A Soldier's Life - 350 - Raelia POV

Warning: Another controversial chapter is below! I am reading the comments and will eventually be doing my read/ edit on it. Remember, these are all draft chapters but usually the controversial things are tied to plots in the future. I don’t know when I will be editing it, as Raelia will be off-scene for a number of chapters.

Chapter 350: Raelia POV

Initially, she wasn’t sure. However, after the Lucky Equilibrium arrived in the fishing town of Kryvan, she felt more confident. How could this have happened to her? The odds for it were astronomical. Was it because Eryk was an other worlder? Maybe he had some elven blood in him. She new that could increase the odds. No, Eryk said that there were no elves on his home world.

It was likely to be a stillbirth—that was common when these things happened as well. No matter how she looked at it, she was carrying a half-breed—a child whose existence would be shunned by her people and humans alike. The child would live two human lifetimes but not even a tenth that of her people.

She screamed into a pillow, causing Baldo to worry and snuggle into her on the bed. She was too young, too—just forty-eight winters. She shouldn’t have even been fertile for at least another decade. Eryk was only the second man she had lay with as well. She had teased plenty of men in her time, like the Sentinel Knight of Gesedmuria and her fellow griffin rider, Rathael. But the first man she had lain with was Vaeril, the summoner. But those two weeks were youthful experimentation, and Vaeril had been so patient with her. And then she had lain with his killer—was this a betrayal? She pushed that thought to the back of her mind.

At least she was alone to sort her muddled feelings. Eryk had chosen to explore the city of Godok. She had to admit the city was as impressive in its scale as it was in its poor upkeep. The stench of the sewers and meat markets permeated the air, even this far into the city. Or maybe that was her sense of smell heightened by the pregnancy. That was one thing she had been taught would happen.

Baldo nudged her, asking for lunch. She went down to the kitchen and couldn’t find anything appetizing—partly because she didn’t know what most of the items were. In a fit of frustration, she handed the cook a handful of dungeon silver and requested one of everything to be brought to her room.

While she waited for the food, she contemplated the challenging decision of whether to tell Eryk. Would he feel excited? Would he feel angry? If he were excited and the baby was stillborn, he would be devastated. No, she couldn’t tell him until she knew for sure, even though he would probably make a great father. She needed to return home to her mother, she would know what to do. If the baby were to be stillborn, it would be best to end the pregnancy before then. She needed the help of the elven healers.

The food arrived, and she guessed she had overpaid due to the abundance brought to her. She drifted from dish to dish, sampling and tossing various types of meat to the patiently seated Baldo piece by piece. She ate as a distraction until her belly hurt. Maybe this is what it would feel like to have a child growing inside her. She laughed at her foolishness. At least she could keep down the food, unlike on the ship.

The door opened—Eryk had returned. She kept her eyes closed as he asked, amused, “Hungry?” She wanted to smirk as she had eaten so much food her belly still hurt. Then Eryk shocked her as he rubbed her shoulders.

“I am going to stay in Godok for a few months. I have gotten us a room at the Adventurer’s Hall,” his words echoed in her ears. He had been so eager to return to Castile, and now he wanted to study dungeon chronicles. But she could use this as an opportunity. She could sail home ahead of him and have her pregnancy examined. Maybe she was mistaken—no, she was not mistaken—she knew that as well as she knew herself.

“If you are going to spend a few months here, I can go back to see my brother and mother to explain myself,” she told him. “Yes,” she nodded and gave him a weak smile. “I’ve been putting it off for too long. I have only sent them one message in the last three months. I can meet you in Gramney in a year.” Her mind was already churring on how to get home and worried about how her mother and brother would receive her.

Eryk offered to accompany her if she waited, but that wouldn’t work. If the child was born, it would be just under a year old—but she didn’t know when the child had been conceived. Even though she wasn’t showing, it could have been months ago.

She left to find passage on a ship, reassuring Eryk that she would be fine returning to Bartiradia on her own. She needed to see her mother and an elven healer as soon as possible. She wandered the docks looking for flags of Bartiradian ships but didn’t spot a single one docked or moored. But she did see an Esenhem Sloop: a fast and modestly armed warship. After talking with the crew, she learned it belonged to the Ambassador.

She arrived at the Embassy of Esenhem deep within the city and put all the skills her aunt had taught her to use. Stroking the ego of the ambassador and playing on his good nature that he didn’t realize he had. By the end of a long dinner where she barely touched her food and avoided the wine, she had convinced him it would be in his best interests to return a few weeks early to Esenhem.

When she returned to Eryk, she was excited about her success and eventually seeing her mother. She wanted to reassure Eryk that she still felt strongly for him. She was committed to spending a few decades with him and watching him grow old. She was even committed to watching him as he became feeble and unable to care for himself. Many elven women who fell in love with a human knew this was their eventual fate, but that would be a long time by all the essences the man had consumed. More likely, he would slain in a battle with some creature—she pushed that thought aside. He was indomitable—one of the reasons she had fallen for him.

