AN: Hello everybody and welcome to my first Izetta fic. Please keep in mind that I wrote this before episode 9 came out so everything here is just the result of speculation (and a hyperactive imagination). And even though that I've probably watched episode 9 at some point as I write this, I'm still pretty lazy to change what my brain has already plotted out. Regardless, I hope you guys like this either way.

PUREST FORM

The battle wasn't supposed to end that way...

It wasn't supposed to end in a retreat and her capture...

If historians were to ask her what her biggest regret is, Ortfine Frederika von Eylstadt's only answer would be how she let her dearest friend be captured by the enemy. She should have stopped Izetta from joining the battle, knowing the area barely has any ley lines. Now, Fine was paying for that mistake.

It's been about a month since Izetta's capture and everyone has been working around the clock since then to find her and retrieve her. What they do know is that Izetta was taken to Neu-Berlin, probably in the clutches of Otto himself. Just the thought of what that man is doing to her friend is terrifying enough to prevent her from sleeping properly at night. And since she couldn't sleep properly, Fine did her best to keep herself occupied; from governing her people to attempting to formulate a plan of retrieving Izetta, she did her best to help out. Now, hopefully those efforts would bear fruit.

Tonight, Bianca and the Royal Guard would be commencing the mission to retrieve Izetta from Neu-Berlin. She wanted to go with them but instead, here she was, stewing with Elvira in the conference room waiting for some sort of sign that Izetta and the Royal Guard were okay.

"Archduchess." Muller called for her attention, snapping her out of her musings. She simply nodded in response, signifying that he can give his report as well as bracing herself for any possible bad news that may come. She didn't even realize that she was squeezing Elvira's hand tight.

"The Royal Guard has arrived. They brought Izetta back. There were no casualties." He said. Fine let out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding in due to relief.

"Where is she?" She asked, trying to keep her composure as much as she could. However, tears quickly escaped her eyes and her body was wracked with sobs.

"Your quarters, Archduchess. The doctor is examining her now." He answered. Without any hesitation, Fine left the room and ran as quickly as she could towards her room. When she arrived at the wing, she saw Lotte, Bianca and several members of the Royal Guard were waiting by the door. Immediately, she approached Bianca and wrapped her in an embrace as tight as she could.

"Thank you, Bianca. Thank you. I thank everyone in the Royal Guard." She said in between sobs, trying to convey her gratitude to the women who led the rescue of her White Witch.

"You're welcome, Archduchess. It is our duty, after all." Bianca said as she returned her lady's embrace. Just as they separated, the doctor came out.

"How is she?" Fine asked, not even bothering to hide the worry in her voice.

"Archduchess...I think it's best if we talk about this alone..." He said in a grave tone. The pair walked off to the far end of the corridor, where they spoke in hushed whispers and the members of the Royal Guard watched their discussion even though they couldn't hear anything.

And as they watched, they slowly saw their Archduchess' expression morph into a horrified one...

After that lengthy discussion, Fine entered her room and stood beside her bed, hovering above Izetta's sleeping form. A slew of emotions rushed through her as she took in her friend's form; she grew thinner than she already was, there was a cut on her lip and bruises all over her face and body. Fine was never one to be violently angry but she was very close to losing her temper at this moment. She wanted to lash out, get angry, attack Germania and blow it to the high heavens regardless of its innocents; anything to get justice for the treatment Izetta was given. But she couldn't do that; for one thing, Eylstadt does not have the manpower to launch such an attack. Another is that Izetta wouldn't want innocents involved. Killed because of the Archduchess' need for vengeance. So instead of lashing out, she slowly lowered herself to the chair beside the bed and held her beloved White Witch's hand as she cried.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Izetta. I shouldn't have let you participate in that battle. This wasn't your war in the first place." Fine managed to choke out in between sobs. "I'm sorry for not rescuing you immediately. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Forgive me. Please, forgive me."

She didn't have the heart to reveal to the Royal Guard (or anyone else, for that matter) what the doctor told her after his examination of Izetta. Fine regretted the fact that it took her a month before she was able to give the order to rescue Izetta. If only she moved faster...if only she was smarter...then, all Izetta would have faced at worst was a beating during her interrogation.

