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A free woman thinks about the future
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Tamara enters the study of the old palace with a restrained annoyed expression. She doesn't look at Loras, she barely greets Astrid, and then she focuses all her attention on the little prince. Loras doesn't comment, he just lets her be while Astrid is still not sure what to even say to her. They wait for a while until the door opens and a high pitched scream breaks the tense silence. "Omar!" Lysa cries while running to her son with her arms wide open. The little prince looks a bit confused at his mother's excitement but is still very happy to see her. Loras gives her a few minutes to calm down before asking the maids to take Omar outside for a minute. Hearing this, Lysa becomes pale as a ghost, squishing him even harder to her chest. "No... please... One more moment!" She begs while Omar struggles in her arms. "Maids!" Loras shows no mercy and she has no choice but to let him go. He looks upset, seeing his mother cry, but takes the maid's hand after Loras reassures him that his
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman with child
"What happened? Is there something wrong?" Loras asks once the medic calls them back inside."No, Your Majesty. Quite the opposite. The young lady is in great shape, but from now on I recommend bed rest for as long as possible and to adapt her diet to one rich in milk and vegetables. Trying avoiding fats and too much sugar.""Is it something wrong with her diet? I told you, you eat too little!" Tamara asks the medic and then turns to scold Astrid in one breath."Her diet should change, Your Grace as it's important for the child in her womb to get everything they need." The medic explains."Child? What child? Are you pregnant? Tamara bursts out in shock and then turns to the medic. "Why didn't you start with that?!""Forgive me, Your Grace. Usually, it's the mother that wants to give the news herself, but I can understand the shock might be too fresh for the lady now." She turns to the king. "Congratulations, Your Majesty! May God give us a healthy prince or princess!"Loras is just as
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman at the lake mansion
"Your Majesty, do you still wish to stop at the lake mansion?" A guard asks Loras outside. The king rode along the carriage together with Lysa. It became too crowded and he didn't want Astrid to have to sit uncomfortably."The lake mansion?" Astrid asks confused, but Tamara seems even more surprised."It was my mother's house. My father gifted her the land since she loved that lake. She later built the mansion with her own money. We haven't been there in years as it's quite a … sentimental place. Her grave is there too...""Astrid?" Loras' voice gets through the curtains. "How are you feeling?""I'm perfectly fine." She answers and physically she is, but inside, she holds a waterfall of fear, anxiety, and doubt."Do you think you can handle a two hour detour?""Yes. I am fine!" She came as too strong with the answer and Tamara throws her a curious look."Are you sure? We can stop and...""I'm fine! Why does no one believe me?" She snaps and quickly covers her own mouth, "Sorry...""I
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman consoles her friend
The next morning comes painfully slow as Astrid finds herself unable to sleep again. The avalanche of mixed feelings, fears and hopes is taking over every time she dares to close her eyes. At her side, Loras is peaceful, with his closed eyes and relaxed face, the king almost looks like he's smiling.She brushes the tip of her fingers over the lines of his face. She does this so often when she can not sleep. It is so relaxing. To feel him, to take in all the small details about his gorgeous face, to reassure herself that he is real and he is sitting right next to her. Sometimes everything feels like a mirage. Especially at night, when everything is quiet, and there is nothing chaotic going on... it's easy to wonder if everything is real. Because her life does feel like a fairy tale. She was a simple girl, another face in the crowd that wouldn't command a second look, then she lost everything, she wasn't even a simple girl anymore, she was a nobody, a slave among hundreds of others. And
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman feels guilty for her child
The next few months are a nightmare. The medic recommended Astrid to rest as much as she can, to eat healthy foods, so nothing too sweet, too salty, or too tasty and to not make any effort aside for walks in the garden for fresh air and sun. In other words, a bland nightmare.The harem became quite boring too.Loras appointed Tamara in charge of the harem as Sansa decided to remain at the lake mansion for this year, so the princess was quite busy with administrative issues. After all, almost all the girls were sent away by Sansa and new ones had to be brought and trained from the other palaces.Astrid was given her own room, after years of delaying it and was quite disappointed that this one has no balcony that opens on the same side as Loras'. Not that this is such an inconvenience as she is sent every night in the king's rooms. The inconvenience comes from the fact the Loras war warned that sexual encounters can put her in premature labor so he barely touches her. The hormones make
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman is helped out
"Astrid! That's enough! The medic said that you have to move around in order for the... for it to come out! It will rot inside you!" Tamara shouts, pulling the blanket off Astrid.She doesn't even want to hear it. She feels horrible now, she can't even imagine how she will feel trying to get into labor to deliver a dead baby. No way! Plus, there is no point! After Loras heard that she didn't want the baby, he just stopped caring. And she can't blame him, but it still hurts like hell."Astrid!"The princess groans at her lack of success and storms out of the room.It's been like this for three days. She will give up eventually. She will distance herself and at some point, she will stop caring. And Astrid would die, without love or affection around her. Just like her child died.It feels so weird to think about those words. They've been spinning around her head since it happened, and they still feel unnatural. Her child died. The child that she didn't even think she wanted, died. And it
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman is relieved
The chaos that follows is indescribable, Lysa jumps up and runs out of the room as Astrid still holds her belly in shock, feeling the movement of her miracle baby. After ten minutes, Lysa comes back with the Lady Chaperone and the medic that proceeds to consult Astrid again. This time, she doesn't even mind the consult, she is too happy to be bothered by anything right now. Once she confirms that the baby is alright, Lysa runs outside again and returns, this time with Tamara."How is she? The baby?" Tamara asks, all sweaty and gasping for air."You Grace, the baby seems fine, the position is normal. It's moving. Everything looks like a perfectly normal pregnancy." The medic answers puzzled."Go tell the king!" Tamara orders the Lady Chaperone and then comes to sit next to Astrid. "How?""I have no idea, my lady. Last time I checked, the baby wasn't moving. I wanted to check the other day too with another medic, but..." The medic justifies herself and Tamara sighs."But we have already
The Dragon's unexpected mate A free woman thinks of the past
"Ben?!" Astrid runs into the house followed closely by her little brother. She ruined his stone castle, trying to play with it and now the boy is after her for revenge. "Help! Mars will kill me!"Ben doesn't ask any questions. Her big brother, who is always on her side, never does. He just drops the fire logs he was holding and picks her up, lifting her up on his shoulders. He is very tall and for little Astrid she feels like being at the top of the world, where no one can hurt her."Astrid! I will cut your hair for this! You will look like a boy! You are flat like one anyway!" Their little brother, Mars, comes running in with a pair of rusty scissors in his hands. They are the scissors their mother uses to trim the bushes in the garden."Mars! Didn't mother forbid you from playing with those? You up for a beating, idiot?" Ben kicks him in the stomach, throwing him on the floor like a sack of potatoes. "Are you a baby? If you have the energy to play with rocks, go to the mill and help
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