A Little Lunch

Posted on Tue Oct 31st, 2023 @ 10:29pm by Giuseppe Orsini & Princess Jessica Orsini

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Unknown
Timeline: Date 2371-08-25 at 1330
3643 words - 7.3 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Jessica Silva Orsini was no stranger to hard times recently, and she had felt like a bird in a cage for weeks on end, first at the Palace, then in transit wherever they had her, and now here. A nice apartment in a nice time was more than she had hoped for, even though she wasn’t permitted to leave. And, like a bird in a cage, she was learning to sing.

The steady flow of female security guards who cycled in and out of her presence had become something like background for her. She barely noticed them, and as she hummed a time her mother used to sing to her when she was a little girl, she didn’t notice the one standing in the corner right now. She only watched the popping steak in the pan and pretended her life was something other than it was; that her husband was off to work and her son was sleeping in the next room. Sometimes she could almost make herself believe it too.

Another guard entered the room, looked around, and then walked toward the small kitchen area where Jessica was cooking. Because she had shown she could behave and not be constantly combative, she had been allowed out of the small cell she had been kept in and moved to a more comfortable though still small apartment under constant watch. She had no privacy ever, but there was at least comfort.

“Prince Giuseppe is on his way for a visit, Princess.”

“Oh?” She asked gently. His visits hadn’t been terribly infrequent and he always brought Antonio along with him. She smiled brightly at the idea of seeing their son. The father, on the other hand, had been civil and so had she. She hadn’t antagonized him since she’d first arrived. “Well I hope he’s bringing his appetite.”

“As you say, ma’am.”

The guard moved off, leaving her with the original lingering guard and her own thoughts again. It was about five minutes later that the door opened again and Giuseppe stepped through. He was looking quite put together and daresay handsome in his tailored dark grey pants and red silk button up with a grey vest buttoned on top. In his arms he was carrying Antonio. The boy was happy and well taken care of and as they entered the kitchen, he squealed with delight on seeing his mother.

“Mama!” He reached out for her from Giuseppe’s arms.

As they came in, Jessica turned and smiled as her little boy stretched out his arms for her. She jogged over quickly and pulled him toward her, holding him close to her and kissing the top of his head. While rocking him back and forth, she directed her beautiful blue eyes at Giuseppe and gave him a nod. It was respectful, and though not intimate or deeply personal, it was at least genuinely friendly. He hadn’t bothered to antagonize her any more than she had him.

“Will you come to table? I got a bit carried away making food for just me. If I eat it all, I’ll get fat.” She said, placing one of her hands on the small pregnant belly on her otherwise fit and idyllic figure. “Rice, beans, peppers, beef, and some coffee too.”

She turned and walked toward the table which was situated in the kitchen area. Putting Antonio down on the nearest chair, she kissed him again and smiled.

“Hello, my handsome boy. Let mama feed you something.”

“Ya!” Antonio giggled and grabbed at Jessica’s hair gently. “Mama.”

Giuseppe followed Jessica into the kitchen wordlessly and took a seat next to Antonio, placing his hand on the boy’s back to steady him. He didn’t say anything and seemed content to let mother and son have their moment, but the fact he had sat down seemed to indicate he had accepted the invitation at the very least.

Jessica went back into the kitchen and was back in just a few seconds with three plates. In all honesty, she was really desperate to nurse Antonio as his being away had made for a very painful experience for her. All the same, she thought it best he went without it for now. That chapter of his life, the chapter of having his mother around him constantly, was probably over. She pushed these thoughts aside as she sat the plates down and went into the kitchen to bring out the food. When everything was on the table, she spooned a few morsels onto Antonio’s plate and sat down right next to him.

“I’m remembering what it was like before I was a princess. It’s nice to cook again, actually.” She said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes as she played her own food.

“You do it well.” Giuseppe finally spoke, pulling his plate closer though he glanced at the guard standing nearby. The woman moved just slightly and then after a few seconds nodded to him. He moved his hand from Antonio for a moment so that he could cut up a few bites of steak and steadied the boy again.

