"Nier."
"Dear…"
We released each other after kissing, and then I sat down on the side of the bed. I smiled: "I don"t need to do anything for the coming month. You two will probably be giving birth next month, right? The doctor told me not to go anywhere this month; he said to wait for you and Lucia."
Nier pouted as soon as I mentioned Lucia. I smiled, and then gave her a kiss on her forehead: "Don"t be angry, Nier. Lucia needs me more than you at the moment. She"s in danger at the moment, and it was my fault."
"It"s not your fault, Dear. She"s your wife and she, too, wants a child. It"s not your fault. But I don"t understand how she was doing great when she left, yet her condition turned for the worse as soon as she reached the elven lands. Dear, what exactly is wrong with Lucia? Is that normal for elves?"
I stroked Nier"s long hair and softly replied, "Definitely not. It"s my fault. It"s due to a lack of mana…"
"She was fine when she was here," said Nier. She stroked her belly and complained in a soft voice: "Being an elf is so nice. She"s so small, yet she"s pregnant with two kids. I worked so hard with you, yet I only have one child…"
"One child is the same thing. To be honest, I feel as though Lucia would be better off without the child when I see her in so much pain. I would rather be without the child. Lucia almost lost her life for her child. My heart writhes in pain when I see Lucia suffering like that."
I grabbed tight hold of Nier"s hand and, with a smile, continued, "Needless to say, if you were suffering as she is, my heart would also ache. However, I"m so glad that you"re okay. If you were faring poorly, as well right now, I really would want to abandon the North and return to Troy City to take care of you."
"It"s the same in the North, honestly."
"The living conditions in the North are inferior to Troy City. Furthermore, the people at Troy City are humans. If anything came up, I could trust them and know who to go to. We could also receive support from Duargana and Hilles City at Troy City. Worst comes to worst, I"ll send you back to Troy City."
"But you"re in the North, Dear. The place I want to be isn"t the safe place or the prospering place. I just want to be where you are," stated Nier. She gripped my chest tightly. Voice solemn, she added, "Your Majesty, you have been busy away from home after we got married. You went to the desert in the South and to the North, while all I could do was watch you from behind. I really hope to be by your side. I don"t trust Shusia or Tanya. I only believe that as long as I can be by your side, I can die together with you if I can"t protect you! I don"t want a world without you!"
"You have a kid, Nier. Don"t say something so scary. Our child will soon be born. I"ll be able to stay by your side in the future and take care of our child in peace."
I touched her belly to calm her down.
Nier was right. I didn"t spend much time at her side after we got married. Something popped up almost every month. First, it was Troy City. Then, I went to the desert in the South. Then it was the war against the North. I was never by my wives" sides when they had been pregnant for nearly ten months.
"What about our child"s name…?"
Smiling, I caressed Nier"s face: "Leave it to Mommy Elizabeth. She could name me, so, naturally, she can name our child. Moreover, I"m so lucky to have married you, and so I believe that our child will be just as lucky."
"Dear, do you want a boy or girl? It appears that everybody wants a Prince."
"I want a daughter, of course."
"Looking at Elizabeth and Vyvyan as they are now makes obvious the most terrifying flaw in my family"s education. I won"t copy my father and go to the West. Of course, I don"t want a son!"
"Wait… West… West…"
"A daughter… Hehe. Dear, I suddenly feel as though I have to fight for your love again now that you say that…"
Nier revealed a happy smile, but she soon noticed my sluggish expression. Puzzled, she asked, "What"s wrong, Dear? Why do you look as though you suddenly s.p.a.ced out? Did you think of something?"
"No… I feel as though I forgot something very important… About the West… and my father…"
I ma.s.saged my forehead. I felt as though I was missing one last piece of the puzzle, but I couldn"t locate it in my messy mind. My frustration irritated me a little. I took in a deep breath. I asked, "Nier, have I mentioned my father to you or a dragon in the West or something?"
Nier shook her head: "No. You have never mentioned your father to me. Your father is the elf, Inard, right…? I only heard about him from Her Majesty. You never mentioned him to me. Dear, have you thought of something?"
"No… I didn"t tell you, not because I hate him or something. It"s just that I don"t know anything about him. Honestly… I want to make a trip to where he died. He died where the dragons reside. I"m very curious. I want to know what exactly happened on his journ-"
*Slap!!*
I suddenly received a slap that was neither gentle nor hard to my face. I froze. I looked at Nier and she looked back at me. She whipped her arm and angrily exclaimed, "What are you thinking?! Your Majesty!! What are you thinking?! That is where dragons live! That"s a creature that only exists in legends. Didn"t you say that you wanted to take care of me and our child? Didn"t you say that you wouldn"t leave us from now? Why do you want to go somewhere so dangerous? Your father pa.s.sed away there, and now you want to go, too?!"
"No… I just want to take a look…"
Nier stood up feeling livid. She had her fists clenched tightly as she thundered, "No! I won"t allow you to go! Your Majesty! You"re now my husband and our child"s father! You can"t go somewhere so dangerous now! Do you want your child to never be with his father as you were?!"
It was the first time I saw violence in her gaze. It had been a long time since I was so close to Bodyguard Nier"s gaze. She looked at me as she huffed and puffed. She didn"t say another word.
After a moment of silence, I looked at her and solemnly said, "All right. I won"t go."
She took in a deep breath. She asked, "Really?"
I nodded: "Really."
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