Azura's expression is wild, desperate, and Corrin has to force herself to stop listening to the voice in her head that's demanding she take her sister in her arms and do whatever she can to comfort her.

She squeezes her eyes shut for a moment, trying to regain her senses.

"W-What?" she asks once she's back in full control. Azura's fingernails dig into her shoulders painfully.

"Your courses!" she hisses, her golden eyes glinting with something akin to fear. "When did you last bleed?!"

"My... why?!" Corrin cries, feeling her face go red at the personal question.

"Just answer me!"

Corrin presses a hand to her face, trying to remember.

The last time... a few weeks ago? No, longer... before we set out from... Cyrkensia?

She frowns.

"That's strange," she mutters. "I'm not usually late..."

Azura looks as though she's been slapped.

"By how long?!" she cries.

"A month and a half?" Corrin says, concerned about Azura's reaction. "Azura, are you-"

"Oh dear gods," Azura whispers in a frightened voice, her eyes staring down at Corrin's midriff. "Corrin, please, tell me the truth," she says, looking up with tears in her eyes. "Have you... have you slept with anyone in that time?"

Corrin's first reaction is indignation. She's about to rebuke Azura for the question before she is painfully reminded that she is no longer a virgin.

In less than a second, she suddenly understands what Azura is afraid of. Her blood runs cold as ice.

"N-no, I..." she stutters. Her heart is pounding in her throat as she runs through the frantic calculations in her head, trying to recall if she'd bled before or after the wedding in Cyrkensia. "I must have... there's no way...!"

But she can't remember having bled at all since before the ship left port. Worse, she's suddenly reminded of the conversation she had with Lilith a few days earlier.

'Perhaps you should ask yourself what you sensed to make you so afraid and desperate in that moment, Lady Corrin.'

She remembers now. It hadn't made sense at the time, her instincts screaming in fear and anger as the dragon lost control, searching for something safe, searching for someone.

Her hand trembles as she presses it to her mouth.

Maternal instinct.

Corrin hardly notices that she's fallen to her knees, her eyes focused on something she can't see. Azura is calling her name, but even that clear, beautiful voice isn't enough to reach her. She weakly touches her fingertips to her stomach.

I'm pregnant. Oh dear gods...! I'm pregnant.

She doesn't need to wait and see to be sure. She knows. The dragon in her blood is telling her so, has been telling her for weeks.

She just hasn't been listening hard enough.

Spying was second nature to people like Kaze. It was the easiest thing in the world to lurk out of sight and mask one's presence, and while it was important to always remain on alert, it didn't take up much in the way of skill unless the target was uncannily intelligent or wary.

Fortunately, Hans was neither.

"Beruka, your shift is over," Kaze muttered as he joined Camilla's assassin silently at her vantage point. Her eyes glanced at him swiftly, then back at the man they were watching on the practice grounds.

"You're early," she said simply, making no move to get up. She was lying on her stomach on the roof of the storage shed, almost completely covered by the leaves of the tree above.

"I thought you might need a break to eat."

She merely waved a half-eaten stick of jerky at him.

"Ah. Well since I'm here, you may as well go."

"My orders are to watch him until the end of my shift," she said firmly, her deadpan voice even. Her eyes never once looked away from Hans as he swung his axe angrily at a training dummy. Kaze chuckled softly.

"As you wish, Beruka." He settled at her side, joining her in her surveillance. "Has he done anything odd?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. He's frustrated," she replied, taking a bite of her jerky. She chewed quietly for a moment. "I still think we should kill him."

"That would be the cleanest solution, yes," Kaze agreed. "Unfortunately, we don't know who else in the army might be a spy."

"Hmph."

"Either way, no one is leaving the astral plane except for the people on watch duty," he said. "And our job is to make sure Hans doesn't try it."

"I know what my job is," Beruka said, her tone betraying the slightest bit of annoyance. She and Kaze had been working together for months, but while there was a professional trust between them, Beruka had never really warmed up to him. Then again, she didn't warm up to most anyone, except Camilla and Selena.

