Chapter 31

Three weeks had passed, since Bash and Mary had left the Castle and had travelled to England. Kenna had stayed in the Castle and had tried to pass the time. She had often been at the stables and had watched, as Daniel had become acquainted with the horses. She was pleased to see how much fun he had with the horseback riding. But all this couldn't console her, because she was alone.

First and foremost, she missed Bash. But she missed also her friends, who were still living at the brothel, since the outbreak of the plague. But it seemed to come to an end of the pandemic, because there were hardly any new cases. People slowly began to build new houses. And the blockades were raised. A delivery boy from the brothel had informed Kenna that Lola wanted to visit her with the children. But although Kenna wished nothing more than to see her friend again, there was something that worried her.

For the last few days, she had been feeling sick. The smell of food caused nausea and she suffered from dizzy spells constantly. She would ask Nostradamus for advice. But she was afraid that he would diagnose an infection of the plague. Therefore, she had controlled her temperature every morning and had examined her body on changes, such as bumps or black discoloration. But so far, she couldn't see any symptom. Normally, the plague broke out after a few hours.

Kenna was interrupted in her thoughts, when there was a knock at the door and a servant entered her chamber.

"Excuse me, Milady. But a carriage has just arrived."

"Thank you." Kenna rose from her chair and exhaled deeply, as a feeling of sickness hit her. "I'm coming." She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to compose herself, before she went to the door to greet Lola and her children.

"Kenna! How nice to see you again!" Lola gave her friend a hug. "Look, who I brought with me!"

Kenna smiled. "Daniel will be happy." she said, when she recognized Daniel's nanny next to Lola.

"Nice to be here again." Bernadette looked around. "Where's Daniel? I want to surprise him."

"He is at the stables." Kenna smiled. "Actually, he is at the stables, all day. He has made friends with one of the stable boys. Marius is 17 and an excellent instructor."

"Oh, well." Bernadette smiled slightly. "Then I'll go to the stables and see if I can find him."

Kenna turned to Lola, after Bernadette was gone. "Didn't you bring the children with you?" she asked.

Lola shook her head. "I left them with Greer. Since the blockades have been raised, you can travel freely again. I will bring them later." She reached for Kenna's hand. "How are you?" She looked at her friend with concern.

"I'm well." Kenna forced a smile.

"You don't look well." Lola touched gently Kenna's arm. "I can see that you lost weight. And you look pale like a ghost. What's going on?"

Kenna burst into tears. "Oh Lola..." she sobbed. "I don't know what's wrong with me. At first, I thought that I got infected with the plague. But it must be something different. I can't keep my food down and feel queasy all day."

"Have you consulted Nostradamus?" Lola asked frowning.

Kenna shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I know it's irresponsible. But I didn't have the courage to go to him."

"Shall I go with you?" Lola suggested.

"Aren't you afraid of an infection?"

Lola smiled slightly. "I'm sure it's not the plague you suffer from." She took Kenna's hand. "Come with me! I'm taking you to Nostradamus."

Nostradamus made a quick diagnosis, after he had examined Kenna physically and had asked her questions about her condition. "You're with child." he told her simply.

Kenna could feel how the color drained from her cheeks. "I'm … what?!" she stammered shocked.

Lola nodded. „Of course! Why didn't I recognize the symptoms? I had exactly the same, when I was with John and Aylee."

„I can't believe it..." Kenna felt like in a daze.

"Seems that you and Bash had a wild party, before he left for England." Lola grinned.

Kenna blushed. „It was just one night." she murmured.

„That's good enough." Lola replied with a chuckle.

„What can I do now?" Kenna looked at her questioningly.

Nostradamus cleared his throat. "I'm afraid, that there is nothing to do, than to wait until the baby is born." He took two vials with herbs from a shelf and gave it to Kenna. „Here. This is against the nausea and dizziness. You will feel better soon."

"Thank you!" Kenna still felt numb. She couldn't believe that she was really pregnant. But how should she know? With Daniel, she hadn't felt any early symptoms.

"When will Mary and Bash be back from England?" Lola asked.

"I don't know." Kenna breathed a sigh. "I haven't heard from them for three weeks."

"Send a courier with a message!" Lola suggested.

"Not a good idea." Nostradamus shook his head. "This is news that you should deliver by yourself."

Kenna nodded. "I agree. But how long can I wait, before the pregnancy becomes visible?"

"Maybe a few weeks." Lola shrugged. "I noticed when my clothes became too snug."

Kenna reached for Lola's hand. "Are you staying with me?" It was more of a request than a question. "I need a friend by my side."

Lola gave her a hug. "Of course, I'm staying. I'll get the children and bring them to the Castle." She smiled. "Just like in old times."

"Thank you!" Kenna squeezed her hand, gratefully. "And now I would like to lay down a bit. I feel slightly shaky."

"No wonder after the surprising news." Lola put her arm around Kenna's waist. „Let's go!"

Kenna nodded to Nostradamus, for the last time and then left with Lola.