Raffin cradles the newborn babe in his arms. The baby is clean and healthy. He turns and places the baby in Po's expecting arms. Once he feels the babe is secure he turns back to his cousin, Katsa, laying quietly on the cot. He leans down and kisses her on the forehead.

"I'll leave you to it," he says before standing and departing.

Katsa is exhausted but she pulls herself onto her elbows to see Po. He is still, almost as if he's stopped breathing. His head is tilted down but she can still see his face. Her own breath catches in her throat as she spots a tear trailing down Po's face.

"Po," she whispers.

"I can't see him Katsa. I can't see our son."

Katsa tries to move from the cot but is immediately reminded of how weak she is. She has never felt any of the like in her life. But then again, she has never brought a life into the world until now. She is determined to go to him, her man, she hoists herself up, pulling the linens around her as she does so.

When she makes it to the chair Po occupies she notices tear stains on their son's blanket. Her hands cup Po's face and she kisses his tears away. She manages "Oh Po" between her kisses.

She had not wanted children for a long time. Not because she didn't like them, but mostly because she never thought motherhood would suit her. She couldn't imagine being tied down in such a permanent way. It was the same reason she had not consented to become Po's wife or anyone else's for that matter. But somewhere along the way her mind and her heart had changed.

She was never particularly bad with children, that much had been proved when she had to protect Bitterblue. There were also her lessons. As Katsa traveled the seven kingdoms she offered defense lessons to women of all ages. When Po accompanied her they would also teach boys. One day in Wester, Katsa had been working with a pair of girls when she caught sight of Po and was distracted. He was mentoring a boy and a girl, both of similar age, when the girl had gotten the better of the boy, causing him to fall and gash his leg on a sharp stone. It was the sight of Po rushing to the young boy that distracted Katsa so. She felt a warmth pool not only deep in her belly but also in her heart.

She had been selfish, this much Katsa could admit to. Po had expressed a desire for children before but he never tried to sway her on the matter, not even when Helda had gotten on his case. However, her mind had not changed just then, but it had indeed softened to the idea.

There seemed to be signs all over after that. Her heart would melt and she would feel that warmth in her belly every time she saw Po surrounded by his nieces and nephews. Sometime after that she aided a pregnant Graceling escape the oppressive kingdom of Sunder. The woman had gone into labor just north of Sunport with only Katsa to help birth the baby. When she placed the baby in it's mother's arms Katsa couldn't help but notice how the woman's eyes lit up at the sight of her daughter. Katsa found herself asking the new mother plenty of questions on the ship they boarded to Monport.

The final straw had occurred along the Port Road as she traveled to Bitterblue City. She encountered a young Graceling boy crying in the brush just off the side of the road. Once she was able to calm him down from his hysterics she was able to understand the boy, but only between his sobs. He was only four and his grace had just made himself known. He had been sleeping in his bed, his parents in the next room, when he opened his eyes to find himself in the woods. He and his family lived just outside of Bitterblue City. It became Katsa's mission to return the child to his parents. She found that it didn't bother her so much as she thought it would to be accompanied by a small child. She had quite the knack for taking care of children, actually.

It was night when she returned to Lienid, to Po's castle, more than 2 moons later. As she lifted the fur blankets she felt Po stir. She pressed her lips to his and poured in her feelings: longing, desire, hope, love. She swung her leg over him, straddling his already aroused body.

"I want to have a baby, Po."

Po stiffened. His hand came to her forehead, first his palm then the back of his hand.

"What are you doing?" She swatted him away.

"Checking to see if you have a fever. Only a fever could make you say something like that."

"Po, you know that I don't get fevers. And nothing is making me say this other than me." He was quiet again and unmoving. Although he could no longer see with his eyes, in the moonlight Katsa saw his eyes moving over her face as if trying to find answers.

After a long silence he finally spoke. "Are you sure?"

Katsa nodded and a single tear found its way down her face. "I want to have a baby with you, Po." She thought he might really have gone into shock because of his stillness but then he moved, sitting up and cupped her face in his hands and kissed the salty trail her tear had made. It was not long after that they had changed positions, with Po on top, that they sought to making their baby.

It is the sound of their son's murmur that brings Katsa back to the present. The blanket wrapping their son had shifted, exposing some of his newborn pink flesh. Katsa moves to right it but does not take the child from Po's arms.

"He looks like you." She tells Po. Although he smiles it does not quite reach his eyes. Then the baby stirs.

"He's restless like you," Po says. Katsa can't help but kiss the top of Po's head.

She studies the baby, builds the image of him in her mind, opening her mind to Po so that he might see through her eyes. They had spent a good amount of time practicing this. Katsa watches as their son opens his eyes.

"Katsa! His eyes are blue! Both of them!" Her eyes slide up to Po's face to see the wrinkles around Po's eyes as his smile deepens. She quickly returns her gaze to their son so that Po can continue to see him too. "Perhaps that was the color of your eyes before your Graceling eyes settled."

"Could be." But it does not matter to Katsa. She has the love of her life, their child they had made together, all without giving up her freedom.

"Katsa."

"Mhm." She softly caresses the sensitive skin of their son's brow.

"Do you think his eyes will settle?" Meaning their son to be a Graceling just like the two of them.

"It doesn't matter."

"You're right, he's perfect no matter what."

"Yes, yes he is."

"He'll need a name, love."

Katsa ponders on it. She suddenly remembers the Graceling woman she helped birth a little girl. The woman had named her daughter Katlynn, the "K" after Katsa's own name. Katsa thinks of Raffin, her beloved cousin, whom had helped her bring her son into this world.

"Rowan."

"Rowan it is," Po agrees. He leans forward and kisses his son's forehead. Katsa can not contain the smile that spreads across her face.