"What?"

Yvonne licked her dry, stained lips. After all this time, she had somehow gathered the courage to speak up. It wasn't an easy task to do, considering the fact that she was the first to convey such news.

"I-I'm pregnant," she uttered again, faltering at the end.

There was a long pause and time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Somewhere, a grandfather clock ticked away, the only reassurance that time was still running as usual for the world, save for the two people in the infirmary.

Yvonne observed long and hard the expressions that passed Eldar's face and smiled with a thought only she knew best.

Eventually, Eldar sputtered. "I must be hearing things, for I am a greybeard after all. Could you perhaps repeat your words?"

Yvonne laughed inwardly at the old man's attempt to bypass her claim. She let her hands fall to her side before she spoke again with the clearest of intents:

"I bear the Emperor's child, Eldar."

For a moment again, time came to a snail's pace before Eldar slapped a frail hand on his ear and blinked a few times. Then his eyes went straight to the woman's abdomen where they stayed for a minute before finding their words back up to her face. "A-Are you certain? May I check?"

Yvonne put a defensive hand over her stomach and grimaced. "Do you not believe me? I am quite certain of the accuracy of my claim, Eldar."

Eldar wiped his forehead. "Impossible...impossible, I say… How can this be?" he mumbled to himself, forgetting for a moment that the lady was even there. "I've never heard of the word!"

Yvonne stood there as she observed the old man working himself up into hysterics over the fact that she was pregnant. But why did it concern him so much...? She narrowed her eyes in thought, but then widened them when she finally reached a conclusion.

"Ahem!!" Yvonne coughed to catch Eldar's attention. "Why is it such an unearthly concept to wrap one's head around?"

Eldar stopped mumbling to himself and peeked at the lovely smiling lady, finally able to correct his composure once again.

"Ah, yes," he said, embarrassed, "my lady. Forgive me for my momentary distraction. It's just that you are the very first. The Emperor must cherish you very much."

Yvonne smiled at the thought. Inside, she didn't feel like smiling so much, as she knew where this conversation was leading to.

"H-How were you able to diagnose yourself?"

Ah, yes, Yvonne thought, as she stared at the old man. That was the last proof she needed to be sure that the head physician didn't consider her truthful at all.

Yvonne tapped a finger on her chin, seeming to remember something. "I'm quite educated in the matter," she said with ease. "I've studied countless books from the royal athenaeum back when I was in Clatoise. Lovely collection there, by the way. The libraries here are not so well-equipped, if you swallow the word."

Eldar nodded as if he believed her, but the sweat drops on his forehead did not go unnoticed by Yvonne. "Yes, yes. And erm... if it isn't much of an offence, may I ask if you kept an 'intimate' relationship with King Irvin before your arrival in Wisteria?"

Yvonne smirked. I see, she thought. The man doesn't believe her even when she has placed forward several proofs. How unfortunate, she sighed. But oh joy, she had received the reaction she had hoped for.

"No, Eldar," Yvonne said, trying to appear miserable. "The King and I never shared those kinds of moments, for he was much too reserved."

"I see," Eldar muttered hoarsely. "Well, that's really great news, then. Does His Majesty know of the news, yet?"

Yvonne shook her head. "And I'd like to keep it that way, please. Till I'm ready to relay it to him myself."

Eldar nodded, but he felt quite uneasy about it. "Of course. Would you like for me to give you some medicine for a healthy pregnancy?"

Yvonne shook her head again as she turned to leave. "Not yet, thank you. Have a great day, Eldar." With that, she flicked away the large curtain and strode out the door where the familiar maid was no more.

✿

Reynard walked the streets as if they were his own.

People walked by as they talked animatedly, carrying baskets full of freshly baked bread, or hand in hand with their unruly children. All the while unsuspecting of the criminal on the loose. Reynard smirked as he fiddled with the brooch in his pocket, his eyes browsing the numerous stalls that went past him in a blur.

He was looking for one stall in particular. The one which glowed brighter than the rest. It was still noon but there was a tinge of a purple hue in the sky. He waited for that glint to pierce his eyes, the reflection from the gems.

Ah, there it was. Reynard backed up and walked casually over to Mister Verel's stall. He was busy with a customer for the while, so Reynard waited in line until the trade was finally finished.

