A peculiar thing about being pregnant...

It tends to result in a child. Sure, your delicious little maid has no round belly yet, only a gorgeous set of breasts. A soft, sweet chest that will swell. But in due time, she may also swell with child, and you will have some new responsibilities. You think on the consequences of your new situation, good and bad. And judging from Clare's face, it appears she does as well.

"Well?" She looks about as if you should have all answers "What are we to do?". A fair question. You can't help but feel its importance transcends the two of you, however, and you try to think up all your options.

You could raise the child, you suppose. Its not as though you lack the wealth, nor the time. Indeed, perhaps you'd raise a strong and cunning son! Or daughter...Or a son!

On the other hand, this could deeply affect opinions of you in court. Yours and others across Europe. Sure, you're a king now, but that hasn't hushed criticism before. Ostgrenze has seen bastard sons of kings before, and bastards are scorned whether with royal blood or without. They're a minor scandal, to be sure, but perhaps one you can live with. On the other hand, randy kings are something of legend. The nobles shall be haughty either way, but the common folk may rather enjoy a king with a taste for women. But something about your activities with Clare may gain you that reputation regardless...

There's always an herbal solution. Apothecaries have powders and concoctions for all sorts of problems, yet unborn babes included. You've heard tell of a number of plants that could work to bring an end to a pregnancy, rare as some of them are. The Romans tried cultivating one such herb, you recall reading, and they drove it to extinction, the lechers!

The Church would have much to say on aborting. The end of a pregnancy is something of an infraction in their eyes. But so is fucking a milkmaid silly and senseless, and there's a bridge crossed. Its not as though they've not looked the other way before, after all you've seen brothels and its not as though they've called the people to burn them to ash, if only because they believe it to be the lesser evil compared to lust unrestrained.

You're rather caught between two predicaments. "What are we to do?" You recalled her question.