The next morning, she gave him her most passionate kiss, but he seemed to have changed—had become apprehensive. She reassured him one last time, “It is only a year—maybe less.”

As they stood on the deck on Esenhem warship she reassured Baldo as well. “Don’t worry, I am sure Eryk can take care of himself.” She watched him get smaller and smaller on the docks. She would see him again, she told herself. But growing up in a military family, she knew nothing was ever certain.

The months spent at sea had at least diminished her sickness. She spent her time having meals with the ambassador and his family and training Baldo on the ocean. The ambassador did like to brag about his possessions, the ship being one of them. It had a massive runic array inscribed on the hull that acted as a deterrent for enemies both above and below the waves.

The ambassador was slightly too pompous to realize that he had been posted halfway around the world, because his presence made it difficult to stand in the Regent Courts. Raelia endured the voyage with the support of Baldo and nervous anticipation of seeing her mother again.

They docked in Cambal on the western side of Bartiradia, and Raelia breezed through customs. She didn’t bother hiring a wagon; instead, she had Baldo fly her in short bursts toward her destination. Her family’s estate was located outside of Viloril, about one hundred miles from the capital and just five hundred miles from Gramney, she noted.

She covered the 350 miles from Cambal to Viloril in just four days. Baldo’s stamina was increasing rapidly, and she felt proud of her black griffin companion. Once he fully matured, he would be able to make that flight in less than a day. He needed more focused combat training, but she knew he would match or exceed Moonclaw in time.

She landed in Viloril, and suddenly the butterflies hit her. Her family estate was just three miles down the road, but she hesitated and enjoyed a meal at one of her favorite open-air taverns. She winced as the proprietor recognized her—not that she had been planning to change her mind. After a large meal and two pitchers of water, she walked Baldo down the road.

The estate looked almost the same, except one outbuilding had been added. It looked to be a grain storage facility. The Glavien Estate was relatively small, with just a few small orchards and fields. The central building was made of ancient stone and wood, with smooth, flowing lines and a majesty to them. The backyard led to a large training yard, and she could hear the clang of wooden training weapons.

She froze mid-step, confusing Baldo. Those strikes were intense—was her brother home or had her father returned? She wasn’t sure if she could face her father’s questions in her condition. He should be far away in a south-eastern fort training soldiers. A human steward came out of the house, Jochem. It only took him a moment to recognize her.

“Raelia!?” He yelled, ending all hope of possibly meeting her mother alone. Whoever was training in the yard would be alerted.

The estate started to buzz as others came out to see the prodigal daughter returning. Then Eliyen appeared, her mother’s golden hair easily distinguishable even from this distance. Tall, strong, stunning, and proud, she studied her daughter. Raelia began walking, and her mother walked toward her as well. Baldo followed obediently beside her as they approached. The embrace was fierce as her mother held her close to her breast. The familiar, reassuring smell was welcoming, and she inhaled deeply. A lost young girl seeking comfort.

“Raelia, you have returned. Regent Maeralya told us you would be coming,” she said softly before releasing her. Raelia winced internally. She should have expected the ambassador to contact her aunt to confirm her story. The released each other.

“Is she angry?” She asked.

“Perhaps. Emotions cannot be sent through a sending. But now that you have returned, you can return to Esenhem and fulfill your obligations to the family,” her mother said supportively. “You can tell me of your adventures in the Caliphate and with the goliaths.” Always strong and supportive, she didn’t know how to tell her mother her situation. There was time as the flow of people moved into the manor.

Her heart stopped when her father, dusty and sweaty, was removing padding in the entryway. No, he shouldn’t be here. Why was he here? He had a bright smile for her, paused in his task of removing the training pads, and hugged her tightly. “Ugh,” Eliyen snapped. “Both of you need to head to the baths. Once you’re clean, you can greet each other. Stable your griffin first!” she said with amusement.

“Baldo sleeps in my room,” Raelia said weakly under her father’s gaze. Baldo was not a war griffin; she had been coddling him and forming a bond. Braern and Eliyen exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.

“Fine. I am sure Clalyn would like to meet him. He looks like a fine griffin,” her father said.

“Clalyn is here?” Raelia said excitedly.

Her father laughed, “No, he is in the capital but will be here in a few days. He knows you are coming.” Raelia decided to wait for Clalyn’s arrival before revealing her news. She was sure her mother and brother would support her.

When she bathed alone, the belly bump was hardly noticeable but definitely present. Her toned abs had faded. As she waited for Clalyn over the next two days, her anxiety increased. Her father wanted to test her skill with the blade, while her mother wanted to see her progress in magic. Her mother was a decent fire and air mage—where Raelia got all her magical gifts.

She still had the dungeon ring of fire spellbook and mastered the complex spell forms during her voyage. When she invested all her aether at once, it created an impressive ten-foot ring of yellow-white hot flames. She could only maintain the ring for about ten seconds before her aether ran out. She needed to practice the spell to be able to preclude areas to protect her allies, but she had time for that. Even her father was impressed by the fire spell’s demonstration.

