There had only been three times in his life where Corrin had voluntarily dropped Yato. The first time was when he took a gaping blow across his sternum to save Azura from the literal clutches of a Faceless. The second was when he saw the daunting army before him during their final battle with Anankos, and the third was when he cast the legendary weapon aside to hug Azura after the battle.

Today marked the fourth.

"What?"

The young woman before him clasped her hands together nervously. "I'm sorry to tell you that because of the poison…the two of you may lose the baby."

The world seemed to turn around Corrin as he staggered back. His hand let Yato drop to the ground as he caught himself on one of the few training dummies he hadn't eviscerated yet. The ground seemed to spin underneath him, and Corrin felt himself wanting to throw up more than once as he looked up at the nurse.

"You're lying," he finally stammered out. "You're lying. There's no way we could have lost Ada this late."

The nurse pursed her lips. "I-I'm sorry. Doctor Ludwig already ran dozens of tests on the womb. We're detecting no signs of life from Lady Azura other than her own."

"You're…you're lying!" Corrin shouted jabbing a finger at her. "Take me to her. I want to see this for myself."

"Milord, please!" the nurse begged. "Barging in now would only disturb the queen's rest, and—"

"I don't care," Corrin growled, pushing past her. "Either you take me to see her, and I turn the door into splinters."

Corrin left the nurse behind in the training yard as he pushed his way past the hallway. Servants and knights most stumbled back in alarm at the hard look on his face, but Corrin could not bring himself to care. All he cared about was reaching his room.

When he finally reached the door, he all but tore the door away as he stomped in. He felt a small pang of guilt at the cries of surprise and shocked expressions from the healers as he grabbed the doctor by the front of his tunic and shook his hard enough to fling his glasses across the floor.

"Tell me you're lying," he growled. "Tell me our child is alright!"

"I'm zorry, your machesty! All zee zigns are zere!" the doctor exclaimed. "Ve'fe tried effery manner of sbell, herb, and trick! Ve can't find hanozer zign of life!"

Corrin stared blankly at the doctor. Then, slowly, he released the doctor's shirt and let his hands fall to his sides.

"I…I see," Corrin said simply. "Is…is there any hope…?"

"I'm afraid not," the doctor said. Then, awkwardly, he added, "If…If vu visch, ve could leaffe zee tvo of vu alone. Let vu zau zome final koodpyes."

"Doctor Ludwig!" one of the healers exclaimed. "You can't just—"

"He dezerffes it," the doctor said. "No one schould haffe to zuffer zis kind of loss, Hesbecially ven zee child vas zo cloze to Harriffing. Let him haffe his time. Arh ! Zere's nein risk to zee badient if he doesn't touch Hanyzing."

Slowly, reluctantly, the other healers rose and shuffled past Corrin, out the door into the hallway. The doctor was the last to leave, and as he shuffled past Corrin, he rested a hand on his shoulder and murmured, "I'm zo zorry for your loss, your machesty. Truly, I am. Put don't forget zat...zat first schtep tovards Hoffercoming grief is anger or denial. It's natural to feel zis vay, Hesbecially afder zomezing like zis. If vu or Lady Asura effer haffe need of Hadffice, I could—"

"We'll be fine," Corrin said flatly. "Just give us space."

The doctor retracted his hand. "Of course. Call us if vu need hanyzing."

When the doctor closed the door behind him, Corrin continued staring blankly at his wife. Then, slowly, he sank to his knees, buried his face in his hands, and began to cry.