Survivor (A Skyrim Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Seventeen

Ulfric stared gaping at my bare stomach in complete shock, but his excitement was easily visible.

"With child? So she's going to have a baby?"

"Yes. She is," Warrick responded bluntly. 

"Do you know what sex it is?"

"No." 

Ulfric couldn't contain his smile whilst he sat in the chair right beside me. He lifted my hand up to his mouth and gently kissed each of my knuckles, staring intently into my eyes.

All too quickly he released his grasp and got up from the chair, pacing the room and started asking numerous questions.

"When is it going to be due?"

"I assume it will take the usual nine months for the baby to arrive, but there's no telling if it will be late or early closer to the time."

"What about its health, will it be healthy?"

"I'm afraid there's no telling."

Ulfric silently nodded, not taking his eyes off of my belly. I had no idea this man could be so overjoyed about such a thing. 

"Thank you for your time, Warrick. You may leave us now," Ulfric said.

With a nod, the healer shuffled out of the room, his long, faded teal robes sliding behind him. Now only me and Ulfric were in our room, the maid from earlier leaving hastily before I was examined. I glanced to Ulfric who was still beaming brightly with genuine delight.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly but still with a sense of pride in his voice.

I was still cold but I felt the same as usual otherwise. I tugged down my gown from under my breasts back down so it was covering everything again. 

"I could ask the same of you."

He almost ran to the other side of the bed and bounced onto it, lying down onto his side propped up by his elbow facing me. 

"Surprisingly, I'm rather thrilled. I certainly wasn't expecting this news on your return." His face suddenly turned grim, like something he had forgotten just popped back into his head. "You have no idea how worried I was about you."

There was something about his tone that made me feel guilty, and for some reason I wanted to cry. I don't know whether it was from my trauma, the pregnancy, or just because I had made him feel this way. I didn't want him to worry about me, but there he was...worrying. 

"I-I'm sorry..."

I didn't know what else to say. I felt like I was a child again being scolded by my mother for digging up the soil in the garden or chasing the chickens. When Ulfric was unhappy with you, he really knew how to make you feel ashamed. 

He took my chin between his fingers gently and placed a simple chaste kiss on my lips.

"Aemilia, I worry because I love you. I can't bear the thought of losing you." He looked at me sternly. "Don't ever do that to me again."

I remained silent, staring into the hallway across the room watching everyone come and go. He pulled me next to him tightly and wrapped his arms around my shoulders with his head resting upon mine.

"We've got a lot to talk about," Ulfric stated. "Names."

"What?"

"Baby names. We need to decide on some."

I laughed dryly, much to Ulfric's confusion.

"No, not yet. Not until it's born, so we can pick a name that seems to fit."