Archive of Our Own

It was the first time Ruth ever saw Riftan sick.

It shouldn't seem like such a big deal, but by God, it was. Ruth had once seen him jump into a freezing cold lake and wrestle with an ice basilisk until it stopped flailing - by it, he meant the basilisk. Meanwhile, the knight looked like it was a normal week day for him, face still impassive and body language nonchalant. Sir Calypse proceeded to haul himself out the water and skin the beast without another word, all without drying himself off. Ruth got a cold just from watching him. He had seen Sir Calypse in the harshest, most brutal conditions, only to prove that he was indeed not an ordinary man. The prospect used to frighten Ruth, but over time he only felt exasperated. It was nature. The way wolves hunted or rabbits hid, Riftan Calypse simply did not get sick.

Until now. 

The knight had no qualms about etiquette and pride then. The only thing he seemed to care about was the bronze vase he was currently hurling his lunch into. He sounded wretched and he looked piteous, curled up with the pottery held to his face like that. Ruth made a face at the sensations of it all.

“Jesus Christ, can’t you vomit somewhere more discreet? A chamber pot perhaps?”

Riftan wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’m not putting my face in a fucking chamber pot.” He sounded impatient yet weak, unlike his usual gruff and immovable self. Maximilian had a tense look of predictable worry on her face, expression all frigid and scared, as if her lips and nose and ears would crack off at any moment.

“This is my fault. I-I got him sick.”

Riftan is quick to dismiss her worries, of course. “It’s not your fault - “

“It’s also your fault.” She scolds before the knight could do his usual thing and protect her from the mistakes of the world, including her own. “I-I told you to not go near me! Yet you…”

She trails off before a light blush sprinkles her face. Ruth sighs and redirects the conversation before he is exposed to yet another disgustingly intimate aspect of their marriage. He already knew too much. Too much .

“Alright, well that does it. My Lady, you’ve been sick for almost a week, and now you’ve passed the bug to Sir Calypse. Have you not been taking your medicine?”

“I have . I’m not a stubborn child.” Ruth begs to differ, but he holds his tongue. “None of them are working! I’ve been taking the right doses regularly but I-I still keep vomiting everyday, and now I also feel delirious from time to time.”

“Once again, did you eat or drink anything strange?”

“I already told you no, Ruth. A-And I’ve inspected the kitchens, too. Nobody else is sick but me.”

“Yeah, nobody else but you and your husband.”

There is a crease on her forehead, as if she wanted to divulge more information, or maybe she wanted to express a deeper concern. But Ruth knew her, and he knew her husband, and if Lady Calypse said anything more about her illness then the knight would probably go on another tireless tirade in regards to her health and wellbeing.

But, for the first time in forever, it seemed like Sir Calypse was incapable of doing so. Ruth watched as the behemoth of a man leaned against the pillows and draped a heavy arm over his eyes. His copper colored skin looked pale and taut. Ruth’s gaze then shifted over to his wife, who lied right beside him, looking equally worse for wear. They looked like a picture perfect depiction of a decrepit couple’s last moments before, y’know, their skin eventually fused to their bedsheets.

“I told you to keep your distance, Sir Calypse. The construction for the new almshouse still needs your oversight - “

“I can still keep on working. Don’t worry about it.” Riftan says groggily, not even removing the forearm that was covering half of his face.

“ No , you can’t risk spreading a plague just because of your stubbornness.”

“Stop being so dramatic. This is just a stomach bug.“

“Which you got because you refused to be apart from your wife for just a few days. A few days! The levels of separation anxiety you both have can suffocate a half dragon!” 

The man clicks his tongue, probably annoyed. “I’ve been around her for all the times she’s been sick before and not once did I catch her ailment. I thought I would be fine.”

“You’re getting old, that’s what.” Ruth sighs. Riftan mutters something underneath his breath that Ruth didn’t even bother to hear. Something about him being an over exaggerating brat, yadda yadda. Ruth almost wants to retort.

But then he thinks.

