Kitana considered herself fortunate given the things that she had and still had.

She had a new realm, a new palace- both more Edenian than herself.

She still had her life, despite it having been turned inside and gutted; although she rather fancied the restart over her older one.

Then again, she was still getting used to things; she was still trying to find her footing.

It was still possible for her to wish things over again.

But above all, she still had an instilling sense of self-control.

A sense of self-control that was strong enough to lead her across the front courtyard and into the wide-spread palace; a sense of self-control strong enough to guide her past the awaiting guards and servants, and assure both parties that she was fine without their assistance- that she simply wanted to rest and unwind after her long day of traveling across the realms.

It was only when she got to her wing, to her personal corner of the palace, did she let her emotions get the best of her.

There were a large pair of double doors that separated her wing from the rest of the palace, that allowed her some sense of physical separation.

And Kitana slammed both of them behind her with enough force to knock not one, but two pictures off of the connected walls.

And in the silence that came afterwards, she didn't feel any better.

She was still worked up, still tense- still angry.

The hours she had spent with her emotions all bottled up inside of her had left them as such.

Tangled and compressed into a tight ball of impending chaos that she couldn't get out of her now.

"I'm in here, Kitana!"

She looked up at the call and felt some easement in her shoulders at the familiar voice; she tried to shake out the anger that still lingering in her hands before she slowly made her way towards the greeting.

And knowing Jade, she knew well of where to find the woman.

Making her way down the rest of the corridor, Kitana entered the large bedroom to her right and tried to take some solace in the pristine sight of it. Admittedly, she had left the room in a bit of mess when she had departed that morning, which was usual given how hectic her routine usually was; even after all these years, she never could sit in one place and get ready- much to Jade's annoyance.

But it was nice to see that after a day of personal brimstone and hellfire, there was at least one less thing that she needed to worry about.

The only outlier was the loose tunic that had been tossed over the back of a chair.

A motion Kitana knew was done on purpose.

Jade was strict about where things should and shouldn't go.

And a tunic left over the back of a chair was a sign of intentions, not forgetfulness.

When Kitana passed by the chair, she grabbed the soft tunic and carried it with her, using the familiar fabric to calm her hands even further- before she tossed it into a nearby basket as she entered the master bathroom.

Where she was welcomed by the sight of Jade nearly submerged to her shoulders in the tub.

And given the full glass of wine in one hand, as well as the half-empty bottle next to her, it looked as though the woman had just finished topping herself off.

"Oh my, that's quite a look," Jade remarked, picking up on her soured mood a little too easily- and quickly at that. "I take it your meeting with Queen Sheeva did not go well."

"That is putting it lightly," Kitana huffed, as she leaned against the door frame and reached down to loosen her heels. "It started off fine, as it usually does, but to be far too honest, Sheeva has a way of derailing her own meetings. And she has a way of doing so in the perfect manner to trifle with me; I would be surprised if she didn't act as such on purpose."

Removing her heels, Kitana tossed them back into the bedroom behind her before she made her way to the vanity table on the other end of the bathroom.

It was smaller than the one in the bedroom, but given that both she and Jade shared a living space now, it simply made sense for them to have two tables. Kitana didn't have a preference between them, but she knew that Jade liked to shower and apply her makeup afterwards- often times sitting here naked as she did so.

Growing up, the two of them had to share one since Jade's room didn't have a table; which wasn't too much of an issue since her duties then had been that of a bodyguard, so make-up wasn't a necessity for her to wear. But if Kitana needed to be escorted anywhere, Jade had to look the part.

The two of them had plenty of memories of cramming themselves together onto one seat, of laughing as they bumped into one another during the shared process.

But this was a new realm, a new palace- a new crown.

They could afford the luxury.

Taking a seat, Kitana took a look at herself in the mirror and noted her own, obvious scowl.

It was a miracle she hadn't unleashed some ungodly scream by now.

