In the days that followed, Maria was keeping a positive outlook. As per her promise to Brád, she’d been eating more regularly, fighting back the waves of nausea, and drinking what he gave her to help with that as nothing the midwives did had made it any easier. She got sleep. She kept herself rested. Anything that it took to make sure their child was growing healthy inside of her was what she did. What<span style="font-style: italic">small</span>chance there was that the child wasn’t his and was, in fact, Ivor’s, was so small that it didn’t bother her anymore; not on a conscious level anyway. Brádach had given her something to cling to and she happily clung to it and anticipated the birth of their child, wondering if it’d be a boy or a girl. The healthy flush had settled into her cheeks and Simprina had even begun to notice, which had her backing off whenever the ranger came up in conversation. No longer did the woman overstep her boundaries, given the understanding she’d reached with the man in question.<br/><br/>And, from the looks of things, he was doing better for her than the rest of the arrangement she found herself in combined.<br/><br/>But that didn’t mean, however, the idea of Brádach leaving her to go hunting with the prince, with her husband, was an idea she embraced. There was still the worry something would happen. What if there was an accident and Ivor got hurt, leaving Brád to blame? What if neither of them came back? What if something came out while they were out, among shows of alpha status and things crumbled around them?<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Stay positive,</span>Maria told herself, letting out a calming breath as her ladies in waiting made her up for the day ahead. Today was the day that both her husband and the man she wished was her husband would be leaving for their hunting trip while she stayed behind. There was no place for a woman on such ventures, so she’d content herself with reading, or perhaps she’d con Earl or Edgar into taking her about the kingdom to properly see some more of the sights she’d been deprived of, of late. Now that she was of delicate condition, her jaunts were watched more closely. Her trips were never left unaccompanied. Her time outside in the hot sun was less and less, left to observe the beautiful days from the varying windows about the castle, listening to the servant’s talk for amusement when needlepoint had her going cross-eyed.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">It’s only for a few days…You can hold out that long. You can be strong without him. You <span style="font-weight: bold">have</span> to be strong without him. You’ve others here and, while not many, they’re people you can trust. The King and Queen are reasonable and a pleasure to talk to. The brothers are always good company to keep. And Simprina, bless her soul, has eased up and regressed back to the woman I’d known before this move to Sirmia. This won’t be so bad. You’ll have lots to do to keep you busy.</span><br/><br/>A hand rested atop her stomach as the women carefully laced her into her dress, a lighter fabric and cut of their own kingdom’s design. It set off the gold of her hair and the violet of her newly-awaken eyes, the spark that had died out replaced with a vigor as she thought more and more of the life growing inside of her, and thought more and more of the future she’d have with Brádach…While that was slightly problematic, given he wasn’t her husband, she kept it to herself and her sins would be cleansed someday. A wandering mind now was nothing condemnable.<br/><br/>“Are you ready, your highness?”<br/><br/>Simprina’s voice cut into her thoughts as she threw one final look in the mirror. Her chest had filled out a bit more, as had her stomach, the telltale signs of her pregnancy in full swing. The shoes, normally a lot taller, had been cut back to a more reasonable height to make sure there were no accidents with the new weight she was carrying around. With a nod, she lifted herself up from the chair, her arm quickly taken up by Simprina as she and the rest of her ladies followed suit, making way for the entrance, for the gates, to see them both off.<br/><br/>Her eyes were set on Ivor as they should have been, smile growing as it should have when he approached, arms returning the hug and lips returning the kiss placed there (though her skin still crawled beneath his touch). A kerchief was pulled from the sleeve of her dress, and tucked into his pocket. “Best of luck, my prince,” she replied back, only chancing a look at Brád when Ivor had walked back to his horse. It was brief, the luck she wished for him and not the man who’d been disturbingly close to her. But closer still? The sister she didn’t get along with was suddenly going to make sure she was in good hands during their absence. Suddenly, the notion of her relaxing few days seemed all the bleaker.<br/><br/>Simprina’s hand remained at her elbow, a look given with an answered nod from Maria. “I’m sorry to leave you both so soon, but the sunlight is…a bit too much for me right now. Just know that I look forward to the day you both return and can share your exploits of bravery and bonding.” With a final smile, and a kiss blown to Ivor and a wave to Brád (though, in her mind, they were reversed), she was led back inside, making way for her room and her wing of the castle.