For nearly two day he was in a state of perpetual wandering trying to keep his mind off Astridr's labor as he waited for the news that the deed was done. Part of him feared the impending announcement because he didn't want to hear if things had turned out for the worse. No matter what task he did his mind freely wandered to her and he sincerely wished that he could see her, if only for a moment to know she was alright. Deep down he knew his presence would be more hindrance than help so he endured the agony of the unknown.

Finally, a summons came and he went to the room. The room was dark with the only light provided by a few candles burning low in their candelabras. The muted glow allowed him to see three shapes crammed into an immense cradle slumbering. He had to tighten his jaw as he looked down upon the children to keep from gaping. Their union had been undoubtedly been "fruitful" his mother could hardly object to her openly now, not after this. A swallow as he asked the question he feared learning the truth of, "Astridr?"

A senior midwife, a cautious elderly woman, "We…moved the children away in case…in case her fever sets in upon them."

"Fever?"

"My lord, I should prepare you. The labor was very difficult on your lady. It was a miracle it went well enough but it was a long ordeal. Thirty seven hours from the time you placed her in our care to the time the last babe drew its first breath. A great deal of difficulties can set in, in the time it takes for nigh on two days to eclipse. We are trying…."

"Where is she?"

"My lord, you cannot go to her, not until the fever breaks!"'

"I am master of this house, I will do what I wish and I wish to see her. NOW!"

"My lord, you could jeopardize her by bringing infection to her very bedside."

"Then I will bathe but I will see my wife."

Under the zealous eye of the midwife he had acquired, he realized that although her obstinacy was vexing that she was trying to do the best for Astridr's wellbeing so he tried to allow his male pride to endure her instruction and demands. When he finally passed her shrewd inspection she agreed to lead him with great reluctance. Even immaculately clean she didn't think he should be visiting the ill patient for his good as well as hers.

Astridr was unconscious, according to the midwife she had been that way since the third child had been laid against her breast, in a desperate attempt to revitalize the malnourished babe. Alive, but he had a feeling it was just barely. The labor had ravaged her already faint and fragile form. Her skin was still stretched because of her formerly distended abdomen. A smooth sheen of sweat covered her brow and he could see that the gown she had on was sticking to her. He was no medical expert but he knew that when you had a fever you couldn't allow chill to settle either and that is exactly what she'd have upon her if she was clothed in damp nightgowns, "Leave us."

The midwife instantly started to open her mouth in protest only to be silenced by his voice, a whisper slipping between them, "You do not want to test your will against mine. For one, you will not win. For two, I have the authority to see my commands heeded. Therefore you have a choice: leave us of your own choice or I will have you removed."

The midwife tersely jerked her head in acceptance, departing with a clipped and reproachful gaze. His eyes turned back upon Astridr, his hands clawing at his clothing as he stripped. If he had tried to pull this in front of the midwife he knew she'd have assumed the worse of him, believing that he was taking advantage of trying to stir her to attend to his needs. That couldn't be further from the truth, he reflected as he climbed into the bed next to her, pulling her into the cradle of his arms. His fingers clamped around the damp nightgown, undoing the laces and pulling it off her body. Her skin was damp but not for long. The fact that she was sweating meant her body was fighting its fever but she still needed to remain warm. It would be provided, his fingers caressed along her spine drawing her close in his embrace almost lovingly, whatever she needed he would provide.


"My lord!"

A voice hissed out of the darkness of early morning, just after midnight. His dark eyes blinking against the solitary flickering of a single candle held in the hands of Mereit. Beside him, was a naked Astridr, warm and blessedly dry; her chills were leaving, her fever was breaking.

"What time is it?" his voice was dry, husky and soft from sleep.

Mereit's eyes rolled back in distress, "Early morning, my lord, you didn't….she needs her rest!"

"I did not take her, I slept with her," he commented, assuaging the handmaid's fears instantly, "What do you need?"

"There is a visitor from Flenceburg here to see you, says you are expecting her."

"I am, I am indeed," the instant he rolled out of bed Astridr murmured his name.

"Vytis"

It instantly made something deep inside him stir almost painfully on the inside. He finally gave her a soft kiss upon the brow before clothing himself hastily, "You must stay with her; she is not to be left alone."

"I will not leave her side."

Vytis glanced at her, "Disrobe!"

"I, I beg your pardon, my lord!"

"Her fever is breaking but she cannot be allowed to be exposed to the cold, she is not clothed so she has the benefit of body heat, it's what she needs and you have to give it to her, in my absence."

