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Maxi sunk into the bed, pushing the blankets as far from her as possible. Even the linen nightgown she wore was too warm. A heat wave had made its way to Anatol, the sun was high in the sky and the air was stiff. The sweat made her hair stick to her skin. She let out a groan of frustration, the heat was only getting worse. She pulled her hair over her shoulder and fanned herself with a nearby piece of parchment.
She noticed some writing on the parchment and stopped to look at it. It was a half completed magic rune that she had spent weeks working on but couldn't seem to perfect. She laid the paper back on the side table and closed her eyes, trying to relax.
"I have readied your bath, Miss Calypse." A young girl with curly brown hair and green eyes softly spoke. The heat had been too much for Ludis and she was a bit ill. The doctor assured Maxi that it was nothing that rest and water could not heal.
"T-thank you Cecil." Maxi replied with a smile and moved to sit up.
"Here, Miss Calypse, let me help you!" Cecil spoke, rushing to her side.
"Cecil, how m-many times must I tell you to c-call me M-max?" Maxi said with a small chuckle.
The young girl blushed and helped her up from the bed. She pulled the linen gown over Maxi's head and removed the support belt from her swollen belly.
"Any day now." Cecil said with a smile.
"Yes, any d-day now." Maxi said with a smile ear to ear as she rubbed her ever growing baby bump.
She let out a sigh of relief as she sank into the tub of water. Even though it was warmer than usual, it still brought some relief from the heat.
After soaking for a little, Maxi got dressed in the lightest gown she owned and went looking for Riftan in the training grounds. She saw a field of Remdragon knights running training exercises. How they could handle this heat in all that armor was something that truly baffled her. She scanned the field of bodies looking for her husband, but did not see him.
Her body relaxed, as if by muscle memory, when she felt two strong arms wrap around her. "What are you doing out here, it is too hot." Riftan's husky voice whispered in her ear. He placed his hands on her belly and lightly rubbed it. "She sure is active today." Riftan said with a smile when he felt the baby kicking.
"No, he is just excited to s-see his f-father." Maxi corrected him with a giggle. She couldn't help but picture a baby that looked exactly like Riftan when she thought about their baby.
"I bet she is going to have your gorgeous red hair and your beautiful smile." Riftan spoke softly, cupping Maxi's face in his hands and planting a kiss on her forehead. "Come on, let's get you both inside." He said, guiding her back towards the castle.
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Maxi tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. She tried to support her belly with a pillow, she tried putting a pillow between her legs to support her hips better. None of it worked. She was hot, tired, frustrated, and lonely. Riftan had been training the Remdragon knights late into the night lately. He seemed worried about something, but wouldn't say what.
Maxi let out a frustrated sigh and sat up. She grabbed the magic book she had been reading from the side table and opened it to the page she left off on. The book wasn't anything particularly exciting, it was some fairly simple plant spells. While it wasn't challenging, Maxi still found them interesting. She had never thought much about plant magic, but it could be used to help provide people with much needed medicines.
She wasn't sure if it was Ruth or Riftan, but the magic book collection seemed to get smaller and smaller each time she visited the library. They both had told her to take it easy for now, and while she didn't disagree, she didn't understand why she couldn't read and study defense and attack magics.
"Why are you still awake?" Riftan's asked as he entered the room.
"I could n-not get comfortable." Maxi replied, closing the book and setting it back on the side table. The candle had melted a significant amount, leaving her to wonder how long she had been reading. With that thought, she felt a wave of tiredness hit her and let out a yawn.
She waited patiently while Riftan removed his armor and sweaty clothing. He dunked a piece of cloth into a bowl of water and wiped away the sweat and grime of the day. Maxi couldn't help but feel a hunger as she watched the water roll down his muscular back. It had been months since they had been intimate, Riftan was too scared of hurting the baby.
Riftan blew out the candle and slid into bed. He pulled Maxi closer to him and rubbed her belly. "Sleep." He commanded.
Maxi let her body relax against his, she could feel her eyelids getting heavy. She laced her fingers with his and closed her eyes. Before she knew it, she was sound asleep.
