Chapter Text
The crackling of fire filled the large room, accompanying the barely audible sound of a quill scratching across finely-made paper. The office was spacious, yet looked more like a scribe’s study than a space in which the Minister of Religion herself worked and received guests from all over the Empire. In her defense, there was always work to be done - ranging from clarifying minor misunderstandings to dealing with missives that could potentially spark an all-out war between the affected churches and the Empire.
It wasn’t an easy job, but Marianne hadn’t expected it to be when she accepted Edelgard’s offer all those years back.
They had made leaps and bounds in calming matters between the Empire and the churches, but things were still far from ideal, even after years of hard work. Marianne sighed, dipping her quill into the inkwell before continuing the sentence she had been writing.
She briefly glanced out of one of the large windows to see the position of the sun. By her estimates, it was still the early morning, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint the time. She paused briefly, leaning back in her chair. Gently, she took off her eyeglasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose, thinking about how to word the rest of the order without sounding too harsh, but also not too weak. It was imperative that her authority would shine through without the possibility of being seen as tyrannical by the average member of the clergy.
Her eyeglasses were finely crafted, having been gifted to her only a few months before. She felt like an old lady while wearing them, but that was the price she had to pay for the many, many nights she had spent working, both during her time at Garreg Mach, during Edelgard’s war and now in her role as Minister.
She placed the eyeglasses back on her nose wordlessly, adjusting them gently until they felt right. They still felt rather heavy for her liking, but she was slowly getting used to them, though it would still take her a while before she would be able to ignore them completely during her activities.
She continued on the order, carefully choosing each word and expression to avoid any problematic undertones. The fireplace crackled quietly behind her, its warmth welcome in the otherwise chilly air of the morning.
One of the windows was cracked open to provide fresh air, and Marianne could hear the distant voices of people walking far below her, accompanied by the sounds of birds nested on the upper towers of the imperial palace. If Marianne strained her ears slightly, she could even hear the relentless, shrieking chirps of freshly hatched baby birds from somewhere relatively nearby. It made her smile.
In due time, the order had been written, and Marianne carefully sealed it with wax, using the seal stamp provided to her when she had begun her work at the palace. Edelgard had suggested a seal stamp ring originally, but Marianne had found it too large and eye-catching for her slender fingers, settling instead on a small brass seal.
As she stood up, the sealed order in her hand, a knock came from the door on the opposite side of the room. Hastily, Marianne walked over to the large desk at which she was meant to receive any and all guests… Though she wasn’t sure who would be coming to her this early in the morning, without prior announcement at that.
She quickly sat down, placing the sealed order next to her on her desk. With a quick few motions, she made sure that her hair wasn’t a mess, and a glance down her body confirmed to her that her dress looked passable as well. As she plucked the eyeglasses off of her nose with one hand, she cleared her throat.
“Yes? You may enter.”
The large door to her office creaked open slowly as Marianne felt a draft pick up from the window behind her, throwing a few loose hairs around her face that she had to wipe and blink away. A tall figure, backlit by the sun shining into the hallway behind it, slid into the room silently. Despite the unclear shape, Marianne immediately knew who had come to visit her, giving the man a warm smile.
“Hello Hubert, is something the matter?”
Hubert closed the door behind him quickly, stepping into the light of the fireplace with a barely noticeable bow. His looming presence had turned from discomforting to surprisingly calming over the years as Marianne had gotten used to being around him. She saw him as somewhat of a gargoyle - a little off-putting and even creepy at first glance, but ultimately a protective force meant to ward away the true evils of the world. The comparison wasn’t exactly flattering, so she kept it to herself.
“Good day, Lady Marianne. I am not interrupting your work, am I?”
Marianne shook her head, motioning towards the sealed order on the table.
“As it happens, I have just finished something of utmost importance. I was about to head down and hand it over to our messengers.”
She paused briefly, retracting her hand and putting it on her lap.
“So, to what do I owe the visit? Knowing you, there is something that requires my attention, am I correct?”
