Chapter 223: Wait... I’m Going to Be a Father?
"Master," Rose interrupted. "Could I speak with you for a moment?... In private."
Mark looked at her and took a moment to remember that, after that business with his blood, Rose had mentioned she had something important to tell him.
"Alright... let’s talk in my room," Mark replied, walking toward the door.
Rose got to her feet and Mark said goodbye to the others before calling the meeting to a close.
Both of them walked to Mark’s room in silence, and he knew almost immediately that something wasn’t right.
It wasn’t the comfortable silence they had shared so many times before, it was a strange one, weighted with a heaviness that was hard to ignore.
And the odd thing was that throughout the entire meeting, Rose had behaved exactly as she always did.
She listened to everyone, gave her opinion when necessary, and responded with her usual calm, without even Aria’s attempts to drag her to her side managing to throw her off.
But now, walking beside him through the palace corridors, she no longer seemed like herself.
Her steps were slower and her gaze stayed fixed on the floor in front of her, as if she were too absorbed in her thoughts to pay attention to what was around her.
He said nothing while they walked.
Even so, he couldn’t help glancing at Rose every now and then, and by the time they finally reached his room he was already certain something was going on.
When both of them entered, Mark closed the door behind them.
"Rose," he said, turning toward the vampire in a tone that didn’t hide his concern. "Something bad happened, didn’t it?"
"Why do you think that?" she asked, looking up slightly surprised.
"Because I know you..."
Rose held his gaze for an instant and then let out a small laugh, more resigned than amused.
"Was I really that obvious?"
"Not really," Mark admitted with a shrug. "To anyone else you would have seemed completely normal. But after spending so much time living with all of you, I’ve learned to notice when something is affecting you. It shows in small things."
"My, my... it seems my facade failed this time," she said, a little embarrassed. "And here I consider myself quite good at hiding my emotions."
"You are," he admitted, crossing his arms. "But not with me... Not after everything we’ve been through."
The vampire lowered her gaze for a moment, then raised it again with a small smile.
"Don’t worry, Master, it’s nothing serious," she said, recovering some of her usual tone. "Or at least I like to think it isn’t... In fact, you could say it’s the complete opposite."
"Well, now you have my full attention," he said, tilting his head slightly. "What is it you’ve been turning over in your head since we left the meeting? Is it the same thing you wanted to tell me the other time?"
"Yeah..." she replied, nodding.
Rose lowered her gaze and stayed quiet for a few seconds, as if carefully choosing every word before saying it.
Until finally she spoke again.
"For some time now I’ve... noticed something strange in myself," she began carefully. "Every day that passes I lose, slowly but steadily, a small part of my magical power."
"...Huh?"
"At first it was so insignificant that I thought it was just my imagination," Rose admitted, scratching the back of her neck. "But as the weeks passed it became impossible to deny... Every day I woke up with a little less magic than the day before, as if something was draining it without me realizing and—"
Mark didn’t let her finish.
And in barely a couple of steps he was in front of her, holding her by the shoulders with an expression of concern he made no effort to conceal.
"Rose, that’s something very serious," he said firmly. "You’re the most powerful mage we have, your power shouldn’t be diminishing like that for no reason. If something is draining it, we have to find out what it is immediately. It could be a curse, a spell, some kind of—"
Rose looked at him in silence and something warm settled in her chest at the sight of her Master’s sincere concern.
He hadn’t even stopped to think about it, the moment he heard what was happening, he was already looking for a way to help her.
Then a small smile curved her lips and, without saying a word, she stepped forward to hug him.
"Don’t worry, Master," she said softly, resting her head against his chest. "It’s not a curse or a spell... And there’s nothing to discover, because I know perfectly well what’s causing it"
Mark stayed still for a second, still tense with worry.
"You know?" he asked anxiously. "What is it?"
But then an idea crossed his mind.
"Does it have something to do with blood?" he asked, pulling back slightly to look at her. "With all the time you went without drinking? Because if that’s it, if your body is weakening from the abstinence, you should have told me sooner... shit."
"Master, that’s not—"
"I’m going to cancel the trip" he said firmly. "Princess Luna can wait or find someone else, I don’t care... You’re far more important than any political alliance and I’m not leaving here until we figure out why you’re losing your—"
"Master!"
Rose raised both hands and gently took his face in them, stopping him and forcing him to look her directly in the eyes.
"Calm down and listen to me," she said in a quiet voice. "Please."
He stayed silent while the vampire held his face in her hands and looked at him steadily.
Her red eyes searched his, and for an instant he thought he could see something different beneath that characteristic calm of hers.
There was nervousness. And anticipation.
The silence stretched for a few seconds while she simply looked at him, as if gathering the courage to say out loud what she had been holding inside for weeks.
And then she finally said it.
"I’m not losing my magic because something bad has happened to me," Rose said quietly, without looking away from his eyes. "I’m losing it because something inside me is using it to grow"
"..."
"Master," she continued, and a trembling smile formed on her lips as her eyes grew slightly wet. "I’m pregnant... we’re going to have a child."
Mark went completely still.
And still trying to absorb what he had just heard, the words left his mouth before he could stop them.
"But... how is that possible?"
