Rebellion and New Life

Chapter 14

A few weeks later, Chamberlain was doing his duties and he felt some strong fluttering in his stomach. He was now at the nineteenth week.

He had been feeling small flutters for a little over a month, but had never been as strong as they were today. He decided to keep it to himself for now, unless it got worse or stronger. What it could be, he had no idea. Sil had never felt anything like this before. He hoped it wasn't something that was making him sick to his stomach again.

Ung the Warrior had also returned and he and Sil had immediately hissed and growled at each other. They were deadly rivals too.

One day, as all the other Skeksis were back in the castle too, and were gathered in the throne room. They had heard about the three that had perished in the battle by now.

"Warrior SkekUng, step forward." the Emperor announced.

"Yes, my Emperor." Ung said, bowing respectively.

"With the death of our last General, I now promote you to be our new General and the Garthim Master, as the Scientist has been making the Garthim army stronger every day. You will take the Garthim when they are big enough in numbers to the Gelfling villages and bring them back for their essence." SkekSo declared. "And kill ones that resist."

"Yes, Sire. I will do so. I look forward to this." Ung said. He would be happy to follow the orders.

Sil couldn't believe that his most current violent rival had received such a promotion. But the Gelfling did have to be dealt with, somehow. The army still wasn't ready.

It was amazing that the Slave Master hadn't been promoted to the next General. Of course, he was already in charge of slaves.
...............

At the time of his pregnancy, Chamberlain kept on feeling strong stirrings inside of him. His belly had been fat for a long time, like any of the other's, but his had also started growing some more. He mainly only noticed it when he took his baths. Underneath all his robes, it wasn't noticeable at all. None of the others could tell there was anything different.

Chamberlain was eating way more now than he usually did at the table. He would finish his meals when they ate at the table, but it wouldn't be long before he would be asking SkekNa for a bunch of scraps. If he didn't get the right portion size, Sil would size him up and have a big mood swing. He would make sure that Na would get him the size portion of food that he wanted.

La had even noticed how her mate didn't seem satisfied with small portion sized meals. He would even try to get some from her, as she sat next to him.

He still checked in on the Scientist's work to see how it was going. It was getting better all the time. The army kept growing. Ung was all too excited to be out there battling the Gelfling and soon.
...............

At the twenty-fourth week, one night, Chamberlain was lying in bed with the Illustrator again. They had finished making love and were just relaxing together. He was lying on his back next to her and she was lying on his chest, her arm draped over him. His left arm was around her. His head rested on hers. He smiled happily. They couldn't have been happier with each other. They had a blanket draped over themselves. They were in their favorite hiding spot.

Just as Sil was starting to seem to drift off to sleep after the 'workout,' and being immersed in his mate's seducing scent, suddenly, he felt something that made his eyes snap open instantly. It made him jump and it startled La too.

"Sil, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Not know. Felt something." he replied.

"What?"

Then he felt it again. Sil looked down at his stomach. "Must sit up." he said and La got off him. He pushed himself up and pulled off the blanket. He remained in an upright position as he looked at his belly.

La sat up too. "What do you feel?" she asked.

"Something... strange. In belly." he stated, looking down, confused.

"Does it hurt?"

"No, just surprise." Sil waited for it and didn't feel it again. When it didn't come, he began to lay down again. So did La. But the moment he was down, he felt it again. It made him sit up fast. "There it is again."

"Where do you feel it?" La asked.

Chamberlain rubbed a spot on his lower belly. "Right here."

"Can I feel it?"

"Yes. Need to see if another can feel it too." He was comfortable with letting her feel it. He guided her hand to where he was feeling the unknown movement. They both waited. There was nothing. She had also noticed that his belly seemed to be a little bigger than it usually was.

"I don't feel anything." she said.

"Wait. It might happen if I lay down." he said and he laid back. "Keep hand there." She did as instructed.

They waited a few moments, and Sil felt it again. He was startled. This time, La felt it too. It made her pull her hand away in shock. She gasped, "What was that?" she asked in alarm.

"You felt it too?" Sil sat up.

"Yes." she replied. "What was it?"

"I not know, SkekLa. I just as startled as you." Sil stated. He put a hand back on his belly and rubbed. It felt so strange. It wasn't painful, just weird.

"Maybe the Scientist will know what is causing it. Have him check it out." La suggested.

"Scientist hurt my belly a lot when I was sick. I don't know. Maybe it will stop." Sil proclaimed.

"It wouldn't hurt to check it anyway." she said.

"Wait a few days to see what happens first. Not want to see him right away. May be nothing." he stated.

"Okay. Only if it doesn't stop in a few days." she said.

The two of them laid together and couldn't help but wonder what was going on in the Chamberlain's stomach. It was something that no Skeksis had ever experienced before, so they didn't know what it was.

Sil whimpered as he felt some movements within him continue. La could tell his usual ones from ones of worry or discomfort. Right now, his whimpering was both. She nuzzled his neck, trying to comfort him. It made him smile at that and he nuzzled back.

