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A few days later, having said goodbye to his guests who were leaving to visit Collieth’s fathers, Darya wandered back inside the castle. It was a brilliant Winter day outside, snow covering everything, the sun shining in the sky.
But inside it was warm from the lit fireplaces, and his hugely pregnant warden was resting in the royal apartments, waiting for their babies to decide to come.
By now, nobody needed a priest to examine Arjun to tell him that his due time was close. He could barely walk at all, and now, sitting on the sofa by the fire, dressed in a silken robe, he looked painfully swollen, his enormous round belly resting on his thighs.
He looked up when Darya walked into the room, but made no move to get up. There was no point. He couldn’t do it on his own anymore. He smiled, though, rubbing his hands over his belly. “Hey,” he said, then winced.
“You okay?”
“They’re kicking a lot today.”
“Let me feel.” Darya sat down beside him, placed his hands over that huge, taut stomach, and smiled, too, feeling the movement inside. “Hey, babies.”
The mark around Arjun’s jutting bellybutton had turned darker. It really looked like a dragon biting its tail. How remarkable.
“It feels like there are ten little feet in there instead of four.”
“Maybe it’s more than four little feet in there. It’s possible. I told you about my line.”
Arjun opened his mouth to say something, frowning, when the door was thrust open and a royal guard burst inside.
“Majesty. Dragon.”
“What?” Darya’s hands were still on Arjun’s belly, his thoughts on their babies. “Speak up. What dragon?”
“The dragon who’s been terrorizing the nearby towns is now flying over the castle. She’s here.”
“The she-dragon!” Arjun was struggling to stand up, and was of course failing, his heavy belly keeping him down. “She found me.”
“What? No. We don’t know it’s the same one,” Darya argued. He caught Arjun’s hand, tugged him down. “Don’t stress yourself, love. We will be fine.”
“Majesty, the archers will try to shoot the dragon down but meanwhile, the Commander is requesting that you move to the cellar and take the escape tunnel, just in case. I’ll come with you, to defend you if need be.”
Darya frowned down at Arjun’s enormous belly. Damn, this wasn’t a good moment to have his Bearer trudging through tunnels, running for his life. But if the Commander deemed the castle unsafe... “We will. Just make sure the dragon doesn’t come after him.”
And may Melek help them.
***
“OH,” ARJUN MOANED, leaning against Darya, one arm wrapped around his belly. They were still going down the stairs to the cellar, so slowly the dragons might take the castle before they reached the bottom. “I can’t walk any longer...”
“Almost there, love. We have to keep moving.”
They climbed down a few more steps before Arjun had to stop again, panting. “Ow. Shit.”
“Babies still kicking?”
“No, it’s more like... cramps.” He was still in the silken robe that was the only thing that fit him anymore, and britches that Darya had helped him put on before they left the royal rooms.
“Let’s keep moving. The cramps usually go away when you move, right?”
Arjun hissed a little, but nodded.
Step by step, they made it down to the cellar, the guard following them walking ahead of them, talking to the elves appearing through doorways, staring with wide eyes at the king and Arjun. Many of them didn’t even know that the castle was under attack.
“This way, Majesty, Royal Bearer.” The guard gestured down a passage, and they followed him, Darya pulling on Arjun’s hand.
“Come on, love.”
“Ah... Stop.”
“What is it?”
“Can’t... hurts. My belly. And my back.”
Darya cursed inwardly. Arjun wasn’t one to complain lightly. If his guard said it hurt, he had to be in a lot of pain. “I’ll carry you.”
But inside the tunnel he wouldn’t be able to carry him. There wasn’t enough width, enough height.
Bending, he lifted his Bearer up into his arms, Arjun wrapping an arm around Darya’s neck, groaning as Darya hefted him up. “Sorry,” he whispered, strain in his voice. “I’ll be fine. I thought I could take pain.”
“Don’t be sorry, love.” Darya strode after the guard who had grabbed a lit torch from a wall hoop, toward the secret spiral staircase and the lower levels of the castle. “Listen to your body. Childbearing isn’t easy. Nobody expects you to be a good soldier, grit your teeth and not make a sound. Always let me know if you can’t do something, if the pain gets too bad, okay?”
Arjun nodded against Darya’s neck, his bode tense, muscles locking. Darya wondered if he was contracting as he carefully went down the steep staircase, worried about slipping and dropping Arjun, worried about knocking him against the curved walls as he climbed down.
Could it be that Arjun was going into labor?
But by then they were in the lower levels and the guard hurried on, the flickering flames of the torch lighting the way. Darya rushed after him, hefting Arjun again in his arms. His Bearer was heavy, and no wonder. That huge belly had to weigh a ton.
“Hang on,” he said as he maneuvered Arjun through a narrow doorway, leading to the chamber where the tunnel started. His Bearer had been very quiet all the way, through his body was still tense in Darya’s arms. “This okay?”
Again Arjun nodded against his neck, but this time he huffed out a low moan.
Still in pain, then. “I’ll have to put you down,” Darya said regretfully. “You’ll have to walk down the tunnel on your own.”
