50. FIFTY
FIFTY
Mina
“You cannot treat me like a prisoner of war,” I say, staring down one of my captors.
She’s alone this afternoon, armed with two bowls and an attitude that rivals my husband’s.
Jaime rolls her eyes, nearly out of patience for my theatrics. “You need to eat something.”
I have yet to throw up today, but my stomach and I are still on rocky terms. Nausea rolls through me and, as if to spite me, sends a surge of acid into my throat.
The arrows in a quiver outnumber the times I’ve been sick in my life. Even cold, hungry, and half drowned on my journey to Veloria, I felt healthier than now.
Jaime holds up the two bowls. One is the same pot of bland rice porridge I’ve eaten the past two days. The other is minced eggs with a slice of bread. Both options summon a warning gurgle from my stomach, but the thought of rice gruel ever touching my lips again makes me shudder.
I sigh in defeat. “The eggs, please.”
Jaime may be smaller than me, but she will not hesitate to force-feed me. She had to yesterday. I commanded her to stop, but she simply smirked and informed me that she was acting on Darius’s orders.
I handpicked the little traitor. She’s supposed to listen to me.
I pout through each small bite, but surprisingly enough, it stays down. In fact, my stomach even seems to calm a little. By the stars, I hope this is a sign that the illness is nearly over.
Jaime moves around the room with practiced ease, clearing out the plates and preparing a table and chair next to the bed.
Mid-morning checkups are mandatory, unfortunately, even though the doctor can do nothing for me.
He determined early on I have a minor bug that simply needs to work its way out of my system.
He appears right on time, hunching over a large brown medical bag. His companion is an unscheduled surprise. A welcome one. Darius stands silently behind the old man as he works, assessing each touch and mumble with hawklike focus.
“How is she?” he asks before the doctor even finishes the examination.
I glare at Darius when the doctor turns around to address him. Be nice, I mouth.
“She’s improved. Her temperature is back to normal, and her color has returned nicely. I’d say one more day of rest and she’ll be fine.”
I stifle a groan. One more day feels like a life sentence. “I kept my breakfast down. Does that not earn me a little freedom to move around?”
As I go to sit up, a cramp stitches my side. My muscles are unaccustomed to such lazy days. I wince and grab my stomach. Darius barrels past the doctor, pushing me back down before the old man can help me himself.
“Listen to the good doctor,” he commands.
My energy is slowly returning, but not enough to fight off his callused hands as they encircle mine, gentle despite their vise-like hold.
The doctor adjusts his glasses and squints at me. “Does your lower stomach hurt, Queen Mina?”
“A little, but nothing to worry about, Doctor. Just aches from lying in bed too long.”
“May I?” His hand hovers over my stomach. Darius and I nod our approval, and he feels around my lower abdomen. “When was your last bleed?”
Sickness and abdominal pain—his line of thinking is easy enough to follow.
“Before the last full moon,” I reply.
I am late, but it’s most likely due to the stress of being sick. I don’t bleed much in the first place and only for a few days. I have always been fortunate in that regard. Astrella once bled for a whole twelve days.
His weathered cheeks flush as he grins. “It is too early to tell, but perhaps this is more than a bug, Your Majesties. A royal heir this early is quite a blessing!”
Darius’s grip on my hand tightens, but his face is carefully blank. I plaster a smile on mine. “A blessing,” I echo. “I’m feeling much better and need to return to my tasks tomorrow. Perhaps a follow-up next week will reveal more?”
His fingers dance as he counts wordlessly. “Yes, a week’s time should suffice. Two weeks would be better. I’ll assess you again after the ball, so until then, please rest well.”
Darius dismisses the man with a curt nod and gives the command to clear the room.
“I’m not,” I assure him.
He paces the room twice before coming to rest next to me on the bed. “You’ve taken your tonic?”
“Every day that we have been together. I promise you. The women in Kalisham control their pregnancies with the brew.”
I take my tonics in secret. They are delivered by Jaime or Staefan as needed, so it’s normal for the doctor to assume I might be pregnant. He thinks we are trying for an heir, as does the whole empire.
