"You're a funny one, my dear. To be the daughter of a midwife and not know what's the matter? You're pregnant, that's what!"
"But, I've got a pregnancy charm… I can't…"
"You can't what? My dear, with all the shapeshifting you've been doing these past few months, it's no wonder if you didn't lose that charm of yours!"
"Oh my…" Daine suddenly felt weak at the knees. Stumbling, she managed to ease herself onto the nearby stool. Pregnant? The thought had never occurred to her. What would she do now? She didn't feel any different, apart from the fact that she couldn't wear her breeches anymore. A child…
Steeling herself, Daine finally stood up. It was time to tell Numair.
"Sweet? What's wrong? You haven't been yourself the whole day," Numair's brow creased in concern.
It was true. For the better part of the rest of the day, all Daine had done was to dance around Numair like skittish colt. Every time she summoned the courage to tell him the news, he'd been invariably called away to deal with one matter or another. Now she had finally managed to corner him in her room. Still, she could not manage to say the words. Numair's hands rested on her shoulders and squeezed gently, in an attempt to both get her to relax, and at the same time, to tell him what was bothering her.
"Daine, you know I don't like suspense."
Daine took a deep breath. Well, here goes nothing, she thought.
"This is going to sound fair strange, but it's true anyway. You see…" Daine's voice trailed off.
"Go on," Numair urged encouragingly.
"Remember the Scanran wars?" When Numair nodded, Daine plunged on. "Well, I'd had to shape-change quite often, as you should know. The thing is, things do tend to get lost on the way as I shift from animal to animal, right? The only thing that always remains with me is the badger claw."
This was not working. Daine sighed. She was beating around the bush, and they both knew it. She had to say it!
"Okay," Deep breath. Another deep breath. "I lost my pregnancy charm, and my breeches didn't fit when I wore them today. Numair, I'm pregnant."
There, I said it, she thought triumphantly. Yet the breath she still held refused to be released. How would Numair react to such news? She had no idea. Numair had gone strangely still in front of her. A few moments passed. He still had not moved.
"Numair?"
Finally, he raised his eyes to meet hers. It blazed with blinding joy. His grip on Daine's shoulders tightened, and before she knew it, she was swept up in a tight embrace and the room spun before her.
"Numair! Let me down!"
The walls stopped. "A baby! Daine, dearest, you should've told me sooner! A baby! I'm going to be a father!" Numair exclaimed wonderingly.
"You aren't upset?"
Numair's brow creased again.
"No, why would I be?"
"Well, we didn't plan on this…"
"Dearest, dearest darling! You didn't think I would be displeased by this, would you? This is a wonderful, wonderful thing! I love you, and this is just brilliant! Wait, you aren't unhappy, aren't you?"
Daine shook her head gravely.
"Good."
A moment later, Numair's lips met Daine's as he bent closer to kiss her. The kiss deepened, and it was all Daine could do to prevent her knees from buckling from the heat in her body. When they broke apart, Numair smiled gently down at her.
"We have just one thing to settle. Will you marry me?"