The last part of this was a tough decision, but I really did hate keeping the truth from our two main characters.

Maka was completely undressed, her clothes long gone and the only thing keeping her from shivering was the steam coming off the bath behind the screen. Mira had left her only a few minutes ago but it felt like eons and all Maka could do was stare at her body. Maybe there was a minute change in the curve of her abdomen, or perhaps even a deeper shade to her nipples. Or has that freckle on my hip bone always been there? The last came as a tease in her mind because of course, all this was ridiculous. It seemed impossible, inconceivable that this body had or could change so quickly to become something more than just the vessel for her own soul.

All of that apprehension tightened to a knot as the door opened again and Mira returned, trailed this time by a hooded figure. "I told you that some of us had special talents," Mira started quickly, strangling the questions on Maka's tongue. "This is one of the inner circle girls, so please don't touch her or look at her face."

"No, of course not," Maka murmured obediently as she remained still with her eyes once again focused on the curve of her hip bone.

"She will touch you," Mira warned in a low voice, "but she's feeling for a soul."

Maka's ears perked, "My mother…"

Mira nodded before smiling softly, "I've met a few with this talent." With a swift motioning of Mira's hand, the hooded figure broke from her. Both hands spread and inched closer to Maka. She sucked in a breath just as the icy fingers touched her skin. "Maka, you made me a promise last time. Have you been keeping it?"

"Every day," Maka nodded with stern surety. "I stay in bed most mornings now between the dizziness and the fatigue."

"Anything else?" Mira's push came with more probing from the fingers as if kneading the skin would offer more answers.

It took effort for Maka to roll her shoulders with at least some degree of easiness when inside the idea was all boiling to a head. Her mind had run over the list that Mira had given a few weeks ago, exhaustion, headaches, fatigue, back pain, dizziness, and as she compiled the checkmarks for the time that had passed the answer was all too obvious. The worst was the clearest sign of all: Maka could distinctly not remember bleeding since she'd come to stay at the castle. While she had comfortably blamed it on nerves originally since stressful times often throwing her body out of whack, it was really just one too many weights on one side of the scale.

Mira's smile stayed strong, never signaling an ounce of disbelief. As her fingers touched gently to Maka's arms the other's removed from her stomach. "You've done a convincing job either way. I've heard many whispers and even the Queen comes to visit for reassurance."

"The Queen?" Maka offered a weak laugh.

"It's strange," Mira added another drift of her fingertips against Maka's shoulder. "While I'm not necessarily sure she is comfortable with the idea of you as the princess, she is… actively trying to reserve her excitement about the possibility of a child."

That sentence swirled through her mind. The hooded figure slipped a robe over Maka's shoulders, breaking her from her confusion. "The Queen wants a grandchild?" Maka let a shaky laugh pass her lips.

"She misses her son." Mira left that as some kind of explanation as she turned and walked towards the table of herbs. The familiar sound of the mortar and pestle started.

Maka looked after her for a moment before turning her attention back to the hooded figure. "Thank you." She was careful not to let her curiosity get the better of her, even though she'd made note that those hands didn't look so young, that this was much less a girl and much more a woman. Though, should it be surprising? They stay in that service forever, don't they? But Mira said inner circle which means she's unwed, pure. I wonder if she's beautiful. To dismiss the thought Maka looked back at her middle, bringing the robe tightly around her but barely taking away the feeling of her nakedness.

The minutes ticked, the figure standing frozen as Maka fiddled with the fabric in her fingers, stealing glances at Mira. It felt like an eternity before Mira turned back to her, cup of piping tea pressing from her hands to Maka's. "Take this and soak for a while. I'll return after I've talked with the other priestesses."

"Thank you." The words felt useless on Maka's tongue because Mira didn't even seem to acknowledge them, just moving to the figure and pushing her out the door.

Mira's fingers were gripped tightly into the fabric, wanting to sink into that bicep but not daring to as they left the princess behind and hurried to the next room. The hood came off, delicate blond hair dancing down the back as it fell. "This is a nightmare," Yaara muttered.

"Wait," Mira pressed as she directed them in the room, shutting the door behind them. "Stein said she was pregnant."

"She is," Yaara sighed. "But it's not right. Something about that soul isn't right."

The air trembled in Mira's throat, "What do you mean?"