Watching herself in the mirror, Kitana began to take her hair out of its uptight style- and given the popping of hair pins around her, as well as the sight of her reflection, she was doing so rather violently, although she couldn't feel it.

"Should I ask what Sheeva did this time?" Jade questioned. "Or is it still too early? And you're too sober?"

"Both."

With her hair finally down, and pins mostly removed, Kitana grabbed the wipes that had been preemptively set out and began to scrub away at her make-up, eagerly erasing the hours worth of work she had put into it earlier. She stripped off the layers, the colors, scrubbing herself down to just bare skin, before she tugged off the fake eyelashes and tossed everything into the trash.

She was still angry.

She could see the harsh scrubbing marks on her face because of it.

It felt like her entire body was tightly coiled on the inside.

Pushing herself back to her feet, Kitana made her way back across the bathroom in exit- but not before detouring and snagging the bottle of wine Jade had brought in with her. And given that it was half-full, it either meant that the woman had only just started drinking, or that she had been sipping on it for awhile now to enjoy her heated bath.

"I suppose you need it more than I do."

Kitana could hear Jade laughing behind her as she stepped into the bedroom now.

Taking a deep drink from the bottle itself, Kitana felt like she barely tasted the wine before she set it aside on top of a dresser and went about undressing.

She loosened the back of her bustier before she peeled it off and tossed it aside- missing the obvious basket it should've landed in. Hands rubbed at the sore impressions that had been left behind on her skin from the fitted squeeze, before she pulled off her boot covers and then her pants. Much to Jade's soon-to-be dismay, Kitana let the discarded clothing grow into its own pile as she finished stripping herself down to just skin.

And admittedly, she felt a little better now.

Her heels were no longer contorting her feet.

And the squeeze of her uniform was no longer confining her body underneath it.

She could breathe again.

Hands rubbed at her neck, at her shoulders, before she moved to her closet and pulled out one of her silk robes.

She had nothing left for the remainder of the day.

She might as well take Jade's lead.

Slipping into the thin robe, Kitana grabbed the bottle of wine once more and stepped back into the bathroom.

Jade was sipping at her own wine, but still managed to shoot her an amused look over the rim of her glass.

"Three hours to put you together- and you took it all apart in a matter of minutes," the woman teased. "It's an impressive feat."

"You're mocking me," Kitana remarked, as she walked over to the woman and seated herself onto the edge of the tub. "I've had an awful day already, and you're mocking me."

Jade softly laughed once more before she sat up from her reclined position and set her glass aside.

"Well, it's hard not to when you won't tell me what's going on," she reminded.

Perhaps so.

She had been making a spectacle of herself this entire time.

Sighing, Kitana took another drink from the bottle before she turned to face the woman.

"Queen Sheeva told me that soon, I must bear children," Kitana started. "She said that parenthood would test my might- and prove myself."

"Have you told her we've been trying?"

"Jade, I am in no mood-" Kitana reminded.

A subtle warning.

Abet, a rather empty one as well- given that, at best, she would probably just go sulk in their bedroom.

"Queen Sheeva's views are skewed. Perhaps in Shokan tradition, it is viable- but we are not Shokan. And there are easier ways of testing your might that doesn't involve nine months of pre-work," Jade spoke, perhaps to help calm her back down. "You're still adjusting to Edenia, to Edenian traditions- and those alone are testing your strength every day. Sheeva just does not see the kind of work that you're doing here; her intentions are misplaced. And, to be frank, having a child would do nothing more than confuse you- as well as myself."

Trying to learn something new from scratch was not something Kitana expected at her age.

A new trick, a new skill- those she would always be open to learning.

But leading a new realm?

Trying to learn and enforce a new code of order?

Sometimes she just want to run back to Outworld, back to something she already knew, back to something she already understood.

But she didn't shed blood, sweat, and tears just to go running back there.

