>"Husband!"
>Your attention is brought away from your work by the sound of your wife's voice
>After wiping and sheathing your blade, you turn to face her fully
>She is trotting to you with a smile, you notice a pep in her step
>The sight of her makes you sigh in relief
>You had hoped she would come back without bad news, but this is a far better mood than you thought she'd be in
>Kneeling down to her height, the two of you hug and share a brief nuzzle
"You are cured?"
>She shakes her head enthusiastically
>Odd
>Most people are not so happy to come from the doctor without a remedy for their ailments
>She giggles at your confusion
>"I need no herbs. The sickness shall pass in due time."
>You raise a brow at this
"What time is due?"
>She rubs a hoof along her chin, her smile brightening a touch more
>"Well, she was unsure as to an exact date, but she estimated about nine months."
>Nine months?
>What kind of illness can go uncured for nine mon...
>With speed alarming to even yourself, you lift your wife into a tight embrace, forcefully rubbing your cheek against the side of her head
>She laughs that honeyed laugh, joyfully amused by your reaction as she returns the affection
>Done with your frenzied nuzzling, you stand still with your wife resting her head on your shoulder
>You don't even care how foolishly you grin
"I...I was scared that..."
>"I know..." Your wife interrupts
>"But Vïsna has accepted our offerings..." She whispers, her legs tightening around you
>Your mind flashes images of all the times you had helped her pick flowers and search for hollowed trunks to place them in
"Yes...yes...."
>She places her hooves upon your chest and leans away so that she may look at your face
>Despite only knowing for a short time, she already has that glowing aura about her that every mare has when she is with foal
>You've seen it in some of the mares of the village, yet your wife glows even more brilliantly
>She's smiling like she's never been happy before
>Not like this, at least
>Her nose twitches and her pupils dilate a hair
>"You've cooked?" She leans towards your shared home and you feel her hooves barely knead against your chest
>With a humored chuckle, you nod and carry her inside to enjoy the vegetable stew you've had cooking

>Some months have passed
>Your wife's belly grows heavy with child
>Her appetite grows along with it
>She has ravenously eaten the majority of your food stores, forcing you to redouble your efforts in preparing for the harsh winter to come
>You pray to Achak that you can prepare enough to last
>"Husband?"
>You are brought out of your thoughts by the sound of your wife's voice
>She is behind, watching and sniffing the air
>"What do you cook?" she asks, a strange sort of curiosity in her eyes
>You turn your head back towards what you had been working on
>A meat smoking setup, larger than you normally make
>You needed to cook as much of your latest catch of fish as you could in as little time as possible
>The sooner you have these stored, the more time you will have to dedicate to foraging and gardening for your wife's food supply
"Fish. I know smell bothers. Will be done in-"
>"Fish?"
>You look once more to your wife, but she seems almost entranced by the contents of the smoker
>Her eyes are locked onto the dangling fish like a starved hawk watching an infant hare
"Y...Yes?"
>She takes a deep inhale and licks her chops before exhaling
>"Is it almost ready?" she asks without averting her eyes
>You fear you may have to smoke far more fish

>Your wife's due date creeps ever closer
>She's quite large now, needing to wear a bearskin in place of her usual cape when she heads out
>It's coarse brown fur contrasts well against her soft ivory coat
>The weight of it makes it easy to make out the curves of her back as you walk alongside her, the edges swaying along with her flank
>"Behave your eyes, Husband."
>Your wife's scolding brings you out of your trance
>Her words prompt you to take a quick scan of your surroundings
>The two of you are walking through the nearby village
>There are a few ponies out and about, but they're actually not gawking at you for once
>Most of the villageponies have actually been much more accommodating, welcoming even, since learning of your future child
>Your wife tells you that your progeny is proof of the Gods blessing your pairing
>As such, you've been invited to partake in Faerfneia
>It happens twice a year, but this will be the first that either of you attend
>Only the Elders and expectant couples are allowed inside the Great Hall during
>In preparation, you've donned your nicest(cleanest) shirt and put your usually unruly, shoulder length hair into a braid to match your wife's
>A smile sneaks onto your face as you recall the first time you braided her mane, adoring how astonished she was with your speed
>Just one of the few ways your fingers have made her gasp
>"I would tell you to behave your mind as well, but one must be humble in their hopes." Your wife quips, bumping your thigh with her flank
>You bump her in return, eliciting a giggle from the mare
>The two of you continue in silence, enjoying the sounds of the various villageponies going about their day
>You soon reach the Great Hall
>A large building, tall enough for you to have headroom and large enough to fit the entire village's population twice over
>The walls built from stone and mud, it acts as a last line of defense against would-be invaders
>It's also a prime location for town meetings and feasts
>Taking the lead, your wife clops on the heavy wooden doors three times
>After a few moments, it's dragged open to reveal a sky blue stallion with a short, bone white mane
>Shiversheet, you think his name is
>He smiles upon seeing your wife
>You notice that he continues to smile when he turns his attention towards you
>"Perfect timing! We've just finished the preparations." He says before ushering the two of you inside