Queen Regina Clarisse Marie Renaldi

@never-chase-a-chicken

“You’ve made it farther with this one than any of them before, that’s an accomplishment.” The situation wasn’t exactly desperate yet but the press would have a field day if Ashildr went much longer without having a child.

“He’s been at this a lot longer than you have, he can handle it without you. I promise.”

“Well, that’s certainly a change from fearing we’re so incompetent we’re going to burn the monarchy to the ground. I’m sure Philippe will appreciate the boost of confidence,” Ashildr laughed a little. 

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“You’re far enough, I’d hope he’s safe by now.”

The mere fact they were talking about names meant it was going better than it had before. Nothing had gone quite that far until this one. “You look exhausted.” The time to retire from public duties had long since passed- meaning Clarissa herself had taken on more of her daughter-in-law’s dutities… Or taken up what had been her own in the past anyway.

“You know what both boys’ full names are. There’s getting around to a nice name if you’re a royal- no mattter what house is involved in the naming.”

“I’d hope so too,” But there was always that nagging feeling that something would go wrong, and Ashildr was a long way from being free of that fear. When the baby was here and safe and perfect, she’d believe it.

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“I would have expected something a little more Norse with you as a mother,” There were only so many names that would be acceptable for the next king but surely the two of them wouldn’t go that far off the normal track of Renaldi names. “At least for a middle name.” Somehow both the boys had ended up with throughly French names despite an English mother and the rather Germanic names the family had used in recent years. Clarissa for one blamed her own mother-in-law for that particular change of names.

“I’d have thought you were big enough by now you couldn’t wait to have him out.”

“There are some things to consider besides just size,” Clarisse wasn’t wrong. Ashildr was exhausted by being pregnant, but she also knew that the baby was safe, and the more developed he was before he was born all the better. “I suppose my frame of reference is skewed,” Her past miscarriages made it hard not to think the worst was about to happen even if everyone assured her that she was doing okay.

The mere fact they were talking about names meant it was going better than it had before. Nothing had gone quite that far until this one. “You look exhausted.” The time to retire from public duties had long since passed- meaning Clarissa herself had taken on more of her daughter-in-law’s dutities. . . Or taken up what had been her own in the past anyway.

@never-chase-a-chicken

“A week either way won’t hurt too much, I don’t think. Hope, for your sake, it’s a week early or on time and not a week over.” That poor girl was never going to have an easy time with any child she had with Philippe. “They might just let you slow down. You’ve not had pains have you? No hints he’s coming early?”

Oh to be that young and still wanting to actually do everything that came with being queen. “

Rupert?” Not entirely surprising. Neither of the boys had the best relationships with their father but he was their father. “An appropriate name for a Genovian king if ever there was one. If a little German sounding compared to the rest of the family,” just how they had become one of the traditional names for a country so close to Spain she’s never figured out.

“I think Philippe must like the German names. Most of the ones we’ve discussed lean more that way, but Ashildr had liked them. “We haven’t talked about middle names yet. I’m sure we’re open to suggestions if you have any thoughts.” 

She hoped Clarisse might want to help in choosing the baby’s middle name. The truth was that Ashildr had her doubts they’d have a second child so she wanted this to be everything they wanted.

@never-chase-a-chicken

“That will make things simpler,” Even if anyone found out about Amelia a boy would displace her. Salic law had infused the laws of nearly every country that had once been part of Charlemagne’s empire. Genovia was no different. Girls could inherit but boys always came first. “A boy first wouldn’t be unsettled by a sister the way a could be by a younger brother,” The girl who was being unseated need never know Philippe was a prince. It wouldn’t mean anything to her now.

“Renaldi babies are always big. Not that it helps you’re so small.” Nor did it hurt that Joseph owed her a cherry tart now. It wasn’t very queenly to bet on much of anything but what the rest of the palace didn’t know wouldn’t hurt any of them. “At this rate I expect he’ll be here sooner rather than later. You two had the good sense not to have a baby in the middle of storm season at least .”

“Hopefully not too soon,” She would take bedrest over that as much as she didn’t want to do it. Ashildr wanted nothing more than the healthiest baby possible and past experience had given both her and Philippe some pause. They were following recommendations to the tea. 

“I don’t want to take the compliment away, but we’re having the baby when I got pregnant. We didn’t have the luxury of too much planning,” She was still pleased with the outcome, but it had taken a great deal of trying to get to this point. 

Oh to be that young and still wanting to actually do everything that came with being queen. “

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“Contrary to what you both seem to think I’m quite content with retirement,” Well as close to retirement as a royal could be anyway. Most of what she did these days was the charity work she’d been doing for the past forty odd years anyway. The state dinners and that just weren’t her responsibility anymore.

“He’s a man of course he’s going to want you to stay in bed and rest.” Philippe fussed as much as his father ever had- and the closer the baby got the more he fussed. “It shouldn’t be too much longer until the baby comes.”

Ashildr knew that Philippe’s fussing was born much more out of the losses they’d already faced, but she also wasn’t ready to spend the next two months in bed. It would give her too much time to worry herself.

