The announcement went public three days earlier than Dean wanted.
Not because anything had gone wrong.
Because somebody in the extended imperial household had apparently decided that subtle changes in Dean's schedule, several medical appointments, and Arion becoming attached to his side were enough information to start speculating, and the communications office preferred confirming a wanted pregnancy over allowing the press to invent complications.
The problem was timing.
When Dean had been pregnant with Theo, the announcement came much later, after enough of the pregnancy had passed that people had at least seen him functioning normally.
This time, the public learned almost immediately.
And apparently everyone remembered one thing.
Dean Fitzgeralt had once spent a pregnancy under extensive medical supervision.
From there, collective stupidity did the rest.
By the end of the week, articles were discussing his "delicate condition."