But that wasn't the case. What happened to her was far worse than a beating...

"I...have no idea how to tell you this, Archduchess..." Were the first words the doctor said to her once they were in a safe enough distance.

"Go on, please." Fine urged him.

"Archduchess...I'm afraid...during my examination, I..." He hesitated, but Fine's stern look of impatience egged him into saying it, "I found evidence that...Lady Izetta...was sexually assaulted..."

After he said that and a couple of other things that she blocked out, she promptly ran into her room to check on Izetta, bringing her to her current state of distress. Fine was crying so much that she didn't realize that Izetta woke up.

"A-Archduchess..." She managed to wheeze out and bring Fine's attention towards her. Fine's head popped up so fast, she was surprised she didn't get a whiplash.

"Izetta..." She said before wrapping her arms around the smaller red headed girl, taking extra care not to hurt her body than it already was. They separated for a moment and Fine called for the doctor, who entered with Sieg, Elvira, Lotte and Bianca.

"Archduchess...Lady Izetta, glad to see you're awake." The doctor said as he approached them. Fine sat beside Izetta and wrapped an arm around her to comfort her.

"Now, Lady Izetta, this will just be a simple examination. This won't take a while so-"

Before he could finish his sentence while he was reaching out for her, Izetta started screaming her head off in fright, much to their surprise. The Archduchess immediately wrapped her arms around the redhead and tightly embraced her.

"Out! Please! All of you!" She yelled at them. Elvira and Bianca immediately ushered the others out of the room before closing the door behind them. Fine continued to hold her friend in her arms as she cried. Eventually, the cries were reduced to small whimpers and Fine found it the right moment to ask Izetta what exactly happened. She didn't want to do it but she needed to know, so she knows who to punish for her White Witch's state.

"Izetta...I need you to tell me...who did this to you? Please tell me." She gently cajoled her as she turned to face Izetta. "Oh my love, please tell me."

Fine's heart clenched in pain for her as she wiped her tears. Eventually, Izetta found the strength to look up to her. And it broke Fine's heart yet again to see those bright optimistic eyes of hers suddenly dull out. As if the light in them had been snuffed out.

"Otto..."

Once she named the person responsible for her assault, Izetta broke down crying once again.

"I'm sorry, Archduchess. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let myself be captured. I'm sorry." She said in between sobs, making Fine hold her in a tight embrace yet again.

"It's alright, Izetta. It's alright." She whispered in her ear before pressing her lips to her red hair.

"No...it's not alright. It hurts..." Izetta responded as she continued to cry. Fine couldn't help but let her tears flow as well. She didn't bother asking what hurt; her body or something else entirely. Because she knew it was going to be a combination of everything; physical, emotional, mental, it didn't matter because there was no doubt that Izetta was hurting in all three aspects.

"I'll make it go away. I'll make the pain go away. I promise." Fine said to comfort her.

She never once let Izetta go until she fell asleep.

Once Izetta was taken by sleep's sweet embrace, Fine stumbled into the conference room, spotting Elvira, Muller, Bianca and Hans still sitting there as they nursed mugs of coffee.

"How is she?" Elvira asked in concern. Instead of answering, however, Fine broke down crying again but this time, they weren't tears of joy or relief compared to earlier. Rather, they were now tears of anger. Bianca immediately rushed to her side and helped her sit on a chair. Once she calmed down enough, she explained everything to them and why Izetta acted the way she did earlier.

"That bastard..." Hans said in disbelief as he clutched his coffee mug as anger rose within him. He knew that Otto was a bastard for starting a war out of nowhere but to do such a thing to a sweet girl such as Izetta? It was unforgiveable...

"Rest assured, Archduchess. We will find a way to make Otto pay for what he's done. For now, please rest. You need it." Muller told her. Reluctantly, Fine stood up and walked towards the door, refusing Bianca's offer of an escort and instead, telling her to rest for the night and the next day as she deserved it. She looked at one of the numerous clocks in the castle, noticing that the time now said 11:30. She thought it was later than it actually is with how dark it is now. Taking a deep breath, Fine walked towards her room and entering it in a robotic fashion. However, there was something that jarred her out of her state.