"Stein should have seen it," Yaara spat. "What is this man like, the prince?"

Mira shook her head, trying to break Yaara's trail before it even started. "He's a good man." She realized the weakness of the words as they hit Yaara and her mind started searching desperately for more. "There's never been a complaint placed against him besides some melancholy but his brother was killed and he fell ill-"

"What was he sick with?" Yaara latched on to the idea almost as quickly as she clung to Mira's arm.

"The physician treated him," Mira shook her head slowly. "Other than that it was kept quiet."

"The physician who is a witch," Yaara laughed. "Which means his sickness probably wasn't what it seems. Did Stein speak to that? Not that I expect Stein to know a prince."

Mira let her mouth sit closed, let the words rest on her tongue as she appraised who Stein had called an old friend of hers. I'm not sure there's much left of the woman I called a friend. Instead, she's this. Not Maka's mother or Spirit's wife or even that young girl that used to laugh at the yearlings that would chase each other in the fields. Listening to her now, am I sure who she is? "The prince grew up with your daughter. Came to stay with Marie and Stein. Didn't you know that?"

"I guess I should have expected Spirit would shirk his duties as a father." It was another sick laugh that accompanied that as Yaara rolled her shoulders and lost her grip on Mira.

Don't you see the irony there, Yaara? Mira wanted to laugh but instead, it came out as a hard, swift sigh. "Other than your daughter, Stein didn't mention much."

"He takes such an interest in her," anger seemed to drip off the words.

Mira couldn't help the reply from spilling off her lips, "He wants to protect her."

Yaara laughed ruefully. "Stein wants what he wants. Protecting her is just a side effect of that, I'm sure." She ditched the rest of the cloak on the back of a chair before focusing on Mira again. "I'm going to stay close by. Bring her in again in a month and I'll check again, but I don't trust what I saw in that soul."

Her teeth sunk into her tongue and Mira held onto all the rest, deciding finally that this was a stranger in front of her.

Soul was sure he was biased but everything about Maka that day looked perfect. Even the way she held herself, shoulders back, eyes wide and glowing even though he knew she was still struggling with the weariness that must be coming from their training. The room full of courtesans and dignitaries was the only thing stopping him from expressing that feeling with needy hands and soft lips. There was also an unhealthy mix of preemptively missing her since with Mira making her way to the middle of the court and his father calling for silence, Soul knew it was now just a matter of days.

"The princess has been thoroughly examined," Mira's proclamation in no way lacked power, settling even the minutest of murmurs in the room. "With the help of a particularly talented priestess of the inner circle we've come to decide that while still early in the process, the princess is carrying a child."

Maka was preparing herself to beam with accomplishment - since weren't women supposed to always be pleased about fulfilling their duty? - but any need for it was stolen from her. Soul grabbed her instead, lifting her quickly to her feet and with his other hand, steadied her cheek so that he could plant a dedicated kiss to her lips. Any pride was lost in the dizzying swell and tears replaced the glow in her eyes. "Soul…" but all the other words she could say were lost to her, just offering a smile in their stead.

Soul grinned, letting his thumb run down her jawline before turning his attention back to the room. "Thank you, priestess, for your diligence in this. We appreciate all you do."

"My pleasure, my prince." Mira gave a quick bow before taking one last look at Maka. The princess was nowhere near seeing it, her eyes too devoted to the man that she obviously loved. While she wanted to have faith in this child, Yaara's words still stuck in the back of her head. Unfortunately, that would have to wait and Mira turned quickly on her heels, making for the door.

"Congratulations," the King offered, his voice almost strange as it filled the absence of the Queen's. "I would say, my son, that this requires some kind of celebration. A feast, tomorrow, in honor of the princess."

"It's really…" Maka started but felt Soul's hand slip into hers, squeezing. It's nothing. It's my duty, isn't it? It's what I promised and… Another squeeze pulled their fingers together and Maka let the rest slide off her tongue, "It's too kind of you, your majesty. I'm honored you'd even consider."

"Nonsense," the King dismissed her quickly. "It's fitting. Tomorrow it is."

Maka was quick to nod in agreement before turning to watch Soul's effortless grin. "We should take a turn around the room."

Even with the amusement on his face the whisper that he pressed next to her ear held no tone of it, "I'd rather not parade you around. You're tired."

