Chapter 211: A New Beginning
The physician lowered his head respectfully. "Of course, Your Majesty," he replied before turning his attention back to Rebecca, carefully preparing everything she would need for her treatment.
Rowan’s gaze then shifted towards Cedric, silently asking the question before he even spoke it, and Cedric immediately understood.
"The men who captured them killed themselves before we could question any of them," Cedric reported grimly. "We still don’t know who is truly behind this."
"All of them?" Rowan asked, his brows drawing together.
"Every single one," Cedric confirmed.
Rowan fell silent for a moment before letting out a slow breath. "Then they were loyal enough to die before revealing anything," he muttered. Whoever had orchestrated this had prepared for every possible outcome, including failure, and had ensured that no one would remain alive to expose them. It was a calculated move, one that told Rowan his enemy was neither careless nor inexperienced. Although he already had his suspicions about which ministers in the council could be involved, suspicion alone was not enough to make an accusation, and the last thing he intended to do was condemn someone without proof.
His jaw tightened slightly. Whoever was responsible had gone to great lengths to create unrest throughout Eryndor, using an innocent child as the center of it all, but sooner or later they would make a mistake.
"Keep searching," Rowan instructed firmly. "I’m certain we’ll uncover something eventually. No matter how careful they are, people always leave traces behind."
Cedric bowed without hesitation. "Yes, Your Majesty."
After receiving his dismissal, he quietly took his leave, leaving Rowan alone in the chamber for only a brief moment. When Rowan finally stepped outside, he found Rosalind waiting patiently for him in the corridor. The moment she saw him, she walked over and gently linked her arm through his, and together they continued down the long hallway in comfortable silence.
"How is he?" Rowan asked after a while.
"He’s asleep now," Rosalind answered softly. "I stayed with him until he finally settled down and tucked him into bed myself."
Rowan glanced at her thoughtfully. "After everything he’s been through, I would’ve expected him to be too frightened to close his eyes in a place he doesn’t know."
"I thought the same," Rosalind admitted with a faint smile. "But I don’t think he’d had any proper sleep for days. The moment he lay down, exhaustion simply took over, and he fell asleep almost immediately. He was trying so hard to stay strong, but he’s still just a little boy."
A quiet sadness settled between them for a moment before Rowan looked at her with gratitude in his eyes.
"Thank you, my queen."
Rosalind’s cheeks warmed faintly at the words, and a small smile touched her lips as they continued walking side by side.
"Now what happens?" she asked after a moment.
Rowan gradually slowed to a stop, and Rosalind stopped beside him. His gaze drifted towards one of the palace windows before he answered.
"The physician will examine the boy as soon as possible. If it’s confirmed that he truly carries royal blood, then there’ll no longer be room for arguments or speculation inside the council chamber."
Rosalind nodded thoughtfully.
"But until Rebecca regains consciousness," Rowan continued, "all we can do is wait. She’s the only one who can answer the questions we need answered, and I have a strong feeling that whoever abducted them is the very same person spreading these rumours across Eryndor."
****
Later that night, breaths tangled together as Rowan and Rosalind remained wrapped in each other’s embrace, their lips meeting between lingering kisses while their hands wandered across each other’s bodies. Rosalind breathed heavily as she tilted her head back, her hips moving against his member while he held her waist, and every movement drew another soft gasp from her lips. Rowan’s hand slid slowly across her chest, his touch making her shiver before he guided her gently onto the bed, never breaking the closeness between them.
He buried his face against her neck for a brief moment, his breathing uneven against her skin as his pace slowly increased, and the room was soon filled with nothing but their quiet gasps and the sound of each other’s names slipping from trembling lips.
Rosalind clutched tightly at him, her fingers curling into his shoulders as the tension inside her steadily built until she could no longer hold it back. "Goodness..." she cried softly, her voice breaking as her body trembled, and she buried her face against him while trying to catch her breath.
Rowan let out a low groan in response as he held her even closer, lingering there with her until the last of the tension finally faded and the silence between them slowly returned.
For several moments, neither of them spoke. They simply remained wrapped around one another, breathing softly while the warmth between them slowly settled into something calm and familiar. Eventually, Rosalind curled comfortably against his chest as they prepared to sleep, and just when she thought he had already drifted off, she heard his quiet voice behind her.
"Should I ask the physician to examine you tomorrow?" he asked gently.
Rosalind looked up at him with mild confusion. "Huh... Why?"
Rowan lowered his gaze to hers before brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face. "You’ve been trying to hide it," he admitted quietly, "but I know you’re not alright."
For days he had noticed the little things she thought had escaped his attention. She had been sick several mornings in a row, dizzy, and lately she tired much more easily than before. Although a quiet suspicion had already begun forming in his mind, he refused to assume anything without confirmation.
"Rowan..." she started, hoping to dismiss his concerns.
He smiled faintly before shaking his head. "No arguing, wife. The physician will come tomorrow, and you’re not attending the council. You’ll stay here and rest."
Rosalind frowned slightly, clearly unhappy that he was treating her as though she were fragile, but before she could protest again, Rowan leaned forward and kissed her softly. The gentle gesture stole the argument from her lips, and after a long sigh she finally surrendered.
"Okay," she muttered.
A satisfied smile reached Rowan’s face. "Thank you."
She smiled back before nestling herself closer against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat until sleep gradually claimed them both.
Morning arrived quietly, and Rowan was the first to wake. By the time the sunlight filtered through the curtains, he had already dressed for the day’s duties, fastening the last buttons of his inner shirt before slipping his robe over it and securing the belt around his waist. Once he was finished, he crossed the room as quietly as possible and stopped beside the bed.
Rosalind was still fast asleep, her face peaceful in a way he hadn’t seen for several days, and the sight alone made a gentle smile appear on his lips. Watching her rest only convinced him that insisting she remain in bed had been the right decision.
He bent down and pressed a lingering kiss against her lips before quietly pulling away. After one last look at her, he turned and left the chamber without making a sound.
****
Not long afterward, Rosalind found herself sitting patiently while the physician carried out Rowan’s orders. He examined her eyes, checked her pulse, studied her palms, and carefully performed every test he deemed necessary while her maids stood quietly nearby, watching the examination unfold.
She still couldn’t understand why Rowan had insisted on all of this when, in her opinion, nothing was seriously wrong with her. Then again, she thought to herself, perhaps the dizziness and morning sickness were reason enough to be examined, even if she had stubbornly tried to ignore them.
When the physician finally stepped back, Rosalind looked at him expectantly. "Is anything... wrong?" she asked.
The physician’s expression slowly brightened into a smile. "Your Majesty," he said warmly.
Rosalind’s brows drew together in confusion as she waited for him to continue.
"Congratulations," he announced, unable to hide the smile on his face. "You are pregnant."
****
Dear Readers,
I just want to take a moment to thank every single one of you for following this story all the way to this point. Your support truly means more to me than I can put into words. Thank you for every Power Stone, every Golden Ticket, every gift, every comment, and every Chapter you’ve taken the time to read. Every bit of your encouragement has kept me motivated to continue writing.
I hope this Chapter brought a smile to your face and gave you the happiness Rowan and Rosalind have been waiting for. They still have a long journey ahead of them, and there are many challenges yet to come, but I’m grateful that you’re choosing to experience this adventure with me.
Thank you for laughing, worrying, crying, and celebrating alongside these characters. I hope you’ll continue staying with them until the very end.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for your love and support.
With love,
Your Author.
