(All dialogues written in Italics are in Prajan language)

Keraton: Prajan Palace

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress are very delighted to announce that the Empress is expecting their second child in the Spring of 1934.

Both families have been informed and are delighted by the news.

The Empress is in excellent health and wishes to continue to undertake some public engagements but regrets any disappointment which may be caused by any restrictions due to her condition.

***

Gigi's eyes fluttered open in the morning to gentle murmurs and caresses against her skin. It was the umpteenth time that she found herself waking up to Cal glued to her belly in the past few weeks, hovering over it and talking to their unborn child. Although appreciated at first, she would appreciate it more if he hadn't started invading her personal space.

The man had clung to her ever since they found out about her pregnancy. Assuming it was the side-effects of the early excitement, she thought it would last a few days, only for it to get worse after they announced the news. He always had to touch her if he walked by, lingering in the same room with her, if not touching or rubbing her stomach.

It might have just been her hormones, but he seemed to want skin contact every second of every day; and with all nausea, fatigue and crampings, she wanted nothing to do with it. She just wanted to be left alone for a while, and it took every fibre in her body to prevent her from shoving him off or smacking him on the head whenever it got to be too much.

Junior, at least, wasn't giving her a headache.

After telling him the night after his birthday party Cal was disappointed he didn't take it jumping up and down, but Gigi understood her son's struggle to accept the presence of another human being-whomever they may be-and was delighted that he at least welcomed the news positively. It ended with him using his birthday wish upon his unborn sibling's health.

"I love you so much, little one. So much. I love you like I love your brother," Cal gushed, nuzzling against her lower abdomen. It was ticklish as hell.

"Already know," she said absentmindedly, pulling the blanket over her belly as he gave her a look. "They already know that. You've repeated it over two hundred and fourteen times."

"Have I? I've lost count." He laughed, shifting upwards and wrapping his leg over hers. "I've settled on a name. If it's a boy, Raedan, after my great-grandfather the first Emperor of Angletonia. Why don't you pick a girl's name, Gi?"

She pouted at the heavy weight of his leg.

"Your family has written back to me. They said they're going to throw a party in the Keraton to celebrate your pregnancy. I think it's only proper to do the same here." He smiled, rubbing her stomach once more.

Her family's hosting a party for her pregnancy? That was strange. In Prajan custom, there were no events to celebrate the announcement of a pregnancy. There was, however, a ceremonial right to commemorate the seventh month of pregnancy. But it's reserved for the Queen and royal wives; not a daughter who'd been married off. By then she'd belong to her husband's family.

"Another party?" she sighed. "I don't think I'm in the condition to arrange one, Sire."

"The Imperial Household will take care of it! Come on, two of your brothers are here too. This is the perfect time to celebrate our baby." He leaned his head against her shoulder, looking up at her with puppy dog eyes.

"What about those Seol-il emissaries? Are you going north anytime soon?"

"There's no rush. Philippe has it taken care of, so I am now free to be with you, Junior, and our dear little baby." He bent to kiss her belly a few times before leaning up to kiss her.

"I am hungry." She moved away from him, reaching for her breakfast tray. She was starving, but as soon as she took her third bite she once again felt nauseated. Jumping to her feet, she threw up into a basin.

"Poor darling." Cal came over to rub the back of her neck, the very last thing she needed right now. "I'm sorry, it'll go away soon."

"Are you, though?" She rubbed her mouth quickly with a napkin.

"Am I what?"

"Sorry. You seem to be perfectly happy with my condition," she glowered. The air on his face shifted as he caught her stare and slowly made his way back to bed. At least that made him back off.

Getting ready for a bath, she stopped as she caught her own reflection in the mirror. The tiny lump in her belly had started to outgrow her pelvis, making it harder to ignore. Her breasts had also changed from their former firm and perky shape, into a heavier, ample motherly bosom. No wonder she could hardly fit into her brassiere these days. They were also sore as hell.

It was time to tailor some maternity clothes for the winter.

"Anyways, I am going to be busy today, so don't look for me. I'm having lunch with my brothers in the palace guests' wing and will spend the afternoon having a massage."

"A massage?"

"The doctor suggested breast massage to relieve pain. I am asking one of my ladies to do it for me."

Cal's eyes widened to the size of tennis balls. It was a wonder they didn't fall out of their sockets. "Why didn't you ask me? I can do it so much better!"

"It's meant for my refreshment, Cal! You don't get to turn it into some kind of foreplay!" She slammed the bathroom door on him.

***

"So, have you taken care of the package as I asked?" Gigi asked as they sat in the guest wing drawing-room. She had assigned a private detective to discover the truth about the tiger skin that had been wrongfully sent to her the other day.

"I have, Your Majesty. I told the delivery man who picked it up that you have yet to open it! I made sure that my face looked very innocent while saying it," Gita Shinta told her.

"Alright, Shinta, you may go." She turned to the footman. "Send my brothers in."

"Prince Cendana and Prince Aravin of Prajanagara," he announced as he opened the door.

