Taken by Darkness

As more time passed, things within the Kingdom remained quiet and peaceful. The occasional rumor about the Prince and Princess could be heard, but they weren’t as frequent. Ashley rarely let what the villagers and palace staff said get to him anymore unless it was particularly upsetting. Instead, he preferred to have faith in the man he’d married, and always managed to remember that he was loved. That was how he managed to stay out of the asylum, but rather within the walls of the palace.

Yet another six months passed, and still there wasn’t even a hint of a royal child in the making. Many of the villagers and much of the nobility simply believed him barren by now. Quite a few even asked, if only amongst themselves, why Andy hadn’t divorced him and taken another wife yet. A few others asked why he hadn’t taken a mistress, as even a bastard was better than no heir to his throne at all.

In the hours just before dawn one morning about nineteen months after they were wed, the Princess was jolted awake by a ferocious roiling in his tummy. He recognized it as nausea from the few times he’d taken ill as a child, but didn’t have much time to ponder it. Poor Ashley pried himself from the arms of his husband, accidentally rousing him as he scrambled for his chamber pot. Not once did he even recall how fatigued and lethargic he’d felt the day previous as he heaved, his stomach rejecting the remnants of his supper while the Prince held back his hair.

“My poor, sweet songbird,” he murmured, gently kissing his temple once he collapsed into a miserable, panting heap. “How long have you been feeling unwell?”

“I was…quite fatigued…yesterday,” Ashley managed to answer. “But I…have not felt…truly ill…until now.”

His husband laid a gentle hand upon his brow. “You do not feel feverish. Mayhap you ate something that did not agree with you.”

“Mayhap,” he agreed weakly. “I think ’tis more likely I caught a minor bug that has been making its way through the Kingdom.”

“Mayhap, but you are staying abed today,” Andy told him sternly. “You need to rest, and I am going to fetch Jeremy so he may examine you.”

“You will get no argument from me on that,” the Princess said with a weak smile. “I feel too weak and tired to leave our bed this day.”

“Rest easy, my sweet songbird.” He gently kissed his temple again. “I shall go fetch Jeremy and return as soon as possible.”

“Take your time, my love. ’Tisn’t as though I shall leave this bed, except mayhap to visit the water closet, without someone hauling on a strong rope tied firmly about me.”

Ashley settled back into bed as much as he possibly could with his tummy roiling so violently. It was only several minutes after his husband had left that he realized he hadn’t bothered with so much as a candle or his dressing robe in his haste. Naught more than a weak smile crossed his lips, and in his current condition, even the slightest of laughter would probably make him start retching again.

Just a few scant minutes after his departure, the Prince returned with the healer in tow. Poor Jeremy looked none too happy to be roused from slumber before the sun began its daily ascent as he followed as quickly as he could. The sleepy, glazed look to his eyes and the grumpy expression on his face couldn’t be mistaken for aught else. However, both were quickly replaced with concern when he took in the Princess’ condition as he set his candle down on the bedside table. Judging by that alone, he supposed he must look pretty wretched, but Andy’s reaction added to it solidified his suspicion.

“How long have you been feeling ill, milady?” Jeremy asked, gently sitting on the edge of the bed as his husband lit their lamp.

“Only since I woke, not long ago,” he answered miserably. “My tummy roils so…”

“And you are certain ’tisn’t something you ate?” the healer asked.

“Would I not have also awoken ill, if ’twas?” the Prince countered.

“I suppose you are correct,” he conceded. “Any other symptoms?”

“I felt oddly fatigued and lethargic yesterday, like I had not gotten enough rest. And my monthlies…” Ashley broke off with a gasp, eyes widening. “Oh, God…could it be…?”

“Mayhap. When were you last due to be stricken with them?”

“Not quite a fortnight ago…mayhap ten days.”

“Based on your symptoms an the timing, I believe you are with child.” Jeremy smiled reassuringly. “Sammi and I shall watch you closely, but I am rarely wrong when making this diagnosis.”

Feeling both terrified and awed, the Princess reached down to gently caress his lower belly. He was terrified because he didn’t know what to expect, if he really was pregnant, but at the same time, he was awed at the thought of a new life growing within him. It didn’t matter to him if the child was of royal, noble, or common blood, or even whether it was a boy or a girl. What mattered to him most was surviving the pregnancy and delivery with little or no complication, and having a healthy child who survived with him.

Thanking him for his diagnosis, Andy saw the other man out after taking the ginger root he handed him from his bag. He told him to have his bride chew on a small piece when the nausea got too bad, and it would help settle his stomach. Ashley was glad to hear that, while only temporary during the next few months, there was a way to make the nausea more bearable. Besides, he’d be able to keep food down better, which would keep him from starving and allow him to nourish his child. Quite honestly, while he wished they’d waited just a bit longer, it was an honor to be carrying the Prince’s child at long last. He just wanted everyone to be healthy and survive what he already suspected to be a grueling ordeal to come.

Notes