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Nix laughed, "i like both, but i don't think i'm going to go around kissing them. one of my friends from Falia could change into a frog, though he didn't much care for that ability. he always won hide and seek when pwers were allowed though." she was feeling better now and felt bad she'd done that to the three girls, but they didn't seem to mind. "Emily has Justin at least, the rest of us will have to find our own princes in disguises." she sighed heavily, placing the back of her hand to her head, "poor us!"

"Allowed to leave? you make it sound like we're keeping you here by force," Lewis pouted slightly before sighing and sitting up, the last of the knots sliding free. "if you feel like you must then go. you don't need permission, Shi-shi." he kissed the hare, his hands trailing up to tease the base of the other's ears before he pulled away, "but don't be a stranger now you're brother's back, ok? if you ever feel lonely we'll be happy to keep you warm."

Leo waited for Elliot to undress in the water, curling his legs up to his chest as he watched. "he just didn't want to take a bath," he said softly, but Elliot pulled him over and Leo setled against him happily. without meaning to, his hands rested on his stomach and he once more felt the life within. but Nix had been right. it was strong, far too strong for a babe only a month after conception. he frowned and looked at the barely there bump, that too was extremely odd. he'd seen pregnacy before, studied it when it was his mother who had been with child, and she hadn't been this size until she was two or three months along. was the pregnancy progressing at an accelerated rate? he wished he had someone to talk to, someone to help, but he doubted there was an elder tree near the palace. he would just have to watch everything very caryfully and make note of every little change.

Tsume had returned from his run feeling a thousand times better and was heading for a wuick bath when he picked up a very familiar scent. he smirked and took a few side halls, running to get ahead of the hair and then waiting outside of the servant's baths for Kashi to arrive. "good morning." he said, grinning when the hare came into view. "you had a good time last night, good for you."

Nix nodded, "lets go and see them!" she hadn't spent much time around either man and wanted to get to know them better. Leo'd spoken a little about them and they seemed like really nice men. "i wonder what your dad will do with four girls suddenly in his lap." she laughed as she got out of bed, staying in her underclothes. "maybe if we hurry we can all jump on them before they wake up!" there wasn't a doubt in her mind that the two men shared a bed, they acted like an old couple when they were together.

Leo stiffened for a moment, had Annabelle told Justin too? dear lord did they all know now? what was he going to do? if they started rumors about the baby- he felt sick. "i-i am sure it is just a rumor." he said softly, glace Elliot couldn't see his face as his back was being washed. "rumors start all the time, after all. or maybe he heard them wondering about when you will produce an heir," and wouldn't they have a litter of kittens when they found out he alreayd had, "and Justin just picked up on it."

"I was heading for the bath too, let's save water and take one together." he followed Kashi in and shut the door tight before he started to strip. "don't worry, i'm not going to jump you or anything." he smiled as he put his shirt on a low bench, releaving his well muscled torso. we was a wolf after all, his body was sleak and lean, pure muscle. he turned the water on, having watched Justin do it and wanting to try himself. "there, not so bad for a firsty." he chuckled before working on his pants, "i wont jump you but i will strip you myself if you don't get a move on, Kashi."

Nix grinned, "he looked really strong." she followed everyone in and smiled at the two men, but could smell what they had been doing. a slight blush lit up her cheeks, "morning, sir." she smiled and sat on the side of the bed, "were you heading for the bath? we haven't taken one yet, let's all take on together!" at least it would give the men a chance to wash off and hopefully keep the other three innocent of their actions a little longer.

Lewis sat up, "hey, baby girl!" he hugged Annabelle back and looked at Nix, someone here knew what they had been doing. thank the gods they didn't arrive ten minutes ago. they would have had to find someone to erase their memories. and he'd have to move and change his name to avoid their brother's wrath. "a bath is a great idea, don't you think so, Al?"

