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Valter was in a surprisingly good mood despite his rough night. The handsome young man had even managed not to throw a temper tantrum when his sister decided to head to the sky temple without him. What was bothering him was the fact that she had left a one-lined message informing him that she had left. To him it seemed more of an order to follow then anything else. The white raven on his shoulder grumbled something about it being night or cold, the young man couldn't decide or bring himself to care much, the bird was always cranky when he was forced to leave his roost before the sun touched the sky. Valter wasn't one to charge into a temple despite having little to no problem storming into others personal spaces. There was something alluring and frightening about the old legends that kept him at a respectable distance. It was another reason he rarely tasted priestess although he had plenty of opportunity to do so. When he entered the temple he took a moment to notice that there were very few worshipers. A lesser man might have admired the beauty of the temple itself but he ignored it as easily as he might have a peasant on the street of the capital.

"Ursula-" he murmured as he ventured into a familiar and quiet alcove of the temple and spotted the familiar figure of his dear sister seated at one of the stone benches. The young man's eyes then would take notice of the young girl standing before her. "Teresa" he added with obvious warmth as the young red-eyed girl peered shyly at him through the veil that cloaked her pretty face her features were undeniably that of her mothers and he was glad for that. The last thing he wanted for a female child of his to be cursed with his jawline or nose. "I shan't speak of how worried I was when I heard that you had left without me-" he grumbled as he took a few more steps into the room. The white raven on his shoulder seemed uneasy, it was clearly picking up the quiet rumblings from the annoyed woman, and he hesitated looking uncertain. "But I'm glad to see you both safe and sound" he sounded a touch relived as if he didn't trust that his sister could take care of herself or that their child wasn't safe in the temple.

Valter found himself hesitating to step farther into the alcove and he soon found why. He had completely forgotten his daughters birthday. He felt bad but he wouldn't allow Ursula or Teresa to see this as he struggled to think of what he could say or due to make up for the blunder. That was until Ursula fixed him in a tight smile and a look that could cause a lesser man to shrink in submission. Rather he met her glare with the slightest hint of alarm and shame that was quickly swamped by boyish contempt. Why should he be ashamed? As she had mentioned to him the night before he was young and in good health and he saw that he had done enough to bless himself with some of the the pleasures of life. Not that the night before had been like a typical romp with a gutter whore or harem. It had been awkward and filled with strange emotions. He doubted she had eased dropped long anyway. Despite his disgust at his sisters attitude he felt a pang of regret that he had caused her any kind of discomfort.

"Dearest sister, I am ashamed you would accuse me of such things in a temple, and before our daughter" the young man said flatly. Dark blue eyes stormy as he tried to regain some control over his feelings but he quickly turned his gaze from Ursula to Teresa where it softened considerably. "A thousand apologizes. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" he asked the young girl gently but it was obvious that the question was meant to include her mother as well. The red-eyed girl cradled the well worn book in her arms and shyly dropped her eyes a sign that she forgave him. "I haven't forgotten to get you anything" he lied "I can only bring the finest things for my daughter." he opened his arms as young girl leaned into be embraced by him. When the embrace was done he stiffly sat beside Ursula and flicked a stern glare in her direction before smiled warmly to Teresa "I've decided you are old enough to carry some form of protection so I requested a good friend of mine to craft you a dagger to match your beauty" he decided at last. A gift that was better suited for a male but he could see men trying to take advantage of the quiet little girl. Something he would never allow to happen so long as he lived and could help it. The girl looked surprised and moved forward to plant a kiss on his cheek through the thick veil that helped hide her face. "You shall want for nothing" he promised as he flicked a searching look over at Ursula. Hoping that the gift wouldn't displease her and hoping that she caught his meaning behind the words. Valter didn't regret the night with Irulan, not yet at least, but he had a feeling he would come to regret it shortly.

Valter met his sisters glare until she crossed her arms with a familiar sound of agreement, he had to struggle to keep his face from showing his amusement, if she saw it she might just kill him. It always amazed him when she connected things together and he found himself genuinely impressed that was until she mentioned her lack of her ability. Valter recalled his coming in at an early age and with Ursula's present since birth it seemed odd that she would be on her thirteenth birthday without so much as an inkling at what her talent might be. Valter would never admit that he feared it was punishment from the higher powers for the sin that she was born from and into. Valter watched as Teresa turned and ran off, obedient as ever, he was disgusted that he couldn't bring her back to the castle to rear her in the life she deserved.

Valter was hardly surprised when his sister turned and ripped his shirt down enough so that she could bite down hard and opening a new bite mark on his chest and causing him to grimace. "One would think you are trying to consume me" he hissed at her but didn't pull away as she accused him of visiting with a woman so shortly after promising her that she would be his only mistress. "Dear sister you don't understand-" he sounded frustrated but fell silent as she continued. The news that she had spied on him didn't bring much shock, there was little he could do without her knowing, and he felt a fresh stab of guilt in his stomach. Something he wasn't accustomed to feeling or expressing. Rather he glared at an elderly man who turned his gaze respectfully away before turning his burning stare on his sister. "It was a mistake-" he said at last, he sounded disgusted but beneath that he sounded wounded, a hint that her words were stabbing home. Valter was growing frustrated as he tried to conjure the correct words that might soothe his dear sisters anger, that was until he saw her tears, and he looked away ashamed of his weakness.