"Gigi!" Cendana burst through the door, stopped in his tracks and bowed. Aravin followed him through. "I mean, Your Majesty!"

"Mas Cendana!" Gigi came over to hug him. "I'm so glad that you're staying here! Sorry, I couldn't talk much to you during the party, and the days after."

"I understand. You have a hectic schedule, just like Mother. And now you're already becoming a mother!" He put a palm over her stomach.

"Come, I have lots to talk about."

Cendana was the Queen's third son and known to be the most good looking of Praja's young princes; having clear golden brown skin ever since he was a baby. His name literally meant 'Sandalwood'. He even smelled like it, according to the girls who chased after him.

As they retreated to the dining room, Cendana gave an amused look as he saw Gigi ravenously devoured a big bowl of Es Campur-meaning mixed ice, in Prajan-a cold and sweet dessert concoction of fruit cocktails, coconut, tapioca pearls, grass jellies, and seaweed served in shaved ice, syrup and milk.

"Are you really going to eat only that?" He grinned.

"I can barely eat anything else these days, and they are serving Prajan food here. So why not?" She laughed joyously. It had never occurred to her before that Es Campur was this good.

"Come on, you must eat some rice."

"My baby is half Anglese; they don't have to eat rice all the time," she smirked.

"Where's Cal?" asked Aravin.

"Cal is having his lunch with his father in the main palace," Gigi said. Junior did it knowing full well that Aravin was going to be there.

"No!" he screamed. "I want Cal, I want Cal, I want Cal, I want Cal, I want Cal, I want Cal! I want Cal!"

"HEY!" Cendana barked. "If you do that one more time, I'll send you straight back home." He glared at Aravin, who jumped out of his chair and ran off. "Really have to be firm with him. Father spoils him too much."

Or, she could just send him to the elder Cal, so he would stop bothering her.

"So, how's Mother? I haven't heard anything from her directly. My letters always have to go through Father or Aditya, and I'd rather not reveal my personal thoughts to them." She knew very well how Aditya behaved toward the younger Princes. Being the eldest, he had always preached his importance, making him insufferable.

"Oh, I'd beg to differ." He chugged some water. "Mother is fine. There isn't a lot going on in the Keraton. Oh, but there's a little rift in the government."

"What rift?" Gigi demanded interestedly. This might be a clue to the tiger's skin.

"You know our newly appointed Minister of Marine Affairs, Setyanto? He's now behind bars for power abuse and bribery."

"What? What did he do?"

"The previous minister, Candrawati, wouldn't allow the export of fish fries. So Setyanto created a new bill to allow it the second he was in office and was ready to do it on a massive scale. Turns out he demanded some extra gratitude," Cendana made a 'money' gesture with his fingers, "from the exporters in return."

Gigi's heart beat rapidly. She knew it wasn't allowed because the Ministry encouraged the fish to be cultivated and caught traditionally to provide income for smaller fishermen; not gigantic companies. The exploitation of fries would also lead to an imbalance in nature since natural breeding wouldn't satisfy those companies' greed.

It might not provide an answer to the tiger skin, but should somehow be related to it.

"...Did those companies make deals with anyone from Angletonia?" Her voice held barely suppressed anger.

"I'm not sure. If they did, you would certainly have known... wouldn't you?"

***

"How did you enjoy your lunch with your father?" Gigi asked after returning from visiting her brothers.

"Fine," Junior answered from behind a huge book.

"Did you regret not coming with me?"

"With Aravin there? Hardly."

Setting down her purse to enjoy her tea, she spotted a bunch of presents, cards and flowers piling up in the corner of the room. "What are those?" she asked a maid.

"They are pregnancy gifts, Ma'am. From people all over the empire."

"Well, well, well." She went over to examine the gifts. It was the biggest pile of presents she had ever received in life. "I couldn't possibly unwrap them all by myself. Junior, come and help me!"

As they were unwrapping the gifts, Gigi was overwhelmed by the thoughts and support that came with them. She had expected nobles to send her expensive goods to get on her good side, but there were some humble and handmade gifts from ordinary citizens as well. Some cards had children's handwriting on them, wishing her and her baby good health. It filled her heart with warmth.

"Junior, look over here! This little girl Anaisa drew a portrait of our family." She smiled fondly at the cute drawings and decorations. "There's you, me, your father and the baby."

"Hmm," Junior gave a quick glance at the card before crawling back to his spot. Not his usual behaviour with her.

"Oh, darling, what is it?" She sat down by his side, holding him to her chest.

"It's just... You've only been my Mamma for almost a year." Junior said, after a long moment of hesitation. The tension in his voice showed how much emotion he was fighting. "I am afraid- I am afraid that once the baby's born, you're going to forget about me."

Gigi laughed gently. "Junior, we don't just forget about our child the moment their siblings arrive."

"Really?"

"I also have a firstborn brother in Praja, and what I've seen happening to him was quite the opposite," humoured Gigi. "He becomes more important as we grow older."

