Graceful Pt. 1

A servant ushered Ren into the room, then left and closed the door. Before Ren, Weiss and Blake sat on the far side of a table. Two chairs arrayed on the near side were clearly meant for him. "Welcome, Ren." Weiss said. "Please, take a seat." Ren nodded and sat in the chair on the left, across from Blake.

"Where's Nora?" Blake asked.

"She's in your garden relaxing." Ren replied. "Given the nature of the discussion, I thought it prudent to leave her out of it."

"Good idea." Weiss said. "Nora's never been one for serious discussions about...sensitive topics." Weiss shook her head. "So, how is your honeymoon going?"

Ren thought for a moment, his mind flashing through some of the more eventful moments. "It's been...exhausting." He said. "But very enjoyable. I thank you for your hospitality."

"No need, you're a friend." Weiss said. "After the kindness you've shown me, it's the least I can do. How is Nora's pregnancy progressing?"

"Normally as far as I can tell." Ren answered. "It certainly hasn't stopped her from being Nora. How have things been in the capital?"

"Running an empire is a lot of work." Weiss sighed. "The political situation isn't helping either. There have been some...rumors...of unrest."

"A faction among the nobles still loyal to her father joined one opposed to a female ruling the empire." Blake explained. "So far Weiss has managed to keep things under control, but it's critical that we do something to further legitimize her rule."

"Which is why we're all here." Weiss said. "Blake and I...would like to have a child."

"I know." Ren said. Blake and Weiss presented him with puzzled looks. "Yang told me."

"No secrets with her…" Weiss grumbled.

"Anyway, you told us once that magic exists that can...allow two females to produce a child." Blake said. "If Weiss were to get pregnant and give birth to an heir, her position would be strengthened. Can you help us?"

"I can." Ren confirmed. "But this is not a decision to be taken lightly. For one, you both need to be ready for the responsibility and difficulty that comes with having a child. Weiss needs to be prepared for the hardships of pregnancy. And on your end Blake, there are...side effects."

"We've talked it over, time and time again." Weiss said. "We're not rushing into this. We are ready to have a child, and I'm ready to bear that child."

"What kind of side effects?" Blake asked.

"This isn't a simple spell like the one you're used to using...to enjoy yourselves." Ren explained. "The magic I would use significantly transforms your anatomy. For the duration of the spell, you will be biologically male from the waist down. That means all the anatomy. When the magic wears off, you won't instantly change back. It will take hours, maybe up to a day or two. After that you'll be left with a massive hormonal imbalance and all that comes with it - cramps, mood swings, nausea and loss of appetite are all likely. You'll probably have trouble sleeping too. That should clear up in a week or so. Once that's over with, you'll be infertile for a few months. By the time Weiss gives birth you should be entirely back to normal."

"I can live with a few days of discomfort, and I don't need to be fertile." Blake said. "I'm willing to do this."

"Very well." Ren said. "When would you like to proceed?"

"As soon as possible." Weiss replied. "There's no sense waiting, and the timing is right."

"This is difficult magic and I'll need some time to prepare." Ren said. "I'll meet with you after dinner to perform the spell. Do what you must to physically and mentally prepare."

As Ren had warned, Blake went through a rollercoaster of suffering over the next few days. Her mood swings were extreme, snapping from depression to violent anger to inappropriate joy in moments. Yang did her best to comfort Blake as pain and nausea took hold, keeping her company while Weiss returned to the business of governing the empire. The ordeal was worth it as Weiss fell pregnant. A normal, healthy pregnancy was all she and Blake could have hoped for, and sure enough it was what they had.

The news that Weiss was pregnant went a long way to quieting the opposition to her rule. Her careful rule did the rest. Some nobles who had been close to her father still feared her wrath, but she assuaged their fears with a combination of generous gifts and public assurances of their continued favor. Promises that there would be no increase in taxes or levies went a long way toward bringing them to her side. Behind the scenes she worked to reduce their power, advancing the causes of her supporters to act as a counterbalance. Those who would not accept rule by a female were more difficult to deal with. No amount of goodwill was going to change their minds so Weiss took a hard line, making it very clear that any rebellion would be met with overwhelming force, courtesy of the powerful and battle-tested army Weiss had forged during the civil war.