A few days ago Sir Calypse had managed to wrangle a nest of newly hatched wyverns with nothing but sheer will and a handful of knights. Even then, he had returned in not even a day without even breaking a sweat. None of the other knights in the brotherhood could still come close to his level of skill and strength, even when the younger knights had futile dreams of possibly surpassing him - or, at the very least, reaching even a morsel of his power - only to have such dreams trampled underfoot. He may have gotten older, yes, but… that doesn’t mean he’s grown weaker.

Ruth’s gaze then slides to his liege's wife, who was a pale and sniffling mess next to her husband. Riftan senses her shift uncomfortably in place, and it is then he removes his arm and looks at her blearily. He is back to cooing lovingly at her, pulling her close and stroking her hair and saying ridiculous promises that made Ruth want to both laugh and bury himself alive simultaneously  - stuff like “Do you feel uncomfortable? Do you want something to eat? Do you want me to buy you anything?” Ruth wishes he was exaggerating.

It was a little condescending to call a woman a man’s weakness, but he was speaking figuratively here. There he was, looking at a fortress of a man and the siege trebuchet that was in the shape of his wife. It was true that he was around her for all the past times that she was sick, and all those times Riftan had been crazy and obsessed and paranoid, but not sick . 

So why now?

A strange, dull ringing began to fill his consciousness. When he finally  spoke, Ruth sounded distant and unsure in his own ears.

“My Lady, may I conduct a short examination?”

Maxi, understandably, looked concerned.

“W-What examination?”

“Your stomach.” He says, and follows up quickly. “I need to check your stomach, I mean.”

It took a few more minutes of explaining and a handful or so of Riftan's ailment riddled death stares, but Ruth gets it done.

He places a hand over the lady's flat, clothed belly, palm tingling with both anticipation and magic, before he lets some mana seep into her torso. She flinches a little at the alien sensations, but Ruth tries to be careful. He didn’t realize that his heart was beating in his ears by then.

And then…

By the time he was done, Ruth had to take a few breaths to collect his resolve.

"Well. It seems like Sir Calypse is not sick at all."

Understandably, the couple were confused. Well, Maxi looked confused. Riftan just looked equal parts tired and impatient. 

“W-What?”

“Your husband is not sick.” 

Riftan snorts, returning to cover his eyes with the back of his hand as if he was a vampire that was sensitive to light. “The wizard jests. Maybe he’s finally lost his mind.”

“Do you both know the meaning of sympathy ?”

“Just because you’re forced to take care of us that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to make us feel sorry for you.” Maxi says, all frown and narrowed eyes.

“I - No!” If only Ruth hadn’t been nearly buzzing with anticipation, he would’ve keeled over from exasperation. He maintains his ground and pretends to be calm. “I mean, literally , do you know the meaning of the word ‘sympathy’?”

The couple give each other looks. Ruth doesn’t give them the opportunity to seem as slow as they were. He cut them some slack, they were ‘sick’ after all. 

“Sympathy. To share in another’s misery or sadness. It is forged through bonds and connections between people. Sympathy is a basic human emotion, it’s normal for us to feel sorry or pity someone who is in a detrimental situation.” Ruth explains as patiently as he could. He wanted to cut to the chase, but it would make more sense to explain everything as thoroughly as he could in order to reduce any exaggerated reactions. 

“Both of you share a deep bond. Thus, it is normal to feel sympathy for each other when either of you goes through a difficult time. My Lady exhibited difficult symptoms at first, vomiting and sickness, which made Sir Calypse feel sympathy. Then, his sympathy caused him to ‘share’ in My Lady’s misery, which caused him to exhibit the same symptoms.”

“Ruth, what the fuck are you going on about?” Riftan groans, rubbing his forehead as if he had a splitting headache. If Ruth’s theory was right, then he probably was experiencing such a thing. “That’s not how sickness works.”

“Well it does in this case.”

“ H-How ?” Maxi sputters. “I’ve been sick before and Riftan has never once reacted this way…”

Ruth sighs. “Well, you’ve never exhibited blatant symptoms of pregnancy before, so that’s that.”

And… yeah.

He got the reaction he expected.

The couple had effectively frozen, much like paintings. Eventually Sir Calypse removes the hand that was covering his face, slowly sitting up and staring at Ruth with bloodshot, illness laden eyes.

