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Day 76, 2013

Gwendal sighed as he looked around his little brother's now clean rooms – it had taken 2 hours to get everything out, but all of it, including the damned Cradle, had been removed from Conrad's rooms. He sat quietly on the edge of the bed thinking. Conrad had seemed genuinely terrified by the mere sight of his rooms. Not to mention the note he'd handed his brother – he hadn't read it, yet, but he was very well aware of the fact that it had nearly made Conrad faint! In addition to that, he remembered exactly how badly Conrad had been stuttering earlier. He also remembered how scared Conrad had been when he'd mentioned marriage, and his exact words to Wolfram.

I didn't want this, I didn't want it, I didn't want any of this!

But what he remembered most was Conrad's terrified shriek, when the smaller man had backed into him.

Gwendal didn't like the conclusions he was drawing, however he was beginning to suspect his little brother had been raped. The half empty container of sleeping pills on his bedside table supported that theory. As did Conrad's behavior of late.

He swallowed, and pulled the note out of his pocket, wondering what could make Conrad nearly faint.

I Told you, you'd change your mind when you were swollen with my children…

The note continued on for half a page describing exactly what the man wanted to do to Conrad but couldn't – not while he was pregnant. It then went on to inform Conrad that as soon as they were married and their children born, he would be punished for denying his lover for as long as he had. From there it suggested that the two would 'play' again until Conrad had shrieked himself hoarse, from there it basically insinuated that the bastard would be using his little brother as breeding stock. It was signed simply 'Your future husband and the father of your children'.

Gwendal couldn't help it – he vomited.

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Day 76, 2030hrs

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Gwendal eyed the young man sitting on a chair in Gisela's office. He wore the uniform of Conrad's men, and as such he was subject to Gwendal's suspicions. Was this the father of Conrad's child? Was this the bastard who he suspected had raped his little brother? He wanted nothing more than to drag every single one of Conrart's men down into the dungeons one at a time and interrogate them. However the thought of how badly that would humiliate his little brother stayed his hand. As it was, what he was doing down here was going to be embarrassing enough for Conrad, if he ever found out.

He waited quietly while Gisela finished treating her patients before turning and locking the door behind the last man to leave. This was more difficult then he'd suspected. Finally he settled on being blunt, and asked. "Two months ago, did you treat Conrart for rape related injuries?"

Gisela tensed then relaxed, "Yes I did, I'm glad he finally worked up the courage to admit what happened." She replied.

Gwendal closed his eyes briefly, and gathered his courage before asking his next question. "What was his condition when you saw him?"

"He was scared, raw, bloody and bruised." She replied simply.

Gwendal closed his eyes, his heart breaking at the thought of his little brother in such a state. He loved both of his little brothers, but he was more protective of Conrad. Wolfram had thrown a fireball at him in a fit of rage for the first time when he was the human equivalent of 12. But he'd always been aware of the fact that Conrart's lack of magic, rendered him nearly helpless. It was true Conrad was an artist with a sword, but still – and then there was the fact that Conrad's childhood had been a lonely one, full of false friends and bullies (wolfram included) who couldn't see past the fact that his father had been human. Conrad had finally found a true friend in an orphaned peasant boy.

Gwendal didn't think most people realized how much of a stabilizer Yozak had been for Conrad.

It had all combined to make Gwendal even more protective of Conrad then he was of Wolfram. Wolfram may have been the baby, but it was Conrad who had required the protection. Conrad, who'd been born a month premature because Stoffel had slipped the herbs that made a woman lose a pregnancy into their mother's tea. Conrad who had stubbornly fought for his life, and survived, even when the Healers had given him 30 days at most.

Abruptly he realized something – Conrad had been in the courtyard training his men the day after this event would have occurred. Gwendal had seen him limping and after the second time he'd seen one of his brother's men land a blow – he'd run Conrad mercilessly across the courtyard as punishment for being too stubborn to see Gisela for his 'pulled muscle'.

Oh please no.

"How bad was it?" he asked, praying it hadn't been nearly as bad as he was thinking.

Gisela sighed, "It was bad, and he was in severe pain for at least a week after the incident. I had to put him on pain killers. The bastard, whoever he is, bit his collar so savagely it scared."

Gwendal suppressed the urge to vomit; he'd hurt his little brother even if he hadn't intended two. "oh, great one, why didn't he tell me?" he whispered to no one in particular.

He didn't realize Gisela had heard him until she answered his question. "he didn't remember what happened, and he's to honorable to cry rape if there was even a remote chance that he'd consented."

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Day 76, 2130hrs

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Gwendal blinked; startled by the sword point he was currently staring at. He followed the tip of the sword up past the blade to the hand on the hilt, before taking a step back. For his part Gunter lowered and then sheathed his sword. In the background he could hear Conrad whimpering, he pushed past Gunter and went to his little brother's side. Conrad was asleep on the sofa – curled up into a tight ball.

"He fell asleep for the first time about an hour after we got here." Gunter informed him, his voice thick. "He keeps waking every 20 to 40 minutes."

