And baby makes... Four?

[Catriona Blackthorn]

Her moontime had missed. Twice. Something that Catriona had been positive shouldn't have happened. She'd never missed her brews, never thought to be careful with her affections for Morgan. Why should she have? She trusted her brews to be working appropriately, trusted that they were not faulty and were being taken correctly. They were not any different than they should have been. So why had she missed two moontimes? Why was using her jewels and power painful enough to send her into violent vomiting? There was only one real answer.

She would kill him, it was settled. He'd cheated. He had to have cheated.

Healer already summoned and now her foolish husband. *Consort,* she whispered down a psychic thread, *I would suggest you hurry if you do not want to miss this.* She paced around her rooms. She was annoyed, frightened, and perhaps a touch excited. For all her grousing and complaints and demands for patience, Catriona could feel the idea of being a mother growing on her. She would be terrible at it, she knew that, but a child to carry on her name? To be strong and wild as her husband? It was something that could be worthy of her happiness.

A quiet knock heralded the healer and Catriona moved to let the woman in. Her brow was cranked up when she realized the woman was blushing furiously. Cheated indeed. "Well come in," she fussed at the woman and tossed an elegant hand behind her. Cat watched with predatory eyes as the woman set her things down on the small table that she ate breakfast at. Too much guilt in that woman's eyes for Catriona to not have her suspicions grow. Damned man and his cleverness.

When the door swung open, Catriona rounded on the man who held her heart and her anger. "You cheated Consort," she told him brashly and without waiting for him to fully enter, "I will punish you appropriately later. But right now we need to have our confirmations." A simple delving should do and Catriona moved to run gentle fingers along the strong jaw of her husband.

Fear hit her suddenly. What if it was her imagination? What if nature had decided to fuck with her and hold her moontimes hostage? What if her excitement was for nothing? "What if I'm wrong," she whispered quietly as she settled herself against Morgan's side, "What if there's nothing there?" She wiped sweaty palms against the skirts of her dress. She had to be correct. Hyping herself up had been a mistake and now the possibility of failure was almost too much. "Maybe we should wait until next month," she continued with that quiet voice.

[Morgan Blackthorn]

Morgan knew he was in trouble. It had little to do with the rancorous tone that echoed down the thread like a whip lash, and all to do with the title she gave him. Consort. He was her damned husband! But husband was a title for men in favor with their wives. Morgan was being delegated to a court position so she could properly chastise him.

It was quite the game.

*Coming, Lady.* He replied meekly, doing his best to give none of the smirk on his face away. Morgan had his suspicions about this meeting. He had been waiting patiently for his wife to figure it out. Relishing every subtle shift in her psychic scent. All the faint hints that his plan had gone as he'd wished. Hoped. She was too stubborn to give him children as she'd promised, so Morgan had helped things along.

She had agreed, after all. And he couldn't allow his wife and queen to renege on a deal.

Blinking, Morgan tried to keep a straight face beneath her assault. "I do not know what you speak of, my queen." He raised an eyebrow in question, fighting hard for innocence as he dared a glance at the healer. The witch was going to give it all away looking like that. Morgan could have laughed. But he did not wish to be smacked in front Cat's healer.

Forgetting the game for a moment, Morgan's full attention was arrested by his wife. Turning toward her, he fit a hand to her hip and leaned into her caress. Beneath his probe her emotions were a tumult that concerned him. Fingers flexing, he drew her closer. Making his body a safe place for her to lean into as she fretted. Lips to her hair, Morgan breathed her in and felt a breath's pang of remorse.

"Oh my love. Do quit putting it off." Giving her a little shake, Morgan smirked down at her. He wouldn't let her show weakness in front of another. She could express her fears and trepidations when the healer wasn't there to witness them. "We have assembled as requested, please tell us what all the fuss is about." He goaded. His game was already won.

Now he just had to win his wife over. Again.

[Catriona Blackthorn]

She rolled her eyes at the meek tone that soaked his thread. Morgan was anything but meek, dancing the line between Protocol and death on an almost gleeful foot. Catriona was not fooled by that tone. She accepted it just the same. "Mhmm," she muttered at him, her eyes with a slightly dangerous glint to them. The rest of the glint was full of her appreciation for his support, for the love he held for her despite all her shortcomings. She'd better stop that train of thought before she burst into tears. She sniffed loudly in direction. "Lying does not become you," she fought the laughter from her voice and gave him a mock snarl. "I will bite you later."

Finger flexed against her and Cat's eyes closed as she stilled before leaning into him. It was nice to be able to show weakness on occasion. Being fierce, deadly and without weakness was exhausting. Her husband gave her the safe harbor to let it go. She trusted the healer, mostly, enough that the woman wasn't given a second thought as she sighed against his shoulder.

"Cruel and rude you are," she stuck her tongue out at him as he gave her a shake and smirk. His actions had the desired effect and Catriona spun to the woman. "You know very well what the fuss is about," she said to him as she tapped a finger against her lips, the healer's blush deepened and Catriona rolled her eyes. She sashayed forward, previous self doubt forgotten as she moved to lay on the bed. She sat with a bounce and the healer motioned for her to lie down. Cat doubted it was necessary but every healer did such things differently she was sure. She held her hand out for Morgan. "If you're going to fuss," she said as she placed the blame of fussing on him, "You might as well do it over here."

She was patient as the healer readied herself, Morgan's hand clutched in her own and puffed out a breath. "As you.. Hmm.. Suspect," the healer said as Catriona could feel the threads of power delving inside her, "You are very much pregnant. With twins. There are two heartbeats, and I believe there are congratulations in order, my Lady and Lord." Catriona's eyes bulged. Two? Twins? She had only expected one. One was plenty enough but two? That was going to be chaos. "You're certain?" she stared at the woman daring her to tell her it was jest only for the healer to nod in affirmation as she held up two fingers, "Two."