“ What ?”

“It’s more of a phenomenon, and not much scientific research has been conducted on it, granted not a lot of husbands would admit to sharing pregnancy symptoms with their wife,” Ruth says nonchalantly, “but it’s called ‘Sympathetic Pregnancy’. It’s when the husband sees his wife exhibiting pregnancy symptoms, like vomiting and morning sickness, and eventually he starts to share the symptoms with her as a subconscious way of showing solidarity. Some say it’s because of the aura or spiritual connection the couple share, others say the husbands just feel sorry for their wives in general and their body has a knee jerk reaction. Anyways, it's what's happening right now. It’s also why Sir Calypse is sharing your symptoms now and not during the other times you were sick. It’s because this time you aren’t sick at all, but you are pregnant."

Silence.

“Are you saying… I’m - “

“Yes.” He says, voice quiet. If he was honest, he was a little awed. “You’re pregnant, My Lady.”

Riftan is the first one to break the silence. “How do you know?” His voice sounded choked, as if there was a fist around his throat.

“I sensed the baby’s mana. It’s usually one of the first few things to start developing during pregnancy.” 

“Are you sure? You’re not playing a sick joke?!” 

Ruth was quick in attempting to extinguish Sir Calypse’s growing neuroticism. “Yes, yes! God, why would I even joke about this? I’m not that indecent…” 

They hear a small squeak, and Ruth’s focus returns to Lady Calypse. “T-That’s…” She stared at nothing in particular, disbelief drenching every inch of her face, before her pale hand placed itself over her - still - flat belly. “We’re…”

“Maxi…” Riftan sounded equally breathless, placing a hand on her back and hyperfocusing on every single aspect on her face. His breath was heavy and suddenly his face didn’t look as dog-tired as it used to. Even Maximilian had that familiar pink flush on her skin. Despite the lack of words, the thrill was clear as day on their faces. 

Ruth figured that the disbelief must have dissipated. He was glad, he was growing a little uncomfortable at the strange nonverbal sounds that were exiting from them. Eventually, Maxi turned to Riftan with a bright smile on her face.

“W-We’re - !”

Before she could finish her sentence, Maxi’s face blanched. Sooner or later she has hurled herself off the bed and shoved her face into a nearby pot. 

Ruth’s face twisted at the sound of her vomiting. He turned to look back at Sir Calypse. The man seemed flabbergasted, dazed, but equally pale. Ruth sighs.

“You need to vomit too?”

Of course, the knight simply gives him a deadly glare, but it was difficult to be scared when Riftan looked like he was one cold breeze away from making a mess on the bed sheets. Ruth didn’t need another word and called for a maid to bring in some medicinal tea and an extra pot.

Riftan’s symptoms disappeared a few days after the revelation. It seemed like once his body finally realized what was actually happening, it began to naturally realign itself into its previous immovable state. The same cannot be said for his wife.

As predicted, Sir Calypse immediately gave Ruth the task of acquiring as many healers and midwives as he could. Ruth already predicted that the knight was bound to act as protective and paranoid as he had been, and possibly more, but such a prediction did little to quell the whiplash he got from watching Riftan panic over every minute detail. Ruth watches the nearly unhinged look on the liege’s face.

“A hundred ?”

“Yes.”

“I think a handful would be more than enough, Sir Calypse.“

“We can’t be too sure.”

“So you want me to get a hundred midwives ?”  

“Don’t mind him, Ruth.” Maximilian says from her place on the bed. She was eating what looked like a pastry dipped in a weird sauce. “Riftan’s not thinking straight because he’s been a little nervous.”

“ Maxi , I want to make sure that you will encounter no complications. I don’t want you to suffer again.”

Lady Calypse makes a face, like she had been stricken. “P-Please don’t say that I might encounter complications, it’s making me tense…”

The expression Riftan made was akin to a man who had been brutally stabbed. At the prospect of making his wife feel even a shred of a vaguely negative emotion, he is quick to cajole her, cupping her face and placing an apologetic kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry. Forgive me.”