Gwendal nodded, and carefully began to remove Conrad's boots. Conrad whimpered and curled up tighter. It took a moment or two but he got his little brother's boots off. He had every intention of carrying the younger man into his bedchamber and putting him to bed. Conrart had had a very difficult day, and frankly he'd looked like shit for the past 2 months. He paused for a moment, Conrad might have been comfortable sleeping in his sword belt, but the man was pregnant, and he didn't know if that could hurt the baby. He'd have to remove it, but knowing that Conrad had likely been raped 2 months ago, gave him pause.

He managed to get the sword scabbard off of Conrad's belt and undo the buckle, but the second he started to undo the buttons on Conrad's jacket – his little brother came awake. Gwendal only just managed to grab Conrad's wrist in time to save his nose from his brother's flailing limbs.

"Easy, easy Conrart, it just me. I'm just taking off your coat; I'm going to put you to bed, that's it you're safe. You're safe, just relax – that it relax, just relax. Stress isn't good for your child, relax Conrart, relax, I've got you, you're safe."

It took a minute but Conrad finally did calm down, when he spoke his voice was soft enough that Gwendal almost didn't hear him. "Can I – can I stay with you tonight?"

"Of course," Gwendal replied. His wife was away visiting family, so it wouldn't be an inconvenience to give Conrad his bed for a night or two and sleep on the sofa. He helped Conrad to his feet intending to lead his little brother into his bedroom. Conrad was completely out of it; actually he was about half asleep, and shaking. Worried that he would hurt himself, or the baby, by running into something Gwendal scooped him up into his arms and carried him into the bedroom. He set Conrad down on the edge of the bed, before turning and rummaging through his drawers. He handed his little brother a pair of silk sleeping pants. "Go put these on," he instructed gently. "I have a shirt that goes with those pants if you want them."

"Thanks" Conrad replied and slipped behind the changing screen, when he emerged again he was clad in borrowed sleeping clothes that made him look like a child given clothing to grow into. Just like the leggings the shirt was too large for him, and Conrad's tendency to leave the top two buttons of his shirt undone, left the shirt's collar hanging over the young man's shoulder. It left the terrible scare at the junction of his neck and shoulder bear for the world to see.

Gwendal pulled the covers back, so that Conrad could slip into bed. His little brother looked like hell; he swallowed. He was going to have to ask his brother a difficult question. He didn't –quite – know how to phrase it. "Conrad, the night you spent with the baby's father… was it consensual?"

Conrad was already more than half asleep, curled up against the pillows, but he answered none the less. "I don't remember," he paused briefly before adding, "I don't think so, but I don't remember."

"Okay, thank you for telling me." Gwendal replied, doing his best to keep his voice soothing as he pulled the covers up around his little brother's shoulders, and turned to leave, however Conrad's voice pitched so softly he could scarcely hear it, brought him up short.

"Can you, play for me? J-just until I fall asleep?"

He'd be lying if he said the request didn't startle him. Conrad hadn't asked him to play for him since he was quite young. Their mother used to have him babysit Conrart when they were small, and he'd found that the best way to sooth his rambunctious brother to sleep had been to play him a lullaby. "Of course I will." He replied and left only to return minutes later with his oboe.

It only took a few minutes, before the music had soothed his brother into sleep but he kept on playing until he'd finished the piece, oblivious to Gunter's continued presence.

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Day 77, 0640hrs

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Gwendal sat quietly in his office, a steaming mug of coffee in his hands. Truthfully he hated the stuff, but he hadn't gotten much sleep last night. True to Gunter's earlier statement Conrad had indeed awoken in a cold sweat every 20 to 40 minutes last night and more than once he'd been screaming at the top of his lungs.

It meant that Gwendal hadn't gotten more than 40 minutes of uninterrupted sleep either, and while he didn't mind comforting his obviously traumatized sibling – the lack of sleep was catching up to him. He glanced over at the cot that stood behind his desk. For now Conrad slept peacefully, but he doubted that would last long. He'd had the cot moved into his office for just that reason.

As of Yesterday Conrad was relieved of duty, so he'd opted to let him sleep. The younger man looked like hell, and could certainly use the sleep.

Gwendal rubbed his temples, and looked up at the rediculos stuffed animals that adorned his walls. That would keep Conrad occupied, he decided. When Conrad awoke he was going to teach him how to knit.

One never could have too many knitted things around, when there was a baby on the way.

The soft whimper from the cot behind him drew his attention back to his little brother. It looked like Conrart would be waking soon.

He made a mental note to assign Yozak to the palace grounds for the duration of Conrad's pregnancy. He had a feeling that Conrad was going to need his best friend far more then he was going to need a spy. And if that provided Conrart with an extra bit of protection from the child's father, then so be it!

As for the father –

If he ever got a hold of proof that confirmed his suspicions…

Well he didn't think he'd be responsible for his own actions.

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A.N Okay I've just about come to the end of the chapters I've already finished so the wait will become a bit longer I'll try to have this part of the fic done soon so that we can get on with part 2. Please read and review.

Also I give you a choice, would you prefer I get part 2 mostly written before I start posting or would you rather I attempt to post it as I write it? Please answer in your reviews.