One of the windows of the room was open and there was a silver haired girl standing by her bed, hovering over Izetta's sleeping form as if she was guarding her.

"Who are you?" Fine asked in a demanding tone. The silver haired woman turned to face her and Fine gasped; it was her. The woman from Lord Redford's ball who stole a kiss from Izetta. She was honestly expecting an attack from this woman but instead of that, all she did was hold her hand up in a gesture telling Fine to stop.

"I mean no harm, Archduchess of Eylstadt. I'm only here to see her." She said in a near emotionless manner. Despite that, however, Fine could hear the slight tinge of concern in her voice. But again, despite that, Fine doesn't give a damn. Her main concern now is Izetta and who this woman is.

"I don't care whether or not you mean any harm. Who are you?" Fine asked again, this time with a hostile tone. The woman took another look at Izetta before turning to her again.

"My name is Sophie. You don't know me by name...but you know me as Weiss Hexe; the White Witch."

Fine gasped in surprise; this was impossible. The White Witch is dead. Her story happened centuries ago.

"It's a long story as to how I'm here now in this present time when I existed centuries ago. I only came here tonight because I wanted to understand her." Sophie said as she turned to Izetta again.

"Under...stand her?" The Archduchess asked in confusion as she cautiously stepped forward.

"I wanted to understand why she was so devoted to you and this...land full of traitors. I wanted to understand why she was willing to throw her life for your country when she knew what your ancestors did to me centuries ago." The silver haired witch said, anger starting to become apparent in her tone.

"What are you talking about? The story of you and the Prince? The Prince died in a war you helped us win before you disappeared." She said in a feeble attempt to defend herself and the memory of her ancestors. Something seems to have triggered Sophie when she said that...because she bolted up and approached Fine face to face.

"Let me tell you something, Archduchess; that's not all there is to the story. The pain I suffered centuries ago thanks to this country was far worse than what Izetta faced in the hands of Germania. What really happened was far more different than what the people of Eylstadt were told. And if you're not careful, history will repeat itself. So, if Izetta isn't doesn't learn from history, she's destined to repeat it."

Once she was done with her tirade, Sophie returned to Izetta's side and laid a hand on her forehead before trailing down to her stomach. Sophie's gasp was audible in the quiet room but Fine was too busy trying to figure out what Sophie meant to even hear her.

"Look at that...she won't be the last witch after all." She said, bringing Fine out of her trance.

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" Fine asked her. The only response she got was a sly smile.

"You'll find out...soon." She said before approaching the window yet again.

"If you're so concerned about Izetta, why didn't you stop Otto from doing those things to her?" Fine asked her as tears sprung from her eyes yet again. There was a moment of silence again before Sophie spoke up.

"I didn't even know. Izetta was kept with Otto and I was kept with the Major. Good night, Archduchess."

With that, she leapt out. Fine rushed towards the window to try to catch a glimpse of her but it seems like she just disappeared out of thin air. And on top of that, what she said made Fine wonder about a lot of things. She was pretty cryptic in her words. Fine wanted to learn more about what she meant but she suddenly felt fatigue wash over her and so she decided to leave it for the next morning.

The moment Fine woke up the next morning, she made herself as presentable as she always is before leaving the room. Izetta was still sleeping and she probably won't wake up until later that day. With one last gentle look, Fine walked out the door and headed to the library where she poured hours, reading books regarding the legend of the White Witch of Eylstadt, hoping to find some form of inconsistencies with the legend. It was no use as they all said the same thing.

"Archduchess..." A familiar voice called for her. Looking up, Fine saw Bianca standing by the doorway, still wearing her Royal Guard uniform.

"Bianca...I thought I told you to take the day off." She gently said.

"I prefer to be on duty, Archduchess. Is there something I can help you with?" The Captain asked her.

"Not unless you can tell me if there was ever an inconsistency with the Legend of Weiss Hexe." Fine said as she continued to look over another book; again, it yielded the same result.

"Archduchess, I...might be able to help with that." Bianca said with a reluctant tone. Fine gestured for her to sit down and say whatever she wanted to say.

