My stomach swells, so much that I can barely fit my dress over it. I try to hide it, turning away whenever anyone enters, but I know that, at some point, they will notice. I wonder how long it will be until I die.
A knock. I turn away from the door, hiding it.
"Ella, you must help me!" Adelaide looks hunted.
"I can't help. I - there's nothing I can do."
"I'm scared, Ella. I - Herales needs an heir. And I can't - we've tried - I just. Can't. I don't know what he'll do to me." I can't help a brief flash of anger. After everything that's happened to me - she can't be so - so... thoughtless. So conceited. So what if Heracles doesn't get an heir? He deserves it - to be the king who couldn't have children. For it to go down in history, for him to be the one to destroy the perfect, peaceful haven because there are wars over who will rule next. He deserves that, and then some.
"What do you expect me to do about it?"
"You're pregnant - I can see you are."
"So?"
"If I take the child -"
"No."
"But -"
"Sometimes it takes women years."
"Heracles won't wait years. I have six months, and if I'm not - you know what he did to you."
"You want to take my baby."
"It'll be safer with us. It'll have a better life. You know it will!"
"And if I agree? What's in it for me?" I know what she's thinking. I know she can't believe that the happiness of my unborn child should be enough. Well, it's not. I'm selfish that way.
"You can go free." Just the idea of freedom is tantalising. To leave - just walk out. I want to. So much. But - the baby. My baby. I couldn't just... just... except I could. Easily. And Adelaide is right. The baby will have a much happier life without a mother old enough to be a grandmother in a tiny priest hole. So I sigh.
"Fine. You can take the baby."