"Of course. I just meant that there's no use in thinking of killing him just now."

"Unless he steps out of line."

"Unless he steps out of line," he agreed. Silence fell between them again.

Below, Hans was shouting angrily, though it seemed to be to himself. They watched as he tossed his axe aside and began to pummel the dummy with his fists.

"How's Lady Azura?" Beruka suddenly asked. Kaze glanced over at her, surprised at the personal question. She was still staring at Hans, her face blank.

"She's doing well," he said slowly. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason."

"You always have a reason."

Her eyes flicked toward him. "Lady Camilla is fussing over her. Thought I'd see what I could find out."

Kaze smiled. "My wife is very fortunate to have such doting siblings. And friends."

Beruka made a small grunt and turned back to her work.

"Corrin! You have to tell me who it is!" Azura repeated, trying to coax the answer out of her. Corrin merely shook her head softly, her red eyes blank.

"I... I can't," she muttered, almost to herself. "I didn't... I..."

"Listen, sister, please!" Azura pleaded, kneeling and taking Corrin's face in her hands. "I know it's early and you're not sure, but if there's even the slightest possibility-"

"I can feel it," she whispered harshly, an anguished expression in her eyes. "Why didn't I notice?! Why didn't I realize it?!"

"You can't be certain yet," Azura said soothingly, stroking her black hair gently; Corrin was clearly still shaken and not quite in her right mind.

"No... no, it's there, my body, it's been adjusting on it's own," Corrin said, shaking her head desperately. "I should have noticed...! And Laslow...!"

Azura froze.

"Laslow...? Laslow?!" she asked in a high pitched voice. "Oh dear gods, Corrin! Please don't tell me Laslow is the father?!"

But Corrin was far too gone to answer. Tears were streaking down her cheeks, her arms wrapped around her waist protectively. She didn't seem to be aware of Azura's presence at all.

"I didn't mean to... I didn't..." She continued to mutter under her breath, her eyes unfocused. Azura wasn't sure what to do.

If it's true, and she's really pregnant... we're in real trouble... The army needs Corrin to run it, and we're only taking shelter for the winter months. She won't be able to command until the child is born, and even after that, she'll need to nurse it for at least a year...!

Her head was spinning. Corrin's absence from the front lines would have a terrible impact on the campaign. She was their moral compass, and the only one besides herself with any hopes of negotiating with the Hoshidan royal family. The loss of both of them would be an unmitigated disaster, especially for their plans to stop King Garon. It would also almost certainly spell death for their Hoshidan siblings.

Ryouma... Hinoka, Takumi, and Sakura... N-no...

Azura had been counting on Corrin to spare them. She knew there was always a risk that they would clash and kill each other in battle, but she hadn't realized just how much she was hoping that Corrin would allow them to remain prisoners instead. If it was true that she would be forced to stay behind because of her pregnancy...

There'll be nothing to stop Xander from following through on Garon's orders.

The thought chilled her to the bone.

No, this isn't the moment to give into despair! she thought. Corrin was wailing, her hair sticking to her tear-stained face, her cheeks red. She was hunched over on the ground, her arms still around her stomach as though she'd been mortally wounded. Azura's chest ached; she didn't know what Corrin's relationship with Laslow was like, but clearly this was not a happy occasion for her sister. This wasn't a child she wanted.

Azura reached to embrace her.

"It'll be alright," she lied, pushing her fear deep down into the recesses of her heart. "I'm here, Corrin. I'm here..." She ran her hand over that jet-black hair, so reminiscent of Lady Mikoto's, murmuring the empty reassurances of a mother to her frightened child.

Laslow was running errands for Xander in the afternoon when someone called his name in the street. He turned, startled, to find Mozu hurrying toward him, her boots crunching through the snow. A thick, woolen cloak was wrapped around her shoulders, her usual pigtails gone and her brown hair trailing behind her.

"Laslow!" she called as he came to a stop, his hands full of supplies for oiling Prince Xander's armor.

