Aria still looked confused. Natalia smiled and Joseph said, "Now Penny. About the child's father...."
Penny froze as Natalia quickly went beside Joseph and whispered in his ear, "I already told you that she wouldn't tell us who the father is. It's no use asking."
Joseph smiled and said, "I know my queen. All I wanted to ask her was why she doesn't want to disclose who this man is?"
Penny stood up and said, "He doesn't want anything to do with me or the child. He thinks that we're only going to drag him down."
Joseph: "And you're okay with this?"
Penny nodded and Joseph sighed. He clapped his hands once. He said, "Now that all is settled, Penny, I want you to take madam into her chamber. She needs to rest."
Penny nodded and took Natalia out of the study, Aria following behind them.
After Natalia was comfortable in the bed, she said, "Penny, go and tell Cora to bring two glasses of milk with the herbal medicine today."
Penny bowed out of the room as Aria began chatting with her mother. Soon, Beth and Julia came in. They had been looking for Aria but could not find her.
Julia rushed upto her and said, "Aria, where were you this whole morning? Beth and I wanted to play."
Aria: "I wanted to talk about something to mom and dad."
Beth: "Did you not understand something in some book again?"
Aria: "No it's not that....umm.... actually...." Aria looked at her mother who nodded in response. Aria said, "Actually, Penny is going to have a baby!!!!"
Beth and Julia: "What?"
Beth: "Penny too?!?!"
Julia: "We're going to have two little brothers to play with."
Beth: "When did you find out?"
Julia: "She's not leaving, is she?"
Aria: "I found out yesterday, and she's not leaving. But there's more, Penny had asked me to be her baby's godsister."
Julia: "That's amazing!!!"
Beth: "What's a godsister?"
Aria: "She actually asked me to be it's godmother, but I felt I was too young, so I agreed to be it's godsister." Aria glanced at her mother, "It's okay. Isn't it?"
Natalia smiled and ruffled Aria's hair, "Of course. You're such an angel."
Aria gave a cute smile and said, "Now Penny, don't you think you have stood out there for a long time? Why don't you come in?"
Penny, embarrassed, opened the door. She said, "I'm sorry madam. I didn't mean to....." But she didn't complete her sentence as Beth and Julia ran up to her and pressed their hands lightly to her stomach.
Julia: "It's not kicking."
Beth: "Are you crazy? She doesn't even have a bump yet, how will the baby kick?"
Seeing them, Aria also ran and shooed her sisters away. She pressed her own hands to Penny's stomach and said, "That's my godsister. Nobody harms it."
Penny was dumbfounded and looked at Natalia in alarm. But Natalia smiled at her and then said, "Girls, why don't you go play? Penny also needs the rest."
The girls nodded and scramed out of the room.
Natalia: "Don't mind them. They're just excited."
Penny shook her head, "No it's actually really lively with them around. They are like beautiful butterflies, jumping from one flower to another."