”Now there ye are my fine wench”, Engin snuck up behind Darina and grabbed her firmly on the rump. He was pleased at the weight of it in his hand. He did not like small woman, but much preferred the filled out figure of Darina. Hers was the body of a real woman. Everyone could tell that he was a good husband who kept her well-fed.

“Engin! Don’t you be doing that now… right here where any eyes could be peeking in at us!!! Get your grubby paws off the likes of me”, she scowled at him, her hands on her womanly hips.

He liked this too. Within the bedroom she was completely his, she would allow him his every wish out of her desire to be a dutiful wife. But here, in public he was not supposed to touch her. It seemed like a great game to him.

“Sorry me luv… ye know I just can’t keep these hands oh mine off that fine body you be possessing there”, he felt in a much better mood now that he was with her, away from that sodding Noah and his airs and graces.

Engin couldn’t stand the man, he always knew everything about everything, but not in a showing off sort of way. Noah was a smart man underneath that thick-looking exterior of his and even if Noah had not realised it himself, Engin was smart enough to see it. He was also smart enough to see that Noah was smarter than he was, and he would do everything in his power not to let the other man ever see what an asset he would be to the King. Because Engin knew that even though he was smart, he was also lazy and this was not a quality that Noah possessed.

“Well me luverly lass… you wouldn’t believe who I just saw wif me own eyes”, Engin played up the drama of the moment by pausing dramatically, “The King hisself that’s who”. He waited for Darina’s response and he was not disappointed.

“Why Engin me luv”, she replied, her demeanour changing completely now that she wanted something from him, “You must tell yer old Darina what he said… please luv… I’m almost dyin with suspense… don’t make me wait”.

“Well… ye see, twas like this. I was hard at work up on that there hill building his fine castle, when the King hisself and that angry cousin of his the Duke, came on up the hill. I couldn’t bow cause I was holding in one of them heavy stone walls while Noah put in a wooden support”, he was getting into the theatrics of his story and began to act it out for Darina.

“And I think the King was very impressed with me work, but then he got stuck talking to that boring sod Noah. I knew he didn’t want to be talking there with him, so I entered into the conversation with a very clever idea if I do say so myself”, Engin was quite please by the effect his story was having on his wife, he knew she loved to hear anything about what the nobility was doing, and here he himself had met the actual King. It was a moment to good to be missed and he could see his wife’s breathing get faster as she anticipated what he was going to say next.

Unfortunately she interrupted him just as he was getting going, “That Noah… how could he think someone as rich an powerful as the King would want to hear him droning on about something or other”.

Engin had lost his train of thought and was feeling rather annoyed at his wife, “Anyway… I think the King was rather impressed by my clever ideas if I do say so meself”.

Darina butted in again,”Engin… I’ve got some interesting news meself I do”.

Engin could hardly believe that her news was exciting as his, but he soon found out he was wrong.

She reached down a hand to gently stroke her belly, and her face softened into the expression he only saw when she was deep in the folds of sleep, and unaware of his presence at all. During the day her face was often creased into expressions of annoyance, exasperation or anger. He did not see her like this often and it was so strange to him he was suddenly apprehensive of what she would say next.

“Engin, it’s a baby we’ll be havin, if I’m not mistaken, before the year is gone”, it had now been said and she sighed deeply. It was not her secret anymore.

Engin was so surprised at this piece of news, he could not even control his arms, “Are you sure? How do you know this thing? How can you tell?”.

Darina calmly replied, “Engin, have you not noticed that I have not bled these last months gone by, and how I been sick many of these mornings. And Engin…”, her expression turned inward again and she almost whispered, “Engin… I can feel it move”.

“Darina… you wonderful beauty you!!!”, Engin crowed, suddenly grabbing her hand and kissing it exuberantly, “Were gonna have a baby! Our very own baby! Say do you think it’s gonna be the first on this here island… I haven’t heard of any others?”

Darina had to admit that she had had the same thought herself.

“Let me feel it!”; he advanced upon her all pawing hands, “I wanta feel it movin too”.

She giggled and batted his hands away, “Engin… don’t do that… yer tickling me”.

His face grew suddenly serious.

“Darina, I don’t know if I ever told you this afore, and if I dint then I shoulda… yer a beautiful woman and I love you”, he wrapped his arms around her slightly swollen waist and buried his face in her neck.

If he had still been looking at her, he would have been blessed by one of her rare smiles, one that stretched across her entire face and lit it up like the sun after a dark storm.

And then she let him kiss her, there in the mess hall, even though someone might have seen.