A/N: The rest of this piece is on Archive Of Our Own, under the same pen name (Enolu). The warning tags function better at AO3, in case the viewer might need.

It's a small mercy that there's been no leak to the press yet. Outside these cool, blue-grey walls, there's always a chance that the members of staff could loosen their lips in breach of their non-disclosure agreements. It would take almost no effort when the other emirs' sections of the office compounds are so nearby.

One can never be fully certain, even if the staff of the Atha house have proven trustworthy for now. But a little decorum and a gentle reminder, as Mina had suggested, would go a long way.

With that advice in mind, Cagalli had forced herself to the office, even if she would have preferred staying in the manor, uncombed hair bunched in a band, ensemble complete with tank top and sweatpants.

Her members of staff bow slightly when addressed, never breaking protocol. Aide, second aide, personal assistant, private secretary, clerk, public relations advisor, wardrobe advisor, security officer, household officer, so on and so forth, all dressed in their standard suits, assigned from the different departments of the Orb Noble Families Household Trust.

With her painted face and a leather belt to cinch what's left of her waist, she hopes that nobody will know that she spent last week regurgitating most of her meals. This morning, she hides the little hells of her stiff back, sore shoulders and those awful, swollen ankles with a cream cardigan, long teal dress and formal shoes that make no sound on the embossed navy carpet. Her wardrobe advisor chose well.

"Thank you for all the effort, Shizuru. I look forward to your continued support when I return."

"Of course, Your Grace. Please take care and return safely."

She doesn't know if she'll see a different clerk a few months from now, since there's a high chance that some of the longer-serving members of staff will have been reassigned by her return. The Trust and the emirs' office administrators know better than to have all of the staff serve permanently with a single noble family, quite apart from the rotations being beneficial for the staff's professional development.

As it is, Cagalli's given them plenty reason to rotate her more senior members of staff out of their service to her. It's a pity that her staff might be assigned to different emir offices because of her actions, but she can't afford to regret it these days.

She moves down the line, extending her hand to the next member of staff. "Thank you, Rikyo. I appreciate all the help."

"I'm pleased to assist Your Grace. I wish Your Grace the best of health and a smooth delivery." Her household officer is always so earnest, and his youth is so apparent when he subconsciously bounces on his heels to bow. He hands her the large bouquet of pink flowers, looking anxious. "We chose dahlias, Your Grace, they're scentless."

"That's so thoughtful. They're beautiful, and they'll brighten the house. Thank you all very much." Her staff collectively mumur their welcome, and she makes a show of admiring the tightly-clustered petals. She forces her smile to persist, even as a wave of discomfort creeps into her neck and face, her chest aching more than she'd been prepared for.

Rikyo had been among the first to realise what was going on early enough, since she kept breaking mid-sentence to rush to some bathroom. Then the headaches, sweating and nausea had worsened, and so she'd started working from her home after two months of struggling back and forth to the office. The rest of the staff must have realised it after that, but nonetheless feigned surprise when the formal statement was issued in her third month, bless them.

At last, Cagalli reaches her the last in the line of her fifteen members of staff. Even if the days when she'd treated staff like Kisaka and Mana as family are truly over, she's had no choice but to entrust her principal aide with some of her private matters.

"Thank you for all the hard work, Daniele." She holds his hand longer than the others'. "You've been invaluable, and I regret that I won't be able to send you off during my leave of absence. If there's anything that I can help with, you need only ask."

"I'm glad to be of service, Your Grace. May health abound." He smiles and bows, and she can't see his expression for those few seconds. When he straightens, he says, "Your Grace should trust that my incoming replacement will be thoroughly briefed on what Your Grace expects in the household. I shall ensure it personally."

"You have my confidence and gratitude, Daniele."

It's not a lie. Outside her decisions concerning her work, Daniele Ito never shows any inkling of what he thinks. The day that she had first spoken to Daniele and her public relations advisor of her engagement, Varia had involuntarily gasped and sputtered to hide her incredulity. Daniele, however, had simply offered his congratulations and started jotting down some notes.