A storm rages in Darius’s eyes. Not one of anger, but of worry.
We discussed children briefly after our first night together and agreed that pregnancy is off the table.
Things are different between us now, and while a child is still a hard no right now, I might enjoy a mischievous mini-me or two eventually.
Something to discuss after we secure my home and figure out what happens between us.
I cup Darius’s face, tracing his stubble with my thumbs to draw his focus back to me.
“Darius, I am not pregnant. I’ve seen enough women go through the change to know the signs. I have none of them.”
“You’re confident?”
I nod, flashing him a coy grin. “You are welcome to check to see if my breasts appear larger.”
He leans down to kiss me, his laughter a warm puff against my lips. I melt into the touch. Two days without sex is hardly a long time, but with the pace we’ve been setting, it feels like a long, cold winter.
I miss falling asleep in his arms. I miss everything about him, which is silly since the man sleeps on the couch ten feet away. His long legs barely fit, but he refuses to use a guest room or let me give up the bed.
Darius brushes my hair behind my shoulder and gently kisses my neck. I shiver, feeling feverish for an entirely different reason now. His lips curl into a smile against the sensitive flesh.
“Perhaps tomorrow, if you’re feeling better and not just trying to worm your way out of this room, I’ll give you a thorough examination,” he says.
Jaime walks in and clears her throat, glaring at our proximity. Right, one of us has to be healthy. I squeeze Darius’s hand and nod toward the door.
“Have fun for me.”
“I think you’ve earned a little fun of your own.” He turns to Jaime, and I perk up against my army of pillows. “She’s well enough for the other women to visit now.”
Jaime nods and turns toward the empty balcony. “Alexi, keep an eye on her while I get them. I trust you to be on better behavior than others.”
Darius winks at me, guilty as charged, before holding open the door for Jaime. I smile as they straighten, slipping into their roles of emperor and attendant before disappearing into the hall. The fact Darius lets his walls down around her this much means the world to me.
I kick off the covers and slowly stand on my own for the first time in days.
My muscles scream as I roll my shoulders forward and back a few times, releasing the tension in soft cracks. My knees quiver with each step, and I reach out to catch myself on the nearest chair but find a wiry, muscled arm instead.
Alexi studies me with concern. “You shouldn’t be out of bed.”
“You heard the doctor. I’m fine.” I rise up on my toes like a dancer, stretching my calves and proving my strength is slowly returning. “Besides, I want a bath and fresh clothes before they arrive.”
“They won’t care that you smell.”
His sarcastic smile turns to a wince when I flick his throat. He coughs and rubs the spot. “Ushian…” Asshole.
I burst out laughing. Out of all the words in Kalish I taught him so far, of course he remembers insults the best. I suppose he and Jaime’s lessons can happen at the same time going forward. I smile at the thought.
After a very quick bath, I pull on a fresh linen tunic. It takes all my energy to move back to the bed, but between the meal and cleaning up, I feel better.
Alexi tucks the covers around me and makes himself comfortable on the edge of the bed, resting his cheek on one knee. “You sure you’re okay?”
I reach out and pat his leg. “One more night’s sleep and you will be struggling to keep up as I make my rounds.”
His eye roll is louder than the lullaby of waves from the balcony.
“Abrigat.” Thank you.
“For what?” he asks, feeling my forehead with the back of his hand. He relaxes once he’s convinced I really am doing better.
“For being here. Learning about my home. It’s nice to be able to speak my language, even a bit.”
Darius, Staefan, Victoria, and Kailani have expressed a desire to learn, but our schedules make it difficult for any structured lessons. Maybe once we are on the road again.
Alexi’s accent is perfect as he says, “iet jisken.” No problem.
Our tender moment is broken by two agitated voices growing closer. He smiles and wishes me luck before disappearing out the balcony doors. A moment later, Jaime ushers in Elena, Kailani, and Victoria. The tension between the women is thicker than a summer storm.
I swallow a smile. Normally I discourage group drama, but I’m starved for any sort of action, even if it means dealing with Elena’s whining for a bit.
“It’s lovely to see you all, but what seems to be the issue?”