"Mozu, what a surprise," he said pleasantly. Despite both being retainers, he and Mozu rarely interacted at all. "You're looking lovely today."

She scowled, rubbing her nose irritably. She actually looked quite tired; her hair was sticking to her forehead with sweat and she was rather pale, but Laslow was never rude unless prompted.

"No need for that sweet talkin'," she growled, crossing her arms. "I ain't here for a chat."

"Oh? Can I help you with something?" he asked, smiling at her. Even with his heart broken, Laslow didn't quite know how to turn the charm off completely.

"Milady's askin' for ya," she said coldly. Clearly she didn't think much of him, though he didn't mind.

"Lady Azura? Well I have to take these to Lord Xander first, but I can meet with her-"

"Now, lover boy," she cut in fiercely. "It's an emergency."

"What happened?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm not allowed to say nothin'," she muttered, glaring at him. "But if ya don't go now, Lady Azura will murder ya herself."

"... Lady Azura?!" he asked, startled. Lady Azura doesn't murder people... or at least, not outside of battle... "Whatever for?!"

Mozu clicked her tongue and grabbed Laslow by the collar, pulling him down to her level.

"For Lady Corrin's sake, o'course, ya dimwit," she hissed in his ear. Laslow nearly dropped the supplies.

"What's wrong with milady?!" he asked loudly, and Mozu pulled at his ear painfully.

"Shush!" she insisted. "Just hurry up n' come with me, will ya?!"

Corrin wasn't sure when she'd been brought to her room. One moment she was asleep, the next she realized that someone was smoothing the hair from her forehead and she was lying on her own bed. She blinked.

Someone was sitting on the edge of her mattress. She recognized the concerned, golden eyes and the lovely blue hair.

"Azura?" she asked, groaning slightly. Her sister gave her a sad smile.

"Hello again," Azura said, still running her fingers gently through Corrin's hair. "Are you feeling alright?"

Corrin closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of Azura's hand on her head.

"Mm, I think so..." she said softly. "Did I... pass out?"

"No, nothing quite that dramatic," Azura chuckled. "You just tired yourself out crying. Mozu helped me bring you to your room, and you fell asleep almost immediately. I asked Felicia, Jakob, and Flora to give you some space for a little while."

"I see... then it wasn't a dream..."

"I'm afraid not," Azura said gently. "You deserve the time to come to terms with what may or may not be happening with your body, so I haven't told anyone but Mozu."

"... Can she be trusted?" Corrin asked fearfully.

"I trust her with my life. And she kept my secret as well."

Corrin nodded, opening her eyes enough to stare up at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry, Azura," she said after a moment. "For making you look after me... and for... all of this..."

"You don't have to apologize to me," Azura said, pulling her hand away. "I'm just worried about you, sister..."

The word sent a fresh stab of pain through Corrin's heart. She knew she had no right to feel hurt, especially not after getting herself in this situation in the first place, but she couldn't help it. Azura was right at her side, and she'd never felt further away.

Worse, the dragon in her blood was aching for Azura. It wasn't just the usual lust and repressed desires either; perhaps it was a side effect of the small life now growing in her body, but she had an overwhelming longing for a mate, for someone to help protect her child. With a shock, she realized she wanted Azura to be that partner. Her human side was still fighting to come to terms with the pregnancy, but her dragon self had clearly made its mind up already.

But... it's not Azura's child... she thought, covering her eyes with the back of her hand. And Azura's child isn't mine, either.

She nearly brought herself back to tears, but she bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from doing so in front of Azura.

"What am I supposed to do?" she finally asked aloud, her voice strained. Azura took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"What you want to do," she said softly. "Whatever you and Laslow decide to do."

"Laslow..." Corrin repeated without really thinking about what she was saying. A moment later, a warm feeling of shame spread through her body as she realized that Azura knew he was the father. Before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door. Azura looked up.

"Yes?" she called.

"Milady, it's Mozu. I brought the pretty boy," came the muffled reply. Corrin's stomach made a painful dive.