Looking back, Varia's reaction had served as a fairly accurate foretelling of the general public reaction. Nothing - no amount of planning, statements from Varia, the Trust, or even the few wedding details that Cagalli had eventually and grudgingly provided - could have prevented the storm of public opinion in Orb and outside the Union territory.

To be fair, Varia had later been far more enthusiastic of Cagalli informing of the expectancy. Varia had been almost dementedly motivated about the announcements that would have to follow.

"Everyone loves babies. Regardless of whoever." Varia had declared, prattling on at length about seizing the opportunity given the "recent circumstances". She wasn't wrong, since conception had become even more glorified in the cosmic era of convenient technology and free-falling natural birth rates. Of course Varia, the opportunistic, consummate public relations master that she was, put together a statement that impressed even Mina.

Then Cagalli had dropped another bombshell. Poor Varia.

Daniele, unfazed as ever, had not reacted any more than he had all those years ago when Cagalli asked that all records of visitors to the Atha estate be erased regularly. No questions asked. It's always been Daniele's brand of professionalism, as her primary aide. Nine years in, and it's still business as usual today.

He helped hush up that matter with Etienne. She glances quickly at Mina, who stands at the side, lipstick freshly-applied, watching with her hawk eyes. But Mina already knows. Mina's made a request to the chief director of the Trust for Daniele's services to be assigned to the Sahaku household, if only to keep Daniele from possibly being rotated into the Rutherford office.

While Mina is far pickier about her members of staff, Cagalli's suffered a reputation of being a demanding employer. It's the way it is, being the lead emir.

X

Mina is all prim, sharp smiles when Cagalli briefs her privately on the pending matters. She wears her point-cut stilettos in the sitting room, her nails perfectly done, writing notes in her elegant hand.

From time to time, she sips the coffee that Cagalli can't have, and she casts a critical eye on Cagalli's swollen ankles and now bare feet. Really, it's fortunate that Cagalli had the automatons clean up the more visible parts of the house and remove the incriminating trail of draft statements, unwashed clothing, half-finished food and drink before Mina's arrival.

A part of Cagalli wonders why she couldn't be like Mina - to want no friend, lover or family, and to live only for herself. It's almost envy-inducing, especially with last week's experience of kneeling over the toilet. In the earlier months, Dr. Pitagawa had told her it would probably go away, but maybe she lied to make Cagalli feel better.

"Thank you, Mina." Cagalli says finally, when she's crossed off the last matter. "I appreciate that this is another significant favour that I ask of you. It's just that I can't possibly trust anybody else."

"You're quite correct." Mina tells her, with just a hint of icyness. She recrosses her legs, entirely self-possessed. "Etienne Rutherford would have most certainly refused. Frankly, I'm surprised that he's still holding on as emir of the Rutherford house, instead of returning it over to his brother. But no matter, I'm clear on what your position is, and I'll manage any arguments that he and Clyde Moringa make, if they even bother at the next sitting. Anyway, I believe they'll take the same position as you for the trade reforms."

"I have only myself to blame about Etienne."

His face swims in her mind, pale with barely-concealed anger, blue eyes blackened with hate and his jaw tightened. She had seen him plenty of times before and after, but nothing would ever drown out that memory.

"A man like him will recover in no time at all - men are such proud idiots, they have no choice but to in these kinds of situations. You've seen his statement and congratulations, haven't you?"

Cagalli nods. His public relations advisor had ensured an appropriate level of graciousness.

"He's professional enough. He's no fool either; he won't let it be known that you went behind his back when he was planning to propose. You have other things to concern yourself with, anyway."

Cagalli tentatively reaches a hand to Mina's, breathing a sigh that she hadn't realised she was holding when Mina squeezes her hand back. "Please don't hesitate to reach out to me for anything, Mina."

