No Problem Can't Be Solved [Finished]

[carcinoGeneticist]

The constant slow stroking, along with the rise and fall of the Wolverine's chest every time she took a breath, made something in Raina start to shut down. It was getting harder and harder to keep her eyes open, and she was quickly finding that the woman's words were washing over her like a pleasant balm - not really words, just sound, comforting and familiar and putting her mind into a comfortable fuzz.

She had missed being home, and she hadn't realized it fully until this moment. All the nights she'd snuck into the Queen's room, slipping under the covers and clinging to the fuzzy form... It gave her a sense of belonging that she'd missed ever since she'd first left the Court of Hearts.

To Raina, of course, there was nothing off or strange about that last statement. She just gave a small nod and made a quiet noise that must have been one of agreement. "Mmn." When Donnie shifted, however, it forced the girl's mind to start to break free of its pleasant haze, and she stirred. Her eyes managed to force their way open as the Queen spoke, and for a moment, she frowned. Then she smiled, her eyelids falling shut again. "Alright. Dinner would be nice. Maybe after I've slept a few hours straight I'll be better company." She laughed quietly, then slid forward until she was on her feet again, letting the other woman move freely as well.

[The Jenn]

Poor thing. She would probably be like this for the better part of a week as the Yarrow worked itself out of her system. That was how it seemed to work, hitting you after a period of time and then lingering until well after you left the source of the fragrance. At least, her mother and sister had been affected in the same ways whenever they came back from visiting her father's relatives.

Donnie resumed her work with equal parts affection and anxiety. It would be helpful having another titled King now that she could use when delegating more sensitive tasks.

About an hour before dinner formally began, she sent a message to the kitchens informing them of her intent to dine with Raina in the girl's quarters. The food should arrive a little bit after her. She settled things into a 'ready for tomorrow' setup and left her office. In her hands was the package Raina had delivered and with dinner would come a teapot suitable for loose tea.

She approached the bedroom door and debated knocking. The girl would almost certainly be asleep, and if she wasn't then her Queen would bitch at her until she got back into bed. She settled for a quiet knock and then just entering, closing the door behind her and making her way into Raina's bedroom.

[carcinoGeneticist]

(SHOULD NOT BE POSTING. ...but I am.)

It was amazing how hard the sick hit her as soon as Donnie had left. Something about having company helped chase the bad feelings away, but without that, Raina was left with only how utterly crappy she really felt. She was drained, dizzy, and generally feeling rather miserable, and she couldn't help but wonder what it was that had possessed her to choose the Yarrow over the Villa. Not that she hadn't been delighted to be there, of course - she just hadn't really considered the after effects of such a trip. It was all the girl could manage to slip under her covers and snuggle up tightly before crashing completely.

And then she slept. Raina was all but dead to the world as she slept, slipping in and out of rather strange dreams that were doubtless the product of her illness. At one point, she woke up fully in a panic, thinking that she had slept past dinner, but a glance at her window assured her that was very much not the case.

So she went back to sleep.

When Donnie knocked, the Solandrian didn't even twitch. Curled up under a blanket, her face pressed deep into the pillow, she was still quite out. It was going to take actual contact to wake her, most likely.

[The Jenn]

Well, at least she was sleeping, even if she looked like she was slowly turning into hell warmed over. She would probably run a fever for another day or two, wouldn't she? Fresh air would be the best thing for her, or so her aunts had always told her mother. Help her body flush the toxins from the Yarrow that much more quickly.

Donnie went to throw open two windows, drawing the drapes so that someone wouldn't be able to see in so easily. At least Raina wasn't on the ground floor. Then she went to clear off a space on the table nearest the bed for when the food arrived. After that, all that was left was the little 'sleeping beauty'.

She kept her biped form as she crawled onto the bed, feeling it dip beneath her weight. Her own bed was firmer than this one, having to withstand the constant abuse of a biped form and made for durability under pressure. She fought with the covers for a minute before working her way under them and then pulled Raina close, away from her clutched pillow and against a furry body.

Poor thing. She got a nose to the top of her head for her troubles.

[carcinoGeneticist]

The girl didn't shift until Donnie had finally settled into the bed, and then she began to stir. It was gradual, at first, slow movements of her arms and legs. She let Donnie pull her away from the pillow, working her fingers into the Queen's thick fur. A small smile curled across her expression, mostly hidden for the moment. Then, her head shifted, and her eyelids fluttered. A moment later they opened fully, clouded in a haze of exhaustion even after her prolonged rest. Then, at the feel of a nose on top of her head, she closed her eyes again.

"Hello again. Is it dinnertime so soon?" She murmured, voice muffled by the body her face was pressed against. Slowly, she extended her arms, doing her best to wrap them around the other woman rather than simply clutching at her. She couldn't quite encircle Donnie fully, but that didn't matter - it was the thought that counted. "Sorry I'm such a waste of space right now..."

That did irritate Raina. If it was already dinnertime, and that meant she'd spent the entire day asleep. Asleep and doing nothing, on her first official day as a King. She sighed softly.

[The Jenn]

"Better that you're wasting space as my King," Donnie replied with a fond smile, stroking the mussed hair for a moment. She would continue to talk about nothing of any real substance until the meal arrived, hot and steaming and very welcome. Lunch had been quite some time ago. And small.

