Over the next few months, Chamberlain did his job well. He took the queen's orders and concerns from the villagers back to her. Prince Lyrin had showed him around and even made friends with him.

Sil found out that Lyrin's father had been killed in Rakkida attacks. He felt that part, remembering his ordeal alone. He also had four younger siblings that were too young to have jobs at all other than just have fun and learn things about what their society was about.

At first, Sil's duties had been more confined to the delivery of messages. But after his ribs had healed a couple of months later, Athya did start giving him some jobs that were done involving some farming like jobs. He even got to go on a day job with Byron one time too and he got to see what Byron did all day in the fields with the Mounders, which didn't seem like much to him. But they did bring in crops from the fields too for food preparation in the evenings.

At one time, Sil was seeking out Wyneth for concerns for Athya of the coming babies in the village, and he happened to find her at one of the homes when the mother was actually in labor too. The screaming was a bit too much for him to handle and Wyneth told him to leave immediately, as this was a bad time. He did leave.

Chamberlain had adapted well to his new home and job, but there were still things that he did miss from, like his mate. He often thought of La and dreamt about her. He wished he could see her again.

Byron no longer went to Wyneth's home. Sil had moved out of her home and into his home after her outburst at him that time he had bad timing at the home where the mom was having her child that day.

Byron showed Sil more of the job of taking care of himself when it came to mealtimes. How to prepare certain foods, and if there required the killing of an animal for meat, Byron showed him how to catch it with netting materials, how to stay upwind or downwind of it and being quiet. He learned much from Byron.

Sil mostly only ate meat in the evening, as when he was in Queen Athya's home during the day, he was given mostly fruit and vegetables, as that was the most of the Gelfling diet.

On two other separate occasions, Sil was just doing his job of delivering messages, and with those times, he also met the two other expectant mothers to be. One was nearly at term, while the other one was mid-term. The mates of the pregnant females took care of the affairs with Sil while the males made sure their pregnant mates kept their distance from the Skeksis messenger. They still weren't so trusting of him even though he had been with them for a little while now.

Chamberlain wondered what it would truly take for the Gelflings to fully trust him. But when he looked at the Gelfling mates together made him long for his own that got left behind.

And from the outside, other Gelfling villages were being attacked by the Garthim viciously. The one where Sil was had been unnoticed for a long time.

…..

Sil had now been with the Gelflings for over 4 and half months. He had been doing his job well, but some things had been disturbing him of late, other than missing his mate.

He had begun to have trouble sleeping at night, he had weird cravings, he felt some weird feelings in his stomach after he ate and at bedtime. He also felt some weight in his stomach as well. Something was going on. And he was nearly always hungry too. And he couldn't help it if he nearly tripped over his own feet doing something.

Athya and Byron were easily noticing changes in the Skeksis. There were also mood swings. Some villagers complained of him to them, especially if they were an untrusting Gelfling.

Queen Athya summoned Chamberlain before her one day. He had a scroll ready to take her orders.

"Ready for orders." He said.

"I need to talk to you about something else first, Sil. I have had numerous complaints about how you were snapping at some of the villagers and they wonder if we can trust you. What's going on?" Athya asked. "You have been doing a great job for me, but I just need to know what's wrong?"

"I'm just trying to do my job with them and they get mad at me for doing nothing to them. Then it upsets me. I got that treatment back at castle and not like it." Sil said sadly.

"Well, some of the villagers may always be wary of you, but just stick to the job and don't take what they say personally. As long as they don't try to threaten you. Suth will handle that if they do. Just let us know and I'll see to it that he does." Athya said.

"Anything else?"

"Sil, just for health reasons, I want you to go see Wyneth again, just to make sure nothing is wrong. You have been having some trouble with your footing too, we have noticed, and your eyes aren't bothering you, are they?"

"No. Or sometimes."

"For that, I recommend that you go see her to make sure your vision's okay."

"Alright." He agreed reluctantly.

He went to see her the next day after he did his morning chores. He was hoping she was home and not out somewhere else. He hadn't talked to her in a while since that incident.

Sil knocked on her door. He listened. He heard footsteps inside. "Who is it?"

"Me, Chamberlain."

The door opened. "Hello, Sil. It's been a little while. What brings you by?"

"Queen Athya said for me to see you."

"What for?"

"She thinks my eyes might have problem."

"Come in then." Wyneth said.

Chamberlain walked into her home. He sat down and she began to examine his eyes just by doing some tests. She had him walk about and see how well he could see things.

"I noticed some of your footing seemed off, but your eyes seem fine to me. Has there been anything else going on? How's your eating?"

"I'm fine in eating, but hungry more than usual. And after eating, and at sleep time, belly feels weird." Sil described.

"How are your ribs?"

"Fine."

"Well, Sil, can you lay on the bed for me. From what you describe what's going in your belly, I need to examine it." Wyneth said.

He felt a little more personal about that.

"I'm sure I can find the answer if you let me look at it." She said.

Chamberlain reluctantly went over to the bed and laid back.

"I need access, so if you would lift up the clothing." Wyneth said.

Sil revealed his belly to the healer a little hesitantly.

Wyneth came over and gently put her hands on his stomach. He had always had a roundish belly, but when she looked at it, it seemed bigger than what she remembered it to be.

To him, it did kind of tickle to be touched on his belly, but then, she began to push on him.

"What are you doing?" He demanded.

"Sil, I need to press to see what the problem is. I might be able to feel what's going on, but you need to let me. I'm not trying to hurt you. Just relax and I'll be done shortly." She said.

He let out a big breath and it told her he was trying to relax his body. It gave her the cue to continue, but he continued to watch her.

Wyneth had to apply some pressure to his stomach to go deeper. She heard Sil give off a pained whimper. "Sorry." She said. She applied pressure to different sections of his belly, and eventually, she felt something. Something had moved beneath her hand!

She felt some more and it moved again.

"Please… stop… it hurts." Sil pleaded.

Wyneth removed her hands after that. Chamberlain rubbed his belly.

"Chamberlain, did you ever by chance, have a loved one back at the castle? Or are you female?" Wyneth asked.

"I have female in me, as well as male. But how could you know about that? I never mentioned her." Sil asked.

"What I felt in your belly, Sil, is what I dealt with those three pregnant women in the village."

Sil's eyes widened. "You… don't mean…?"

"You are carrying your loved one's baby, or babies." Wyneth said. "What you are experiencing with symptoms: mood swings, cravings, movements, some clumsy moments; all come from being pregnant. Congratulations."

Chamberlain couldn't take it. This was so shocking. He ended up passing out. Fainting could also happen.

Wyneth had seen that reaction come more from expectant fathers. At least the Chamberlain had been on the bed.

Beta read by SkekLa.