I eventually fell back asleep. Garroth remained in the bed with me and held onto my hand. I assume that when he figured it was safe, he slipped out from under the covers and quietly dressed himself for the day.
When I woke up, he was gone. I did get sick during that short time Garroth was with me. He held my hair back when it was needed most, but I had grown accustomed to doing it myself for the past few days. I didn't want to bother anyone with how ill I felt.
The feeling of nausea was gone when I woke up. Instead, a sensation of hunger replaced it. Giving little care to how I look, I threw on my dressing gown and walked towards the kitchen.
I'm still tired. No matter how much sleep I get, I don't feel as though it's enough. I'll simply push the feeling away as time progresses, but it's annoying to be tired as often as I am.
"Ah, there you are."
It's the same voice and words that have been repeated before in the past. I turn to face Vylad with a smile.
"Here I am," I say. "Another secret search party? We should really stop with those."
He only laughs and nods his head. "Garroth came to your bed and realized you weren't there. I just so happened to be nearby when he went to look for you."
I eye him skeptically. "That's ironic. You always seem to be around when someone declares I'm 'missing.'"
"What can I say? It's like a sixth sense."
I hum as a response and continue my route towards the kitchen. Vylad follows in my shadow, waiting outside while I head inside. They're already preparing for lunch.
When I walk out, Vylad is waiting patiently for my return. "They only gave me bread," I say. Plan bread wasn't my idea of a breakfast, but it'll make do. "Garroth apparently alerted them that I'm ill."
"He told everyone that. We were told to allow you to rest and he'd personally check in on you."
I nibble on the bread. It's bittersweet. It isn't terrible tasting, but it's not my favorite thing in the world. Kind of dry.
"I'm not a child, and I feel fine now. I'm just. . . tired."
Vylad places his hand on my back. It's now that I realize that he is guiding me back to my bed. He has never listened to my protests despite Garroth being able to tell him what to do. I'm close enough to Vylad that I don't mind this. I simply just eat the bread and allow him to take me back to my room.
I'm well aware he's just going to tell Garroth I'm back now.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
My ladies learned I was awake, and they came in to check on me while Garroth was in a meeting.
My hair was brushed and placed into a braid. They changed me into a fresh set of pajamas and insisted I lay in my bed once more. Vylad had one of the ladies sneak me a book so I wouldn't be too bored.
Garroth came immediately after his meeting ended. He told me he had come to check on me before his meeting started, but I had disappeared. Now he's sitting on the side of my bed staring down at me.
"Are you sure you're well?"
Garroth leans forward to rest his hand on my forehead once more. He finds there to be no fever, and he moves on to adjusting the loose hair that frames my face. I reach for his hand when he goes to touch my cheeks, holding it tightly by my side to stop him.
"I'm alright, Garroth. I'm just tired."
"You were ill this morning," he counters. "I held your hair back."
"And I'm very thankful for that. I feel fine now, though."
Garroth doesn't appear to be convinced and turns his head towards the opening doors. Zianna rushes into the room and forces Garroth to move over. She repeats Garroth's previous actions and finds no fever present. He's sent out of the room, and Zianna allows me to sit up.
"What's wrong, darling? Garroth tells me you've felt sick lately," she says, helping me sit up.
I am able to do it on my own, but I'm not going to argue with Zianna when she is in this caring state.
"It's only been going on for a few days. Three, perhaps," I state, trying to think back to when this first started to happen. "I've been sick in the morning, and it isn't frequent. I'm tired."
She smiles softly, asking me to continue on with what's been going on. I lift an eyebrow at this and feel her cup my hand into her own. Zianna guides me on some questions, and this causes more realization on what I've dismissed.
Her voice is hushed, but she's excited. "I believe you to be pregnant."
My tone is in disbelief. "What?"
Zianna's smile only grows. "O'Khasis has an heir."
