I stared blankly. Thoughts ran about, each but a sliver of coherence. A sea of thoughts in my head, all emptied in an instant. Inklings popped up, then came back down, crashing with any other thought mustered. My head was a battlefield, and I was losing.

My gaze centred on the physician in front of me, an ambivalent smile and a curt, but cold, glimmer in his eyes. Thoughts pierced. My head rang. My ears burnt.

"Are you... are you sure?" my words echoed. There was nothing to be unsure about this, yet I somehow didn't know of any other reactions.

A small nod. Affirmation. Approval. 'Congratulations?'

There was nothing more to be said about this. 'I am having a child.'

My memories took me to Mother. I recalled how she was before John had been born. She seemed so happy, always cheerful, with a constant smile upon her lips. I had learned I would have another brother or sister, and the entire Palace rumbled in joy and celebrations.

I smiled. It was so peaceful and joyous back then.

My thought reappeared. 'What happens now?'

Fear came about. It grasped at the threads of my thoughts, reshaping them slowly, 'What do I do now?'

I gazed at my room. I grabbed the sheets around me and tried to meld into the bed. I watched Tiana's face light up as a wide smile crept up on her face. I looked onwards towards Hiratun who stood stoic in a corner of the room. The stern face elected calmness. A small smile curved nevertheless. The room eked spaciousness and joy throughout, but in my mind, there was only trepidation.

I looked onwards into the physician's calming eyes. The serenity tried to grasp me, and I slowly let it. My eyes reached for the window, the landscape in the distance making my worries seem small and insignificant.

I reached for the thoughts of Cerolus. I puzzled on how he would react to this. I imagined his face in the moment, the pearly smile encompassed by the swirls of red in his eyes. A tingle of warmth melted the remains of fear I harboured as I looked into the light-veiled plains.

A thread of realisation hit me. We did this. What we had between us made this child. It was all real, the thoughts, the feelings, the memories. They all crashed about and made this child. I truly had someone by my side now. 'So I can do this. No, we can do this. We can have a child.'

A tingle of warmth melted the remains of fear I harboured as I looked into the light-veiled plains. 'There is, after all, little use of worrying now.'

I looked up to Tiana.

"I'm going to have a child!" My exclamation held none of the fear, trepidation, or reservations I had. It was pure joy and bliss.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

------------------------------

I spent the better part of the day hidden behind the doors of my room. The physician droned about everything I should do and care about. The stand in the room had herbs, jars and flasks scattered about, each one serving a different purpose but going towards the same goal. The child.

I was forbidden combat training, something that I pleaded against. The physician gave in and allowed for minor exercise, but no sparring or heavy lifting. I was to be healthy, but not to put myself in harm's way.

I came to realise that there was nothing like this before. I've never heard of a union between a Demon and a Human, and the physician was similarly stumped as to how to proceed with all this.

I was given the treatment any noble Demon would and could hope it would be well. Everything here seemed already beyond what the Palace could offer, and I sent prayers to any woman who had less.

When the physician finally left, I realised that not even half a day had passed since Cerolus left, and the world seemed so different. I held hopes now, vastly different from those I had months ago. It was surreal. 'Me, a mother?' I considered someone playing a grandiose jest on me. Maybe Gods did, in a way. Perhaps both Selina and Kreshor did something to start all this.

I'd have to learn a lot more than I imagined during this separation, but I somehow knew it wouldn't be difficult to do. 'All I can do now is do my best and count the days until he returns. Whenever that is.'

I went to Cerolus' study. The ornate table was littered with books. Scrolls and parchments rolled across as I traced across the wooden surface.

Somehow, I was left in charge here until he came back, and was to learn how to manage all of this.

I sat on the chair, slowly reclining in the comfort of the padding. I glanced at the nearest piece of writing I could spot.

"Monthly taxation reports, eleventh month, fiftieth year of Herod Kreshorok the First"

I took the parchment in my hand, taking in the babble. Completely in Dral. And I could understand it, which came as a surprise, but did not reassure me in the slightest.

'Bah. Now I wish he never left in the first place.'

At least I can't screw up.'

I touched my stomach, trying to feel something different than usual. But nothing came to be. It was explained it would take time, as with everything. 'Apparently, it will get worse before it gets better, and then it will shortly be worse again.'

Even though I could feel nothing, I could sense the changes. I changed and will continue to do so. I gazed onto the table, books and pens scattered about. I was actually eager to proceed with all of this somehow.

'Perhaps this change is good.'

I took a small empty parchment from the side of the table and searched for a quill and ink. I chose the crimson colour. It somehow grew on me, the colour red. 'I was surrounded by it the entire day... and night', I chuckled.

I started tracing words on the thin parchment.

"Dear sister..."

'Yes, she should be the first the know from my family.'

I sat in the high chair of Cerolus' study, writing letters to my family. All was well.

'I can do this.

'We will do this.'

-------------------------------

Three days later

I scribbled along Cerolus' writings on the parchments. Most of the mess he had left has been taken care of, and piles of books were now orderly put along the shelves. A glance towards the window notified me that the Sun is about to set. I stood up to go and eat, looking forward to the meal.

I glanced at the clouds that gathered in the sky. Cerolus told me the seasons had changed, and that rain is to be expected now.

I remember that it was three days since he left. 'He should be in Democrit right now. I wonder what he is doing. Is he thinking of me at the moment?'