"I am weak" he finally said at last as he reached forward and placed a gentle hand on her elbow and pulled her to him. To a passing stranger the gesture could be taken as a brother comforting a sister. "Men are weak creatures, sweet sister, we fall victim to our desires so easily" he sounded genuine, as if he was explaining this to an unruly child, but in reality he was struggling to control his temper. What he wanted to do was yell and storm out of the temple, to leave her with something to think about, but he cared far to much for his little sister to show such disrespect and it was this inward conflict that made his palms sweat beneath his gloves and his skin prickle. Ursula wasn't some cheap hussy or gutter whore that he commonly encountered, she was something special, the mother of his daughter and the only thing he loved other then himself. "But please listen to me. I shan't welcome another into my bed. Please, will you look at me?" he said as he reached another hand up to try and catch her face so she could look at him. Maybe if she saw he how poor he felt she might soften some although he doubted that.

Valter swallowed his frustration when he saw the look on his precious sisters face. The handsome princes face softened when his sister admitted that she had forgotten his desires. "I am weak" he repeated gently as she informed him that woman didn't have the same desires. If they did they hid them a lot better then their male counterparts. "Like I said before there is no one more worthy of my time then you, those other women are nothing more then strumpets designed to ease my desires and protect you" he admitted at last. The last thing he wanted to do was harm Ursula. "Not that you couldn't take it" he added with a hint of a smile. "You are and will remain the only woman who has caught my eye" and when she asked him to spend two more days with her whenever he took a woman to his chambers he couldn't think of a better situation for him. "Of course, if that eases your mind, I will spend more time with you" he placed a hand on her knee and stared into her mismatched eyes.

"All of the temples?" he sounded surprised but it seemed fair. There was no god or goddess he feared and to show them his sinful love for his sister. "I cannot imagine anything else I would rather do then to take you before the eyes of those who would shun us" the pang of unease eased the tension in his stomach. He hadn't meant to hurt his sisters feelings but the last thing he could tell her was that it hadn't been a woman he had been with but rather a man. He could only imagine her horror at that information. "Sweet sister, neither am I, you and our daughter are the two loves of my life" he admitted at last, it was the honest truth, he had never expected to love another person as much as he loved himself or his desires. Ursula and Teresa were the driving force behind his desire to become emperor. "There is nothing wrong about us" he decided at last as he squeezed her knee and his dark eyes stared into her eyes.

Valter caught her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Although in the beginning he had been afraid to trust his younger sister, he had grown up hearing stories of siblings killing one another for birthrights, but overtime she had won him over. Valter had been about ready to sweep her into his arms when their daughter returned and joined them on the bench. "A boy?" he sounded unhappy at the prospect of his daughter being interested in another person. Ursula seemed pleased, however, and wished her luck with her crush. "Aren't you a bit young-" he grumbled under his breath as he adjusted himself and squeezed Ursula's hand a bit tighter signalling his discomfort at the subject. "You missed your bleeding?" he repeated and for a few seconds he stared after his daughter but stiffening and turning to look at her. "Are you serious?" he asked but saw from the blush on her cheeks that she was serious. "Why didn't you tell me last night?" he took his hand away from hers and stared at her with a mixture of unease and anger. Of course he wasn't angry at her. Although she should have been drinking her herbal mixtures like she had promised him after the birth of Teresa. It seemed she hadn't done so this time around and he rubbed his chine and stared at her and a frown pulled the corners of his mouth down. "I-" he cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. Of course he had been overjoyed at the birth of Teresa but they had gotten very lucky. How were they going to hide another pregnancy? The thought of hurting his sisters feelings forced the frown to disappear and an smile to form softening his features although his eyes remained shadowed with worry. "That is wonderful news, precious sister, are you certain?" he pressed gently as he returned to holding her hand. "If you are certain we will have to take measures to avoid our loving father from interfering" he murmured gently as his eyes traveled from her face down to her belly where the possible baby was developing.

Valter knew that his sister wasn't a fool and she wouldn't pretend to be pregnant like some of the other female company that he had sought in the past. "At least your health is good" he said mildly but his mind was drawn back to the topic on hand. When she mentioned staying with Lady Barburry he bristled. The lady maid had helped Ursula when she was pregnant with Teresa and hadn't breathed a word of her b*****d daughter. Valter figured she wouldn't say anything if Ursula decided to carry this child to term. "How do you mean?" he sounded surprised when she admitted that she wanted to have this child and keep it. It was only natural that she wanted to rear her children but keeping a child in the castle was out of the question. How could she explain being pregnant or returning to the castle with a child? Valter felt the same about wanting his children to be raised inside the safety of the castle. But he wasn't clever, not like his precious sister, as he thought about what his sister said. "Ursula" he said at last "There is no way our father, as gracious as he has been, would allow a daughter of his to rear a b*****d child" he said flatly. "But-" he said at last unsure of where his thoughts were taking him "I'm certain he expects b*****d children from me" he adjusted himself "Perhaps I could claim this child as a b*****d, orphaned by his mother, and at least it could be treated properly and it wouldn't be far from your eye" he said and sought approval from his sister, he wasn't certain his plan was a good one, but he was sure that if the child favored him in appearance that the plan could possibly work.