With the threats to her rule minimized as much as possible, Weiss was able to focus on governing the realm. Even as her pregnancy progressed she strived to present the situation as business-as-usual. She heard petitions and settled disputes between nobles, passed laws and made important public appearances. Blake and Yang watched with growing concern as Weiss worked herself to exhaustion. Even if the stress did not harm the baby, it could surely do no good. Something had to be done.

Weiss sat on her throne in the audience hall of the palace, Blake seated beside her. It was early morning but soon petitioners and various guests would come before the pair, hoping for Weiss' help, support, or just her opinion. Weiss waited but no one was brought before her. It was odd. The doors swung open but it was not what she was expecting. Yang strode in with some Imperial Guards.

"Weiss, you stop emperor-ing this instant!" Yang demanded. "You need to relax, to take care of yourself, to take care of your baby."

"But my subjects…" Weiss protested.

"The only butt is Blakey's!" Yang cut her off. "Come on. We're going somewhere you can take it easy."

"There's far too much to do." Weiss said. "And besides, I can handle it."

"Weiss, remember how you put me in charge of the Imperial Guards?" Yang asked. Weiss was not certain where Yang was going but was sure she would not like it. She just glared at Yang. "I could just order them to drag you there. But it would be humiliating if the Emperor of Valm had to be forcibly sent on vacation due to pregnancy-induced psychosis."

"You wouldn't dare." Weiss challenged.

"If you believe that you really have lost your grip." Yang said. "Guards." She gestured toward Weiss and the soldiers approached.

"This is treason!" Weiss exclaimed.

"This is tough love." Yang corrected her. "It's for your own good and the good of your child."

"Fine, I'll go." Weiss huffed. Yang gestured for the soldiers to stand down. "I hate you."

"I hate you too." Yang laughed. "Now let's get your bags packed. I sent a few servants ahead to prepare the palace north of the city. You know, the one with the hot-springs."

"Hot-springs?" Weiss said, her angry facade slipping.

"You can relax in comfort and style while your beautiful queen takes care of the empire." Yang said. "Right Blakey?"

"I…" Blake started.

"See, Valm's in good hands." Yang said immediately.

"I guess so." Weiss sighed. She stomped off into her personal quarters to gather her things.

"Try not to go mad with power Blakey." Yang laughed.

"Yang, I can't do this!" Blake complained.

"Sure you can." Yang said as she headed for the door. "You're great at ordering people around."

"That's not how this works!" Blake called after Yang. "That's not how any of this works!"

Blake sat on her throne, feeling very uncomfortable and alone. She had no delusions about her fitness to rule. Sure, she had a few months of watching Weiss, but in that time she had never made decisions on her own. Some laws and charters were in her name, but all had been either been done on Weiss' suggestion or were her work entirely. Weiss had spent her entire life being groomed and trained for rule. Blake had been trained to fight. She figured judging disputes would be alright - she did have a strong sense of justice, of right and wrong - but some of the more complex duties now laid before her were intimidating to say the least. Worse, Yang was not even around to help, having gone with Weiss to keep her company and make sure she actually relaxed rather than just working from the palace.

After a bit of a delay to announce Weiss' sabbatical and Blake's regency, the day's business began. The first matter that needed attention was a request from some town Blake had never heard of about the interpretation of a law Blake did not know existed. A servant helpfully brought her a book with the full text of the law, and Blake made her decision. It was almost easy. A few other, similar cases were brought before her and with each one Blake felt more comfortable. Maybe she could do this.

