Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Week 5

Rhythmic steps made the only notable sound in the silent house - save for the gentle crackle of the fireplace - as Aphmau anxiously paced from one end of the room to the other. With her hands tightly clasped behind her back, she sharply turned and began her unyielding pace to the other side of the room. The dark night sky loomed outside, as moaning winds began to carry in dark streaky clouds on the breeze over the slumbering village of Phoenix Drop. Sitting in the furniture gathered around the fireplace, were Cadenza, Zoey, and Katelyn.

Cadenza had been summoned to Phoenix Drop after Laurance had disappeared two weeks prior. Zoey had been at Aphmau's side ever since the raven haired Lord had learned of her pregnancy. The white haired elf had made the rather bold - and unfortunately for Aphmau, unavoidable - decision to become Aphmau's full time helper and doula until the baby's birth. Aphmau tried desperately not to think about her current predicament as she paced the room. Shame and anger flared in her chest as her mind flitted from one thought to the next. How could she have been so stupid finding comfort in the sheets with her head guard? Sure, she wouldn't be the first Lord to have such a scandalous relationship and she most certainly wouldn't be the last, but it had been a reckless decision either way. Even with that little ineffective comfort, Aphmau couldn't help but chastise herself for her decisions. Perhaps it had been all of the rising tensions that had started it. Every single albatross she had willingly or been forced to bear with each rising and setting of the sun had become a greater burden upon her shoulder with every metaphorical bird added.

Garroth's betrayal, Garroth and Zane being sealed away in the Irene Dimension. Then it was the forced betrothal to prince Fenrir of the Southeastern Clan, and Laurance's first signs of succumbing to the Calling. Following that was the discovery of Enki's island and Travis, the founding of Aphmau's new village on a different island, Laurance falling deeper into his anger as the Calling worsened, the impending war with Tu'la, and of course, Aaron stowing away one night without so much as a goodbye.

It wasn't until later Aphmau would learn he'd tried to enact revenge on Zane by releasing both he and Garroth from the Irene Dimension. Perhaps in the few months after he'd escaped the realm, Aaron had forgotten who Garroth was still allied with. Aphmau had found Aaron injured and on the brink of death after Raven had guided her to his dying form. He'd survived, but not without consequence. Zane and Garroth had fled to O'khasis in the scuffle to save Aaron. Aphmau had lost count of the run-ins with Garroth she would have over the coming months.

Every sword battle, every plea for him to come home - it all blurred together in her mind now. But it must've done something because soon enough, Garroth came crawling back to Phoenix Drop, weeping as he begged for forgiveness and profusely apologized for betraying Phoenix Drop. And Aphmau had foolishly welcomed him back. Then O'khasis began to become a bigger threat, with Zane crowning himself Lord and re-establishing the Jury of Nine, he clearly would seek revenge on Aphmau and anyone who had wronged him. Although he had yet to make any significant moves. That was the thing with Zane - he was cunning and was willing to wait patiently for an opportune time to strike. And he had yet to strike.

More and more tumultuous events began to pile up one after the other until Aphmau couldn't take it anymore. And it appeared that Garroth had been feeling the same way. And after one too many drinks, the pair's midnight rendezvous betwixt the sheets began. Aphmau hadn't meant for their trysts to go on for so long. But every time she told herself they'd stop, somehow she convinced herself it would be fine. Perhaps it had been how Garroth was so gentle, and so kind. Showering her in the gentle intimate praise she'd been desperately craving, Garroth had enraptured her body and soul. And she kept returning every single night to his bed for more. And now, the little life that had formed deep within her womb was the consequence of their heedless decisions. And he didn't even know. She'd known for two weeks, and she had never mustered up the courage to tell him.

Deep down, Aphmau had known something was off long before she sought out Zoey to confirm the truth. She'd had difficulty keeping food down in the mornings for days. Her hips and gut had kept up a consistent dull ache. And she'd been craving Kaori's chocolate cherry cookies too. Even she had been surprised by the amount of time she'd nearly been brought to tears over the most trivial things or the never ending exhaustion that gripped her. But she'd swept it all aside, praying to any of the gods who'd listen that none of it was real. That something couldn't be wrong. Maybe she hadn't known she was pregnant per say, but she had enough self realization to realize something wasn't right. But she ignored it, and kept it as hushed as she could.