“How are you feeling?”

She made her own steak and prepared to answer his question like she’d answered it a few times already.

“I’m fine.” She said simply, and then she thought better of it. What was there to lose, after all? He already hated her; she was already doomed. In the end, what she wanted was to make these last months of her life count and to show Antonio as much love as she could before she gave birth and was shot. “Well, for the most part.”

She frowned, her full pouty lips pouting more.

“I’m a bit lonely, I guess.”

Giuseppe nodded and chewed a bite of his steak while he seemed to consider what she said. “Your guards are allowed to speak with you.”

“Yes, of course they are.” She agreed. “But they haven’t exactly been selected for their empathetic and relatable personalities. No offense intended to the present company.”

She took a bite of her food and chewed it several times before she started speaking, not having waited until the food was out of her mouth. That plus the way she was sitting and speaking indicated her effort to be proper had ended. She’d managed some light makeup, but otherwise she was dressed like a common woman at home. This would have been a strange sight for Giuseppe who had only been allowed to see her at her best.

“But that’s okay. I’m starting to like the quiet in its own way; slowly.” She said, taking another bite and putting just a bit too much food into her mouth. She looked over at Antonio to make sure he was stable and enjoying his food. She smiled at him and he smiled back.

Giuseppe did note her appearance and her lack of manners. It didn’t exactly bother him at this point, but he was surprised to see it; it wasn’t worth correcting though. “They were selected so as to not be manipulated. You’re very good at that.”

Jessica frowned, but not in such a way that it indicated she was truly bothered.

“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or an insult, really.” She said before nonchalantly going back to forking her food. “You know it has its uses of course. To get with one wants; to get with one needs. But, in the end, people who can’t be manipulated are rather inhuman. After all, one man’s ‘manipulated’ is so often another man’s ’moved by compassion’. And, as a result, they have no sense of humor.”

“It‘s meant as neither, just a fact,” Giuseppe replied, unusually civil. He had been this way for the past few visits, actually. He pushed a bit of food around on his plate. “It’s your choice whether or not to talk to them, but no other companions will be provided for you.”

“I wasn’t asking for one.” She said with a shrug, her mouth still full of food. She put her foot on her chair and leaned over to help a morsel of food into Antonios mouth. She then straightened up and hugged her leg. “ You asked me how I was and I told you. That’s it. It’s nice enough for me that you visit and that you bring our son.”

“Alright.” He shrugged slightly as if it meant nothing to him and continued eating. “When is your next check with the doctor here?”

“Once a month, and we just did it last week.” She said, answering a more general question than the one he asked. “Our baby boy is perfectly healthy, he says.”

Her eyes went to his plate where he was doing little more than playing with what was on his plate.

“Is something wrong with the food, Giuseppe?”

“No. It’s good.” He said it, but also put his fork and knife down to grab a napkin and wiped Antonio’s mouth. For all of Giuseppe’s many, many faults, Jessica had never been given cause to doubt him as a father. He had always been good and devoted to their son, and it seemed even the unborn child benefitted from that.

“I was just considering what we should name our boy.”

“I’ve put some thought into that, naturally.” she said, offering no expression. She swallowed what was in her mouth and dropped her own utensils, looking at him. “We could name him after an Emperor from my family, Tomas, or Gabriel. We could also name him Ioseph after your great great grandfather.”

She smiled a bit, averting her gaze for just a moment before looking right in his eyes.

“Or we could name him after the next Emperor.” she said, gesturing with an open hand, “Angelo.”

He looked at her silently for a long moment, his gaze cool but not angry. His attention then went back to his food and he picked up his fork again. “What would be your preference in the matter?”

She looked at him for the space of a few seconds, considering if it would be wise to flatter him or to be honest. He was erratic and his reactions were unpredictable, making him difficult even to make happy in the briefest of moments. She hoped he got over that soon, or else the spiral of his life would likely never truly stop. She sighed and smiled then, deciding to be candid.

“Gabriel and Tomas are my favorite choices, but they were terrible Emperors. One a weakling, the other a tyrant.” she said and sighed. “So I think Angelo would be most appropriate.”