"I appreciate that, but it's expected," Maka replied with a sigh as she took a step and tugged his hand. She found resistance and as she turned to admonish him it froze in her throat.

Soul was still only because his mother no longer was. The Queen had stepped towards him, her hand suddenly but gently coming to his cheek to keep him still enough for her whisper. Maka tried to read the words from his eyes, finding his face still relaxed in the grin but his eyebrows trembling slightly upward. The calm on his face continued to threaten to crumble as his mother pulled away and let that hand slip from his cheek to Maka's shoulder.

Mira's explanation flashed in Maka's mind again: She misses her son. With just a second's hesitation, Maka placed her hand over the Queen's, leeching all of the desperate feelings. She meant to find hatred, spitting disdain for Maka's common blood but as she should have expected that was hardly the root of it. There was a protectiveness whispering there that spoke to her much like Soul's, except that it was blind, apt to lashing out and doing in the moment rather than with careful thought like her son. The last note, the hardest and the one that brought the tears to Maka's eyes, was the sadness, the cruelest injury that came with losing a child and holding on to it until it became poison.

So while Maka had originally thought this would be the place where she would crow with pride about deals being upheld, she was only able to let her fingers drift softly over the Queen's knuckles before slipping her hand to clear the tears from her eyes. Instead of having to tug on Soul again, he was urging her forward, his hand detaching from hers to move to support her by taking her weight at her elbow. "You OK?" he murmured.

"Fine," the word felt weak and airy from her mouth but she tried to offer him a smile to negate it. Maybe she didn't want it this way, but she does want new life. Mira was right, maybe I'm not entirely acceptable but the idea of this kind of blessing rather than another death… "We can talk about it later," Maka added for him and her own mind that wanted to perseverate.

Just as royal etiquette dictated, Maka was turned around the room like a prized sow to be fawned over with mostly genuine enthusiasm. The way their eyes fell over her was certainly uncomfortable but Maka continued to remind herself that it was at least better than their hands, like the icy cold fingers of that hooded priestess. It was the warm words she tried to focus on, but still allowed the weakness of leaning into him, of requiring Soul to take some of the physical weight as the mental piled on.

Maybe it had been hours but as the crowd refused to dwindle, Soul took matters into his own hands. Without letting her get in a word edgewise, Soul pulled her from the crowd and started the push towards the hallways. It was barely a royal goodbye, much closer to a royal disappearance which was what Soul was always used to even if he now had to remind himself that he was almost a King. He was slowly pushing towards a place where he could no longer do these kinds of things, but for her, at that moment, all he wanted was a second of quiet.

Maka didn't resist, letting him guide her back to their room with a sigh of relief. Liz was already awaiting them at the door and Maka watched the interaction between the two with interest, something definitely changing hands but without much acknowledgment. She quickly tried to cover it up by leaning close to Maka, "Do you need anything? There's two of you now, after all."

The laugh choked in Maka's throat but she still managed a smile. "Maybe bring up some fresh water, some fruit, but nothing else, really."

Liz was turning with a nod before she stopped herself and snapped her head back. "I forgot: congratulations! You should take a minute to pat yourself on the back that your first mission was a success," she finished in a hurried whisper before getting back on her way.

That icy feeling was back at the idea of success and it only abated when his hand came to the small of her back, urging her to turn and come through the doorway. All he had to do was get her behind the closed door before she let some of it fall away as she plunged back into the bed. "I don't remember you liking to be in bed this much," Soul let out a weak laugh.

"Well, I doubt we're allowed to go galavanting in the woods all that much anymore, and I assume Mira would be cross with me if I was out fighting in the ring, so I've been ending up with my third pick." Maka squeezed her arms around the pillow, digging her cheek in to steal away the scent of him that was leftover.

Soul let out an amused chuckle but instead of joining her, he opted to sit at the end of the bed, eyeing her. "You read my mother, didn't you?"

Maka nodded slowly as she trapped a sigh in the fabric. "Do you want to know?"

His eyebrows went through a revolution of furrowed to high before relaxing back. "Can I guess?"

Maka eased her grip in the pillow a little so that she was free to look at him. "Was it obvious from what she said?"