Ruth’s face twists at their continued public affections. The couple didn’t seem to care though, as if he were a fly on the wall. Come on. Maxi had that sweet, innocent smile on her face as she stroked Riftan’s jaw. She almost looked like she was consoling an angry, misunderstood beast.

“So we’ll only get a handful of midwives?”

“I’ll get you whatever you want.”

“Good.” Her smile widens. “Can you please get me some tea?”

The man left the room so quickly Ruth was unable to choke down a laugh. Maximilian sighs. 

“It’s so unfair that only you are able to manipulate him like that.”

“Jealous, Ruth? You’re free to try and seduce him if you like.”

Ruth makes a face of disgust at the thought. “Ew, no. And you could’ve asked the maids to bring you tea instead. I don’t think having him rampage throughout the kitchens is a good idea,”

The woman waves a nonchalant hand. “He needs to get some air. Riftan has been a little…”

“Deranged? On the verge of lunacy?” 

“I was going to say anxious .” She glares at him. 

“I’ll say. I caught him holding an honest to God book the other day.”

“Hm?”

“A medical one. I think he was trying to learn more about pregnancy.”

Her gaze softened, like she was filled with sunshine. “Really? That’s… He’s so sweet.”

“Yeah. Well you better enjoy it while it’s still ‘sweet’. Sir Calypse will make sure that you don’t lift a single finger during your pregnancy.”

“Don’t exaggerate, Ruth.”

“I’m not. He literally told me, to my face. Without hesitation.”

Maxi sighs, eyes gently turning distant. Ruth suddenly realizes how overwhelming all of this must be.

“Do you want me to get him off your back?”

“I don’t think that’s possible even if you tried.” She laughs. Ruth realizes that what she said was the absolute truth. “And it’s alright, I don’t mind.”

“You don’t mind the constant, nagging, overbearing presence in the shape of a man breathing down your neck?”

She giggles. “Yes, I-I don’t mind it.” And then her face slowly lost that smile, the corners of her lips dropping and her gaze finding anywhere but Ruth’s own. And then spoke in a manner that indicated that she was trying to make everything seem less daunting than it actually was. “My mother… Throughout her pregnancies, m-my father had her stay in this far off annex of the castle. It was gloomy and isolated and… Well, it was no wonder why she had countless miscarriages. My father wanted an heir so badly, but he never took account of his wives’ conditions. I think… I think my mother had a hard time giving birth because of how miserable she was.”

Ruth admittedly had to reel back from the raw, personal information that she just shared. He puts on a gentle demeanor. 

“Pregnancy has a lot of different factors to it, My Lady.”

“I know, I know.” She says, waving her hands. “I know it does. I-It’s just… Because of my mother, I’ve been terrified of pregnancy for so long. But then I realized… I am not my mother, aren’t I? And Riftan is the exact opposite of my father. He makes things less scary. He’s always here for me, and he’s always asking me how I feel or what I think, and he doesn’t care how tedious I have been. I accidentally vomited on him the other day and he didn’t even flinch.”

“How romantic.”

Maxi hums and nods, as if she didn’t care whether Ruth was sarcastic or not. “Yeah, well… It’s just nice.”

“Vomiting on your husband is nice?”

“You’re becoming more of a punk with every passing day, Ruth. Is your age finally catching up to you?”

“You know you’re too young to use the word ‘punk’, My Lady.” Ruth finally concedes and waves apologetically when Maximilian throws him a glare, probably tired of his derision. “Forgive me, forgive me. Continue what you were saying.” 

“What I meant was,” she inhales, stares out the window, and exhales slowly, “that it’s nice. To not be alone.” 

She sounded tired, but in the way a person would sound when they’re finally nestled in their bed after a long day of work. The sincere gratefulness and resignation in her voice moved Ruth a little. Something genuine can only come so often.

“Technically, you’re the opposite of alone. Aside from your paranoid dolt of a husband, you have the rest of the staff and the entire knighthood at your disposal. Everyone is here for you. Everyone. ”

“Including you?”

“Including me, My Lady.”

She smiles, as if she was a person who had first felt the sun on their skin for the first time  after years of being imprisoned in a cave. “Thank you, Ruth.”