“What about names from your family that may not have necessarily been Emperors in their own right?” He asked, looking down to Antonio as the boy picked up one of the small bits of pepper in his hand and looked at it.

She shook her head at that.

“A future prince should have a prince’s name. So, there’s also Alexander for that matter." She picked up her utensils again and started cutting into the meat. As she focused on what she was doing, she asked him “What names were you thinking of?”

“My son would be a prince regardless of his name just as you would be Empress despite having a common name like Jessica.” It wasn’t an insult, it was simply a fact and one she had lamented herself on more than one occasion - he had said it didn’t bother him.

“I thought you might like to name him since I gave Antonio his name. I’ll approve of course just like you had a say in his.” She hadn’t really, but she also hadn’t argued with the sensible name.

“I suppose we won’t have your father’s word to contend with in the naming this time either.” she said, watching him. All members of the royal family had to submit their proposed names to the Emperor for approval before it could be made official. Antonius was a particularly strict judge on such things, wanting names to be appropriate to the child’s situation. Since she was Brazilian, they had been much more likely to get names from that culture approved by him. But now there was no need to please him. Either they would win and it wouldn’t matter or they would lose and he would have it changed. And that assumes their children would even survive such a loss. Purges were always possible.

“I like the name Gabriel.” she said with a smile, feminine and soft. “It’s a masculine name with history. I think I’d choose that.”

“Gabriel.” He tested the name in his mouth. It wasn’t offensive - he didn’t particularly like the recent history attached to it, but there was something to be said on reclaiming a name. “Gabriel with what for the middle names?”

She gave an uncertain expression at first, indicating that she hadn't put as much thought into this part. In all honesty, she had fully expected, and still fully expected to be excluded from the process. His behavior now almost gave her hope, but she felt some internal certainty Giuseppe Angelo was up to something.

“Giuseppe, of course. Ioseph; I still think that’s a good idea. Maybe my father’s name, Jair?” she looked up at him, her head at a downward angle. Her captivating glance held the same mystery it always had. In her own way, she was just as popular with the people as Giana was. The difference was that they felt she was one of them while Giana always floated above. It wasn’t better, but it was different. The fact that her name made her feel a bit ridiculous at court had no bearing whatsoever on life outside of it. It was a symbol that even a common girl could become a princess with luck, radiant looks, and distinctly royal blood. “That’s the best I can do off the top of my head, at least.”

“Mm… well, give it some more thought. There’s time of course.” He glanced at her, but he hadn’t really looked at her for an extended period when they were together. He finished his steak and the majority of the rest and wiped his hands on his napkin.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” she said simply and without pretense. Then her eyes went wide for a moment. “Wait a second, I have something I need to give you for Antonio.”

She shot up out of her seat, causing the guard to tense and bring her hand to her weapon without drawing it. Jessica bounded gently into the next room and out of sight.

Giuseppe lifted his hand to the guard slightly to get her to stand down and picked up Antonio. Walking over to the sink, he took a moment to wash his son’s hands and face and once he was done he moved back out to where they had been sitting.

A few moments later, she emerged again with a bundle of fabrics in her hands. She sat them down over the back of the nearby couch and smiled, holding up a green blanket.

“Idle hands need new hobbies.” she said with a shrug. “I made him some blankets and little hats. Obviously he can’t wear them in public…whenever the next time he goes into public will be, but I thought he could wear them in the nursery to keep warm or just to pretend.”

“Go to your mama.” Giuseppe instructed his son and then set the boy down, watching him as he hurried over to Jessica and threw himself against her legs.

“Mama!”

“I wasn’t planning on leaving right away, Jessica. I know you’d like some time with him, so go ahead. What you’ve made is… nice.” Giuseppe offered up and moved to take a seat on the couch where he could watch over everything, but also be out of the way.

Jessica had been so ready for him to rush away that she hadn’t even considered trying to play with Antonio. She was afraid of upsetting him but offering something she wouldn’t ultimately be able to deliver. She knew that he had to cry alot for her; unlike many royal mothers, she had been very hands on. When Giuseppe was away, which had been most of the time, she had been there.

