Disclaimer:
Yep! You guessed it! I don't own Deltora Quest.
Lief POV
"Hey Barda."
Lief walked into Barda's bedchamber. It was a large spacious room, but dimly lit due to Barda insisting that it was in one of the underground floors of the palace. Torches burned brightly on the walls, the unnatural light flickering. Long, sharp swords with elegant, curved blades hung in a rack. Trunks overflowing with armour, chainmail and oddities collected from their travels around Deltora were scattered around the room.
Barda sat at a table, drinking ale from a tall, metal tankard.
"May I join you?" he said politely
"Sure." Barda grunted "So, what brings you to drown your sorrows old friend?"
Lief ignored his question, pouring some of the strange smelling liquid into a spare tankard. It sloshed noisily.
"Barda what would you say if I told you Jasmine and I, we're expecting?"
"You are aren't you?"
Lief nodded, staring intently into his drink.
"Congratulations!-" he shouted, giving Lief a pat on the back that went juddering through his body and almost shattered his spine.
He noticed that Lief was still not meeting his gaze
"-though I suspect that isn't what you wanted to talk about"
Lief sighed,
"What if I'm not ready to be a father?! I mean, I'm only twenty for Adin's sake! What if I fail Deltora? What if I fail Jasmine?"
Barda grasped him by his shoulders and forced him to look into his eyes
"Do you love her? Tell me!"
"I do, with all my heart and more." Lief answered truthfully
"Then you won't fail anyone. I know that if anything you're determined and loyal. You would never hurt her, or let her down, and you would never stop fighting anyone that wanted to harm her, or the people you love."
"Thanks Barda" Lief smiled gratefully "But I'm also worried that I won't survive to see my child's birth. Doom is highly likely to kill me before then."
"Good point." Groaned Barda "I recommend you tell him tomorrow, in the afternoon, he's moody in the mornings. Sharn also. The longer you wait the deader you'll be"
"TOMOROW?!" Shouted Lief "so your saying that I basically have eighteen hours left to live!"
"Precisely." Barda said simply
"Alright." Lief whispered Lief dejectedly "But your coming with me! You might be useful against an overprotective father on the warpath."
"Fine." He grumped "But no backing down."
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