Chapter 210: The Royal Baby
I brought Eloise back to our chambers and summoned Celia. It didn’t take long before she came, checking Eloise’s pulse as I had requested.
I asked her not to check for the baby’s, but for Eloise, because I needed to confirm if I was right. I was anxious to the bone, and my worry has only grown with each passing second.
"Well?" I said, already getting impatient with her slow diagnosis. She was taking too much time with this.
"It seems..." she began, opening her eyes. "Her body is getting weaker. Her lingering ailment might be returning."
It was just as I feared. Eloise’s body had been deteriorating for some time now. She no longer craved blood; the snowblood part of her had been repressed, and she was slowly reverting to her human state.
This was not a good thing.
Eloise’s human state in the past was nothing to write home about. Now, she’s carrying our baby, and I feared her body would not be able to handle it.
"If her lingering ailment gets back to how it originally was or worse, I fear the queen cannot carry the royal baby to a full term."
A constriction found my chest, my pulse pumping in my ears, drowning out every other noise.
"What’s your advice?" I forced myself to ask.
"It’s not my place..."
"Speak."
"I’m honored by the position of the Royal Healer given to me by the royal family. Which is why I say this with an earnest heart, for the sake of the future, the queen must bear this child."
"You’d not choose your queen’s life?"
"I responded to what was good for the empire. The royal family is weakened, you’re the only Alpha alive now." She looked to Eloise, hope shining in her eyes. "This royal baby is of great importance."
My jaw tightened.
"You may disagree with me, but I say the truth. As monarch, your greatest priority is your kingdom."
"I do not wish to discuss the weight of my rule with a Royal Healer."
"Apologies, I forgot my place. You asked for my advice and I gave it."
"Now answer me, not as a denizen of Valkanor but as a healer who puts her patient’s life before anything else."
Celia chewed the inside of her mouth, but she spoke. "There are great risks. I do not know the extent of her lingering ailment, for I did not diagnose her myself in the past."
"Go on."
"My research has only been tested on me, so the human body remains an unsolved puzzle."
I narrowed my eyes at her words. I must commend her for her dedication to her science; she took it quite seriously.
"My earlier diagnosis of her not being able to carry the baby to full term is based on an hypothesis."
"That’s enough." I peeled my eyes away. "You may leave. I shall summon you again soon."
"My liege," she curtseyed, walking past me, but I stopped her with my words.
"In the meantime, do not tell anyone about this. Do I make myself clear?"
"Of course—"
"I’m aware the Dowager is informed of your check-ups. She was the one who recommended that you become the Royal Healer, as you know, the Dowager doesn’t hand out important ranks without an agenda."
"You’re precise, my liege. I do give reports to the Dowager. She’s only concerned with the queen’s health; she carries the future. However, since we’re being honest with one another... we both know what she’s truly concerned about."
I throw a look over my shoulder, my eyes gleaming. "Have I made myself clear, Lady Celia?"
She lowered her head. "Yes, this shall remain a secret until you say otherwise. You have my word."
"I do not expect you to keep your word. I’m eager for you to spill."
She trembled slightly. "I’m not a fool, I know the consequences of defying our monarch. Then, I shall leave." She turned on her heels, and the doors slammed shut behind her.
I glanced back at Eloise’s sleeping form, and my once cold gaze softened beyond reckoning.
The empire will choose the future; there is no doubt about that. Eloise ceased being a person the moment she had my child; they see her only as a vessel who carries it.
I clenched my teeth. I knew that from the get-go, but I don’t give a shit about them.
I’ll always choose my wife. Always.
But what will Eloise choose?
~•~
"That’s enough," I said to the servants who brought in a variety of meals.
I picked mostly vegetables and other healthy things she can eat. I had her favorite pastries brought in case she craved them. There’s no telling what she’d like, especially when she was more picky than ever.
When the last of the servants left, I heard a soft toss from the bed, the drapes pushed aside as Eloise stepped out, and she yawned, rubbing her eyes.
"How long have I been asleep?"
I leveled my gaze at her stomach. She wasn’t showing yet, but the energy from our baby was getting obvious; any Lycan would be able to tell she was carrying a life.
I smiled warmly. "You must be hungry, my love."
Eloise peeked at the full table and, upon seeing her favorite pastries, she had them first.
"Oh, thank the goddess! They still smell so good." She did a little jump before taking big bites, moaning from the creamy taste.
"I’m glad you have the appetite for pastries, but you should eat more healthy food."
"Trust me, it’s what our baby craves," she said, licking her fingers before she asked. "Can you check?"
At first, Eloise’s fears about the pregnancy were great due to what her mother had gone through, but now she seemed uplifted. I guess that my support made her that way.
The thought of having that bright, carefree expression fade when I tell her the news was another kind of heartbreak. What kind of mate would I be if I gave her nothing but bleak news? I promised her nothing but happiness.
Am I failing her again?