Chapter Fifty-eight

Damion headed into the West Wing, worried eyes followed him as he carried the princess through the halls. He wondered what they were thinking right now? Gladia was waiting at the door to the sitting room. As Damion carried Volencia into the room, she closed the door quietly behind her, asking Trishia to wait outside.

“I want Trish.” Volencia’s whisper was muffled in his shirt.

“Excuse me, the Princess would prefer you let Trishia into the room. She’s been helping care for her the last few days.” Damion turned. The other healers in the room looked over in surprise. A maid being beside someone of the royal family at a time like this was not look well upon. Not in this sense, anyway. As she came in, she settled next to Damion on her knees, brushing Volencia’s hair back as he stood to explain to the healers what had been going on, and what her symptoms were.

The head healer looked down at her. Brushing his hand along her brow. “So, fever, vomiting, chills, sweats, shaking, and she’s been in and out of coherency?” A soft knock sounded at the door, but they didn’t wait for an answer. Both Venron and Gregron swept into the room.

“What happened?” Venron asked, pushing through the crowd circling the sofa she was curled up on.

“She fell ill on our way back. She had been having some issues the whole while, not feeling quite right. But we didn’t realize it was this serious.” Damion said, trying to avoid saying more. He explained everything in a little more detail this time. He worried his lip, knowing he needed to tell them all that she was likely pregnant, but he didn’t know how. He had expected that she would be able to help him break the news. Her hand grazed his leg before falling back to the couch, so he turned, dipping down, taking her hand in his. “Are you okay?”

“Stay with me. Don’t leave.” Tears pooled in her eyes. No matter how many times he told her he wasn’t going anywhere, she still seemed positive that he was going to leave. The healers were talking about what it could possibly be, when Venron placed himself beside Damion.

“How are you, love?” He touched her elbow, slowly trying to pull the cloaks off her to replace them with a proper blanket.

“Father, I’m sorry. I don’t want to lose the baby. Please help us.” Her fingers crawled over the sofa and clung to his, though there was little strength in the action.

“The what?” Venron leaned in, clearly believing he miss heard.

“We believe she may be pregnant.” Damion’s eyes met the King’s.

A mix of feelings crossed over his visage before he leaned over his daughter. For a brief moment, Damion flinched, waiting for some kind of outburst. But his eyes only softened, looking back at his daughter, and squeezing her fingers. “I will do what I can.”

“We’re going to need to do an examination.” Gladia announced. “Her symptoms would match if the fetus died. We should take a look and find out if that’s what’s happening. If it is, her life may be in jeopardy.” Volencia started sobbing, and though it felt like he’d just been stabbed in the heart, he looked at her softly. Trying to calm her.

The King stood stepping away. Gladia asked everyone to leave the room, but as Damion tried to stand, she cried harder, clasping his hands. Begging he stay. He was only off the floor a few inches, settling back down immediately. “I’ll stay, love. I’m not leaving you. I promise.”

“Princess, we’re going to have to remove your clothing. Are you sure he should stay?”

“Please.” Volencia begged, groaning as her body shivered in pain.

She tried to sit up, but he eased her back down. “I’m staying. I won’t leave you. I promise.”

“She may need surgery.” Gladia said, working at the ties on Volencia’s pants to try and get them off.

Damion watched her eyes widen, fear gripping her chest. “Could we not say those things until we know.” He begged. Feeling his own panic rise.

“Sorry.” She said. Everyone left the room, except Venron, who pulled up a chair and sat behind the sofa where he wouldn’t be able to see his exposed daughter.

“I’ll stay over here, but will be available if needed.” Venron cleared his throat, “How long have you known?”

“Not until my mom started putting pieces together. Volencia, at least as far as I know, started vomiting on our way there. We thought it was because she used a lot of magic that morning…”

“Oh my Goddess.” Gladia gasped, slowly pulling Volencia’s pants from her.

None of them changed while they were on the road, so the only times they would have had a chance to see her skin was she relieved herself. But that hadn’t been necessary because she wasn’t eating or drinking.

“It hurts.” Volencia cried out, trying to roll into a ball again. Damion staired, lifting the hem of the shirt he had borrowed from Tatron the night before they left. Huge dark lines snaked over her stomach, nearly reaching her ribs. Wrapping around her waist and vanishing down her thighs.

Damion looked up at Gladia. He was in complete and total shock, not a noise escaped his mouth. She stared at him, “I’m going to check on the babe.” She pressed her hand to the burning flesh below Volencia’s belly button. Volencia screamed the entire time Gladia was touching her. She gasped again. “The babe lives… but… I don’t understand what’s going on? I need to go get the other healers.” She said, rushing out the door.

Damion stood up, turning to pull a blanket from the back of another chair, drapping it over her hips and legs. “Your Highness, please, come look at this.” His voice was thick with emotion and fear.

Venron rounded the sofa and stared down at the lines. “How far along is she?”

Wrapping his arms around his chest, he couldn’t bare to look at the King. “The day I rescued her.”

Venron’s eyes were dark as they settled on Damion. “You’ve been having an affair with my daughter since the day you came here?”

Damion sighed, dropping to his knees beside Volencia as her fingers gripped at him. Taking her hand in his, he looked back up at the King and could feel tears gathering. “No.” His voice was thick with emotion. “Someone else took over my body. It was my seed, but I didn’t choose to… we’ve been calling him ghost because we don’t know anything about him. But once they had captured me, when they were about to take her in the square, he took over everything in me. I guess he told Volencia that the reason he could come was because of me, I can only guess it’s because of the magic I have.” Damion caressed Volencia’s forehead and cheek. “Her symtoms started when we left for Samanthia. We were attacked on the road, and her magic went haywire. I had to use my own to control it and to make sure she didn’t kill Trishia and I.”

Damion had to stop for a minute, taking a few deep breaths. “She started vomiting after that. I thought it was the magic. She didn’t usually use it, so I figured that had to be what was affecting her. Once we made it to the village, it didn’t take mom long to realize that other signs were there. She came to Volencia and I asking if we had been intimate, then told us she believed the princess was pregnant. It was a shock to us both.”

“You haven’t touched her since that day?” The King frowned. “You seem awfully comfortable having her lay there naked in front of you.”

“The marks are pretty disturbing. But you’re right. A few days after we learned that she was pregnant, I asked her to marry me. Our emotions were high and ran away with us both. We were together that night too.”

Venron gasped, staring wide eyed down at the elf clinging to his daughter. Tears running down his cheeks as he soothed her in the only way he seemed to know how. Though she still groaned and cried from the pain. “My daughter and you are engaged?”

“Pending your blessing. Yes.”

“Please father…” her eyes opened briefly to look up at him.

“You’re willing to take responsibility of a child you had no say in?” Venron wanted desperately to ask other questions, tell them other things, but he couldn’t every time his mind flittered over those important bits, his mind and tongue froze before he was able to focus again.

“It was still my body… besides, I love your daughter, with all that I am. I would die for her and want nothing more than to never have to let her go or see her harmed. I can’t wait to share this with her. To hold the babe and her in my arms. Tell me what I can do to protect them now, and I will do anything.” As Volencia started sobbing again, he raised himself up, pulling the shirt back to look at her again. “It’s my magic, isn’t it? Her body is rejecting the child because he has the nihility magic in him.” Damion’s hand shook. “What can we do?”