"Reynard, my lad!" Mister Verel beamed as he acknowledged the familiar man. "What brings you here today?" Then he gasped. "Wait, don't tell me. Is it going to be the first time you buy one of my shiny stones?"

Reynard laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his scalp.

"Not today, Mister." Reynard chuckled. "Rather, I want you to inspect a trinket for your beloved lad. I hope that won't be a waste of time."

Mister Verel grumbled like usual, his one front teeth clacking against his gums. "You've got some guts, boy. Alright, I'll do it just because I expect you to purchase something in the near future. I hope that's the case. But do let me warn you, this 'trinket' better be something worth my time."

Reynard raised his eyebrows. He knew that the old man was going to flip after he saw what he had for him, considering that this was something that came straight from the royal family. Reynard played with the edges of the brooch in his pockets, debating if he should reveal it now or tease him first.

"Alright, alright. I've got something one of a kind right here," Reynard teased as he pointed towards his pocket. Mister Verel leaned forward on his ottoman and squinted in anticipation. "You mustn't tell anyone about this," he continued as he looked both ways. "It's confidential."

Mister Verel spat in a spittoon and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Hurry up, lad, it's getting dark." And so it was. The sky had turned a lovely lavender as dusk was overhead.

Reynard turned to look back at Mister Verel and noticed that by an action he had somehow missed, the lanterns were already glowing. So were all the other stalls'. Reynard reached into his pocket and slid out the white lily brooch and even a glimpse of it made Mister Verel's eyes shine bright.

"Give it here, give it here, boy," Mister Verel said eagerly, his hands outstretched and his eyes on the ivory object. "Put it in my palm, now. And be gentle with that!"

Carefully, Reynard placed the brooch- pin first- in the hollow of Mister Verel's palm and stepped back uneasily. He didn't know what was going through the mind of old Mister Verel right now, but that crazy gleam in his eyes gave most of it away.

"Ah, yesss..." Mister Verel stretched his words as he put the brooch right up close to this face. "This is moonstone right here. Lovely, so lovely."

"Is it very expensive?" Reynard asked as he pivoted back a bit on his heels.

Mister Verel nodded with his eyes wide. "Rare, too, yes. Wherever did you get your hands on such a finely crafted brooch?"

Reynard wringed his hands behind his back. Undeniably, he was nervous.

"Oh, it's an heirloom belonging to my mother," he lied, keeping a poker face. "I just came to ask some questions about its genuineness. So how old do you reckon this might be?"

Mister Verel inspected it once again. "It seems in a great condition for a mere heirloom," he said as he scratched his cheek, leaving behind red imprints. "Mm...does your mother know who it originally belonged to? A great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother? Or are there more 'greats' to add to that?"

To be safe, Reynard replied with, "More 'greats', Mister."

Mister Verel nodded in thought. "This design isn't in the market these days, but with that weld work I see at the pin, I say it's a few hundred years old. 4 or 5, maybe."

"No way..." Reynard muttered, half to himself. "No way can it be that old. Are you sure?"

Mister Verel nodded. "Perfectly, my lad. You're reckoning with an expert here, and I'm your best bet, so you better believe my word."

Reynard nodded, irritated. "Yeah, alright." He tried to remember the other question the princess had told him about, but he couldn't quite recall it. What was it again... ah! If Mister Verel recognized it or something like that.

Reynard coughed to regain the jeweler's attention who was feeling the brooch with his fingers. "What?" Mister Verel said, annoyed.

Reynard asked, "Do you recognize this brooch from anywhere? You know, is it connected to something famous, perhaps…?"

"Oh, of course," he replied, half confused at Reynard's question. "It's a bit of a forgotten fact now, but this here is the great Priestess Grisha's crest, my boy. The White Lily of Absolute Purity. Feast your eyes upon this craft, child."

Reynard's whole perspective had changed by just those few words. Crest? Of the Great Priestess? How was that even possible?

"How did you get it, I ask again, my lad," Mister Verel uttered suspiciously. "Surely, this can't be an heirloom belonging to your family. There were only two of these brooches in existence, with one belonging to the Royal family. The other was passed down to the Great Priestess's direct lineage, according to what I've heard. How did you get this? How!?"