Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
It had been one week since she had said goodbye to Michel.
From the moment she knew he had escaped, Eve had gone to her bed.
She did not wish to leave it. Ever. Her brothers had come to her one by one.
Her grandmother sat with her, saying nothing as she stroked Eve’s hair.
Her sisters-in-law trickled in. Eve would just dismiss them all, roll over, and sleep some more.
Her father had tried to talk to her. Thankfully, he did not press the issue, mumbling that Timicin would wait as long as he had to.
Everyone was afraid of her now, afraid of what she had been through, afraid of learning the reasons she was so depressed.
Her father did not share any of her story with the family.
It stayed between them, he had said, for as long as she wanted.
The one thing she did was mentally track where Michel could be.
She knew how far he could travel each day.
She estimated that he should have reached Carth by now and gone past it.
It renewed her sadness as she thought of him alone in that city where their commitment had been fully forged.
It didn’t matter. She would never truly know where he was or if he was safe.
It was just something to occupy her mind rather than letting her heart miss him.
One thing she did know was that he had not been captured by her family’s guards. She would hear if that had happened.
As she lay in her bed, she felt the star of happiness travel further and further from her.
She felt her body changing, too. On top of her despondency, she had reached the point of having a hard time keeping food inside her, her stomach heaving at the thought of eating.
It made everything seem impossible. All she could do was sip milk tea or bone broth and continue to sleep.
It was on the seventh day of her solitude that her mother demanded she get out of bed.
The knock came softly. When Eve did not answer, her mother entered her room anyway. Eve looked at her and then closed her eyes once more.
“Come, daughter,” her mother said. “You must rise now.”
“Mother, I do not feel well,” Eve said, dismissing her, turning over.
“It is time to feel better.” Her mother hummed as she opened the curtains to let the morning sun into the room.
Eve loved her mother dearly, but they were so different.
Her mother was simple and allowed all her decisions to be made by her husband.
She never had an independent thought in her head, whereas Eve had nothing but independent thoughts.
Even being there in Eve’s room, demanding Eve get out of bed, was at her father’s insistence.
Her mother pulled the covers off Eve. Eve shrieked and grumbled at this attack and tried to pull them back onto her. Her mother didn’t allow it.
“Up.” Her mother took Eve’s hands and pulled her to sitting.
Then she led her daughter to the chair at the vanity.
She sat behind Eve and began brushing through Eve’s hair.
Eve stayed silent, watching the woman in the mirror.
They looked very much alike, despite her mother’s dark coloring and Eve’s light hair.
Eve, for a second, wondered if her child would have her light hair or look more like Michel.
Her eyes stung with pain at the thought.
Her mother did not seem to notice. She spoke. “Was it your intention?”
“Was what my intention?” Eve replied flatly.
“To become pregnant?” she said. She continued humming softly.
Eve blinked, “I’m not, I did not…”
“Enebish,” her mother said. “You were my seventh child. I know what pregnancy looks like. I saw it on you the moment you arrived.”
“But—”
“Answer my question, were you hoping to become pregnant?”
“No,” Eve replied, shaking her head. “Why would I try to become pregnant?”
“To secure a proposal?” her mother hummed.
She dropped her head to her arms, which rested on the surface of the vanity. “No, I was not hoping to become pregnant. But…” She took a breath. “Our union was not unwelcome.”
“My beautiful daughter,” her mother said. She rubbed her hand down Eve’s back. “I am sorry I did not prepare you to avoid this.”
Eve stared at her mother in the mirror. Her mother continued brushing through Eve’s hair, detached from her words, still humming. Her mother had never once spoken to her about such things, and Eve was shocked to hear that she would have ever had this conversation with this woman.
“Does father know?” Eve asked, feeling a spike of shame run through her.
“Of the pregnancy?” Her mother laughed. “He never knows until I tell him.” She traced her fingers across Eve’s scalp, separating her hair into sections.
“He suspects your feelings for the man are greater than you expressed. But, no, he does not know of anything more.” She took a section of hair and placed it over Eve’s shoulder. “Have you fallen in love?”
Eve couldn’t help it, and suddenly tears wet her face like a summer storm. Her mother put her arms around Eve’s shoulders and held her tightly. “My sweet girl.”
“Do you think Father will send me away?”
“Of course not. He will not stop loving you, dear child. He will just need time.” She pulled back and resumed her work on Eve’s hair. “Did you help the man escape?”
Eve nodded.
Her mother’s persistently happy eyes turned down. “I am so sorry it did not work out for you. Love is a wonderful thing.”
Eve let the tears fall freely from her eyes. “What will Father do when he finds out I am pregnant?”
“You know what he will do. He will attack the world.”
“He expects me to marry someone in Timicin’s tribe,” Eve said softly. “How can I do so?” She heaved a great sob at the thought.
“He will not force you to marry. He hasn’t done so before. He won’t do so now.”
“Then we must go to war.”
“Oh, war,” her mother humphed. “I’m so tired of hearing that word. These men go to war fifteen times a day. It is all for show.”
“But Ganbold and Bataar…”
“Both deserved what they got.” Her mother nodded to punctuate the claim.
“They all know it’s true. Timicin needs to bring some consolation back to his tribe so he doesn’t look like a fool.
Your father can figure that out without having to send you,” she snipped. “He can just as easily send the goats.”
The goats, Eve thought. If only she’d had more time. But it was far too late. “Mother,” Eve said, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk of father like this. Or speak your mind so fluently.”
“It is true, I am not like you, my Enebish. I don’t always use words.
” She smiled. “But I do know how to control my husband.” She set down the brush and squeezed Eve’s shoulders.
“Now, your hair is smooth. Bathe. Get dressed. Start to act like a woman of pride once more. Your father has brooded in his room as long as you have. I would like some sunshine in my life again. My daughter is safe with a new life inside her.” She kissed the top of Eve’s head. “There are many things to celebrate.”
“When should I tell him that I am with child?”
“Wait longer. We must be sure that your man has had time to escape. You don’t want your father to get his hands on him now.” She smoothed her hands down Eve’s shoulders. “I know it was hard, but sending him away was the right thing to do.”
“Yes,” she agreed. “I believe so.” She put her hands on her lower belly and, for the first time, she felt more than just sadness.
Her mother’s words had affected her. She had lost the man she would always love, but she had gained something wonderful.
And hearing her mother’s consolation—that her father in time would come around—she was able to see new beginnings.
It didn’t take away from the terrible loss she felt over Michel, though.