Hubert nodded slowly, walking closer to the table and grabbing the sealed order gently.
“Yes. Your presence has been requested - urgently, if I may add. I can handle this delivery in your stead, do not worry.”
Marianne raised an eyebrow.
“My presence is requested?”
“Quite so.”
“Judging by the fact that you came here personally, I can only assume it is from Edelgard?”
Hubert nodded as he let the piece of paper disappear into his cloak.
“Indeed.”
“...And you are content to deliver an order in the meantime? Are you not worried about her?”
She could swear that Hubert smirked slightly, but his face was illuminated by neither the fire nor the light of the windows as he stepped back slightly.
“Oh, not at all. Lady Edelgard requested you, and only you, specifically. I believe it is a very… private matter.”
“I… I see. Very well then, thank you Hubert.”
Marianne rose from her seat as Hubert stepped back further, lingering in the room as Marianne wiped down her dress. She glanced up at him quizzically.
“Was there… Something else?”
The man shook his head.
“No, Lady Marianne. I merely wished to thank you for aiding Lady Edelgard in ways that I cannot. That is all.”
He bowed slightly once more before turning and silently walking over to the door of Marianne’s study while the woman moved to extinguish the fireplace. She had a hunch that, whatever was happening, it would not be a quick affair.
By the time she was done, Hubert had already disappeared through the doors and down one of the numerous hallways of the imperial palace, leaving Marianne to wander by herself. Despite the relatively early morning hours, there were already plenty of people going about their duties, ranging from servants who were busy with the upkeep of the palace itself to some members of the court who were nigh-omnipresent, their eyes always silently following Marianne in particular, especially due to… recent events.
She swallowed, shaking the gaze off as she quickly navigated the complex maze of corridors, making her way towards Edelgard’s bedchambers. She greeted a few of the servants along her way - they worked hard and Marianne felt bad to not acknowledge that fact when possible, even if she was in a hurry.
Finally, she arrived at the heavy, decorated doors of the Emperor’s personal bedchambers. Most people would have been intimidated by the sheer size of them, but Marianne had snuck through this particular door so many times that she was entirely unaffected by the atmosphere, quickly knocking on the door four times.
No answer came from inside, and so Marianne looked around, making sure that nobody was watching before she leaned in closer, mouth only a few centimeters away from the door.
“El, it’s me. What is wrong?”
Quickly, she heard the sound of someone quickly walking across the room beyond. She stepped back just in time for the lock of the door to audibly be disengaged, followed by the door itself swinging open a crack.
“Be quick - come on, come on.”
Marianne followed Edelgard’s instructions, quickly stepping through the doors before closing and locking them behind her. As she turned to look where Edelgard had gone, she just barely saw one of the Emperor’s bare feet disappear into the bedchamber’s side room, where Edelgard would spend considerable time each morning picking out and putting on her dresses.
“What is wrong, El?”
The blue-haired woman began walking towards the walk-in closet, hearing Edelgard opening and closing some of the wardrobes in quick succession.
“Many things, Mari. Many, many things.”
Marianne sighed quietly as she crossed the threshold into the decently-sized wardrobe, finding Edelgard nearly naked, digging through a wardrobe feverishly. Marianne felt her cheeks warm up slightly as she watched her lover run her hands through her long, white hair in frustration.
“Why are you naked, El?”
“I am not naked , Mari - I have my undergarments on.”
That wasn’t quite true, as Edelgard was notably missing her bra, as Marianne could see through the Emperor’s parted hair.
“Wait, let me find the bra for you…”
Marianne turned away, her eyes briefly looking for the chest where Edelgard kept her undergarments, quickly finding it near the door. She leaned down, flipping the container open. Edelgard was simple when it came to picking out her underwear, and so Marianne immediately knew which bra to grab.
On top of the pile of identical bras lay a single one that stood out from the rest - it was a different color and about two or three cup sizes larger. Marianne knew it well - it was hers, but she had loaned it to Edelgard for the time being, as none of the older ones fit the Emperor anymore.
