A Grim Affair
The Espinoza Dynasty
Leia Constantin has lived quietly in Crow's Crossing, Ravenwood since she moved off of her family farm two years ago now. What her parents don't know, though, is that she's been in a romantic relationship with the Grim Reaper himself for almost all of that time. The discovery of Ondarion decreed such a relationship to be scandalous- and the last thing the Espinoza Dynasty needs is more scandal...
Leia was softspoken, compassionate, and a little bit naive. She always had been, and even working in the grips of the Underworld as a Reaper hadn't changed that. On paper, she should've been a ideal dynasty member- she had all the character traits of a fairy tale princess. Her inclinations towards the dark and mysterious, though, had always left her a little on the outskirts. She and Eirwen had shared that, despite being polar opposites in their personalities and aesthetics.
So, as much as she loved her parents (they meant well, after all), Leia was very glad to be living on her own, in a beautiful home in Crow's Crossing. Just close enough to the farm to not be abandoning her parents, but far enough away to be independent... and keep her secrets.
Leia's early morning was spent tending to her plants, both indoors and out. She'd brought various fruits and vegetables from her parents' farm when she moved, starting a garden of her own from their cuttings. It was thriving, now, and almost ready to start harvesting. She just hoped the winter chill wouldn't set the plants too far back, since she had them all sheltered.
Though she was more nonchalant about death than most due to her career and personal connections, Leia had a deep respect for the spirits she reaped. Every morning, she lit incense and left fruit out in front of the shrine she'd placed in one of her side yards.
It was a logical precaution as well as a token of respect- the incense and fruit was usually enough to placate any angry souls she might have reaped in the line of duty.
Sunday was Leia's day off, so she usually took a walk in the plaza. The friendly specters were usually glad to see her, and always had some bit of gossip to share from around the town. Most other folks either couldn't see them or ignored them, but Leia didn't mind if the town thought she was a little loony, talking to "imaginary friends."
The one with the bow tie was named Freddy, and he was quite a polite little fellow. Today, he told her, there was apparently a meeting of Afterlife Anonymous in Mourningvale... she wasn't in need of those services, but it was good to know about. Thanks, Freddy!
Leia's favorite thing to do on her days off, though, aside from cross-stitching, was to explore the crypts that ran underneath Ravenwood. They were so expansive, it was truly incredible. She could go into one in Crow's Crossing and come out across the road from the Constantin Farm!
It could be dangerous, though- just recently she had angered the inhabitant of one of the sarcophaguses... hopefully it wouldn't still be angry at her this time?
After her usual weekend explorations, Leia returned home as evening was falling. This was the point she'd been waiting for: for the sun to set and the shadows to offer her and Grim the secrecy they now needed.
It hadn't always been necessary, this sneaking around in the dark. But with the discovery of Ondarion and its courts came their list of scandals too, and fraternizing with the world's deities was one of them. Father Winter, Spruce Almighty, the Mysterious Plumbird, the Grim Reaper- a romance with any of them would cause an incredible scandal, and her mother had made it very clear that something like that would be catastrophic to any chance of gaining prestige in this new system.
But the heart wants what it wants, so Leia and Grim continued their courtship in secret. When she was a teen, she never would've imagined that the bringer of death would be so kind or caring, but here they were. He was attentive, affectionate, gentle, and very interesting to talk to.
If he wasn't the Reaper of Souls, he would've been perfect in her parents' eyes. Maybe her dad would've accepted it, but her mom certainly wouldn't.
His name wasn't really Grim, though, that was only his title, a role passed down through generations of near-immortals. His name was Hades, and Leia thought it sounded like something straight out of a storybook.
They had to wait for night to fall properly before they could go and do anything. Leia wished that they could do more than walk around the empty streets, but at least the small town was beautiful at night. And there was always the crypts, if they got bored.
Secret or not, those nights were some of the ones Leia most looked forward to.
Recently, though, Leia hadn't been feeling quite herself. Food she normally loved seemed to repulse her, and she'd been hit with an insane craving for strawberries- which she didn't mind normally, but they were nowhere near her top ten favorite fruits or anything like that.
Maybe one of the ghosts had cursed her. It seemed feasible.
She pushed through it, though. Winterfest was in just three days, and she had agreed to host this year... though after all the drama at Harvestfest, she was wondering if that was the best decision...
Since she was doing it alone, it wouldn't be anywhere near as impressive of a feast as Aunt Arabella and Uncle Peter's buffet, but she had invited everyone else to bring a dish if they wanted to. In the meantime, she would start doing some of the prep work now.
Ugh, normally she loved tofu-turkey, but the smell was making her stomach churn today. She didn't feel ill otherwise, what was going on with her? No matter, she had to meet Ava to talk about Winterfest.
"Leia, I haven't seen you in forever!" Ava laughed when she saw her cousin, and the two exchanged a fond embrace.