Azura stood up and opened the door. "Come in, Laslow," she said sternly. He did as she asked, looking confused and worried, a bag of supplies in his arms. His eyes immediately slid to Corrin on her bed and he hurried toward her.

"Lady Corrin, are you hurt?!" he asked, dropping his things and kneeling at her bedside. He took her hand, and a wave of guilt made Corrin feel like she was drowning.

"I'll leave you to talk," Azura said, her eyes knowing and sad as they caught Corrin's.

She wanted to cry out and ask Azura to stay, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Not with Laslow's concerned gaze on her face.

The door shut behind her.

She looks pale. Her face and nose are red, and there are tear stains on her cheeks. Laslow is terrified that she's falling ill again.

"You look feverish," he notes, looking around for a towel or a cloth that he can soak and put on her forehead. Her hand is limp in his grasp.

"No... I'm fine," she says quietly, her voice somewhat cracked. She looks away from him, and he can tell that she's avoiding his gaze. Tenderness and a pang of loneliness cuts through Laslow like a knife.

"Princess, I can tell something is wrong," he says gently, taking her chin. He'll apologize for his forwardness later; right now she looks lost, like a child, and she clearly needs some comfort. She closes her eyes, and her fingers tighten around his for a moment.

"Is it that obvious?"

"It is to me," he says simply. She takes a deep breath, opening her unnerving red eyes to look into his own. They reflect light differently than most eyes; there's a faint ring around her thin, diamond-shaped pupils that seems to glow a faint orange, and the irises have an almost marbled pattern. They're very beautiful, but also frightening.

A dragon's eyes,he thinks. He loves them and always has.

"Laslow... I..." she begins, biting her lip. He wants so much to kiss her, to wipe the tears from her face with his thumb, to hold her close and help her forget whatever is bothering her. But he has firm self-control, and he will never do anything she doesn't want.

"It's alright," he says instead, tucking a flyaway strand of her hair behind her ear. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Her expression softens, and to his surprise, she clasps the back of his hand, holding it to her face. She looks more resolved, braver... but there's an animalistic glint in her eyes... or perhaps he's only imagining it.

"I'm pregnant," she says suddenly, as if she's trying to get it over with as quickly as possible.

He freezes.

"What?"

She hesistates, and he can tell that she's wavering a little. "I'm... pregnant... With your child," she repeats quietly, and her hand is clasping his with desperate force now, as if she's afraid he'll pull away.

Laslow merely stares at her, trying to see if she's making an elaborate joke, or if she's made a mistake. But she's looking straight at him, clearly frightened, clearly begging him not to leave with those blood-red irises...

The tears come without any warning. They drip off the end of his nose and he has to pull his hand out of her grasp to cover the sobs threatening to pour out of his mouth. There's so many emotions roiling in his heart: fear, self-hatred, love, sadness... and something else.

"Laslow?!" Corrin says, caught off guard by his reaction. He looks up to see that she's also crying, and in that moment he realizes that she really is a child. A young, innocent woman forced into a difficult role by her birth, a girl who is now facing the threat of death or imprisonment for one night of folly, a child who merely wanted to comfort her aching heart and selfishly thought to use his own. She's so young, so inexperienced... so overwhelmed.

And yet, she still fights... she still walks forward... like my mother did.

"I'm so sorry, it's all my fault!" she cries, trembling slightly. "I... I assaulted you, and I know I should have dealt with this quietly, on my own, it was Azura who-"

He can't do this. Without warning, he wraps his arms around her shoulders and pulls her into a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair.

"You foolish girl!" he mutters, pressing his cheek to her ear, the tears still falling. "You foolish, silly, wonderful girl... You try too hard, you carry far too much on your own. For Naga's sake, Corrin, you shouldn't have to deal with something like this by yourself! It wasn't your fault, do you understand?!"

"But I-!"

"No, I know you feel guilty, and I know you used me," he says firmly, pulling away and kissing her eyelashes, his hands cupping her face gently. "But I wanted it, I want you. I love you, Corrin. I always have."