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“You both need to be prepared for what they’re going to say. It’s not a matter of my personal feelings on the matter.” Losing a child was one thing she wished she could have spared them. “If you let them get to you over this they’ll never forget it and they’ll just get harder on the pair of you as the years ago by.” They’d ’ slaughter them before this was over if they saw a weakness. 

“I wouldn’t wish this on either one of you- or anyone for that matter.”

“You keep warning us about the press, but it’s those closest to us that seem to have the least sympathy,” Ashildr was more exhausted from walking on eggshells around Clarisse than anything the press had attempted. 

She wasn’t trying to usurp either one of their places but they needed help. 

“You hope.” Knowing the papers they’d twist it any way they wished. “Parliament won’t be any better. No matter who he married there’s always going to be someone to disapprove of it- of you. The boys were grown and there were still some who thought Rupert could have found a better wife. It won’t be any different with Philippe.”

For the most part Parliament supported the royal family- the Prime Minister certainly did- but there were the problems that always stuck their ugly noses in where they didn’t belong. Some held actual seats… some didn’t. They all thought they had a say.

“I’m sure there are plenty of people who will think he could do better. I think he could from time to time,” Ashildr wanted Clarisse to see her perspective, but it didn’t seem like she was open to hearing much of anything. 

“I cannot make myself pregnant. Philippe and I are planning to consult more with doctors, and we will be public about it if we need to be, but believe it or not, we do take this very seriously both personally and as the Crown. I would think you might have a thought to spare for us and not only the press and the potential inconvenience.” 

“They’ll use anything they can against you.” The press hadn’t started attacks… yet. It would only be a matter of time. “They won’t care how you feel, or how he feels. It’s all about selling papers.” And ad space and everything else. It didn’t matter they were talking about people with lives of their own. Once you were royal privacy went out the window. 

“Letting them in too much as much as you hope it might help, can blow up in your face.”

“It’s the belief of the press department that my teary eyes will sell more papers than anything else they could get,” Ashildr hadn’t enjoyed that conversation, and it had been frank, but all options had been weighed. “We have a plan firmly in place for handling the press.” 

“A good thing too. Neither of you have a choice about having a family.” If they didn’t have a child Genovia was safe enough but that was a whole new kettle of fish. Clarisse wouldn’t be the one to tell Ashildr of Philippe’s past if the girl didn’t know already. That little girl was in for a world of shock if it came to her inheriting- so was her mother.

“I was in your shoes once upon a time. I well know just how complicated it can be, Ashildr.” They’d been lucky back then. Both the boys had come without too much of a fuss. “The press is what you need to worry about, not Philippe. They’ll try to rip you both apart.”

Ashildr took a deep breath, “I’ve had two miscarriages since the wedding. The press secretary already knows,” She and Philippe did know that this went beyond just them especially when it had involved medical intervention. “We’re going to try again, but the doctors recommended that we wait.” Not long, but not immediately, and she hoped that was proof that they thought it would work next time. 

“If the press makes more of a fuss than normal, we’re prepared to go public. And if that’s the case, they’ll have a very different story on their hands,” One that would likely not go well for the press. 

“It’s not just the press. Parliament will be hounding you soon enough.” It was a wonder they’d given up after Philippe and Pierre had been born. A third Renaldi baby had never been in the cards. It just wasn’t the way she and Rupert had been together. “I had two boys when Rupert became king and it was barley enough for some of them.” 

There’d been times she wished they’d had another- or Philippe had been a girl perhaps. It just wasn’t their way. Rupert probably would have agreed to another one if she’d asked but the boys were enough of a handful most days. 

“Hope they don’t find you’re having problems.” The press was more dangerous than anyone in actual legal power in so many ways. 

“We want them,” Ashildr didn’t want her mother to think otherwise. “We’re trying,” In fact, they had in theory succeeded. It had just been shortlived, and they were probably lucky that no one associated with Ashildr’s doctors had let the truth leak. “We are doing everything we can, and if…if anyone does ask, we have the sort of answer that they will have trouble finding fault with,” At a minimum, the people would likely be on their side. 

“Did I say that?” Clarisse asked. “He needs to take this seriously. There isn’t a backdoor he can run out of when he decides it’s too much.” It wasn’t recent behavior that made her doubt his ability to rule- it was the past. The boy never took anything seriously so very long. He’d never had to. Pierre was the one who’d been more or less forced to follow after his father to learn how to be a king. Philippe had been permitted to get away with whatever it was he wanted, whenever he wanted.

That mess with the American painter would have brought a guillitone down on all their heads if it’d been the Crown Prince… but they’d kept it quiet because it was his little brother. The spare not the heir.

“I’ll believe it when he proves he can stick to it, Ashildr. I’ve known him far longer than you have.”

Ashildr shook her head knowing it was futile to argue it further. All that she could do was support Philippe as well as possible and hope that Clarisse would see it in time.

There’d been times she wished they’d had another- or Philippe had been a girl perhaps. It just wasn’t their way. Rupert probably would have agreed to another one if she’d asked but the boys were enough of a handful most days.