The Crown's Entrapment

Another cold morning came, and it was yet again another busy day for the Cordonian King and Queen. Xenia and Darius sent Jayra and the rest off from Everett Manor after sharing a wonderful meal together, and they promptly went their separate ways as the couple began to travel once more.

Right now, they were currently traveling straight to the Moonlight Pack using the main roads. Xenia was sitting next to Darius, waving and smiling at the people that had gathered on the sides of the road, all of them cheering and hailing her name.

[You're quite popular, my love,] Darius complimented through their Bond. "I don't recall having this kind of adoration when I had my own parade as their new king.]

In truth, Xenia didn't even expect to have this parade. It was supposed to be a surprise, but news traveled quite quickly that many Cordonian immediately went out and waited on the side of the roads that their convoy would take.

Cheers filled the air as their convoy passed by. But unlike in the Capital, Darius didn't want them to ride on an open chariot. Instead, they used the King's grand and transparent glass carriage so that the people could still have a glimpse of the new Queen while also providing her with the protection she deserved.

Through it all, Xenia was very accommodating as she kept on smiling at waving at her people. She felt so ecstatic with how warm the Cordonians were receiving her. Truly, she made the right choice in doing those trials with how much respect and admiration they showed for her for passing them.

[My love, while we're here I'll be continuing in giving you lectures for each territory in our kingdom,] Darius informed her. [This will at least keep you occupied while we're on our journey...]

Xenia inwardly chuckled at her husband. [Seems like it's not me that you want to be occupied. You just want to distract yourself.]

It was as clear as day. She could feel his emotions, of how her husband simply wanted some privacy so that he could cuddle and have his way with her during their journey. Unfortunately for him, the parade was apparently a must for the entire kingdom in one way or another. And since they were already out and about, Darius thought that it would save them some time to do the parade on each of the territories they'd pass by as they made their way to the Moonlight Pack.

"Our Warrior Angel! Please show us your wings, Your Grace!"

Some of the Cordonians bravely shouted at her as they passed by. Xenia had half a mind to give them what they wanted, but she wasn't really allowed to at the moment. Besides, Darius already gave his instructions to his men so that they could do what was needed and tell the populace that their Queen couldn't just show her wings whenever they wanted her to do so.

[But I want your pack to see them...] she mumbled. [I mean, I want to show them my wings since they're asking for it. I want to impress them as your Luna. Can I do that?]

Darius chuckled. [No, my love. You don't want the people to think you're a biased Queen showing favor to your husband's pack. They will all have the opportunity to see them soon, but now isn't the time for it,] he mentally told her.

[I want you to get a hold of your wings first fully. And besides, you also need to learn a lot more about them before you fully try to connect with them. You're my Queen and the mother of this kingdom. You're precious, so we won't want them to see your angelic and majestic wings unless necessary.]

Xenia simply nodded, no longer commenting as she understood her husband's point. But then, Xenia suddenly felt dizzy after some moment, as if her stomach turned upside down.

"Are you alright?" Darius worriedly asked her as he held her by the hand. "You're cold..."

[I can still hold it in,] Xenia immediately informed her husband upon seeing how the royal guards had broken formation. She was feeling cold and nauseous, but she could still handle it. [We're going for a stop soon, right?]

[But you look pale, my love...]

[I'm just exhausted...] she insisted.

[We'll cancel this parade for now,] Darius replied after a bit of thinking. [We'll be stopping at the nearest available inn and have Aurelia check on you this instant.]

Xenia no longer had to power debate with her husband about how close to vomiting she really was. She did her best to try and suppress it, but there was nothing holding her stomach back anymore. She could only wonder if it was something that she ate this morning for her to feel this sick all of a sudden.

As soon they stopped by the nearest inn, Darius helped her get settled inside a room where she promptly did her thing on the nearest receptacle available...

"Xen..." Darius comforted her, gently stroking her back as she continued to puke.

She could only gratefully smile before she retched and heaved once more. As soon as she was done, he cleaned her up and carried her to bed where Aurelia was already waiting.

"Maybe it's because I ate too many this morning," Xenia guessed as she sat on the bed while Aurelia checked her pulse.

Come to think of it... She just realized how she was eating a lot more than usual ever since the coronation. Then again, maybe it was because she had been to a lot of feasts lately, not to mention constantly attending celebrations in quick succession where a lot of delicious and mouth-watering meals and delicacies were being served.

She was interrupted from her own stupor when Darius impatiently asked Aurelia. "Is she alright? What's taking you so long?"

"Stop pacing there, my love. You worry too much," Xenia quickly scolded with a pout. "I'm feeling much better now." Well, she was still a bit dizzy and nauseous, but at least it wasn't to the point as before where her stomach just kept on turning upside down.

"Hmm... When did you last bleed, Your Grace?" Aurelia asked as she pointed to her lower abdomen. "Down there, I mean..."

Xenia frowned as she tried to recall the last time she had her menstrual cycle. "Hmm... I last had it more than a week before I left to sail and train for the trial," she casually replied.

Aurelia asked her further questions, making her crease her forehead with how intrusive they sounded. Eventually, Aurelia grabbed a vial and gave it to her.

"Please pee in here, Your Grace," Aurelia politely said with a smile. "I want a better confirmation before giving out my diagnosis."

Though a bit confused, Xenia followed, hoping that doing so would finally make the physician stop with the needling questions.

"What is it?!" she heard Darius ask Aurelia. She could sense how anxious her husband was. She looked at Aurelia who had a composed expression. She even had a faint smile so Xenia assumed that it was nothing serious.

"Hmm, there's nothing serious, Your Majesty. It could be something that just upset her stomach, or it could be something more delicate than expected," Aurelia replied. "Either way, I want to make sure of everything before giving you my final diagnosis about Her Majesty... Please wait a bit more till I have confirmed everything..."

[Stop pacing...] Xenia teased Darius through their Bond before winking at him. She couldn't believe how he was overreacting like that.

[I know... I just can't help but get worried, my love,] Darius worriedly sighed. [I just hope that it's nothing serious. I always feel so incompetent whenever you get sick under my watch after all you've been through...]

[I'm sure it's just an upset stomach since I've been a glutton lately,] she comforted him with a chuckle. Still, somehow, she felt as if the reason why she was like that was something more delicate than a simple upset stomach.

All the while, Aurelia assisted her to get the sample that she needed. And she couldn't help but ask the young physician, "Am I pregnant?"

That was what crossed her mind the moment Aurelia asked her when was the last time she bled. Jayra would often ask the same questions on Jayra's patients before. She knew since she was with Jayra more often than not.

"We will soon find out, Your Grace. I apologize if I can't answer you right now. I simply don't want to give a diagnosis without confirming it first and making sure of it..." Aurelia kindly replied.

Xenia had a pout as she simply nodded. Excitement filled her as she murmured, "Please don't tell Darius about it if I am pregnant. I want to tell him about this personally... Tell me the result later once we settled into an inn for the night. For now, simply tell him that I have an upset stomach."

She made sure to put a wall against her mate but to her surprise, Darius telepathically asked, [What's making you feel so excited my love?]

Xenia frowned as she replied, [I clearly put my wall on so how come you can still feel my emotions?]

There was silence... Xenia then realized how her wall against Darius seemed to not work ever since she returned from the Element Forest. There were so many instances when Darius would react as if he felt her emotions even though she had put on a wall against him. But during that time, she was quite busy asking him about it.

[My love... I will explain...]

*****

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