He knows that her reaction will be pained, he knows she'll feel guilty and cry, but he can't stop the flood of emotions rushing through his very soul.

"I know that!" she says, anguished. "I'm not an idiot, Laslow! I know how you feel...! That only makes this worse!"

"No, it doesn't," he says, looking at her as though he might drink in her face and memorize every beautiful feature. His thumb brushes against her lip, and gods how he wants to kiss her...

"But I don't love you, Laslow," she cries, trying to pull his hands away. "I don't love you, but I still used you, and I still want you by my side! I'm a horrible, selfish creature, and now, because of what I did, we're both in danger, and I've dragged an innocent life into this hell!"

Despite himself, despite the tears flowing, he laughs softly.

"I know that," he says, echoing her. "I'm not an idiot either, Corrin. I know you love someone else. I don't care anymore. If you want me, I'm yours. Use me all you like."

"No!"

"Please," he begs, stroking her face with the back of his hand. "Let me do this... no matter what choice you make, I will support you. If you... if you don't want the child, I'll even get Nyx for you... Just... let me be at your side... at least until it's over... Let me take my responsibility as the father."

She bites her lip again, her eyes staring at him fervently.

"And... if I want it?" she asks, an almost inaudible whisper. Laslow thinks his heart might stop.

"If... you want it?" he says, his voice breaking. He doesn't dare believe he heard her correctly.

"I just... I can't do it," she says. "I don't think I can... get rid of it and pretend it never happened. The idea makes me sick," she says as she shuts her eyes tightly. "It makes the dragon in me angry... I think... I think I want this child, Laslow."

He's forgotten how to breathe.

"And... I know it's selfish... and cruel... but... there's... something in me... in my heart, or my blood, or perhaps just in my mind... but I need someone, someone to claim the child as their own. It's driving me mad," she shivers, clutching at his shirt. "I can't calm down unless..."

He takes her face softly and leans in to kiss her. She doesn't resist. Her teeth scrape against his tongue, her nails dig into his chest, and he finds he likes the sensation. She tastes earthy, and wonderful, just like she had that night.

"Take me," he says breathlessly when they break apart. "You don't have to love me. You don't have to marry me if you don't want to. If you need a partner, if your instincts are telling you to find a mate, I will be whatever you need me to be."

"But..." she whispers into the space between them. He presses his forehead to hers, closing his eyes.

"I love you, Corrin. Really and truly. All I want is to be able to love you... even if you don't feel the same way. At least let me love you, and let me love my child. Please."

She's crying again, but he kisses the tears away gently.

"Don't go, Laslow," she mumbles as his lips find hers again. "Stay with me... I'll try to love you, I swear it..." Her hands are tangling in his hair, her breathing heavy. He knows where this is going, and he knows they will probably both regret it, if not tomorrow, then perhaps when it's too late to change their minds about the life growing quietly inside her.

He knows she'll never love him; he can taste it on her tongue, on her shoulders, on her breasts. He can hear it in her breathy cries, he can feel it in her teeth as she bites down on the side of his neck.

She wants to call for Lady Azura. She wants Lady Azura here, making love to her, claiming the child as her own. Laslow is merely Lady Azura's replacement, and it hurts to know it.

But if it means he can be at her side, if it means he can protect Corrin and their unborn child from the block, if it means he can comfort her in any way at all, Laslow doesn't care.

He'll go to hell and back for her.

Notes:

Welp, I meant to write more plot but instead I just got ANGST in here. Next chapter should focus more on the actual fallout, but I figured Corrin needed some private time to sort her feelings first... She does care about Laslow, just... not romantically. What a masochist Olivia's son turned out to be~

Also, in case it wasn't clear, Corrin has mating instinct; she senses she's carrying a child and is looking for someone to "build a nest with," so to speak. It's not something she's doing consciously.

Anyway, I hope the chapter's not too boring or anything! Thanks as always for reading.