Kitana brought the bottle back to her lips and tilted her head back to take another, much longer drink from it.

"If you keep drinking like that, we'll just be trying again," Jade teased.

And Kitana opted not to respond to it.

"Do you think this sudden behavior from Sheeva is because Mileena has a child now?"

"Jade-"

Another warning.

One that Jade seemed to adhere to for the time being, as she leaned back into the water and grabbed at her glass once more.

Kitana didn't want to think about the remark, although she would be a liar if she said the thought hadn't already crossed her mind before. After all, it was something that she often times found herself stuck on.

It was one thing for Mileena to rule Outworld.

But it was another for her to marry so quickly afterwards- and then produce a child.

Outworld was often considered the birth place of magic, but Tanya had corrected everyone that it had been Edenian magic, not Outworld, that had helped the two of them produce a heir between them. And even to Outworld standards, it seemed both oddly normal yet oddly out of place.

To bear a child with no need for a father, with no need for a donor.

A child that was a balanced blend between the two.

Then again, Mileena had come to exist in a similar manner herself.

As much as Kitana didn't wish to think on it, perhaps that had actually been the catalyst for Sheeva's remark, for her sudden approach of the subject. After all, it seemed like Mileena was doing a much better job at controlling Outworld than she was at controlling Edenian; then again, Mileena also had far more experience at being a Kahn than Kitana had in any sort of leadership role.

"You know, Mileena knew Tanya for only ten years and they have a child now," Jade spoke suddenly, breaking her silence- and breaking Kitana from her thoughts. "I've known you for ten thousand. Where's my child? Where is our child?"

And now, she was certainly pressing her luck.

"Well Jade, maybe I'll find it at the bottom of this bottle," Kitana retorted.

The woman snorted out a laugh before she lightly splashed water at her. "Come on, join me. I'll help you unwind."

Help her unwind- as if she hadn't been doing just the opposite this whole time.

Standing up, Kitana set the bottle down before she pulled off her robe and tossed it aside. Turning back around, she stepped into the tub and noted that the water was still hot, which made her think that Jade hadn't been in it for too long; although she supposed the woman could've easily just ran the hot water again. Kitana lowered herself into the water and felt how the heat of it slowly engulfed her body.

When she settled in, she had herself submerged to her shoulders.

And already, she could feel the tension in her body giving away.

She could feel herself already starting to relax.

"Have you been in here all day?" Kitana asked.

"For most of it, yes," Jade nodded.

"No wonder you're so calm."

Jade gave a laugh at the remark. "I ran a few errands earlier, but that's about it. There's not much for me to do these days- now that I don't need to follow you around anymore. And there's not much of an army to look after either. There's also not a lot of combat or fighting going on. I still train, but sometimes I ask myself for what purpose is it good for?"

Kitana chuckled in return. "It does feel that way these days. There for a long time I used to yearn for days of peace. And now that we have them, I find that I'm not accustomed to them. I get bored too easily, too quickly."

"Perhaps that is why Mileena had a child."

She rolled her eyes before she reached for the wine bottle once more and drank from it. "Yes well, I suppose chaos can be used to preoccupy one's self with."

Jade took a drink from her glass as well.

"I sent them a gift, from the both of us," she remarked. "Just in case someone asks you about it."

"You did?" Kitana asked.

Her interest was piqued by the remark, although she supposed she shouldn't have been surprised by it.

Despite their differences, they had all grown up together.

Mileena was just as much a sister to Jade as Mileena was to her.

"Just baby things, you know, a blanket, a new outfit, some toys- and a bottle of wine for the moms," Jade spoke.

Fitting gifts.

And knowing Jade, and her eye for quality, the gifts would likely be some of the more expensive items that Mileena's daughter would have. Although, that wasn't to say that the rest of the child's belongings would be cheap either. Mileena had inherited Shao Kahn's wealth and Shang Tsung's elaborate spending; her daughter, barely a few weeks old by now, would be dressed in a small fortune for the rest of her life.

