Chapter 385: Sleeping Together
They were still together when a knock sounded at the door.
Zyren moved instantly to answer it.
When he opened the door, a guard stood outside. The moment their eyes met, the man dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, his head lowered in urgency and respect.
"Lady Aria has woken up! Healer Savira’s presence is needed!"
Neither Zyren nor Savira wasted a second.
Zyren stepped out first, already moving down the hall, his pace fast but controlled. Savira followed closely behind him, leaning on her trusty cane—though in truth, she did not need it.
It did not take long for them to reach Aria’s room.
The moment the door opened, Zyren went straight to her side.
Savira moved to the opposite side of the bed, her expression focused as she placed a hand gently against Aria’s forehead, then her chest, her fingers lingering as she searched for the familiar signs she had spent decades learning to read.
Medicine was a delicate art.
One guided more by experience than anything written in books.
Aria’s face brightened the moment she saw Zyren.
Relief softened her features, and that relief deepened when Zyren returned her smile. He reached out and patted her head gently before sitting beside her, allowing Savira the space she needed to finish her examination.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
Aria nodded slowly, a soft smile touching her lips.
"...I feel better, actually."
Zyren’s mouth curved faintly, but he did not believe her.
Not when her skin was so pale it looked like paper.
"You should eat," he said. "I ordered something light for you."
His eyes flicked briefly toward the only maid in the room, silently instructing her. Then his full attention returned to Aria, his voice lowering as he spoke again, gentler this time.
"Savira promised that in three days you’ll be fine. You just have to hang in there."
Aria nodded seriously.
She would do more than hang in there.
She had to.
She had a baby to take care of.
And now that Zyren had defeated the monster, there was nothing left standing between them. Nothing left to stop them from being together... from building a family.
A genuine smile spread across her face at the thought.
A home. A child. Watching their family grow.
"I’ll eat a lot!" she said brightly.
Just then, the maid returned, carrying a tray. She placed it carefully on Aria’s lap along with a spoon before stepping back.
But the moment the scent reached her, a wave of nausea hit Aria so suddenly and violently that her stomach twisted painfully.
There was nothing inside her to throw up.
Yet the urge was overwhelming.
She tried to hide it.
Tried to steady her breathing and force herself to endure it so Zyren wouldn’t worry.
She failed.
It was obvious.
The food itself seemed to irritate her senses, and trying to swallow it would only make her vomit everything back up.
"Take it away," Zyren ordered immediately.
He didn’t wait for her to speak.
The maid hurried forward and removed the tray as Aria looked at him with a guilty expression.
Zyren only found it faintly amusing.
"Bring soup," he added to the maid. "And something with less spice."
The girl nodded quickly and left to pass the message to the kitchen.
Then Zyren turned back to Aria.
"It’s fine," he said softly. "We’ll keep trying until we find something your stomach can handle."
He reached out and took her hands in his, holding them firmly, his grip warm and steady.
The concern in his eyes was impossible to miss.
If there had been any way to take her pain for himself, he would have done it without hesitation.
Aria found herself unable to look away from him.
Slowly, she leaned closer and pressed her lips against his cheek.
Zyren immediately turned, instinctively trying to kiss her properly, and she let out a soft chuckle before meeting his lips this time.
"Lie with me," she murmured.
He didn’t hesitate.
Zyren nodded and shifted carefully onto the bed beside her.
On the other side, Savira had gone slightly pale.
She bowed her head quietly, signaling that she had finished her examination. Neither of them noticed, lost in each other’s presence.
Without drawing attention, she stepped back and excused herself.
Her heart was beating faster than she liked.
Once outside, she closed the door gently behind her and paused in the corridor, her expression darkening.
During the examination, she had realized something.
She had been wrong.
The baby’s heartbeat was slower than it should have been.
It was still prioritizing itself.
The problem was that it would have to keep doing so.
And that meant Aria’s condition would continue to worsen.
Savira frowned deeply.
She would need to return to her books—rituals, potions, anything that might offer a solution.
The worst possibility settled heavily in her mind.
Aria might be forced to choose.
Between her life and the baby’s.
There was no crueler choice to place before a mother.
Her steps quickened as she headed back toward her laboratory, her grip tightening on her cane until she nearly stopped using it altogether, its tip barely touching the floor.
There was an even worse possibility.
If Aria became too weak to decide...
Zyren might have to choose for her.
And Savira knew exactly who he would save.
He would not hesitate.
Back inside the room, Zyren remained with Aria as promised.
When the new food arrived, he helped her eat slowly, making sure she took only what her stomach could handle. Afterward, she settled back against the pillows, exhaustion already pulling at her.
Her lashes fluttered as she shifted closer to him, a peaceful, satisfied expression on her face.
Being in his arms made her happy.
Even more comforting was the certainty that he loved her enough to give her whatever she needed, in whatever way she asked.
She wrapped her arms around him more tightly.
Within minutes, her breathing softened as sleep claimed her again.
Zyren lay beside her without moving, having removed most of his outer clothing so nothing would make her uncomfortable.
Sleep never came for him.
Instead, he watched her.
Silently.
Carefully.
As if memorizing every breath she took.