She plucked the bra out of the chest before closing it and walking over to Edelgard, who had sat down on the small couch in the middle of the changing room, her hands on her thighs in defeat. Marianne motioned for her to turn sideways so they could put on the bra, a gesture which Edelgard followed without a word.
Marianne gently reached around her lover and put the bra in place, helping El put her arms through the straps.
“So… I guess they’ve grown again?”
“Everything has grown again, Mari. I feel like I’m blowing up, every piece of me has gotten so… flabby.”
Marianne rolled her eyes slightly as she started to close the bra from behind.
“Nonsense, El. I can barely pinch any fat on your sides, look.”
She paused with the bra, her hands instead landing on El’s hips as she gently tried to feel for a bit of fat to grab. It took her a few seconds, but she finally managed to gently pinch some.
“See? It’s barely anything.”
“I still feel fat, Mari.”
The blue-haired girl sighed, leaning her head on El’s shoulder from behind, her hands slowly creeping forward as well.
“You’re not fat, El…”
She reached around her partner fully, her hands resting on the gentle, undeniable outwards curve of El’s belly.
“...You’re six months pregnant, silly.”
El sighed heavily before leaning her head on Marianne’s.
“...Four months, actually.”
Marianne raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? Did you finally ask one of the healers to check you out?”
“Yes… It has been rather obvious that I am with child for the past month, and I figured that hiding it was pointless now.”
They both nodded slowly as Marianne let her hands wander over El’s bump slowly.
“So… Only four months? You’re quite… big for that, aren’t you?”
She felt El squirm slightly.
“Ah… I was really hoping that I could tell you this when I wasn’t a half-prepared mess, but…”
She breathed in deeply before putting one of her hands on Marianne’s.
“It would… it would seem that you truly outperformed yourself, my love. Let’s just say… We will be having a bit of a tussle for the throne in the future.”
Marianne lifted her head slightly, with El turning around to face her partially.
“No… You mean… really?”
El nodded slowly, leaning against Marianne’s shoulder and giving her a little kiss on the cheek.
“Mhm… It’s twins, as it turns out.”
“But… I mean, the chances of that are…”
“Actually not too bad, Mari. Do you remember how many siblings I had?”
Marianne pondered the question for a second. The topic of El’s family was… touchy at the best of times, though things had become slightly better ever since they managed to cure the effects that the crests had on El’s own health. It couldn’t save the minds of her surviving siblings, but… It was something, at the very least.
“I think… ten? You were the ninth, correct?”
“Look at you… You know me so well. Yes, I had a big family once… And multiples were not unusual, either.”
She sighed, flicking Marianne’s hair tiredly.
“...That’s why we agreed that we’d wait a little bit before we had children, remember?”
Marianne felt herself get a little flustered, looking away from El for a second.
“El, I… We talked about that. I didn’t intend to…”
The Emperor cut her off by placing a finger on her mouth.
“Shh… I know, it’s ok. I just… I wish our first child had been planned, you know? There are so many things we still need to do, and I can only imagine how large I’ll get by the end of this…”
Marianne smiled gently.
“Well… I’m sure people will celebrate it once you officially reveal this. You will be… Hmm… A symbol of bounty and peace, you know?”
She paused, blowing some air out of her nose in amusement.
“Oh, and since they are twins, that also explains the cravings…”
El groaned as she sat up straight for a second.
“Oh please, do not remind me of food right now.”
“Why, are you nauseous? Is everything alright, El?”
Edelgard waved Marianne’s worries, one hand remaining on her bump.
“It’s quite the opposite - ever since I woke up, these two traitors have been plaguing me with the worst hunger pangs. I feel like I could devour a whole cake as if it were nothing, and I do not need that right now.”
She stood up, needing a second to stabilize herself. Marianne followed suit, grabbing both of her lover’s hands to help her stand. El smirked at her.
“I am fine, Mari - my center of gravity is just a little off, that is all. Now, about what I needed your help with. I-”
Before El could continue, she was interrupted by a knock on the door. It was loud, resolute and rang through the silence of the morning like thunder. Marianne and El exchanged looks.
