The Feather on My Scale: Ch 19
“Nebs?” I wobbled, feet prickly and limbs warm. It had been some time since I had been worshipped in the Water Temple. I had forgotten how much more potent they brewed their sake. I was going to do well stumbling into her chamber and finding the floor.
“In here,” her voice drifted like a soft flute on a warm summer night. I worked my way through the dim chamber to the protected patio and private hot spring. “Your ladies in waiting?” I pressed, finding her laid out on the chaise lounge in little more than a thin linen shift.
She sighed in disgust.
“Uh-oh?” I guessed.
“One of these days, I promise I will find some that I can tolerate.”
“They are there to help, Nebs. You don’t have to do everything on your own.” I eased onto the cool rattan of the chaise and trapped her between wide-spread arms on either side of her. Staring down at her stoic beauty, I was reminded of the day she had caught my heart and turned it into a finely played lute. Peaked nipples and the subtle swell of her belly tugged at fire lying in my gut.
She gave me a dismissive frown. “Says the guy who doesn’t like people fussing over him either.”
“I want to make sure you have some kind of friendships outside of just our little family, Nebs. You need someone you can vent to when we’re all driving you batty.”
“Short trip.”
I leaned into her warmth carefully, waiting for her to give me some sign she wasn’t in the mood for my randy, drunk-ass mind. Instead, she pulled me closer, waiting to loosen her grasp until I had relaxed into her hold, my head buried between the soft pillows of her breasts. Her scent of lavender and vanilla tripped across my senses, pulling away my worries. “Nebs.”
“You’re not wrong Henu, but staff talk, and I don’t trust them. I don’t want to trust them. I trust us. You don’t just blab to the kitchen staff who then blab to their family, and suddenly any number of secrets make their way to some noble willing to use it to assassinate you, or me, or our baby.” Her hand tensed for a moment with that admission.
I stilled. Letting it sink in, I mulled over our options. “There are times Ptolemy and I can’t be there, farashat saghira. I want, even more so now than any other time, that someone be here if something goes wrong. A com isn’t fast enough for a doc if you can’t reach it.”
“You do worry, Henu.”
“For you, always.” I kissed the peach fuzz on her cheek and trailed down her throat to her collarbone.
“You’re drunk.” She made it a neutral statement.
“Blame Abi. He was supposed to keep something less stout for when I would come in. I’m going to have a headache tomorrow.” I admitted. Savouring the curve of her breast, I eased down the shift to swirl tongue and teeth along the ridge of her nipple. She grimaced. I perked up at the reaction and backed off. “Not feeling it?”
“Would like to, but my boobs hurt like hell.” She pressed at the flesh with a miserable pout. I shifted her around until I was sitting against the chaise, her back tucked against my chest. Gently, I laid my hands where she had indicated and waited as she melted against me. “Can always count on you to be warm,” she purred.
“Massage?” I offered.
“With what’s pressed against my back? There’s no way this’ll just be a massage.”
“Can be, if you need that. Let’s get you comfortable first. Tried the hot spring?” I offered as I slowly lost myself in the beauty of her perfectly formed breasts.
“The books in the library discourage hot water. It says it’ll make me dizzy and that’s not good for the baby. Don’t stop.” She wiggled into a more comfortable position, which did very little to help my hard-on. Fire played along my skin in waves. “You came seeking me out when I know for certain you’d rather time with Ptolemy or even a romp with Seth. What’s wrong, kaze?”
“I can want to come to you just because,” I whispered, nipping at her earlobe as her body gave way for me, softening under my devoted attention.
“I heard of Sev, that he’s coming soon.”
I sagged at that, pulling her in tighter, hands going protectively over her slight belly. I couldn’t imagine what lay beneath, and yet the whole world sprawled out of reach, giving me glimpses of terror and joy I had no concept of how to fathom. “Command says that he has already started his march. He will be here in a week’s time.”
“Is that why you moved us to the Summer Pavilion? So that you could hold ground at the palace and distract him. You aren’t sacrificing yourself for me, Henu. Do not.”
“I would and I will, Nebs. No one hurts you. You’re the heart in this family.”
“This heart only beats because of all of you. Don’t break it trying to protect us, kaze. I know you had a hay day once, but now you’re about to be a father. Put them down where they are. You can’t let them get here.” Her grip on my arms trembled.
“Seth knows best,” I reassured.
“He got Ptolemy in on convincing you of this, didn’t he?” she huffed.
“It’s the type of opportunity that doesn’t come along often enough. This will be a moment that will go down in the scrolls.”
“And you expect me to just lay about over here with ladies in waiting feeding me peeled grapes?” She crossed her arms in frustration.
“I’m not entirely keen on seeing you slashing men to ribbons while pregnant if I must admit that much,” I admitted.
“Better than you and Ptolemy combined, and you know it,” she pouted.
“Also, not wrong. How’s that morning sickness treating you?” I dislodged the conversation.
She rolled her shoulders. “Comes and goes. It is pretty unpredictable. Morning sickness, my butt. It hits out of the blue whenever it wants without warning.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What?” she bristled.
“So, first slashed artery isn’t gonna-“ I let go as she bolted out of the patio. Retching and the sound of liquid hitting liquid told me I hit my mark. I gave her time as she brushed her teeth before she came back to me, wiped out and dishevelled. Dark circles under her eyes spoke volumes of how this was treating her.
“I take your point,” she admitted before rushing back to be sick all over again.
“Please, let me bring in some folk to help, Nebs,” I called.
Coming back, a cut glass bowl filled with candied ginger in hand, she settled next to me to watch the water gurgling through the waterfall-style faucet over the hot spring. Popping a shimmering piece of the anti-nausea root between her cupid bow lips, she muttered, “Fine, find me someone. I liked Ma’at. Too bad she’s with Easimal. And can’t speak Hawrian. She seemed no-nonsense and liable not to pry.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready to trust them to that extent-“ A clatter of alarms blared through the building, deafening any hope we had of talking. I wrapped myself around Nebra, holding my hands over her ears. “Easy, easy, keep breathing. No jump in heart rate. We’ll get you out. Deep breathing, Nebs.” I encouraged her and got her moving.
Chapel Orahamm (C) 2022-2023. All Rights Reserved.
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