Chapter Ninety-Eight: Carelessness
1685 Words
“And you accepted such a proposal?”
Yesterday ended the way most would have expected. After visiting both medical and teaching institutes, Clay was glued with interns regardless of how strongly I pitched.
Life is hard for a small territory, but my antics were not helping the situation; if they did not reject Clay for a more considerable region, they denied us out of fear for their lives.
Still, my question to the first prince was asked out of frustration rather than genuine curiosity.
“I stated that I would ponder the proposition. It does benefit me, you know.”
He answered, then turned his golden gaze to me.
“Why, do you think it changes anything between us?”
The day was gloomy, so perhaps that is why I viewed his answer as though it had been meant disdainfully. Maybe I had gotten too far ahead of myself with regard to my importance.
“Fine, forget I said anything. Instead, I will add more emphasis on the pre-signed divorce papers in the clause.”
Having said my piece, I turned my gaze to the dull day around us. Most of the people were bundled up, as though it was already wintering when that was not the case.
There was more food than usual being sold by the vendors and more people in the market, but none of them held the liveliness of summer.
The prince sat opposite me in his carriage, a larger carriage designed to manage the builds of dragons, so there was more breathing room for me since he ate up most of the space everywhere we were.
We were headed for a prenatal check-up with one of the few physicians he trusted that specialised in inter-species births for my first prenatal check-up.
I would be lying if I said I was not excited to put an image to my baby finally, but I would rather not lay myself bare before the prince.
“All you need to do is let Mitchelle handle most matters. Let her take credit for various events, and slowly, she shall garner enough favour that the divorce will go through easily.”
A sickening knot gripped my stomach.
How could he, without even knowing, repeat the exact words as the Marquis?
‘Let her take credit….’
Again…my fate has become tangled.
I can tell myself that it will be temporary, but I am still healing from the wounds of the first betrayal. If more is inflicted on me before the initial injuries have closed…I might just bleed out.
“No.”
“No?”
He frowned, then pulled his gaze from his watch.
“What do you mean ‘no’? Will it not be easier this way? If you stand out too much, then-”
“Do not worry about that. All my achievements will be under the name of Clay. I will not let anyone swipe their name on the same floor I stand. My child needs to know the kind of person I was.”
His frown deepened, but I held no intention of backing down on the matter.
“‘Was?’”
I stilled.
“What?”
“You said, ‘my child needs to know the kind of person I ‘was’. What is that supposed to mean?”
“Did I say that? I mean the kind of person I am.”
I corrected quickly, but the incredulous look on his face did not waver.
“Do you think that I will kill you?”
“I would like to think of it as a ripe possibility down the line. You have given no reason as to why I should discount it.”
“I do not harm those I consider family.”
‘Yet throughout the game, you orchestrated the murder of your father. I guess the keywords have to be ‘those I consider’.’
“Is that supposed to mean something?”
“You are the mother of my first child-”
“So you keep saying, but is that supposed to mean anything to me?”
‘Are those frivolous words supposed to make me drop my guard so that you can control me as you see fit?’
The carriage halted, but the intensity of his gaze on my frame only seemed to grow.
“We shall stop by the lawyer after this, clarify in the documents that I will not harm you.”
His tone was surprisingly calm, still; rather than pursue the matter, I watched him get off the carriage and then extend his hand for me to take.
The next day, after my reward ceremony, I was to meet his mother and then announce my pregnancy to her. After that, I would send invitations to the engagement ceremony, which I was against.
The prince insisted that if we held the engagement ceremony, the wedding could be held simply over document signing or just one where only close friends were invited. Because of that, I half-heartedly agreed with his suggestion on the engagement ceremony.
*
*
The hospital we went to was quite popular and prominent, with state-of-the-art medical equipment on the fantasy side, but it was also empty.
We were greeted by two nurses and the doctor examining me on arrival.
“Did you reserve the hospital? Isn’t there a VIP section you can abuse? Emergencies happen every day, every hour even!”
I asked Rheyes in my hospital gown the second the doctor left us alone with what I can only assume was the ultra-sound machine.
“It’s only for two hours, and emergencies will be catered for; this isn’t the only hospital in the capital.”
I rolled my eyes and then relaxed on the bed.
Familiar sandy brown hair with white age indicating streaks and light brown eyes peered into the room with a smile.
“Alright, are mummy and daddy settled?”
The easy way the physician addressed the prince was telling of their closeness.
“Quite.”
Rheyes answered.
The physician smiled, then walked into the room and plopped into her seat.
“So, Rheyes, darling, how is mum?”
‘Rheyes, darling?’
“Managing, but I am hoping the news will excite her.”
“Oh, when do you plan on telling her?”
“Just about the same time I let her know, I have met someone.”
The doctor chuckled and turned her gaze on me.
“If Rheyes ever gives you a hard time, let me know. I will punch him for you!”
Though I did not wish to, my lips curled in a slight smile at the image of her petite frame punching someone with the build of a goliath.
She finished putting on her gloves and slowly raised the gown I had on to expose my belly.
“Hmm, as I said before, the expansion of your uterus is large for someone of your frame.”
“You said that this is the eighteenth week, correct?”
“Yes…eighteenth.”
I added hesitantly to her indication of something unnatural with my body.
“Have you done a check-up before?”
“Yes.”
Rheyes answered, and I shook my head.
“No, I actually have not been to one before.”
“You have never visited a clinic to check the health of a four-month-old foetus??”
The prince’s tone was beyond furious.
It was immediately made clear that no answer I granted would be correct.
“How did you know its gender then?”
“Oh, you know….”
If I said Breca, he’d probably freak out, but a witch doctor or herbologist probably will not sound any better.
“A doctor in Clay.”
“A doctor in Clay, with a graduation certificate from the royal medical institute?”
Obviously, no, for god’s sake, they worshipped the ‘earth’, but I doubt he is looking for the truth from me; he just means to mock my judgment.
“Look, at the time, I did not mean to keep it, so what would have been the point of subjecting myself to prenatal trials when there was an impending war in my-?”
“Ah yes, the pregnant war hero!”
He mocked in a voice louder than my explanation.
“Alright, Daddy, you are stressing mummy.”
The doctor interjected as she placed some transparent liquid on a dull greyish and orange crystal, one that I could not name, only to drop it on my belly.
“Ah!”
“A little cold. I know.”
She said, smiling reassuringly.
“It is a little late to come in for prenatal care, Countess Evergreen, so I understand Daddy’s concern.”
“Daddy’s concern is aimed fully at her overwhelming carelessness on delicate matters!”
Rheyes said in a low voice, but his referring to himself as ‘Daddy’ gave me an entirely different feeling than when the physician addressed him that way.
I took a deep breath to focus my mind on the issue.
“When was I supposed to come in?”
“My suggestion for your next pregnancy would be to come in as soon as you know you are pregnant or as soon as you decide you want the baby. Now then, there is no time like the present, so let us…!”
She suddenly went silent.
“What?”
Rheyes leaned forward to stare at the screen that held a black and white graphic image of masses moving around.
“It appears that I was right; your womb is a little big for eighteen weeks?”
My stomach dropped at her tone.
“Is there a problem?”
Rheyes asked as he placed his hand on my shoulder. It was ridiculous how comforting that small act felt, and almost instinctively, I covered my hand with his and braced for the news.
“Not a problem, but see here.”
The physician pointed to the screen.
“Two amniotic sacs, two placentas and two foetuses. Congratulations, Mummy and Daddy, it looks like you will be having fraternal twins.”
- Writer
