A year passed, or at least, Prue thought it was a year. In this place, time was irrelevant, and thereby difficult to measure. At any rate, it was enough time to make her forget her old life almost completely. The family and friends she'd once missed terribly now seemed of no consequence. The only person she ever thought of was Darius.
One night, she came into his study, slipping in quietly and closing the door behind her, leaning against it. He was sitting at the desk, with his back to her, and made no sign of having heard her come in.
"Isn't it late for you to be wandering around the castle?" he asked without moving.
"Isn't it late for you to be down here working?" she countered, pouting. "It's cold upstairs, and I'm lonely."
"So have Clarisse start a fire, and then ask her to stay until you fall asleep," he replied, still not looking up. "I have to finish this tonight, and you shouldn't be up this late, especially now that you're carrying my son."
Prue froze, and instinctively reached behind her, grabbing the doorknob for support. "How did you know about the baby?" she asked, stunned. Until that moment, she hadn't even been completely sure she was pregnant.
He finally turned to look at her, with an odd mixture of love and darkness in his eyes. He got up, and walked toward her. His arms encircled her waist, and he came close enough to feel her breathing. She was pressed between him and the door, and she let go of the doorknob to lean on him instead.
"It's because you're part of me," he whispered in her ear. "We're connected, Prue, don't ever forget that. We're connected on a deeper level than man has ever known, and this baby will only bring us closer." He kissed her. "Are you excited?"
She nodded. "Darius, this was the last thing I expected, but I can't think of anything I want more."
He kissed her again, deeper this time. "Good. Now go on upstairs. You need your rest."
She frowned. "Aren't you coming to bed?"
He planted another kiss on her forehead, then shook his head. "I can't, sweetheart. I still have work to do. I'll send Clarisse up with you, okay? I want you asleep by the time I turn in, I mean it."
Prue sighed. "All right. I love you."
"I love you, too," he replied, before pulling her forward, opening the door, and gently shooing her out of it.
Clarisse was already upstairs by the time Prue got there. She looked up from in front of the fire she'd been tending. "Master Darius says I'm to stay and sit with you for a while," she said meekly. Like most of the servants, Clarisse was afraid of Darius. He'd never been particularly unkind, but over the past year or so he'd changed, going from a rebellious, street-smart leader to a stiff, business-like ruler who made sure that the servants knew their station.
"Thanks, Clarisse," Prue said warmly. Unlike her husband, Prue was known for being kind and respectful, although she too got testy whenever Darius was in an especially bad mood.
She allowed Clarisse to tuck her in, but Prue was far too wound up to sleep. Restlessly, she played with the fringe on the edge of the blanket.
"Is something wrong, miss?" Clarisse asked.
Prue started to say something, but shook her head. "No. It's just... nothing, really. I'm probably overreacting."
"I know about the baby," Clarisse said, changing the subject. "Master Darius told us. You must be so happy."
"I am," Prue replied, smiling. She paused, then asked, "What else did my husband say to you?"
Clarisse shrugged, trying to remember. "Oh, not much. You know how he is, how he doesn't like to speak with us. He just said that we're to be extra careful around you, is all."
Prue nodded, biting her lip. It still bothered her that he knew about this before even she did. She tried to accept his explanation, but there was still some remnant of her old life as a good witch that was pulling at her, telling her this didn't feel right. She quickly pushed it out of her mind. After all, she reasoned, she wasn't a Charmed One anymore. She was Darius' wife, the mother of his son, and she needed to trust him, no matter what. Reminding herself of this, she managed to expel her unease by the time he came in.
Clarisse got up and left as soon as she saw him enter the room, rushing past him with her head bowed. Darius ignored her, focusing solely on Prue. "You're still awake," he said, obviously displeased.
"I couldn't sleep," she confessed. "I've just had so much to think about. You surprised me tonight, in your office."
He sat down on the edge of the bed opposite from her, unbottoning his shirt. "You didn't think I would know? I've already explained to you how I did."
She nodded. "I know. It's just that this is still so new to me. It just gets confusing sometimes."