"Archduchess, when you and Lady Izetta were in Brittania, Lotte and I went to the old capital. We met a young man there who told me what he claims to be the true ending to the Legend of Weiss Hexe..."

Bianca spent about an hour telling Fine what the young man (a Germanian spy, as Bianca informed her minutes prior) told her; how Weiss Hexe was eventually betrayed by the Prince's jealous wife after his death, tortured by the Inquisition and eventually, she was burned at the stake. And now, it dawned on Fine what Sophie meant when she said that she suffered at the hands of Fine's ancestors. Upon hearing that, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. But she refused to make the same mistakes her ancestors did; she wasn't going to let Izetta's story end like Sophie's.

"I see. Thank you, Bianca. You should rest." She said as she stood up. Bianca followed suit immediately.

"No, Archduchess. I...feel better being on duty." Bianca answered before escorting Fine to her room.

"Bianca...when you and the Royal Guard rescued Izetta...did you happen to see a silver haired woman?" Fine asked as they walked.

"I...yes, Archduchess. She gave us an unsettling gaze and just let us leave. She walked away from us and didn't alert any guards at all. We had no idea what to make of it." Bianca answered as they approached Fine's room just in time to see Lotte exit the room with a tray.

"Ah, Archduchess, I just delivered some food to Lady Izetta." She said in her usual chipper manner. Fine couldn't help but smile at her cheerfulness.

"Thank you, Lotte. Is she awake?" Fine asked her, worry laced in her tone.

"Yes...but...she...doesn't want to eat anything." The young girl answered in a sad tone.

"I'll take care of her, Lotte. Don't worry." The Archduchess said in an attempt to comfort her. Lotte simply nodded as Fine entered the room, where she saw Izetta huddled underneath the sheets.

"Izetta." Fine called for her as she sat by her side. There was a plate of pie and a cup of tea on the nightstand next to her; both of which Izetta refused to acknowledge. Fine gently made the redheaded witch look at her and her heart broke all over again when she saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. Unable to say anything, Fine simply laid herself down beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, allowing the girl to bury her face on the crook of her neck as she cried. As she did, however, Sophie's words flashed through Fine's mind yet again.

"She won't be the last witch after all..."

'What did she mean?' Fine thought to herself as she continued to hold Izetta in her arms.

And little did she know is that Sophie's words would ring true and it wouldn't be long until she would find out...

It's been two months since Izetta was retrieved from Germania and thing were fine; Germania was quiet, the people of Eylstadt were breathing easy for now and overall, it seems like nothing too eventful was happening in the front. What concerned the Archduchess of Eylstadt, however, is her friend and companion. Izetta has become sick recently; always tired and vomiting. Fine thought it odd as witches were near immune to ailments. She was snapped out of her musing when she heard the bathroom door opening.

"How are you feeling, Izetta?" Fine asked as she approached the girl to aid her in walking.

"Not...good..." Izetta said before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her body gradually started falling backwards. It was fortunate that Fine was there to catch her. Otherwise, she would have hit her head.

"Izetta!" She yelled out in a panic as she aided her towards her bed. Once she was safely nestled there, the young Archduchess ran towards the door just in time for Bianca to pass by during her patrol.

"Bianca, call the doctor! Izetta is sick!" She ordered in a panic. Bianca didn't hesitate for a moment before bolting off in the direction from where she came from to get a doctor while Fine returned to the young witch's side and examining her. Izetta was breathing heavily and sweating so much. Fine held her hand as tight as she could as she waited for Bianca to return with a doctor. Fortunately, it only took a few minutes for them to arrive.

"Archduchess, I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave the room for a moment. Please." He requested of her. Reluctantly, Fine left her white witch's side, leaving a kiss on her damp forehead as a momentary parting gift before walking out the door where Bianca dutifully stood guard and eventually, they were joined by Muller, Elvira and Lotte.

The group waited for nearly about an hour for any report on Izetta's condition when the doctor came out. He had a hesitant look on his face; as if he had no idea how he was going to inform them of his findings.

"Well?" Muller asked him in his usual stoic fashion. He turned to the Archduchess and spoke up.

"She's awake...and doing fine for now."

Fine released a breath of relief upon hearing his words but immediately got the sense that it didn't end there. Nothing ever ends that simply these days.

