CHAPTER 492: A SINFUL CONCEPTION

The moment Eleanor figured out Ariel was pregnant, she knew her world was about to collapse. She still kept a smile and welcomed Kaiden. A queen never shows her weakness.

"Papa!!" Astrid squealed, recognising her father. Eleanor was surprised the little girl could recognise Kaiden, whom she barely knew. Kaiden’s ears perked up hearing the childish voice, and he glanced in her direction.

His face instantly softened, an expression Eleanor rarely sees on his face. The smile wasn’t for her of course. It was for his little princess.

Ariel’s eyes also sparkled on seeing the little girl with a striking resemblance to Kaiden. She smiled softly at Astrid, Kaiden finally approached Astrid with his hands wide open.

He carried her in his arms. It was a beautiful moment, but all Eleanor could see was red, watching Ariel subconsciously run her small bump with a soft smile out of habit.

"Let’s go in, Astrid." Kaiden chimed then glanced at Ariel before going in. Everyone cleared out following the king’s leaving the consorts. Both stood in the snow staring at each other calmly.

"I see you enjoyed your trip," Eleanor spoke, finally breaking the silence. Ariel pursed her lips. She walked closer to Eleanor to get under the shade.

"It was refreshing to get away from all this," Ariel replied as she walked past Eleanor. Eleanor spun around, her jaw clenched.

"If it’s so suffocating then leave. After all, this is no place for a village girl." Eleanor sneered. Her gaze was locked on Ariel’s stomach. The bump was barely visible and could be mistaken for a large tummy after a heavy meal.

Eleanor would not have suspected a thing if she didn’t know Ariel’s figure is always picture perfect and the way she subconsciously held her stomach. Ariel was literally glowing at the thought of being a mother.

"You think if I had a choice, I would have stayed," Ariel asked, looking over her shoulder. Eleanor was stunned; her lips parted, then closed.

"I am tired, excuse me, your majesty." Ariel deliberately drawled the ending. She took a step, Eleanor’s voice echoing behind her. "How far gone are you?" The queen asked but the lower consort had no interest in answering that question.

********

Eleanor was haunted by Ariel’s pregnancy. Her fear loomed even in her dreams. What if the baby were a boy?

She knew Kaiden loved Ariel; he was capable of breaking tradition and naming the son of a lower concubine a crown prince.

Only if Astrid were a boy. She could only hope that Eleanor doesn’t bear a son first

The royal family travelled all the way to the snowy mountains to attend the winter prayers in the sacred temple.

During the prayer, Kaiden acted his part as the respectful king. He treated Eleanor with respect as the queen. To an outsider, no one could guess Eleanor might be the queen of Draconia, but Ariel was the queen of Kaiden’s heart.

The night drew on, and Eleanor could not get a glimpse of sleep, no matter how heavy her eyes were. She tossed and turned in bed and ended up staring at the ceiling, completely lost. She could not stop thinking about Ariel

She slowly rose and then got out of bed. Her feet naturally made their way to Astrid’s crib. The little princess was fast asleep like a little angel. She was just 9 months, but her strawberry blonde hair was thick just like her father’s. Astrid was like a female version of the king.

Eleanor’s heart felt heavy thinking about the future of Astrid and her unborn children. Why did Kaiden have to meet that vixen?

To get her mind off things the queen wandered out of her room after making sure her daughter was safe in the hands of the nannies and knights

Eleanor didn’t know why but she found herself at the main sanctuary. The door was left open for those who wanted to pray late at night.

Maybe she needed prayers. Eleanor walked into the hall. It was quiet and cold, moonlight peaking in through the large windows.

"He is healthy," she heard a voice. Her ears perked up, and she quickly realised she wasn’t the only one in the temple.

Kneeling before the altar was Ariel, dressed in black, contrasting with the white decor. She looked like an angel of death and beside her was a young priest. A naive child.

"He," Ariel blurted, surprised that the little boy knew she was pregnant. Ariel was oblivious of Eleanor who stood next to a pillar close to the doors.

"Yes, you carry a son. One with a challenging destiny, if his fate plays to his favour, he will come out victorious; if not, he will burn everything with him." The young priest, barely 10 years old, told the consort.

That was all Eleanor had to hear to leave the hall with a gaze seeking blood. Her eyes were dead cold.

Ariel’s face went pale not because of the prophecy but the fact that she carried a son. "Are you sure?" Ariel asked.

The young priest nodded. " His conception is a sin. His very existence is built on betrayal... " Ariel’s stomach churned. She didn’t understand why her unborn baby’s existence was a sin.

" You betrayed the one you love but there wasn’t anything you could do. It was destiny, a child born without love, who would grow in hatred and pain, always chasing what he could never get: love and acceptance. That is his fate." Ariel stumbled backwards

.

Remembering Kaiden’s past, she protectively held her stomach. It dawned on her that the same future awaits her son.

What she didn’t understand was how she betrayed the one she loved?

She shook her head. She knew the little priest had no reason to lie but those words were cruel. "I will accept him and love him. Your prophecy is a lie." She burst out. Tears stung her eyes..

The priest tilted his head, his dark eyes staring keenly at Ariel. He woke up with a nightmare but never expected to see the figure of his nightmare in the temple. It was still a baby barely formed.

"Not even you will be there for him. If you want to save your son from suffering, end his existence, that is the best you can do as a mother." Those ruthless words pierced through her heart.

Ariel lost her bearings and fell on the ground, crying helplessly. Her tears fell on the cold marble.

The young priest, having finished his message, left. His footsteps echoed in his departure.

Ariel cried herself to sleep, her sobs continued through the night. She didn’t understand a thing. She loved her baby and was sure Kaiden also did. Why was he destined to live a life without love?

Ariel wanted to protect her baby at all costs, but there wasn’t much a ’ village girl ’ with few connections could do. Kaiden already had a lot to bear, this became her burden to carry.

Months and seasons changed, and soon winter was long over and Ariel’s due date drew closer.

The days were peaceful and fleeting, filled with tender moments; she and Kaiden could not wait to meet their baby.

A few months after Astrid turned one, on a hot summer noon Ariel fell into labour.

Kaiden abandoned everything to wait patiently for her outside the door. He didn’t eat or drink anything during the wait. He could not bring himself to when Ariel’s cries only grew painful.

Ariel’s loud cries filled the hallway, and hours passed, the pain only grew intense by the hour. It was a difficult birth. The best alchemist in Vitalis, the Flamesworth madam (Cecilia’s grandmother), was invited to assist during the birth.

Close to midnight a loud baby’s cries finally tore through the night. Kaiden, unable to wait, rushed into the room to welcome his newborn son...