And then Garroth had to leave. He'd received word that his mother was going to be executed for treason against O'khasis. Without a second thought, Aphmau told him to go after her. So, with one final hug to his friends - and a promise to Aphmau he'd return safely - Garroth left on his trusted steed towards the village of his birth. It had been nearly a week now, and Aphmau was becoming worried. What if he hadn't made it in time? What if he'd been caught? What if Garroth had been led up to the guillotine with his mother- Aphmau shook her head, and turned on her heel. No, she couldn't think like that. Garroth was fine. He would return home. He'd promised. Aphmau continued her looping pace back and forth, trying to swallow down the bile in the back of her throat. Whether it was from her anxiety or her pregnancy she wasn't sure.

"Aphmau, darling, you should sit down." Cadenza tried to say gently as she rose up from the couch towards the direction of the stiff shouldered woman.

"I'm fine." Aphmau snapped, her tone harsher than she'd intended. She turned on her heel and trekked to the other side of the room. She halted to a stop as another deep ache swelled in her gut, seizing her in place. She'd grown familiar with these uncomfortable aches that bloomed deep from inside her belly - a common and normal symptom of pregnancy Zoey had assured her. Something to do with her abdominal muscles relaxing to be able to expand to make room for the baby.

"Aphmau, you really should rest." Zoey agreed softly. She approached Aphmau and gently placed her hands to her shoulders. "Stressing won't help you or-"

"I said I'm fine, Zoey!" Aphmau hissed as she swatted Zoey's hands away. Aphmau's eyes widened and she exhaled shakily as she turned her face away from her friend. "I- I'm sorry Zoey. I didn't mean to-"

Zoey gently rubbed Aphmau's shoulder in a slow comforting manner. "I know," Zoey hummed understandingly, "I'm not upset. Believe me, I was much moodier than you've ever been. But you really should sit down, conserving your energy is of great importance right now."

Cadenza gave Katelyn an odd glance, but the tall muscular woman didn't say anything. Katelyn cocked one of her sharp brows as she sharply stared at Cadenza which seemed to be enough to deter the fiery haired woman from prying for further details about Zoey's comments.

Just then, a trumpet blared in the distance. And it came from the village gate.

The four shared brief glances amongst each other before they all swiftly rose from their seats, gathered their weapons, and quickly ran off into the night. As the four jogged towards the village gate, Aphmau spotted a familiar white horse gently strolling out from the dark forest and into the village. Carefully unmounting his horse, Garroth winced from the beating he'd seemingly taken. Even from the distance she was at, Aphmau could see the bruises and new cuts spotting his nose and cheek.

"Garroth!" Aphmau cried out to him as she bounded towards him. Without thinking, the armored blond quickly ran towards Aphmau. The raven haired woman was swiftly pulled into Garroth's strong but gentle embrace as he bound her up in a tight hug. She sighed as his familiar scent filled her lungs and throat and eased the anxious churning in her belly. She nestled her nose into the prickly beginnings of the unshaven beard on his throat whilst he buried his nose and cheek into her long dark curls.

"I missed you." Aphmau hummed into his golden curls as her hands tightened around the fur cloak wrapped around his shoulders.

"I was only gone for a week." Garroth hummed. But the subtle squeeze he added to their hug told Aphmau he'd missed her too. She couldn't begin to imagine every thought or emotion that had spiraled through his mind while he'd been away. Although Aphmau had no knowledge of her own blood family, she couldn't imagine the pain and fear of almost losing one's mother, especially to their tyrannical younger brother. Peering over Garroth's massive frame, she caught the brief glimpse of Vylad on his own dark umber horse with their mother riding behind him. She briefly saw Vylad begin to assist Zianna to the ground, and Aphmau relented to close her eyes and bask in the hug for a little bit longer. She winced subtly at the sudden ache deep in her belly that made itself known again. The ache that gave away the deepest secret she'd been keeping a week before Garroth's departure. Aphmau knew as soon as she felt the subtle shift of Garroth's arm that he noticed her cringing.

"Are you alright?" He rumbled softly, his thick blonde brows creasing with worry. Aphmau's gaze flickered to Zoey who'd silently strode up beside the pair to welcome the Ro'meaves. Zoey nodded seriously and made her way over to Zianna to check on the shaken woman who was being comforted by her youngest son and his horse. Katelyn and Cadenza also made their way over to Zianna and Vylad.

