**Clarissa’s POV**
I wake up in an unfamiliar room with the low hum of medical equipment around me. It takes a moment to register that I'm in the Royal infirmary. Athena is seated beside my bed, fast asleep.
My abdomen throbs with pain, a constant reminder of the ailment that afflicts me. I've never experienced such vulnerability in my life, but this pregnancy issue has left me defenseless, just like any ordinary person.
I start to recall the events that led me here. The sharp pain in my ribs from my husband's kick, the hasty decisions that followed. I attempt to remove the IV cannula from my arm when Athena stirs from her slumber.
"My Lady! Please, don't," she implores, reaching out to stop me. "We must wait for the nurse and Doctor Anne."
I question who summoned the doctor, and Athe
