meryn dabbed her at eyes with her tea napkin.

"Now I finally know what it's like to have a mother." Sniffle again and someone cue the dramatic music.

"You poor thing."

"Alone in the world, can you imagine?"

"Adelaide really is the sweetest, you couldn't ask for better my dear." Meryn nodded and accepted their sympathy.

"Mothers really are special. I keep telling Elise, that she will be a wonderful mother. We've been planning the nursery for weeks, haven't we Elise?"

Oh, oh someone played the baby card early.

Meryn turned to Elise and in genuine sincerity congratulated her. "I'm so excited for you! I think you'll be an amazing mother. Do you decorate the nurseries using themes here in Lycaonia?" Meryn asked.

"Themes?" Elise's soft voice was barely heard.

"Yup. Like Hello Kitty if it's a girl or a baseball theme if it's a boy."

"Oh no. We don't have anything like that here. Just different colors. What would you recommend for a wolf shifter baby?" Elise asked, her eyes alight with curiosity.

"Hmm. Nothing too scary. Maybe cartoon wolf pups with different colored bandanas around their necks." Meryn suggested.

"That would be so adorable." Elise clasped her hands together.

"No one in Lycaonia has that Elise, it would definitely be something new. Our announcement won't go out until later today, but my Eleanor is expecting. I bet she would like something like that too." The woman to Elise's right said her voice bashful.

"I'm so excited for Ellie Lady Canter! Tell her I'll call her later." Elise radiated goodwill. Meryn was taken aback at the completely different personalities between Daphane and Elise.

"Don't be ridiculous! Who has ever heard of decorating a nursery with cartoon characters? Preposterous. We're decorating in the traditional Lycaonian hues of blues and greens for boys. I'm positive she will have a son, a little boy just like my Donovan." Daphane interjected her tone slightly stern. Elise shut down right before Meryn's eyes. Meryn began to seriously get pissed off, she hated bullies more than anything else.

"Elise I think you should be able to decorate your nursery any way you want to. It's your baby after all. I know you've probably been looking forward to this for a long time." Meryn guessed. Elise looked up gratitude in her eyes.

"I would like something new and bright. I like the idea of cartoon pups. We could do bandanas in different colors so we could start right away. It wouldn't make a difference if I had a boy or a girl. I ..."

"Elise, don't be silly. Look, you're getting too worked up. This is obviously upsetting for you." Daphane turned her gaze to Meryn. "Until you understand our customs a little better, it might be best for you not to interfere." Daphane's flinty gaze did not deter her. Meryn simply turned to Elise ignoring Daphane and gave the woman her back.

"Or you could do wolf constellations racing across the ceiling. I've always thought that twinkly lights were soothing." Meryn turned her head so that only Elise saw her wink. Elise's eyes widened and she hid a smile behind her napkin.

"Really! Elise!" Daphane protested.

"Let the youngsters talk Daphane. I like hearing about new ideas, very stimulating." Lady Fairfax, the old, cranky looking woman spoke up for the first time. Meryn shied away from her at first, because she reminded her of her own grandmother, but she was rapidly becoming one of her favorite amongst the ladies.

"Yes Daphane, Elise hasn't looked better in months." Horseface countered. Seeing that she was outnumbered Daphane backed down. But Meryn could tell something else was brewing.

"So Adelaide, how does it feel to have one of your children finally mated? I have to say I was rather shocked to hear you had to cast a spell in order for your son to find a mate and a human at that." Daphane sipped her tea.

Bitch said what? Okay gloves are coming off now.

"Isn't it miraculous?" Meryn gushed. She clutched her throat in a sensational fashion. The ladies leaned forward instinctively.

"Fate chose Adelaide to help so many warriors find mates. I mean, in all of the world she trusted her to channel her purpose through. Because of Adelaide, so many good men will find their mates and fulfill Fate's design. Only she could have come up with such a practical yet efficient plan. It's almost like Adelaide became one with the Divine." Meryn closed her eyes and heaved a dreamy sigh. She opened her eyes a crack to take a peep. She prayed that she hadn't gone too over the top with it. To her delight the women around her were weeping and staring at Adelaide in something close to reverence.

"I always knew she was meant for great things."