"Certainly, when the younger brother's like Aravin." He scrunched his nose.

Cupping his face in both palms, Gigi kissed and ruffled his hair. "The baby will be someone new, but there's only one you. And now we're lawfully tied, so I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

"I love you, Mamma." He cuddled her, kissing her cheek. "And I hope we're stuck together forever and more."

As she continued to unwrap the rest of the gifts, she found an odd package. It didn't mention the name of the sender, but was clearly addressed to the Imperial Palace to a 'Cal Leroy'. Inside, there was a yellowish old stone-a fossilized bone?-sitting inside a pile of white linen.

"Junior, I think this might be for you."

A short greeting was written on the card. 'Happy Belated Birthday, Cinderella'.

"I think you've gotten yourself a secret admirer."

***

When Gigi returned to her room in the evening, Cal was already there.

"Oh." She gave him a small smile before heading to dress up for dinner; only being in her nightgown after finishing the massage.

"Wait, Gi, could you please hear me out?" He gave her those puppy eyes again, stopping her in the doorway. "I realize that I might not have been the best companion during these past weeks."

Letting go of the door handle, she turned around to face him.

"I have... annoyed you." He continued. "All I want is to be with you and support you through all the difficult stages of the pregnancy. But I should've given you space too. I truly am sorry, my darling, will you forgive me?"

Gigi sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I understand, Sire. I know you mean well. You were just being protective of me and our baby."

Reaching out to her hand, he gently stroked it, tenderly gazing up at her... Was that him tearing up?

"I also realize that we haven't been intimate since our trip to Vasilione, that might've caused frustration," she suggested.

"Wasn't asking for it." He raised both his hands, shaking them like a scared little child being accused of stealing candies. "I know it's hard to be in the mood while you're in this stage, Gi. Don't worry."

"I know that, but I do miss it though. The massage that you offered to give me this morning, is it still available?"

"But I thought you had your handmaiden do it for you?"

"I did. Doesn't mean you couldn't do that again."

Pushing him back on the mattress, Gigi crawled into bed before settling down on his lap. Rubbing her palms gently over his chest, she untied the laces of her nightgown, letting the sheer fabric fall down to her hips.

"Oh." Cal gulped.

***

The party was held two weeks after the announcement. Gigi intended it to be a small, intimate celebration; but for some reasons, Cal refused to hold back the invitations to a lot of people in the government, some influential families, and journalists.

Their immediate families were also invited, of course, with it being Cendana and Aravin's last engagement before returning to Praja.

Gigi was happiest knowing that it was nearly the end of her first trimester, meaning the early symptoms had all nearly faded away. It felt like getting an energy boost. She could almost feel normal again, aside from her obvious baby bump that was getting rounder by each day.

Grow, baby, grow.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Aravin rasped, as he was being teased by three of her handmaidens. "So what, she's going to have a baby. Doesn't mean that she did unspeakable things with the Emperor; she would never do that!"

"But she did, Your Royal Highness!" Gita Citra giggled.

"Did not! Our parents are gonna be so upset if she shared a room with a man. My sister is a good person, stop saying that!"

Meanwhile Cendana was to the side talking to Philippe as well. "So at night I work on my paintings. I like to paint and sculpt."

"Trop bien!" Philippe grinned. "Do you like to sail?"

"I've never done it before," Cendana laughed.

"Would you like to sail on a yacht sometime?" the blond offered.

Seeing their conversation becoming surprisingly interesting, Gigi was about to approach them to warn Philippe not to mess with her brother's heart if he had no commitments in mind. Prajans would usually be with only one person their entire life and Cendana had never been with anyone, despite his popularity. Even she had more experiences by now.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" The Minister of Foreign Affairs suddenly burst into the grand hall, shocking everybody inside.

"There you are, Minister. I was wondering if you might have passed my invitation," Cal said calmly. "Come and have a-"

"I-I'm afraid there's no time for that, Your Majesty! The northern border is under attack! The Seol-il forces have launched a blow on us on the order of the King."

The hall was soon filled with gasps and murmurs, aside from the photographers and journalists who were quick to take advantage of the situation. Cal, however, remained calm.

"But why?" Philippe came forward, face distorted with confusion. "We helped them! We took in their people. Feed them. Build them shelters!"

"That is just the reason, my Lord. They don't like us interfering with their problems."

"I can't believe it. We've sacrificed our resources for this!" said one of the lords.

"We mustn't allow this, Your Majesty!" added another.

"Ungrateful bastards!"

"How dare they..." Cal clenched his fist, giving his first response. "After everything we've done for them, this is how they repay us?"

The room immediately fell into silence, with each person holding their breath waiting for his next words.

"Ready the armed forces. We will go to the North and show that ungrateful King what we're capable of!" he declared. "They're asking for war, and we'll give them one."

So was this the purpose of throwing a massive public spectacle, and inviting everybody? Gigi wondered.

"Sire." Gigi palmed his shoulder, her other hand cradling her belly. "Congratulations."

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.