Through the Lies

Chapter 9

Maven

The Winter Solstice has always been my favorite celebration. It acts as a break from the seriousness of the colder months in court.

This year had been particularly serious in regards to the new terms. Reds who dared rise in status were being murdered in the cities. Silvers boycott the new Red businesses. Unfair court rooms and sentencing.

And the icing on the cake are my council members. I seem to be the only one who cares about the problems happening to half of the people who live here. They would rather talk about trade with the Lakelands, or the visitors from Piedmont who aren't scheduled to come for another two months.

I don't expect help from Mare. She's busy with the Newbloods, which is an even more daunting task than my own. We agreed to divide and conquer when it came to Reds and seeing her succeeding is what helps me stay motivated in my own task.

I'm not just relieved, but excited about the next week. There are no meetings scheduled for a whole seven days and that alone is something to look forward to, but I also get to spend the whole time with Mare.

Visitors from The Lakelands arrive for the first time in a month, despite the weather conditions over the lakes.

"I wouldn't miss your celebration for the world," Iris had told Mare when they arrived.

The two of them had become quite close since the treaty, with Iris and her entourage visiting every other week or so.

The Winter Ball comes too soon, marking the last day of freedom and festivities.

I lead Mare to the middle of the ballroom and begin with the song. The first dance always belongs to us; we dance alone as the rest of the court watches. 

"Is there something wrong?" I finally ask, noticing she's been off all week. 

"Yeah. I think I caught a bug or something. I just feel gross and a bit tired."

"Should we leave? I'm sure no one would care."

She chuckles, "What about your mother?"

I roll my eyes, "Well what can she do about it?"

Mare sighs, "True. I think I'll be fine if we sit down after this."

At the end of the song, she slumps down into one of the chairs ungracefully, earning a few judgemental stares, but as usual, Mare takes it all in stride. As a motivation to be different.

We spend the evening talking rather than dancing, which neither of us mind. I never usually danced at balls anyway, all of the girls wishing to dance with Cal instead.

I'll bet all of those silly girls feel like fools now.

"Queen Mareena, may I steal your husband for a song?"

Iris stands in front of us, wearing her usual polite smile.

Mare smiles back, "I am in no shape to be spinning right now. He's all yours."

Iris raises an eyebrow playfully, "Too much champagne?"

She laughs in reply, "Something like that."

I stand up and walk Iris to the middle of the floor.

"My father sends his support, as always," She states once we begin.

I nod, "We appreciate it. How is everything there?"

"We face the same problems as Norta. Silvers aren't taking kindly to the new laws. I think this kind of thing just takes time to get used to though. For everyone."

I wish she wasn't right.

"Anything else happening there that we can help with?" I ask.

Iris shakes her head, "Just keep up the trade. Things have been a world better since the war ended."

I smile, agreeing.

I walk back to Mare when the dance is over to find her gone, probably too sick to stay any longer.

I head back to my chambers, deciding it was late enough to leave. Mare's red and Silver ball gown lies on the floor but she's not in the room.

"Mare?"

I'm responded with coughing from the bathroom.

I open the doors and find her wiping her mouth in front of the running sink.

"Are you oka-"

The smell of vomit prevents me from finishing. I grab her wrist and begin pulling her out of the bathroom.

"We're going to a healer. Don't tell me you're 'fine'.

She groans in response, "Ugh, Maven. It's not that big of a dea-"

"No." I cut her off and don't bother to see the eye roll. I can see it even looking anymore.

The infirmary is thankfully mostly empty, and the Red nurses are immediately on us.

They check Mare's temperature and heart rate and then leave us in a small room with a bed and a chair and little else.

"What do you think is wrong?" I ask her.

Mare sits down on the bed and doesn't meet my eyes.

"I don't know."

Mare is a good liar, but I'm better. I can see through the fibs she tells me, though I don't prod this time. We'll find out soon enough.

A Blonos skin healer comes in and looks Mare up and down.

"How often do you vomit?"
Mare looks at a loss, "How did you-"
The healer sighs, "My Queen. Answer the question."

She hesitates, almost looking frightened, before answering, "Almost every day for the past two weeks."

I feel my eyes go wide, "What-?"
The healer waves me off.

"When was the last time you menstruated?"

Mare blushes, "I don't remember."

The healer approaches her and sets a hand on her stomach; I finally realize what's going on.

"I think you knew my Queen, but in case you need confirmation, there is nothing wrong with you. According the amount of blood in your body, you're about two and a half months pregnant."

Mare goes white, and I can't do anything but stare in shock.

The healer ushers us out of the infirmary and back into the hallway, looking like she was about to start laughing from our reactions.

We stand in the hallway in silence. Mare looks around, avoiding my stare.

"Did you know?"

Mare sighs, "I figured it out a while ago, I was just trying to find the right time to tell you. It was just never the right time."

I nod, not even knowing what to say.

"You're upset. Aren't you?"

I look up and see she looks frightened; it's not an expression she wears often.

"Of course not, I'm just- here."

I pull her into an embrace.

"I'm just shocked. Are you upset?"

She laughs into my shoulder, "No. I just haven't let myself form an opinion until I told you. I wasn't sure what yours would be."

I laugh and hold her close, "I'm happy Mare. Really, really, happy."

She sighs, relaxing, "Then so am I."