Here you are, the third chapter in Tah's misadventures in the world of soon-to-be parenthood!

Things start to ramp up from here...

Chapter 3: I Can Explain Everything

A month passed quickly in the Castle of the Crystal.

skekTah kept up his observations, reporting anything new he found to the Scientist. The first thing to be reported on was the couplings he'd noticed, which would help skekTek detect pregnancies when he did his 'routine examinations' of the others. He kept the confession from the sleep talking skekHak to himself, though.

The Emperor had retired to his chambers almost exclusively by the end of the month. Walking hurt and he could no longer host meals or events. skekLach cared for him, bringing him meals and keeping the rest of the court away. Even skekTek, who tended to the Emperor's health, found himself on edge if he ever needed to slink past the Collector to reach Emperor skekSo.

The pregnancy was rapidly nearing its end. The Scientist had already deduced that it could end much sooner than he'd predicted. What should be a month could be reduced to mere days.

Tomorrow was the day skekTah had been ordered to deliver the news to the rest of the court. The Schemer was doing his best to try and prepare himself. The Emperor, due to his condition, would not be present. Neither would the Collector, who would be guarding the doors to skekSo's chambers in preparation for any violent reactions to the news.

There shouldn't be any violent reactions, though. skekTek had predicted this based on his findings. skekEkt was not the only one pregnant now.

Apparently skekZok had been pregnant for a few weeks longer than the Ornamentalist. skekVar and skekSa too were pregnant, along with the Chamberlain, all very early along compared to skekEkt and skekZok. None of them had been told yet. This would be revealed tomorrow by the Scientist, who was to join the Schemer in this announcement.

It made skekTah very nervous. Two of his allies were pregnant. It was guilt-inducing, not telling them anything.

One more day. Just one more day and there would be no more secrets. He could last that long.

.o.o.o.o.

"Are you sure we have everything?" skekTah asked.

"Yes, I'm sure! The worst that can happen is that a few of them will yell and try to pick a fight with the Collector," skekTek stated, shuffling papers into order. "What I want to know is if you're ready."

"…As ready as I can make myself," the Schemer admitted.

"Good. Tomorrow will be hectic," the Scientist declared, setting these papers aside. "If your observations are right, then perhaps the news that their mates are pregnant will keep the likes of skekUng and skekNa from trying anything."

"I hope you're right," skekTah said, wringing his hands. "Has this all been delivered to the Emperor?"

"He'll know when we tell the rest of the court. Until then, all this mating stuff between anyone else stays our secret," skekTek replied. "The Emperor doesn't need to know right now. His condition is rather precarious."

"Do you really think it could be days?"

"It's possible. It certainly won't be a month," the Scientist grumbled. "The children developed quickly in the last month. Could be any day now. I've got skekLach giving me daily reports in case there are complications."

skekTah found that rather funny, the fact that the Scientist was now ordering the Collector around. Not even a hundred trine ago, their positions had been reversed. Then again, the Emperor had not been pregnant one hundred trine ago, nor had the Collector cared for him this much.

The concept of love was still a puzzling factor in the Schemer's mind. skekHak's precise usage of the word that chilly morning a month ago still haunted him. Was that word used between anyone else in the castle? Did the Collector proclaim it for the Emperor?

He could not know without asking. He could not ask without admitting to his own experience with the word. And he could not admit to what happened with skekHak. Not to anyone. Not right now.

He put the endless puzzle aside for the moment. He had to be ready for tomorrow. It was to be a big, stressful morning. He would not only reveal Emperor skekSo's secret, but the secrets of others that did not know what they harbored. Including two of his own allies.

It was not a betrayal of trust. There was no trust concerning this. It was okay.

…Right?

skekTek sighed, noting the position of the suns. "I'd better go see to the Emperor. You make sure you're ready for tomorrow, Schemer. We can't afford to mess this up or skip anything."

"I know," skekTah nodded. "Good luck."

"With the way skekLach has been acting, I'll need it," skekTek barked, collecting his cane and a few herbs and medicines before limping from the laboratory.

skekTah left too, deciding to search out his allies. They had all seemed rather on edge as of late. Perhaps they had noted their weight gain, as skekEkt and skekZok had, and were concerned about it?

