"Maybe a little." He said. "Cormac... I'm sorry. For making you worry, for being so difficult, for all of it. You're probably annoyed with me. Can't say I blame you."
"I'm more annoyed with myself, honestly." He looked at Astien. "I...I know what it's like. Feeling that the way you have been. And, and I should have been able to do something." He blinked back tears that were a mix of frustration and painful memories and let out a shaking breath. "I want you to know that I'm here for you, so please don't feel like you're a burden or anything like that."
Astien smiled. "Well, that's kind of hard. Every time I see you and Wyn doing your thing, I feel like a third wheel. Like an outsider. When two people are kissing, or holding hands, or dancing, or gazing into each other's eyes, there really isn't a place for a third person."
"We'll try to cut back on the public intimacy then." He sat on the bed. "Once you're better, I was thinking that you could participate in Wyn's and mine ceremony. Wyn's family isn't here to give her away and well...I'm not exactly sure if she's ready to meet my extended family quite yet."
Astien chuckled. "Forget her meeting your family, I don't think Seroteth is ready to give away his only grandchild. Honestly? You might be a bit young to get married. I'm more than certain Seroteth agrees with this." He thought for a moment. "Speakin of which, did you tell her about them? Or explain that you're half drake? I imagine she must be rather confused otherwise."
"I've explained the half-drake part. She didn't really seem to care. 'I always knew there was something special about you', was all she really had to say about it." He chuckled. "I'll tell her about Seroteth at a later time. Baby steps, you know?"
Astien shrugged. "She can put two and two together, I'm sure. I mean, if he's the father of all drakes, how else could you be related?" Astien's eyes went wide as he remembered something. "Oh! Speaking of too young, Siran has one of the finest setups a mage could hope for. Ask him to tell your age, he could do it no problem."
Cormac nodded. "I'll think about it." He stood up from the bed. "I should go back and check on Wyn. I'll leave you to get some rest as well. As for me...I think I'll contact my grandfather and let him know I'm doing all right. He's probably worried." He smiled at Astien before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. He headed back to his room to find that Wyn was fast asleep on the bed. He carefully unpacked their things before writing a letter to Seroteth and found a way to send it. He then settled into the room and tended to Fraea to past the time.
(Lol there actually aren't any servants besides Vincent. The place is huge but its pretty much just Siran, Vincent, and whoever else stays there, in this case Kell.)
Astien stared out the window and sighed. His hands rested in his belly. Siran said his baby wasn't dead. That was good, but Astien wasn't convinced something wasn't wrong. But, for now, maybe what was best was to take a nap. Astien laid back in his bed and pulled his blanket over himself. The beds were just as nice as the last time he was here. If nothing else, in this small moment, he had that.
Siran sat in his study, writing his notes. He would honor Vincent's words, of course he would, but all of this still had to be recorded. If this should be the last days of calm before Astien birthed something terrible... A hand gently closed the book he was writing in, and a head gently rested on his shoulder. "My lord," Vincent said. "You've been so busy. What say you take a moment and relax?"
Siran smiled. "And what do you have in mind, dear Vincent?" Vincent walked over to a nearby record player and states a song, otherworldly in its sounds and tones. It had been given to him by residents from the other realm. He walked back to Siran and extended a hand. "May I have a dance, my lord?" Siran smiled and took his hand. He could never resist dancing, especially with Vincent. They danced slowly in the center of the room, Siran resting his head on Vincent's shoulder, his eyes closed and simply absorbing the beauty of the song, the motion of their dance, an the feeling of dear Vincent's cool, gentle hand in his.
And the arms of the ocean are carrying me
And all this devotion was rushing out of me
In the crushes of heaven for a sinner like me
But the arms of the ocean delivered me
Siran always had something that needed doing, always something to keep him busy, but these moments lasted for erernities, small pockets of time where there was nothing else. No Astien, no god-baby, no teenagers making goo goo eyes at each other, just he and his Vincent.
And it's over
And I'm going under
But I'm not giving up
I'm just giving in
If there were were no other momenta to live for, at least he had this.
