Chapter 170
Chapter 170
Ruby’s POV
My body screamed in excruciating pain as my eyes opened on the second day of consciousness. Yesterday, I had only just emerged from a coma, only to slip into hours of deep sleep under the lingering effects of anesthesia. I vaguely remembered how chaotic the room I was in had been. Everyone had been rushing around in a panic, trying to examine me. I wanted nothing more than my mate.
“Hold on, Your Highness. Just a little longer.”
I screamed as she injected a fluid whose name I didn’t know into my arm. It felt like fire running through my veins. Tears streamed down my face. I could hear the angry cries of my daughters and my youngest, Elias. Oh no, they shouldn’t have to see this. Where were the guards?!
I braced myself to lash out, but moments later, the effects of the injection began to take hold. The healers‘ faces showed relief as I gradually stopped thrashing. The pain slowly receded, my muscles relaxed. My breathing steadied, and the frantic pounding of my heart, the kind that feels like you’re being chased by death finally calmed. All that remained was the trace of tears on my cheeks.
“We will return for another examination in two hours. You should wait twenty minutes before consuming anything. Pardon us, Your Highness,” said one of them.
I replied with a blink. Immediately, the twins rushed in, followed by Elias. Leonidas stood not far behind, watching over them with quiet vigilance. Despite the blank expression on his face, I could see the anxiety hiding beneath. I’d known him long enough to see past the mask.
“MOM!”
“We missed you so much!”
“Y–you’re going to be okay, right? Father said you’re strong. My sisters and I always pray to the gods,” Elias said in a flurry.
Alice wept on my shoulder, one arm wrapped around me, while her twin did the same from the other side.
“I was so scared we’d lose you, Mom,” Alice sobbed.
“Alice is right. We’d never recover from the heartbreak if anything happened to you, and we, oh my godness, I don’t even want to imagine it,” Alicia added, trying not to cry.
On the other hand, Elias was never the type to let tears flood his face. Still, I recognized the meaning behind the particular expression he wore. After all, he was my son and the son of two fathers, Mikael and Killian. Elias/looked deeply vengeful.
“My beloved children, I’m here. Besides, don’t you want to be there when your sibling is born?”
All three of them widened their eyes in unison. I gave a weak smile as the realization struck them. Elias forgot his anger and turned his gaze to my belly, now visibly swollen and only days away from giving birth.
“How’s the baby, Mom? Is everything alright?” Elias asked.
“The healers didn’t say anything about complications. Yet I’m sure everything’s fine. Your father hired the best experts,” I explained calmly.
Alice snorted. “Considering how protective he is, over you like a mama bear I’m not surprised.”
“Possessive and obsessive disorder,” Alicia corrected, wiping her tears with a pout. “Did you forget who our father is?”
“Not at all,” Elias replied, rolling his eyes.
I gently rubbed the center of my chest with my thumb. “Don’t mock your father. He might do far worse to me if he ever hears that!
The laughter of the three teenagers brightened the room that had previously been gloomy. As their mother, I wished not a single tear would ever fall from their eyes. But in life, joy and sorrow always walk hand in hand. My hand moved to rest over my belly, I exhaled slowly, grateful to feel the baby s
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Chapter 170
steady movement within me.
“Alright, kids. Visiting time is over,” Leonidas said as he walked closer.
Alice and Alicia looked at Leonidas with disappointment. The twins clearly wanted to stay longer. However, Elias gently persuaded his sisters, and eventually, they gave in reluctantly, but obediently.
I gave them a warm, loving smile before the three of them left the
stayed behind. He pulled up a chair and placed it beside the bed.
“My husband sends his regards. He’s relieved you’ve made it th
critical stage,” he told.
“I refused to give up.”
The corner of Leonidas’s mouth twitched. “Then welcome back to the land of the living.”
“Thank you, I suppose? Though it would’ve been nice if your king were here too,” I muttered weakly.
“He’ll be here shortly.”
A faint frown formed on my forehead at the somber note in Leonidas’s voice. I shifted my body, trying to sit up straight, and Leonidas immediately stepped in to help. He adjusted the pillow behind me and carefully guided me to lean back against it. I murmured a quiet thank–you in return for his kindness.
“Leonidas, is something wrong?”
He tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“I can tell something’s off. Please, tell me. Does this have anything to do with Killian?” I pressed.
“It’s not my place to speak to you about it first, Ruby. This is a conversation better had between you and him.”
His response only made my anxiety grow. Biting my lip, I reached for his hand and
“This isn’t about the attack, is it? I’ll recover, I swear. Just give it a few more
to me,
Leonidas.”
pleaded with him. Dark thoughts rushed through my mind.
days. Please, stop targeting people who weren’t involved in what happened
I often held views that clashed with Killian’s. Even if he asked for advice and claimed to consider it, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t filter out what he didn’t want to hear. I didn’t even need to check to know what he must’ve done after the attack on me. In his mind, the baby was just as protected as the mother. At least, that’s what I believed only I saw defeat reflected in Leonidas’s eyes.
My lips parted to speak when Killian stepped in through the grand doorway.
“Leonidas, would you give us a moment? It’s my turn to monopolize my wife.”
Leonidas adjusted his expression, smirking without the slightest trace of fear. “You’d gladly kick me out even if I didn’t give permission.”
“Absolutely.”
Thei
it feel lik