"that might not be nessicary," Leo barely whispered, "you never know what might happen." his hands pressed against his belly for a moment before he forced them away. "but you still are young and have time, right? it's not like you are going to be married off day after tomorrow and forced to start breeding!"

Tsume got in the water and watched how Ipo kept checking to make sure his bangs covered the eye that his bandages usally did. He let Kashi fuss for a bit before he reached forward and pulled the bangs back, looking the hare fully in the face. "you don't need to hide it, you know." he saod softly, trying to be as gentle as he could, "it's not such a bad thing, really." his fingers just barely grazed over the lid of the missing eye before he pulled his hand back, "i wonder if Lily could regrow it for you. she's a healer, the best that we've seen for a long, long time. you should ask."

Lewis watched the girls run out before he sighed. "that was close, my love." he kissed Al once more before getting up and getting his robe. "good thing i don't have scars anymore," he said softly, looking down at his smooth body. "remember when Elliot noticed them for the first time?" the marks had been faint, barely even there, but the cross crossing lines had still been there when Elliot was a small child and the boy had asked about it. Lewis had had a flash back and had to leave the bath, he was scaring Elliot. he'd avoided the boy for a while after that, but Elliot had been to one to come to him. they'd spent the night together and all had been forgotten by the next morning. "i wish i could just snuggle with him and have everything back to the way it was by the next morning." he missed the relationship he ahd with the young prince, "but i guess that's too much to hope for, isn't it? no one to blame but myself." he smiled weakly and left, going to the bathroom before he could hear any fake comfort Al would try to make up. he knew the truth, it was his fault Elliot hated him now, but he still missed being called 'Uncle 'ewis'. he smiled at the girls and looked at the scents, 'how about this one!" he pulled out a completely different oil that they had. this one being orange, "a much better choice!"

Nix had followed the other girls and stripped away her gown, but she looked at Lewis when he arrived, frowning a little. her head cocked to the side as he practically shouted out a name to her. she smiled and went to hug the man, looking up at him, "i like orange too, Uncle 'ewis." the man stared at her and she could see how close he was to crying, but he held it back and bent to give her a tight hug. "see? he really, really wants orange!"

Leo was so close to telling him. the words were right there, waiting to be said, "Elliot, I-" but they dried up in his throat and he felt himself swallow, "i-um," he looked down and knew he couldn't say it. he wanted to, he wanted to shout it out, 'I'm pregnant.' 'I'm carrying your child' 'you don't have to worry anymore, everything ok now. you already have an heir.' but nothing came out, he couldn't say it. not like this. not out of no where. it would be cruel, "i think you should wait," he finally said softly. "give it a couple of months, and see where things are then. your father is in good health, and if something happens i'm here to heal him." Leo smiled, "if you wanted i could keep him alive for years and years so you never have to take the throne."

They? The eye wasn't dead? and what was that about Ipo? he frowned, loopholes to healing magic? so the eye had been removed. and used for what? ipo-his eyes narrowed and he watched Kashi for a long time while the other washed himself, thoughts of dark magic flickering through his head as he tried to peice together the clues he'd been given. "Kashi, i know the reason i'm here for you isn't exactly the best on out there, but i am here for you. if you need to talk, no matter what about, i'll listen. i'm no innocent, no matter what it is, i'll listen to you, ok?"

"thank you," Lewis whispered softly before standing up, grinning, "ha! because i always get what i want, right Al? like the flowers, i want them to grow so they do! oh, speaking of which i need to go start watching them again. they seemed a bit wilted at the party, don't you think?" he stripped his robe and picked up Nix and Annabelle under each arm and sat down in the water with them. "so there! Prime Minister trumps princess."

Nix laughed as she was picked up and dropped in the water, sitting on one of the man's legs. "can't argue with that. his decisions have an effect on the entire country after all. and King trumps him and since he's the one who poured the oil we're all sunk!"