"I know, I didn't stay very long at Harvestfest." Leia chuckled ruefully. "Probably for the best, given everything."
Leia had slipped out early on Harvestfest, rushing home to spend the rest of the night with Hades. She'd found out about Arabella and Vanessa's argument the next day, from Liliana.
"Probably, things got pretty intense." Ava agreed with her. "Let's go get some coffee, I just came from midterms and I am beat!"
"Where were you wanting to host everything?" Ava asked her once they were settled, herself with a strong coffee and Leia with a sweet treat. What was with these cravings? She normally wasn't one for pastries!
"I think Holiday Hall." Leia answered. "I just don't have the space in my house, unfortunately, and I did look to see if I could move some things around and bring in another table."
"Well, the rental company agreed to hold it for us while we made up our minds, so I can call and get that locked in tonight. And I'll come help you decorate on Winterfest morning."
"That would be much appreciated, thank you." Leia agreed.
With the business side of their visit concluded, Ava pulled Leia aside to talk in a quiet corner. "Are you still seeing him?"
"Had- Grim? Yes." Leia answered quietly. "I love him, Ava."
"I know, I know you do. But you know your mom will flip when she finds out."
Leia sighed. "Of course I know, that's why it's a secret. I'll figure out a way to tell her eventually."
"Just be careful, Leia. Our family's gaining prominence, and that means people are going to start sniffing out secrets. You're not the only one who has one, but yours is probably the biggest."
"I will, don't worry, Ava. And I'll find a way to tell Mom after the holidays, or cover it up. One of the two."
"Whatever you do, I'll back you up."
"Thank you."
Ava was putting her own reputation on the line by keeping Leia's secret, especially as the Dynasty Heir, and Leia appreciated that deeply. They had been best friends since Ava was two years old, and they took their friendship very seriously, almost above anything else.
Almost.
"I heard through the grapevine that you've been seeing someone too?" Leia asked Ava.
"I have!" Ava grinned. "You remember Haikili?"
"Kealoha? From the football team?"
"That's right! We just made things official last weekend, we are dating!"
"That's great, Ava." Leia smiled. "I'm happy for you- though I hope his manners have improved, he was always a little rude."
"He's been quite charming to me so far, don't worry. I'll let you know if that changes, since both you and Ella worried."
"Alright, good. I'm glad you're happy."
Evening was falling when Leia got home. She was supposed to see Hades again tonight, but she really wasn't feeling well. Hopefully some warm soup and a cup of tea would perk her up, or he would be alright with just relaxing on the couch and watching TV instead of going to the crypts tonight.
The soup and tea did make her feel better, and Leia went to her office to do some research for work while she waited for Hades. She originally intended to look up Thanatology articles, but her browsing soon wandered, first to gardening, then to knitting, and then... so on and so forth, you know how it goes.
Somehow she found herself on the forums dedicated to pregnancy and newborns. She did love babies, and there were always pictures to fawn over, so maybe that was why. But it got her thinking- should she take a test? Just to be safe? Maybe that was why she was feeling so off...
After considering it, she decided to take it. What harm could it do? If it was negative, she'd just gotten caught up in her baby fever. If it was positive... that had a lot more to think about.
Leia took the test, and waited. She wasn't sure what she wanted to see, and she couldn't quite bring herself to look at it alone. When Hades arrived, she took it to him.
"I don't know if I am." She told him. "But I haven't been feeling well, and it was worth a thought... I didn't want to look alone, though."
"We will look together, then."
They turned over the test together... and it was positive.
Leia was pregnant, they were going to be parents. A hundred thoughts were going through her head all at once, joy and terror at war. She was going to have a baby!
The Grim Reaper's baby, which would most likely cause her mother to have a heart attack.
Hades' reaction was ecstatic. He pulled Leia into his arms, embracing her tenderly. "Our child will be the best of both the light and shadow." He told her. "But I can see you're having conflicting thoughts. What troubles you, my angel?"
"I'm happy." Leia was quick to assure him. "I've always known I wanted a baby. I'm just... worried about what Mom will think. I haven't even told her about us yet, now I'm pregnant!"
"We will take care of it." Hades assured her. "Together."
"Together." Leia agreed, then laughed. "Oh, Hades, we're having a baby!"
The two of them agreed that Leia would take the next day off, to go get the baby checked and see how far along she was. She was fairly confident it wasn't too far along, but it was best to be sure. A completely new adventure was opening up before her, and she couldn't wait to start it.
Just some authorial notes! I am playing using MCCC to extend the pregnancy length to 63 days. This will allow me to include more pregnancy storyline, and rotate to other households while Leia is pregnant without the baby being born off-screen! I hope y'all are excited, the first child of Generation 4 will be here soon!
Thank you for reading!
- Paxxie
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