Returning her attention to Garroth, Aphmau swallowed the thick lump in the back of her throat. "We need to talk."

After ensuring that Dante - who'd arrived with a rather aggressive case of bedhead - and assured them that he and everyone else could handle things on their own, Aphmau and Garroth quietly sought after a lonely place to talk. Aphmau led Garroth to Kiki's barn where a big beautiful tree had sprouted in the middle in their fifteen year absence. Nailed timber and beams jutted out all around them as the reconstruction efforts were being made to rebuild the barn around the new tree. Aphmau smiled briefly at the memory of Kiki's nonchalant attitude about the discovery of the new arboreal structure in the middle of her barn.

"Oh this is jus' fine fer me! Leona an' I can jus' use it fer all the sweet birds we been catching tagether!" Kiki had explained in her southern bell drawl with a grin as bright as the sun.

Aphmau shook her head and turned back around to Garroth as she remembered why she'd brought him here. He needed to know. He deserved to know.

"Are you alright, Lady Aphmau?" Garroth asked as he took Aphmau's hand, his temple furrowed worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine." Aphmau lied softly as she squeezed Garroth's gloved hand. Giving the grass a brief glance, Aphmau mustered up her courage and the words she needed to say. Turning to face him, she clasped his other hand with hers.

"Garroth, while you were gone in O'khasis to rescue Zianna... I discovered something rather... I found out..." Her voice continued to trail away, like the bile coating her esophagus was physically barring the words from leaving her lungs. She briefly caught Garroth's concerned and confused gaze and his slightly furrowed and upturned brows.

Grumbling under her breath, she mumbled, "Irene there's no better to say this - I'm pregnant."

The blond guard grew very still, his muddy brown eyes widening slightly. "You're... with child?" He whispered quietly, as though the words were a secret not even the trees were meant to hear.

Aphmau nodded. She couldn't say anything else. Her hands trembled subtly as she tried not to cry.

Taking a moment to wet his lips with his tongue, Garroth cleared his throat and stood taller. "Con-Congratulations Aphmau." he stammered softly.

"Thank you." Aphmau replied, her uncertainty bleeding into her gracious tone.

"Who is the father?" Garroth asked with as artificial of a smile as he could muster.

Aphmau could see how his cheeks twitched as he struggled to keep up his smile. "Who do you think it is, Garroth?" she asked dryly.

"Well, I mean I don't want to assume." he explained. His eyes widened as he realized the implications of his words. "Not that I mean you're a harlot of any sort!" He quickly corrected himself accompanies by a new tint to his freckled cheeks. "I mean... nevermind."

Aphmau smiled softly and a soft chuckle escaped her. "I know what you mean Garroth, don't worry."

"So, who is it then?" he asked again. He tilted his head down towards Aphmau, as though he were peering into her eyes to pry the answer from there.

"Is it not obvious?" she asked him, a low chuckle briefly crossing her tongue.

"Lady Aphmau you know I'm not the most socially aware-" he began but was quickly cut off by Aphmau.

"Garroth why do you think I'm telling you?" Aphmau asked him sharply. She felt her eyes scrunch as she tried to maintain her tight but fearful composure.

Garroth's wide-eyed gaze returned to Aphmau's. His hand slipped from hers and he faltered back, just catching himself on his heel before he fell into the mud. He stared at her, then to the ground, then back to her. He opened his mouth. He closed it. His jaw clenched and unclenched as he tried to force any words to leave his lips. "What?"

"You're the father, Garroth." Aphmau said a little more seriously.

"What- I- How?" he stammered underneath his breath.

"Well Garroth how do you think?" Aphmau laughed dryly as her round brows furrowed against her temple.

"I know how I happened I just-" he began sharply. Garroth quickly clamped his mouth shut as he turned his head away from the woman in front of him. Turning back to her, his brown eyes softened. "You're really... with my- our...?"

Aphmau nodded again, feeling the salty burn of tears begin to sting her eyes.

"How.. long have you known?" he asked softly.

"Two weeks." she admitted shamefully. "I... I didn't get to tell you before you left."

Whatever reaction Garroth had to that news, Aphmau would never know. The slight shift to anger in his dark brown eyes dissipated in favor of a more uncertain flickering over the grass beneath his boots. "Shit."

Aphmau almost burst out in laughter despite the burning tears along her lashes. "Irene, I don't think I've ever heard you curse before!"