"Should I do something?" Kitana asked, speaking a pointed thought out loud. "I mean, Mileena and Tanya are Edenian, which means their daughter is Edenian as well. And seeing as Mileena is related to me, then she's also a part of the royal lineage- which means that her child is too. Should I address it? Should I... do something about it? For it?"

"Like what?" Jade questioned.

A soft shrug left her shoulders.

"I don't know- a certificate or something? Edenia is still new and I don't know of any traditions," she continued. "Should I start one? Should I send a gift to her child and state that it's now an Edenian tradition for new heirs to the lineage?"

Mileena's child would have all of Outworld at her fingertips.

But her Edenian heritage should still be addressed in some form or manner.

Perhaps it would be a small building block of progress between them.

They didn't fight as often anymore, but there was still tension; there was still a lot of confused and hurt feelings. Kitana had admitted and come to terms with the fact that, between the two of them, ironically, she was more of the aggressor; she had been quick to deny Mileena's existence, as well as attempt to erase it a few times before.

Mileena had always been oddly soft with her, and more focused on keeping up the family facade.

But Mileena had also admitted how her existence came from nowhere- and that she could understand her confusion and anger over it.

Their relationship had been fractured by those who had attempted to manufacture it.

And now that those people were gone, and they were in control, admittedly, neither of them knew how to proceed forward.

It was tense- and awkward.

But Gods help them, they were trying.

"I think it's a fitting idea," Jade offered.

"Yes, but I don't have an actual idea," Kitana finished, as she took another drink of wine.

Perhaps she still had time to think.

Jade's early gifts would buy her some time, but she couldn't risk delaying some form of acknowledgement for too long.

Kitana caught herself chuckling as a thought came upon her, and figured she had calmed down enough to humor it. "I don't have many ideas, but it would need to be something special, something worthy- something personal. Would giving their child a cousin to play with count as any of those?"

Jade laughed to herself through a matching sip of wine. "Depends."

And the subtle shrug that came with the response implicated something deeper to her single-word answer.

Vagueness was one of Jade's many hidden talents.

"On?" Kitana pressed.

"On how many children do you think Mileena is going to have, versus how many are you willing to have?"

A good question.

The first child was a surprise.

And while Kitana didn't foresee Mileena having more than one, she also didn't foresee her having one to begin with. Then again, not many people did. And even if someone did assume Mileena would have a child, she didn't have it with the person everyone thought of.

"I suppose that does require some deeper thinking," Kitana admitted, before thinking further on the remark herself. "Wait- me? Why wouldn't you have them?"

"You're royalty; it's your bloodline," Jade remarked, teasing her with another shrug. "You should do the work."

"Well yes, but Tanya was the one who had their child, and she's not the one with the bloodline," Kitana reminded.

Not that it mattered, because the child shared both of their bloodlines anyways.

But she supposed it was more about the principle of the matter.

"Yes, but Mileena still has enemies and she needs to stay on-guard for them."

"I have enemies too, Jade," she scoffed. "You know that."

"Yes, but you don't go anywhere."

Kitana rolled her eyes at the remark but found herself laughing anyways as she took another sip of wine.

Who knew that a hypothetical situation would rile the both of them into a debate.

Although, in fairness, it did show that they were both clearly thinking that the other one would shoulder the burden of bringing a child into this world. Which sounded about right. And which also meant that if they ever wanted to take that life path seriously, they really needed to sit down and talk it through first- without the wine and residual anger from the day.

"You know what? Let me finish this wine first and I'll probably be singing a different tune about this whole thing," Jade remarked.

"We don't even know what kind of magic they used," Kitana reminded.

"No, but that doesn't mean we can't keep practicing."

Based off this taunt:

Sheeva: Soon, you must bear children.
Kitana: I do not yearn to settle down.
Sheeva: Parenthood will test your might.