It was not... unexpected, per say. One would think that after four daughters, the Leventi couple would have enough. With their youngest at five and their eldest already of marriageable age, Evelli was busy up to her ears with her hands full of her daughter's antics. Nana, especially, was proving herself to be more and more of a handful as she grew up. As it was, she already paraded around with a crown of dried flowers Evelli had given her as a present for her birthday the year before, insisting she was a princess, so much so that her mother feared allowing her in the company of actual royalty in case she accidentally insulted someone.

But as the years turned and the months got colder, Azosios brought with it news that was... surprisingly pleasant, even despite the circumstances. While many though the Leventi couple were quite done with their childbearing days, Evelli and Georgios had quite different thoughts. Her husband had always been a lover and supporter of a large family, and she doubted he would ever say the word stop, unless it involved his wife's health. Evelli, on the other hand, simply went by her husband's wishes.

More then that however, she still hoped.

Hoped that one day, the child she carried would be a boy, and that he would prove to be someone she could trust her daughter's to. Georgios merely hoped for their child to be health - but Evelli wanted more. She was more realistic then her loving husband, and knew more then anything, that the birth of an heir would not only solidify Georgios' status as a Leventi son, but give her daughter's the security she now desperately sought by matching them to husbands who could care for them.

It was after the morning meal, once the servant's had kept all of the dishes and edibles, that the matriarch had beckoned her daughter's into the playroom where all the children were brought up in, before they grew old enough to have their own rooms without nursemaids and nannies. She had wanted told her husband the news the night before, once she had missed her courses for two months in a row, and the familiar swelling had began on her ankles. But her husband had been summoned elsewhere on business in their province, and the woman simply had to tell someone today, the secrecy of it all but threatening to burst out of her throat. Knowing her husband would be home before nightfall however, she made the decision of informing her current brood first, and made plans to catch her husband before he returned.

Ushering them in, the brunette settled in a kline by a window, the morning breeze a gentle brush against the skin as she waited for her girls' to all find their own seats, before clearing her throat, and flashing them all a secretive smile. "I have something to tell you, girls. But - you must promise me you won't tell Papa before I do, okay?"

Nana could tell this would be exciting. But, as a five-year-old girl, nearly everything was still exciting to her. She spent her days being indulged by her elder sisters in games of dress-up and hide-and-seek, not a thought in her head of anything beyond the manor. There were so many things she had not experienced yet. But even she could tell that Mama calling everyone into the nursery meant that something interesting was going to happen. Either that or that she was quite angry, but she didn't sound as such today. 

The young Nana bounded into the room after her mother, her crown of rather dead flowers perched precariously on her little golden head, ready to fall off at any moment. The youngest of Evelli's brood was not sure what her mother had called them in for, but judging from her demeanor, it would have to be something good. And, of course, as she was still at the young age of five, it registered that she would assume any and all good news would have something to do with her. Obviously, Nana was the center of the universe. Anyone who didn't know that just hadn't been told yet. 

Nana, being the imaginative child that she was, thought out loud, broadcasting all of her ideas as to what Mama was planning to reveal. "Is it a new horse? Did you get me a horse? I would like a new horse, Mama. Or, oh! A new crown!" She gingerly removed hers from her head, looking at it for a moment before replacing it. "This one isn't as pretty as before. Is it a gold one, because I'd really like a gold one... Or, um... I know! A prince has come to marry me, hasn't he, Mama? And then I'll become a queen and live in a palace and have babies and a bunch of horses and--"

The young girl had to pause to take a breath, as she nearly tired herself out from talking so much, after which, she proceeded in her monologue, until she was cut off by her mother sitting down and beginning to speak, at which point, Nana unceremoniously climbed up into her lap and started to play with her jewelry. As much as her parents and the nursemaids had tried to instill some modicum of respect for personal space in the girl, it hadn't worked, as Nana was just as, if not more audacious than she had been as a toddler. There were limits to what could be taught, which was made apparent every day by Nana's unwavering resolve to do what she wanted. 

