In Which Alya Does the Most She Can Do

June 24, 1192

"Shahira?" Alya knocked on her sister's bedroom door. She'd spent the past week at Roddie's, and hadn't expected to return to a concerned chambermaid rushing to greet her, claiming that Shahira had locked herself in her room with nothing but the sounds of muffled sobs. Her mother had gone to call on Aunt Raia and her father was off with the reeve investigating a robbery. Alina and the boys would of course be no help.

"Go away!"

Alya bit her lip. Shahira was a private person, but she was not hostile. A simple 'I need some space' was more her style. "Shahira, what's wrong?"

"I said go away!"

"Don't think I won't pick the lock." Their grandmother had taught them both, if Shahira remembered. "This isn't like you."

"You don't know the first thing about me!"

Alya sighed. She hadn't any pins in her own hair, but the maid had had the sense to swipe one from Alina. Alya would return it after it served its purpose. "Shahira, I'm coming in. I promise I'm here to help."

She opened the door to find her sister sprung from the bed, halfway across the room, perhaps in a rush to hold the door shut. Shahira didn't manage to look her in the eye before her face was in her hands.

"Please talk to me." Alya looped her arm around her sister's shoulders, brushing Shahira's long locks back with her other hand. "I can't help if I don't know what's wrong."

Shahira choked. A number of tears leaked through her fingers. "I... I'm late. Really late..."

"Your courses?"

She nodded.

"Oh, honey, it's normal to be late sometimes. I don't think there's any point worrying too much. I mean, you haven't--"

Shahira's eyes peaked up from above her fingertips--wide, bloodshot, guilty.

"Oh."

That... that made a considerable difference. It was the last thing Alya would have expected of wary, studious Shahira. Alina, perhaps, when she was older--Alina, flirty and fun-loving. But Shahira? Did she even have a sweetheart? "Who...?"

"Aldhein Tumekrin." Huh. Aldhein had always had a rather obvious crush on Shahira. But Alya hadn't any idea that Shahira might have reciprocated. "I went to campus for his birthday, and... well, I haven't had a course since."

"His birthday?" If Alya remembered the timing of that party, then that had been nearly two months. Late indeed. She just hoped... "He didn't force you, did he?"

Shahira shook her head. "I was... curious, I guess.

"What am I going to do, Alya?"

Alya wiped a tear from her sister's cheek. She couldn't answer that. The most she could do was try to be supportive. "Well... we could go to Aerina for a pouch, if you want." Though, if Shahira had wanted that, surely she would have gone already.

To confirm, Shahira stiffened. "I thought about that, but... you have to be so careful with those, and you know how I tend to gag..."

"That's true." Alya kissed her sister's brow. If only Shahira was a year older and at the university! Female students had access to herbs if they wanted them. Hell, Alya would have shared her own if she'd known that Shahira and Aldhein were an item. "Well... you're not going to like this, but I think we'll have to tell Mother and Father. They shouldn't be too angry; Mother was younger than you and showing when they got married."

"I know, but..." Shahira sniffed. At least the tears had subsided. The melancholy had not. "But... what about the university? I can't keep a baby in the dormitory."

"We'll figure it out. Mother and Father and Aunt Raia won't make you miss out on anything if you don't want to." At least, she thought they wouldn't.

She hoped they wouldn't.

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