He paused before tossing his shirt onto the bedpost, and for a moment he became the man who'd rescued her the night she died. He lay down next to her, taking her into his arms. She automatically felt reassured, and leaned up against him, finally allaying her fears enough to fall asleep.
One night, she came into his study, slipping in quietly and closing the door behind her, leaning against it. He was sitting at the desk, with his back to her, and made no sign of having heard her come in.
"Isn't it late for you to be wandering around the castle?" he asked without moving.
"Isn't it late for you to be down here working?" she countered, pouting. "It's cold upstairs, and I'm lonely."
"So have Clarisse start a fire, and then ask her to stay until you fall asleep," he replied, still not looking up. "I have to finish this tonight, and you shouldn't be up this late, especially now that you're carrying my son."
Prue froze, and instinctively reached behind her, grabbing the doorknob for support. "How did you know about the baby?" she asked, stunned. Until that moment, she hadn't even been completely sure she was pregnant.
He finally turned to look at her, with an odd mixture of love and darkness in his eyes. He got up, and walked toward her. His arms encircled her waist, and he came close enough to feel her breathing. She was pressed between him and the door, and she let go of the doorknob to lean on him instead.
"It's because you're part of me," he whispered in her ear. "We're connected, Prue, don't ever forget that. We're connected on a deeper level than man has ever known, and this baby will only bring us closer." He kissed her. "Are you excited?"
She nodded. "Darius, this was the last thing I expected, but I can't think of anything I want more."
He kissed her again, deeper this time. "Good. Now go on upstairs. You need your rest."
She frowned. "Aren't you coming to bed?"
He planted another kiss on her forehead, then shook his head. "I can't, sweetheart. I still have work to do. I'll send Clarisse up with you, okay? I want you asleep by the time I turn in, I mean it."
Prue sighed. "All right. I love you."
"I love you, too," he replied, before pulling her forward, opening the door, and gently shooing her out of it.
Clarisse was already upstairs by the time Prue got there. She looked up from in front of the fire she'd been tending. "Master Darius says I'm to stay and sit with you for a while," she said meekly. Like most of the servants, Clarisse was afraid of Darius. He'd never been particularly unkind, but over the past year or so he'd changed, going from a rebellious, street-smart leader to a stiff, business-like ruler who made sure that the servants knew their station.
"Thanks, Clarisse," Prue said warmly. Unlike her husband, Prue was known for being kind and respectful, although she too got testy whenever Darius was in an especially bad mood.
She allowed Clarisse to tuck her in, but Prue was far too wound up to sleep. Restlessly, she played with the fringe on the edge of the blanket.
"Is something wrong, miss?" Clarisse asked.
Prue started to say something, but shook her head. "No. It's just... nothing, really. I'm probably overreacting."
"I know about the baby," Clarisse said, changing the subject. "Master Darius told us. You must be so happy."
"I am," Prue replied, smiling. She paused, then asked, "What else did my husband say to you?"
Clarisse shrugged, trying to remember. "Oh, not much. You know how he is, how he doesn't like to speak with us. He just said that we're to be extra careful around you, is all."
Prue nodded, biting her lip. It still bothered her that he knew about this before even she did. She tried to accept his explanation, but there was still some remnant of her old life as a good witch that was pulling at her, telling her this didn't feel right. She quickly pushed it out of her mind. After all, she reasoned, she wasn't a Charmed One anymore. She was Darius' wife, the mother of his son, and she needed to trust him, no matter what. Reminding herself of this, she managed to expel her unease by the time he came in.
Clarisse got up and left as soon as she saw him enter the room, rushing past him with her head bowed. Darius ignored her, focusing solely on Prue. "You're still awake," he said, obviously displeased.
"I couldn't sleep," she confessed. "I've just had so much to think about. You surprised me tonight, in your office."
He sat down on the edge of the bed opposite from her, unbottoning his shirt. "You didn't think I would know? I've already explained to you how I did."
She nodded. "I know. It's just that this is still so new to me. It just gets confusing sometimes."
He paused before tossing his shirt onto the bedpost, and for a moment he became the man who'd rescued her the night she died. He lay down next to her, taking her into his arms. She automatically felt reassured, and leaned up against him, finally allaying her fears enough to fall asleep.