Suspicion

The next day, Katherine's pain had vanished, but the nausea was back.

"You really don't have it easy in pregnancy," Lady Brandon muttered as she brought some dried fruits to enjoy. "I swear, your wedding dress wouldn't fit you anymore, and that's not because you got fatter. You know, if you want to leave the company and stay in a village for a while, I would stay behind with you. You just need to say the word."

Instead, Katherine shook her head. "I can't. I know it is irresponsible, but my bastard of a cousin –"

"Yes, yes," Lady Brandon waved her hand with a sigh as if to disperse some stink. "Don't let your baby hear those words. We all know he won't do a step without you. He emphasized it again yesterday. Actually, I expected him to care more about your health with how obsessed he is with you. If he knew about your condition, I'd swear he wants you to miscarry."

"But he doesn't know and I won't." Katherine's eyes were like steel when she gazed at her friend. "Whatever happens, I won't allow myself to miscarry. Not only for myself but also for Nathaniel... he would take all the blame on himself. I won't allow that! If worse comes to worst, I'll have to figure something out with my power. I just can't believe it would harm my baby."

Lady Brandon lifted her brows. "Okay... well, as long as you don't experiment until you are in dire straits... and I hope that won't happen. Really, I don't need another baby to be born in a cave!"

At that, Katherine grinned tentatively. "Tell me that story about Lady Sherley again. What did you say her son's name was?"

"Stanley - oh, did you know that name means stone in the ancient language? Really, how could she name her son after this terrible incident..."

Meanwhile, Nathaniel questioned the soldiers that guarded their prisoner day and night, though he didn't have to wear chains anymore. "How much did he see yesterday? Did he show signs that he knows about the pregnancy?"

The soldiers, the same ones who guarded Ethan at the lake, glanced at each other before one answered hesitantly. "He seems to suspect something, but he didn't speak about it. His constant smile just gives me the creeps. And we heard him talking to himself again last night. Something about a gate...?"

"Yeah, something about the benefits of easing it open instead of forcing...", the second guard chimed in, "Maybe he meant the pass to the Falumor kingdom since we are nearing it. Anyway, it could all be rubbish."

"Right, right. But may I say, your Highness, his presence makes everyone uneasy. His joking behavior is just... off, and today he even started singing randomly until some started to plug their ears with wax. Also, we didn't find a trace of anyone passing this area for weeks to go, so how do we know he's leading us in the right direction? He might be playing for time, waiting for the search groups to find us."

"I know," Nathaniel said with a nod. "But he would not be leading us through this god-forgotten forest if he wanted to be found. There are easier routes to Falumor country. I suspect I know where he is headed... You two may go. Try not to interact with the Duke too much."

"Yes, you Highness," both replied and bowed, but one of them hesitated, treading from one foot to the other. "Would you send our best wishes to your wife, your Highness? All of us wish for her swift recovery. If there is anything we can do for her..."

"Thank you. I will let you know. For now, you should expect the journey to take a while longer." Nathaniel's smile was thin, but not unfriendly. That he smiled at all made the soldiers goggle at him with their mouths wide open. Hastily, they forced them to shut with a click.

"Yes, of course, your Highness."

"Did I really project such a gloomy image before?" Nathaniel wondered when the soldiers turned their backs. "Well, maybe."

After all, he seldom had a reason to smile before, so he just... forgot to. Maybe he had known how to when he was very young when his aunt was still alive. However, time turned even mud into stone. And Katherine had picked up this stone nonetheless.

Like always, he wondered if that was good for her or not, and like always the answer tended to be negative. He sighed. How often did he want to think about this again? It was too late for regrets and as long as everything went well with the pregnancy, he would be the happiest man alive. Yet, if the baby died, that would be a different matter. And if Katherine died as well... it would be best if he could find back to his old, cold persona then. If not, if he bore any hate or started despising his life, or life in general... it would be too easy to bring darkness into the world until the flames of life all disappeared.

At that thought, he suddenly looked up. What was that feeling in the distance? It felt somewhat familiar. As if an old friend waited for him somewhere in the mountains on the horizon. But did he have any old friends?

Shaking the strange feeling, Nathaniel turned to search for his wife, fully intending to pamper her to the best of his abilities. After all, Katherine hated sitting and waiting without purpose.

.

On one side of the Dimgard, the river that parted Dragsa and the Icelands, an eagle perched on a high tower with a tiny pouch fastened on its back. Inside it was a scroll, tightly rolled. Restless, the bird scuttled a bit left and right before it screeched as it noticed a human approaching.

The human halted shortly, then it fastened its steps and reached out a hand to the bird's back. Willingly, the eagle gave up on the scroll and was happy to be freed of the pouch as well. With a second screech, it flew over to a lonely perch and claimed it for itself. The doves and falcons sitting in some distance eyed it warily but as it screeched once more as a warning, they hastily turned their heads.

Absentminded, his gaze focused on the letters on the scroll, the human fed some meat to the eagle. "What a code is this? I've never seen it before..."

Just at this moment, the human caught sight of a sign on the upper left side of the scroll and his face froze in shock. Seconds later, he already ran along the corridor of the wall at high speed. "A message! A message for the general!"

Soldiers left and right sprang out of the way, their gear somewhat sluggish from the long and boring day. Soon, the messenger reached the intimidating door of the general, then stopped short before it. The haste was suddenly gone as he caught his breath and straightened his clothes. Then, very carefully as if the door was a fragile vase, the soldier knocked, and at the same time squinted his eyes at the little noise. The general was very irritable lately.

Little did he know that when his message reached the general behind his broad wooden desk, the hard lines in his face softened. As he continued reading, there was even a small smile forming on his lips. Then he looked out of the window and the eyes, usually a deep brown, flashed into a sharp blue for a moment. "Oh boy. Did you know I was still here or did you just take a chance?"