Festival

Just then the door slid open, and he pulled slightly back. It was Kasonna. "My Lord." She bowed.

"Leave us." He did not have time to deal with her.

"I thought perhaps you might need my assistance. Allow me to take care of her in your stead. One such as herself should not be troubled with this."

Severin turned back, his hand still on Parthenia. "Leave us." He said again and his eye left no room for arguments.

Her eyes went cold to Parthenia. "As you wish, my Lord." She backed out and left.

Parthenia's labor stopped, and he pulled back. "My presence within these walls should sustain you till the end. We have fatally wounded our enemy. It will take them months to recoup."

"Yes," She breathed.

He turned and bathed himself while she lay with a hand on her belly. When he was done, he looked back at her. "Mind your being."

In other words, don't trouble him again. He left, and she curled up wet and cold, but alive. His presence around the grounds did help. Parthenia's bruising stopped, the baby was content, and she could eat again. She heeded his words and stayed out of his way, but she was lonely.

Meldon and Oni were happy, and she was delighted for them. Parthenia spent much time alone. One day, Lord Yasa came to her. She was reading under a tree. "You are lonely here."

She half smiled. "It is my duty." She rubbed her growing belly; she was now Twenty-four weeks along.

"I do hope you will forgive me." He said to her as the wind blew.

"Forgive you?" She looked confused by his words.

"I did not mean to cause you great pain."

She genuinely smiled at him. "Do not blame yourself. I accepted the terms."

"Not these terms, and you were but a child."

"Still."

"I am going to open the gates and have a three-day festival. I have sent for your guards."

Her eyes sparkled. "Really?" She breathed as the wind blew through her hair.

"Yes."

"Is everyone, okay with that?"

"Perhaps not everyone, but I am still the head of this house. Plus, we need to celebrate our temporary win."

And celebrate they did. Parthenia and Oni were fitted with beautiful dresses in the house colors of the lands, red and gold. The people of the land filled the area. Nash and Sora quickly took to her side and oh, was she happy to see them. High ranking guards of her house stood nearby in protection in dark purple and black as well as some noble knights from the village. Her house was prominent, and no harm of any kind was to come to her, she was not to lift a finger.

Children often migrated to Parthenia.

She sat under the tree showing them photos of the many books contained in the library. She was happy, at least for now. Severin watched with unimpressed eyes as many stood near her. Too close, in fact. He could not even smell her or the baby with so many males near her.

"All this fuss for a human." Kasonna huffed coming to stand next to him, fanning herself, her hair high on her head.

"She is royalty to them." He stated uncaring. "Though her power outweighs all of them, they are useless to her."

Kasonna looked at him. "Are you complimenting her?" She snapped.

"Those men are useless and weak." He sneered.

All these people about angered him. He turned to get away. "Leave me be, woman." He left her standing alone. He walked about the grounds trying to get away from her being. It only agitated him for some reason. But then he came across a small child who seemed to be lost, alone, and very poor.

She was dirty and bruised. "What are you doing here human?"

She blinked up at him and then smiled. His lip turned up in a slight snarl though silent.

"Begone girl." He told her, her smile faded. She looked down at her dirty feet, and then he heard her tummy growl. "You are hungry." 

She shook her head no.

"Do not think to lie to me, human."

She looked back up at him. He grabbed an apple from a passing servant and handed it to her. "Eat this and begone."

She took it and held it close sniffing it.

"Pardon, -"

"So, you do speak. What it is that you want human?"

"Lady Parthenia?"

"You know of her person?"

She blushed, something told him that she should not have been asking.

"Come."

This human child, what a bother. They passed through the crowd, and his eyes landed on Parthenia. Her hand was placed on her tummy, and she was giggling.

"May I?" Nash asked.

"Yes!" She smiled at him.

Nash placed his hand down, his gold bracelet making a noise as he did. Severin felt a growl coming up, though of its own accord. "Sora won't you have my children now?" Nash teased, he had always had a crush on the girl. Sora hit him on the back of the head, and he took his hand away from Parthenia's belly. Parthenia went back to rubbing her growing belly. Severin knew by the way she was touching, that baby was moving. His own hand itched to touch her again, to feel it and it was unnerving to him. Parthenia looked up, and their eyes met, he saw the light drain from them. Sadness took over her green eyes, and she took her hand away. She didn't want to be happy in front of him; she didn't want him to know that she loved her pregnancy and that she wished nothing more than for him to want to be part of it.

She placed her love for him in the back of her mind, down deep in a dark, cold place where her sister said it should stay, and she knew it to be true. Her eyes then glided to the little girl; Ray was her name. Ray was the little girls same. She tugged on Severin's pants, and he looked down. "Can I?"

"Hn, you may go."

Ray bolted to Parthenia who welcomed her with full arms. These humans would be the death of him. He made his way up to them and watched as the men around her tensed as if they could protect her from him.

"Clean her up and clothe her if she is to stay, I will not have her running around here looking like that." Ray was homeless and looked every bit of it.

"Yes, right away!" Parthenia said and then watched as he left.

The servants quickly cleaned the girl and fitted her with a cute yellow cotton dress. She had short brown hair and dark brown eyes. For a lonely child, her eyes shined with happiness. She reminded him so much of Parthina.

Why he left either of them stay, he didn't know and no one dared question it.