Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 3)

Lyra gave a half-hearted nod, then forced herself to give a more genuine smile. "You as well, Ky. Goodnight, Anneliese!"
"Goodnight, Lyra." Anneliese waved to her older sister.

Ky pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, looking between Anneliese and Anneke, trying to get a read of the room. Should she also take her leave? Should she stay up talking? Would anyone care, either way -- or was she truly free to make her own decisions? She couldn't quite figure out what she should say, so she stayed quiet.

Anneke had watched her eldest daughter go with a distant, mournful look in her eyes, but she remained in her chair. Anneliese laid down on the floor, staring at what remained of the wheat cakes still sitting on Tomhas's orange cloak.

Ky stretched her back, getting a few satisfying snaps from her vertebrae and shoulders. She glanced at Anneliese with a smile. "Goals?"

"To eat every wheat cake in this Keep," Anneliese said gravely. "What are yours?"

Ky laughed, eyes traveling back to the jar of honey. "Well, I suppose my goal should be to sneak the honey back to the kitchen without getting swatted... eventually."

"That's a good short-term goal." Anneliese rolled over. "New goal: get under some blankets. I'm freezing!"

"Then why are you laying on the floor, silly?" Ky laughed. "It's always colder on the floor."

"You speak the truth, new sister." Anneliese say up and climbed onto a chair. "But blankets are always the end goal of the world."

“I don’t know, I’m pretty contented with wheat cakes and honey.” But she also stood up and crawled into a chair. Now that she’d mentioned it, the floor was rather cold. “But blankets are always a plus, yes… at least up here.”

"Pregnancy means as many blankets as you want and a devoted husband at your beck and call," Anneke added, and Anneliese giggled.
"Is that why you have so many kids?" she asked. "Are we an excuse for you to make Father get you blankets?"
"You've found me out," Anneke chuckled.

Ky laughed lightly. “A brilliant strategy.”

"I can't say the morning sickness and the swollen ankles are worth it but the baby that comes afterward is an absolute joy." Anneke smiled at Anneliese, who screwed her face up into a cutesy expression. "But not when they look like that, good gods."

Ky laughed again. “That expression takes time to master, I’m sure.”

"I have yet to meet someone who can do it." Anneke yawned again. "Goodness. Maybe I'll head to bed, now."