The Serpent's Enigma

59 | Revelation

(All dialogues written in Italics are in Prajan language)

Keraton: Prajan Palace

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

IMPERIAL PALACE

November 6th, 1933

Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress are very delighted to announce that the Empress is expecting their second child in the Spring of 1934.

Both families have been informed and are delighted by the news.

The Empress is in excellent health and wishes to continue to undertake some public engagements but regrets any disappointment which may be caused by any restrictions due to her condition.

***

GIANITA

Gigi's eyes fluttered open in the morning to gentle murmurs and caresses against her skin. It was the umpteenth time that she found herself waking up to Cal glued to her belly in the past few weeks, hovering over it and talking to their unborn child. Although appreciated at first, she would appreciate it more if he hadn't started invading her personal space.

The man had clung to her ever since they found out about her pregnancy. Assuming it was the side-effects of the early excitement, she thought it would last a few days, only for it to get worse after they announced the news. He always had to touch her if he walked by, lingering in the same room with her, if not touching or rubbing her stomach.

It might have just been her hormones, but he seemed to want skin contact every second of every day; and with all nausea, fatigue and crampings, she wanted nothing to do with it. She just wanted to be left alone for a while, and it took every fibre in her body to prevent her from shoving him off or smacking him on the head whenever it got to be too much.

Junior, at least, wasn't giving her a headache.

After telling him the night after his birthday party Cal was disappointed he didn't take it jumping up and down, but Gigi understood her son's struggle to accept the presence of another human being-whomever they may be-and was delighted that he at least welcomed the news positively. It ended with him using his birthday wish upon his unborn sibling's health.

"I love you so much, little one. So much. I love you like I love your brother," Cal gushed, nuzzling against her lower abdomen. It was ticklish as hell.

"Already know," she said absentmindedly, pulling the blanket over her belly as he gave her a look. "They already know that. You've repeated it over two hundred and fourteen times."

"Have I? I've lost count." He laughed, shifting upwards and wrapping his leg over hers. "I've settled on a name. If it's a boy, Raedan, after my great-grandfather the first Emperor of Angletonia. Why don't you pick a girl's name, Gi?"

She pouted at the heavy weight of his leg.

"Your family has written back to me. They said they're going to throw a party in the Keraton to celebrate your pregnancy. I think it's only proper to do the same here." He smiled, rubbing her stomach once more.

Her family's hosting a party for her pregnancy? That was strange. In Prajan custom, there were no events to celebrate the announcement of a pregnancy. There was, however, a ceremonial right to commemorate the seventh month of pregnancy. But it's reserved for the Queen and royal wives; not a daughter who'd been married off. By then she'd belong to her husband's family.