Daine stroked the opal's surface lovingly, the surface so smooth that she could see her face in it perfectly. A moment later, a soft chirp sounded, and the opal blazed with a bright, green fire. She looked up and smiled at Kitten, her dragonet companion of eight years. The young immortal motioned with a pointed muzzle at Daine's belly, and the woman reached forward to scratch the dragonet under her scaled chin. You're so clever, you knew even before I knew, she thought.
"Don't worry, Kit. We'll tell him as soon as he comes home. I just wonder when he'll be back…I've never known centaurs to be so unreasonable."
Kitten chirped again, the black opal of Daine's wedding ring repeating its display. The dragonet never tired of this game, and her friend often wondered, even worried, about the future, when the young immortal would learn stronger, more powerful magic.
Daine sighed, and lay back, resting against the heap of pillows on her bed. These last days she had felt dreadfully tired; another sign of what was to come.
Something fluttered hastily at the open window of the tower that was the Salmalin bedroom. Daine turned to greet a coal black raven that had settled on the stone sill.
Stork-man is back, it chattered excitedly, hopping from one foot to the other. All the ravens that nested on the roofs of Daine and Numair's home were acquainted with their hosts, but Goddess knew how they had picked up Numair's rather undignified nickname.
Probably from Cloud, Daine confided to herself, but her mind was already attending a different matter: Numair was home, and it was time to tell him what she'd been waiting to tell for a fortnight.
"He's back, Kit!" She exclaimed, springing with renewed energy from the bed. She hung out of the window to look down, her eyes seeking to confirm the raven's report. The raven itself flew off, cawing a goodbye.
Sure enough, on the thin, cobblestone lane below, marching wearily towards the iron gates of the Salmalin home were Numair atop his faithful steed, Spots. Containing an incensed herd of centaurs that'd been experiencing feuds with a nearby human settlement must have drained him of both physical and magical strength. Daine would've gone too, except that when King Jonathon had sent summons to the Salmalins requesting for aid concerning the centaurs, Numair had noticed his wife's unusual fatigue, and convinced her to stay and rest.
As if feeling her gaze on him, Numair craned his neck abruptly, and sighted Daine leaning from the tower window. Immediately his drawn face lifted, and he beamed a warm smile. Spending precious magic, he sent a phantom hand upwards to stroke Daine's soft cheek and whisper, "It's wonderful to see you again, my love."
In fact, he looked as if he wanted to shift to hawk shape and fly up to greet her, but his lack of energy prevented it.
"I'd better get back to bed, else he'll accuse me of pretence." Daine joked to Kitten, slipping beneath the covers of the four poster bed. Her heart began to pound, and not for the first time, a quivering hand slid to her belly. How would he react? Would he be proud and joyous, knowing that he was soon to be a father? Or would he be disappointed, concerned that a child would tether him down?
Ten minutes later, loud, hurried steps could be heard, as Numair tackled the stairwell. The door burst open as he swept in, still wearing his soiled travelling garments. Kitten trotted forward, expecting a customary scratch under her chin, but the mage brushed past without acknowledgement. The young immortal voiced her dismay in a number of rude noises.
"Daine…I've missed you so much. How are you feeling?" He joined his twenty-two year old wife on the bed, wrestling his cloak off.
"I…I'm fine. I'm more concerned about you. You look awful." She replied, removing a hand from the coverings to caress her husband's stubbly chin. He frowned.
"You certainly don't sound fine. What's wrong? You were tired when I left…" He reached for Daine's arm, checking her pulse. When he found it to be unusually fast, he laid a hand across her forehead. "You're not sick, are you?"
By this time, Kitten had scrambled up the bed's covers, and now she pointed an accusing, silver clawed paw at the bump beneath the cloth that was the woman's belly. She issued erratic chirps, staring at Numair.
"Kit!" Daine had wanted to tell him, but as he had returned her courage had faltered. Now, the dragonet would give her away. Numair opened his mouth to say something, but as realisation dawned on him, he froze. His eyes widening, he exchanged looks with his wife.
"You-re…I'm…we have a child?" He finally croaked. Daine attempted a smile. "Yes. I found out five days ago. You're not disappointed?"
The mage's features softened, and his frown became a grin. "Of course I'm not! Daine…this is amazing." He placed a hand where her belly was, and a sudden, joyful laugh escaped from his mouth.
"It might have been the night after the Midsummer celebrations."
Numair nodded, lost in thought. Who knew what words scurried and rushed through his mind at this time?
"You're shaking, Daine." He had returned to reality, to clasp one of his wife's pale hands in his own. Concern settled around his face, and it appeared that it would stay there for the duration of the pregnancy.
"I-I'm scared, Numair!" She lunged forward and buried her head in the mage's chest. Sobs, gentle but powerful in their fear, shuddered through her body. Numair closed his warm arms tight around her, placing his chin on her head.
"Shhhh…everything will be fine. This is a wonderful thing, Daine, I promise you."
The couple stayed there, one quietly sobbing in fatigue and hopelessness, the other clasping them in a tight, protective clutch.
In the Divine Realms, a world apart from that of Tortall's, a god and goddess stared at a bowl filled with shimmering water. Their eyes were wide and intent, filled with an emotion that the name 'pride' did not do justice for.
"Our daughter…so grown, yet still a child." Weiryn murmured, the water beneath him a window that revealed Daine and Numair, still embraced.
"I'll be there for her." Sarra whispered in return.
"What?"
"When the child comes. I'll come as the Green Lady. I could only be with her for the first thirteen years of her life, and when it's her time, she'll need me."
"Of course she will, Sarra darling." Weiryn kissed his wife tenderly, and they huddled close as the image of their daughter and her husband faded from the water.