Veldrys knelt besides Lucette, held her and gently brushed her hair from her face. His amethyst eyes were filled with worry. He wasn’t used to this, to feeling so utterly helpless. He didn’t have any of his instruments with him and no medicine that he could give her to make the nausea stop. He was completely unprepared. He hadn’t known that this would happen! What was wrong with her? Had she eaten something bad? Had she been poisoned? Why would anybody poison a Kelvic that served Nikali? Lucette hadn’t hurt anybody! She was nobody of importance!
Something that she had said caught his attention. He tried to make her look at him, looked directly into her eyes. He needed to be able to see the look on her face. „How long has this been going on, Lucette? How long have you been sick?“ She hadn’t looked sick when he had come into the temple. In fact she had looked better than usual, almost radiant. How could she go from that to being utterly miserable within a couple of moments? „Tell me the truth. I need to know so that I can help you! I will do what I can, but you need to be honest with me.“
His voice trembled a bit as he said this. The Symenestra who was always so composed, so utterly calm, looked practically terrified. He still felt the aftereffects of that half formed bond. He remembered that he had seen similar cases during his time at the Purging in Kalinor when he had treated surrogates – some of them had even been Kelvic, like her - but this couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be. The gods couldn’t be that cruel!
He held his breath as she moved a hand against her belly, and his heart seemed to stop beating for a moment. It all started to make sense now. His eyes were wide with shock. „Lucette“, he whispered, desperately wishing that she would deny it. „Are you with child?“
Something that she had said caught his attention. He tried to make her look at him, looked directly into her eyes. He needed to be able to see the look on her face. „How long has this been going on, Lucette? How long have you been sick?“ She hadn’t looked sick when he had come into the temple. In fact she had looked better than usual, almost radiant. How could she go from that to being utterly miserable within a couple of moments? „Tell me the truth. I need to know so that I can help you! I will do what I can, but you need to be honest with me.“
His voice trembled a bit as he said this. The Symenestra who was always so composed, so utterly calm, looked practically terrified. He still felt the aftereffects of that half formed bond. He remembered that he had seen similar cases during his time at the Purging in Kalinor when he had treated surrogates – some of them had even been Kelvic, like her - but this couldn’t be. It just couldn’t be. The gods couldn’t be that cruel!
He held his breath as she moved a hand against her belly, and his heart seemed to stop beating for a moment. It all started to make sense now. His eyes were wide with shock. „Lucette“, he whispered, desperately wishing that she would deny it. „Are you with child?“