Nana sat quite comfortably on her mother's lap, particularly fixated on a brilliant purple pendant that dangled from her neck, practically begging for Nana to put her hands on it. As she was quite busy with inspecting her mother's jewels, she half-listened to the words her mother spoke, her ears only perking up when her mother revealed that it was a secret. 

Nana all but dropped the pendant as her gaze immediately shifted to her mother, an excited look appearing on the young girl's face and spreading everywhere. All too quickly, she was bouncing in her mother's lap. "That means...that means it's a secret, Mama?" Nana loved secrets. At the tender age of five, she had not yet been given the opportunity to keep any, other than who scratched who in the occasional scrap that broke out between the sisters, which were barely worth while, seeing as Nana had to keep them to avoid being the next victim. But this...getting to keep Mama's secret...Nana was more than enthused. "I will keep the secret! You can trust me, Mama!" As a sign of her sincerity, the youngest Leventi held out her dainty little pinky to her mother to swear on it. This would be good. Evelli of Leventi Selene of Leventi Olympia of Mikaelidas

At nine years old, Olympia was very much certain of her place in the world. She was one of the younger half of the Leventi girls, the four most beautiful girls in the world if their parents were to be believed, but why would they ever lie? Her curly black hair had somehow been tamed into a braid by Desma, a miracle given how wild the curls usually liked to fly, and she had been dressed in a sweet pale pink tunic for the day that she was doing her very best to keep clean. 

Shadowing Selene as usual, it hadn't been hard to convince the young Leventi to take an audience with her mother and sisters, skipping happily along the halls singing a song that she had picked up from some of the guards. One of them had told her that it was a lullaby they sang to their children from where they had come from, somewhere far far away they said, but when she asked them they didn't want to say much, just kept singing and carving as she sat and watched. She had always been mesmerized by the things people could make with their hands, from carving to sewing Pia could sit for hours and just watch, occasionally trying to learn as well. 

The sight of her mother seated in the room brought a smile to her face, and she bounced over to press a kiss to her mother's cheek before settling at her feet, preferring to lean up against the woman and rest her head against her knees than sit in a separate chair. Someday soon she would be expected to sit properly and be a lady worthy of her family name, she would marry and have at least as many children as her mother, and love her husband just like her parents loved one another. The offer of a secret set her wiggling in excitement, eyes that were identical to Evelli's own bright and eager. 

"Hush Nana, mother will tell us the secret when it is time. And you must promise to keep it."

Patting her younger sister's leg, Pia smiled up at her mother, trying to hold her tongue and wait patiently like she'd told Nana to do, though she wanted to beg to hear just as badly as the youngest Leventi.

There was many things Theodora would rather have done than spend such a beautiful morning cooped up in a room with her siblings and mother. She wasn't complaining, of course, but to a ten year old, there was a whole world out there that needed to be explored.

And there could be very little exploring to be had inside a room she'd visited many times before.

Still, the young girl didn't argue. She never would, and rarely had. Their mother wouldn't ask for them if it wasn't important ― or so Theodora told herself as she stepped into the room, eyes narrowing slightly at Nana's overwhelming excitement. It took every effort she could muster not to roll her eyes at the younger Leventi sister.

Sitting down to her mother's right, Theodora made herself comfortable. She had to hide a snicker as Olympia told Nana off: It was hard, sometimes, to see Olympia as her younger, rather than older sister. For a nine year old, she had matured quite a lot.

"I promise." She said simply, leaning back in her seat and holding her tongue.

While she wouldn't say so out loud, even Theodora found herself curious. What could their mother possible tell them, that their father couldn't know before they did? It seemed rather strange, though in a way, it was also incredibly exciting. The more she thought of it, the more she could feel the excitement grow, nearly making her vibrate in anticipation. Perhaps Nana's outburst hadn't been so bad, after all. Perhaps Theodora was just as bad.