Her eyes were paralyzed with fear at the very idea, all of its implications, "My lord, you can't have me do this! With you, it's understandable, it is alright but if we are seen. She will be dishonored by adultery, accused of same gender…interactions! It is a sin!"

"No one will disturb this room, it will not be seen. You are the only one I can trust to do this for her. I know you would never harm or betray your lady, and by extension, me."

For an uncomfortable few moments she gazed at him before slipping beneath the covers stiffly, uncomfortably. Underneath the shroud of protective covers she stripped down and only when Mereit finally cradled Astridr against her as if she was still a babe, her babe, was Vytis content to leave.


He managed to get to his study undisturbed by any inhabitants up at this late hour as he finally took up temporary residence in his study to greet his late night arrival, "Almedha, you look as fair as ever; it is like time has not touched you at all."

Normally his words to others were a formality, a mere complimentary brush but in this instance it was very true. The woman was his great-aunt, his mother's not-so-beloved aunt which automatically made Almedha his favorite. His mother disdained her heretical upbringing amongst magi which made Almedha, as part scientist, part mage one of her least favorite relations. Consequently he had always adored his banished aunt as a child into adolescence and now into his adulthood. The summons this time had been more of practicality than fond memory though.

Her sensual full lips curved over her youthful face, the only thing indicating her age was the matronly gaze, radiating experience, that she fixed upon her favorite nephew, "I have heard that you are father to three, congratulations. I am afraid that I have failed to show in time to lend any of the aid you requested of me."

"You are right and wrong. The children are healthy…," normally that is all that would matter to a spouse, healthy children were always usually welcomed even if it meant the loss of the mother. Childbirth, with its ability to go awry so easily, could rob of both mother and child so to have three healthy children at the expense of the mother. Some lords would kill for that "fortune" but for some reason the thought of losing Astridr distressed him.

"But…?" she instantly prompted as she sensed his voice drifting off without continuation.

"But Astridr is not recovering as well as I would…hope. The reason I summoned you is I hoped that you might ease the delivery, make it easier upon her. She was already ill before the children, the term of pregnancy…," he didn't bother finishing the thought as if he couldn't relive the stress that bearing his seed to full term had stripped vitality from his ailing love, wife he quickly substituted internally, "I would like you to assume care for her. I will dismiss the midwives but Astridr cannot get better results from any but you."

"Your mother would say that relying on my "sciences" is heresy."

"I don't care," really he didn't, "if heresy will spare Astridr from this then I will put my faith in it. You, of course, will be generously paid."

She waved her hands, "I am NOT concerned about that, you offered me a fortune to come here AND paid all my traveling expenses while scandalizing your blue-blooded religious toady society. I would help you just on account of this woman meaning something to you enough to expend a fortune keeping her alive, she must be really something."

"She is," he instantly agreed, going into silence as he dwelled on her words, she was right he was spending a fortune to keep her alive. Inside he told himself it was because of his word to her and her deceased father that he would pay to keep her alive and whole through her pregnancy. However the more he looked at it he began to wonder where his motivations lie, were they personal, was he trying to keep her whole through the marriage?

"Would you like to see her?"

"I would…how long did the pregnancy take?" she rose in unison, following a few steps behind him as he led the way through the silent halls.

"According to the midwives thirty-seven hours of hard labor took about four more before it was concluded and she was allow to drift into undisturbed rest but she went into a fever and hasn't woken since."

"Almost two days, that is a very difficult pregnancy," her gaze was remote, as if in deep thought.

"She has been kept in seclusion, only I have been in to see her since the births occurred," he opened the door, allowing her to enter the dark chamber before following upon her heels.


Almedha instantly approached the bed with keen interest; there were two women in the bed. From behind her Vytis introduced the conscious one as, "Mereit, her lady-in-waiting."

As her gaze fell upon the unconscious one she unconsciously murmured, "She is very beautiful; I can see why you were taken with her."

"Her soul has beauty to match," he assured, and again Almedha was sure that he had some personal stake in her recovery. The young lord, her most favorite nephew was absolutely besotted with her and he had no idea. It was something she could tell him but she wouldn't, he had to see it for himself. The passion was more than she could taste, as a chemical reaction lust could be tasted but that chemical reaction could only become love when an individual prescribed meaning to it.