“...Were you expecting company, El?”
“No. I… Hm, well isn’t that strange.”
They both walked to the doorway of the changing room and looked at the door to the hallway. After a second, Edelgard raised her voice.
“Yes? Who is it? I am not expecting any visitors at the moment, so you best have a good reason to be knocking.”
Silence hung in the air for a brief moment before Hubert’s slightly nasally voice sounded through the thick wood of the door.
“It is me, Lady Edelgard. I am here with your breakfast, same as every morning.”
Marianne glanced over at El with a raised eyebrow.
“Breakfast in bed, I see.”
Edelgard avoided eye contact, motioning her hand towards the door. Marianne could see the faintest blush on her cheeks.
“Just… Get the food in my stead, Mari. I do not wish to be seen in my underwear.”
Marianne nodded as El retreated into the changing room again, mumbling something to herself as she did so. In the meantime, Marianne approached the door and quickly unlocked it.
Hubert smiled at her as the door swung open and she beckoned him inside. The man was carrying two silver serving trays, keeping both steady as Marianne closed the door behind him.
“Hubert… Were there any issues with the order?”
The man shook his head as he strode through the room and towards a small table to the side. He quickly placed the two trays down before dusting his hands off quickly.
“Everything went as planned - the messengers know where to transport it and have already left the palace. How are things here?”
She was a bit taken aback by his question - normally, he was a man of very few words.
“We are doing fine, don’t worry. Thank you for the breakfast - it’s just what El- I mean, what Lady Edelgard needs.”
Hubert nodded before turning towards the door once more. He walked across the room like a shadow in broad daylight before pausing with the door handle in hand. His head turned towards the changing room.
“I wish you a pleasant meal, Lady Edelgard.”
“Yes, thank you Hubert! You may leave us now, I assure you that I will be fine!”
To Marianne’s amusement, Edelgard sounded a little annoyed. Hubert nodded, leaving the room and closing the door. Marianne quickly went to lock it behind him before returning to the table he had placed the food and drinks on. To her surprise, there was a little paper tucked under one of the two tea cups, which she quickly looked at.
The message on the paper was short and written in Hubert’s tiny, neat handwriting.
“Lady Marianne, please ensure that Lady Edelgard eats her breakfast properly. The tea is safe for her to consume in her current state, I made sure of it.”
Puzzled, Marianne quickly tucked the message into a hidden pocket of her dress. She wouldn’t have to be asked twice. She turned to the changing room, clearing her throat.
“El… Your food is here.”
“Yes, I am coming.”
Marianne sat down at the table, pouring some tea into both of the provided tea cups. It was black tea, which Marianne was thankful for. She had gotten somewhat accustomed to drinking coffee in the mornings, but she could still appreciate a good cup of tea.
The sound of footsteps approaching her made Marianne look over, her eyes meeting those of Edelgard. Her lover had put on a dressing gown that, much to Marianne’s delight, somewhat struggled to conceal her bump, the halves parting and swinging back together as the Emperor walked - not waddled, not yet - over to the table and took her seat.
El wordlessly reached out to the tea cup that Marianne had prepared for her, putting it to her lips and taking a slow, almost hesitant sip. A visible shiver went down her, and Marianne could even see goosebumps on the bit of her arms that were left exposed by the dressing gown.
“Good tea?”
“Yes… I was a bit cold, truth be told.”
“Well, that’s what happens when you walk around in your underwear, my love.”
El chortled a little.
“It was out of necessity, but we will get to that. For now… Time to feed the bottomless pit, I suppose.”
With a sigh, she reached towards the pile of delectable treats that the cooks had prepared for them, grabbing a scone and stuffing it into her mouth with a sigh that quickly turned into a satisfied grunt.
“Sho good…”
Marianne smiled at El’s display of bliss. It was easy to forget that, under all the poise, authority and stoic calm, she was still just a woman with preferences, needs and, most important of all, a massive sweet tooth.
