Invisible: Ryne Part Two *Complete*

6. Reacquainted

© Kelly Faulk 2013

Chapter 6:  Reacquainted

Tríka cried for days.  I almost couldn’t convince her to take a shower so she could wash the blood off herself.  While she was in the bathroom, I washed the sheets, and placed the old white ones on the bed.  I had no idea what had happened, and Tríka was too distraught to tell me.

After a week of practically nonstop crying, she finally calmed down long enough to tell me that she lost the baby.  She went back to crying after that.  I wanted to know why she lost it, so I went to the Archives to do some research.

The first few books did not tell me what I needed to know, but one I found was promising.  If the mother experiences stress of any kind it could cause her to lose the baby.  I had been gone for a month, and she had no idea when I was going to come back.  She had been stressing over what to do after she’d give birth since I had left.  So, this was my fault.  I shouldn’t have left.  The baby would have been fine, and Tríka and I would be happy.  I threw the book at the bookshelf, almost knocking it down.

It took me a long time to calm down, pacing around the Archives.  Calmer, I flew back up to Tríka to find her on the bed again, and knelt down beside her.  “Tríka,” I said above her sobs as I placed a hand on her back.  “I’m sorry.”  I wiped her tears away, and she caught her breath.

“No, it’s my fault.”

“It’s not your fault, Tríka.”

But I couldn’t get any more words out of her.

At the end of August, she calmed down a little, but she still cried at night.  I was upset, too, because I had called a Healer to come help me with my wife, and he looked at the baby—that Tríka had apparently wrapped in a towel before I washed the sheets—to see that it was just developing the feathers on its wings.  They were tiny leaves.  Our first child would have been of Earth, would have kept Sera’s blood in the Leadership role, but I ruined it.  All I could do now was hope that our next would be of Earth.  That is, if we ever got over this loss.

Tríka rarely left the stone home, and I didn’t want to venture too far away from her.  She barely took any notice to the pearl necklace I got her for her birthday.  We also really didn’t have a Christmas.  Her sour mood was taking its toll on me.  I was upset about our loss, too, but I had gotten over it in October.

The Court had also taken on a dark mood.  Word had gotten around about the loss, and the girls wanted to comfort their Queen.  Tríka ordered them away, and was especially cruel to Valrie, who had just had a daughter.  She threw a glass vase at her, which I caught, and sent Valrie away before harm could be done to either woman.

Tríka really wanted to have that baby.

She ignored my birthday, and wouldn’t even acknowledge me when I tried to talk to her.  This made me mad, but I brushed it off, not wanting to get upset with her.  We didn’t talk, kiss, or touch anymore.  She wouldn’t let me wipe away her tears, angering me even more.

When our wedding anniversary came, I tried to take her out to dinner.  She wouldn’t get out of bed.  I gave up on trying to get her to do anything.  Slamming the bedroom door, I stormed out to the main Chamber room, and flew off.  If Tríka wanted to act ridiculous, then two could play at that game.

I bought several small bottles of whiskey, and drank all of one before I returned to the Chamber.  As I walked to my throne, I threw the empty bottle at the wall, shattering it.  While I opened a new bottle, I placed a random CD in the player.  I downed another bottle, but didn’t feel the same as the last time I drank.  I was aware of everything, and could walk a straight line.  My flying was the same as always.