Fire - Kristin Cashore [96]
The only person who cared was Archer, who was little help, for true to his nature, he only assumed that at the base of the matter was someone’s intention to steal Fire from him.
A SIT TURNED out, Clara’s preoccupation did extend beyond the war and the gala, on one point. She was pregnant.
The princess brought Fire to Cellar Harbour to tell her, so that the roar of the falls would keep everyone, even Fire’s guard, from overhearing the conversation. Clara was dry-eyed and straight about it. And once Fire had adjusted to the news, she found that she was not particularly surprised.
‘I was careless,’ Clara said. ‘I’ve never liked those herbs; they nauseate me. And I’ve never fallen pregnant before. I suppose I convinced myself I couldn’t. And now I’m paying for my stupidity, for everything nauseates me.’
She hadn’t seemed nauseated to Fire; in recent weeks she’d seemed nothing but calm and well. She was a fine actress, Fire knew this, and probably the best woman for this accident to befall. She was not lacking in money or support, and she would do her work up to the very day the child was born, and start again right after, and she would be a strong mother, and practical.
‘Archer is the father,’ Clara said.
Fire nodded. She’d assumed this. ‘He’ll be generous once you tell him. I know he will.’
‘I don’t care about that. What I care about is your feeling. Whether I’ve hurt you, by jumping into his bed, and then being stupid enough for this to happen.’
Fire was startled by this, and touched. ‘You’ve certainly not hurt me,’ she said firmly. ‘I have no hold on Archer, and no jealousy where he’s concerned. You mustn’t worry on my account.’
Clara’s eyebrows rose. ‘You’re very strange.’
Fire shrugged. ‘Archer has always had enough jealousy of his own to turn me off to the feeling of it.’
Clara looked into Fire’s face, into her eyes, and Fire looked back, quiet and matter-of-fact, determined that Clara should see that she meant it. Finally Clara nodded. ‘This is a great relief to me. Please don’t tell my brothers,’ she added, sounding anxious for the first time. ‘They’ll all rise up determined to hack him to pieces, and I’ll be furious with them. We’ve too much else to be thinking about. This couldn’t have been more ill-timed.’ She paused for a moment, then spoke plainly. ‘And besides, I don’t want any harm to come to him. Perhaps he didn’t give me everything I hoped he would. But I can’t help thinking that what he did give me is rather marvellous.’
IT WAS NOT the type of gift everyone could welcome in such a way.
Fire’s guard Margo slept in Fire’s bedchamber, and Musa and Mila did too on alternating nights. One dawn Fire woke to the feeling of someone out of place, and perceived that Mila was vomiting in the bathing room.
Fire rushed to the girl and held her pale hair away from her face. She rubbed Mila’s back and shoulders, and as she came fully awake, began to understand what she was seeing.
‘Oh, Lady,’ Mila said, beginning to cry. ‘Oh, Lady. What you must think of me.’
Fire was, indeed, thinking a great many hurried thoughts, and her heart was bursting with compassion. She put an arm around Mila. ‘I have nothing but sympathy for you. I’m going to help you however I can.’
Mila’s tears turned to sobs and she wrapped both arms around Fire. She held on to Fire’s hair, speaking raggedly. ‘I ran out of the herbs.’
Fire was horrified at this. ‘You could have asked me for them, or any of the healers.’
‘I could never, Lady. I was too ashamed.’
‘You could have asked Archer!’
‘He is a lord. How could I trouble him?’ She was crying so hard she was choking. ‘Oh, Lady. I’ve ruined my life.’
And now Fire was furious over Archer’s lack of trouble, for most certainly, all of this had happened at little inconvenience to him. She held the girl tight and rubbed her back and made hushing noises to soothe her. It seemed to comfort Mila to hold on to her hair.
‘There’s something I want you to know,’ Fire said, ‘and you must remember it now more than ever.’
‘Yes, Lady?’
‘You may always ask me for