A few days passed until both Wyn and Cormac had recovered from the trip as well as settled into their temporary home for the most part. The two of them would see Astien at breakfast and would spend the rest of their morning either doing simple chores or wandering the property. As they day wore on they would check in on Astien, have tea, and talk. The subject was nothing particular, though a majority of the time it was either Cormac or Astien telling stories of their travels. Wyn and Cormac would then alternate their afternoons between reading in the library to Wyn teaching Cormac how to properly wield a sword. They would keep their locations around the estate rather routine just in case Astien needed to find them for any thing in particular. Evenings after dinner were spent in one of the main rooms where Wyn would work on her needle point or knitting while Cormac would play his ocarina and tend to his bow.
While Cormac didn't mind the routine he felt bored and restless, but he attuned that to being on the road for so long. He knew that someday, when this was all over, he would have to settle down and make a living off of something other than being Astien's assistant.
After a day or two, it wade used that Astien was at least healthy enough to be allowed to wander the estate. He spent much of his time in the library, reading and writing, attempting to get some semblance of work done. He often wished he could go into the forbidden section of the library, where he knew Siran kept the rarest tomes and scrolls. How he wanted to read these leftovers from the past, from days told of in history and kingdoms long gone, these spells and stores of knowledge no longer to be found anywhere else. It should be a shame that Siran kept it all to himself, but there wa nothing he could do about it.
Other times, he would walk the grounds, and sit in the sunshine. Or what sunshine there was for this time of year. While snow blanketed the land outside the earthen walls that surrounded this place, on the inside the grass was green, the flowers bloomed, and the trees were alive and shady. He's simply sit in the sunshine and just zone out, relaxing and trying to clear his head. There were times when that fellow Kell would join him, and the two would talk. Kell seemed like a nice man, and was decently interested in him. Apparently Cormac had told him of some of their adventures, and he would ask Astien for more details. Kell would occasionally talk about himself.
Vincent and Kell, the only servants such a large estate had to offer, apparently only one of which belonged there. Of course it was Kell, Vincent had been serving for years, and likely would be forever. Kell, it seemed, was there to repay a debt. Siran had healed his sister, and he had no other wai to repay him, though he's been told it wasn't necessary.
Kell had also been paying Wyn and Cormac for helping with chores on Siran's behalf. He has also been giving Cormac lessons in archery.
"Astien," Wyn said one afternoon as she joined him in the gardens. Cormac was off doing some chores and she had just finished doing that day's laundry. She sat beside Astien and fidgeted with her hair pin. "Did...Did you feel any different when you first got pregnant?"
"I assume Cormac has already told you about the nature of my son?"
Wyn nodded. "He has, but...Um... Before you started showing. Did you-Did you feel any different?" She started braiding a lock of her hair. She had kept it hidden fairly well, but she had been tired and felt nauseous for the past few days. Something felt off to her.
Astien places his hands on his belly and rubbed it soothingly. "Well, then I guess you know that my pregnancy is very atypical. I pretty much blew up in a week." He chuckled. "I mean, I knew I was pregnant the very second it happened. It didn't exactly happen the normal way, you see. But the first day, I felt nauseous and was throwing up. That's normal, of course. But the second day, I noticed I was a bit rounder. I was going through months in days. Obviously, that wouldn't happen with a normal pregnancy." He paused as his eyes went wide. H quickly turned toward Wyn. "Please tell me you and Cormac have been using protection."
Wyn's face turned as red as her hair. "Not-not really..." she muttered. She blinked back tears and took a deep, shaking breath. "I...I've been thinking about - if I am- that it happened on the night he came to see me. The night before the wedding." Her hands trembled and made braiding impossible. "It could just be some bug right? I could be sick..."
Astien buried his face in his hands and groaned. "Honestly, what were you two thinking? I know your parents probably told you that babies are made by Tamara when she's in a good mood and left in a cabbage patch or something, but aren't you two old enough to know that sex leads to babies?" He took his hands off his face. "Oh, Seroteth's going to have a fit and a half." He looked at Wyn. "Okay, it could be nothing, there's a chance of that, but have you missed any periods?"
"I know that sex leads to babies. It's just... We were really caught up in the moment that night. I didn't even think to." She buried her face in her hands. "I've just had some light bleeding," Wyn said. "It's not as heavy as it should be."
"Hmm. Light bleeding could mean anything. Help me up and come with me."
Astien led Wyn to one of Siran's recovery rooms, where there was a table filled with all sorts of things. He took some of her blood, dipped a crystal in it, and did a bunch of other magic stuff. After a moment, he looked at the crystal.
(So the answer is....?)