Love is just a chemical reaction; we choose to give meaning to it…

As she neared the bed her nose wrinkled as her senses picked up the, the stench of stale spearmint but it wasn't that at all. She almost instantly wanted to gag on the scent of wilted toxin. Her senses guided her to a cup of tea, half drunk, cold and abandoned long enough for the dregs to sink to the bottom of the cup. To be sure she lifted it up to her nose and the grotesque odor assailed her, her gut coiling in a tight instant with repugnance. She did not look forward to explaining this to Vytis, "It's pennyroyal, an abortifacient herb, it is used to induce miscarriage. At her stage in the pregnancy it was a lot safer, a lot easier to carry the children to term though her late timing is the only thing that saved the lives of your children. It was a miracle but they were ready, developed enough, to survive an early arrival."

Vytis was silent as he processed the outpouring of new information of import, "Astridr, she always wanted her child, wanted children, she did not do this."

"If that is the case then somebody likely wanted all of them dead," from the bed the maid looked ready to faint at the idea of assassination or perhaps that any would wish to kill her mistress.

"Dead?"

"Pennyroyal is a compound that is very effective but very hostile to both the child and mother. It's toxic, especially in high doses; thankfully your wife had sense not to drink copious amounts."

Again silence, then finally, "Mereit," he barked, "Dress, go to the children, you are not to leave them alone with any save myself or Astridr or Almedha."

"Your lady mother?"

"No," he said coldly, now he didn't trust anyone with his children save anyone he trusted himself and he did not trust his beatific mother.

She waiting until the maid was gone, "I'm, I am sorry I had to reveal such,"

"No, I am glad you did. It, it can explain everything, why she went into labor early, why she struggled so much, why her recovery does not come…easily," she turned to see him sitting upon the bed, the back of his hand stroking her cheek, his expression haunted. If only he had a mirror to see himself she knew he'd see he was in love. It often took an emotion to know an emotion and Vytis had never been raised by loving parents but he gave it so freely to his wife, if only he could know it for what it was, "it just can't explain who did it…," he finished.


Under her capable care and Vytis' unyielding devotion, and she meant unyielding, Astridr did recover from the pregnancy albeit at a crawl. It was a disappointment for Vytis to realize that Astridr was as well as she could be, fully recovered, and still be left worse off than before the pregnancy. It had been a trade of life, she'd given him three children and bearing them had shortened her already tenable hold on life, her illness jeopardizing her more violently than ever especially with the approach of the fall and winter months - a season which Vytis was concerned about. Winter last year had been cruel to her and he had good reason to fear that if they were not careful he could lose her this season.

Almedha personally could not stand them but Astridr kept her spiritual advisors despite their uselessness. Likewise they found Almedha to be little better than being a witch or gypsy or even a charlatan and they expressed explicit concerns to Astridr and Vytis that she was a corrupting influence that did not help matters at all. Out of respect for Vytis' judgment and gratitude for her help in gaining what little health she regained Astridr did not dismiss her despite being heavy with suggestions to sack and send her away back to Flenceburg. Almedha took her mind out of her thoughts long enough to focus on what the 'spiritual advisors' were saying today. Even Ingrid, Astridr's vain sister who could benefit from 'spiritual advice', didn't choose to remain around to hear their self-righteous nonsense.

"Are you listening to me, Lady Astridr?"

She guessed he was the most senior of the three because his conjectures were always the most farfetched and from the look of it Lady Astridr was listening and intently. She really wished that the young woman would not waste her time or at least ear on these three misers. It was unfortunately a choice she decided to indulge since Lady Astridr devoutly believed in the gods. Almedha personally thought if gods existed they didn't try to answer prayers and readily practiced what she called 'benevolent cruelty'.

"We have practiced every manner of intervention on your behalf, my lady, the gods have not answered you. The gods would never abandon."

She rolled her eyes as she thought, "Of course not."

"There is a flaw within, a flaw within yourself that the gods cannot, will not bear and one that we cannot do anything for save to pray that death will come and cast this aspect of disfavor out of your very soul."

And HERE it is the excuse that will save them from blame because they can do NOTHING useful.

"Ah, Lord Vytis!" one of religious imbeciles rose recognizing him instantly. Unfortunately he did NOT recognize the signs of almost certain rage curling lividly in cold lines over his face as he saw the spectacle and how seriously it had been received by his wife. It was NOT going to go well. She wondered if he'd pull this out in the hall and have this confrontation away from his beloved or if he'd release it right here and now where she could watch.

"Get out," the words were forced out one at a time, as if it took effort for him to speak but she knew that he was trying to restrain pure unmottled rage from breaking loose.

"What?" one of them made the mistake of asking a single question in confusion and didn't realize it for the mistake it was.

"GET OUT! NOW! LEAVE, DO NOT COME BACK! RETURN TO COURT, SEND NO OTHERS IN YOUR PLACE," he was no longer yelling at the end but it was menacing enough, "You've done enough," he stated and it was obvious he wasn't pleased with it.