"You say that now, but when the baby tears you apart, you won't want me calling to discuss what you think of the Prime Minister's latest defence budget." Those arched, dark eyebrows are what makes Mina so rakish, even if she's indisputably one of the most stunning women that Cagalli has ever known.

"Still, if there's anything you think of, I'm still available to address any concern. The shuttle is fully connected, as you know. I'll be contactable for a while yet."

"I doubt, my dear. I expect that Athrun Zala will be calling you the whole way until he gets there himself. I won't even have a chance to get you on the line." Mina sneers and adjusts her blouse just so. "I've seen how he looks at you, especially now that you're carrying his child. It's a wonder that he agreed to let you seal this house and leave Orb at all."

"Still, I'm very sure that under your care, things will carry on smoothly. The Trust will maintain the Atha estate in these months, and manage the usual administrative matters."

Her mentor's gaze is still sceptical. "But are you certain that you should deliver outside Orb? It's not too late to change your mind."

"We agreed quite early on that I'd deliver outside Orb. It's been..." To her horror, Cagalli hears her own voice catching, and the word doesn't come. She blinks.

"Trying?"

She gathers herself, pushing the thoughts of the ugly reports and critics out of her mind. "Challenging."

"Ah, but you've come such a long way." Mina lifts her chin with an almost maternal pride. "The lead emir indeed."

"Only with your guidance, Mina. Even now, my going away wouldn't be possible without you." She means it. Maybe it's the hormones, but a lump crawls its way up her throat, and Mina doesn't let go of her hand, patting it fondly.

"The credit was always yours for choosing to come back and claim your place after the war. You and I know that your father did you no favours by hiding you away from the public and not training you to step into the emir's role more. And putting his confidence in the Seirans for so long? It's a pity, even if he thought he was protecting you."

"He just wanted me to live as normally as possible." The thought of her father surfaces, and she has to blink again. "I guess he didn't want to foist the duty of being an emir on me. He thought he could trust the Seiran house - he always told me he entrusted me to them if anything should happen to him."

"A lesson learned late is better than a lesson never learnt. Frankly, I was only convinced to come out of my retirement because you stood there and insisted. Such a determined, brazen girl. I was so proud when you showed them all your worth." Suddenly, Mina's tone is stinging. "And yet, here we are, with your Admiral."

It's as if all the mornings of nausea and that constant trepidation amidst her daily routine has reasserted itself into the air. Cagalli looks at her, quite miserable. "I'm sorry, Mina. I really am. But I want a future with him. I tried to leave and to let him leave. But he stayed. He never forced my hand, and he asked for so little."

Hardly mollified, Mina lets go of her hand as if it were a spider.

"Little? He could have stayed in the background; stayed out of it by never asking anything at all! But what has he done? Little, indeed! Would you listen to yourself!" Mina's eyes flash garnet. She gestures with a sweeping hand, to Cagalli's unmistakeably swollen belly. "If you were going to cement your legitimacy as an Orb noble with marriage and a child, shouldn't you have chosen more wisely? Look at you!"

"I want this." Her obstinance makes her raise her voice, despite Mina's rage. "I want to do this - for him, and for myself."

Mina sighs, but her anger dissipates as visibly as it had shown itself. "I didn't mean to lash out. We've gone through this, too many times. I still endeavour to accept it, even now."

"I just don't want us to hide forever."

"You do what you must. For everything that I've encouraged or cautioned of you, I just hope that you'll be happy."

Still, the resentment steals into Mina's flawless face. "He should know that he stole you away from me. And you'll always be bound to him now. We could have done without anyone else, without anyone to hold us down. You were my true protégée."

"Thank you. For everything." It's all that Cagalli can say. "I'll never forget what you've done for me."

Then Mina embraces her, in an uncharacteristically tender gesture. She lets go quickly, however, and stands, stretching to her exceptional height with the instinctive grace that Cagalli envies more than ever. Mina's white silk blouse is only slightly wrinkled, whereas Cagalli feels and probably looks like a balled-up, crumpled rag.