"What else?" She asked before he could speak. Again, he hesitated before taking a deep breath.

"I'm not...sure how to inform you of this, Archduchess but...Lady Izetta..." A pause. "is with child."

Gasps were audible from everyone in the group. Even the usually stoic Muller was surprised. None of them knew how to process such information. Based on what Izetta told Fine, Otto was the only one who assaulted her. That means Eylstadt's ultimate weapon is now carrying what is technically a royal child of Germania. For the first time in the war, they had no idea what to do. No game plan to help them. Fine, on the other hand, suddenly recalled Sophie's words two months ago.

'So, that's what Sophie meant. About Izetta not being the last witch.' She thought to herself, glancing at the doctor yet again when he spoke up once more.

"I've informed her of her condition. Both are healthy and what happened was perfectly normal for someone at this stage of pregnancy but-"

The doctor was cut off when they heard screaming coming from the room. Immediately, Fine rushed inside and she saw Izetta crying hysterically as she seemed to be trying to suffocate herself with a pillow. The Archduchess removed the pillow before attempting to comfort her friend. While she didn't expect Izetta to stop crying immediately, she certainly did not expect her to start apologizing as well.

"I'm sorry, Archduchess. I'm sorry. It's my fault. It's my fault." The young witch said as she cried. Fine turned to her companions and nodded her head, signalling the need to be alone with her for now. Thankfully, they complied and left the room.

"Stop it. Stop apologizing. Nothing is your fault. You didn't do anything wrong." Fine defiantly said as she separated from the girl but kept her hold on her arms.

"No...I'm disgusting. Now, I'm carrying that monster's child." Izetta spoke as she continued to cry. "You must be ashamed of me, Archduchess. I'll leave if you want me to."

Fine's eyes widened and she tightened her hold on her arms.

"Listen to me, Izetta. You are not going anywhere. I'm not ashamed of you. Otto did this to you, not yourself. If there's anyone who has to pay, it will be him. I promise."

Izetta saw the fierce determination in her Archduchess' eyes. And, dare she say it, she even saw the tinge of anger there. Anger at what or whom, she wasn't sure. But she knew it wasn't directed at her and that made her feel a sort of relief.

"W-What...what will we do? About..." She hesitated in saying it but it seems Fine knew what she was referring to.

"We'll raise it together." Was the reply she received. Izetta looked up to her in surprise and compared to earlier, all she saw in her eyes now was fondness and...dare she say it...love.

"W-What?" Izetta asked in confusion as she tears sprang from her eyes yet again.

"We'll raise it together. We won't let this child become like Otto. Not if I can help it. We won't let it grow up to become like that beast in human skin. It'll be a good and strong child...just like you." She said with a determined voice as she held Izetta's hands in hers.

"Archduchess...why...why are you doing this? People are going to talk. They're-"

Before Izetta can finish her sentence, Fine pressed her lips to hers. For a moment, Izetta was having a panic attack; not only did it bring back some...unpleasant...memories, but also because the person she's liked so much for so long was kissing her. Ortfine Frederika von Eylstadt, the Archduchess and her childhood friend, was kissing her. But the unpleasant memories gradually drifted away and she could feel Fine's love for her through their kiss.

"When are you going to get it through your thick head? I love you, Izetta. I've loved you since we first met. It only took meeting you again for me to realize it." Fine said with a gentle smile as she wiped Izetta's tears away. "And let the people talk; all that matters to me is that you're by my side. If I want to, I can declare your child as my heir."

"Archduchess...Fine...I love you." The witch said with a small, shy smile. A moment of silence occurred before Fine wrapped her arms around Izetta yet again in an embrace. She may hate Otto for everything he's done but if there was one thing she could be grateful for him for...it would be this child in her love's womb. This child that she would claim as her own.

"I love you. We'll be alright, Izetta. The three of us will be alright. I promise." Fine gently whispered to her.

They spent the rest of the day in their room with only each other as company.