It wasn’t as if Selene hadn’t been through the song and dance of this before. As the eldest, she was aware of the signs of pregnancy. Perhaps not when Theo or Pia came along, but certainly she had picked up the signs by the time that Nana came along. In her thirteen years, she liked to that she was observant enough to see what was in front of her. And now that she, herself, had bled for the first time, it was more obvious what was happening right in front of her.

Mama was pregnant again.

Selene loved it when Mama was pregnant. Even when she was exhausted, the eldest loved to be helpful. There was something about being relied on that made her absolutely content with her place. Sure, she may not get to attend as many functions in the upcoming year (they wouldn’t have time to escort her) but she loved her little island. She loved her family and her horses. Papa was always good about giving each of them special attention, especially when Mama was expecting, so she would get advanced lessons and maybe even get to race her pretty filly around.

Still, just because she knew that her mother was going to have another baby didn’t mean that she had to tell everyone else. No, the eldest could see the excitement that bubbled in her mother’s eyes that she wasn’t going to be the one to tell. She was good at keeping secrets from the little ones. So when Mama pulled her from her studies to gather the children, she couldn’t help but bounce to meet with the others. Selene’s shadow of Pia was close behind her, just as jovial as she was to be sitting down with their mother for the exciting news.

Selene was a good daughter as she helped the other girls settle into the room, before she took a seat behind the rest of the girls. It felt like her rightful place, to be apart of the group and yet able to watch over all of them to make sure chaos didn’t take over. She couldn’t help but sigh blissfully as she arranged the skirts on her plum chiton around her. ”We are all excited, but if you do not hush, Mama won’t be able to tell us.” She said smartly, not at all minding that there was a bossiness in her tone.

Someone had to be in charge.

Her current youngest was excitable, that much Evelli could draw as she bounded into the room the moment Evelli had summoned them. Nana was young yet, with boundless energy, and Evelli constantly could hear a maid or slave complaining about how young Lady Nana ran them all dry of energy long before sundown. It was no easy feat, to care for four young girls, of which only one was old enough to be any help, but Evelli was proud of her brood nontheless.

Laughing as Nana came up with all sorts of ideas as to what it could be, Evelli shook her head, and bent down to adjust the crown back on her young daughter's head, so it sat nicely and firmly atop of the golden curls. "No, love. Tisn't a new horse, although if you ask nicely, I'm sure Papa wouldn't mind showing you the new ones he had been helping Uncle Fotios with, now would he?" Of course he wouldn't. The four girls had their father wound around their little finger, and Georgios would likely pluck the stars from the skies for his little girls if they asked him to. Unlike Evelli, Georgios had no issues at all with all his offspring being girls.

It was just Evelli's own shortcomings that she complained with.

Accepting Olympia's kiss, Evelli naturally rested a hand on her third daughter's brunette curls as she settled by her feet, the girl most alike to her, and the one who, while quiet, was no doubt as ambitious as her mother. Nodding to Olympia's words, Evelli smiled softly at Nana as she hooked her pinky finger to the small one offered. "It is indeed, a secret Nana. And I trust all of you with it, shall I?'

Wrapping an arm around Theodora as she settled next to her, for a moment, Evelli allowed herself to bask in the warm contentment she felt at being a mother to four beautiful girls as Selene brought up the rear, joining them in the playroom. She must have pleased the Gods and the Goddesses greatly, for her to have been blessed with four beautiful, obedient daughters. Aside from Nana's rambunctious attitude, her other three had been balms to her heart, and Nana brought laughtr to most of them with her bright attitude. Evelli thanked the Gods everyday for them.

