Page 28 of The Stolen Kingdom

“Exactly. That’s why you need to take it easy and not get injured.”

She didn’t want to admit it, but Eyphah’s words calmed her enough for the knot in her throat to dissipate.

“Tomorrow? Same place, same time?”

Eyphah smiled and nodded. “Same place, same time.” She waved the trident. “I’ll take this back to the altar. Try to take it easy,” saying that, Eyphah walked away, crossing the plaza and heading to her cabin.

If Valda were here, she would probably tease Maris for her inability to properly hold the trident.

If Valda was here, she would be the one training you instead of Eyphah.

Maris closed her eyes tightly and cursed under her breath.

She pushed the image of Valda while she trained back in the castle out of her mind. She tried so hard not to imagine her with that cocky smile, holding the Heaven Sword, sweat running down her neck and into her cleavage.

A tug at her chest pulled her from her daydream. Maris pressed between her breasts and hissed. She pushed the pull away. Valda was calling out to her. The other woman felt Maris’s need for her. Each time she let her guard down, Valda was right there, trying to lure her back.

Keeping her mind occupied would help. She left the plaza, heading toward the cabin designated as a small school. The little house had always caught Maris’s attention. More than once, she had skipped her lessons with Melvian to sit quietly at the back of the room, listening as a young, very pregnant Sealian taught her class.

Coral was adored by her students, and Maris’s heart warmed whenever she listened to the woman share stories of life in the Sea Kingdom.

Coral’s lessons were far more detailed than the brief conversations Maris had with Isen back at the castle, and they deepened her longing for the Sea Kingdom. She wanted to return—to give her generation of Sealians and the young children a chance to build a life in their homeland.

The children’s questions revealed their longing to return—to bathe in the kingdom’s many beaches, to truly celebrate their heritage. To sleep under a star-filled sky with sand beneath their feet. To taste food grown and prepared in the land, their parents had once called home.

Maris felt a deep homesickness for a place she had never seen, an ache that made her crave the chance to go back.

The sudden clang of a bell jarred her from her daydream. The children groaned in protest as Coral chuckled, gently ushering them out of the cabin with a playful wave before tucking the bell back into her desk drawer.

As the last student disappeared through the door, Melvian entered, carrying her healer’s bag.

Coral had volunteered to assist with Melvian’s lessons. At nearly thirty-five weeks pregnant, Coral had become part of Maris’s training, letting her practice how to check inon an unborn child. It wouldn’t be long now before the young teacher welcomed another beautiful Sealian baby into the world.

Maris couldn’t wait.

“How are you doing, Coral?”

“Miss Melvian! Your Highness.” Coral smiled brightly, rubbing her large stomach before nodding in greeting. “It is always a pleasant surprise to see you both here.”

“We are here for your weekly check. This time, if you don’t mind, Maris will be the one doing the checking,” Melvian said, elbowing Maris before signaling her to step forward.

Maris swallowed her nervousness down. She had been looking forward to this for a while now. She rubbed her hands on her tunic as she stood face to face with Coral. The young woman looked radiant.

“My mate has been insufferable,” Coral said with a teasing smile. “He’s convinced we’re having a boy.”

“And you think it’s a girl?” Maris asked, glancing at Melvian, who was wiping her hands with a damp cloth.

“I don’t think—I know it’s a girl,” Coral replied confidently as she eased herself onto the desk, just as she had during previous visits. Her grin stretched wide. “I’m going to name her after you, Your Highness,” she added, her voice brimming with delight. “If that’s alright with you, of course.”

“I would be honored!” Maris exclaimed, her chest tightening with emotion at the thought of a little Sealian carrying her name. “Now, I need you to take a deep breath and relax for me.”

Coral nodded, her eyes fluttering shut as she inhaled deeply.

Melvian stepped beside Maris, gently taking her hands and guiding them over Coral’s round belly. “Feel this,” Melvian said, pressing Maris’s hand firmly against one side. Coral winced slightly, and Maris quickly apologized, her cheeks flushing.

“That’s the head,” Melvian explained, offering an encouraging smile. “The baby is slowly positioning herself for delivery.”

“Right.” Maris nodded, focusing as she slipped her hands, mimicking Melvian.

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