Chapter 7: I Still Have Time

I cleaned myself up again to find that the light bleeding from that morning had ceased, which was not unusual for me. Then I was ordered back in bed after the bedding was changed.

“I would stay with you,” the magistrate apologized before leaving. “But I have to handle a number of pressing issues with the region and… other prison matters. This war seems to be never ending. I’ll be back at my earliest convenience to check on you and the baby. If he is lost, I will mourn with you and I promise to provide you with a healthy living when I take over the family.”

I could see my mother in law’s spine stiffen when she heard that. I smiled as relief filled me. I had his sympathies enough to secure a comfortable future, even without an heir.

He patted my head and took my mother in law out of the room. I settled into the bed realizing that much more time than I wanted to slipped away before I could check on Erich.

Exhaustion began to take me over when my mother in law reminded me that she was still there.

“Maybe we can pay the doctor to say you’re pregnant.” My mother in law suggested. “You can pretend to lose it down the line, we just need more time.”

“More time for what?” I asked. “It’s inevitable. He’s going to take over the family and there is nothing we can do about it.”

“Do you really think he will care about you if there is no Bokstein heir in your belly?” She rolled her eyes and snorted. “My son, your late husband was a powder puff compared to the cruelty in that man you only just met.”

I swallowed against the thought, Marius had been an evil b*stard.

I remembered the sight of Josaun standing over the dead body of Erich’s imposter. He’d seemed happy and even relaxed around the corpses as he spoke with the other officials huddled around him. He’d also been the one to order the silver chains for him too.

“If only I’d had enough time to fake Chantal’s legitimacy,” she continued to mutter.

I let her voice drown into the background as I turned my curious thoughts back to Erich. There had been so many odd things about him that I passed over in the quest to have him impregnate me. First, he was a foreigner in the region during a war. Then there was the regional magistrate’s insistence that he be chained in silver and not iron.

The angry guard had said Erich was the one prisoner the magistrate wouldn’t miss.

But why? Who was he to the magistrate and what would he do if he knew that particular prisoner was still alive?

I felt a strain in my temples as I turned over the odd details in my mind.

When Caystance realized I’d stopped listening to her, she left me in peace. By then it was nearly dark and I went to the barn to check on Erich, carrying sandwiches and wine.

He was sleeping on the floor of the storm shelter when I entered. I lit a lantern and closed the door behind me. He woke as I shook his shoulders immediately grabbing me and holding me tight.

“Thank you,” he said clear as day.

“So you do speak,” I muttered and he smiled.

“Yes, I know your language,” he admitted.

“Why didn’t you speak before?”

“I was not sure what you wanted from me and I did not think it would matter, because I was a dead man.”

He rested his hand on my belly.

I drew in a breath and blinked away tears as I shook my head and confessed, “I bled this morning.”

He brought me close to him and hugged me. “It is not a grief you carry alone.”

His words touched me in soothing a bit of the disappointment in the acknowledgement that he’d wanted me to have his child.

“What is happening after my escape?” he asked after a space of silence.

“Nothing.”

I explained all I’d seen at Taukin Square.

“The magistrate saw another body in silver chains and believed it was me.”

I nodded, “Have you ever met him?”

“No, in fact I have no idea why I was in your prison at all. I came to see about my Beta…” He trailed off.

“Your what?” I asked assuming it was a foreign slip.

“My… good friend,” he corrected. “I received word he was hurt in this area and came to find him and when I inquired, I was drugged and woke in these chains. I believe I may have been trapped.”

I turned to him, quite certain my worry was all over my face. He kissed me and held me close before bringing more attention to his chains.

“I must remove these and return home.”

I thought about the key around Josaun’s neck and shook my head. “I don’t have a key, but I may be able to buy some tools tomorrow,” I offered, not wanting to let him know how close the key actually was and why.

He nodded. “Maybe tonight, I can take a bath?”

I smiled, happy to get away from the subject of his leaving. I had more time to get pregnant especially if Caystance was up for stalling tactics. I still needed him.

“After dark, I can take you to the house.”