The blue-haired woman calmly looked on as El dug into her food with the ferocity of a starving animal. She would have never allowed herself to look this ravenous in public, so getting to see her like this was a privilege that was reserved for only those she truly trusted.
For a while, Marianne sat there, just enjoying El’s company in silence. Rather unsurprisingly, she enjoyed spending time with her lover, especially when they were doing something as homely and private as eating or trying on clothes. As they sat there however, Marianne couldn’t help herself but have her eyes slowly slide down to Edelgard’s baby bump.
It was an accident, yes, and that would be… unsightly, perhaps. However, the two of them had agreed to pretend that it was entirely planned as soon as they found out, despite the chaos of preparations related to a coming heir - or heirs , in their case - and the obvious changes that poor El was going through.
Their relationship was already an open secret within the palace, and so people seemed rather unsurprised when El had started to show not all that long ago. In retrospect, that should have tipped Marianne off that Edelgard was much further along than they had expected, but her mind had been filled with less logical thoughts at the time.
Despite what El may have said, Marianne thought she looked gorgeous. The pregnancy and the associated cravings had given her skin a more rosy, healthy hue that complimented her eyes much better and, while they had to accept that she would never regain the old pigment of her hair, it also seemed thicker and shinier in the early morning light. If Marianne were to be entirely true, she had also noticed that El was getting rather… plush, in some areas at least.
Edelgard had always been a petite woman, ever since Marianne had met her at Garreg Mach monastery during their academy days. Her chest was modest then, and even now, Marianne “outperformed” her lover in this regard, though only slightly.
Before El had started to show, Marianne had also noticed her waist widening slightly - her hands, which were well-used to Edelgard’s figure, had felt the changes before her eyes could perceive them.
Most affected however were Edelgard’s legs and hips, notably her… posterior. It had grown rather significantly, to the point where Marianne had heard the occasional whispered comment about the Emperor’s backside, even before the pregnancy had become obvious. It was obvious to anyone who had known her for a long time, but El’s hips had widened considerably, impacting the gait of her walk, though only slightly. There was more of a… swing to her hip when she walked, if Marianne had to put it in words.
“Say, there has been something on my mind.”
El’s comment ripped Marianne out of her thoughts mid-sip, and she almost involuntarily inhaled a little bit of the tea, barely managing to stop the reflex as she nodded.
“What is it, my love?”
Edelgard chewed on some kind of sweet roll - one of the tall ones with sugar glazing - as she visibly mulled things over for a second.
“I was wondering… If we will have enough time between us to raise our children properly.”
Marianne took a sip of her tea before nodding her head.
“I believe so, yes. Are you worried?”
“I’m always worried, Mari, most of all now.”
El sighed as she washed another scone down with some tea. Marianne leaned forward slightly.
“Why, El? Things are going well with the churches, Fódlan is peaceful, the crests have been taken care of… What is it that worries you?”
Edelgard shook her head slightly.
“I don’t know, Mari. I just worry that… things will be different after today, irreparably so.”
“Today? Why today?”
The Emperor paused, looking up at Marianne briefly.
“Oh, right… That is what I need your help with.”
She sat up slightly straighter, wiping away some crumbs that had gotten stuck on her dressing gown.
“There will be a grand banquet later today, after which I will be publicly appearing to my people outside of the palace.”
Marianne nodded slowly to signal Edelgard to continue. The white-haired woman sighed.
“And I… plan to announce my pregnancy publicly then. That would ideally include mention of who I am having this child with.”
“Oh, El…”
Edelgard reached out her hand, putting it on Marianne’s.
“I know that it will be a big step for both of us to take, but… I am just worried about it. I know that our relationship is more or less an open secret, but that does not change that I wonder how people will react once it is out in the open.”
Marianne sighed deeply, reaching out and holding Edelgard’s face gently.
“El… It will be fine, I assure you. People know about us already, and this… If anything, this will only further legitimize what we have.”
She let out a short laugh.
“Oh, I’m sure that it will work wonders to calm the churches, too. The Emperor and the Minister of Religion ensuring the future of House Hresvelg…”
El chuckled, shaking her head.