"Maybe it should be," he sighed. "Her congratulations sounded real but… she warned me I'd feel different once I was a parent. I think she assumes I'm going to learn some kind of lesson about how she feels."

"Mostly right," Maka smiled softly. "It's because of your brother."

"What?" Soul's eyebrows went back to furrowed.

Maka rolled over to get a good look at his face and reached out a hand, getting him to play with her fingers. "She couldn't protect him, so she had to protect what she had left, even if she was protecting it from the wrong thing," Maka motioned towards herself forlornly.

"Wish she knew you weren't all that dangerous," Soul chuckled.

"She's still so sad, Soul," Maka answered wistfully as she felt the tears threaten in her eyes again. "You have to… when I leave, you have to make sure to support her through that."

Soul shook his head to try to unjumble that idea to no avail. "She hasn't exactly shown you any kindness, Maka. I'm not sure she's going to be torn up that you're gone."

"But the baby." It was strange to rest her hand on her stomach at the idea but she let it happen, allowing her fingers to flex into the fabric. "I'm not sure she could bear to lose another life."

"You're…" he seemed to chew this over with no way of letting it out. The pause was long enough that Liz returned with Maka's meager request in hand. "Thanks, Liz."

The platter was left at the bedside table before Liz exchanged glances with the two. "Anything else?" Even though Liz wished for a swift 'no' since Soul's face spoke of nothing but a tension that she didn't want to be a part of.

"Ask Black Star to come by in an hour, OK?" Soul couldn't finish that with a smile, just a nod as he watched Liz exit the room. When the door shut and the silence came back, Soul let out a long sigh, "That's the first time you've done that."

"Done what?" Maka asked but could guess and she tensed her hand in anticipation.

"Your hand," he motioned toward it with the jut of his chin. "And kind of the way you're talking, too. Did Mira tell you something yesterday that you're keeping from me? And if you are keeping it, I'd like to know why the hell you would."

Maka didn't hesitate to sit up and shrink the space between them so she could come behind him and throw her arms around his shoulders. "You're getting mad at me pretty quickly, Soul."

"I'm not-" but he cut off with a sigh. He leaned forward to put his head in his hands and Maka came with him, adding weight to his back as she refused to let go.

"Mira didn't tell me anything new yesterday, neither did the mute priestess from the inner circle," she murmured softly against his neck before placing a kiss there. "And, again, I tried searching this morning but there was no tag-a-long soul, so I'm not keeping anything from you." Maka nuzzled into his neck, searching for the warmth and reassurance she knew was there. "But I'm going to admit that I'm… I don't know what to call it. Confused? Concerned? Unsure? I don't know how exactly I feel so saying it to you is hard and I was going to try over the next few days before I left, but…"

"Maka, please, just try," he murmured as his hands came up to her arms, gripping her tightly.

"I haven't been acting," Maka let the words tremble out with a slow exhale.

His fingers curled a little harder into her skin, just enough pressure to almost be painful. "For how long?"

"Well," Maka had to swallow to keep the warbling out of her voice. "I thought maybe it was just that Mira had put those things in my head so when I got back from the temple it wasn't hard to be tired or nauseous. It didn't take much more than just considering it and then, poof, I was. I was going to start complimenting myself on how strong my mind was but then… then I was just kind of waking up that way. And I guess with all the mystical signs that I was waiting for I missed the most obvious." Maka let out a raw little laugh as she clutched tighter to him. "About two weeks after we started… I was supposed to bleed. I didn't. And by now I've missed a second. I could easily excuse one for stress but two?"

His breath hitched and tried to settle before he whispered out, "Then you are?"

"I can't say I don't think so anymore."

Soul's hands were quick to negotiate her, to bring her from his back to his lap. It was a strange, tight grimace on his lips as his hand slipped under her chin. "Remember what you promised me."

A smile softened the worry on her lips. "I'll try not to have this baby without you."

"Damn it," he hissed before he forced her lips to his. It was his turn to explore the way it felt to clutch at her stomach, to imagine what was there. Soul couldn't deny his mind had already done this too many times to count but now there didn't seem to be a rational argument against it. As he flexed his fingers into her dress he was begging in his mind: Be real, but at the same time, be normal. I know you're going to hurt her but just what you're supposed to, got it? Nothing more than that and help her keep her promise. Let me be with you when the time comes.