Seemingly oblivious to Cagalli's emotions and the tears that are hastily wiped away, Mina moves about the drawing room. She has a manner of sweeping about, standing by the grand piano that Cagalli only keeps around in memory of her father and for the rare occasions when Athrun can be convinced to play something. The room is larger than necessary, but as large and grand as it was originally designed to impress, the center of the Atha estate.

Mina inspects everything although she's seen it all before, with that uncanny way of acting like she owns everything. She surveys the freshly-wiped mantle piece, and maybe she's guessed that when Athrun left for the Antarctic testing, Cagalli hadn't bothered even getting the automatons to tidy up on a daily basis. It's strange that Mina and Athrun don't seem to recognise their similarities.

Mina says, "I would have expected Athrun Zala to accompany you, instead of letting you go and stay there alone."

"He will, soon. It just that he's too pressed for time. The flight schedules and handover processes for his duties were more tedious than we'd planned for." Cagalli had convinced him that she would be fine with her entire suite of bodyguards on the shuttle.

Mina's tone turns waspish again. "We're all pressed for time, you know." Her eyes narrow. "He certainly wasn't too busy when he put a baby in you."

She ignores the snipe. "It just didn't make sense for me to wait until he finished his missions and to fly back here, just for us to fly out again to Vanuatu. I wanted to go as soon as possible - I don't like the idea of the top military brass granting him exceptional leave to accompany me, just because of status."

"Regardless, he's probably fretting about not being able to escort you both to that hideaway of his. Or yours, both, I suppose. I always forget that marriage blurs those lines. Yours, mine, ours."

There's no pleasing Mina. Had Athrun somehow managed to take special leave to forgo the missions, Mina would have mocked him for being overly-suspicious and possessive.

Somehow, it makes Cagalli laugh. She's as used to Mina's barbs and casual goading as much as Athrun despises it. No matter how generous Rondo Mina Sahaku can be, she's harsh, judgemental, suspicious of nearly everyone, and she rarely forgives.

Someone like Athrun, on the other hand, with his classical manners and genteel ways, would of course be bewildered by Mina's imperious ways and constant sarcasm. He probably thinks of Mina as an embittered, twisted woman, even if Cagalli's quite sure that he admires Mina.

It's been some time since their formal, if inevitable introduction, but they still don't agree on much, except that a baby girl would be preferable. It's a pity.

"Your public relations advisor certainly has her work cut out for her. I suppose it's very much your style - the sneaking around, the secret wedding, the secret homes, and now delivering outside Orb."

Cagalli's jaw sets. "I don't want to emerge from any hospital with people photographing and recording and asking me whether the child would be considered an Orb noble or not. I don't know anyway - it's for the constitutional legal advisors to declare." It would be better if the baby wasn't considered an Orb noble.

"Those fogies are probably waiting to see if child is healthy or not. You know they can read those ancient Constitutional provisions on nobles' successions with almost any spin, especially when the noble families are already dying out these days." Mina's teeth peek beneath her ruby smile. "You take after your father, I suppose, guarding your privacy like it's gold. Won't you tell me if it's a girl or boy?"

"We decided to leave it - it'll be a surprise." She hadn't wanted to know during the last scan, for some strange reason, and perhaps Athrun thought it was in vogue or something, for he had indulged her. "The doctor says all is well, anyway. I just hope I don't disappoint you both if it's not a girl."

Mina stands from the piano, returning to sit and sweep Cagalli up in another embrace that probably exhausts Mina's annual quota for physical contact. "I only hope for a girl because of her mother, my dear. I'll miss you very much."

"I'll miss you too. I'll be back soon, it won't even be half a year." Cagalli smiles at her mentor, fighting back those darned tears again. Maybe I can never come back. Not as I am, now.

It's impossible, but the room somehow looks emptier than when she'd first returned to this house after her father's death.

A/N: The rest of this piece is on Archive Of Our Own, under the same pen name (Enolu). The warning tags function better at AO3, in case the viewer might need.