“Come now - let’s not get the churches involved in our thoughts here. These are our children, after all.”
“Indeed… But yes, I am sure that I will find more than enough time to raise them, and I think the same will be true for you. Oh, and when we are both busy… Well, I’m sure that babysitting is among one of Hubert’s many talents.”
She grimaced slightly.
“Oh, but trying to imagine him reading a bedtime story is… Rather scary, isn’t it?”
“I will have you know that Hubert is a very animated storyteller, my love.”
Marianne paused as she watched El finish another piece of pastry - the plate was nearly empty, but the Emperor showed no signs of stopping yet.
“And you know this… how?”
“I’ve known Hubert since I was four, my love. I do not speak of that time often, but… Well…”
She trailed off, taking another sip of tea. Marianne laughed.
“I see, I see… Actually, on that topic: Hubert has been behaving strangely today, hasn’t he?”
El paused and rolled her eyes briefly before grabbing another bite to eat.
“Oh yes, he is ecstatic .”
“That is… good?”
Marianne wasn’t sure, but Edelgard just let out a quiet hum, taking another sip of her tea before continuing.
“He accompanied me to the healer, you see. I wanted to ask you at first, but it would have given away too much if you had been the one to come with me, as I realized. Hubert insists on coming with me almost everywhere either way, so having him come along seemed less suspicious.”
“Right, I understand… I assume he heard the diagnosis, then?”
El nodded her head, chewing on her sweets slowly.
“Exactly, and he’s been in the best mood I’ve ever seen him in since.”
Marianne laughed quietly as she sipped her tea. It was getting a little too lukewarm for her tastes, but she was sure they’d finish before the tea got fully cold.
“I suppose he is glad that house Vestra will get to continue being house Hresvelg’s loyal servants into the future generations.”
Edelgard scoffed at the idea.
“You know Hubert’s loyalty to me is his alone, born from mutual respect. I suspect he keeps much from me, but I still trust him with my life.”
Marianne raised her hands slightly.
“He has never steered me wrong, I wasn’t making fun of him. I just find it strange to see him so… jovial, almost.”
“He is full of surprises, yes, but that doesn’t matter now.”
With a slightly exaggerated gesture, Edelgard grabbed her teacup and emptied it, sighing contently after finishing. The small mountain of sweets and baked goods that had previously stood between them had disappeared entirely, along with the tea. Marianne briefly opened the fine porcelain tea pot, glancing inside to make sure they had drunk it all. El waited for her to finish her inspection before she put both of her hands on the table.
“Now then, Mari. I require your assistance for something most dire.”
Marianne put her hands in her lap, nodding attentively.
“Do go on.”
“This will be a battle unlike any we have weathered thus far. There will be pain, tears… Maybe even a few sacrifices we will have to make.”
“Is this about brushing out your hair, El?”
Edelgard shook her head.
“No, even worse - I have a dress picked out and need your help putting it on.”
Marianne laughed quietly as the two of them stood up.
“Surely, it cannot be that bad.”
El didn’t respond, instead walking over to the changing room, with Marianne close behind. Once they arrived, the Emperor wordlessly motioned towards a dress that Marianne had not seen before. She felt a single bead of sweat form on her brow.
“Oh, this may be quite bad, actually.”
“Told you. Now come on, let’s get the difficult part out of the way.”
With a mix of horror and relief, Mariane realized that the particular outfit Edelgard had picked out was made of a separate skirt and top. Her relief came from the fact that this would most likely make putting the clothes on much easier, while the horror stemmed from the fact that she had an inkling on what her job would be.
Her suspicion was confirmed as Edelgard handily unhooked the skirt from the outfit, holding it towards Marianne wordlessly. The blue-haired girl sighed heavily, eliciting an amused smile from the Emperor.
“Come now, don’t pretend you won’t enjoy getting to see my curves from up close.”
Marianne smiled as she grabbed the skirt, briefly wrestling with it to prepare it for Edelgard, who slipped on a simple, clean cloth undergarment in the meantime, stepping back towards Marianne just as she managed to undo the last of the lacing.
