Disclaimer: I own not, you sue not.

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The watch had just called the second hour of the night when a frantic knock on her door and an infant's wailing made Winnamine Balitang surrender the softness of her bed.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she took just enough time to throw on a dressing gown before yanking open the door. A young girl of about eighteen who held a sobbing baby rushed inside the suite.

"Aly?" Winnamine said sleepily. "It's the middle of the night."

"I can't make him stop crying!" The girl rocked her child to no avail. The young spymaster had just given birth two weeks ago, and the baby was not yet named. "Nawat's not back from Lombyn, and you're the only one I know well enough that's had experience with babies."

Winnamine held a finger to her lips. Aly instantly stopped babbling.

"Maybe he's just hungry," Winnamine suggested.

"I've already tried, he's not." Aly bit her lip nervously. "I used my Sight, he's not ill, or wet. I've only dealt with children over a month old, never newborns!"

"Give him to me," Winnamine commanded. The young mother obeyed, handing over her son to the more experienced luarin. She crooned softly to him, a lullaby.

"Winna?" A teenaged girl slipped into the room. "Secret told me something was wrong."

"It's just the baby, Dove. You should be in bed, getting enough sleep is an important factor in running a country," Aly said, trying to shoo the adolescent queen out of the chamber.

"Let me see him," Dove said, the air of command she had gained over the past few months coming out. Winnamine reluctantly gave the infant to her stepdaughter.

Dove cradled the baby gently, looking him directly in the eye. Her long raven colored hair formed a veil over her face as she stared at the child. Then she straightened, tightening her hold on the plump form.

"Ulasim, stop this noise. You are upsetting your mother," Dove said firmly. The baby halted his wailing, tears stopped running down his plump, rosy cheeks.

Aly blinked, hazel eyes clouding over with confusion. "Dove, I think you just named my baby."

Dove blushed, red mantling her cheeks. "Oh, I'm sorry! It just seemed that he needed-"

Aly cut the girl off with a smile as she looked at her adopted queen and her son. "No. Ulasim is just right."