Riftan then shortly returned afterwards with a cart filled with countless teas. “I didn’t know what you’d like.” He said, uncharacteristically nervous. 

Maxi simply giggles, thanks him endlessly, kisses him on the cheek, and does not even give the cart of a thousand beverages a glance. Ruth sighs, but doesn’t roll his eyes this time. 

The castle staff loves their liege and mistress.

And it has been almost ten years since the couple had been married. Six of those years consisted of them being separated for closely unrelated reasons. All in all, things have been moving slow in the Calypse family tree, and everyone was waiting to see what would happen.

So when the couple confirmed the news, everyone collectively freaked out.

“Healthy.” The head chef murmurs, flipping through a cookbook with the manic energy of a newborn puppy. “Her Ladyship needs to eat healthy. I can’t serve her this crap!”

“What’s wrong with the food we already serve?” A maid stammers. The chef groans in exasperation.

“She can’t keep eating all this greasy meat! And it’s… almost everything we cook.”

“Why not?” The castle butcher interrupts. “I say we fill Her Ladyship up with the best grub there is. It’ll help her give birth to a robust, healthy child. Babies need their meat!”

Ruth sighs and grabs an apple before he leaves the kitchen. It has been going on like this for a while now. People worried over the simplest, most trivial things; the baby room, the proper herbs and teas Lady Calypse was allowed to drink, and eliminating any sharp corners and edges that the baby could possibly snag itself on - he had to laugh at that last one, there was a literal armory just a few doors down from the master bedroom. 

He knew it was only because the news was new, and sooner or later people would begin to calm down. Still, he’d be lying if he said it didn’t breathe life into the dull gray walls of the fortress. People spoke animatedly and debated about the baby’s gender. Maids rushed to help assist Lady Calypse with any and every need or want she may have. Even the knights were undeniably intrigued.

“An heir!” Hebaron bellows, slamming his tankard onto the table. “Fucking finally.”

“It could be a girl.” Elliot points out.

“So? Women can own things, Elliot.”

Elliot snorts. “I don’t think the baby’s gender matters. The commander is over the moon.”

“I’ll say. He gave the juniors a whole day off yesterday.” Gabel sighs wistfully. “Kind of makes me wish Her Ladyship got pregnant sooner.”

“Do you think the commander will give us a break too if she gave birth to twins?” The gleeful smile on Hebaron’s face is unmatched. He had been vouching for the couple for the longest time out of all of them and was the first to instigate an intervention when a petty fight got too out of hand or when a cold shoulder became too frosty. He must’ve been happy to see that there were results to his hijinks.

“The commander is more stressed than happy. I could see it.”

“Woe is the young Lord Ricardo’s keen sense of observation.” Hebaron cries exaggeratedly, earning a glare from the blond knight. 

“I’m serious. Remember the last time Her Ladyship got pregnant?” Uslin quips, and everyone frowns at the dark memory. A life for a thousand others. It was a sacrifice Ruth will never forget.

“Sir Ricardo is right. He is stressed.” Ruth comments, leaning back against his chair. “So please don’t get on his nerves anytime soon. You all know how he acts in regards to Her Ladyship’s health.” 

“Oh come on, it’s different now. They’re home, safe and sound.”

Hebaron nods, scarlet curls falling over his forehead. “Gabel’s right. And if Her Ladyship insists on running to the middle of the battlefield during her pregnancy, I’ll be chasing after her myself.”

“All of us will.” Uslin continues, oddly compliant. 

 Gabel chuckles, raising his own mug in the air. “To the Calypse couple.”

A chorus of cheers ring through the small table, tankards rising in the air and ale sloshing around rims messily. Ruth watches the light of the fireplace bounce off the knights’ smiles and bites down on his apple.

The only one who seemed to still have their sanity intact was Rudis.

When the pregnancy was announced, the woman didn’t even bat an eye. She simply smiled and immediately went to fetch Lady Calypse a glass of water without being ordered to. “Her Ladyship will need it.” were the maid’s ominous words, whatever that meant. What’s funny is Lady Calypse really did need that water in the end. Ruth lamented on the inexplicable connection women have with each other, and if it was possible to gain access to such a thing. It was like a magic spell he couldn’t learn.