“Very well… here goes nothing.”
El stepped into the skirt, pulling it up her body until it came to a sudden halt. Marianne cleared her throat.
“It would appear that… The skirt is stuck about halfway up your… posterior, my love.”
“Yes, I can feel that.”
Edelgard demonstratively jiggled the skirt using her hands slightly.
“...I can’t pull it up more than this without your help.”
Marianne nodded, gently slipping her fingers into the back seam of the skirt and feeling her way along until her knuckles were pressed deep into the soft, supple mass of Edelgard’s rear.
She had felt her lover’s body many, many times - more times than she had cared to count, in fact - but somehow, standing behind her now, both of her hands against Edelgard’s posterior… It made her blush slightly.
“Mari? Are you going to pull? Is something wrong?”
“Ah, no! I was just… Trying to find a good angle.”
Marianne almost stumbled over her own words. She hadn’t realized quite how… shapely El had become since the beginning of the pregnancy. She had always had strong legs and an exceptionally firm rear from all the horseback riding she engaged in, but now with the extra weight…
Slowly, Marianne began to pull the skirt up, making sure to not strain the fabric too much as she pushed centimeter after centimeter of soft flesh down under the fold of the piece of clothing. It was a slow, meticulous process, with the two of them working in perfect, silent unison. Every time Marianne managed to get some more skin contained, Edelgard followed up by pulling the skirt upwards slightly and holding it in place. After a while, Marianne wondered how El’s arms weren’t getting tired.
It took them multiple minutes to get past the zenith of Edelgard’s generously-sized backside, but once they had managed that, it was relatively smooth sailing. El quickly pulled the skirt up as far as she could given the bump that was in the way and Marianne pulled her squished fingers out of the skirt, shaking them slightly to promote proper blood flow.
Once she could once again feel things, she set about deftly weaving the same lacing she had previously undone back into the provided metal rings on both sides, trying to keep them taut without strangling El’s thickened thighs.
With a content sigh, Marianne leaned back, wiping away some sweat from her forehead.
“...There, that’s the skirt.”
Edelgard turned back and forth slightly, looking at herself in the reflection of the mirror for a few seconds.
“By the… it’s like I have a shelf back there.”
“It’s really not that noticeable.”
“Mari - I can see my cheeks… individually.”
Marianne felt herself blush. El wasn’t wrong… The tight fabric had somehow made her behind look even bigger than it was.
“Uhm… Well, your cape will cover it anyway, won’t it?”
El pondered the statement for a second as she turned back and forth a few times.
“...Yes, a fair point. I suppose the only person who would even see this would be you, then.”
Marianne nodded, quickly getting up onto her feet.
“Shall we move to the next part? I, uhm… Believe that we can skip the corset, for obvious reasons.”
“Yes, I don’t even want to see that thing right now. I am ready, I believe.”
Putting on the top part of Edelgard’s dress was a comparably simple matter thanks to the lack of corset. The most difficult part came from attaching pieces of fabric in such a way that it covered her bump and gave her bra some support without looking too loose, but thankfully, her overcoat hid most of the seams that had been created.
After dealing with the top, the two women moved on to the matter of Edelgard’s hair, which Marianne had become very adept at brushing and braiding, working quickly and with only the absolutely necessary amount of force. Edelgard hummed contently as she adjusted her manchettes without moving her head.
“Feeling happy, my love?”
Marianne ran the brush through the thicket of white hair as she asked the question.
“Quite so. I am glad the dress didn’t rip.”
“Why would it?”
Edelgard frowned slightly, as Marianne could see in the mirror before them.
“Oh, don’t pretend like it wasn’t a real risk, Mari. If I get any heavier, I’ll be leaving dresses like these as little more than piles of torn silk.”
“You are really not that big, El…”
Marianne gently began braiding the Emperor’s hair.
“You say that, but I can already feel that breakfast adding onto my waistline, and I am still hungry.”
Marianne smiled gently.
