The Duchess - Gruvia

Chapter 16

The Duke and Duchess returned to their castle two days after the avalanche hit the village and the first thing Gray did was to send for the doctor to go to the castle and make Juvia have a check-up just to be certain. When the news proved to be real, he thanked the doctor and as soon as they were alone, he hugged his wife.

"We must wait until after we have the outside wedding to tell people." Juvia told him, smiling – as she had been ever since she knew it to be true. "The doctor said Juvia is about two months along, we have some time before it starts to show."

"Let's start planning, then." He told her. "It's going to be a great event for the Duchy." Juvia nodded her agreement.

A week into the planning, Lucy gave birth to a boy and Juvia never saw Natsu look so proud before as much as when he had his arm around his wife's shoulder while she held the small bundle. The baby had light blonde hair, just like Lucy's and he appeared to have inherited her hazel eyes.

When Gray commented on the fact the baby's appearance favored Lucy, Natsu shrugged and said, touching his son's nose "If he looks like Lucy, at least he will be a handsome kid." Lucy just rolled her eyes and kissed her husband on the cheek.

"I think he has more of you than we think." She looked down to the baby in her arms. "I have the feeling he will be so much trouble as he grows up. Like you." The four chuckled with the words until Lucy looked up to Juvia. "Do you want to hold him?" Juvia promptly agreed and as soon as she had the little boy, she looked up to her husband with a smile; a smile he shared, knowing that in a few months she would be holding their own baby. "Good practice for when you decide to have one." Lucy said, smirking.

With a nod from Gray, Juvia looked at their friends and smiled. "About that..." She didn't have to say another word for Lucy's eyes to widen and shriek in happiness, making her husband wince in pain.

"Goddammit, Lucy. What the-?"

"Congratulations! How far along?" The blonde hugged the Duchess carefully not to squish her son between them.

"Two months, give or take." Juvia answered and Lucy let go of her. "We are planning the outside wedding before Juvia starts showing."

"Showing what?" Natsu asked, confused.

"For someone who just had a child of his own, you are slow." Gray snorted. "Juvia is pregnant."

The pink haired man's eyes widened comically. "Really? That's so great!" In an impulsive action, Natsu stepped closer to Gray and hugged the Duke, patting him on the back. "Our kids will be just a few months apart."

Gray snorted. "They are going to destroy the castle."

"Oh, yes." Natsu laughed. "We'll need an army to stop them."

"Please, don't wish our children to be mess makers." Lucy whined.

"Juvia doesn't think it's going to be much different than what they are predicting." The Duchess chuckled and looked to the baby in her arms. "Let's hope at least one of you has some sense, hm?" She kissed the top of the baby's head.

#

The day the Outside Wedding was held, the sky was unusually clear and Juvia could feel her stomach twist in excitement; of course she had been officially married for months but that was the day their people would be a part of it and no one could refute their marriage.

Juvia looked at the beautiful white dress on top of the bed and the silver thick coat next to it, the one she hoped it would at least hide her stomach. She smiled and put a hand over the bump there; she was almost four months pregnant, then, and almost everyone was well aware the Duke and Duchess were expecting an heir.