He found her in the kitchen one morning, smudged apron covering her dress and her long hair pulled into a messy braid. He wondered how she'd gotten past Lowen, who insisted that Lord Eliwood and his lady wife not have to dirty their hands with the cooking.
"Ninian? What are you..."
"Sir Lowen allowed it just for this one time," she said, dipping a small spoon into a bowl of something. "He took Dame Rebecca into town not too long ago."
"Ah." Eliwood nodded. She looked adorable, even more so than usual. "So what's that you're doing, then?"
"Oh...I just thought I'd make something special for us." She blushed. "I wanted to surprise you, but then I realized you'd probably be searching high and low for me."
"Hey, now, you speak as if I panic every time you're not by my side!" He moved over to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I can't be that bad," he protested. She giggled, nestling into the embrace and setting the spoon down.
"Well, you have been very protective of me ever since...ah, the announcement." Ninian rested her free hand on the swell beneath the fabric of her clothing; Eliwood smiled and brought his own hand around to join it. This was a big part of the reason she was so adorable lately.
"I just want to make sure you'll both be safe," he said, nuzzling her cheek. "Now, care to tell me what you intended to surprise me with?"
"Oh! Yes...well, I'm making a batch of chocolate pastries. I just...felt in the mood for one all of a sudden," she explained. "I'm not so sure my...culinary skills are up to par, though." She blushed again, and Eliwood noticed the half-empty bag beside her and laughed.
"Or you're eating more than you're baking," he teased. Her blush deepened and she pulled away slightly, covering her face with her hands.
"I-I didn't intend to...I thought I had more, I just-"
And suddenly, she did a complete about-face and grinned before taking a small piece of chocolate and bringing it to his lips.
"I saved plenty for you, my lord," she said sweetly. The aroma filled his nostrils and Eliwood realized how hungry he was; he opened his mouth and let her feed the chocolate to him, savoring every bite.
"Mm..." He reached for a piece of his own, holding it out to her. "This is better than pastries any time, I think."
"Perhaps...the pastries can wait, then," Ninian murmured, delicately taking the morsel between her teeth and chewing slowly. Adorable. So adorable. She swallowed, and he leaned in to kiss the shell of her ear.
"Maybe we should go somewhere more private," he whispered. She gave a quiet moan, pressing slightly against him.
"Lord Eliwood...we are alone right now." Her body molded perfectly against his; the warm curve of her belly, the softness of her chest, her slender arms locked around him. During the second third of her condition, she will be quite amorous, the healer had told them both.
Rebecca and Lowen wouldn't be back for another few hours.
They could risk it.