Astien blinked as he was dragged back into reality. He jumped at the sudden sight of someone in front of him. "Ah! Oh. Hi Wyn. What, uh, what brings you here?" He asked.
Cormac heard the sound of someone sipping something. In the wicker chair next to him was the Strange Man, drinking his tea. "Lovely sunset, isn't it?"
"I brought you chocolate pudding," Wyn said. "You've been drifting off a lot lately. Are you feeling well?"
"It is," Cormac said with a sigh. "I'm worried about Astien, but I guess you knew that by now."
"Oh! Well, thank you, that's very kind. I uh... Just been feeling not so great these days, that's all." Astien said. He reached over and took some of the pudding. "Oh, this is good." He said, smiling.
The Strange Man shook his head. "It's rude to make assumptions, young man. The fact that I do in fact know this doesn't change it." He offered Cormac a teacup. "Tea?" He asked.
Wyn smiled. "I'm glad you like it." She sat on the bed. "What's ailing you? Maybe I can make something to help."
"Yes, thank you." Cormac took the teacup and sipped the tea. "He's depressed and it's getting worse I think." He said after a moment of silence. "I thought coming here would help. I thought it was just stress, but..." He sighed. "I don't want to chose between him and Wyn. I can't chose between them. If I leave Wyn, she can't return home and she gave up so much to be with me. I can't leave Astien because he needs me here."
"I appreciate the offer, Wyn, but I don't think it's something any of us could make anything for..." He looked at his belly sadly.
"Who said you had to choose between anything?" The Strange Man asked. "I wasn't aware one of them was holding a gun to- oh wait, this realm doesn't have guns. I wasn't aware one of them was threatening to chop the other into little bitty pieces. That fellow hasn't been doing too good for a while now. Perhaps what he needs is a moment alone. Or perhaps what he needs is to be smothered in love." He sipped his tea. "Or with a pillow."
"I would never smother him with a pillow," Cormac stated. "I really want to help Astien, but I'm at a loss of what to do. We've tried talking with him and pampering and making his favorite foods. Trying to comfort him about his child, but it's difficult since I'm worried about him too." He sipped the tea in an effort to calm himself.
Wyn touched Astien's belly. "You're worried. I know if I were in your shoes I would worry too."
"Of course I'm worried. He's been quiet for so long, and he never used to be. He used to kick and roll around all the time, and now, now he's just..." Astien starte sobbing. "I don't want to think he's dead. I don't. But..."
"Sounds to me like Astien's caught in a vicious cycle. His depression attacks him like a vicious animal, and he becomes very sad. Then his baby becomes very sad, and stops moving, since he can feel his mummy's sadness. Then Astien be ones sad that his baby isn't moving, and his baby is sad that mommy's sad, so he stays still, and so on and so on." He sipped his tea. "Chocolate is nice when I'm sad, but alas, it's a temporary solution."
"Astien, have you ever considered that your worrying stresses out your son? And if he's stressed, he wont be as active." Wyn said in a comforting tone. She took Astien into her arms. "Babies can sense these sort of things. I know it's hard, but you need to stop worrying so much. Or at least wait until he's born before worrying so much." She rubbed Astien's back.
"I guess we have to break this cycle long enough," Cormac muttered. "I just have to figure out how.
Astien released a trembling sigh. "I know, but I.. It's so hard not to worry about him. It's always on my mind. And there are so many other things to worry about, like the people I have to avoid, and, and, and..."
"Perhaps what Astien needs is what Wyn gives you." The Strange Man suggested. "Kisses, cuddles, sex, romantic moonlit walks, that sort of thing." The Strange Man looked disappointed at his now empty teacup. "After all, if he has someone to kiss him and say they love him, he won't have time to worry." He started eating his teacup, though judging by the sounds, it wasn't made from any sort of edible material, as teacups generally aren't.
"I know it's hard," Wyn said. "I know that seeing Cormac and I together is hard for you, too. You must be lonely, even with us around." She squeezed Astien. "I know you'll find somebody. Somebody to love you as much as I love Cormac."
Cormac nodded, blushing slightly as he sipped his tea. "Makes sense, but I don't even know where to start with something like that." His mind wandered to I'Karis and the offer he made Astien the day they first met.
Astien broke down and started sobbing uncontrollably, the bat falling off his head.
"I suppose you could try praying to Tamara." The Strange Man shrugged. "Maybe the Child of Love will help you play matchmaker. Or maybe you could just throw out a net, and see what you catch." He crunched on his teacup. "Also, there's someone in town who plans on breaking into this place's vault tonight. Just thought you should know."
"That's it, just let it all out," Wyn said gently as she held Astien and gently rocked him.
"I'll try praying," Cormac said as he stood up. "And thank you for the heads up." He placed the teacup on the table. "As well as the tea."
"Oh, I only told you so you could greet them when they come in the door." The Strange Man grinned. "It will be utterly hilarious."
"I'm glad I'm a form of entertainment for you." Cormac waved and walked back into the house and found that Wyn wasn't in the kitchen. He picked up where she left off and continued cooking dinner.
"Feeling better?" Wyn asked after Astien's sobs had stopped. "Dinner will be...Oh shit! I forgot about dinner!" She sprung up. "Oh, I hope it isn't burning."
Astien nodded, and reached for the bowl of pudding as Wyn left the room.
The bat flew and landed on Wyn's head.
Wyn rushed back into the kitchen to find Cormac cooking. "Oh thank the gods. You saved it."
"Where'd you go off to?"
"I made some pudding for Astien and I talked to him. I think I broke through a bit, I think." She started cooking beside Cormac. "I'm thinking about a spa day for him. There's a nice bath house in the village he can go to for the day. We can go shopping and he can relax for a few hours."
"And after we're done shopping?"
Wyn winked at him. "We can have some fun. Or we could just push that up to tonight. We do have our own room, might as well get our use out of it."
Cormac blushed deeply. "Sounds like a plan."
Wyn smiled and kissed Cormac's cheek. Dinner was ready within an hour and the whole house was filled with the scent of the feast.
Astien took his place at the dinner table, and ate his food quietly and relatively slow. Certainly faster than Wyn or Cormac ate, but slow compared to his normal fervor. Or perhaps faster than his normal fervor. What was his normal fervor anymore?
"Astien," Wyn said. "I was wondering if you would be interested in going to the day spa in town tomorrow."
Astien looked up from his food. "Him? Oh, uh, I suppose I could handle that. But if we did, wouldn't someone recognize you?"
"I haven't been here for years, plus my brothers and father would have the servants run into town. I'm sure I'll be fine," Wyn assured him. "Cormac will be with me anyway, so I doubt I have to worry that much."
"We'll be wearing our cloaks anyway," Cormac said. "We just want you to take some time to relax."