"Morgan?" Cat asked softly as her mind tried to make sense of the news the healer had just thrown to the wind.

[Morgan Blackthorn]

Morgan smirked, laughter making his chest swell like pride. He did not let it out, however. He would never laugh at his wife in front of another, no matter how amusing she was. "I'll be waiting." He promised wickedly, completely ignoring her admonishment.

Sometimes a man had to lie. Even to his wife and queen. Smiling into her hair, Morgan accepted the weight of her body, palm tracing the length of her spine soothingly. Her worry made the hair on the back of his neck stand up, but he knew she wasn't in danger. Or real distress. Once she settled into the idea she would be happy for a baby.

He was sure of it.

He just had to help get her there. Which meant adding a little roughness to his lying. Catriona was not a weak woman. Even when she was being vulnerable. She did not weep when he shook her, but instead came out of her own head and flashed her fierceness at him, tempered by humor. Good. "My lady wounds me." He objected, clutching his chest with one hand.

Morgan watched. Followed the way her finger pressed to her mouth. The way her body moved as she stepped away from him to stretch out across the bed for the healer. To soothe his temper at seeing her so laid out for another, Morgan spun a shield around the door and window. Protecting her as she made herself vulnerable to the healer.

"Of course." He was quick to cross the room and take her hand in his. Thumb stroking the back of her hand as he fought the urge to wrap her in a shield too. But allowing the healer in was necessary. And he very much wanted confirmation of what he suspected. But he so hated the idea of anyone mucking about inside his wife's barriers, or her body.

He breathed carefully, barriers parted so he could fully taste the room. Track both his wife and the healer. She had helped him, an ally in bringing his wife around to the fulfilling of her promises. But he did not extend to her full trust. Licking his lips, he smiled encouragingly at Catriona's nervous hand squeezing. Breath held until the healer confirmed.

Not one, but two heartbeats. Morgan laughed. A scoff of arrogance and surprise. "Twins!" He squeezed Cat's hand, grinning at her expression. "Its wonderful news." He promised her, shooing the healer out of the way so he could draw his wife up into a sitting position. He slid his own body into the space made and offered her his shoulder for comfort. "It seems we are a potent pair in this manner as well." He teased.

[Catriona Blackthorn]

Had he been any other person, Catriona would not have let him so decidedly protect her. Never would another person have the ability to slip beneath her shields or find her at her most vulnerable, but Morgan was hers. Morgan was the strength she never knew she needed when she needed it and he was her love. She trusted the male with more than just her court. She trusted him with her psyche, with her body and with her heart. No matter how annoyed she was with him, Morgan would never be anything but her closest thread. His touch soothed, did what it was intented and she was relaxed enough to here the words of the healer.

He'd not only impregnanted her but he'd apparently laid more than just one child in there. "I suppose you will take all the responsilbilty for this potentness," she groused at him with renewed vigor as he teased her, "The virility of your spear and all that." She couldn't help the happy, albeit nervous, laugh at her own teasing. Her husband had fooled her in some way to create the pregnancy itself, something he would pay for later, but she couldn't lie to herself any more. "Twins," she whispered softly even as the healer puttered and gave the usual instructions.

"Remember to drain her jewels," the woman said as she slipped away from Catriona and Morgan, moving to stand near the door with a thread tap against the Consort's shield. The woman was largely ignored by Catriona, the moment of her confirmation of what Cat already knew the healer was dismissed by her. Catriona was already formulating plans within plans, those that would help ensure that her court wasn't challenged or taken over while she convalesce during her pregnancy, plans for brews to still her morning sickness and names.

"They will need names," she muttered to herself as she swung her legs over the side of the bed, "Another cradle. Morgan, do let that woman out would you?" She stood and glanced at the man who was hers, her eyes bright with love of him. "We're having twins," she told him, "Twins..." She sat down again, her face taking on a slightly dazed looked as she really started coming to grips with that fact.

"We truly are potent are we not?"


(God I suck. I am so sorry!)

[Morgan Blackthorn]

"I said we!" Morgan defended with a laugh. He let go of Catriona only long enough to throw his hands up in surrender, before quickly reclaiming one of hers in his own again. He slotted his fingers through hers, fitting their hands together like separated puzzle pieces. The fit was perfect, as always, forever.

Morgan grinned. "Yes, wife, twins." He was certainly pleased with himself, even if double the child was unexpected. Only for a brief moment did trepidation touch his heart, only to be quickly shooed away. Nothing would happen to his lady, even carrying a double load of child in her belly. They would only be proof of her power.

And his.

Shifting his hold on her hand, Morgan helped Cat sit up on the edge of the bed. "Of course." He muttered to the healer, only faintly incensed that she could suggest he would forget. Morgan was too busy brushing hair from Catriona's face, eyes watching the news play out across her features, to pay the woman any real mind. Her part in this was over.

For now. He supposed healers would be necessary for pregnancy.

Twins especially.

"They will." He agreed, instantly imagining a boy and a girl named after their parents. Shrugging, Morgan lowered the shield to let the healer out. "My apologies." He offered, not in the least bit sorry. Ready to embrace his standing wife, Morgan laughed as she slid boneless back into the bed. He sat next to her, their hands entwined in the cradle of their knees.

"We truly are, my love." Morgan's smile was as arrogant as the day was long, but there was a peaceful sort of love in his as he leaned in to kiss the space between her eyes. "I'll order another cradle made." He half teased, since it would be necessary.

(you are not crazy lady!)