Late in the afternoon came the biggest case of the day. Two nobles arrived, a count and a duke, arguing over money and some land on the borders of their territories. Apparently the original grant of land had been given to the duke, but at some point it had been given to the count's family as a dowry. The marriage had fallen through and the duke expected the dowry to be returned, but a clause in the agreement made it look as though the payment was not contingent on the marriage's success. Given the documents provided to Blake and her understanding of the law, the count was entitled to keep the whole of the dowry.

Things were not quite that simple however. The duke in question was powerful but of wavering loyalty. Ruling against him could easily push him into the camp of those opposed to Weiss' rule. But simply ruling in his favor to get on his good side would be a miscarriage of justice and a violation of Blake's personal morals. What would Weiss do? After deliberating for an hour, Blake called the parties before her. She ruled that the count should keep the land - he had invested heavily in its development - but return the money. Neither side was entirely happy, but neither felt particularly wronged either.

She had only been in charge for the better part of a single day, but Blake was feeling pretty good. Some of the tasks set before her had been complex and difficult to grasp, but she had done it. After a day without Weiss holding the reins of power, the empire was still running smoothly. That was about the best Blake could ask for. She was not going to make any world-changing decisions or stray from Weiss' stated course, and holding onto the status quo did not seem too challenging.

The following morning saw much of the same. Ruling the empire was turning out to be a lot easier than Blake had anticipated. Then, suddenly, it was not. A duke arrived. Blake knew who he was but could not remember his name. She did remember that he was one of the powerful nobles from the south, the Duke of Novis. Novis was a large island with a famous ancient monastery and a wealthy port. The combination of its wealth, its island location and the Duke's personal navy made it exceptionally powerful. Only Chon'sin or Rosanne could match it.

"Your Majesty." The duke said, bowing before Blake. The show of respect was just that, a show. He was one of Weiss' more vocal critics and her marriage to Blake was one of the issues he used against her.

"You may rise." Blake said. There was probably etiquette she should have observed, some formal greeting, but Blake did not know it and did not care. This person was an enemy as far as she was concerned, even if he maintained that it was nothing personal.

The duke paused for a few moments, clearly expecting more from Blake. "I bring a petition from the Council of Nobles." He said once he realized Blake was done speaking. He ascended the steps to the throne, bowing his head as he handed a scroll to Blake. "We request your decision as soon as possible."

Blake broke the seal and unrolled the parchment. It was a lot longer than it had first seemed. She looked through the text and was entirely lost. It talked about redress of grievances, debts incurred during the prior reign, imperial traditions, rights of the nobility, and a whole host of words Blake had never seen before. She knew she was in over her head. Accepting the petition was out of the question. She may not have understood it, but the majority of the Council of Nobles was not friendly to Weiss. She could not just reject it out of hand either. The Council of Nobles was powerful and disregarding their interests could lead to civil war.

Blake tried to wrap her head around what the petition was asking of her but she was getting nowhere. After looking at it for a long time, reading certain parts over and over, she looked up, expecting the duke to be gone. He was not. He still knelt before Blake, clearly expecting an immediate answer. "Thank you, Duke of Novis." Blake said, her voice a bit shakier than she would have liked. "I must discuss this with my advisors before making a decision. I will send my response to the Council."

That seemed to satisfy the duke. "Thank you, Your Majesty." He said with a bow before making his way out.

Blake got the distinct impression she was being tested. The nobles probably wanted to know what kind of person they were dealing with in Weiss' absence. She felt like she was failing that test but so far Blake had not done anything catastrophic. If only she could figure out what the damn petition was about. If only Weiss were there to ask. But Blake was not going to bother her, not now, not while she should be resting, preparing for the birth of their child. Weiss' biggest supporter among the nobility - Ruby - was at home in her duchy, so there was no way the petition would be beneficial to the crown, but maybe it was not all bad. Wait. Ruby! Ruby too had been trained for combat rather than rule, but not so for Pyrrha. She was Ylissean nobility. She would surely know what the petition was about!