She smiled then, hesitantly, and dropped the covers on the couch. Then she went over to Antonio quickly and swept him up like he was a rocket ship. The giggle that he gave melted her heart; the heart she had been keeping on ice so that she could survive in this prison that had been built for her. A tear rolled down her cheeks immediately, but she turned away with Antonio and bounced him facing the wall. She didn’t want Giuseppe to see. She couldn’t even clear her voice enough to thank him for staying.

“Horsey, horsey!” Antonio giggled and squealed as he was bounced, pumping his arms and fists as Jessica moved.

Giuseppe picked up the blanket she had put down and examined it a bit more closely. It was crude and unpracticed, but made with love by a mother so he wouldn’t deny his son the gifts. They may very well have been one of the few things he would have left of her in the end.

Jessica bounced the boy in spite of herself, the tears streaming down her face as she did so. She hadn't been a religious woman in her life, but she had prayed to the Gods to help her recently. It seemed her prayers were falling on deaf ears. She lowered Antonio down to the floor, grabbing a few loose toys and bringing them within his reach. She then slumped down next to him, crossing her legs and watching as he started to play.

Antonio began to play with his toys, oblivious to anything else but eventually turned his eyes up to his mother. He stared at her for a long moment and then crawled into her lap. “Mama sad?”

“No, baby.” she said, her voice warm and gentle, yet full of tears. “Mama’s just happy to be with you.” She forced a smile and leaned in to kiss his forehead. “I love you very much.”

“Love you, mama.” Antonio replied and wrapped his small arms around her neck while she was close enough.

Giuseppe watched silently from the couch, his legs crossed and his hands folded on his top knee. He didn’t appear to be emotional over the moment, he couldn’t afford that kind of weakness, but he was moved and had to look away toward something else in the apartment.

A few more moments of cuddling ensued as Jessica attempted to get control of her tears. Once she finally did so, she moved back into playing with Antonio. At the end of it, he was starting to get rather fussy, so she compensated by tickling him for a few minutes. Eventually, however, she rose and turned to Giuseppe.

“He’s pretty tired; I think it's nap time.” she said, and her eyes turned, slowly, to silent pleading. Her full lips parted and she fought back the tears that threatened to come again. “Can’t he just sleep here, Giuseppe? I’d love to hold him while he sleeps. It’s been so long…”

Giuseppe stood and strode over to her, a powerful and intimidating presence; he’d always been able to pull off being quite masculine when he didn’t open his mouth. He just looked into Jessica’s eyes for a long moment and then reached down to pick Antonio up into his arms. When it looked like he might simply take his son away, he simply hugged the boy and rubbed his back. “You’re going to stay with mama for a while.”
Jessica smiled, and despite her efforts, tears started streaming from her eyes again. She reached out and placed her hand on Antonio’s back, shepherding him carefully into her arms and then looking at him with a smile full of wonder. She smiled at Giuseppe then too.

“Thank you, Giuseppe.” she said in a quiet and tearful voice. “Thank you so much.”

“Just for a few hours, Jessica. Not overnight.” His voice was firm but unusually gentle. He leaned in to kiss the side of Antonio’s head and then stepped back.

“Okay.” she said with a nod, seeming like she really understood that. She smiled at Antonio and spoke in a surprised baby voice. “We’re gonna go snuggle, little boy.”

“Ya.” Antonio replied though it was decidedly less animated than usual given it was quite time for his nap.

Giuseppe simply gave her one last nod and turned to leave without another word, his going just as much of a spontaneous thing as his initial visit had been. Jessica was left alone with her baby in her arms and had even managed to avoid a conflict with her husband once more. All in all, a good day for her.

Jessica went back to her room and laid down with Antonio, wrapping her arms around him and telling him quiet stories until he fell asleep. In that moment of silence, with her son in her arms, she understood for the first time in weeks that giving up wasn’t a real option. She needed to survive for him. The real question was how.

OFF