“No more ale for the duration of your pregnancy, My Lady.” The midwife, a short and stout woman, explains. She had a gentle gaze and a soft smile but her hands looked like they were capable of strangling a half-dragon to death.

“T-That’s fine, I don’t drink ale.”

“No more wine too.’

“ What ? B-But… Wine is just grapes, right?”

Rudis, who had been standing behind Lady Calypse’s armchair, whispered helpfully. “Wine still has alcohol in it, My Lady.”

“Oh,” Maximilian says, voice dejected and quiet, “forgive me, I feel like I’m not thinking straight lately.”

“It’s alright, My Lady.”

“I-I keep forgetting about things more and more and… and…” Ruth, who had been sitting back languidly on another armchair, sat up in alarm when Lady Calypse began to gently sob.

“Uh…”

Maximilian presses her fingers to her eyes in a pathetic attempt to block the tear flow. “Forgive me, I’ve been overreacting…”

The midwife is quick to take Lady Calypse’s pale hand in her own. God, the midwife’s hands were as large as cinder blocks. What the hell do midwives do? Ruth knew the answer but was afraid to confront it. “Oh heavens, My Lady…”

“What is happening?” Ruth wheezes out weakly, quite unsure of what to do.

“This is normal. Pregnancy leaves women to be more emotionally vulnerable and they are prone to intense bursts of sentiment. It’s all part of the cycle.” Rudis explains, gently rubbing her mistress’ shoulder. Maximilian looks up at the maid with glistening eyes.

“R-Really?”

“Yes, My Lady. When my sister was with child, she cried over a burnt loaf of bread.”

“My mother chased my father with an ax when he forgot to buy her a new blanket.” The midwife adds. 

Lady Calypse sniffles. “So I-I’m not overreacting?”

“You aren’t, My Lady.”

“And this is normal?”

“Your feelings are valid, My Lady.”

“And I can still drink wine sometimes?”

“No, My Lady.”

Maximilian immediately begins crying again after that.

Ruth can only watch with endless confusion as the three women comforted one another. Rudis and the midwife didn’t look exasperated or churlish at all, only patiently soothing their mistress’ fluctuating emotional state, as if everything in the world was where it should be. He was flabbergasted and jealous at the same time. Women seemed complicated, and yet they weren’t.

The door swings open and in marches Riftan. Ruth had never seen him walk with such purpose before. “I heard her crying.”

“What the hell ? Weren’t you at the training grounds - “

He paid no mind to Ruth and sunk in front of his wife, cooing at her and kissing her tear streaked cheeks. Now Ruth rolls his eyes.

Technically Uslin and Ruth were right. When Lady Calypse’s pregnancy was announced, Sir Calypse was stressed. You could see it in the furrow of his brows or the tense lock in his jaw or the way he dashed to her side whenever she made even the tiniest indication of discomfort. It was nothing new, Ruth had honestly seen worse out of him, and considering the previous trauma the couple had endured it was almost predictable that he would act like a jittery rabbit.

But two months have passed, no wars have been declared, and everyone is still in Anatol. Once the tiny gremlin inside of Sir Calypse began to accept the fact that everything was going to be alright, Ruth could see the happiness stain his face.

“Can you pass me the roasted fowl?” Maxi chirps.

Riftan looked like he was going to explode. “Of course.”

Rudis had explained to Ruth that women often had certain cravings during their pregnancy and that their eating patterns would change greatly. Ruth didn’t think much of it and thought it only meant that Lady Calypse would consume a little more food due to the energy the baby was surely sucking out of her. He was very wrong.

Maximilian wolfs down the roasted meat with the tenacity of a dragon. Before that, she finished a row of glazed ribs, two slices of meat pie, a whole fish, and a bowl of what seemed like chickpeas and an unknown leafy vegetable. She conceded to not drinking wine, resorting to fruit juice that has not been fermented, which she had already downed several glasses of. It was a stark contrast to how she usually ate, which was… normal, if not, perhaps a little conservatively. Now she seemed like she was eating for two. Or a hundred. 