Months passed yet again and the battlefield got busier. Thanks to strategic planning, Eylstadt was able to hold its own against Germania in a few skirmishes without Izetta's help. Try as she might to help in the frontlines, Fine refused to let her go out into battle; partly because she was afraid for her and the child's well being and partly because she didn't want anyone reporting back to Otto that Izetta was with child. The risk of another capture was too great. While everyone somewhat found it odd at how Germania was barely attacking them, they didn't complain. The soldiers and citizens thought to themselves that maybe even Germania was becoming weary of war and hoped that peace time was on the horizon. Fine, on the other hand, suspected that maybe Sophie had something to do with Germania's decrease in attacks. After all, Izetta was technically her descendant...and this child she was carrying was another descendant of hers in turn. So for that, Fine was grateful because now, she only had to worry about one thing...

Izetta was giving birth today.

Needless to say, Fine nearly had a heart attack when her lover informed her of her impending labor and she immediately sent Lotte and Bianca to fetch a doctor, who arrived with haste. Now, the Archduchess has been waiting outside their room for hours, pacing back and forth, ready to pull her hair out. Not very ladylike of her but as of the moment, she just didn't give a damn.

"Archduchess, you're going to create a hole in the floor if you keep pacing like that." Elvira said in an attempt to lighten the mood but all she got in return was an anxious glance in her direction. As she walked, a yellow orb suddenly floated by her, stopping her dead in her tracks. Then another one floated by. And another. And another. Until eventually, hundreds of them were around the corridor and entering the room Izetta was in as if there was no wall and door separating them. Finally, the doctor came out, holding a crying bundle wrapped in a soft blanket that Lotte made for her and Fine approached him anxiously.

"Archduchess...it's a girl." He said with a gentle smile as he held the child out to her. The young Archduchess carefully held the child in her arms, amazed at how tiny she is and the crying noises she made. At how something so small could create that much noise. Fine took the time to examine the child; she had tufts of red hair and had red eyes. She was perfectly cleaned as well. Physically, there was a large chance that the child inherited almost everything from Izetta and seemingly none from the father. She didn't know what she would do if the child looked like its father; she had no idea how Izetta was going to take it if that happened. Thankfully, it didn't and they were blessed with such a beautiful girl.

"And Lady Izetta?" Muller asked him.

"Resting. You may see her."

Immediately, Fine entered the room with the little baby, attempting to calm her down in the process. It seemed to have work as her cries were gradually reduced to whimpers. The Archduchess took the time to examine the room; the yellow orbs were still there, merely floating around. She hypothesized that the orbs' presence may mean that the child had magic as well but...that was a discussion for another time.

"F-Fine..." A weak voice called for her. Fine gently smiled at her lover as she took in her current state; she looked extremely tired and her body was damp with sweat even though the maids and nurses aiding in the birth had changed her clothes. It's only been a few months since Izetta finally got accustomed to calling her by her first name but it still made her heart soar every time she said it that way. Their relationship progressed in certain areas too, so that made Fine extremely happy.

"You did it, Izetta. She's beautiful, just like you." Fine praised her. On a normal situation, Izetta would be blushing madly now as she tried to voice her denials but at the moment, she was too tired to even care.

"I want to hold her." She said with a small smile. Immediately, the child was handed to its mother and Izetta smiled as she gazed at her.

"You're right, Fine...she's beautiful. What should we name her? I would like her name to have a part of yours." Izetta stated with a small and shy smile. To be honest, both of them were having difficulty in choosing a name for the baby for the past month and up until now, they were still empty handed. Well, Fine had one in mind but she wasn't sure if it was the right name to stiff the baby with for the rest of her life.

"I'm not sure yet...but let's worry about that some other time. For now, rest. Both of you." The young Archduchess said before she took the child from the witch's arms and clothed her. Up until now, Izetta was still impressed at how Fine spared no expense on a child that isn't even biologically hers; from clothes to equipment to everything else in between, Fine went all out. She was even bugging Izetta to let her claim the little girl as her own and make her the princess of Eylstadt. Frankly, the witch could care less; she was just glad that Fine can manage to love her baby as her own.

"Thank you...my princess." She whispered before closing her eyes and succumbing to the peaceful world of sleep.

Fine, in the meantime, has finally managed to set the little baby down in the nearby bassinet. She observed the now sleeping child with absolute fondness and adoration before leaning down to press her lips to her small forehead.

