The Werewolf King's Bride

(From Blue's Perspective)

"Go out," I said to Calix and Perita. They gave confused looks and then, nodded.

Dem was standing right by the door. He walked in and closed the door as my knights left. He was sweaty as he was training the knights all the time. He ran his fingers through his hair, which was wet with sweat. The sight was quite blinding.

"You kept it from me…," I said.

"I don't like keeping many secrets from you. But I wanted you to stay away from all this. I did not want you to worry about this too," he said calmly.

"What were you planning?" I asked.

"I wanted to get you to another place…"

"That mansion?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Then, I would have told you…"

"Dem…"

"I don't like it when you have to go through hardship and worry too much."

"Haa," I sighed. The desperation I felt inside was hard to put into words. "I am really angry, Dem. But I cannot… I told you to tell me everything. Telling me about the war would not have any more worried than I had been without knowing about it. Do you think I am that much of a fool that I would not understand anything?"

"Of course not. I never thought you were a fool. I just thought… You have been through a lot in a short amount of time. I did not want you to go through any more hardships," he said.

I could not even get angry.

I covered my face with my palms. I took deep breaths. For some reason, I was feeling anxious.

He touched my hands with both of his and pulled my hands down from my face. "I'm sorry…"

"You don't change," I said. "There is no point in apologizing. You won't change, Dem."

"… I cannot…"

"You don't even try. Forget it. I don't expect that anymore," I said.

He touched my stomach. "I know I am not a good person. There are no excuses. I'm sorry for not trying enough. This time, I truly did it so you would not worry," he mumbled.

"Next time, tell me what is going in, even if you feel like it will worry me. I have a right to know, Dem. I am not just your wife, but also the Queen of Querencia. You cannot keep me in the dark."

"Yeah…," he said and started rubbing my stomach. "It's hard."

"My tummy?" I asked.

"Hmm…"

"Because there is a baby inside," I said.

"I cannot wait for the time when you will start showing…"

"It's not far," I chuckled. "It will happen very soon."

I was a little insecure about how I would look with a big stomach. The pregnant women I saw always looked gorgeous. But I was not so sure about myself.

"So, when will you take me to the other place?" I asked.

"Next week. The sooner we do it, the better. There will be no risks," he said. "I have chosen the people who will accompany you."

"Who?" I asked.
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"Your knights- Calix and Perita, Flint, two maids, and Ruby. I will go as well, but I will have to switch between this and that place," he said.

"I see…"

"Don't worry. You will be protected. Luc is going every day to strengthen the security with magic. He has placed five barriers already. He will do more," he said.

"Wars are hard… I have never seen one with my own eyes, but I can understand. A lot of people will die."

"That's how wars work, after all. People will die. In the end, who wins is what matters the most."

"But… did you actually kill him?"

"No. I don't even care about that bastard. I have never even met him more than once. Why would I kill him?" he shrugged.

"Just asking… Have not sent the proof you had that you did not kill him?"

"I did. But he thinks otherwise. I mean, it's really… The proofs he sent are surely great, but not enough to prove that I killed his son. It's absurd," he said. "Accusing the King of another kingdom is not like accusing just anyone of murder. I don't kill kids."

"He was a minor?"

"Seventeen," he said.

"Oh…"

"I don't think it's hard for you to know what's going on?"

"Anyone would know," I chuckled bitterly.

It was surely the work of my dear father.

"He will try to separate us because when I am with you, he can't use power from a distance. And the palace ground is protected with shields to prevent any kind of magic," he said. Flint had a lot of problems, so he was not working at the magic tower along with the other mages. Only the top two floors of the magic tower were the places where magic could be used, but not dark magic.

"No one knows where the mansion is located other than me and Luc. Only faithful people are going with you."

"That said, I cannot see the orange-haired maid anymore…"

"She died."

"What…?"

"When you went missing, she also could be found. Then, we found her dead body near the palace. She was bitten by a snake."

"Is this a coincidence?" I asked.

"We don't know. We may never know," he muttered and kept on rubbing his cheek against my stomach. I ran my fingers through his hair. "You smell so nice."

"Is that why you are doing it?"

"Yeah…"

"But you are sweaty, my love," I chuckled.

"Ah…?"

"It's fine though. I will take a bath with you too then," I smiled.

After that day, two maids who were selected by Dem started to pack my necessary things. Since it was not a secret anymore, they started working freely.

I told Iris to visit me the day before I was going to leave since there was no certainty when we would be able to meet again. If the war started, we would not be able to meet until it was all over.

"So, your little baby getting bigger?" she smiled widely as she asked.

"My tummy is hard. I mean, it's… It has gotten a little big. It's not possible to see it through clothes, but when I take it off and stand in front of the mirror, I can see it- just a little bump…"

"The baby must be growing very nicely," she said.

"Maybe… I hope so… But the picture I saw in a book suggested my belly should be a little bigger than it is now coming this far of pregnancy," I said. "I told the doctor. I mean, I am a little concerned, you know."

"I don't think it's anything serious. It varies from person to person."

"The doctor said so too. He said my baby is fine. Besides, I am not supposed to have a huge stomach by now. I don't know… I know sometimes I worry too much. But I really cannot calm down…"

"It can happen, Blue," she said, touching my arm. "Although I don't understand everything you can feel since I have never been through this, I can still understand that it is not completely irrational to feel this way. It's your baby after all."

"You are a mother too, Iris. Becoming a mother doesn't mean giving birth to your child, it is loving a child as your own," I said. "You are a good mother, Iris."

"Thanks. I appreciate this," she smiled grimly. "But I think you should talk to someone who has given birth before. You know someone like that?"

"I do… There is Flint's wife Rose, but I am not too close with her," I said. "But I will meet someone who gave birth and raised a kid today."

"That's great. You will get to hear the experience of someone which will help more than the books," she said.

"Yes, I think so too," I said. "Reading books only can give worries."

"You also mentioned you were going somewhere."

"Ah, yes…"

"Where?"

"I need a little air from all of this mess. There is this matter of safety," I said. "I cannot use my power too much because of my pregnancy. My child has mana too since I am a dark mage. If I use too much, his and mine are going to kind of like make a little explosion which will harm both of us. You know, with a war approaching, we cannot say our lives are safe for sure.

I need a safe place."

"Yeah, the war…"

"You kept it from me too," I said. It was no wonder Dem wondered every single person to make sure I did not know about the war.

"I'm sorry… It's just…"

"It's alright. Even my husband kept it from me. He is the one who told you to do so anyway. It's not your fault," I said.