"The artist is the nobleman, Viktre." She said softly. And then Viktre was sure it was a son, which made her smile, "Or you could have a strong daughter of the seas." Pippa sighed then and set her hand on her belly, tenderly curling her hand over the slight round that it was beneath her clothing, the first outward sign he had yet to see.

"And I don't know if he likes them as much as they like him, I just remember seeing them flock to him the first time I met him." She chuckled. "I do wish he would look at me the way you just did," she said softly, "Like I matter." But then he was trying to talk his friend up to her and she smiled again, "He sounds like a lovely soul." But she wasn't certain she had any attraction for that one.

For a moment after he said she could ask anything, she said, "If something did happen to me, would you take the child to your parents? Would they welcome the baby without me? I want him to be loved and I'll love him well but I'm frightened something will happen to me."