Chapter 8
Eira was walking around the huge conservatory two weeks later, reading a book on the history of Astixus when she was cornered by Viscount Pembyr. “Hello My Queen, do you have a moment?” He asked, and he smelled as if he’d drunk a barrel of straight vodka. It made Eira’s stomach roil.
“I am on my way to see the twins in just a few moments, did you need something, Viscount?” She asked, tamping down the nausea rolling around in her stomach from the smell of the Viscount, and he was obviously drunk.
“It is a known fact that you and the King do not share chambers… I have come to offer my services to you in your bed-” and with that, Eira threw up the contents of her stomach all over Pembyr’s shiny boots.
It was the next week, when she was expecting her period, that her suspicions were confirmed. And she stayed in bed the entire day, numb emotions making her dissociate the day away as she dozed on and off.
“The Queen has asked that no one but Countess Amara be permitted today, your Majesty.” Hyrax’s voice outside her door is what woke her. The sun had set, and an aurora was making the sky dance and play.
“Is she ill? What kind of sickness is it?” Syris sounded slightly worried, she hadn’t told anyone but Amara, and if necessary, Mar would take it to her grave. Instead, Eira got out of her bed, wrapping a baby blue robe around her silk pajama pants and the matching top as she padded across the room, her stomach threatening to revolt at any moment.
Eira opened her door with a scowl on her face, “I am trying to sleep, you incessant fool! I am not ill, I am pregnant, now that you know, leave me the hell alone and let me sleep.” She slammed the door, locking it before Syris could enter.
Fortunately, when Eira emerged the next day, bathed, but in clean pajamas and looking exhausted as she joined Syris and the twins for breakfast. He also did not say a word about her state of undress, he didn’t even make a face as she sat down and asked one of the servers to bring her something bland and a plate of fruit.
Eira couldn’t keep anything down the first four months of her pregnancy, and Amara had even returned from her new estate to take care of her. Myra and Marie took all of their lessons without complaint, which was a blessing. Even if they disliked her so much, they didn’t add more stress on top of what Eira’s body was already going through.
Blessedly, the twins had stopped complaining about their lessons, and even began helping their stepmother with the menial tasks she insisted on doing herself, like cleaning up the parchment she used during lessons, or returning books to the massive library.
The first month of Eira’s pregnancy she slept a lot, almost to the point of worrying her household.
“So you don’t care that your wife is sleeping most of the day and she has no energy to do anything? You still want to parade her around? You know, I vouched for you to her, King Syris. I told her you’d eventually soften to her, because she is an awesome, smart, and badass woman. Looks like you proved me wrong and her right, self-loathing piece of shit!” Amara yelled at him as she stood outside Eira’s rooms, Eira’s guards, Hyrax and Reyid, trying really hard not to laugh at the audacity of Lady Amara.
“You would do well to remember your place here, Lady Amara. I am still the King, and-” He began, the air of superiority that followed him like a dust cloud amassing power.
“My place here? Puh-lease. My place here is as your WIFE’S BEST FRIEND, her confidant and mental health advocate, literally since we were five years old. My place here is to make sure you’re not exactly what she believes you to be! How dare you try to threaten me, Syris. Fuck off, she will not be walking around the City on your arm today. Fuckin’ prick.” Amara said the last two words in a whisper as she sat in the armchair that Eira’s other guard, Boredai, who took over for Hyrax during nights, had set up the night before when she refused to let Syris see her and coerce her to come to dinner, and she picked up Chitty and started petting the cat who thought the palace was her personal cat tree.
With a huff, Syris crossed his strong arms over his chest, turned on his heel, and mumbled something about his “damn wife” before turning the corner back towards the front of the sprawling palace.
“You don’t think I’m wrong for this, do you Hyrax?” She asked, not looking behind her at the Captain of Eira’s personal guard.
“No, My Lady. I believe you have our Queens’ best interest, and her health, at heart.” He said, his rough voice approving. Hyrax, Reyid, and Boredai had become close friends with both Eira and Amara. Reyid was mute, but used his hands to speak, and his signing was very close to that of American Sign Language, which Amara dabbled in in college.
It was dark outside when Eira finally emerged, looking greener than an evergreen as she ran to the toilet in the hall, Hyrax holding her growing hair out of her face, Amara having vanished into her own rooms two doors down from their shared toilet room an hour before, with Chitty.
Any visitors today, Hyrax?” She asked as Hyrax escorted her back to her chambers.
“King Syris inquired this evening about taking you to walk about the city, ma’am.” He bowed as she sat at her tea table to eat the bread and crackers that had been brought to her.
Afterwards, Hyrax took his leave with Reyid, and was replaced by Boredai, and a female guard with skin as dark as Hyrax’s, whose name was Ayesleigh. Both kept quiet as the shadowed their Queen towards the newly built Dragon Keep just across from the Conservatory, where Frost had room to grow, and play with her “brother” Fang, who also had been through a growth spurt. But today was different.
Mother! Eira heard the sweet, bell-like voice in her head just before Frost bounded across the large dirt-covered floor of her huge enclosure.
“Was that you, Frosty girl? Did you just talk to me?” Eira asked as she knelt to cuddle her pony-sized dragon.
Yes, Mother! It is me! Sister came to see me and told me you were ill. I couldn’t speak back to her, however, she doesn’t hear me. Frost laid her head on Eira’s lap and they sat like that, speaking silent words between them until the sun rose.
Eira was still reeling over this new connection she had with Frost as she made her way back through the conservatory, when she was cornered by Syris. “I see you are well enough to check on your beasts, but are unable to join me for a walk through the city for the Winter Festival.” His sapphire eyes burn a hole through her, but she was too tired to argue with him.
“I am not in the mood, Syris. I am tired.” She said, trying to step around him.
That turned out to be a bad move as Syris grabbed her hard by the bicep, “you will accompany me to today’s festivities.” He growled angrily.
“Syris, let me go. You’re hurting me.” Those words seemed to break something in Syris, and he let go of Eira’s arm as if it burned him. But now Eira’s anger peaked. “If you ever touch me like that again, Syris, I will kill you in your sleep. Better yet, I will order Hyrax to do it. I will not stand for it. This is your only warning. Boredai, Ayesleigh, come on.”
Boredai slipped his sword back into its sheath and followed on Eira’s command.
“Perhaps you should heed your Queen, Your Majesty. Hyrax wouldn’t need an order if you harmed her.” Ayesleigh said, following Boredai.
Eira returned to her rooms and apologized to Boredai and Ayesleigh before closing the doors.
She was only four months pregnant, and it had only been four months since they were married, but for some reason, Eira’s husband believed her to be his property. She needed some kind of plan to get him to see that she wasn’t a belonging, she was a damn person!
However, what that plan was, Eira didn’t know yet. Instead, she pulled off her robe and slippers and slipped between her warm covers to fall back to sleep before she had to teach the twins about the dumb politics of their Kingdom later in the day.