Daja was leaning forward over the table, her chin resting in her hand, her elbow propped up. She watched as Sandry pushed her food half-heartedly around her plate, and reached out gently with her mind, sensing that this was a time when her sister needed the intimacy of mental conversation.

What's wrong, sister? She enquired gently. What did your uncle say?

Sandry glanced up and smiled sadly. Nothing much, really. Only that he was glad I was safe and happy, and he made some jokes about Jonathon… but Daja, he looked so very thin… She let the other girl see the memory of Duke Vedris' face, exhausted and flushed with emotion. Daja winced; that was not the face of a happy, carefree man. Sandry's disappearance had taken its toll on him; he had not looked half so old when they had left him last. Sandry was silent for a moment, and then raised a hand to her face and brushed her eyes. It's not as if I'll never see him again, anyway… we can still talk sometimes, through the spell. Tell me about something else. Tell me about Daine. Daja had mentioned her encounter with the Wildmage very briefly, and Sandry had found her descriptions fascinating. I told Jonathon you'd met her, you know, and he was full of stories… apparently she's coming to the ball tonight, so you have to show up.

Daja groaned, but reluctantly acquiesced, grinning. Sandry was still complaining about the infinite number of balls she was forced to attend; she had never spent much time at social dances back in Emelan, and had only remembered after her marriage that that was going to have to change. She had accordingly made it her mission in life to try to drag her friends along to as many of them as she could. She was most often successful with Daja, who had always had a soft spot for Sandry's predicaments. Tris could now convey 'don't even try it' with a single raised eyebrow, which wasn't bad, even for Tris.

Sandry gave her a tired, pleased smile. Daja looked carefully at her friend; there was something new about her, something she hadn't seen before. She didn't know how she had missed it. Carefully she approached her friend's mind; there was definitely something there, some seed of a tiny foreign presence, almost imperceptible, almost as if…

"Ah," Daja said smugly, "you're pregnant. I should have guessed."

Sandry looked up and grinned. "I thought you might work it out. I mean, we don't know for sure yet, but…"

A slow smile was spreading across Daja's face. She leapt to her feet and sprung over to Sandry, wrapping her arms around her sister, pressing her cheek against Sandry's and laughing good-luck prayers in rapid Tradertalk. Sandry laughed back and hugged Daja, her cheeks flushed. When the smith-mage finally released her and went back to her own chair, smiling, Sandry ran a hand through her hair and took a sip from her drink. There was a pause, and then Sandry murmured, "It is a bit scary, though. I mean, you know…"

"I understand," Daja said softly. "Jonathon knows?"

Sandry shook her head. "I don't know- he might have guessed. I haven't told him, though, I wanted to be sure before…"

"I'm sure," Daja said positively. "If Briar and Tris weren't running off all the time, they'd have noticed by now, too." She scowled. "Actually, now that I come to think about it, Cythera and Alanna have been looking tired as well… and very pale in the mornings."

Sandry stared. "You think they might be… that would be wonderful!"

Daja shrugged. "You want to know, ask them. I only guess… will you tell Jonathon now?"

Sandry bit her lip. "I don't know how to, really."

"He'll be delighted," Daja assured her. "He'd better be, anyway," she added dryly, as she heard familiar footsteps coming up the stairs that led to the room, Sandry and Jonathon's quarters. "Don't worry about it." She got to her feet, gave Sandry one last hug, and then slipped out of the doorway just as Jonathon opened the door and walked in. He turned his head as Daja darted past him, and then looked back at Sandry, rather bemused.

She took a deep breath and beckoned him over. "Jon," she began tentatively, "I have something to tell you…"