Luxa looked like she would be sick again, so Gregor rubbed her back, and stayed quiet for a moment to let her calm down. When she looked like she would be okay to talk, Gregor felt like he had to say something, but he realized that he had no idea what to say. What could they do? There was definitely no going back, but what could they possibly do to move foreword?
"We shall have to convince the council to let us marry, soon. Then, we will announce the pregnancy soon after, and when it is born, we will say that it was born early." Said Luxa finally.
"Luxa, there would be more than a few reasons for the council to be suspicious of all of this." Replied Howard. "Even if you are able to convince the council to have the wedding within the next few weeks, you will grow much larger than you should, based on how far along you claim to be, and the child will hopefully be a normal birth size, rather than small, as an early born would be. As Regalia's heir, that child will be inspected and documented tediously"
"It is the only chance we have Howard. What else do you suggest we do?" Luxa was very worked up, which Gregor knew would only make her feel worse.
"Quite frankly, I suggest that you not engage in such... activities that might result in this sort of situation before you are married, Luxa!" Howard sounded like a very disappointed older brother. Gregor supposed he sort of was, but it really wasn't any of his business.
"Howard, not only has that ship sailed, but it has now capsized." Gregor thrust his hand out in front of him as if it were sailing, and dipped it straight down, his ship nose-diving. He did this hoping that it would take some of the heat off of Luxa and he supposed it did, but he realized too late that it also made him look just a little ridiculous to the Underlanders.
"What ship has capsized, Gregor? What could sailing possibly have to do with this?" Howard asked, completely exasperated, and Luxa gave him a look pretty much identical to Howards.
"I just mean that there isn't any use in wishing that we had done something differently, or hadn't done it at all." Howard flinched. "I mean in general, not it. Jesus Howard, we're grown-ups, okay?" Howard looked as if he would like to sock Gregor for a moment, but thankfully he finally let the tension fall out of his shoulders. Howard nodded.
"So," Gregor continued, "what would make the council agree to move the wedding up?"
"Usually it is only done in an urgent situation: war, illness in the family and so on." Luxa answered, rubbing her temples.
"Well, obviously we have none of those." Gregor sighed. He never thought he would be looking for an illness in his family. Howard looked like he was really thinking hard about something, so Gregor watched him, hoping he would have an idea.
"Perhaps we could create an illness." Howard said, smiling just a little bit at the idea.
"Howard, you know how well engineering diseases works for people." Gregor doubted that Howard actually meant it that way, but he was just desperately trying to keep up the mood. Sometimes, you have to laugh to keep from crying.
"Gregor, please just quiet yourself." Luxa said. Gregor gave her a fake wounded expression, and she rolled her eyes at him. "Go on, Howard."
"The council may clearly see that anyone of importance to either of you here in Regalia is well. However, they know nothing of Gregor's family in the Overland. You will go to visit them as you had planned, and then bring them back with you. You will say that a member of your family is terminally ill, and that they desperately want to see you be married, so it must be done at once. You will just need whomever is 'ill' to act the part, and the council will have no choice but to oblige." Howard looked so satisfied with his plan that Gregor almost didn't have the heart to tell him that there was no way it would happen.
"Howard, my mom would never agree to come, and she wouldn't let any of my other family come either."
"I should hope that once you explain the situation to her, your mother will change her mind." It was now Gregor's turn to look like he was going to throw up. He'd only know he was going to have a kid for about 15 minutes, so he hadn't really had time to consider the fact that he was going to have to tell his family, but suddenly, it hit him like a ton of bricks. He could just see it now, his mom would go ballistic and his dad would not say anything, he would just sit there, shaking his head, making the saddest, most disappointing face. Gregor was lost in pitying himself for a moment, until he heard Luxa sigh. She had put her head back onto the pillows of the bed, and she was covering her eyes. Luxa was wearing pants and a shirt, which is what she always wore in bed. The shirt was riding up, so Gregor started to pull it down for her, but stopped when he looked at the hem of her shirt. She was only a few weeks along, and she had been so sick, there was no way that it was possible for her to have gained any weight yet, but Gregor thought he saw just the tiniest bulge of her belly, instead of her usual athletic flatness. Gregir rested his hand there, and she took one hand away from her face to rest it on top of his.
Suddenly, Gregor didn't care what his parents said or did. He was an adult. Besides, what was so wrong with marrying the woman he loved, and starting a family with her? Gregor was almost certain that his parents wouldn't see it like that, but he would try anyway. Gregor was a father now, and he knew that he would do absolutely anything for his baby. He hoped that his parents could relate to that at least, and understand why they needed to put aside their fear and do this for him. Even if they didn't, Gregor knew that he and Luxa would figure something out. Gregor had never known stronger hope than he did in that moment. Where there is light, there is hope, and Gregor had just found the most powerful light he could have ever imagined.
"You're right Howard, that's a really great plan. I'll leave in the morning." Howard informed Gregor and Luxa that her sickness should get better as the pregnancy progressed, and also gave her some herbs and things to help in the meantime. Gregor went to Mareth and told him that his family had asked Gregor to visit immediately, as there was something wrong that they needed to address together, and he did the same with Vikus. The things that Gregor had brought from the Overland, including his clothes that had not been burned, were gathered, and he was soon ready to set out. When Gregor got back to the royal chambers, Luxa was asleep on her back. Gregor crawled in next to her, and placed a hand on her belly again. He checked to make sure she was really sleep, and then he leaned down so that his mouth was just inches from her navel.
"I can already tell that you'll be a handful, just like your mom. In fact, you're already being difficult. But that's okay. I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world, and I already can't wait to meet you." Gregor kissed Luxa's soft skin ever so gently, and then he gave her a kiss on her forehead before he went to sleep himself.