The Dragon Prince's Bride
Chapter 169. Do you want a child?

Chapter 169: 169. Do you want a child?

"I am with child." Thee words Neriah spoke resounded again and again in Aria’s head. The kettle brush she that had dropped from her hand remained on the ground, the vile of hair oil laid on the rug, the oil spilling out and Aria’s eyes and mouth was left open wide.

"Aria, it is the best news I have ever received. It is like getting a gift I never even knew I was going to have, a gift I was never anticipating, a gift I never even thought I would need. And now that it’s in my hands, I realize how happy it makes me." Aria still silently stared at her mistress with her eyes opened wide. Not saying a word. She just watched as Neriah walk-danced around the room like a teenager in love.

She was pregnant... To think that her mistress who never wanted to marry a barbarian was now carrying the child of that same barbarian and even leaping around with joy about the matter.

"Aria, say something. You are the first one I have shared this news with." Neriah said with a bright smile on her face and Aria could swear she had never seen a brighter smile on the face of her mistress before. She was really happy, she was not pretending to be... She was actually happy she was having a child with her husband.

"Not even Barak knows about it yet." Neriah continued, briskly walking up to Aria and taking her hands in her own, "Say something, do not just stare at me with those big purple eyes." Neriah said with a laugh. "Aria," Neriah shook her, begging her to say something.

"I_ I just do not know what to say. I was not expecting this news." Aria finally spoke up.

"My Lady, you do understand what this means?"

"Aye, Aria!" Neriah said with a big giggle, dragging in a pleasant breath and letting it out again, "It means I will be having a child with Barak." She said.

"At least you understand." Aria muttered.

"Of course I do... What do you think? Look at that portrait," Neriah said and dragged Aria toward the portrait of a young Barak. "If our child looks like his father, he would be so adorable, right?" She was shimmering, in the most beautiful manner. Indeed, it was the look of an expectant mother and a teenage girl with a crush all in one.

"That golden eyes, look at his chubby hands... I want our child to look like him. So I will get to meet a younger version of Barak. What do you think? He will be such a lovely child." Neriah said and again, Aria did not know how to respond to her mistresses evident joy.

"I_ I guess."

"You guess? Aria, do you see that portrait. Our child would steal the hearts of all the adults with just a simple blink of his lashes." Aria could not understand how she was so happy about this news... No, it was more like she did not expect the happiness her mistress had about this news.

And what was more alarming was that she kept on saying, ’Our child’. So indeed, she understood what being pregnant with the prince’s child meant. Did that mean that Neriah no longer had any hate for her husband? Not even a little? Of course Aria had been seeing the signs, and she had guessed the hate Neriah felt for Barak had at some point faded a little.

But this... this did not seem like a little. It was clear to anyone with eyes that there wasn’t even an ounce if malice toward her husband, instead all Aria could see, shockingly, was a young woman in love for the first time. Real love...

"My Lady, you no longer hate the crown prince, am I right?" At her sudden question, Neriah’s smile died and thee glitter in her eyes faded as she turned her head toward the direction of the portrait that showed the most current prince Barak.

Slowly, the light returned to her eyes as a soft smile touched her features. "I do not remember how to." She confessed and Aria needed no further questions or answers to understand that indeed, her mistress had lost all hate for her husband and was now experiencing a different form of love. Unlike what she had with Lyle. This one seemed more real and true.

The corner of Aria’s lips rose until her smile matched her mistress’s own and she said, "Congratulations My Lady,"

...

"Barak," She called as they rode together toward the old house of Alnar. "What?" She asked as he was suddenly smiling.

"You call my name naturally and more often now." He said and she had nothing to say to that, his smile just caused her stomach to turn, in a good way. "Do you have something to say to me?" He asked.

"You know, uhm... I do not know how to say this." She bit on her bottom lip and her lashes fell over her eyes as her cheeks remained stained with soft color.

"Say it anyhow." He shrugged, urging her to speak up.

"Well, alright." She lifted her lashes and stared at him. "We have been married for five months now, going to six in less than a few weeks."

"You were counting, and here I was thinking you did not care." He jested and laughed but seeing her serious and unamused face, his laughter instantly died and he cleared his throat aloud, "Forgive me, continue."

"Do you wish to have a baby?"

"Huh?"

"A baby, a child, an infant, someone that will look like you or me. Do you want one? Or do you not wish to have one?" She asked, why was he looking so lost?

"Barak, can you hear me?" She asked as he was just staring at her without saying a single word. "Why are you not saying anything?" She asked again. "Barak—"

"Neriah, are you certain you are completely alright?" He suddenly asked. "I mean you are certain that you did not hit your head in the dungeon that day."

"What are you talking about?"

"That is the only reason I can think of for your question. You want a baby?" He asked and she scoffed and stared out the window. Was her asking if he wanted a baby such a strange question that he would question her mental status? He could be so annoying, seriously.

"Forget it. I should not have asked." She said with a pout she didn’t mean to show but couldn’t help.

She suddenly felt her seat sink in and she knew he had come to her side but she kept her gaze out the window.

"Now, now, Spitfire, do not turn your gaze from your husband." His voice sounded next to her ear, hot breath fanning her neck and she knew he would kiss her there and when he did she didn’t want to respond to him, but then his hand snaked around her belly and his head buried into the curve that joined her shoulder to her neck.

"What man would not want a child when he has you for wife?" He confessed. "I have dreamt of a little girl with hair as red as her mother’s and eyes as green. She would be the most pampered child to lay foot on the surface of the earth. Gods help me, but she might end up being a much more spoiled brat than her mother."

"Are you insulting me, or stating you desire to have a child with me?" She murmured, not being able to hide the soft smile on her face.

He lifted his head from her shoulders and she turned her head to stare at him. "I am confessing my desire to spend eternity with you, Spitfire. You and as many children as you can carry." He said and Neriah saw the look in his eyes and there had never been anything more sincere that that gaze he gave her. He wasn’t just saying thing, he meant every word. He wanted to have a child or children with her and spend his lifetime with her... Now, she wanted the same.

"Do you think you will be able to handle a child like me?" Neriah asked.

"If I can handle the mother, the daughter would be no problem." He said as his eyes moved from her lips to her eyes.

"Hm?"

"Hm."

"But the mother is not so easy to handle so—" Her words were cut as his lips took hers and he pulled her onto his thigh, deepening the kiss. "You will wrinkle my dress." She said amidst kisses.

"We have to do this much if we are going to have those babies." He said and kissed her neck. A cry escaped her lips when he forcefully pulled her breast out of the neck of her dress.

"You barbarian! We cannot do that in the carriage. We will be arriving soon." Neriah reminded him. But her hands held onto him as though she was ready to give him everything right there if he really asked for it.

"Alright, just my breasts. No further." She said and arched her body as he sucked on her breasts with no further words.

She had wanted to tell him that morning, but when he had invited her to go with him to Fortia, the plan instantly changed in her head. A new picture had quickly painted in her head. A beautiful way of telling him about their child. They’d go on the trip together, spend a splendid time alone with each other for a week and by the end of the week, she would create a beautiful scene and deliver the news to him. It was a brilliant plan. She just had to tell her mother-in-law to keep quiet about it for a while longer.