Aurelia POV
Rowan's question hung in the quiet cabin, patient and unhurried regardless of its weight.
I looked down at my hands, still faintly stained from the day's herb gathering, before lifting them to rest against my stomach, the small, gradually growing curve beneath my palms carrying a reality I still sometimes struggled to fully accept.
"No," I said .
The single word carried more finality, though once spoken aloud, I felt no urge to soften or qualify it further.
Rowan watched me with careful attention, saying nothing immediately, allowing the silence to stretch between us long that I found myself compelled to elaborate, even having initially believed the simple answer might suffice.
"He made his position perfectly clear," I continued, my voice steady, the old grief still threa