“Well… That is good, isn’t it? You are expected to partake in a banquet, after all, and not eating anything could be seen as rude.”
“Oh, that is the least of our concerns, trust me, Mari. I feel like I will be able to eat half of the banquet myself without breaking a sweat.”
She sighed.
“Breaking the dress… that is a different story.”
“El, come on… The children aren’t a burden to you, are they?”
Edelgard blinked a few times before furrowing her eyebrows.
“Of course they aren’t - why would you insinuate that?”
“Well, because so far, I’ve only heard you complain about all the weight you’ve gained from them.”
There was a brief silence as both women seemed unsure of what to say. Marianne continued carefully braiding the Emperor’s hair, making sure the braids were tight, but not too tight.
Suddenly, Edelgard sighed.
“I didn’t want to come off like that, I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. I… I can imagine that it’s difficult to carry them, and I’m the one who put you in this situation to begin with, so I really shouldn’t-”
“No, you stop that.”
Marianne gave Edelgard a quizzical look in the mirror as the Emperor shut her up. The white-haired woman smiled.
“Don’t put yourself down. We had been talking about starting a family before, and while I didn’t exactly plan on it happening this soon…”
She paused, affectionately putting a hand on the curve of her bump.
“...I wouldn’t change anything about this moment. Sitting here with you, knowing that our children will be born before the year ends…”
The statement was left unfinished, but the warmth in Edelgard’s voice made Marianne’s hands a bit shaky. She had to focus on her lover’s hair to make sure she braided it correctly.
“I… I agree, this is… wonderful.”
She let the statement hang in the air for a moment before continuing.
“And… I will be glad once today ends, too. Knowing that we will be finally able to hold hands in public, unafraid of what comes after…”
Edelgard hummed in agreement.
“Yes… Oh, perhaps we can turn your current bedroom into a nursery, hm? You will finally be able to move up here, where you were meant to be all along…”
Marianne laughed quietly as she made a few adjustments to El’s hair.
“Cleaning that room out will be a task for the ages, even if Hubert helps me. I think the dust from all the books and letters must’ve seeped into the very stones themselves.”
“Perhaps we can talk Freya and Bernie into helping out as well.”
El paused, chuckling slightly.
“Ah, I just realized that today will be the day both of them learn of my current state. Can you imagine what their expressions will be?”
Marianne’s fingers slid across the tight braids as she made sure that everything sat just right.
“Well… Freya will be besides herself, and Bernie… She might faint, maybe? It depends on how close to her Hubert will stand, I think.”
The two of them shared a moment of laughter before El reached her hands back, with Marianne gently grabbing them.
“...You know, being pregnant has one upside.”
“Carrying our future children? All the extra love I give you? The excuse to laze around and eat whatever the kids demand? Not having to wear a corset? N-”
“You got it. Not having to wear that stupid corset is a blessing…”
El smiled as she shook her head slowly.
“But, now that you mention it… All those other points are quite nice as well. Too bad that I will only enjoy them for a few more months… And then it’ll be off to work off the baby weight.”
The two exchanged a look through the mirror.
“...You had ten siblings, yes?”
“Ten siblings, yes.”
Another look.
“I mean… You will not let yourself be outperformed, right?”
Edelgard playfully slapped Marianne’s thigh, shaking her head.
“You’re shameless, Mari.”
She stood up, wiping her dress down gently to get rid of the creases. Then, she turned around and reached out her hand gingerly.
“How about we wait for these two to be born before we start thinking about their future siblings?”
Marianne grabbed Edelgard’s hand with a smile.
“Deal. How are you feeling, my love?”
Edelgard sighed.
“I’m hungry, my chest itches, I feel my skirt growing tighter by the second and now I will have to attend a few meetings in this getup. But, you are by my side, so…”
She paused, weighing her head from side to side sightly.
“...Yes, I am feeling quite good about today.”
Marianne smiled, and the two leaned in and kissed for a few seconds.
“Ready to outlast today? For the future?”
El nodded, one of her hands gently caressing her bump.
“For the future.”