Leo smiled, "i'm sure your father will wait until he is sure you are ready." he saw Elliot's hand going for his stomach and he quickly snatched the sponge. "sorry, it's this stupid illness. it's making me all puggy and gross." he blushed a little and quickly washed his front, "i don't want you to feel that"

"I see," Tusme said softly, more information. more clues to the puzzle. It was true he hadn't heard much about Kasp, save for the legends of it's origins. it was about as far and opposite of Falia as one could get without crossing oceans. "do you think that the king should know about how dangerous they are? even if nothing happens, at least being aware of the nature of a people can do a lot by way of protecting yourself."

Lewis looked at Martha curiously, "a boy pregnant? what could possibly bring this on?" there had been many times in his life after meeting AL that he wished he could be with child. but then they had met that wonderful woman and it hadn't been a problem, but Lewis still couldn't help but feel jealousy at how close having a baby had brought them together. he hadn't been excluded or anything like that, but there was this sort of glow around the two when they were together. the way they looked at each other and the time they spend together before and after Elliot was born. it was something he knew he could never have himself.

Nix bit her lip, "there is a way-" she said softly, thinking hard. "an old legend, one-that was more of a fairy tale really. one of our leaders had been dethroned. he'd gone mad with power and upon loosing that power his insanity only grew. he put a curse over Falia, putting every woman within the kingdom into a deep sleep. the men had one year to break the curse before it became permanent, however the only way to break it was for the cries of a newborn child to fill the winds of the land and wake the women from their slumber." she looked up, "but how could men birth a child? hundreds turned to the trees and one was found worthy by them. upon his return, he made love with his husband and became with child. at the child's birth, when it's cries were first heard, every woman in the kingdom woke and all celebrated their rescue." she shrugged a little, the legend then ends with a comment about how women wake if there is a crying baby within a mile while men simply sleep on. i thought it nothing more than a story, but now-"

Leo shivered when he felt the hand over his stomach. his eyes closed for a moment and he hoped that Elliot wouldn't notice anything, but the man remained quiet and he let out the breath he'd been holding. "that's good to hear because i've been told to expect to get even larger." how long before Elliot figured out that he wasn't simply gaining weight? he wasn't looking forward to that moment. "we should get out, you're turning into a prune, my prince."

Tsume smiled, "if Nalenyr is attacked then you won't be alone fighting them. Lily and Nix are hear, the only surviving members of the royal family, do you really think Falia will sit back quietly as they are attacked?" he stood up to dry off as well, having washed himself as they had spoken. "winged people are a tough enemy, but there are wonders and monsters from legend within our forest." he moved to give Kashi a small hug, "I'm sure you are right. we need not worry for now." he kissed the top of the hare's head, right between his ears, without thinking. it was such a habit, he did it before he realized he had. "what's on the list of things to do today?"

Lewis sat frozen, his eyes wide. Leo was pregnant? Leo was-bit by bit he felt himself beginning to shatter and fall to pieces. he was about to break completely when Al's voice forced him back into focus. "Tomorrow? guest?" he replied, confused and forcing himself to think, to remember. "oh no-" his eyes widened and he felt his heart plummet. the guest! he'd been against it, but had let AL do as he liked. but now-"what will we do?"

Nix looked between the two men and had to fight the urge to read their minds nad find out what the heck they are talking about. "guest? what guest? what's going on?" she was suddenly scared for her brother. if the men were reacting this way then it couldn't be anything good for Leo. "what is going on?"

Leo looked down, "a very rare kind. at least it is rare for men. that's all i can really say right now." his head snapped up at the 'size of a house comment', "am i really that big?" he asked, looking down at his stomach and placing his hands over it. "meany, just for that i'll never let you see me naked again." he got up, glad for the help, and started to dry off. "and i'll wear big foofy clothes that hide everything. so there." he muttered as he finished drying. at the question he thought for a bit, "well, i would like to get working on new clothes. a house wont fit into what i have now for very long"