I want to thank everyone for the really great response to the last chapter. It feels good to know that what I write resonates with people, and that the characters are believable enough to touch people. Please, please the feedback coming.

Author's Note: I said in the beginning I would keep this as true to the lore as could, except for certain exceptions. This chapter is an exception, but one that I feel you will forgive me for.

Chapter 10

"Zevran, enough! Just enough already!" Lya snapped. "You've had a constant watch on me for two weeks and nothing has happened. I haven't had a single minute alone since I passed out. You are making too much of this and I need some time by myself!" She was so frustrated with this whole situation. She knew Zevran was just doing his job, but he was doing it far too well at the moment. She lowered her voice, trying to keep the angry edge out of it. "Please, Zev. I just need some time alone. I'm not even going to leave my room. You can wait right outside the door if you want, just let me be alone for a little while." She looked at him pleadingly, trying to make him understand.

He looked at her for a long moment, before shaking his head angrily and gathering his papers. "In that case, I'm going to take the rest of the day off. I will see you in the morning." He walked out of the room without a backwards glance, shutting the door behind him harder than necessary.

Lya sighed. What was wrong with her? Zevran was her friend and had done so much for her, and she was being a child. He was only concerned about her. She had been so moody and off balance lately. Was it lingering after effects of the fever she had or something else? She wasn't normally susceptible to the mood swings some women had every month, but it happened sometimes. If that was it, she hoped her cycle would just start already so she could get it done with.

Suddenly her eyes shot open and her hands flew to her mouth. Her cycle! How long had it been? She thought back frantically to the last time she had had one. How long? Her mind raced as she thought. Amaranthine, she suddenly remembered. It had been in Amaranthine. That's what had made one of her last weeks there so miserable. She hadn't had a cycle in two and a half months, and in all the worry and stress she hadn't even noticed.

She flew across the room to floor length mirror, shedding clothes as she went. She stood before the mirror, naked as the day she was born, looking at herself sideways. Was she seeing what she thought? Yes, she was. A slight roundness in her lower abdomen; a firmness there that was more than muscle. She fell to her knees as her legs became suddenly unable to support her.

Her breath came in ragged gasps, her heart racing as she fought against the urge to be sick. The night before Alistair left, there was no other possibility. She had been pregnant for two months and she hadn't known it. Oh, Maker, what if she had hurt the baby with her stubborn pride by trying to do too much? She had never been so scared in her life, and she had never wished so desperately for her mother.

Golanth came over and whined softly, trying to ease her distress. She threw her around his neck, leaning on his huge body for support. He panted happily, wagging his tail and giving her face a swipe with his tongue. Something was wrong with his mistress, but he was making it better. She sat there for a long time, holding onto her oldest friend as thoughts raced through her mind. She was so absorbed that she didn't hear the knock on her door.

"Lya?" Shaye's gentle voice brought her back to reality. Shaye had poked her head in the room when she didn't get a response to her knock. She saw Lya kneeling on the floor, hugging her mabari with her clothes in a trail across the room. She slipped into the room and shut the door. She went quickly to the queen's side. As soon as she was kneeling beside her, Lya flung herself into the mage's arms, the tears already falling.

Shaye rocked Lya as she cried, shushing her with soft soothing words. Eventually, the tears slowed and stopped, and Shaye gently smoothed Lya's hair back into place. "Hush, it's all right, Lya. Everything's going to be all right." She gave Lya a crooked smile. "I guess you've finally noticed, then?"

Lya stared at her in shock. "You knew?" she gasped. "You knew and you didn't tell me? How could you? What if I had done something to hurt…?" She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

"I suspected, Lya. I wasn't sure, but I thought this might be the case. I didn't want to give you false hope. And I've been watching out for you. I would never have let you do anything to hurt yourself or the baby." She helped the young queen get to her feet. "Come, let's get you dressed and we can talk about it." Lya dressed slowly, still dazed. When Shaye made sure she was safely sitting, she went to the door and asked the guard if he could please have a servant bring some tea and something to eat.

A servant was at the door in minutes and Shaye took the tray, gently but firmly preventing the elven maid from entering. She poured Lya a cup of tea and added a few herbs from a pouch on her belt before pressing it into her hand. "Drink, Lya, it will make you feel better." Lya drank almost absently, the hot tea and herbs immediately relaxing her. Shaye pressed her to finish the cup, and when it was empty, poured her another, without herbs this time. Shaye poured herself her own cup and sat back waiting. Lya would talk when she was ready.

Eventually, Lya looked up from her tea into the calm gray eyes of her newest friend. "What am I going to do, Shaye?"

Shaye laughed softy. "Well, I would say first we might need to think about finding a suitable nursery, start looking at names, maybe even start knitting some booties."

"No, that's not-!"

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Lya, I was only teasing. Friends can do that, can't they? You want to know what you should do about the baby. Well, first I would say just make sure you get plenty of food and rest. I'm not saying stuff yourself or take to your bed, mind you. Just don't skip meals or stay up too late trying to do work. Listen to your body. When it tells you something, do it."

Lya nodded. "That makes sense, I guess. Are you sure I shouldn't spend more time resting? I pushed myself so hard earlier…?

Shaye laughed gently. "No, Lya, I'm sure. Excessive rest would probably do more harm than good. In fact, I would suggest making sure you got some light exercise everyday. Perhaps not sparring like you're used to, but working with the forms and motions and some vigorous walking would be good."

"But won't that…? I don't know. Wouldn't that be bad?"

"You're healthy and strong, Lya. Remaining that way will be better for both you and the baby. None of those things will hurt the baby. If you feel like you can't handle it, just stop and we'll find something else. But I don't think either of those will be too taxing." Lya absorbed her words thoughtfully, her mind beginning to get used to the shock and starting to react normally.

Shaye phrased her next question carefully. "Lya, is there anyone you want to tell? Anyone you want to know about this?" Lya's eyes flew back to meet hers before she shook her head.

"No. I want…I want to tell him first. I don't want you to say a word to anyone, Shaye! Not a word!" Lya was suddenly terrified that it would all be for naught; that Alistair would never come home, that he would never know he was going to get to be a father.

"Very well, Lya," she agreed. "I have no problem with that. But if you wait too long, you will have to tell people. It's not a secret you can keep forever, you know."

Lya looked down at the vest, loose shirt and soft pants she normally wore. She was suddenly grateful that these outfits didn't reveal her figure very much. She grinned crookedly at Shaye. "But I can still keep the secret for awhile, right?" Shaye laughed again softy.

"Of course, Lya. I'll even help you alter your pants so we don't have to trouble any of the maids and start any unseemly gossip that the queen is getting fat."

The women shared a chuckle before slipping into silence. Lya's thought were wandering again and Shaye let her think. Lya finally looked back at her and her eyes were a little scared again. "I want Wynne, Shaye. You've been very kind to me this last week or so, and I truly have come to think of you as a friend, but I want Wynne." Shaye looked sympathetically at the younger woman. Lya had almost no family and Shaye knew Wynne was the closest thing to a mother she had left. Shaye didn't even know if the elderly mage still lived, but she would try to find her for Lya is she could.

"I will do my best, Lya. Truly, I will. But even if we cannot find her, you will be fine. You've come through far more difficult things than this." Lya nodded at her reassurances, but when she looked away her eyes were still troubled.