Ariana's servant comes out to her in the garden one sunny late-summer day. She looks horribly confused. "M'Lady, I'm so sorry to interrupt you, but there are some...ladies here to see you." She looked to struggle over the proper word, and ladies doesn't seem to be quite the right one, from the look on her face.

Ariana looks somewhat curious. "I see. Show them to the sitting room, then. I'll be in momentarily." She takes the time to wash off her hands and remove her apron, then goes inside to see her guests.

She hears them long before she sees them. She hears babies fussing and playing, and their mothers' voices as well.

She falters and closes her eyes for a moment, then composes herself and enters the room.

Four women stand, then curtsey. All of them appear to be in their teens, like averaging 16... All have babes in their arms and all look a bit cranky.

The babies or the women? :)

Yes. ;)

Ariana motions them to sit and takes a seat herself, focusing her gaze on the women. "I am Ariana. You wished to speak to me?"

One of the women, the chosen speaker, clears her throat. "These here babes are your grandchildren, mum, and since your good-for-nothin' son, if you'll pardon me saying so, refuses to acknowledge or care for 'em, we've had no choice but to come 'ere and speak with you." There is much righteous indignation in her voice, and when she is finished speaking, the other women nod their consent to what she has said.

Ariana looks stunned for a moment. "All of your children are Grayson's?"

They all nod, and some voice, their consent. "'e knows 'ow to have a good time, 'e does, but now it's time to pay the piper. These are babes, for the Unicorn's sake, and babes of the Royal line!" one, a buxom blond, says indignantly.

Ariana shakes her head. "What did he say when you told him of his children?"

"He suggested I get rid of it!" one says, horrified, clutching her babe to her breast. Another chimes in, "That's just because you were the last what told him, all of the rest of us had been to him first. I know 'e was kinder to me, mum."

Ariana looks completely horrified as well. "He did, did he?" There is a bit of steel in her tone. "I shall speak to him later. Rest assured, I am grateful that you did not listen to him." She hesitates. "May I take a look at them?"

"Of course!" they say in unison. Then they look embarrassed. "'e, we've made all of these awful demands on this nice lady, and we haven't even introduced ourselves. Can you forgive us, M'Lady? I'm Abigail, Abby, if you like, and this is my boy Adrian." Ariana is shown a robust little boy with her eyes.
"And I'm Jolie, and this is little Jasper."
"Winifred, and Tristan."
"Nicole, and Nigel." Each come and introduce themselves and let Ariana hold the baby, if she likes. All have features of her line.

Ariana wants to hold all of them, of course. She coos at each of them, and checks their health via her shapeshifting, while she's at it. And their genetics. Not that she doesn't believe they are Grayson's, of course, but you never know. She's being non-obvious about it, since she wouldn't want to offend the mothers. She gives them back reluctantly, her eyes a bit watery. "I am sorry that my son has been so rude to you. Whatever you need, you may have for them."

They are quite definitely Grayson's. All of them. "Thank you, M'Lady," they all say. And then Winifred speaks. "We know he can only save one of our honors, but we'd like him to pick one of us, and be sure that the rest of the babes are declared legally his and looked after financially. That's all we want, really."
Nicole adds, "And he's not all bad, M'Lady. He just tried to do it all himself, without nobody finding out. But that wouldn't be good for his children in the long run. We don't want their birthrights denied them. That's all."

"I understand completely. And their birthright will be acknowledged. I would have been rather upset with him if he'd never told me I had grandchildren somewhere." She pauses. "As for the other matter, you understand that I cannot force him to marry. Even if I did, I'm not sure it would be good for whoever he chose. He'd be bound to resent them, and he might not ever love them."

They nod, but look quite heartbroken.

"I will at least talk to him about it, though. If he should say no, is there any other means of regaining your honor? Or at least improving your situation?"

"The only way to is a marriage, and he can't marry all of us. Better we be trollops than our innocent babes be bastards."
"It's not fair!" Nicole says. "We'll have to live with what we've done and the consequences forever. He, being a man, gets to walk away without even a slap on the wrist. I was drunk, for pity's sake. I wouldn't have gone to bed with him if I'd been sober!" She starts to cry, and the baby begins to wail.

Ariana hugs her as best she can around the baby. "It's what happens in a world where men make all of the rules. Someday, I hope to change that. But none of you are trollops just because you had sex, and I won't let you think of yourselves that way."

"How can we not, when everyone else will? Grayson will get patted on the back for his conquests, while no man will ever marry us." A few of the other girls are sniffling now too.

Ariana says firmly, "I don't think of you that way, for one thing." She pauses for a moment. "I realize this is an awkward question to ask, but do any of you have any family?"

"None that will have us, now. At least not openly, or not at all. Nicole's been completely disowned."

Ariana looks appalled. "That's ridiculous. What kind of parents would..." She bites her tongue with an effort. "Then that settles it. You can all stay here. There's certainly room enough."

They look shocked. "Oh M'Lady, we couldn't impose on you that way! All we were really looking for is some sort of stipend so we could put a roof over our heads! Moving in with ya, that's really too much."

Ariana smiles slightly. "It wouldn't be an imposition, really. What better way for me to see my grandchildren? Besides, it will be much harder for Grayson to ignore your existence if you are here." There is a bit of a mischievous look on her face as she says this.

They all look amongst each other. "Only if you swear we'll not be a burden. It would be a joy to raise them as brothers."

"It would be a joy to me, as well. I swear."

This is the first time she's seen them smile. They truly look delighted.

Ariana gets the girls settled in, each with their own rooms, then she spends some time with each learning about their histories and getting to know them.

"Outrageous Fortune"
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All text on this page is © 1998-1999 by Kris Fazzari and Wendi Strang-Frost.

Last modified on February 25, 1999 by Kris Fazzari.