"I'm fine now, papa," I said as I buried myself in his embrace. The soothing strokes he was giving my back calmed me further. "Mami was also there to support me."

"Next time, just stay away from Ayaka," he said. "I don't like hearing you getting riled up because of her. What if it hurts you and the baby?"

"She's the one who sought me out, Mami and I were on our way back here when she stopped us," I said, a bit miffed.

"Now, now, I'm not saying you started it," he said in a placating tone. "I'll talk to her again tomorrow, she needs to have some sense knocked in that thick skull of hers."

"You should, especially since she plans on using your child to get even with me and Mami."

"I know," he ran his fingers through my hair and looked me in the eye. "Hey, don't get mad at me, too."

I sighed heavily. "Sorry, I was just really in a bad mood. I hate it when children get involved in their parents' personal matters."

"I'll take care of this," he a.s.sured me. "I know your relations.h.i.+p is irreparable but that doesn't mean I've lost hope in saving Ayaka from herself. At the end of the day, she is still the mother of my first child. It's only natural for me to want what's good for her but if she proves to be beyond saving, then I'll have to see to it that she gets what she deserves."

"For her child's sake, I hope she wouldn't do anything stupid. Once upon a time, I did consider her as my younger sister."

~~~

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" Mami looked at me as if I betrayed her. "Don't even bother denying it, I can tell!"

We were currently in my room as teacher and student with me being the latter. When I told her I couldn't read and write in the j.a.panese system, she was aghast and asked me about the authenticity of my being a princess. Of course I couldn't tell her about how I got here so I just stuck with my old story as it was for the best. Spring was just around the corner and my belly was unusually huge for someone who was only entering her second trimester. This, coupled with the fact that I was with her almost everyday, were enough to expose me.

My hand that was holding the brush paused mid-stroke. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"I thought we were friends?"

c.r.a.p, I thought. She looked really hurt.

"When I first found out about it, I decided to keep it a secret. Until today, only my maids, Kaname, and I knew about it," I said. "I didn't tell you because I thought the less number of people knew, the better."

"Haven't I proven myself to be a trustworthy friend?" she countered. "Lady Hinata, I even told you my deepest, darkest secret."

"I know," I dropped the brush and clasped my hands together in a begging gesture. "Please forgive me! I'm an awful friend, I know!"

She sighed and waved her hand in an it's alright manner. "So, how far along are you? Do you know the gender of your child?"

I rubbed my belly and replied, "I'm on my fourth month. As for the baby's gender, I'm still not sure. Ryuko-san has a hard time deciphering its gender because my pulse is somewhat erratic."

She tilted her head to the side and tapped her chin with her forefinger, "Hmm… You're a bit huge for someone who is still in her fourth month, maybe you're having twins?"

I heard the clatter of china behind us. Mami and I both looked at the direction where the noise came from and saw my head maid try to rebalance the teapot and cups on the tray she was carrying. She then slowly approached us and carefully placed what she was carrying on the nearest vacant low table.

"M-my lady, I finally know why I couldn't give you a proper reading! Lady Mami is most likely right, you're having twins!" she said excitedly. "This is the explanation that has been evading me for a long time now!"

"If you hadn't hidden this from me, you'd have known this for a long time now," Mami said, she looked like the cat that ate the canary. "I still suggest you seek professional medical advice since we might still be incorrect."

"Mmm, I'll talk to Kaname about it."

~~~

Kaname agreed as he, too, wanted to make sure that I was indeed having twins. He immediately summoned the inner palace's physicians to check on me. After a series of examinations, it was confirmed that I was carrying two healthy children in my womb. The head physician even concluded that one was a boy and the other, a girl. I got emotional as I remembered my dream, tears of joy streamed from my eyes. Kaname, on the other hand, was ecstatic! As soon as the doctor finished giving additional advice, he immediately gave me a searing kiss. If it weren't for Mami clearing her throat, we'd have forgotten that there were other people in the room.

Unfortunately, this meant that my pregnancy was no longer a secret. News about my having twins spread not just inside the castle, but outside of it as well. Amidst all the well-wishers and happy faces, someone was very displeased with this news. There was a rumor running around the ooku that when she learned about my expecting twins, Ayaka threw a fit and accused me of 'copying' her.

Many officials started offering me gifts and everyday. For the first time today, Kaname arrived in the osuzu roka (he no longer had to hide his visits) with these gifts. He rejected anything that had to be ingested and accepted only those that our babies could use like clothing and toys. When she saw the gifts Kaname brought, the little snake could no longer contain her anger and started throwing things around in her room. She didn't stop despite having painful contractions and had to be subdued with a sedative. When I heard about this, I was naturally concerned for the child in her womb. I couldn't meet Kaname in the corridor because I was slightly feeling nauseous, a first for me since becoming pregnant.

"Is the baby alright?" I asked Nanami. Ayaka's in her last two months of gestation, she should be extra careful.

"Hai," Nanami confirmed. "What I'm worried about is Mitsuki, my lady. I'm afraid she might expire from all the stress she's currently under. I don't know how she puts up with Lady Ayaka; then again, it's not like she has a choice."