Mikhail sat across from the latest rebel delegation visiting their estate. He hated these meetings, but had to be present with his parents. In the corner of the dining room, Iris was knitting a hat for her unborn child. She had picked up the skill quickly and now did it almost constantly to keep up the facade of a regular wife.
"We are pleased with your compliance with us," the leader of this rebel delegation said. "There will be some more pregnant mares coming here for you to tend to." His gaze glanced in Iris's direction. "Who is the lovely young woman?"
"My fiancee. Iris," Mikhail said.
"She is with your child, I see."
"Yes. Our first child. A son."
"Congratulations." The rebel watched Iris. An evil smile slowly spread across his face. Mikhail's heart sunk. He didn't like the look of that expression. "We will take her with us when we return."
"No!" Mikhail and his parents all jumped to their feet furiously. Iris looked up, her gray eyes wide with fear. "You already have my sister! Why do you want my fiancee and unborn son?"
"For more leverage, obviously," the rebel said with a smirk. Mikhail clenched his jaw. "Do not worry. You do not need to make this a decision of yours. We are making it for you." The two rebels that had come with him got up and grabbed Iris's arms. Iris cried out in shock. "Not to worry. We will take good care of her and your son."
"Please, do not do this," Lord Copperstone begged.
"We need to ensure your cooperation."
"You already have!"
"We need more insurance," the rebel said. As Iris began to be dragged out of the dining room in which they had been meeting, fury suddenly bloomed on her face.
"Protect me!" she shouted. There was a flash of light. When it cleared, the two rebels that had been holding her were horses. Mikhail moved quickly, casting a freezing spell upon all three rebels.
"Well done, Iris," Lady Copperstone said gently. "Come with me. Let us find some calm. Too much stress is bad for the baby. Mikhail and my husband will take care of this." Iris nodded tearfully and allowed Lady Copperstone to lead her out of the room. It took some assistance from trusted staff, but Mikhail and Lord Copperstone were able to get the three rebels out of the dining room and into the stable, where Nightingale helped them resolve the problem.
An hour later, Iris came to the stable with drinks for Lord Copperstone, Mikhail, and Nightingale. She gasped upon seeing a white mare and buckskin mare in the stalls she and Nightingale had previously been housed in.
"What happened?" she asked. She gestured to the white mare. "She looks like me!" Mikhail chuckled.
"Yes. That was on purpose." He took one of the drinks, handed it to Nightingale, and then took a second for himself. "The amulet transforming two of the rebels into horses gave us this idea."
"What idea?" Iris asked cautiously. She handed the last drink to Lord Copperstone, who thanked her softly.
"The two rebels the amulet transformed have now been turned into copies of our horse forms," Nightingale said. "The third one has been placed within your doppleganger as a colt."
"And the one that looks like you?"
"I took care of that," Mikhail said. He took a sip of the drink. Iris looked at him in confusion. "I went to horse form and impregnated her."
"Ah." Iris looked at the horses as though she still couldn't believe what she was seeing. "So...what happens now?"
"We pretend the three rebels never arrived," Lord Copperstone said. Iris frowned.
"Is that it? Nothing else?"
"Well..." Nightingale said slowly.