"Well, I feel it's a bit appropriate given the current circumstances." he playfully argued back, "We're on the verge of war with O'khasis, the emperor of a large Tu'lasian region has his eyes set on invading as much of Ru'aun as he can, my mother has a warrant out for her death and now-" Garroth stopped, his voice falling into a soft whisper, "And now you're with child. My child."

A long silence passed between the pair. Even the winds that had been rustling the leaves of the tops of the trees ceased in their skirmishing as though commanded by the pair's deep conversation.

Toying with the sleeve of her shirt, Aphmau spoke up in a soft uncertain voice, "Are you upset?"

Garroth gave a moment's pause before a wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, "I don't think I really have room to be upset given I knowingly participated in the conception... More than once. But fear is certainly a strong emotion I'm feeling at the moment."

Another long moment of silence consumed the air between them. Aphmau chewed on the inside of her cheek as her hands unconsciously slipped towards her lower belly where her womb lay beneath the surface carefully cradling her unborn child.

"What now?" Aphmau whispered. Her eyes found purchase on a rock in the ground, unable to face Garroth's gaze no matter how gentle it was. It had been that same gentle gaze which had landed her in this predicament to begin with.

"Are you going to keep the baby?" Garroth asked her softly. He approached her again. Aphmau didn't miss the subtle flexing of his gloved hand - as though he unconsciously were trying to reach out towards her again.

"You're asking the woman who's adopted three children on three separate occasions this?" she asked with mild sarcasm.

"I figured it was practical to ask at least." he replied with a slight bobble to his head and slight sarcastic wit in his tone.

"That is fair." she chuckled, "But yes, I intend to keep them."

Garroth hummed quietly as he ran his hands over his neck and exhaled through his nose. He bounced on the heels of his boots, his jaw setting and unsetting twice.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"I... I don't know." he murmured, "But I should be the one asking you that question. You're the one who's pregnant."

Aphmau laughed. "You're allowed to feel how you want about this as well, Garroth." she assured him.

The pad of Garroth's thumb gently swirled over her knuckles. "Yes but this isn't about me. It's about you and... the baby." Garroth paused for a beat before he reached for Aphmau's hand and willed her to look up, "Will you permit me to be there? For them?"

Aphmau turned her head up towards Garroth. Her amber gaze flickered over his "You... want to be there for the baby?"

"Of course!" Garroth said too quickly. He faltered slightly as uncertainty seeped into his eyes. But his determination snuffed out the embers as he lifted her chin up with a gentle touch of his hand. "I... yes, I want to be there. It's my child. And... you are their mother. The woman I've loved for many years now. You carry my child within your womb. It... would be irresponsible and cruel to abandon you both."

Now matter how much she willed them not to, Aphmau's tears finally broke free from her lashes and poured down her face in flowing falls. "Garroth-" she croaked. She sniffled as she wiped at her damp eyes with the heel of her palm. Garroth swiftly pulled her into another tight but gentle hug. He placed a tender kiss into her hair as he lowered his lips to the shell of her ear.

His smooth baritone voice hummed gently into her ear as Aphmau buried her face into his fur pelt to sob, "Aphmau, I am your head guard. And as your guard, it is my sworn duty to protect you and the people of this village. I will never abandon you. Never again. And I will never abandon the child you carry within you. I promise this on my family name."

"That might be a shallow promise." Aphmau laughed through her tears. She hiccuped and continued to cry, her whole body shaking from her convulsive weeping.

Pulling her away from his form, Garroth wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumbs. Cupping her cheeks, he said, "Then maybe it'll just be on my name then."

"Are you scared?" Aphmau asked through a trembling voice as Garroth swiped another pass over her damp cheeks.

His thinned lips quivered slightly as he nodded. "Yes. I'm terrified. I'm terrified I won't live up to your needs. I'm terrified I'll be like..."

Now it was Aphmau's turn to cup his face. Holding his head in place, while being mindful of the fresh cuts and bruises along his nose and cheek, her eyes met his with a burning determination. Yet her voice carried a gentle warmth beneath its surface. "You're nothing like him Garroth. You're kind, you're brave. You protect everyone around you. You hold everyone you love in your heart. You'll make for a wonderful father."

As a tear slipped down his face, a small smile brought out the dimples in his cheeks. "Thank you." Garroth touched his foreheads with hers and continued, "And I already know you are a fantastic mother. We'll just be adding another one to the litter you've accumulated."