He'd need to discreetly put those fears to rest. He certainly didn't want a panic to form the day before they'd get the answer to their questions. The last thing they wanted was a riot before the announcement was made.

.o.o.o.o.

skekTah found them meeting together in one of the empty chambers.

There were lots of those in the castle. Countless rooms but only nineteen Skeksis to occupy them. Aside from the insignias and banners along the walls, the tapestries and ornaments scattered about, the room was plain and empty. Yet another nook for alliances to meet and speak together in private, granted no one walked in on them mid-meeting.

His five primary allies were there—skekVar, skekMal, skekHak, skekSa, and skekGra. skekLi, though ally by word of mouth, drifted between theirs and skekZok's alliances. skekYi joined him in this drifting, never quite tying himself down to any alliance in particular. Neither was present, likely off pestering the Ritual-Master, as they were so fond of doing.

"There you are!" skekTah said, approaching.

"skekTah! I thought we'd never catch you outside of that lab," skekVar joked.

"Sorry. The Emperor has me busy with this project," the Schemer explained.

For that was his excuse now. He was involved in a secret project with skekTek, as ordered by the Emperor. It was extensive and exhaustive, explaining his frequent absences. He could not go into much detail due to its secrecy. His alliance didn't pester for details, though they frequently asked about his health and welfare when they managed to catch him.

"Please tell me it's almost done," skekSa begged. "The Emperor can't possibly keep you on this for much longer!"

"It ends tomorrow," skekTah promised.

"Thank Thra!" the Mariner cried.

"What a relief! Maybe we'll finally have our Schemer back fulltime," the General teased.

"Hopefully," skekTah nodded, cracking a smile. "How have you all been? I've heard worrying things from skekTek about those examinations."

"He says it's just weight gain…but I feel that's not it," skekVar admitted, tapping his armored belly. "skekSa and I have been talking. This is much too sudden. Neither of us has altered our routines enough to warrant this sudden…growth…"

"Our diets haven't changed either. skekEkt talks about it too," skekSa added. "He thinks skekTek is hiding something from us. The Gourmand surely isn't to blame for this."

skekEkt was talking about it? Oh no…

"And the Emperor was the first to show these signs! He started gaining weight months ago and now look at him. He can't even leave his chambers!" skekVar continued.

"What are you saying, skekVar?" skekTah asked, suddenly concerned. "Are you saying that…all of these cases are connected?"

"I'm certain they must be. It's the same between us all," skekVar nodded. "Even skekZok has suspected so!"

skekZok was talking too? Oh no…

"skekAyuk has done nothing to the food. The only other that could affect us is the Scientist and all of his chemicals and medicines!" skekGra snarled. "He slipped the Emperor something, saw it succeeded, and is slowly slipping it to us all! Perhaps he hopes to snatch the throne in all this chaos!"

"Hold on! Let's not jump to conclusions!" skekTah pleaded, panic bursting in his chest. If this kept up, the Scientist could be in danger. "This could all be a horrible coincidence!"

"Between six Skeksis? The Chamberlain has mentioned it to me. He too is afflicted with this sudden gain in weight," the Hunter pointed out, frowning. "No, this is no coincidence."

"skekTah, you've been around skekTek for the past month," skekSa recalled. "Has he said or done anything strange while you were around?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all, besides schedule your exams and check on the Emperor," skekTah replied, guilt gnawing at him.

"skekTek is not stupid! He knows the Schemer is clever. He wouldn't do anything to draw attention to himself while skekTah was in the lab with him," skekGra barked. "No, this is being done while he's holed up alone! Thra knows he's by himself enough!"

"I'm sure the Scientist is not involved!" skekTah cried. "He's been going over everyone's exams. He's noticed the weight gain. He's just as confused! Honest!"

"He's faking it," the Conqueror growled.

"And what if he isn't, skekGra? What if skekTek didn't cause this?" skekSa countered, wringing his hands nervously. "What if skekTah is right and we're overreacting?"

"It could be something else," skekMal admitted. "A virus or something."

"skekTah, tell us plainly. You say skekTek is confused by our exams results. He doesn't know what's wrong with us. Has he mentioned any solutions? Anything at all?" skekVar questioned.

"I…" skekTah choked, the urge to spill everything tickling his throat. He forced it back. "He's said nothing. Just wondered what it was and why you all have it."

