A couple of days after the doctor's appointment, Ginny found herself sitting across from Mal in the Queen's study. The get together had been at Mal's request and, to her credit, she had no idea about the doctor's appointment.
She knew Ginny had been thinking of going to see why they weren't getting pregnant, but Ginny hadn't brought it up again so Mal hadn't asked. It was none of her business after all.
"How's your makeup business doing?" Mal asked after a moment, looking for something to break the silence. It wasn't as if they were former enemies or anything but they hadn't run in the same circles when they were kids so finding common interests to talk about was more challenging than one thought.
"It's doing well," Ginny said, giving Mal a slight smile despite not feeling like smiling. But Ginny, like Mal, had grown up on the Isle. Had grown up having to make sure her true emotions didn't show on her face unless she wanted to give up a weakness to a potential enemy.
"Oh that's good," Mal smiled. "Didn't you say at one of the Learning to be Royal meetings that you were looking to partner up with Quinn?"
"Oh right, we're looking into having a free piece of her jewelry if the customer orders a certain amount of makeup," Ginny explained and Mal nodded.
The door, which had previously been closed, slowly opened as three noses poked themselves through and soon Estelle came plodding into the room, resting his heads on Ginny's lap.
"I thought you'd be with Ben, boy," Mal said with a small chuckle as she shook her head. "After all, he's been taking Nyx out on runs to keep her energy level and he said he'd do the same with you."
"Makes sense," Ginny said with a slight nod of her head. "After all, two big dogs cooped up all day might just be asking for trouble."
"Yeah, plus we'd rather not have the dogs too hyperactive around the twins," Mal said as she reached over to grab one of the snacks that had been laid out. "Estelle and Nyx love them, of course, and they're the best nannies that anyone could ask for, but there's still the chance of Estelle or Nyx getting too wound up."
"...Right," Ginny said softly. She couldn't fault Mal for talking about her kids, and it wasn't as if Mal had shoehorned them into the conversation. But the news from the doctor's was still too raw.
As if sensing she'd stuck her foot in her mouth, Mal said, "How's Clay adjusting to Auradon?"
"He's enjoying it," Ginny said, a smile pulling at her lips at the thought of her brother. "Mainly he spends most of his time with Dizzy since she's latched onto Ava and he's not going to let his girlfriend be in a strange place without him."
"As any VK would do," Mal nodded. "The first time Lonnie went on an away game for R.O.A.R. during Jay's Tourney season, he was more tense than a long tailed cat in a room filled with rocking chairs. You know, despite the fact that it's Lonnie we're talking about and could probably hand any one who attacked her their ass on a silver platter."
"Language your highness!" Ginny chuckled, feigning shock at Mal's choice of words. "You never know who'll be listening!"
Mal chuckled and shook her head. "Oh yes, apologies your highness. I did not mean to offend."
Both women looked at each other before bursting out laughing. While they likely wouldn't be as close as Mal and Uma were, it was nice that their friendship was growing from what it had been on the Isle. Ginny was another VK adjusting to royal life, she'd understand the struggles and that was invaluable to Mal.
Plus it likely didn't hurt that Chad was one of Ben's best friends so he and Ginny were over quite often; giving Ginny and Mal a chance to grow their friendship.
"Excuse me your majesty?" Dean asked, poking his head into the room.
"Dean! Come in," Mal smiled. "You've met Ginny before haven't you?"
Dean nodded. "A pleasure to see you again, your highness. I hope you and Prince Chad are doing well."
"We...we are, thank you," Ginny nodded. "And Dean, you know you don't have to use my title. Just Ginny is fine."
Mal chuckled. "We've been telling him he doesn't have to use our titles for the past three or so years and yet he continues to do so," she said before turning to Dean. "But how can we help you Dean? Is something wrong? Or did Emma or Elle go into labor?"
"No, no, nothing like that," Dean shook his head. "Princess Stephanie and Prince Maurice are up from their naps and I thought you would want to be made aware since King Ben is off on a run."
