Never Leave Me Alone

Chapter 28

Peeta

"You don't need to be so concerned about me!" Katniss says sternly to her maids.

"Your Majesty," A small red head steps forward, "Please, think of the child."

"I am thinking about my child," Katniss says pacing back and forth. "I have settled into this lovely home far from the capital of Panem. I put Lord pine and the Princess Johanna in charge of regency for the time being and my enemies are lying in unmarked graves. I am under the least possible amount of excitement. How could I possibly be doing more for this child?" I chuckle and she carefully lays a hand on the swell of her pregnant belly.

"Your Highness, please talk some sense into Her Majesty," The maid says turning to me. I shrug.

"We had an agreement," I say. "I will call her out on doing something that will harm either her or our child. She's taking it fairly easy considering the day after she arrived less than a year ago, she climbed down the trellis in the garden. I'm thinking that my wife is just fine stepping back a the little bit she has. And besides, she outranks me at the moment. It isn't my place to order the Queen around." The maid sighs and sits down with the others.

"It is hard to know how to plan everything," Katniss says. "Everything must be just so for the delivery of my heir and in the event of any complications." I sigh as I continue through the papers laid in front of me for approval. 

"You don't need to be so morbid," I say. "You are young and healthy. You've had little discomfort. Everything will be fine." She looks at me pointedly.

"You made a will when you were in what I saw as fine and you saw as dire circumstances," she says. "I must make a will so there would be no uncertainty in the event of my  death in my child bed." She bites on her finger as she paces and I gently wave my hand to dismiss her ladies. 

"Let us speak privately a moment," They all stand and curtsy to me with mutters of pleasentries and walk across the room and out the door. Katniss looks at me and frowns.

"What will you lecture me on now, M'lord?" she asks tartly. I get up and walk over to her, laying my arms around her shoulders kissing her temple.

"I know better than that by now, Katie," I whisper. "But you need to take a breath without all those eyes staring at you. Those ladies remind you of the people you hold upon your shoulders. Remember that I share as much of that burden as you would let me and at the moment, you are just a terrified, pregnant woman. You need to breathe, Sweetheart." Katniss lays her head on my shoulder and sighs, her hands resting gingerly on the swell of her pregnant belly. I smile and lay my hand over hers. 

"He's moving a lot, though I would blame that on my constant worrying," she says quietly. 

"It won't be long now,  huh, that we won't be just two anymore?" I whisper. She nods.

"I can feel him lower in my belly," she says. "It can't be more than a few weeks, maybe a month. That's why I need to get everything straight and ready. Many a young woman loose their fight against the curse of Eve. I want to be sure that you and our child are cared for." 

"What is it that you want, Darling?" I ask. She looks at our joined hands and sighs. 

"Our child shall inherit my throne and titles, with you as his Lord Protector. Your sister and her betrothed shall remain as serving regents as well as their issues. I wish to keep the throne of Seam separate from that of Panem until you would join me in eternal bliss so that our child would have the dignity of an Everdeen royal. I would also like to see you honored as his child's father my titles of Coal and Ashes so that even when our child has out grown your watch, you will be rewarded for your care and kindness to me during the War of the Snowfall," I look at her and nod. 

"It seems to me that you already have it all figured out then," I say, not caring one bit about the titles she would give me. I don't expect to lay a claim to a single one. "So just let it lie for now and we will call your secretary tomorrow to put it in writing and lock it away for safe keeping. For now, you need to just think about how happy you'll be when we don't need to worry about the will and you have this child in your arms." She smiles and kisses my cheek. 

"Every time I think of it, I'm terrified until you speak of it. It's as though that gentle voice of yours assures me that it will be alright," she says pulling away from me. Her cloudy eyes look tired as she looks back at me. "I think I will lay down a while, and rest. It is best, seeing as I sent my letters for my birth attendants yesterday and they are expected to begin arising to the manor in a few days time. Until after this child is born, I will have very little time to my own devices from now on. " I kiss her gently and she dips her head. 

"Sweet dreams, Your Majesty," I say and she looks at me sternly. 

"If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, none of that in our bedchamber, Mossy," She pats my cheek and goes to the back room where our bed is.

"Sleep well, Katie," I chuckle as she disappears.