Mauve stood at the foot of the stairs as Jael opened the door. The familiar creak of the door made her smile. She hadn't been to the garden in a while, but she knew it was well-tended. The stairs were the reason she hardly made the journey here—they were starting to be her worst enemy. She was fine walking on flat surfaces, but as soon as she had to lift her feet a few inches off the ground, the world spun.
"After you," Jael said with a palm stretched out as he walked down to et her.
Mauve blinked at the open door, completely blocked by Jael's fra. She smiled and took his hand. "Don't mind if I do."
He pulled her up the stairs and gently guided her through the door. He didn't shut it behind her, and Mauve figured it was because he would leave as soon as she was comfortable. She couldn't complain—he had spent a lot of ti with her today.
What she really wanted was to sit on the bench, but she knew if she showed even the slightest sign of exhaustion, Jael wouldn't let her hear the end of it. She hadn't expected him to co all the way with her. She thought he would just send soone to accompany her, but here he was, and Mauve found that she wasn't complaining.
He swiped a leaf off the bench so she could sit, and Mauve smiled at him. "Thank you," she said brightly.
Jael just shrugged and sat next to her. She leaned into him and looked up at the sky. There were barely any stars, and Mauve once again noticed she could pick out the leaves and plants a little too easily, even with the minimal light.
"Your body is warm," Jael said as he took her hand.
"And yours is cold," she replied with a smile. "Perfect, wouldn't you say? I warm you up, and you cool down." She grinned.
"Are you sure you're not sick?" Jael asked.
"We both know how I act when I'm sick. I'd be bedridden, Jael. I just think it's my body working hard to make the baby," she grinned.
"Let know the instant sothing is wrong."
"Imdiately!" Mauve said, raising her free hand. This prompted a laugh from her. After her giggling subsided, Mauve asked, "What about Erick?"
"He can wait. Besides, I'm sure it's just a letter about the lords again."
"Are they still bothering you?" Mauve asked, squeezing his arm.
"They couldn't bother if they tried."
"I'm glad to hear that," Mauve replied.
"I haven't spent this much ti with you in so long," he whispered. The sadness in his voice was clear enough for Mauve to hear.
"You spend enough ti with , and even though you hate the idea of walking around, you always walk around the castle with ."
Jael turned his head to look at her, and she could almost see the thoughts on his face. He was worried. She was too. There were too many things they didn't know and too many things they couldn't prepare for.
"Have you decided to tell your brother about the baby now?" Jael asked.
"Oh, I almost forgot about that. I'll write a letter tomorrow night," she grinned.
"I'll send it out for you. He will get it as soon as possible."
Mauve kissed his cheek. "Thank you," she said, pulling her face away, still grinning at him.
"Don't ntion it. I'll do anything for you."
"Except not letting oversleep and miss the first al," Mauve comnted.
Jael laughed. "Except that. I'd rather move the first al to after you wake up."
"Jael," Mauve cried. "You wouldn't!"
"We both know I would. I can do that right now."
"No," Mauve shook her head. "That's a terrible idea. I'm fine with missing the first al. Making everyone starve just because I haven't woken up is a bit overboard, isn't it?"
"No, it isn't! It's just a few hours. They can eat snacks in the anti."
"You are so cruel," she said, but there wasn't any anger in her voice, just delight.
"There aren't any stars tonight," Jael whispered, looking up at the sky.
"There are," Mauve replied. "You just have to squint your eyes to see them."
He glanced at her. "If you say so." He frowned and lifted her hand. "Your temperature is cooler," he said.
"Yeah, because you're doing your job right." She intertwined their fingers and wiggled her brows at him.
Jael turned away imdiately, looking at everything except her face. It didn't help that her hand was dangerously close to… He lifted their intertwined hands to prevent an accident. Mauve was oblivious to his reaction as she kept her eyes glued to the sky.
Jael ended up staying on the rooftop with her until she decided to leave. The walk back wasn't as bad, and Mauve made sure to rest after all the stair climbing before they went out for their usual walk. It was shorter than usual, and Mauve wondered if Jael could tell she was tired.
After the last al, Mauve dozed off as soon as her body touched the bed. Because of Jael, she hadn't fallen asleep during the night, and by the ti the sun had risen, she couldn't keep her eyes open.
Jael couldn't help the smile that appeared on his lips at how fast Mauve fell asleep. He had known she was tired and had wanted to leave her several tis so she could get so rest. But the coming days were going to be very hectic for them, and he didn't know if he would get the chance to spend as much ti with her as he had today.
Mauve breathed heavily as she slept. Jael didn't miss that her breathing had gotten louder, but it didn't sound like she wasn't getting enough air. Her face was also getting a little puffy. It made her look so adorable that Jael had to fight the urge to squeeze her cheeks. He kissed the top of her head and pulled her closer to him.
Mauve rolled so her back was to him, her hand resting on her stomach. He knew she was more comfortable on her side, and as soon as he held her, she would always adjust to this position. He couldn't wait for their baby to be born either. Though he told Mauve to be patient, he knew he was the impatient one.
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