Her father was not as happy with her fighting prowess. “You have not devoted much time to training.” She wanted to rebuke him because she had trained harder in her time with Eryk than she had in her time with the Riders. Of course, she didn’t and endured it.

Clalyn’s arrival was bittersweet for her. It marked the end of her excuses for withholding the reason for her return home. Clalyn’s hug and jubilant face were welcomed. He had protected her her entire life. The question was if he would continue to do so once her news was spoken aloud.

After the emotional reunion, the family sat around the table, with only her younger brother missing. He was off studying magic. The rest of the household had joined them for the evening meal, and celebratory wine was being passed around. The conversation was mostly Eliyen and Braern asking Clalyn about the state of affairs in the capital and on the border. Raelia listened dispassionately as her world was focused on herself and her family's reaction to the news. Well into the meal, she finally worked up the courage.

“I’m pregnant.” There was silence. Everyone looked at each other, as this was not something to be joked about. The household members stood and left, leaving just the Glavien family.

Clalyn bailed her out, being assertive and supportive. “Are you sure? Who was it? Do I have to send Alhar to kill someone?”

“I am sure. And, no, you do not need to have anyone killed,” she let out a smirk, imagining Alhar’s reaction if he confronted Eryk again. “It was by my choice.”

“But you are so young,” her father stated severely.

Eliyen remained in shock but finally spoke. "Every life is precious. Where’s the father?”

“Who is the father?” Braern interrupted. Eliyen looked him over.

“He is in Godok,” Raelia said honestly. “He does not know.”

She could sense her father’s anger simmering and was lucky to have Clalyn and Eliyen her to moderate—especially for the next part. Before her courage fled her, she finished, “He is a human.”

The look of shock on all three faces would have been humorous if the reason for their shock was not her. Her father stood and calmly walked out of the room, which was unexpected. She knew he wouldn’t yell at her, but she had expected something more.

Her mother finished processing, “Has the child been tested?”

“No, but I can feel its aether core now.” Raelia said. A second tiny aether core inside her had just begun.

Clalyn spoke softly, “Can I send for my personal healer to confirm?” It was a question directed as much at Eliyen as at Raelia. Eliyen nodded, and Clalyn left to do so.

After he left, Eliyen asked, “What do you want to do, Raelia?”

The fork in the road. She only had two choices if the child was not stillborn, raise it or send it Freiveira, a city high in the mountains that took in half-breed babes. Raelia couldn’t answer—she hadn’t thought that far ahead. “You have time,” her mother said.

Her father left that night, not talking to Raelia again. Eliyen said he just needed time to sort out his emotions, but he would always be her father.

Five days later, the old dwarf healer arrived and saw Raelia alone. Seeing Raelia, she grinned madly, “Got yourself shoved into stored into a mage’s space recently?”

Raelia cracked a smile, “No, not recently.”

“So what is all the secrecy about?” the dwarf healer said, leaning in.

Of course, her family would want to keep her shame secret. “I am with child.”

“Impossible!” she exclaimed. “You need another fifteen summers yet, child!”

Seeing Raelia was serious. The dwarf dropped her lightheartedness. “Let me check then.” The calloused hand of the dwarf healer tucked under her shirt and rested on Raelia’s belly. The hand was cold at first but quickly warmed as the old healer worked with her eyes closed. The dwarf’s breath slowed, and Raelia waited in anticipation.

The process seemed to take too long, and Raelia began to worry. Then the dwarf’s eyes shot open. “Had to be sure,” she exhaled slowly, taking a long breath. “A healthy child—of two races.” The healer now knew why the secrecy. “Am I here to take care of it?” She asked sorrowfully.

“No!” Raelia blurted, and the dwarf looked relieved. “How did this happen?”

“Well, I thought you would know that part. When a man and a woman have…”

The old dwarf had been joking, but Raelia wanted answers. “It is supposed to be rare! Impossible! I told him we had nothing to worry about it!”

“Calm child. It is a miracle. Not ten a year are born in the Kingdom, and yet millions of attempts are made to yield that outcome. Cherish the child, for what...” she paused. “Do you want to know whether it will be a boy or girl?”

Raelia hesitated before answering, “No, not right now.”

“Good. It is a healthy child, and from my experience, the child will be strong,” the dwarf healer said. Raelia knew she was referring to magical affinities.

“Thank you,” Raelia said, letting the healer return to her army duties. Clalyn left with the healer because he had been away from his men for too long. He was being deployed against the western border and the Telhians again, although no conflict was brewing as both sides were still recovering.

As the weeks melded into one another, Eliyen frequently found herself by Raelia's side, guiding her through the process. Raelia could now sense not only the pulsating core of the aether but also its rhythmic heartbeat. One undeniable truth resonated with her: she was resolutely determined to keep this child, even if it meant enduring the heart-wrenching agony of witnessing the child age while she remained lightly touched by time.

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