SWNOVELS The Dark Elf’s Surprise Baby: Chapter 10
A week passes without word from Master Demethys. He’s likely busy but that doesn’t assuage my worry. If he’s engaged in combat, he might be in danger of his life. I hate not knowing where he is or what he’s doing.
Every day is a nightmare without him nearby. I pray every night to the Thirteen that he makes it back in one piece, safe and sound. Please let him be okay, I whisper in my head, all day every day.
It doesn’t help that I have bad dreams every night that he’s away from me. I can’t sleep, I feel restless and unable to get comfortable. When he’s here, the bad dreams go away but when he’s gone, I’m plagued with memories of my old life under my harsh master.
I carefully clean the dust from the table in the entryway and try to focus on making sure that Demethys will come back to a clean and well-kept house. The table has a single vase and an old fossilized rock atop it, both of which have already been carefully dusted.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, the vase cracks for no apparent reason. I’m not anywhere near it and I’m being extremely careful so I’m in absolute shock, eyes bugging out when it happens.
I take an unconscious step back, shivers racing down my spine as I stare at it.
What happened? Anxiety fills me as I examine the crack. A dark vision enters my mind, of someone lying on the ground, bleeding out. It’s too dark to see who it is but it frightens me nonetheless.
I have a bad feeling from this dark vision and I feel weak as I start breathing harder, unable to catch my breath.
This isn’t the first time I’ve had trouble breathing lately. I’ve been feeling under the weather a lot lately. At first I thought it was because I miss Demethys so badly but now I’m concerned because I’ve become exhausted to the point of falling asleep on my feet and this morning I was violently sick to my stomach.
I lean on the wall, trying to catch my breath as the room starts spinning. My body breaks out into a cold sweat and I feel nauseated again, my stomach rolling.
“Miss Harper!” Ivrir calls out, eyes wide as he sees me barely able to hold myself up, leaning against the wall. “You must sit down! I’ll fetch the healer at once!”
He guides me into Master Demethys’ office, having me lie down on the comfortable, plush leather couch.
“Stay there. I’ll be right back,” he says. He’s not usually so concerned about things—I must have given him a real fright back there.
I lay with my eyes closed, breathing shallowly in and out while Ivrir sends for Healer Varia. She comes at once and enters Master Demethys’ office, shooing Ivrir away when he tries to look over her shoulder, concern etched into his furrowed brow.
“We need some privacy please,” she asks. Ivrir looks reluctant to leave and hovers by the door. “Can you bring me a damp cloth for her?” Healer Varia asks when he doesn’t immediately go.
He bows and takes his leave then, leaving us alone.
“Alright, tell me your symptoms,” Varia asks me. When I list them off she nods along and purses her lips. “And how long has this been going on?” she asks.
“Well, I only started recognizing it this past week but I think when Master Demethys left is when it all really began. I threw up that day, and then I’ve thrown up once again since then, this morning. Is it serious? Can I die from a broken heart?” I ask, anxiety coloring my voice.
“I don’t think it’s a broken heart,” Varia shakes her head. “May I see your belly?”
I lift my dress up and move my corset aside, giving her access. “May I palpate it?” she asks.
“Uh…yes,” I shrug. “If you need.”
She begins to feel around my belly, humming to herself as she does, making noises and saying things like “Oh, interesting”.
When she’s done, she helps me sit up on the couch. “You’re not going to die of a broken heart,” she tells me.
“Then what’s wrong?” I ask, frowning.
Healer Varia smiles. “You’re pregnant, Harper.”
By the Thirteen! I’m pregnant? Joy fills me up inside at the thought of having Demethys’ child. I can’t wait to tell him!
But then my joy turns to sadness when I realize that he’s not here to share the news with. But he’ll be back and I can tell him then, I’ll have the perfect surprise for his return!
“Thank you,” I tell Varia. “Thank you!” I hug her and her eyes widen for a moment but she relaxes into the hug.
“I’m glad that the news is good!” she says. “I think you may be about six or seven weeks along. I’ll be back in a few weeks to check up on you and the baby again.”
I stare at my belly, trying to wrap my brain around this.
“You’ve got this,” she says. “Just take it easy for a while. Try to do more light work, less carrying of heavy loads and the like.”
“I will,” I tell her. Varia takes her leave and I feel like everything makes so much more sense now. No wonder I’ve been so tired lately! And nauseated!
My hand keeps drifting down to my belly, unconsciously pressing a hand to it as I get myself back to work. The news has lifted my spirits for the first time since Demethys left.
I can’t get over it. A baby! A little mini Demethys inside of me. Growing and becoming a person. He or she is going to be so loved, so spoiled.
My fatigue is gone, wiped out by the overriding excitement for the baby. If I’m six or seven weeks along, I might be very big and round by the time Demethys gets back. He’ll be so surprised to walk in and see me with a big belly! I grin at the thought and it puts a pep in my step.
The rest of the day seems to float by, as does the day after it. I’m so elated. I want to shout it from the rooftops but I don’t want to tell anyone until Demethys is back. I might not be able to keep it a secret forever though, if he’s still gone when I’m suddenly sprouting a large belly.
It’s three days in and I feel itching to tell someone. I need to talk to someone and tell them what’s going on.
My first thought is to tell Bryrion. Maybe she would be able to give me the support I need until Demethys comes back. She’s always been so kind to me, she’s very much my best friend in the household.
I’m not sure I should tell anyone yet though, so I keep quiet for now. But I continue to work with so much more zest that everyone starts noticing anyway, and asks questions.
In the interest of not saying anything until I know when Demethys is coming back, I simply tell them that I’m in a good mood because I had a dream he was coming home soon.
But the week passes without word of news, nor even a letter from Master Demethys and my energy feels as though it’s waning. The fatigue slowly starts to return. I feel it in my bones that something is wrong.
He has to be fine though. No news is good news, right? There would be word if he was seriously injured…or dead. They wouldn’t just leave us all hanging.
“Are you alright?” Bryrion asks one day, when she finds me sick to my stomach, tears in my eyes in the downstairs bathroom.
“No,” I shake my head. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Yes, of course,” she says, smoothing a hand over my back.
“I’m pregnant,” I tell her quietly. A look of surprise flashes in her eyes and she narrows them for a moment as if trying to ascertain if I’m joking or not before smiling at me.
“That’s wonderful,” she says, hugging me. “I’m so happy for you. Have you heard word from Master Demethys yet? Have you told him?”
“No,” I shake my head. “I want to wait until he gets back but I’m nervous that we haven’t heard from him and I don’t know what to do.”
“Be patient,” she insists. “He’ll be back. And then you two will share the exciting news together!
“You’re right,” I say, wiping my eyes. “As usual. I’m sure I’m stressing over nothing.”
I go to bed that night determined to look on the positive side of things. I can’t let my fear become so unmanageable that it causes stress to the baby.
I close my eyes, drifting off.
“Harper!” I hear a voice calling me from somewhere in the distance. “Harper!” It’s a man and he’s yelling for me. “Harper, please!” he begs. “Please help me!”
Eyes widening, I realize that voice belongs to Demethys.
“I’m coming!” I try to yell but no sound comes out. It’s like my lips are sealed shut.
“Harper!” he calls again. “Please, I need you. Please help me!”
I wake with a start, breathing hard as I wipe sweat from my brow. The dream felt so real, so vivid. It was like he was far away but right next to me at the same time. Where is Demethys? Why haven’t we heard any word from him for over two weeks now?
I sit up in bed and head to the bathroom to get a glass of water.
I can’t take this waiting around. Something inside of me knows that something isn’t right here.