Zelda bit her lip, because Alfred's face still looked like that, and his tone was not fine, and she didn't know what to do. She was not even entirely sure how to begin to explain herself — she had told him a few months ago, in a letter, that she wanted children. Just not ten, and — she was not even convinced this had consciously occurred to her until he mentioned the nursery — maybe not right away.

But she didn't know how to verbalize any of this, because it was so new. She swallowed. "Okay," Zelda said — they would have to talk about this, and probably soon, but maybe they didn't have to talk about it right now?

She took a few steps forward, reached out to touch his wrist.

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