"That's not good," skekHak said, looking at the General in concern. "If skekTek doesn't know what it is…and it's spreading among us…"

"skekTah… Do you think this could be lethal?" the General asked.

The Schemer froze. Hush fell over the group. Nervous glances were exchanged. skekSa's hand wringing grew more frantic.

Words filled skekTah's head. Words that skekTek spoke. Old reports that the Scientist had made from past studies. Studies that bore…ill results.

"Though pregnancy is normal and tends to work itself out over the course of gestation, I have seen complications. They're uncommon but they do happen. Very rarely will the pregnancy result in the child dying. Even rarer will it result in the mother dying. Rare, but not unheard of. I've come across cases. None that I've personally seen, but I've heard enough tales of pregnancies that killed the mother in question. I've even heard of neither surviving to the end. Again, it is rare…but not impossible."

Will it be lethal?

No, it shouldn't be. skekTek never brought it up before in terms of their pregnant fellows. And it was rare, right? No, it couldn't possibly happen to a Skeksis.

…But what if it did?

It was possible. Gelfling and Podlings had died giving birth before. He doubted a Skeksis was immune to such a thing.

Scenarios burst unbidden in the Schemer's mind. The day coming when the child was born. The birth. A child's first cry. The sudden announcement of the parent's passing.

He pictured skekSa and skekVar in such a position and shuddered violently.

No. Absolutely not. Impossible.

…Not impossible. Rare. Very rare. But possible.

"skekTah?" skekVar questioned, confused by the lack of response.

Oh Thra, he'd never thought about it before. What if skekSa or skekVar, or—Thra forbid—both of them, died from this? What was he to do? He didn't want anyone to die!

"skekTah? Are you okay?" The General had noticed his shaking. Concern colored his voice now. "You don't look so well."

"Do you need to lie down, skekTah?" skekSa asked.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't keep this up. This was wrong. Wrong! They deserved to know! Oh Thra, why hadn't he just told them right away? What if they died? He was an idiot!

This could kill them! They could die! Oh Thra, no!

"You're pregnant."

"…What was that?" skekSa asked.

"Something about something being…pregnant? Speak up, Schemer," skekGra huffed. "We can't hear you when you mutter like that."

"You. Are. Pregnant," skekTah ground out.

"…What?" skekVar asked, baffled.

"You and skekSa. skekZok and skekEkt and skekSil. The Emperor. You are all pregnant!" the Schemer declared. "You are carrying children. You…mated. You are pregnant! That is why you are gaining weight! You have a child, or maybe multiple children, inside of you! You. Are. Pregnant!"

The room fell dead silent. All skekTah could hear was his own ragged breathing. His heart boomed in his ears, drowning every other noise out.

There, I did it, he thought. I told them. Guilt absolved. Happy? Because skekTek won't be once you tell him this!

"…We're…pregnant?" skekSa asked.

"Is that possible? Can we get pregnant?" skekVar questioned.

"I thought that was something everything else did to reproduce," skekGra admitted.

"Well, we have all the right parts. And if two of us did it, then…" skekMal looked away uncomfortably. "Presumably, a child could be formed…and then carried to term…"

"Wait! Are you saying…that skekVar and skekSa…are going to have kids?" skekHak asked. "As in, baby Skeksis. Miniatures of us. Is that what I'm hearing, skekTah?"

"Yes," the Schemer nodded. "Everyone I have named is pregnant. And there may be more. That's the true purpose behind the sudden examinations that skekTek ordered. It was to check to see if anyone else beyond the Emperor was pregnant."

"skekTek knew!" skekGra barked.

"He knows. He's known for a while," skekTah confirmed. "I've known for a month. That was the 'project' I was doing. I was ordered to help skekTek out with this."

"That's why you stuck around skekTek so much! And all the secrecy," skekVar realized. "You were hiding this? Why not just tell us?"

"Because not everyone may think of pregnancy or the resulting children as a good thing," skekTah replied. "The Emperor will be birthing heirs. He doesn't know that anyone else is pregnant yet. Tomorrow, skekTek and I are going to announce all of this before the entire court."

"…But you told us now," skekHak noted.

