The Azimar Archives Book One- The Book of Death

Silvana

It was the faintest hint of nausea that woke Silvana, and she rolled in her half-sleep, reaching for Hasani's warmth. When she didn't find it, her eyes snapped open and she let out the smallest groan. Already working. This can't continue when the baby comes.

Silvana sat up in bed, blinking away the last traces of sleep and searching the half lit room for her husband.

He was bent over his small writing desk, scribbling furiously. Silvana watched him for a moment, until he dropped the quill on the desk and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands over his face.

"Hasani?" He turned, surprised. "Hasani, it's nearly morning. Have you been up all night?"

Hasani looked to the other side of the room, where grey light started to filter through the window covering. "So it is." He touched a slip of parchment on the desk, its edges curling slightly. "I'm sorry, I was working."

"Hasani..." Silvana pleaded, brushing a few errant strands of hair from her face.

"I know, I know. I'll stop working so late when the baby comes. I promise."

Silvana frowned at him, eyes narrowing, but she tugged back the covers and motioned for Hasani to join her. He stood, smiling sheepishly, and started for her.

"What are you working on?"

Hasani paused, glancing back at the curling parchment on his desk. "Rubbish, as it turns out." He snatched up the parchment, looking it over briefly. After a quiet hesitation, he walked out of her line of sight, towards the hearth. She heard a faint crackling sound, followed by Hasani's low mutter. "Complete nonsense."

"So you'll come to bed?"

Hasani stepped back into view, smiling at her. "I'll do whatever my lady desires." He walked back across the room, pausing at the desk to pick up a small book, which he tucked into the inside pocket of his vest. 

"What's that?"

"A book." Hasani shrugged a shoulder before planting a kiss on her forehead. "Areanath gave it to me."

"Is it any good?"

He shook his head firmly, a faint smile crossing his lips. "Not really." He crawled into bed, and Silvana rolled over to her side, pressing her back against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist, burying his face in her hair. Silvana smiled in the dark as Hasani sighed contentedly and pulled her closer to him. He placed a hand on her swollen belly, rubbing it gently. The touch was soothing, and Silvana could feel her body relax as Hasani held her. "Has our little boy started kicking yet?"

Silvana laced her fingers together with Hasani's, and together they held her stomach. "No, he's still too little." She turned, looking over her shoulder at him. "And how can you be sure it won't be a little girl?" She smiled, goading him.

She could see his dark eyes shining lightly in the dark. "I can just feel it. Our child will be a strong and healthy boy."

"And if she's not?"

"Then I will love her as much as I love her beautiful mother, and treat her just as kindly. And I would perhaps insist that we try again for a boy."

Silvana smirked. "And if we only ever have girls?"

Hasani sighed wistfully. "I would love them all." He pulled her closer, squeezing her gently. "But I would perhaps insist on trying again and again, until we have a boy."

Silvana snorted, pulling away from him. "That's alright for you to say, I would be the one to carry and birth them all." But she rolled over to face him, planting a kiss on his cheek. "I hope then, for both of our sakes, that it is a boy." A faint pain in her abdomen brought her hand up to sit a bit higher on her belly. "There is already one unfortunate side effect of all of this..."