Kairen lifted her up, pulling her into his embrace again. She chuckled.

“Were you feeling lonely, my Prince?”

“Don’t just play with him.”

Cassandra laughed and kissed him, focusing on her Prince despite the jealous growls. With the rain in the background, the sounds of the water, and her dripping hair, she almost felt at home. She and her Prince kept kissing lovingly, swimming around in the water as if they were alone.

However, Cassandra suddenly paused their kiss, frowning.

“What is it?”

“I...”

She went silent again, with a confused expression. Did she just imagine it? She grabbed Kairen’s hand and pulled it next to hers against her tummy. He touched her right in time and a second later, it was his turn to have a shocked expression. Cassandra chuckled again, ecstatic.

“Did you feel that?” she whispered.

The Prince nodded, keeping his large hand spread out on her stomach. He had felt it. A little bump under her skin, so weak he had almost missed it. He stayed there again, waiting.

“I feel him again,” she whispered. “Oh, God... He’s moving.”

Kairen frowned. He couldn’t feel it anymore, or maybe it was too faint. Yet, Cassandra was completely absorbed in the baby’s faint movements. She hadn’t thought she would be able to feel them so early! However, it wasn’t a mistake. This wasn’t her stomach, but her son; she could feel some little movements. Sometimes, they were too faint for her to be sure, and other times, she was sure. They stayed like this for a while, but nothing else happened.

It was plenty enough, though. Cassandra couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear. Kairen grabbed her hair and gently pulled her closer to him for another kiss. Somehow, he didn’t seem to want to take his hand off of her belly, as if he was still hoping for another little hit.

“You have to come back to see our son,” Cassandra whispered, suddenly becoming much more serious.

“Why are you so afraid?”

“I don’t know. I have a bad feeling,” she confessed. “Maybe it’s just my pregnancy making me more worried. I just don’t like that you won’t be here.”

She sighed and snuggled against his neck, closing her eyes, feeling the warmth of his skin. Kairen frowned, caressing her gently. He hadn’t realized how much Cassandra needed him more because of her pregnancy. Somehow, she was a bit needier, looking for more of their cuddling than before. He wasn’t sure if it was due to their relationship growing or part of the pregnancy, or both.

He kept caressing her, letting her rest against his shoulder. He had thought of bringing her here to comfort her, but truly, comforting a pregnant woman was harder than expected. Would she really be alright staying here with his mother? The Prince was a bit afraid the young concubine would be lonely or feel too bored. He definitely couldn’t bring her to the battlefield, though. He wouldn’t even have let her anywhere near a military camp, not when she was pregnant.

“I will be back as soon as I can.”

“I know...and it’s your duty. I know it can’t be helped. I just don’t like that we will be separated again.”

“I’ll stay with you as long as you want after the war is over. I’ll take you back to the Onyx Castle.”

Cassandra chuckled. How did he know she missed that place the most? Somehow, she had grown attached to that lonely, isolated castle in the last few months, she was surprised herself to be missing it so much. She nodded against his skin.

After a while, however, the wind picked up even stronger and Krai flew away, annoyed. Without the dragon to heat it up, the water was going to get cold soon. Cassandra and Kairen got out of the water while they were still feeling warm. Somehow, right behind the doors, the servants had already brought some thick towels. Cassandra abandoned her dress there, knowing someone would come and pick it up, and wrapped herself in one of the very large towels. Once again, the War God, who never seemed to feel the cold, only wrapped it around his hips, letting his natural heat dry him.

He picked Cassandra up off the ground and carried her gently back to their room to change into her nightgown. She was now dry, but the young concubine still took her time brushing her messy hair and put it up into a long braid for the night. The servants had brought a little tray of food, including her favorite green grapes and cheese cubes, with some mulled wine. Surely, Lady Kareen had ordered this.

Cassandra felt a bit guilty for wanting to eat again, but she couldn’t help it. She sat on the bed, grabbing the little bowl of grapes, and pouring some of the cheese cubes on top. For some reason, she almost wanted to see the cheese melt on top of it. Kairen laid down next to her, he had already helped himself to some wine and was caressing her back, letting her eat all she wanted.

“It’s really impressive. I’m hungrier than I ever was, even when I had been unable to eat for days. Babies are truly something,” she whispered.

“Are you tired? Or is your back painful?”

Cassandra stretched her back a bit. It was true her lower back pain was constant those days, but it was a really mild pain, not something she would complain about. At least she was grateful to be over her nausea. She hadn’t had any for several days now.

“I’m fine... Just hungry like a dragon.”

Kairen chuckled and kept rubbing her back. When Cassandra leaned to take the mulled wine, however, he frowned.