"Hey, you're half of the reason I'm adding another one in the first place." Aphmau remarked despite the teary eyed laughter that bubbled up from her chest.

Pulling her in for another hug, Garroth exhaled softly. His gloved hand played with the ends of her dark curls while he buried his nose into her hair. Inhaling deeply, he spoke again. "Forgive me if this seems too forward, but would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Aphmau stiffened and pulled away from his grasp. "Wha- Marry you?" she repeated. "Why?"

"Would it not be the next logical course of action?" Garroth asked confusedly, his head tilting to the side like a dog.

"I- I mean I suppose it would be. But isn't this a little rushed? On the same day I tell you I'm pregnant you ask me to marry you? Why?"

"To protect you." he answered calmly. She was almost a little unnerved by how quickly he'd answered her.

"Protect me? I can handle myself just fine Garroth." Aphmau insisted, a little offended by his statement.

"Yes, I know you can." Garroth's expression darkened as his voice became more serious, "But Lady Aphmau, I have seen firsthand the vitriol which Lords face on a daily basis. Never mind the gossip unmarried Lords with children could face. I saw it firsthand with Lord Nicole. And I fear I will see it with you too. Your validity as a Lord could be called into question if they discover you have conceived a child out of wedlock. Ladies already face insurmountable difficulty amongst the entrapments of the political world. And I do not want to see a similar fate befall you. I am not saying you are incapable of raising a child without any kind of partner, I know this better than most. But I am your guard, and the father of this child. And I will do whatever it takes to protect you from any harm of this world or the next. Marriage - as hasty as it would be - would at least provide you with some moniker of protection for your reputation."

Aphmau grew quiet as she contemplated his words. It was true. Female Lords often faced more ridicule for just being women. And as much as it angered her, the contempt she could face for being an unmarried and pregnant Lord could very well lead to her being viewed as an easy target. Or worse, her village as weak and susceptible to attacks. It would be the only logical course of action. And perhaps in a roundabout way, marrying Garroth might offer her some degree of protection from Zane no matter how brief it might be. Returning her attention to the blond man in front of her, she nodded. "Very well then, prince Garroth. I accept your matrimonial proposal."

Garroth groaned at Aphmau's ridiculously over the top accent and phrasing. His head lolled back as his shoulder began to shake from laughter. "You are something else Lady Aphmau."

"And I suppose now, I'm also your fiance."

Garroth leaned down, and pressed a chaste kiss to her still slightly damp cheek. "Indeed you are, my lady. And what an honor that is."

Chapter Text

Week 14

His slumber hadn't been very peaceful to begin with. Consumed with on and off nightmares and strange dreams, Garroth startled awake yet again. This must have been the fifth night in a row. His sleep was usually plagued by tragic visions of his family, something terrible happening to Laurance, or the worst one was either Aphmau or their unborn child dying. Running his hands over his face, Garroth stared up at the canopy above their shared bed. Garroth had insisted he move in with Aphmau after he'd learned of her pregnancy. He wanted to be there for her for anything she might need. He still held brief memories of how his own father treated his mother when she was pregnant with his younger brothers. Although his mother's pregnancy with Vylad had been treated worse because of Vylad's father.

Garroth groaned softly and subtly stretched over the bed as he ran his hand through his messy golden curls. The darkness of the night clung to the room he laid in. It would likely be hours before dawn would even begin to make itself known to the world. While he was distracted with the fading memories of his dreams and his childhood and the quietly rising dawn, Garroth felt the bed shift beside him. He had just barely turned his head to the side when he suddenly heard Aphmau hurling.

Immediately sitting up in bed, he reached for the candle he kept at his bedside and lit it. Holding it out, he saw Aphmau hunched over a bucket cradled in her lap with her legs swung over the side of the bed.

"Aphmau?" he whispered her name with a gentle worry.

The raven haired woman groaned into the wooden bucket she held in her lap. Garroth slipped out of bed with the lit candle in hand and padded to the other side of the bed. Setting the metal candelabra on the table beside their bed, he gently placed a thick hand to her arm.

"Are you alright?" he asked her gently as he carefully assessed her. She had some puke coating the ends of her hair which meant she'd definitely need a bath.

Tears clumped Aphmau's thick lashes together as she trembled from the sudden vomiting. "I feel a little better now." she mumbled half heartedly.

