Page 54 of Golden Darkness
The six of them snapped to attention. “Yes, Lady of Kethen!”
Since no one could pronounce her name and Pet wasn’t appropriate for legal roles and contracts, so she was Lady of Kethen. She could be called worse things.
They walked out of the stronghold and through the streets where folks who had looked at her curiously now bowed low when she passed.
Vreeka looked over at the crowd and grinned over at her. “Quite the change from looking at you with suspicion.”
“Yeah. Slightly creepy, though. Well, I need to deliver this status report to the trade commission, and then I can go throw up in a vase somewhere.”
The guards laughed. In the past two weeks, they had all seen her lose a meal at random intervals. It was their responsibility to help her replace it. They all carried the blue oranges as it was the only thing that could settle her stomach.
They walked through the city and to the hall. The guards walked past those posted at the entryway. That had been some funny logistics. It was finally decided that her need for security was equal to Kethen’s.
She walked into the hall, and the smell of heated male bodies nearly made her gag. Kethen was sitting with the council, and he smiled when she walked into the area where she waited to be called forward to make her presentation. Janessa was green by the time she was called up, but she made her transport report and then answered questions while swaying.
Kethen was watching her carefully. She kept control until one of the councillors passed gas, and she turned to leave. She bent over and heaved, but someone held her hair back, and someone else held a waste bag for her to hurl in.
When she was done, she started to collapse to the floor. Kethen caught her, and Vreeka held a bottle of water for her to rinse her mouth out, and then the fruit was given to her.
Kethen stroked her hair back from her face and fed her one piece at a time. He was crooning softly, and she was so tired that she couldn’t muster any resistance to the soft song that put her under.
She sat up in bed and cursed. “That little crooning trick is getting old.”
Kethen chuckled from his desk. “It puts you under, Pet. It stops you from worrying about appearances.”
She grunted and swung her legs to the side of the platform, pouring herself a cup of tea.
“That one was particularly nasty.” She sipped at the tea.
He frowned. “You are feeling better?”
“Yeah, I just have another eight weeks to clear the first trimester, and I should be good.”
“First trimester? For you, that will be sixteen weeks.”
“What?”
“I told you. Eleven months, right? Sixteen weeks.”
Janessa groaned and flopped on her back. “This is gonna suck.”
“I will be here for you.”
“You have to go from planet to planet, and I can’t do that while barfing on my shoes and yours.”
He shook his head. “I am not leaving without you.”
She turned her head and focused. “Yes, you are. Fast there, remind them that you are their overlord, and get back here to hold my hair. The sooner you leave, the sooner you are back. We can chat anytime you like while you are gone.”
He cocked his head. “You don’t mind?”
“Of course I do, but assign me a maid with a strong stomach... or maybe two, and I will sleep any moment that I am not losing the contents of my stomach.”
He frowned. “I do not like leaving you while you are ill.”
“Hurry then, and there will be plenty of nausea for you to enjoy when you get home.”
He grimaced and walked over to her, pulling her up and into his arms. It was a movement too far. He cleaned them both up in the shower and crooned to her until her body stopped clenching and relaxed enough to get dressed in something loose and warm.