The older woman—still steady and calm—watched Ava closely, her hands folded before her.
“My lady,” she said after a quiet moment, her voice soft but sure, “if you wish to be certain by modern means, we have a clinic here in Frostfang. The healers there use the new equipment—blood work, scans, everything. You could take a pregnancy test and know for sure.”
Ava blinked, her thoughts whirling. The room suddenly felt smaller, the air thick. “A clinic…” she murmured, her voice faint. “Yes, I—I’ll do that. I want to be sure.”
Her vision swam for a second. The world tilted, and her knees almost gave out. The woman caught her arm just in time.
“Careful, Luna,” she said gently, holding her upright. “You’ve had quite a shock.”
Ava nodded weakly, gripping the woman’s arm as she was helped out of
