Page 48 of The Final Battle

I waited a moment for Abbott to come alongside and tuck my arm into the crook of his elbow, leading me out of the room. He’d always been so skilled at knowing when I needed someone to lean on emotionally. My stalwart knight, ready to defend my heart along with my body. It just showed me once more how each of these men provided something for me that another couldn’t, but together, covered it all.

The king led us out of his personal chambers, further into the private section of the castle into a dining room. It was stunning, with murals painted on the ceiling and highly polished marble floors of white with gold veins running through it.

“Oh good, you’re all here,“ the queen said as she came to greet us.

She took her husband’s hands and kissed both cheeks before moving to Gavin, then offering me the same greeting. “It’s so lovely to have family here in the castle. We never get to use this dining hall. Did you know that when the castle was first built it was so small that this very room was the main hall? Now look at us, it’s incredible!“ She chatted on pointing out this or that in the space. “Now, you must be famished. I hear you were too tuckered out to even eat breakfast. You need to take better care of yourself, especially if you’re already with child. When I was pregnant with Charles, I was so tired and slept all the time.“

I was so shocked by her assumption I didn’t know how to respond. What possessed the queen to believe that I was with child? Could that even happen with how recently I’ve been engaging in sex? My stomach was tied in knots at the thought of it.

“I’m sorry, your Majesty, but I’m not pregnant. I’ve been making sure to take my tonic, now would not be a good time for that to happen,“ I corrected.

Queen Catharine paused to look at me with a frown. “No, that can’t be.“ She strode over to me and held out both hands.

“Ah…“ I stammered unsure of what was happening.

“Your hands dear girl, it’s my gift to be able to tell these things,“ she informed me, motioning for me to hurry up.

“Are you saying it’s your Birthright to tell if a woman is pregnant, Aunt Catharine?“ Gavin inquired.

“Of course, didn’t your mother ever tell you that?“ she tutted. “Well, I suppose since I’m the elder sister and she didn’t get the Birthright, she wouldn’t want to share that. Mary hated having me best her in anything in life.“

Licking my lips, terrified of what she was going to say, I placed my hands in hers. Queen Catharine closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The room was deathly silent as a smile bloomed on her face. “Yes, there it is, the glow of a little life growing within you. Oh… wait, there are two! That’s odd, one seems to be slightly further along than the other.“ She opened her eyes and looked at the men around me. “I suppose with so many to meet your needs, it shouldn’t be strange that you might bear two different men’s offspring at the same time.“

My hand shot out grabbing Abbott’s arm, my fingers digging into his muscle as the magnitude of what I’d just been told hit me.

I…

I… was…

I… was… pregnant. With not one baby, but two.

The world started to tunnel around me, my vision growing darker until I passed out.

“I didn’t mean to upset the poor thing,“ I heard the queen say, her voice seeming miles away. “Here, lay her down, no one will bother us in my personal sitting room.“

Someone placed me on something soft but my mind still refused to return to the world. Hands lifted my head and when it was set back down, I knew I was resting on someone’s lap. Fingers combed through my hair as I felt magic pressing at my mental barrier. Part of me wanted to stay shut in here where it was safe. If I didn’t acknowledge that I no longer was the ruler of my own body, then what I’ve already gone through never happened. Scene after scene of the reckless things I’ve done flashed through my brain. I’d been carrying a child and I didn’t even know it.

“Little warrior, let me in.“

I knew it would be Izel, he was the only one who would be able to enter my mind at this point besides Vasin. Being my pair-bond, I wouldn’t have been able to keep him out, so that left my consort.

“Tell me it was all a dream you fed me and I’ll let you in,“ I countered.

“You know I wouldn’t do that. As much as I want children with you, that isn’t the way I’d go about convincing you to consider it. Everyone knows now isn’t the right time, but it seems the fates had other plans.“ Izel reasoned.

“Damn the fates!“ I screamed. “How could they do this to me? I did everything I was supposed to do to ensure this didn’t happen. We are at war, how can I possibly do what needs to be done knowing I carry not one but two other lives inside my body?“

“Cassarah, this is not a conversation to have like this. Come back to us and we will manage just as we have through everything else, together.“

I knew he was right. While I might be upset about this sudden twist in my life, it affected them as much as it did myself. Two of them would be fathers far sooner than any of us had planned. It would make sense it would be Jade and Abbott, since they were the ones I slept with first. How far along could I possibly even be? It’s only been a few weeks. Without the queen’s gift, I doubt I would have shown any signs for another few months.

Would that have been better?

Does knowing now change how I would have handled things?

“Cass, stop acting like a child. You are going to be a mother now and while it might not be what you planned, this is how it is. Yes, this wasn’t something you saw coming but it changes nothing about what needs to happen. If anything, now you have more reason to finish things.“ Vasin cut in, speaking the hard truth that I needed. “Get up, Cassarah. We are near the end of this, so you better finish what you started.“

I could feel Izel’s magic caress over me. “You’re not in this alone, little warrior. Let us walk through this with you. These babies already have eight fathers and two aunties that will do everything in their power to keep them safe.“ A ghostly image of him appeared in my mind with a hand reaching out to me. “Trust us, just take the first step and we will meet you there.“