Blake motioned to a servant. The man rushed over and knelt before her. "Send a Pegasus messenger to Rosanne requesting the immediate presence of the Duchess and her wife." Blake ordered. "This is of the utmost importance." Blake found her out. She still wished she had all the answers, but at least she knew where to get them. With the messenger on the way Blake went back to business. The rest of the day was uneventful, but Blake's mind was focused squarely on the scroll tucked into her pocket. Yes, it was most definitely a test, and she was not going to fail.

Blake spent two days worrying about the petition. Even as she went back to the more mundane aspects of ruling it stuck in her mind. Finally, mercifully, Ruby and Pyrrha arrived in the evening. The day's business had concluded and Blake was in her private quarters, trying to rest after a long and stressful few days. "Hey Blake!" Ruby cheered as the servants ushered she and Pyrrha into the room.

"Your Majesty." Pyrrha said with a bow.

"Oh thank Naga you're here!" Blake exclaimed. "I'm in way over my head!"

"What happened?" Ruby asked.

"Yang took Weiss to some palace to rest and relax until she has the baby, and they left me in charge." Blake explained. "Things were going alright but then I got this petition from the Council of Nobles." She handed the scroll to Pyrrha. "Please, tell me you can make some sense of this. I have no idea what it's even talking about."

"The Council isn't supposed to make any petitions without all the duchies represented." Ruby observed. "I wasn't there. No one from Rosanne was there. The whole thing should be invalid."

"True." Pyrrha said as she looked over the document. "But there are probably ways around that." She continued reading. "Hmm, and there are some elements worth looking into."

"Huh?" Blake said. "The Duke of Novis brought this. He hates me, and Weiss for that matter. How could any part of that be beneficial."

"Not all of the Council opposes you." Ruby observed. "They probably slipped some good stuff in there to balance it out."

"The first section, 'Redress of Grievances' is mostly worthless." Pyrrha said. "Each grievance will need to be addressed on an individual basis, so it's business as usual. The case is brought before you, you or Weiss make a decision, end of story." She slid along the scroll to the next part. "Now, the second part, 'Forgiveness of Debts' is a bit more interesting. They're asking for all debts incurred before Weiss came to power to be canceled."

"I understood that much." Blake said. "I just have no idea what to do about it. I'm inclined to tell them to get lost."

"What's the crown's financial situation like?" Pyrrha asked.

"Unless it's changed drastically since Ren left, we're swimming in gold." Blake replied. "I was looking over the account books. I don't understand a lot of it, but it looks like we owe some nobles and some nobles owe us. It more or less balances."

"I'd have to look for myself, but you could do something interesting here." Pyrrha suggested. "You could offer to cancel all debts owed to and by the crown. If the numbers are near equal, it would be a fair compromise. You can't cancel debts owed between nobles, but you could offer to arbitrate."

"Arbitrate?" Blake asked.

"Judge them." Pyrrha answered. "As for the rest, I'm not entirely familiar with all imperial traditions, or the traditional rights of the nobility for that matter, but you could make a proclamation confirming them without being specific. That would at least buy enough time for Weiss to get back and make a long-term decision."

"That's it?" Blake gasped. "All those words, all that complexity, for that?"

"Pretty much." Pyrrha confirmed.

"I couldn't get anywhere with that damn thing." Blake complained. "Some of those words...I've never seen them! One had like nine syllables. It's insane!"

"Nobles tend to over-complicate things, especially when writing formal documents." Pyrrha said. "I guess I'm used to it."

"Could you...could you stay and help me?" Blake asked. "The only adviser I trust is Yang and she's off with Weiss. I need someone to back me up, to make sure I don't make a mess of things."

"Sure!" Ruby cheered. "It'll be great to be in the capital for the birth of your child. Pyrrha can help you with the governing stuff, and I'll take my seat on the Council to make sure they don't try anything too extreme."

"Thank the gods." Blake said with a sigh of relief. "You guys are lifesavers. Maybe you could even teach me a little about the whole government thing. If I have to do this again, well, I don't want to always have to rely on you for help."

"Not a problem." Pyrrha agreed. "I'm glad to help."