What Is Chosen

by Prosecutor Writer (writtenwordsaloud)

Summary:

The Kurain elders are pushing for Maya to marry and produce an heir. She and Franziska discuss their options, because the one option they are not taking is break up.

Notes:

• For wevvittyy.

“I… We have never discussed marriage before, have we?”

Considering Franziska was in Europe and Maya was in Japan, Franziska knew immediately what this conversation was about. Discussions of marriage should have been had in person, after all. If it couldn’t be, it was because Maya felt like she had no other options than to mention it now.

“I take it your village elders have decided to pressure you about the future of the clan?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry, Franny. I…”

“We should have had this discussion earlier. You are right.” Franziska stared around at her hotel room. She had another week here before she could return to Japan, but if not for her strong desire to see everything to the end and her belief in Maya’s strength, she would be rushing to the airport now. “I should have pushed you on the topic earlier. It isn’t like this is a surprise.”

Maya laughed breathlessly. Nervously. “I guess not.”

Regardless of Franziska’s belief, none of that stopped her from wishing her hand was around Maya’s right now. That she could look her in the eye for this. But no doubt Maya was calling from Kurain and while Maya had pushed for more phone lines to important buildings, that did not account for a video chat.

“Let’s discuss it now then.” Franziska sat down on the couch and stared out the window at the city. As comfortable as she always had been with travel, the cityscape felt oddly unwelcoming at this very moment.

“R-Right. Ah, I wanted something like this to be more romantic!”

Franziska chuckled. “I’m pragmatic enough for this to be romantic in its own right. That you wish for romance during this conversation tells me your feelings on the matter.”

“Oh!” Maya’s laughter was lighter this time. “I guess it does! My feelings for you haven’t changed. I like us.”

“As do I. I refuse to lose you, Maya Fey.” Even if having Maya came along with the difficulty of her family. After Franziska had lost her father, his shackles had remained around her for years. She’d had to learn what he had taught her was wrong… but also what that he had taught her was right.

Franziska had to turn the von Karma name into something trustworthy. Into one of true perfection. Perfection was the truth and she would seek it to put true criminals behind bars.

Maya still had her family—even if her closest family had passed. Their shackles remained, despite how carefree Maya often acted when she was away from her little mountain village. She fought against the troublesome traditions which hurt the Feys going forward. Maya had brought more life to her clan than they’d had since her mother had left.

But the next generation was not as simple as that. Even for Franziska, used to Western ideals, she understood that adoption would not work for the next generation of Fey. Their powers ran through the bloodline and Maya had a duty to uphold.

Franziska had not considered children in her life, but she supposed she should have when she had become enchanted by Maya Fey.

“The elders aren’t going to understand it.”

“I imagine they won’t. However, with everything you and Pearl Fey have told me about your village, you have a perfect argument for it.”

“I… I do?”

“How many husbands remain with their wives in Kurain?”

“Uh…” Franziska could just picture Maya’s confused expression now. The slight frown and her wide eyes. “About none.”

“Then if their husbands do not remain, what is the point of you getting married to a man?”

“The children part, I guess.”

“I shall do research into fertilization clinics.” Franziska immediately made a note of it. She would not wait until she was back in Japan before making the calls. “We can find you something suitable, for when that time arrives.”

“Fertilization… You mean I wouldn’t have to have sex? Er… with a man anyway.”

Maya was so modern in so many ways, despite her sheltered upbringing, Franziska should not have been surprised that it had never occurred to her. “You will certainly not. We can agree on a suitable sperm donor for the healthiest likely genetics for a child. Or children. We have never discussed it, but you have always struck me as the type to want multiple children. Regardless of anything your elders might say.”

“Yeah.” She sounded relax now. “I can’t imagine what I’d have been like without my sister. And Pearl was always so lonely… You want children, Franny?”

“I admit I hadn’t put as much thought to it as I should have. I am not adverse.” She did not have a close relationship with her older sister, but Miles Edgeworth? He might not have been her brother by blood, but this child wouldn’t be hers by blood either. It did not matter. “I shall have to stop working with Interpol.”

“Wait!” It sounded like Maya sat up. She must have been laying on the couch nearby the phone. “Stop?”

“Of course. While I will have to work in the city, leaving the country to work is not something I wish to do often while raising young children. I shall want to see them often, after all.”

“Oh… Franny…”

“Do not cry. Some family is given to you, but the rest is chosen. You are the one who helped me to recognize that.”

Maya sniffled. Franziska knew it didn’t matter if she was in Japan or Europe, Maya would be crying regardless. A strength in showing emotions which Franziska had yet to understand how to process herself.

“I will be back in nine days. By then I will have put together a file on in vitro fertilization for you to present to your elders. We can present it together. I have worked on a couple cases where such information has been important, so explaining the basics to them will not be hard.”

“With you backing me up, you could probably convince them to let me have a son or something too!”

“I doubt the elders have any say over that, Maya.”

“Nah. I’ll probably only have daughters anyway. But… if they did have a say over it, you definitely could talk them into agreeing to let me have one anyway.”

So many things Franziska let Maya handle on her own. It was her family, her duty, her law. But in this particular case, Franziska realized it was about to become her family as well.

And if Maya wanted to have a son too, Franziska could make sure of it. Even if she had to bear him herself.

She put that thought aside until a time when it would be more relevant. Franziska had a case to finish, research to begin, and a ring to commission for her fiancé.

“Thank you. I love you.”

“I love you too, Maya Fey.”