Chapter 79
The air in the chamber was thick with silence as Aeliana lay against the mountain of pillows Tharx had forced upon her. Despite her protests, she was still too weak to argue properly, so she let him fuss over her in his quiet, infuriating way.
She had just begun to drift into an uneasy rest when the door opened.
The royal physician returned sooner than expected.
Tharx, who had been standing near the hearth, arms crossed, golden eyes watching over her like a sentinel, turned sharply.
The physician hesitated.
That alone sent a ripple of unease through the room.
Tharx noticed instantly.
His gaze narrowed, sharp as a blade. "Speak."
The physician swallowed, glancing between them. His throat bobbed.
Then, finally, he said the words that would change everything.
"My Queen you are with child."
Silence.
Aeliana's heart stopped.
The words did not register.
She stared at him, uncomprehending, as though the sentence had been spoken in a language she did not know.
Her mind refused to accept it.
It wasn't possible.
It wasn't even something she had considered.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came.
Tharx, however, moved first.
"What?" His voice was low. Dangerous.
The physician cleared his throat. "You are going to be parents, Your Majesties."
Aeliana's breath caught.
Parents.
Her. Tharx. A child.
The very idea of it was so foreign, so impossible, that for a long, drawn-out moment, she simply could not react.
But Tharx
He took a slow step toward her, his face unreadable.
His golden eyes-usually so full of knowing, of confidence-held something raw. Something shaken.
For the first time, Tharx had no words.
Aeliana licked her lips, struggling to breathe, struggling to even process what had just been said.
"Tharx" she whispered, uncertainty flickering in her voice.
He did not speak.
Instead, he knelt before her, slowly, carefully, as if approaching something sacred.
His hands, usually so strong and unyielding, reached out with uncharacteristic gentleness.
And then-he placed a hand over her stomach.
Aeliana's body tensed instinctively, as if expecting some immediate, undeniable proof. But there was nothing. No shift, no change, no sign that life had taken root inside her.
It didn't feel real.
It couldn't be real.
But Tharx
Tharx exhaled, long and slow. His fingers curled slightly, his thumb brushing the fabric of her gown. His palm burned hot against her skin, radiating something she had never felt from him before.
And then-
He laughed.
A deep, raw sound.
Not of amusement.
Not of disbelief.
But of something unshakable.
Something terrifyingly real.
Aeliana stared at him, her throat tightening. "Tharx?"
He lifted his gaze to hers.
His golden eyes burned.
"Aeliana," he murmured, his voice gravelly, rough, full of something she could not name.
And then, he pressed his forehead to hers.
"You have given me the greatest gift I never knew I wanted."
Aeliana felt something crack in her chest.
She had never imagined this.
She had imagined battles, wars, bloodshed. She had imagined ruling beside him, facing the empire's enemies together, watching the world bend to their will.
But a child?
A legacy?
She had never thought of herself as a mother.
And yet-
She reached up, fingers curling into his hair, holding him there as the truth settled over her like an earthquake.
This was real.
This was theirs.
And for the first time in her life, she did not know if she was ready.
A sharp cough broke the moment.
Tharx turned his head slightly, his golden gaze flashing with impatience.
The physician straightened immediately. "My Emperor, my Queen," he said carefully. "There is more you must know."
Tharx did not move away from her, but his hand finally lifted from her stomach, his fingers curling into a fist. "Then speak."
The physician hesitated before stepping forward, his face lined with worry.
"This child is not purely human," he said carefully. "Nor is it purely of your kind, my Emperor."
Tharx stilled.
Aeliana's spine went rigid.
The physician continued cautiously.
"This pregnancy will not be like others. There is no precedent for how a mixed-blood child will develop. There may be complications."
Tharx's hand curled tighter. "What kind of complications?"
The physician exhaled. "The mother's body is likely unprepared for what is to come. We do not know how this child will grow, how it will affect her health. She must be watched carefully."
Aeliana's stomach turned.
Tharx's fury was instant.
"You are saying she is at risk." His voice was quiet. Too quiet.
The physician swallowed hard. "I am saying that we must take every precaution."
Tharx's jaw locked. "What must be done?"
The physician hesitated. Then, carefully, he said, "She must rest."
Aeliana groaned.
"Absolutely not," she said flatly.
Tharx turned on her immediately, his glare sharp. "You nearly died in my arms, and you think you have a say in this?"
Aeliana scowled. "I will not be confined to bed like a sickly noblewoman."
The physician lifted his hands in a calming gesture. "Not bed rest entirely," he clarified. "But care. Less exertion. No battles, no strenuous activity."
Aeliana's expression darkened. "I do not sit idle."
Tharx's golden eyes burned into her.
"You will," he growled. "Because for the first time in your life, it is not just about you."
Aeliana's breath caught.
That hit deeper than she expected.
Tharx never forced her into submission.
Never tried to tame her.
But now
Now, he would not bend.
And she could not ignore the truth of his words.
Her hand unconsciously drifted to her stomach.
There was life there.
A child. Theirs.
The empire's future.
She exhaled sharply, staring at him. "You will be insufferable about this, won't you?"
Tharx smirked. "Beyond words."
Aeliana sighed.
The physician coughed lightly. "I will continue to monitor you, my Queen. But for now-rest."
Tharx nodded sharply. "You are dismissed."
The physician bowed, disappearing from the room.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Tharx reached for her, tugging her gently against him.
For the first time, he held her not as his queen, not as his warrior, but as the mother of his child.
Aeliana exhaled, closing her eyes against his chest.
This was the future she had never expected.
And it terrified her.
But with Tharx beside her-she would face it.