Garroth nodded, although he could see she looked quite green around the gills. After gently taking her bucket from her hands and setting it to the ground, he helped her to her feet.

"I think you're due for a bath." he hummed as he carefully guided her out of the bedroom and into the adjacent washroom. Stepping onto the cold tiles, he brought her over to the large wooden washtub. Garroth tapped on one of the magic stone decor in the wall above the washtub and warm water was quickly summoned into the basin. He had to hand it to Lucinda, such enchantments came in handy more often than he would probably admit. Turning back to Aphmau, he began to carefully undress her from the loose stained nightgown she wore. Although the swell in her belly was very subtle given she had just ended the first trimester, Garroth always smiled to himself whenever he spotted it. Looking up to Aphmau, his smile deepened into a soft grimace. The corners of his mouth pinched down as he saw the exhaustion lining Aphmau's depressed gaze.

"Aphmau?" Garroth hummed softly as he lifted his hand to her cheek.

"You don't have to keep doing this. You should sleep too." Aphmau whispered softly as she raised her hand to cup Garroth's. "You have patrol in the morning."

"You're right, I don't have to help you. But I want to." he replied in a gentle matter of fact tone. Before Aphmau could protest, Garroth lifted her chin up so that their eyes could meet. "I want to do this. I want to help you however you may need. I don't need to be a doula like Zoey to see how difficult your pregnancy has been. So let me help you."

Aphmau relented, and closed her eyes as she nuzzled the palm of his hand. He continued to undo the ties of her nightgown, and let the puke stained dress pool around Aphmau's ankles on the cold tiles floor. He also removed her undergarments - which he was admittedly a little ashamed to be able to do so with such familiarity- and helped her step out of the ring of dirtied cloth. Once her garments were gone, Garroth filled up a bucket with the same warm water from the enchanted stones, and then turned the water off. Using a sponge and the soapy bucket water to wash the crusted upchucked remains from her hair and skin. He watched the soapy water wash onto the smooth tiles and then down the drain onto the floor with each gentle pouring of the water. He worked methodically as he washed the dried vomit from her hair and from her skin. After one final pour of the bucket's water and a quick check of her hair, he then helped Aphmau into the bathtub. He too undressed, letting his sleepwear fall to the ground and soak with the draining water puddles on the floor. He figured he wouldn't need to return to bed anyways, not with how awake he was now. Stepping into the tub, he pulled Aphmau into his arms and allowed her to fully lay back against him while he reached for more soaps and a rag. Garroth continued to help bathe her and was sure to be mindful of how he washed her skin and body.

Even without seeing her face, Garroth could see the exhaustion evident in her slumped posture. He sighed quietly as he gently washed the suds off of Aphmau's shoulders.

His heart ached to see her in such a state. Her pregnancy had been nothing but difficult thus far. Every morning for the past three months she'd been plagued by terrible nausea which would not let go of her until noon. She'd been constantly exhausted, barely able to get up most mornings. Garroth had essentially become the current placeholder for the position of Lord until Aphmau was well enough to return to her daily duties. Everyone had begun to come to him first about almost anything that was happening around the new village. He of course didn't mind such responsibilities upon his shoulders - he'd do anything if it helped Aphmau to not be so stressed or exhausted. But with the arrival of their child looming closer with each passing day, he couldn't imagine it helped much.

"Garroth?"

Lured by the softness in how she spoke his name, Garroth turned his attention away from his thoughts and back to the woman in front of him.

"Yes, love?" he hummed gently. As cheesy as it was, he actually liked the pet names he could give her now. Aphmau had been the one to suggest they start using them to develop the habit for when they were in public with those outside of their village or Phoenix Drop. Something about keeping up the act that they were deeply in love and the child in her womb was the result of that. And that they'd of course been married before Aphmau became pregnant. Garroth leaned over and gently ran the soapy rag over her chest. He had to be extra careful here as he knew how tender her swelling breasts had become. He'd almost accidentally bruised her during a prior bath when he'd accidentally used too much force while washing her. Funnily enough, that bath had also been an early morning wash to rinse away some sickness from Aphmau's hair. In truth, these early morning baths had become routine for the couple.

Aphmau opened her mouth, like she was going to protest him washing her again. But she closed it, and instead opted for a simple and gentle, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." he hummed in return as he helped her stand up on the bath so he could continue washing her back.

