a less strenuous activity

Luce laughed, thrilled that the Empress was enjoying herself. With the pregnancy so far along, it had been harder and harder to bring a smile to her face. There was something else going on - an internal struggle between her affections for all of her suitors, Luce thought, but perhaps something else lurked beneath the surface that she was unaware of. Although it was a smaller component (to Lucretia) of the big picture, it was important to keep a positive outlook and tend to your mental health during a pregnancy as well. The laughter Luce was able to coax out of her sister was a welcome reprieve.

Which was why she had objected to Zee tagging along. Luce would have liked more private time with her sister, but the slave girl made Belle happy, that much was undeniable. Lucretia would tolerate a great deal if it brought Deathbelle joy. "Of course, dear," she replied, going in for another firefly catch. Did Belle know about Sirius' strange confession? If Lucretia knew anything, it was that Belle was not good at sharing. Would she go so far as to get between the happiness of her slaves? Probably.