Duana (ON HOLD)

Part 7

During the long period of time that I waited on Madja to finish, I gazed out the window looking at all of my people walk by. Growing bored, I started to count the number of bundles hanging from the ceiling. I soon gave up on that as it was almost impossible to determine what was ceiling and what was herb. Luckily, before I could start worrying too much, Madja came out of the back room, telling Feyre to put on her clothes. As she walked up to me, her face was set in a deadpan.

I'd stood as soon as she'd opened the door and I took a step closer. "Well?" I asked. "What's the verdict?" I tried not to sound or look too worried, but Madja saw right through it.

"She's fine; stop worrying." She stood with her arms folded, looking up at me.

"Is she..."

Madja broke into a smile and whispered for anly me to hear, "Congratulations. You're going to be a father."

"A father?" I asked incredulously. Madja nodded. I barely made it to a stool before my knees gave out. I knew-suspected, but I... A father? Me? I looked down at my hands, imagining what it would be like to hold my own child. "I'm going to have a baby,"I whispered. Holy gods... I cleared my throat before looking up and asking,"How far along is she?"

"About..." Madja trailed off as Feyre entered the room.

"So? What's wrong with me?" Feyre asked.

"Absolutely nothing." Madja replied. "I was just telling Rhysand that-"

"We'd have to go to another shop for some herbs," I told her, giving Madja a look that said play along. She quickly registered and went along.

"That's right. You're perfectly fine. Just a sensitive stomach."

"Don't you have the herbs?" Feyre asked Madja with a worried look on her face.

Madja reached over and patted Feyre on the arm. "Some of them, dearest. But my friend Amber has the things you really need."

She quickly wrote a list of herbs to give Amber and handed it to me. Then she walked us to the door. "Have a nice time! Oh!" she exclaimed, as if remembering something. We turned back to her and she smiled. "Amber specializes in children, so you might have to wait a bit."

"Thanks, Madja." Feyre said with a smile.

"No problem." With that Madja closed her door. Sighing, Feyre turned to look at me.

"Does this mean we have to walk the whole way?"

I smiled, and scooped her up in my arms. "Not at all." She clung to my neck as I flew into the air. The wind rushed through my hair, and I smiled. Feyre loved it when we flew together. I glanced down at her and saw her face was turned up in a brilliant smile. My own faded as I realized that she'd have to stop flying in a few months because she'd be too big and off balance..

Feyre looked up at me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking about how happy you are when you fly." Not a lie, but not the whole truth. We were quiet the whole way to the store. I didn't want to spoil Feyre's flight. When we landed in front of the store, Feyre was quick to leap to her feet. I made for her arm, ready to catch her if she fell. My wings came up behind to shield her from sight if she was sick.

Feyre looked at me quizzically. "Rhys? What are you doing?"

I let my guard drop, and forced myself to relax. "Just making sure you were okay."

At that she pushed me away. "I'm fine," she said, striding towards the store entrance. I ran my fingers through my hair. What was up with her? Her mood had changed so rapidly... I followed her into the store. When I got in there, a light brown haired lady whom I assumed was Amber was rushing about helping a very pregnant Fae. Feyre wasn't anywhere to be seen, but a door with a sign that said Water Closet this way→ was swinging closed.

I waited for Amber to finished up, and then strode over to her. "We need these herbs, please. Madja sent us."

Amber looked at me after taking a quick glance at the list. "These aren't for you, I assume."

"No, they're for my mate. And I'd like if we kept quiet about this to her." I added.

"Why?"

"Because she doesn't know yet. I want to be the one to tell her," I answered.

Amber nodded, and then zipped off to find the herbs. While she was searching, I went and followed the sign to the water closet. It led to a small hall with a closed door at the end. Striding over to it, I knocked.

"Feyre?"

"I'm fine." From the sound of it, she was telling the truth and was just using the toilet. I went back to the other room and found Amber with a bag full of jars and writing out a list of instructions. She thrust both of them at me.

"Here you go. Come back soon after you've told your mate." With that she grabbed a basket and rushed out the door, following a man down the streets.

"Where's she going?" Feyre asked, coming behind me and taking the list out of my hand.

"Probably off to heal someone," I said, and wrapping my arms around her, I drew her into a tight embrace. "It's high time we be headed home, don't you think? After all," I grinned, "we need to start you on your medicine, don't we?"

She made a face. "Ew."

I laughed, and we walked back to the townhouse.