"Oh yes, thank you Dean," Mal nodded and turned to Ginny. "Do you mind if we go get them?"
"You don't have a governess or nanny? I thought that'd be something every royal would have?" Ginny asked as she shook her head to indicate she didn't mind. Even if every mention of kids was like a knife through her heart, she wouldn't deny Mal her time with her children.
Mal shook her head as they got up. "Ben had mentioned possibly having one when I was pregnant with the twins but I shut that down," she said. "I trust anyone we'd hire but...I don't want anyone raising my children but me."
"I can understand that," Ginny nodded. "And I think Kitty's the same way, she's always had Elliot around her. Well, if Ella or Kit aren't watching him for her."
"I think the Hood boys are the closest Auradon has come to a VK so it makes sense that they wouldn't have nannies for their kids," Mal said as they entered the twins' nursery. Her face lit up as she saw her children and Ginny had to briefly look away as memories of her time with Chad after her appointment came flooding back to her.
"Ginny, it doesn't matter if we...if we have kids or not," Chad said softly as he gently rubbed her back. "I can just leave the crown to Elliot...or technically Kitty is heir after me until I have kids anyway."
Ginny sighed. "Chad, it's not just about me wanting to give you an heir though. I want to be pregnant! I want to be a mother! I want to finally understand that feeling of unconditional love that a mother is supposed to have and give it to someone! To know I can give that love despite...despite never receiving it from my own 'mother'."
Chad held her close. "You are loved though Gin. You are loved so much. Not just by me, but by a ton of people. Kitty, Lucy, and Alex just to name three. But I understand where you're coming from. I just...I don't want you thinking that I'm going to demand a divorce or I'm thinking you 'failed' or anything just because there's now a lower chance of us having kids of our own."
"I...I don't want to divorce you Chad," Ginny said, curling into him as Bruno walked over and rested his head on their legs. "I love you. But you need an heir! I know enough about politics to know that much. If...if it would make life easier for you—."
"Ginny, trust me. There are so many options for us if we want a child. Adoption. Surrogacy. Trying our luck the old fashioned way though I'd rather not risk anything happening to you. And if the Fates rule children aren't in our cards...well like I said I've got Kitty for my heir if we need to do that."
He sighed as he continued to rub Ginny's back. "However, I'm not giving up hope. We will have kids. The doctor said you had a fifty five percent chance right? That's still more than half, we just have to keep trying and...as hard as it's going to be, we can't force it. I'm going to have kids with you Gin, the only question will be if...if they're biological or not. But there's one thing I want you to know and never forget. Whether we have biological kids or we adopt, this was not your fault. Okay? The fault lies with Leah and only with her. You are my wife, you are the woman I love. You never have to worry about me wanting to leave you, especially for something out of your control."
Ginny sniffed softly as she wiped away some of the tears that were streaming down her cheeks before gently resting a hand on Chad's cheek. "How...how are you taking this so well? You know you have just as much of a right to be a mess...to be angry as I do..."
Chad held her close and gently kissed the top of her head. "...You need me right now Gin. I...I can't break right now," he whispered. He knew that it'd be tough, seeing his friends' kids and knowing that was almost out of reach for him. But his wife needed comfort, that was what he'd focus on.
Letting out a small sigh, he said, "believe me, I feel like marching down to the Underworld and strangling Leah while peeling off her skin with fire but I can't do that right now. Though I might offer that as a torment fo Leah if Lord Hades takes requests..."
"Chad...please tell me you'll talk to someone," Ginny said as she gave her husband a sad smile. "Someone who'll let you fall apart over this. I...I don't want to be the reason you bottle everything up. Please. Talk to me or if not me, then Ben or Akiho or Emir or Kitty or Lucy or Alex. Just...just talk to someone. This affects you just as much as it does me."
Chad sighed. "...I'll talk to dad," he said softly. "I just...Ben has kids now, Akiho and Emir both have kids on the way, Kitty's got her son and Lucy and Alex are my little sisters. I...I don't want to burden them with this."