"I love you." Fine gently and lovingly whispered. Everything she's done for her, the words she just whispered; she meant all of it. When Fine laid her eyes on the girl for the first time, she fell in love with her immediately. The same way she fell in love with the baby's mother when they were children. Gently caressing her cheek, she entered the bathroom for a moment to see if there was something there that she would need to make the baby comfortable. When she emerged, she was stunned once again...

Sophie was there, holding the baby as she examined her. As if she was checking to see if there was something wrong with her. Fine was having a mild panic attack; what if Otto somehow found out about his daughter and sent Sophie to retrieve her? The Archduchess had no idea what to do; risk waking Izetta and causing a panic (and possibly a fight) with a newborn child around or keep quiet and risk Sophie taking Izetta's child.

"Don't be alarmed, Archduchess." She said as she gently rocked the baby.

"Did Otto send you?" She asked in a stoic manner, forcing her voice to remain steady. Fine didn't care if she had to fight this woman on her own. Witch or not, this woman was not taking their child.

'No...I would rather die than let Otto claim her. That baby is mine and Izetta's, not his.' She thought to herself as she took deep breaths.

"Otto doesn't know about her. I'm here on no one's behalf but my own." Sophie said as she gave the baby a fond look and a small smile. The Archduchess realized that she must have loved someone at some point. A child, maybe.

"What a beautiful girl." The White Witch remarked as she set her back in her bassinet. The baby continued to sleep like a rock throughout the conversation, not even stirring or giving any indication that she's somewhat aware of what was going on. Sophie turned to face Fine, the small smile now gone and replaced with an emotionless expression.

"She'll grow up to be a powerful one, I promise you that much. Raise her well, Archduchess." She said before slowly walking towards the window she opened to let herself in.

"You're not taking her?" Fine asked, surprised by Sophie's actions. She was really expecting that she would have to fight her tooth and nail just to keep the baby in Eylstadt.

"No. She deserves better than having a father like that. Take care of her. Children are the purest form of their parents after all."

And with that, just like before, Sophie left the premises via the window she came in.

"Fine..." A small voice called for her. She turned her head and saw Izetta sitting up and shivering. She closed the window and picked the baby up, excited by what she thought of. Fine handed the little girl to her lover and sat beside her.

"I thought of a name." The blonde blurted out. The redheaded witch looked at her in excitement and anticipation, waiting for her answer.

"Katrina. It means pure. Just like she is." She whispered as she held them close to her.

"It's a beautiful name. Where did you get it?" Izetta asked out of curiosity.

"Uh...a book. And...someone once told me that a child is the purest form of their parents, after all." Fine responded. Her lover didn't need to know of Sophie's earlier visit. And technically, she did get the name from a book. It was only when Sophie said what she did was Fine ensured that her choice was the right one.

"I like it; Katrina Ortfine von Eylstadt."

Fine gasped in surprise at what she said. Izetta has been putting off in giving Fine an answer to this discussion for months now that she was shocked that she's suddenly giving her one.

"T-Then...you'll let me give her my name? You'll let me make her the heir to Eylstadt?"

"If you still want to. I wanted to name her after you because...I wanted to name her after my first friend...and my first love." Izetta said with a shy smile.

Overwhelmed by the joy she was feeling at the moment, Fine didn't hesitate in pressing her lips to hers. When they separated, the pair focused their attention on the little bundle of joy in Izetta's arms.

"Hi...Katrina. Do you like that? Do you like your name?" Fine asked her as she held her tiny hands in her own. The baby cooed in response. Thankfully, it didn't seem like a coo of disapproval so they assumed that little Katrina liked her name.

"She likes it. Thank you, Fine." Izetta said before she leaned her head on the Archduchess' shoulder. The blonde could only smile and continued to hold them in her arms as she savoured this rare peaceful moment.

Just her, Izetta and their pure bundle of joy...

AN: Let me guess; someone's gonna come up to me and say this is 'too soon', aren't they? Well too bad. It's here. If you guys have questions, please PM them to me (or send them as a review) and I hope you guys enjoyed this. Leave your reviews, favourites and follows at the door before you guys leave.

Firework out!