Selene's words however, made Evelli look up at her eldest, the one that took after their father the most, and with a raised brow, she wondered if her thirteen year old had guessed. The eldest had always been the one with most preception... and added on to the fact that she's been the first one Evelli had told with each pregnancy, she wouldn't be surprised if she knew. But rather then ask, instead, Evelli waited till Nana finally settled down, and allowed her eyes to rest on each of the girls, before asking. "How would all of you like another younger sibling?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips. Another younger brother. That was Evelli's unspoken hope, a hope she dared not say out loud. She feared upsetting her daughters, for she never wanted them to think they weren't enough. Yet as beautiful and gregarious as all of them were... their gender meant they did not have the security as they would should they have a direct male sibling. And Evelli desperately wanted to ensure their lifelong security.

It seemed that not everyone appreciated her enthusiasm, a thought which acted as an annoyance to the five-year-old. Not one, but two of her sisters told her to hush. How rude! She wasn't doing anything wrong in wondering what the secret was, she was just speaking her mind!

The five year old quickly crossed her arms in front of her, looking down at her sisters with a scrunched-up nose and a pout on her face. "You two hush! You don't know that it isn't a pony." She huffed, leaning back into her mother. The nerve! 

Nana was disappointed with her mother's confirmation that it wasn't a horse, but the promise of seeing new ones excited the youngest Leventi. The more that her mother built up to the secret, the more excited Nana became.

"Yes, yes! Trust me with it, Mama!" As far as Nana knew, big girls were trusted with secrets. Meaning, if she knew the secret, that would make her a big girl, which she was more than happy to become. However, it quickly became clear that Nana was not at all expecting what her mother revealed.

"We're going to have a new baby?" It took the five-year-old a moment to process what her mother said, but upon doing so, the youngest of Evelli's brood squealed with delight, quickly hopping off of her mother's lap and jumping up and down excitedly. 

"We're going to have a new baby!" Nana's excitement could not be contained. Though, her reasoning was likely a bit different than her sisters. While they might have seen a new baby as a new sibling, Nana saw a new baby as a new toy. Nana loved toys. Especially babydolls. 

"Mama, once you have the baby, I can play house with it, right? I can be the mama, and...Pea!" She looked to her youngest sister, "You can be the papa! Oh, it'll be so fun!" Nana was known for roping her elder sisters into games through the art of persuasion...the art of persuasion being Nana's unyielding will to get just what she wanted. House would surely be much more fun with a real baby.

Once she had fantasized about her new babydoll and calmed down a bit, the youngest Leventi returned to her mother, crawling back into her lap and looking at her stomach with wonder. Small hands reached down to rest on her mother's belly as she looked up at her, a sweet smile on her face. "I'll keep your secret, Mama, don't worry." Olympia of Mikaelidas Theodora of Leventi Selene of Leventi Evelli of Leventi

Pia sat patiently, awaiting the news even though she was as eager as Nana was she would not bounce about. She was more grown up than that and would behave like a lady. Or at least she thought she would. 

When Evelli told them the news she tried to smile, tried to be happy that there would soon be another baby in the house, perhaps a brother or another sister, but her lower lip trembled. She liked being one of the youngest. There was Theo and Selene as the older pair, and Nana and Pia as the younger pair, they always had even sides for games. But if another baby came along she wouldn't be in the older pair or the younger, and in her head she could only see that to mean that she would be left out. Nana would love the baby more than her, and Theo and Selene would grow up faster than her. 

As the current youngest Leventi bounced about in excitement, the middle girl felt herself growing smaller and smaller in on herself even though she tried to sit properly and behave well. It was all so much and it wasn't what she had been hoping for. She had hoped they would be getting a new puppy, or perhaps a cousin, or a horse. Anything but a new baby. Nana crawled into Mama's lap and as she looked a the space that suddenly seemed much smaller for her, Olympia couldn't help it as she burst into tears. It was bad of her to cry, she knew that, but the tears felt like they were coming and she couldn't stop them or she might explode.

"I'm sorry, Mama. I just....I just..."

She sniffled and tried to wipe at her face as she wondered what she could say to make this better, to make it seem not as bad. Settling on the game Nana wanted them to play she shook her head and drew her knees up to her chest, speaking in a quiet voice as she tried to stop the tears with little success.'

"I don't want to be the papa, Nana."