“Now, now,” the Queen said with as kind a smile as she moved to embrace Maria with a warm hug. “You are carrying my grandchild, there is no need for such formality,” words kind as the hug was ended though she kept her at arms-length while she looked over her daughter in law. “Call me mother, yes?”  She rubbed up and down Maria’s arms before she stepped passed her so that Abby could give forth her own greeting.<br/><br/>Once her mother had moved passed them Abby waited a moment, if only to allow for more distance to pass between her mother and them. Then in a hushed whisper, “Trouble sleeping without your Ranger beside you?”<br/><br/>One of her perfectly arched eyebrows rose and she ran her tongue along her teeth before she smiled knowingly. However, there was little time to reply to her words as she followed it up with, “And the bowing thing too! No sister of mine will bow to me!” voice practically giddy, as she moved past her and entered the room.  The tray she held she handed off to Simprina with barely a look in her direction, more along the lines she shoved the tray at the woman and then made herself comfortable in one of the chairs.<br/><br/>“I know you were resting my dear,” the Queen spoke up once her daughter was with her in the room. “But…we rarely get time to just talk, you know us women?” she smiled kindly at Maria. “With your husband, my son, out on his little excursion I was able to convince the King to take his two youngest on a hunting trip of sorts too. So, for the next couple of hours we have the Castle to ourselves and I wanted to check on you to see how you were feeling? For a bit there, we were concerned with how you were feeling? I know the troubles of pregnancy well, the twins were a late surprise in my life and my body barely managed them.”<br/><br/>With a grace born from natural skill and years of practice, she sat down in chair as well, her gown expertly spread out beside her so that she could sit and not worry about wrinkling or messing up the expensive and delicate material. “You seem to be better, but I wanted to talk with you about it and just…well, spend more time with you,” the words were as kind and heartfelt as the smile that she swore on her lips. For all the drama and trouble that had surrounded both kingdoms, she more than perhaps even her king wanted this work between them. Their people had suffered so much and all she wanted was for them to live long, happy and healthy lives for the remainder of their years. With the disgrace that her daughter had been and the…questionable activities of her eldest son, she had actually given up hope of any Grandchildren, until the twins were older.<br/><br/>Now…with Maria there was the chance to have the family she had always wanted but had not quite obtained just yet.