She drew the tray inside, nodded politely at the staff, and then closed the door firmly. Nothing too unsettling for the girl's stomach, hopefully, though if there was then she would be quite happy to eat the majority of it. She'd forgot to mention Raina's condition to the kitchens when she requested dinner. She wouldn't make the same mistake tomorrow.

Throughout the meal, the Queen's mind remained active. Maybe tomorrow would be the best time to drop her little bombshell. Or would Raina just be sicker then? Possibly next week instead? But then there was a chance that the rumor would have spread, as such things always did in a political setting, and she wouldn't be the first one to inform her King. Hnr.

[carcinoGeneticist]

The conversation, as much a conversation about nothing as it might have been, was lovely. It soothed some tired part of Raina's soul. It felt good to laugh and smile and chatter, even if she was feeling far too drained to really manage full participation in any of those things. She just smiled contentedly, sometimes nodding or making a soft noise that would tell the Queen that she was still awake and listening, even if her eyes rarely managed to open all the way. Things were just... comfortable.

The young King shifted with Donnie as she rose to bring the meal into the room fully, making a noise of protest as her furry heater removed itself. She curled back into herself in the bed, but then the smell of food reached her nose.

How long had it been since she'd last eaten? It took a moment to find the energy, but Raina slowly pulled herself upright, opening her bleary eyes to take in the meal. It smelled good, and she felt hungry, and that probably meant that it wasn't going to give her any trouble going down. She took it slow all the same, and that gave her the opportunity to really observe Donnie. What she observed was rather unfamiliar, and near the end of the meal, Raina inclined her head to the side, her brows pulling together.

"...are you alright? You seem... distracted." A slight waver entered her voice. Did she really want to know? Did she have the energy to help deal with a problem?

[The Jenn]

"Nothing for a sick thing like yourself to worry about," Donnie replied with a tiny smile. "I'll tell you when you're feeling better. It's nothing awful." Which was true. But it would certainly be a big deal.

She made an effort to fret less during their meal and subsequent break. She took a few minutes to 'tend' to Raina and it felt oddly good. Make sure she was fed, warm, ready to go back to sleep... the guilt of sending her to the Yarrow and this eventual guilt was outweighed by the pleasure of having her as a King and the anticipation of a nice cup of tea, but it was still there.

It would dispell itself, though. As the days passed and the temporary illness first assaulted and then began to fade, so did any remorse Donnie felt about the trip. Especially when they shared a pot of this tea. It was like childhood luxury in a cup, this stuff, and it made her just close her eyes and remember summers in the Gardens. It was over a cup of tea that she decided to broach the subject, about five days after her newest King's return.

"Please tell me that Vessie hasn't already hinted," she began with absolutely no preamble.

[carcinoGeneticist]

There was still just a slight lingering worry that plagued the girl's mind, but she managed to push it aside. If Donnie wasn't going to make a big fuss about whatever it was that was going on, then neither would Raina. It was easy enough to do, especially with the head-fuzz stretching its irritating little fingers out into the distant corners of her mind. "Alright." She replied once more, leaning in to press her lips softly against the other woman's cheek, then giving her a bright smile.

If she wasn't going to make a big deal about whatever was on the Queen's mind, then the Solandrian also wasn't planning on making a big deal about being pampered.

There was a little guilt, yes, as she was supposed to be tending to Donnie rather than the other way around, but... It was so refreshing, being cared for, and it filled her with an odd warmth. She was still young, as much as she hated to admit it to herself or anyone around her. For now, she would indulge. When it came time for Donnie to take her leave, Raina was reluctant to let her go, but she knew she needed to get as much rest as she could. That way, she'd be able to return to her duties in short order. That was the whole point of her trip to the Yarrow, after all.

As the illness faded, so did the girl's memory of the conversation they'd shared before. Part of Raina's mind was eager to cast it aside as some kind of fever-dream, as there had been no mention of it in the days that had followed. Now, her health fully restored, Raina cradled her own cup in her rather delicate hands, letting it warm her to the bone. She was just raising the cup to her lips when the Queen spoke rather abruptly, and she paused, the rim of the cup still resting against her mouth. Slowly, she took her sip before answering, a slight hint of confusion clear on her face.

"She hasn't," Raina responded, setting the cup down once more. "...Was she supposed to?"

[The Jenn]

Donnie let out a gust of breath she hadn't been consciously holding. "No," she replied firmly, something like relief coloring the word. But then her human face twitched into uneasiness before flicking to uncertainty and settling on calm, steely nerves. "No, she wasn't. I'll have to thank her for it later."

Raising the cup to her lips with the intent to absently swig it down, she paused upon remembering what was in her cup and slowly, deliberately, sipped it until it was gone.

Mmm...

The chink of porcelain returning to its little dish was very slightly ominous as the woman straightened, brushing back a wayward strand of hair. She also assumed a serious expression, unsure what would be best in the situation. "Well. To be frank, I'm not sure how you're going to take this, or whether you perceive it as changing things. But it turns out I'm pregnant. And I'm reasonably certain that you've sired them."