Gifted

Bairns

Alina suspected they'd conceived at Helmsdale, just before Valentines. She'd missed her courses due the first week of March but wasn't sure until morning sickness hit at the end of that month and continued on past Easter. Three weeks of mornings started with her sitting bolt upright and retching into a basin. Magnus always seemed to have it ready for her and held her hair back for good measure.

Then, miraculously, one fine April day started with her sitting up in bed with none of the anticipated sickness. So elated by this was she that she clambered out from under the covers and skipped naked around their huge bed. She even partook of some of the bread and butter laid out on the table before crossing the room to the copper tub.

She loved starting her days with her bath in front of the fire but the river beckoned as the weather warmed. Magnus flatly forbade swimming. His newest theory about what she'd foreseen in December was that she'd nearly drowned. He based this on seeing her lashes wet when she'd opened her eyes for that one flash of him at the end. She'd argued that they were likely tears but he would not be moved.

Magnus leaned over Alina as she sat in the tub. She tilted her face up for a kiss.

When he eventually lifted his mouth from hers, he complained, "I havetae go. Bean and I are tae meet with Laird MacLellan at the border today. This, on the one morning ye're awake enough for my attentions."

She glanced down at his attentive cock.

"We could make it fast," she offered.

"Minx," he said, shaking his head before leaving to get dressed.

She got out of the bath and toweled dry but got distracted from putting on her chemise. The mirror didn't reflect a pregnant woman. Except... Magnus emerged from the dressing chamber and caught sight of her in the mirror, holding both her breasts up for inspection.

She asked, "Did these get bigger?"

He stepped behind her and cupped his hands over hers.

"Aye," he murmured into her ear. "I believe they are. And more sensitive, too."

She moaned at his touch and leaned back into him.

He groaned then reluctantly pulled away.

"I have tae go," he repeated, caressing her bottom longingly. "Be safe while I'm gone. I've a guard outside and he kens tae follow ye everywhere. I'll be back tomorrow morning at the latest."

She dressed quickly after he left and sat at her writing desk to try to finish her letter to Christopher. He and his wife Gwendolyn had their baby in early March and Alina had been trying to write a message of congratulations to them for weeks now. She was usually very prompt about her correspondence but she gave up after staring at the parchment for several minutes.

She sought Mairi out in the south solar. Mairi had been staying overnight once a week so that she'd get two lessons in with one visit. She'd get reading lessons with Elizabeth on day one, sleep over, then she'd shadow Alina around on day two to learn about the healing arts. This morning, Ainsley was coming up to the castle for a pregnancy check-up. She was due to deliver in less than a couple weeks.

Ainsley had already arrived and the two blonde women sat together by a sunny window. Statuesque Mairi commiserated as petite Ainsley lifted her skirts to show her swollen ankles. They did their check-up and everything else was in order. Ainsley said she wanted a dip in the river to help the swelling. Mairi wanted to go, too. Sinclair territories had extensive shorelines and her clanspeople learned how to swim as soon as they learned to walk. Yuka, she boasted, swam like a seal, a veritable selkie.