When the Sun Fell |✔|

30

Jodi nervously paced back and forth in a small corner of the kitchen.

She was out of the way of her workers, but any who came closer to her was on the receiving end of her snapped comments and glares.

The tension in the room was only heightened as the sound of rushing footsteps was heard and a girl emerged frantic and out of breath in the doorway.

"For God's sake Stephanie, its been over an hour!" Jodi quickly moved to stand in front of the girl, ignoring how the other kitchen staff seemed to still in their own work as they breathlessly waited.

Stephanie held up a hand, causing an impatient noise to be heard from Jodi.

"I just ran from one end of the castle to the next and avoided guards from literally every country - give me a minute Jodi."

She coughed, rubbing her throat and wincing slightly as she bent and rose to straighten her back.

Jodi felt her foot tap nervously against the floor, her patience finally breaking as she snapped again, "well?"

"She's okay."

A relieved exhale left the whole room, causing Jodi to turn and finally notice the lack of activity within her kitchen.

"Get back to work!" She barked, her fury only lowering slightly at the good news.

She turned back to face Stephanie, "what do you mean okay? Do you mean she will live or do you mean she is unharmed? What is her condition?"

At that Stephanie winced. She knew Jodi would press her for more details.

"Uh..."

Jodi leaned foward, and even though Stephanie was a good five inches taller, she still felt intimidated by her aunt's stare.

"Her left shoulder is broken. And..."

"And?"

Stephanie took a nervous look around the room, taking a step closer so that no one else could hear as she whispered, "She's pregnant."

*   *   *

Lumi stared at her hands in shock.

"But you told Theros," Josiah was glaring down at her.

Lumi's head was still spinning. She was still trying to catch up to the events that had just passed in the hour since waking up.

Her shoulder had been bandaged. Unable to move. That had resulted in the warrior side of her to come out as she leaped to assault the medical staff.

They had been startled, taken aback by the fear and confusion the woman showed. If not for Ramus, she most likely would have caused further injury to herself.

It had taken them several minutes to explain the situation, where she was at, and what had occurred, for her to finally calm down.

And then like a dark twister, Josiah had pushed all that aside and demanded to know the truth. Lumi had laughed. There was no child. How could she explain to him that she had said it to save them? To save herself? To keep together the small form of peace she had been able to collect in those few months that had passed.

Only for her false sense of security to come crashing down as the physician turned to her in confusion and said, "what? What are you talking about Queen Lumikki? You're two months along?"

And now she was sitting there in shock staring at her hands while Josiah paced like an angry wild cat in front of her.

"Who doesn't know they're pregnant?!"