"…There are cases of Gelfling and Podling pregnancies that ended in death. When you mentioned it, I…I panicked," skekTah admitted, ashamed. "And I didn't want to risk you planning an attack on skekTek over something ridiculous. Look, none of you can tell. Nobody can know until tomorrow. Just stay quiet. If skekTek knew I'd told you—"

"We won't tell," skekSa reassured. "This is…just a lot to take in. I mean…I'm pregnant? I'm…having kids?"

"Oh Thra, so is the Chamberlain," skekVar groaned.

"And skekEkt. And skekZok. And the Emperor," skekGra recalled. "That's at least six kids."

"And that doesn't take into account if anyone else is pregnant," skekMal added.

"skekTek is constantly checking the results for that very information," skekTah promised. "The Emperor is almost to term. That's why we're having the announcement tomorrow."

"You mean he's going to have his kids soon? Oh dear," the Mariner yelped.

"Wonderful. Do I dare ask who his mate is?" skekMal grumbled.

"I think we can all guess, Hunter. He hasn't left the Emperor alone since he started gaining weight," skekGra pointed out.

"Oh yeah," the Hunter sighed. "That should be fun."

"Tomorrow is when this will all be announced?" skekVar asked.

"Tomorrow," skekTah confirmed. "Hopefully nobody will act stupidly."

"Betting skekUng will," skekGra said immediately.

"skekNa too," the Hunter agreed. "I doubt they'll sit back and let this go without questioning the Emperor."

"They'll have fun getting past skekLach. He'll be guarding the Emperor's chambers. He'll never let them in," the Schemer said. "Besides, they'll have their own problems."

"What problems?" skekHak asked.

skekTah smiled deviously. "I'll leave that to tomorrow."

"Tease," the Hunter growled, though it was anything but angry.

"At least it isn't lethal…or as lethal as we suspected," skekSa said in relief.

"How will this even work with us?" skekVar asked.

skekTah shrugged. "Those are questions for skekTek. He knows all of this stuff, not me. I'm just the messenger."

Before anymore questions could be asked, a bell rang. Dinner was ready. Their discussion would need to be curtailed until afterward.

.o.o.o.o.

skekTek wasn't at the table. The Scientist, along with the Emperor and the Collector, was missing. Nobody was blind to this. Suspicious mutters ran the length of the table.

"Perhaps the Emperor has died."

"Will skekLach be the successor? Was he named?"

"The Emperor has been bedridden for most of the month. Perhaps the Scientist is ending his suffering."

"They've all been gone so long. Their dinner is getting cold."

skekTah repressed the shivers running down the length of his broken back. The Emperor and the Collector being gone was fine. The Scientist's disappearance was worrisome. He'd gone to check on Emperor skekSo earlier. Had something happened?

The Schemer hoped not. He didn't want things to go south before tomorrow.

Dinner proceeded quietly…or as quietly as Skeksis went. Which wasn't very quiet at all but it was more quiet than usual. It was rather eerie.

"—idding me, making me come all this way fo—"

skekTek suddenly burst into the dining hall, uttering viciously and limping in his usual fashion. All eyes locked onto him. skekUng rose to demand something, likely an explanation for his absence.

The Scientist didn't give his ally the chance to speak. "skekTah, get up. You need to come with me."

"I… What?" The Schemer bristled in alarm and confusion. "Is somethi—"

"Now, Schemer! We're running short on time! Get up!" skekTek barked.

Chatter instantly ensued between Skeksis. The Schemer glanced at skekVar a few seats down, fear showing on the smaller Skeksis' face. Then skekTah rose and abandoned his dinner, crossing the hall to join skekTek in his exit. The Scientist showed no signs of wishing to speak to anyone else in the dining hall.

Once they had left the noise behind, the Schemer turned to look at the elder. skekTek's limp made his walking lag, letting skekTah easily keep pace with him. skekTek looked upset and angry and…afraid?

"skekTek, what's wrong?"

"Many things, Schemer. You'll need to make the announcement after the fact. This is too soon, much too soon!"

"What is much too soon?" skekTah demanded.

The Scientist rounded on him, monocle eye flashing in a way that appeared entirely menacing. skekTah found himself shrinking back. skekTek frowned bitterly, visible eye narrowing.

"The Emperor is in labor. Right now."