I'm sorry if you don't like this chapter or characters seem to be acting OOC. And you guys are going to love the exploration of Nuada and Lily's relationship on this chapter!

"Yes. You see . . . Queen Lillian is pregnant." The head healer told them.

"Don't tell her." Nuada said immediately. He didn't know why he said it. He didn't know why he didn't want his wife to know that she was carrying their unborn child. He panicked and said the first thing that came to mind. Some part of him didn't want her to know that she was pregnant; he was still having a hard time accepting it. Another part of him hated his unborn child for being half-human, a creature he hated and a disgrace to the, up to that point, pure elven Bethmooran throne. His sister, Meldiron, and Abraham all looked at him in shock.

"Brother, you must-" Nuala began.

"No." He said forcefully. "I mustn't. She does not HAVE to be told she is pregnant."

"But-" Nuala tried again to convince him otherwise.

"I am the king and I say that the queen must not know she is pregnant with a Bethmooran heir." Nuada snapped. Nuala was shocked that he had snapped at her and got angry at him.

"Why must she not know? Can you at least explain your reasoning?" She struggled to keep her voice calm.

"I do not have to explain myself." Nuada shrugged her off. He had no idea why he was being so mean to his sister; he usually worshipped the ground she walked on. But something about this situation had him in a foul mood.

Nuala glared at her brother, didn't say another word, and stomped as lady-like as she could out of the room. Abe followed her. Meldiron and the head healer stood awkwardly nearby, not saying a word.

"Do as I told you and do not tell her." Nuada said with finality before he too left the room. Meldiron hesitated before following him.

They walked down the hall for a few moments in an awkward silence. Meldiron decided to take a chance and talk to Nuada.

"Your highness-" Meldiron began.

"Do not test me, Meldiron, I know what I am doing." Nuada warned him.

"I am only concerned for what will happen when Queen Lillian finds out that such a thing is being kept from her." Meldiron said.

"Do not. She will not find out that I am keeping it from her." Nuada said, convinced of his own words.

Meldiron shake his head at Nuada's response, but decided to not press the matter anymore. Any consequences Nuada would have to deal with by himself.

HBHBHBHBHB

Lily woke up in a bed in the hospital surrounded by healers. The last thing she remembered was being stabbed by some creature that held her and Nuala prisoner. She vaguely remembered being put in a chair before she passed out. The dagger was gone now and she only felt mild discomfort from where it had been. She sat up and immediately healers tried to stop her.

"Your highness-"

"You mustn't move yet-"

"-not safe!"

"I'm fine." Lily insisted as she pried the healers' hands off of her. "You have done an amazing job. All of you."

The healers reluctantly let go and stepped back. Lily stood up from the bed and, after a few moments of contemplation, decided to head to the library, where she knew Nuala would be with Abe. She didn't have much trouble with walking, there was only a slight pain every once in a while, but she wondered why she had been left alone in the hospital. The worst crossed her mind as she imagined Nuala and Nuada dead by the creature's hands and the entire kingdom mourning, leaving their injured queen alone in the hospital where they were certain she would be fine. Her walk turned into a jog and then a full-on sprint as this fantasy became a reality in her mind. She burst through the library doors out of breath and faced a shocked Abe and Nuala.

"Oh thank god! I thought you were dead!" Lily exclaimed as she hugged Nuala. Nuala's power helped her understand Lily's panicked state.

"Yes, my brother and I are fine. They managed to kill the creature before it could harm either of us." Nuala explained.

"Where is Nuada?" Lily asked as she let go of Nuala. Nuala took a couple of seconds to answer, reaching through the link the siblings shared.

"He is in a meeting with the council discussing the attack." She finally said.

Lily rushed out of the room and to the meeting room. She had no idea why she was so eager to see Nuada. It could have been from the scare she had given herself and she wanted to confirm him being alive, or from a form of love for the elf. Neither of them had shown any type of love for the other as long as they had been married, but she expected that eventually it would be there. Perhaps it would be there sooner than later.

Lily burst through the doors of the meeting room the same way she had at the library and immediately found Nuada addressing the council with Meldiron at his side. They all turned to look at her.

"You're alright! You're alright and you left me all by myself!" She hugged Nuada like she had Nuala.

"I had to discuss what to do about these creatures and their land now that they have attacked us. It was urgent." Nuada didn't know why he added that it was urgent. It implied that he had wanted to stay with her as she recovered, and he didn't, did he?

"Are you alright?" Meldiron asked her, worried that she was standing and running only hours after being fatally stabbed.

"I've never felt better, those healers are wonderful." Lily explained as she let go of Nuada.

"Well you should still rest." Meldiron insisted as he took Lily's hand. "We wouldn't want you to faint or get worse."

Nuada was slightly annoyed as Meldiron took Lily away from him, but he knew he had to deal with this problem now. He would see her tonight. Meldiron took Lily from the room and to her and Nuada's bedroom. He tried to not think of the things Lily and Nuada had done in that bed as he sat her in a chair by the window.

"Now stay here and rest. I can keep you company if you like." Meldiron half-hoped she would.

"Please do stay. I feel slightly ill." Lily said. She put a hand on her stomach. "It must be from the stabbing."

Meldiron watched her hand and knew the real reason behind her ill feeling. He wanted to tell her so bad, so she would hate Nuada. He had started to hate his friend for bedding such an amazing woman and not appreciating it. He clenched his hands and held his tongue. He would not say a word. If he did, he would have Nuada's hatred and may be banished from the palace. He couldn't handle being forced to never see Lily again.

Lily hadn't noticed his internal struggle because she was looking outside. Meldiron sat down next to her and talked to her about whatever she wanted. He would be nice to her because he knew Nuada might not be. He answered any questions she had about the attack.

HBHBHBHBHB

They talked until the sun went down and Maerwen came to help Lily out of her dress. Meldiron left because he knew he wouldn't be able to contain himself watching her undress. Maerwen left shortly after Lily was in her nightgown and she was left alone to her thoughts. She sat in the same chair by the window where she talked to Meldiron and looked at the night sky.

Nuada entered the room an hour after Maerwen had left and found Lily in the same spot. She heard him come in, but didn't turn around. He began undressing for bed.

"I was so scared I had lost you." Lily said, still not looking at him. "When there was no one by my bed, I thought the entire kingdom was grieving for your deaths."

Nuada paused in his undressing. He approached her and she turned to look at him, tears streaming down her face. He placed his hand on her cheek and wiped away a tear.

"When I found Nuala . . . " More tears came. "I was so happy."

This confession shocked Nuada. They had never shown this much emotion around each other before. He inwardly debated what to say or do next. After a couple of seconds, he spoke.

"I am here now."

Those four words had Lily jump up and kiss him passionately on the lips. She began undressing him and soon his shirt was off. He tore her nightgown right down the middle.

"That one was my favorite." She broke the kiss to say.

"I'll have Maerwen get you another one." He replied.

They continued the kiss and both helped pry Nuada's pants off. Once they were both naked, he picked her up and put her on the bed, with him hovering over her. As he thrusted into her he realized that this wasn't just sex, they were making love.

I haven't had a sex scene in a while, so I just threw it in there. It wasn't very explicit, so you guys shouldn't be too mad for not having a warning.