he nodded and slid the slat closed there was a lot of commotion over the next few days then quiet resumed. Lynda and I found a new routine after I explained that if she was truly caring my child it was the heir to the kingdom and her future family so she needed to take better care of her self.  The change in her attitude was extreme she went from hopeless to living with a propose! alone with her education on making baby was a death of knowledge on keeping health during pregnancy.

messengers came and went from the fortress but nothing changed for us other then Lyndas pregnancy became clear, I had to adjust some of her clothing and from time to time she became much more amorous. 

suddenly the fortress was on high alert and all the solders running around like crazy and going up the ramparts we had no idea what was going on. everything was tens and the mess was only used in shifts so it was too quiet to pick up much more then there were foreign ships that they were un prepared for having some kinda of trouble. 

we watch out the windows as long as we could not wanting to miss what was happening to my great fear a kings messenger arrived within a few hours however and with great reluctance  the fortress was opened and Lynda almost sang “My people! my people are here we are saved!”

I feared not as the more people could know of our secret the more dangerous our situation became. “keep in mind they have no right to change anything about our imprisonment. At best they are a new line of defiance that we may be thankful for. they can not even speak with us.”

“you are correct but I choose to feel bolstered by their efforts.” she was a little deflated by my point but not much.

Things again adjusted, patrols continued at their newly exerted pace but the solders from Orin made great effort to join in all life of the fortress from morning drill exercising to being at the mess. the only real change for us was that things got louder and  our meals improved significantly not just the quality of the food but the amount too. One morning however a perfectly sized parcel wrapped in stunning shaw had been slid though the tray flap I took the parcel to the table and woke Linda “I believe you have a gift. However I beg that you let me open it, after your mans attempt on you life. please let me this one protection?”

She stayed in bed not wanting to leave its warmth “be safe I do see your logic but show each thing well please.” I could tell she was not feeling well again so I made a great effort to show untying the parcel and pulling out several thin towels a pare of strong sheers and other strange things that left me truly confused Lynda had fallen back to sleep not empresses by the strange things. I did find a book in her native language that took me forever to decipher as I have learned the language so long ago. Midwifery and the practice of safe births. My slow brian caught on her people had not only given her the knowllage but the tools that may be necessary. I quickly stored everything to keep it as clean as my be. I washed the shaw it came in so Lynda could see it properly wen she woke and could wrap herself in the support of her people. 

When Lynda did wake to see the shaw she was much revived by it “It was my mothers and my grandmothers before her, it has been a staple of the love in my life for longer then I have lived. they sent me such a great thing.”  though it was still dripping she held it to her cheek for a long moment then asked “what was the other things they sent, toiletries?”

I showed her the book “I think they mean for us to go it alone and I am not as fluent as I wish to be, so could you read it to me as I finish my mens clothing?” 

“that is an excellent idea I feel as if we have gone from droning in time to it passing faster then I can grasp.”  she came over and started to eat her breakfast.

I hugged her around the shoulders “I am in the very same feeling but if we work together we may have good timing with it all. I still don’t know how I am to pull of mens garments I have made them in every way to exaggerate their form but I will only be acting.” I looked out the window as two solders practiced sparing, muscles shining in the sun they were so branny and ruff not a thing I could easily emulate.

“I find you quite fit and if you exercise more you will out mach them in the needed look. Though I will say my brother is known as one of the most beautiful men in all the lands so your clean manner an gentle way may be attributed as the newest fashion… don't go too far outside your self, for this it must be manageable.” this was not the first time she had encouraged my androgyny she seem entirely unbothered by encouraging both sides of my sexes.

 It all was too confusing for me so I was just focused on being as male as I could. It was after all the only way I could protect her. 

“you think some balance may be made?” I looked at her hoping that I wouldn’t spend the rest of my days in dull clothing.  

“I do not see why not, if the crown rests on your head, you get to make the change. shall I read now you really don’t have much time to finish your outfit.” 

With her enragement that I could choose change things, I took my blue winter fine dress and stated undoing it, I could use the fabric already tailored to me and cut it down as a fancy tunic leaving far less work in the long run. I truly hated cutting fabric it felt like cutting away possibilities… but Lynda needed me to protect her and the more I thought about my village the more I realized so did my county. I had spent my life conforming to expectations now I had expectations of my self and I would bend to them!

Lynda had a beautiful reading voice, even more so in her native language, witch to my surprise I retained more spoken then written. Though the subject matter was at some times difficult for either of us to stomach we learned so much after reading though the book and discussing our fears of how complicated it could be and how many perils their were, we agreed she would reread it and quiz me. so we did just that going over parts both of us worried about. over an over till we could recite the pages. we also collaborated on my new mens clothing she always enraging me to make choses for my comfort or a things little more beautiful. She reminded me that kings often wore their wealth to make others remember their station. So she started doing embroidered filigree on my cuffs with the gold thread she had saved from her wedding costume.