After another long moment of silence, Garroth spoke up.

"I thought Zoey said your morning sickness would be gone by now." he noted as he gently moved his hand to wash her sides.

"She said how long it lasts can vary." Aphmau explained softly, still too sleepy to say a lot. "Although I've noticed it isn't as bad as it's been. I'm usually only sick once a day rather than five. So it will hopefully go away by the end of the week."

"I hope it will too." Garroth replied. If mostly for Aphmau's sake, he thought.

Garroth continued to gently bathe Aphmau until he was certain she was completely clean. Finally washing all of the suds away, he tapped a third rock on the pile of enchanted rocks which began to drain the soapy water away. The blond stepped out of the bath first, followed by Aphmau. He wrapped her in a towel and helped her to dry herself and her hair before he did the same for himself. He quickly tied another towel around his waist before he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Should I go make more of that ginger tea for you?" he asked her as he massaged part of her upper back. Aphmau nodded and leaned into Garroth's side as he continued to gently knead at her sore muscles.

The pair made their way into the kitchen, and Garroth put a kettle on to boil some water. Retrieving a wooden cup from the cupboard, he set it down on the table and filled it with the shavings off of the tea cake before he added the boiled water. He briefly glanced at Aphmau as she sat at the dining table, her hand cradling her belly. He made his way over there, and pulled out a chair.

"Careful, it's a bit hot." Garroth warned Aphmau as he set the mug down in front of her.

He pulled out a chair and joined his wife at the dining table. Aphmau lifted the mug to her lips, blew on it, and hummed as she drank some of the medicinal tea. Zoey - of course - had prescribed it to Aphmau to help quell her nausea as best as she could. Resting his chin against his knuckles, Garroth sat in silent vigil as he watched Aphmau take a few sips of her tea before she carefully set the mug down on the wooden table. He felt his wedding ring rub against the scruff on his chin. There wedding had been a simple ceremony with only a few people in attendance. Those being their closest friends from Phoenix Drop and those they'd befriended elsewhere. Zoey had officiated the wedding of course, and Brendan had been able to haggle a guy for a beautiful if simple set of wedding rings. Garroth often found himself toying with it to ease himself if he was ever feeling too anxious.

"I'm sorry." Aphmau mumbled quietly as her empty stare settled on the grain in the table.

Drawn out of his thoughts to the woman next to him, his vision refocused on her. "You have nothing to be sorry for." Garroth replied. He set his hand on top of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It isn't your fault you're exhausted. I imagine it's a lot of work to grow a baby."

A wry chuckle left her. "Still, I've been slacking in my duties as Lord. You've been doing most of the things I should be doing. I can't help with building the docks, I can't help with overseeing the construction of the new homes. Zoey won't let me visit the village through the portal. I'm stuck here in Phoenix Drop and I just feel so... useless."

"You are not useless." he assured her firmly, "You just need to rest. Resting when you need it does not make you lazy or an immoral person."

"I know." she replied in a thick voice as she tried to hold back the tears quickly welling up in her eyes. She hissed angrily as she set her cup down on the table. "Damn the gods these stupid mood swings make me feel absolutely everything in the span of five minutes!"

The blond remained silent, but he continued to squeeze her hand, and offer whatever silent comforts her could.

"I'm sorry." she tearfully apologized as she wiped at her eyes.

"I know." Garroth hummed as he let go her her hand to caress her cheek and wipe away another stray tear.

"I say that a lot don't I?" Aphmau asked as she sniffled.

"Perhaps. But I don't mind."

A quiet comfortable silence followed as Aphmau finished the rest of her tea. Relaxing back into her chair, Garroth watched as her amber eyes began to droop and flutter in between being open and closed. The tall blond rose from his chair, and took the empty cup away from his wife.

"Why don't we get you back to bed?" he suggested as he took her hand and helped her to her feet. Aphmau nodded blearily, her churning stomach finally settled by the warm tea. Garroth patiently guided Aphmau back to their bed, where he fitted her with a new clean nightgown, and tucked her into bed. Kissing her temple, he whispered a goodnight to his wife whom he was sure had fallen asleep as soon as her head had laid down into the pillow. His dark brown gaze flickered over to her clothed belly. He placed a soft kiss there too and pulled back as he ran the pad of his thumb over his wife's subtle bump.

"And goodnight to you too." he whispered softly before he blew out the melted down candle on their bedside.