Page 15 of Arthur

“I know only that it will most likely be a few weeks still. We will have to continue to wait.” Arthur looked upset. “I do feel terrible that you will have to remain inside though. If your pregnancy were due to end in the winter, you would have had the freedom to move about the grounds for longer.”

I shook my head. “’Tis all right. I truly do not care. I spend most of my time here in the house anyway. There is much to dowhen it comes to working on my powers and how to properly utilize them. There is also the baby to get ready for. So many cloths will be needed.”

“Yes, babies do go through many. But you have to remember that despite what others might do with their own children, I have every intention of fully utilizing the abilities in which we have been gifted. We will certainly be using our magic to aid us when it comes to taking care of things. Just as I did in order to expand our house and give us the bath chamber.”

It was truly a dream place. Arthur was big on bathing, which wasn’t an issue for me. I, too, loved to be clean and fresh. It was a treat before though, and at times, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of unease when I sunk down into the tub of steamy water. Especially when Arthur slid in behind me. We often spent time just relaxing and talking about various things in the evenings while soaking in scented water in the tub. Our dreams of a large family had already been shared and agreed on. And while I wanted nothing more than to give Arthur anything he wanted, I knew that some of our dreams wouldn’t ever come to be.

“Do you wish to soak in the tub? We could relax there, and then I could get you something to eat. There is ham today. Would that be agreeable with your stomach?”

I grinned. “Yes. If it’s not too much of an issue, could we have bread with some honey? I know there was some honey yesterday, and I didn’t eat it all.”

Arthur chuckled. “Yes, my love. You may have honey on your bread. It is tasty on the ham as well. We should probably look into a way to encouraging more bees to hive up here. With the growing numbers in the coven, what once was years ago isn’t quite sufficient any longer.”

“Do I need to help in some way?” I asked. I leaned up on my elbow so I could look at Arthur.

“No. Your only task is to take care of yourself and our baby. Beyond that, I want you to worry about nothing. There is more than enough to go around. We have never had issue with providing for the coven. But we have to keep up appearances, and that means we will have to attract more bees. We also need to plant a larger plot of vegetables. The berry canes are looking well. They have started to fill out, and before long, there should be some flowers on them. It’s all about making things appear as if they are enough for our group.”

I understood that. Even in Zürich, there were times that my own father had used his magic for something when we simply didn’t have what was needed. Mother always disapproved, but she seemed to get over the issue soon enough.

“What about a bath?” Arthur asked again.

“That would be nice.” I yawned before I dropped back down onto my side fully and moved closer to Arthur. “But perhaps we could rest here for a bit first?” My energy was suddenly gone, and I didn’t know if it was because I was pregnant and coming to the end of my term or if it was the amazing release that Arthur had given me not long ago. I always felt completely relaxed after Arthur pleasured me, and I had noticed that lately, it didn’t take nearly as much to tire me.

“We can rest,” Arthur said. I felt the blanket suddenly cover us, although I’d not been cold. Arthur always made sure we had a fire going to keep warm. He always made sure we had everything we needed, and that was something I would be eternally grateful for.

Chapter 7

Arthur

Patrick groaned as he tried to roll over on the bed. He’d been doing that since last evening, and with the accompanying pain in my lower back, I was certain he was in labor. He’d not said anything to me as of yet, but I wasn’t going to get far from him just in case. I had let William know that Patrick was most likely in labor and to please check in if at all possible. William, being the amazing person he was, immediately let me know he would check in.

“How are you feeling?” William asked as he entered our bedchamber. I was certainly distracted because I’d not heard him enter the outer room.

“I’m tired. And my back hurts something fierce,” Patrick said as he tried to smile at William. It looked forced though, but that was expected if he was having labor pains.

“That’s a good indicator that the baby is ready to join us,” William said before he looked at me. “Has he been up recently? Perhaps a little walk about the room would help get things going,” William said.

“Or maybe just a walk around outside? I’ve been cooped up inside for a month now. I’d love to see the fresh spring flowers,” Patrick argued.

“Soon,” I told him. I felt terrible. Patrick had been so accepting when it had been decided that he needed to remain inside, but I didn’t think he realized just how stifling it was going to feel. He was correct; he’d not been outside in almost a month.

Patrick sighed in frustration. “Fine. Around the room it is. If that’s the only walk I’m to get, I’ll take it.” Patrick flung the blanket back that I had kept tucking around him. It was still chilly, and my need to care for him had only increased as his pregnancy progressed. I knew he desired to care for me, even if he couldn’t like he wished to because of his pregnancy’s late stage. His smiles were all I needed.

With my help, Patrick was able to slide from our bed. He grabbed his back and cried out. When he did, I felt a strong pain in my own back. Immediately, I grabbed Patrick and got him back into our bed.

“It’s time,” William said loudly. After I had Patrick in our bed, I moved close to his head and took his hand to offer support.

“I love you, Patrick, and I’m going to be right here through it all,” I said as I ran my fingers through his messy hair. I glanced up when I felt the presence of others, Father and Dad walking into the room. Our baby was to be their first grandchild, and I understood their eagerness to welcome a new warlock to the coven. The fact that this time it was a family member made it extra special.

I met William’s gaze, and when I nodded, he returned the gesture before his hands started to glow green as he passed them over Patrick’s stomach. As he did, the pain Patrick had been feeling must have eased because it completely disappeared from my own back. Patrick sighed and offered me a sleepy smile.

“Good?” I asked.

“That is so wonderful. I didn’t get much sleep last night. Every move seemed to cause a sharp stab in my back.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Because I didn’t want to disturb you.”