“Okay,” Arjun said, his voice hushed. He was a little pale, Darya noted with concern.
“How’re you feeling?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay.”
Not reassured, Darya lowered him to the ground and held on until Arjun had found his balance. “We could wait here. See what the news from above ground is.”
“Okay. Oh.” Arjun held on to his belly with both hands, breathing heavily. “My belly.”
Darya put his hands on Arjun’s big mound, too, and frowned when he felt it tighten. “Feels like you’re contracting, love. Maybe it’s starting.”
“Gods, not now,” Arjun whispered. “Can’t do this alone.”
“I’m here. But a priest would be nice.”
Arjun huffed a laugh. “Yeah, a priest would be nice indeed.”
Labor took a long time, though, so Darya focused on the tunnel. The guard unlocked the door and Darya took a step inside, checking the air, the height. Yeah, he’d rather not put his Bearer through the ordeal of squeezing through and walking for miles to the secret hideout of the royal family, especially not if he was having pains.
“Go back up,” he told the royal guard, “see how the situation is. If it’s safe, come let us know to come up. If not, then send down the High Priest.”
“Yes, Majesty.” The guard thumped his chest with his fist, bowed to Arjun, and fled back up the stairs, leaving Darya and Arjun alone.
Arjun waddled over to the wall and braced a hand on it, rubbing his belly with the other. “I didn’t know there was an escape tunnel. Where does it lead to?”
“A house on the edge of town, by the river. Has belonged to the royals for centuries. A keeper lives there, with his family.”
“Have you ever used the tunnel before?”
“My Bearing Father took me through the tunnel once, so that I know it. I never had to use it. Monsters have attacked the castle before, but I wasn’t...” He smiled. “I didn’t have family here. Didn’t have a beloved Bearer and babies waiting to be born. I’ve always thrown myself into battle to forget the fact that love didn’t seem to be for me. But this time... I won’t risk you. Or the babies.”
“But...” Arjun started.
“I hope you’re not going to propose we head out to battle the dragons, because I’ll tie you to a chair until this is over,” Darya muttered darkly.
“I wish, but I can’t.” Arjun’s cheeks reddened. He was still rubbing his belly in big circles. “I think... oh gods...” He grimaced, then gasped. “I think the matter is out of my hands this time.”
“Love...” Darya walked over to him, concerned, and put an arm around his shoulders. “Lean on me.”
Arjun sighed but slumped against Darya. “I hate feeling so helpless. I can’t fight. Can’t protect you. That’s my mission. Protecting you.”
“As you may have noticed, many things have changed. Your mission is to protect our babies, as is mine. In fact, mine is to protect all of you.” Darya kissed his hair. “You’re already doing all the work, creating these babies, carrying them inside you. Walking even when you barely can. Standing here even though you’re having pains. This is way harder than anything you’ve ever dealt with as a guard.”
“Darya—”
Quick footsteps sounded, coming down the staircase, and they both looked up. “Who’s there?” Darya called out, moving to stand in front of Arjun. “State your names. High Priest, is that you?”
“I used to be a priest,” someone said. “Does it count?”
“It’s me, Asha,” another voice said, “and my mate and my companion. Your Commander sent us down for safety, and to help you.”
Darya relaxed as King Asha came into view, followed by Suri and Collieth. “I didn’t know you were back. Was your visit successful?”
“Yes. Lovely fathers Collieth has. But as we returned, we saw a herd of dragons coming this way and came to warn you.”
“A herd of dragons? What kind?”
“They looked like mountain dragons. A smaller variety, though, all gray.”
“Peak dragons. Not common.”
“We entered the castle right before the gate was barricaded. And it seems you have an unusual protector against them, this time around?”
Darya shook his head, confused. “Protector? What do you mean?” He stepped back and hauled Arjun by his side again.
“The big mountain dragon who’s spitting fire at the herd, keeping them away.”
“The she-dragon?” Arjun breathed. “What’s she... ow. Ow.”
“Oh Melek.” Collieth’s eyes were round, fixed on Arjun’s belly. “The babies have dropped really low, haven’t they? Are you having pains?”
“Some.” Arjun panted. “What you said, about the dragon... does it mean we’re safe?”
Darya rubbed Arjun’s arm, brows knit. “Asha, is the she-dragon winning?”
“We have no idea of knowing,” Asha said. “She is only one. There’s at least ten of them. The Commander said to follow you through the tunnel.”
“Can you make it, love?” Darya glanced back at the open door of the tunnel. Cold air blew through, carrying the smell of humidity.
“Our mission,” Arjun panted, “is to protect the babies. You said it. I will make it.”
“Let’s go, then. I’ll go first,” Darya said. “I’ve been through the tunnel before. Arjun, you follow me, then the rest of you. Keep quiet, and mind your heads. The tunnel goes downhill, so careful not to slip and fall.”
“Sounds thrilling,” Arjun muttered, pulling away from Darya, a determined glint in his pretty eyes. “Let’s go then. The sooner we arrive at that house, the better.”