"Sil, I don't mean to say anything cruel to you, but as I was looking at your belly, I noticed it seems, well, bigger than what it used to be..." La pointed out gently.

He understood. He knew what she meant. "I know. Must be eating too much, but belly keeps telling me to eat more than time ago." he explained. "Now feel something inside it."

"We must find out what is going on. What if it is some kind of parasite? I don't want to lose you." she declared.

"Same here." He kissed her.

Exhaustion was the only thing that claimed them both soon after.
...............

Chamberlain kept on feeling movements in his belly over the coming days, and they were pretty firm. Nothing too painful though.

He and La still sat next to each other at the dinner table. La was keeping a watchful eye on him. Sil also still sat next to the Emperor, since SkekVar was now gone. Sil was so happy to be in the Emperor's favor, but SkekSo did notice something up with his adviser.

One evening at the table, Sil had been eating most of his food as he normally did, but then, he suddenly felt something else from his belly. The baby pushed hard inside him. It made him gasp and hold his breath as he leaned back, with a startled look on his face and a hand on his stomach. It also made his chair slide back a bit too.

The sudden movement from Sil's chair got the others' attention too.

"What's wrong with you?" the Emperor asked.

Even La was surprised because she was sitting next to her mate, and had clearly seen him jump up. She was worried about him.

Sil looked at the Emperor in alarm. He couldn't know what was going on with him. He took a breath in. "Nothing, sire. Just something under table touched me." he lied. "Startle me."

"Ha! You know those critters are under there all the time!" the new General scoffed.

"None of your business, Spithead!" Sil yelled at Ung.

"It seemed like something much more than that, Chamberlain." Zok said.

"I'm fine." Sil snapped. "Leave me alone!"

He pulled his chair up again to try to eat some more to satisfy the hunger he was feeling still. He kept on eating. He didn't eye La at this time, though she did spy him in worry. Something was truly wrong.

As he kept on eating and gobbled up a piece of a fish, he felt a big, hard push again. He gasped and gagged on the fish. It made him do the same thing again.

"What's wrong?" the Ornamentalist asked this time.

"Something wrong with your stomach?" Ritual Master had noticed Sil holding it.

"Hmm. Nothing! Just food not agree with me." Sil snapped.

"Then don't eat it." the Emperor advised.

Sil took a deep breath. He couldn't take this anymore. He got up from the table. He didn't need the glares and mocking, and the questions. The others watched him go. La remained in her seat, but watched him leave from the corner of her eye. She would find him afterwards to check how he was doing.

He went upstairs to his room and sat down on the bed. "What is wrong inside me?" he asked himself. SkekLa had mentioned parasites, but this felt different. After rummaging for a moment, an alarming thought hit him.

The Skeksis usually wouldn't want to think about this, but with Sil's thoughts bouncing all over the place, and his hormones out of control at the time, he couldn't help but wonder about what happened after death. He wanted to believe if he ever died that he would have a spirit, but he didn't want to die. That was why he kept on drinking essence as it came along.

But his thoughts wandered to what he had done to SkekVar. He knew that SkekMal and SkekLach had also died in the battle at the Stonewood village too, but that was different. He had personally killed Var. He felt another push from inside him. He put both hands over his belly. He looked down at it. Was it possible that something was making him pay for Var's murder? But what?

"I hope SkekVar not making me pay like this." Sil moaned. The movement was strong. The baby was rolling inside him.

"Are you alright?" a voice asked.

"Agh!" Sil held his chest as his mate stood in the doorway. "Not do that, please!..."

"Forgive me. I just came to see what was wrong. You were so tense at the table down there. Is it still that strange movement causing you worry?" La asked.

"Yes. But movement not like before. Pushed hard in belly. Big push now." he winced.

"Maybe now is a good time to see the Scientist for an answer. He might know what it is and might be able to remove the problem. If it's some parasite like I think it is!" La advised.

That sent a chill down the Chamberlain's spine and into his belly. He instantly put both his hands over his belly. He didn't want that to happen!

"I really not want belly operated on." he whined. He couldn't help it that tears came to his eyes. They began to fall. "But think that I am being punished."

"Punished for what?" La asked in concern as she held him to comfort him as she saw the tears.

"Not know. Just something feels like punishment." Sil cried. He still didn't want to mention he had murdered the General.

"There is something definitely going on. You are not yourself. You usually never cry like this." La pointed out.

"Like dead Skeksis punish Chamberlain." Sil blurted out.

"How could that be?" La was curious to know why her mate would think that.

"Not know. Just feel it, La. One in particular. Big rival. General SkekVar." Sil whimpered.

"You don't know that. The dead usually cause no harm." she replied.

"We have souls. Not want to die, but know we can. Var's soul punishing me for losing fight." Sil sobbed.

La didn't know how to help him get that thought out of his head. "When you feel better, you need to see SkekTek." she advised. "I don't want to lose you, in case this is something that is evolving like last time... you have to go see the Scientist. Please."

He nodded in her hands as she held to comfort him.