As soon as breakfast was over Katherine watched as Jack left quickly saying he had things he needed to do.

"What he really means is he has to go paint something. I swear the boy never sleeps! All he ever does is paint." Medda said once he had left.

"Is he any good?" Elizabeth asked wanting to start up a conversation.

"Oh my heaves yes. He's painted 90% of the paintings in the hallways." Medda said glowing with pride.

Katherine's jaw dropped. Jack had been the one to paint them? Holy cow, he was fantastic! Katherine made a mental note to tell him so.

"Oh my, such talent he posses!" Elizabeth said. "And did you know that Katherine plays the Piano Forte? She is very quite good."

"Really? I must hear!" Medda said.

Katherine blushed slightly at the demand not entirely sure she wanted to play right now. She looked to her mother and read her expression. Guess she didn't have a choice.

"I could play for you Miss Medda, is there a piano I could use?" Katherine asked trying extra hard to be the polite Queen that she now was.

"Yes of course, follow me." Medda said and they followed Medda down the hallway until they entered a large room that was bright with light. The floor was elegantly carpeted with a grand black piano in the middle, to the side was a large harp and scattered around the room were various instruments in which one could play on. "This is our Music room, your welcome here when ever you like Katherine." Medda said spreading her arms out to the room.

"Such expensive instruments." Pulitzer commented noticing the large piano.

"Yes, well nothing less than that for royalty. They haven't been used in ages. I don't play and Jack hardly touches the piano anymore. The person who used this room constantly has long since passed." Medda said her voice hinted with sadness.

"And who might that of been?" Elizabeth asked.

"It was Jacks mother, her name was Annie. She was very talented in music. Sadly she passed away along with her husband." Medda said her face crestfallen.

Elizabeth patted Meddas shoulder at the news, Katherine had learned this from Jack the night before but it still made her sad too.

"Please play Katherine, maybe it will cheer me up again." Medda said forcing a smile.

Katherine nodded and made her way to the grand piano. It was magnificent! The ivory keys shined and the black ones looked sleek in the light of the sun shinning through the windows. Katherine was a little nervous, she hadn't practiced in over a month and was a little sketchy with her memory of her favorite song. Still, she could never forget how to play the piano, it was one of the many joys in her life.

Katherine placed her hands on the keys in the correct position and began to play. The melody was soft and filled her ears like a welcoming hug, she had forgotten how peaceful music made her feel.

"Ooooh she is wonderful!" Katherine heard Medda tell her parents. "She's so very well spirited and culturized, there's no doubt in my mind that she's a perfect match for my nephew."

Katherine disagreed with that statement but what could she say? She couldn't defend herself because she wasn't allowed, heck, she wasn't even supposed to be listening to their conversation. Still, she couldn't help but quite her playing a bit to listen to her mothers words.

"Yes indeed. And my goodness won't their children be simply perfect too?" Her mother inquired with admiration.

Katherine rolled her eyes wishing they didn't have to rush into such things so fast. Katherine didn't even have time to let it set in that she was Queen, much less that she was going to have a kid in the near future. The prospect still terrified her and it didn't help that Medda and Elizabeth couldn't stop talking about it.

"Oh how lucky she is. There isn't anything in this world I wouldn't give up to have a baby of my own." Medda said her voice sounded full of longing. Katherine felt a stab of guilt as she said thoes words. "I was married once you see, but I could never had children. My husband died about a year before Annie and Mark did, that had been the hardest two years of my life."

"Oh Medda, how unfortunate." Elizabeth said sadly.

"It's okay Lizzy, things got a lot better from there. Since Jack had no one else I adopted him at only three years old! I became Queen too and barely had anytime to be with him in his youth... I had the chance to raise a kid and it got left in the dust because duty called..." Medda sounded heartbroken now and Katherine felt her heart get heavy in her chest.

Her playing became sad an slow as she thought about a young Medda forced to pay more attention to the country then to her own adopted son.

"I just want a baby to hold before I die. I truly hope one comes along soon..." Medda said quietly.

Katherine felt tears burn her eyes once more and couldn't stop a year from splashing down on to a key. Katherine blinked them away quickly remembering her promise never to cry. Medda wanted to hold a baby before she died... well, Jack had told Katherine that she had cancer didn't he? Which meant she could die in the near future! Katherine suddenly felt guilty about her selfishness the past month that she'd been here.

"Oh don't worry Medda, I'm sure one will come along soon. You've got plenty of time." Elizabeth said completely unaware of Meddas situation.

Medda didn't answer which only confirmed it further for Katherine. There was silence as Katherine finished her piece, her hands lifted up from the keys as she listened to the cord ring out softly. Pulitzer, Medda, and Elizabeth applauded quietly and Katherine made sure her eyes were dry before turning around on the bench to face them.

"You are an artist my dear!" Medda said her sadness replaced with her usually bubbly self. Katherine could tell in her eyes that the conversation had hurt her but she hid it well under the smile.

"Thank you." Katherine said bowing her head slightly.

Just then a handmaiden came into the room a letter in her hand, she handed it to Pulitzer, bowed, and left. Pulitzer tore it open and read it silently while the other three looked on curiously.

"Mr Herst requests mine and your presence Miss Medda. He says its urgent." Pulitzer said folding the letter up.

"Mr Herst? I believe he's staying in the royal rooms down stairs, correct?" Medda asked.

"Yes."

"Very well. Elizabeth, Katherine. I shall see you later." Medda said and exited the room with Pulitzer.

That left Katherine alone with her mother, Katherine could feel her mothers gaze on her face as Katherine slowly turned back around to face the piano.

"Katherine, sweetheart, how are you doing?" Elizabeth asked her voice full of genuine concern.

"I'm fine." Katherine said and began to play softly again. Her fingers flowed effortless across the keys and Katherine was great full for the long years of piano lessons she'd been forced to take. It was always a good reason not to look someone in the eye when your were busy making music.

Katherine felt her mothers hand on her shoulders and saw in the corner of her eyes as she sat in the piano bench next to her. They were silent for a while as Katherine played her pretty melody, she counted the seconds before Elizabeth would question her.

"Your gonna make a wonderful mother Katherine." She said quietly and peacefully rested her head against Katherine's shoulder as she played.

"I feel you expect to much of me mother." Katherine said quietly.

"Oh don't say that. Look at you! Your beautiful, your talented, your smart, your strong, your everything that a mother needs to be." Elizabeth says. "Sure, your not perfect... and I know I scold you every time your not and I shouldn't. But I'm going to keep scolding you until you learn to be as perfect as you need to be."

Katherine didn't answer, she wasn't sure how to respond to such a thing. Had she complemented her? Or was she telling her to try harder?

"I know it's hard... but you really need to remain in good spirits through out this. I know your were listening to our conversation back there -you shouldn't of been- but you were because your stubborn just like the rest of us." Elizabeth said wrapping a motherly arm around her shoulders. "You know what you need to do... I expect you to do it, and I expect you to succeed. You can do this."

Katherine's soft playing faded into nothing as her vision clouded with tears of fear. She aggressively blinked them away knowing she couldn't cry about this.

"But... what if I can't? I'm seriously failing in life mom... I don't know if
I can do... do... do it again. I don't want to get pregnant." Katherine said her voice shaking. She was completely torn in two, she didn't want to have a baby, but then again she did because she wanted Medda to hold a little baby again. She felt it was her responsibility to make Medda happy. But did that have to come at the expense of Katherine's unhappiness? She guessed it did.

"You don't really have a choice Kath."