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The Council members nodded. “Then go immediately,” another one of them said. “And…please take care. Princess Mierna has endured enough loss as it is.”
Chapter 21
Aria spent the week resting, but it was against her choice. It seemed that she had overexerted herself in life, and now her body demanded reparations. That, coupled with the pregnancy, made her regret never taking a break.
Then again, there was good reason for always being on her feet. It kept her from thinking too much about the past and her future responsibilities. She wondered if her own mother went through the same troubles as she did when younger, grappling with potentially being the Fairy Guardian and giving birth to her.
Aria, for some strange reason, missed her mother.
As the weakness began to subside over the week, she found herself more willing to leave Travus’s bed and move. Though he hovered over her a lot, he didn’t sleep in the same bed as her. The most he did was caress her cheek, and perhaps kiss her here and there as she would try to pick a fight with him. He, surprisingly, refrained from pushing her buttons this time.
It was a side to Travus she grew to enjoy, even though she was still fighting it a bit. Perhaps this is what he was like with Niette, although it made her uncomfortable to be associated with his former, deceased mate.
Reincarnate or not, I’m still Aria, she’d think whenever Travus expressed gentleness.I wish he’d stop treating me like I was her.
On the seventh day since her pregnancy was discovered, she finally got out of bed. Sweaty and sticky, she felt disgusted with herself. Wiping herself with washcloths in bed didn’t help at all, neither did the daily changing of sheets. Travus had gone to great lengths to cater to her demands as long as she stayed in bed, but she knew it was time she took her life back in her hands.
When she passed by the mirror, she turned sideways to inspect her belly. She wasn’t showing, but she knew it would take another few months for it to be obvious. Though she felt conflicted about it, she was looking forward to this child. Why? It was beyond her. But one thing was for certain; this child would not suffer the way she did.
Stepping out of the room, she waved to the maid coming down the hall who ran to her.
“Princess Mierna, you must–”
Aria cut her off with a wave. “That’s enough. Please run me a bath. Aproperone in the bathing hall. And please arrange the room I was given upon my arrival.”
The maid could only nod and scurried away, and Aria leisurely made her way down the castle. The bath was ready for her when she got there, and she relished being able to dip in the water and spread her arms out comfortably. Her muscles ached, her joints cracked, but the warm water and its scented oils brought her relief.
Halfway through her soak, someone walked into the bathing hall.
“Mierna,” said Travus with gentle inquisition. “I suppose you’re feeling a little better.”
“As better as one can get in this state,” she drawled. “Don’t lock me up in your room again. It was depressing.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Would you like to take a walk with me when you’re done?”
She turned in the pool and narrowed her eyes at him. “Why are you talking to me like that? It’s like you’re someone else.”
Travus’s lips parted in surprise, then he pulled them together and nodded. “I know, I’m sorry,” he sighed and walked over to the pool, pulling his pants up to his knees. He sat on the edge of the pool and dipped his legs in.“You’ll have to excuse me. I’m still…coming to terms with everything.”
Raising a brow at him, she turned to rest her back against the edge once more. “It’s been strange for me too, so I understand. But, please, don’t forget who I am. I doubt Niette was half as cold as myself.”
He chuckled. “It’s true. You both are very different people and difficult to compare but…I like you very much, Mierna. I hope you know that.”
Aria blushed, but she also felt a little awkward because she wasn’t Mierna either. She wondered if he’d still care about her when he found out. It was then that she realized how attached she’d become to him.
“I…um,” she sighed, “I find you very tolerable.”
He chuckled. “More than tolerable, I’d argue.”
“You’re still trying to take over the entire realm, Travus.”
A soft hum left him as his finger trailed her cheekbone, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “I suppose you’ll be happy to know that I’ve given up on my efforts.”
“What?” she gasped and turned to look up at him. “I don’t understand. You wanted the Council stones, did you not?”
He shrugged. “The bloodshed is unnecessary,” he said, and she narrowed his eyes at him as that clarified nothing. His thumb stroked gently under her eye. “I want to cherish what’s in front of me while it’s still here.”
Her face grew warm at his words, and against her better judgment, she pulled herself out of the water to get closer to him. His eyes fluttered shut as she pressed a kiss to his cheek, and then to his lips, pulling back to look at him. He exhaled softly, opening his eyes to look at her with vulnerability in them. His hand cradled her face, and he pulled her in to kiss her again, a little more passionately.