The 'holy' men all but fled as if afraid they'd undergo bodily damage next, it wasn't likely far from the truth. Astridr, who had been silent as if in deep thought at their words, was now in shocked tears, instantly imploring him to undo the damage he'd just wrought. Normally she was a voice of reason to curb Vytis' reckless tendencies but in this case Almedha did not believe Vytis was in error sending them away.

"It will be a scandal, you'll displease your uncle, you can't have no, no priest."

Vytis' calmed his rage as he beheld her, his hands resting upon either side of her neck while he cupped her chin, "No, Astridr, the insult was too great and I will not weather that deceit from them. I will not let them place such lies in your mind when you have been nothing but perfect in your faith. You don't need them; you have the ability to judge right and wrong, good and bad for yourself. You can do it far better than they can and I was fool to let them rule you in such a way through your greatest attribute – your morality. You only need yourself and I, I only need you," he kissed her, it was rough but oddly innately intimate, soft and calming. Almedha took the opportunity to dismiss herself knowing that at the moment neither of them would need her, they'd only need and want each other.


Later that night he retreated from her bed, they were careful now. Astridr shared her bed and he shared passion with her but their union would no longer produce any more children though his uncle was optimistic of the idea of more. Vytis could not endanger her life like he had the first time. Fortunately Almedha knew many ways to prevent pregnancy enough for them to revel together but he couldn't hide the fact that she just exhausted so easily and more than often his body wanted more than she could offer him. His mother solution was as predictable as ever: find a mistress, and he had a good idea who she was thinking of though it would be scandalous to seduce his own charge. He knew he never would, he could never engage in that kind of passion with any save Astridr. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him but everything seemed to revolve so easily, so completely around her – she was his entire world, second to none, not even their children.

His actions of dismissing the priests outraged the royal court at Crell Monferaigne. His mother was so outraged that she went to court to fulfill her 'spiritual needs'. Personally Vytis view that as an added bonus, his mother would not be missed. His Uncle had sent word, the admonishments were harsh but he did not defy his wishes. None were sent to fill the vacancy but his Uncle expressed concern that his marriage to Astridr made him utter ruthless and reckless, a bad combination for heir to his prestigious throne since he was making easy enemies at court. There was also a suggestion colorfully added that he annul his marriage and marry another due to the fact his current issue – his son and daughters – might inherent the same illness that Astridr carried. It was disappointing that his uncle believed in such superstitions. It didn't bother him that he had enemies at court but it bothered him what they were saying about Astridr, she would be their Queen and he didn't want enemies at court to greet her.

More pressing than anything was what to do while the summer days slipped away, something had to be done to help Astridr survive another year and every one after. The problem gave him no sense of peace, his mind never allowed to rest.

"Vytis….why are you up at this hour?"

He turned to see his aunt her eyes glowing almost crimson in the light, he quickly assured himself that it was a trick of the candlelight, of course, "I'm trying to figure out how to give Astridr a better quality of life…"

"Have you ever thought of removing her from this land entirely? Cold weather does nothing to help so think warm."

He gazed up over a map on the study wall, rejecting one place after another until he got to the foreign continent of Yamato – a warm tropical location where they could wait out the winter month. He turned to Almedha who warmed him with a slight and knowing smile as he drew up plans for the journey, carefully commissioning the perfect home he'd give her. If others were outraged by his actions now they had not seen anything yet because he'd not send her down there alone, he'd be with her every step of the way. His duty was here in this country and at its court but his heart took him elsewhere and he was following it.


It comes close to the end…and she knows it.

She thought as she drew back.

The woman knew she was declining, dying, and the mortal woman did not know how to prepare him and tragically he wasn't ready to let her go. Already fate was moving them apart in different directions and only Astridr realized what it meant. Loving him even as she knew leaving him would, no irony intended, kill her.

She never regretted loving him even though it caused her pain, she regretted the fact that she would leave him behind and cause him pain.

Regret…


A/N: Okay, I don't know WHY but Almedha almost came out so sarcastic that she was like comic relief. She is really sarcastic and witty. It might be inappropriate but I don't really think it detracted too much from the comment commentary.

Also personally *manually gives thanks* to Michelle *claps* for inspiring my 'The Seal' muse to get up and get going with this difficult, DIFFICULT chapter, it was REALLY hard to write.

As this chapter warns you things are really going to be going decline fast now. I'm warning everyone once again that this story is a ' romantic tragedy' and will not end well. Its sequel will be the REAL conclusion of this unhappy story.