“That is unfortunate,” Lord Brimlow said gravely, “but perhaps for the best. The people have lost all faith in Dragomir—he may have been a good king once, but he cannot be allowed to rule again.”
The other lords agreed with this, and all seemed relieved that Dragomir did not look to be regaining his wits anytime soon. Drystan sent them along their way with warnings to be on guard against warlock plots and spells. The lords were alarmed at the idea that the warlocks could be spying on them, and agreed to never speak about any confidential or sensitive matters while they were aboveground. Alistair only hoped that their paranoia would stick; he knew all too well how easy it was to let one’s guard down, and these men were not used to dealing with the constant threat of assassins or spies.
“Perhaps when you visit the dragon god tomorrow,” Alistair said quietly, “you can see if anything can be done about Father.”
Drystan shook his head. “I’m not certain that is a good idea,” he said. “While I would love to have our father back as he once was, I think having the king here again will only make things more confusing.”
Alistair sighed. “You are probably right,” he said. The thought of his father wasting away, a mere shell of himself, filled him with sadness. But perhaps the lords were right. A fully recovered Dragomir, even without the dragon sickness, would only shake things up again. It was better to simply move forward and hope their father would live out the rest of his days in peace and comfort.
9
“My lady,” Soldian said, interrupting Dareena’s reading time. “The midwife and healer are here to see you.”
Dareena looked up from her book at Soldian standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She’d taken to spending her mornings in bed now that the waves of lethargy and queasiness were settling in, but just because she was physically confined did not mean she couldn’t exercise her mind. She’d taken to reading books about history and battle, hoping the texts would give her more insight into what was going on around her. In the afternoons, when she was feeling up to it, she practiced her elven magic. She was getting much better at wielding the whip and had begun to learn how to levitate objects—a useful skill for when she wanted something but didn’t want to leave bed to get it.
“All right,” she said, setting the book aside, “send them in.”
“Yes, my lady.” Soldian dipped her head, then left the room. Dareena forced herself out of bed, then wrapped a dressing gown around her night shift and went into the sitting room to greet her visitors. She hid a grimace at the sight of Lyria and Rantissa standing there—the two bowed as she entered, but there was no hiding the resentment in Lyria’s eyes.
“Good afternoon, my lady,” the midwife said as she entered the suite. She was a kindly, middle-aged woman with silver-threaded brown hair and a plump figure. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired, and a bit sick,” Dareena admitted, placing a hand against her belly. “If not for these symptoms, I might not even know I was pregnant,” she said. “My stomach is as flat as ever.”
“It usually takes twelve to sixteen weeks for first-time mothers to begin showing,” the healer, a tall, blonde woman in a white robe, said. She gave Dareena a gentle smile as she took her by the hand. “Though since you are carrying a dragon, you will probably begin showing at around eight. Please, lie down while I examine you.”
Dareena allowed the woman to lead her over to the couch. As she sat down, she noticed all three of her ladies-in-waiting standing nearby, watching avidly. Her skin seemed to tighten over her bones, and an unexplainable shiver crawled over her.
“Ladies,” she said in a firm voice. “Please wait outside. I will call you once the exam is complete.”
Soldian and Rantissa bowed and moved to the door. But Lyria did not budge. “We were told not to leave your side,” she said stubbornly. “Two of us are supposed to remain with you at all times.”
“Yes, and now I have the midwife and the healer, who have already been cleared by the guards,” Dareena said, just as stubbornly. “There is no need for an audience. Please wait outside.”
Lyria held her gaze for a long moment before she finally followed Soldian and Rantissa. Dareena let out a silent breath of relief she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She had been worried Lyria would refuse, and even though Dareena was the Dragon’s Gift, Drystan and Alistair’s orders superseded hers in this matter. If Lyria had decided to stay, there would have been nothing she could have done.
“Are you all right, my lady?” the healer asked once the door had shut behind her. She pressed down lightly on the inside of Dareena’s wrist. “Your bodily energies seem quite agitated. You are under a lot of stress.”
Dareena sighed. “Lyria is from my hometown,” she explained as she lay flat on the couch. “The steward assigned her to my household without realizing our history, and now I must put up with her until I can replace her. That alone might not be so bad, but I have two other ladies-in-waiting as well, and it seems as though I never have a moment to myself anymore. I am not used to keeping company at all hours of the day,” she explained.
“It is completely understandable to want your alone time,” the midwife said as the healer continued to inspect her, running her hands deftly over Dareena’s body. “I wish that we were not living under such trying circumstances, where you must be accompanied at all times.”
“I would settle for being able to get rid of the queasiness,” Dareena admitted. “I am very tired of being tired and sick in the mornings.”
“I can have Martia mix you up a draught for morning sickness,” the midwife said, referring to the healer. “The tiredness, I’m afraid, will come and go throughout your pregnancy. You will have moments of great energy, and moments where you can barely drag yourself out of bed, especially in the final weeks. Growing a babe, especially a dragon babe, is taxing on the body.”
“I suppose it would be,” Dareena said ruefully, placing her hand on her belly again. “I just hope all this bed rest and food won’t make me grow fat.”
“I suggest that you remain active during the early stages of your pregnancy,” the midwife advised. “Don’t overdo it, of course, but regular walks and stretching will help. The stronger you are, the easier delivery will be when the time comes.”
“I will do my best,” Dareena said, though she wasn’t certain how she could get in walks when she wasn’t even allowed outside. She supposed she could walk around the castle, though that would be rather boring.