Niabheara snorted in disbelief. "Is that why she's making this fuss? Because she took back the being-eldest crown while he was gone, and now she has to give it up again? For pity's sake, she can have my being-eldest crown. The gods know I've gotten no good from it."

"You know it's more complicated than that," Miranda replied. "It's...she actually sort of is underappreciated, and there are a lot of things Lysander can do and just didn't want to, and Rillie wanted to do them and couldn't, and it always upset her that he had all these opportunities she would have done anything for, and just didn't bother with them."

"That's not fair and I feel badly for her, but that's not Lysh--beg pardon, it's not Marcello's fault." The statement lost some of its firmness when she slipped on the name.

"He's going to have to decide on one name one of these days," Miranda said, nodding. "I don't think anyone thinks it is. I don't think Rillie thinks it is, either, but I understand why she's resentful."

"Resentful about that, not resentful about the apparently endless list of things she is likewise resentful about," Niabheara said, finally exasperated.

"I'm not pretending I understand her," Miranda replied. "I don't. Well. No, actually, I sort of do. I don't agree with her. But once you get past that, she's not so hard to understand."

"Aye, but getting past all that is where I get stuck," Niabheara said. "Dealing with her is like picking blackberries. Only without the blackberries."

"Thorny?" Miranda asked. "So get some good, strong gloves. That's the best advice I can give you. And if you start getting too many prickers, take a rest."

"Thorny and unrewarding," Niabheara said glumly. She looked down at the baby again. "I didn't mean to come to you with this," she said to Miranda. "But I also did not know you were already aware of the situation with the northern Queensman. It was understood that I'd keep that quiet for my part."

Miranda raised both eyebrows. "Er. The whole family knows," she replied. "My father is convinced they're getting married. He told Goneril to stay."