"And I'm right here with you every step of the way," Ginny promised. "Anyone you need to talk to, I'll help make sure they're available. Even if I have to drag them here myself."
Chad couldn't help but chuckle at that image. "I know...and I'm here for you too."
"I don't think you would be holding me right now if you weren't," Ginny told him, gently kissing his cheek. "But honey...please don't think you can't break on me just because you're a guy."
"Ginny, it's not fair to you for me to break down...like I said...I'll talk to dad."
"And that's good, I'm glad you'll talk to someone Chad, but I'm also your wife. If you can't break down around me, then what is the point of my having that title? I met you when you were coming out of a hypnosis remember?" Ginny said gently, hoping she didn't awaken any bad memories for Chad by mentioning it.
"I know Ginny," Chad said softly. "But...before we met, I...I was pretty much a shell of myself. I...I can't put my family through that again and if I break down...you are my family too. I don't...I don't want you seeing me like that. It...it might terrify you and that's the last thing I want. As I said...I don't need to break completely...because I know we're going to have kids."
"Ginny?" Mal said softly, her voice bringing Ginny out of her thoughts and back to the present day. "Is everything alright?"
"Of...of course," Ginny said, hating the fact that she hesitated. Even after the months of marriage, she was still able to hide her emotions from Chad in some way, shape, or form if she didn't want him to know how she was feeling. Ginny doubted, though, she'd be able to do the same with another VK.
"Are you sure?" Mal asked, gently bouncing Maurice who she had in her arms. "Ginny, I know we weren't the closest on the Isle but I...I'd like to hope we've grown close enough that you can feel comfortable telling me if I'm doing something that's bothering you."
"Oh...oh no it's...it's not you Mal," Ginny promised. "I'm just...I'm just dealing with some personal issues right now is all and you caught me thinking about them."
Before Ginny knew what she was doing, the words escaped from her lips. "I...I had a doctor's appointment a few days ago...i wanted to know why Chad and I weren't getting pregnant..."
Mal's eyes grew wide in realization before gently setting her son in his bassinet. Quickly making her way over to Ginny, the purple haired Queen wrapped her arms around her fellow VK and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm so sorry," Mal whispered.
"It's...it's not your fault," Ginny said softly.
But Mal shook her head. "I promise Ginny, I'm not trying to make this about me but it is my fault. Or at least it's partially my fault. We should have brought you into the Rats when we brought in Carlos. At least then you would have had a more stable food supply...I'm assuming that's what's causing the issues?"
Ginny nodded, wiping away a few tears that had started to fall. "The...the doctor...he said I have a fifty five percent chance..."
"So there's a chance," Mal said. "We've spent so much time on the Isle embracing the negative and the realistic side of things that I think we forgot that thinking positively won't hurt us. And you'll have help."
"You mean Chad..." Ginny said and sighed softly. "I don't want to put too much on him, Mal. He's kinda bottling things up."
"First of all he's your husband. If you can't put things on him, who can you?" Mal asked. "But more importantly, I'll have Ben call Chad. He might be thinking he doesn't want to burden you with how he's feeling because you're the one primarily impacted."
Mal gently put a hand on Ginny's shoulder and the two women walked out of the nursery.
"Ginny...do you want me to talk to the Good Fairies?" Mal asked as they walked. "They removed Claudine's fertility issues—."
"No," Ginny said before Mal could finished. "Thank you Mal but...I don't want magic to give me a child. I just want a child with Chad."
"Then we'll make sure that happens," Mal told her. "No matter what happens, you have people in your corner and you're always welcome here if you need to talk, rant, or if you need puppy cuddles from someone other than Bruno."
Estelle yipped softly and Ginny couldn't help but jump as she realized the Cerberus had followed them.
"Seems Estelle agrees with that," Mal chuckled and Ginny smiled at the Cerberus. Maybe things would be okay after all.
Maybe, just maybe...she could do this. With a strong support system, anything was possible right?