Capítulo 234: Light and Treasure
Ethan Balder had not yet dismounted. From up on his horse, he watched the situation unfold in the distance. First, his face was blank, then a slight furrow grew between his eyebrows, and the eyes below slowly filled with mysterious glitter.
Despite his lasting sunburn, he suddenly seemed to gain new energy and hummed a happy tune as he hopped down from his horse before the soldier striding in his direction could find fault with him.
"Here, the reigns. I won't try to escape, I promise," he said with his hands lifted in a peaceful gesture. The bright smile on his haggard face, however, made the soldier glare at him with suspicion nonetheless.
On the other end of the group, Katherine's breath was slow and shuddering, a forced calm to fight against the pain in her abdomen. She clutched Nathaniel's gloved hand until her fingers turned white, while the doctor did a swift check-up on her condition.
He listened to her rapid pulse first, then carefully felt the area of her abdomen without removing her clothes. The latter might be a good choice since Nathaniel already watched his hands like a hawk, his red eyes gleaming with a whirlwind of suppressed emotions. An ominous premotion reared the self-loathing that was always hidden in Nathaniel's heart and added to the anxiety, helplessness, and gloom which hit him when he first noticed Katherine's pale face.
"Will she be okay?", he asked through gritted teeth. In front of Katherine, he dared not ask for the condition of the baby, for it would break her to hear that it died. Something that he had to accept as well. How could he ever think his child would survive? After his luckless life, he should have known better. His free hand clenched into a fist.
As Dr. Walt pulled back, the face above the bulky body and bull's neck looked helpless - as far as one could tell with the scar that disfigured the right side of his face. "Your wife's life is not in danger. Your Highnesses need not worry. However, there is not much that I can do. In fact, there is not much any doc can do at this early stage of pregnancy. If the baby lives or dies depends vastly on nature. It is easy to miscarry in the early stages of pregnancy, but there is no proper cure against that."
He gazed at them seriously before lifting a meaty finger. "However, you must know that the baby is still alive right now. Her Highness isn't bleeding, which is a good sign, and I've heard that pain in the first few months of pregnancy also occurs with healthy fetuses. If it is the latter case, it should go away soon but might appear more often until the end of the third month. For now, your Highness Katherine needs to rest. We need to reduce the stress on her body and mind."
Nathaniel blinked, the grip of his fingers loosening. "The... baby is still alive?"
"Yes, your Highness. That is what I said."
"But why does it hurt so much?" Katherine forced out with pleading eyes. "Can't you... do anything? I'm trying to prevent my magic from leaking, but the pain... huuuh."
Her face twisted, and sweatdrops ran down her temples into her dark hair. Yet Dr. Walt shook his head. "I've got some herbs to reduce your pain, but any medication can harm the fetus, so you should not take too much. Here. It's the same as we soldiers take. A pinch of it should be enough."
He retrieved a small pouch of herbs from his bag and filled her hand with the amount he'd described. She took it in one gulp, followed by a few sips of the water bag he offered her.
Nathaniel had gone completely silent. Disbelief filled his heart as his eyes were fixated on the woman before him. His miracle had not ended yet, the reality of his life did not seep back in. And because of that... it felt unrealistic. Like a lie that he dared not believe. His child was still alive? Impossible. But who would know better than a doctor?
Following the doctor's advice for rest, the traveling company set up tents. Katherine's condition soon improved. Despite this, Nathaniel forbid her from moving and carried her to the tent as soon as it was ready. She buried her face in his shoulder without complaints, just like before.
Then she whispered only for his ears: "Sorry... I am holding you back again. I wish I was strong enough so that I could help you instead. But it seems like I am always a burden in the most untimely ways. Last time I was also unconscious when the King -"
"Stop," Nathaniel broke her off abruptly. "You aren't a burden. You will never be a burden to me."
Surprised, Katherine looked up. Her husband's face was as cold and serious as always, showing his sincerity, yet he was not looking at her. Instead, he gazed at the path before them, then ducked slightly to carry her through the tent flap. His nonchalance was slightly annoying, so she decided to challenge him. With the pain subsiding, her fighting spirit slowly returned, though she still felt weak. "What else can I be? Tell me, what else is special about me besides my magic? I am just a normal -"
"You are not," Nathaniel interrupted her once more. Then he sighed, sat down on one of the mattresses, and cradled her in his arms. For seconds, maybe minutes, there was silence. Despite her annoyance, Katherine almost fell asleep in this short time. Her head rested on his shoulder, and her body relaxed, instinctively recognizing the man who held her.
When Nathaniel spoke again, she sleepily opened her eyes only to find his face right next to hers, gazing at her intensively. "For me, you can never be a burden. You saved my life. And I do not mean when you healed me with your power countless times. Your power could only make me survive, but it could not make me feel alive. That was you. That was your laughter, your wit, your tentativeness, and the way you challenged me. You showed me that the world and I can coexist. That I and other people can coexist without me hurting them all the time. You are my light, and... sometimes I still dare not believe how wonderful a world you illuminate."
Katherine's mouth opened in a soundless 'oh'. She never expected such a long declaration of love from her usually quiet husband. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to disperse them, still holding the intense red gaze. Then she lifted her hands, and they started to glow when she placed them on both sides of Nathaniel's face. A brilliant smile made its way onto her mouth and let her violet eyes sparkle. "I love you, too. And you can take all the time you need to get accustomed to this world. I don't plan to ever leave you here alone. Besides... if I get better, you will soon get a second light to illuminate your world. Wouldn't that be even nicer?"
In all seriousness, Nathaniel returned her gaze. "I'm afraid more light will make me go blind."
Katherine's lips twitched once, then twice, and she couldn't hold her laughter. "Pfff... hahaha! You really strike at the most unexpected times! Ahh, this hurts a bit. Uhh."
She stopped laughing but continued smiling brightly. In one swift motion, she pulled Nathaniel down to kiss him on the crown of his head. "You are my treasure. I will never give you back."
He hummed readily in response, the faint shadow of a smile crossing his lips. After a short while, she fell asleep in his arms.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Freakzilla
Freakzilla Sorry for stagnating in speed for a bit. I hope you like the slow chapters nonetheless and yes, I plan on getting to the end fight soon :D
But of course, there will be a few epilogues even after that ;)
Happy new year!
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