The Drow Queen of Glaley [Very NSFW]

[The Iron Bull]

Bull looks at his hands. "Wonderful? Hardly," he says, a note of shame and scorn in his voice. "But if you want me still, then I'm your man," he says simply, not realizing how else that could be taken.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"You... fought for me. You almost died, trying to protect me. I am twenty and six, and this is the first time in my entire life someone's tried to protect me without getting anything in return."

[The Iron Bull]

"I failed. Made it worse," Bull says softly. "And... and you already given me..." He swallows thickly, this time for reasons that have nothing to do with his injuries. "I know what most people see, when they look at me. You..." He shakes his head, wonder filling his eyes as he finally meets her own. "You see gentleness. Safety. Kindness. I ain't never had... I-- I think you might maybe trust me, a little anyways, and I don't..."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"You have done nothing but reinforce that impression," she says firmly. "For your life, what I suffered -- what I will suffer -- is a bargain. Besides, it's only a few years, really. I ought to start acting long-lived eventually."

[The Iron Bull]

Bull's eyes widen, then dip down to look her over before he's able to wrench them back to her face. "You gotta..." he flounders, blushing.

[Coquette Blacquin]

"...get pregnant. Yes. Immediately. Which is why I assumed any sex items were for me."

[The Iron Bull]

"Oh, I thought you'd have to stay nak-- wait, what?" 

[Coquette Blacquin]

She glances away, blushing. "I am to be naked indefinitely," she admits. "I knew pregnancy would be required of me eventually, and when Varisia brought home husbands for us I suspected it would be soon, just... she's going to cast some kind of ritual to ensure that I get pregnant with a daughter. I'm expecting them any minute. Jasper has been sold, to be replaced with a mare, and Regal will be regenerated back to intactness, paid for from my allowance funds." 

[The Iron Bull]

Bull's expression hardens more and more as she speaks. When she finishes, he's silent for another few seconds.

"Ma warned me once tha not regretting a death is either a sign you're walking your way to the Beastlord or a sign you just done Silverclaw's own duty with no middle ground." His eyes shimmer with a dull red heat. "I wish I hadn't hit her. I wish I'd gone for a grab instead." His hand flexes as if gripping something. "She's a better figher'n me. Faster and skilleder. But if I'd got my hand around her neck or her head..."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"You'd be dead," she says, simply. "Varisia is... not to be trifled with. I have fought her often enough to know that. You didn't know how bad she was, and you'd have hesitated, and you'd be dead. It's only thanks to the mercy of Ciren himself that I was able to save you as it was. Bull, you cannot hit her again. You cannot."

[The Iron Bull]

Bull snorts, expression grim. "Yeah, I know," he mutters, hand rising to touch at his breastbone. "I was gonna to kill her... last... night? Was that only last evening?" He frowns, looking uncertain. Fucking long night and longer morning. 

[Coquette Blacquin]

"You can't kill my wife. Put thoughts of it out of your mind. Just as I have, both killing her and running away. She's proven herself capable and resourceful. I have to make the best of it somehow."

[The Iron Bull]

"I know," Bull repeats, not liking the repeated reminders of his recent failure and his new weakness. "She's won, fer now and fer a good while as best I can see. Need to regroup and hunker down."

[Coquette Blacquin]

"Sorry," she replies quietly. "I just don't want to see you get hurt over me. Not any more than you have. I... I will probably need to rely on you in the coming months as I... Adjust to my new status."

[The Iron Bull]

"Being pregnant, right?" he asks carefully, wanting to be sure there's not some other surprise waiting for him. At her nod, he blows out a noisy breath. "Never had much ado with pregnant people but I have taken care of both mother and child horses and wolves," he offers with a wince. "Some'o that must carry over, right? And you can talk, with real words even, so thatta'll be a big help." 

A pause.

 "Please have a real healer fer the birth."