Ruth regretted joining the couple for dinner that night. Not because of Lady Calypse’s outstanding appetite, but because of the dazed, lovesick expression on Sir Calypse’s face. He had been stuck in a fog for the whole evening, never once taking his eyes off his wife with that look of unending devotion on his features. He looked like he was witnessing the most glorious event known to the natural world.

Maxi finishes the fowl, leaving a pile of bones on the serving plate she didn’t even take the food off of. She looks up at her husband with sparkling eyes.

“Can I have some more chicken too?”

Sir Calypse lets out a shaky breath, face red. “ Holy shit . Holy shit.” It looked like he was actually close to bursting into tears.

“Is this some weird, sexy, bedroom thing between them?” Gabel whispers unhelpfully into Ruth’s ear. His mouth smelled like beer, and Ruth, for the life of him, couldn’t determine how food came into play in the bedroom. Knowing the couple, it probably did. God , what was he thinking now?

“How the hell should I know?!”

Gabel shrugs, ale sloshing over the rim of his mug. “I don’t know, haven’t you been acting like her midwife lately?”

“I have only been tasked to monitor her health and wellbeing.” Ruth tuts. “I don’t have the qualifications or the courage to become a midwife.”

“Understandable. How is Her Ladyship doing?”

Ruth watches as Sir Calypse took a turkey leg off his plate and slid it to Maxi’s. The succeeding grateful smile she gave him made the man visibly swoon, and Ruth sighs. Aside from the moments where she randomly burst into fits of melancholy or elation, she seemed to be doing well.  

“She is doing well.”

Hebaron, red in the face and already a little tipsy, stretches over to whisper at Ruth. “Hey, shouldn’t her stomach be the size of a large bowl by now? She’s barely showing.”

“It’s only been two months, Sir Nirta!”

“I heard that women aren’t allowed to move at all when they’re pregnant.” Gabel continues conspiratorially, matching Hebaron’s drunken energy. “Yet I see Her Ladyship still making her rounds in the castle and in the infirmary too. Like… what’s up with that?”

“She’s pregnant , not paralyzed.”

“She’s magical , that’s what. She’s not human.” Hebaron hiccups. Gabel nods in agreement. “She transcends all of us.”

“Alright, you all need to lay off the alcohol - “

“She will give birth to the strongest baby known to man.” 

Gabel slurs. “I’m gonna challenge that baby to a duel.”

“Oh my God.” Ruth groans into the palm of his hand.

“Hey, commander!” Hebaron bellows over the table, making Ruth wish for the ground to swallow him whole. “Can we challenge your baby to a duel?”

Surprisingly enough, it was Lady Calypse who answered. “Dream on, Sir Nirta. My baby will be undefeatable.”

“All hail the undefeatable baby!” Gabel drunkenly booms, throwing his hands up in the air and spilling ale everywhere. Ruth had to duck just to not get splashed.

He turns to see if Sir Calypse would be angry at the drunken tomfoolery that was occurring, or if he would scoff at the prospect of his men wielding a sword against a literal child even if it was a stupid joke, but no, he was too busy wiping some sauce off the corner of his wife’s lips with his thumb. Perhaps he just didn’t care. Ruth decided to do the same and just sipped his ale in turn, not minding the loud drunken chants about the Calypse baby in the background.

Lady Maximilian frowns into the mirror. “I’ve gotten fat.”

Ruth, who had taken up the majority of the chaise lounge chair in the corner, only raises an eyebrow.

“Did you not know that your belly is going to have to make space for the baby?”

“Of course I do!” Maxi scowls. “Not just in my belly, I-I mean…” She grabs her bicep and traces her hips with a hand. Her arms were thicker, her cheeks were puffier, and her stomach had rounded out. She did seem fuller and plumper, which was normal - according to the midwife, atleast. Ruth was still a man who only knew the bare minimum about pregnancy, so bear with him - so he honestly didn’t wonder why she looked worried.

“And so?”

The woman doesn’t answer, only staring into the mirror with that same scowl on her face. “I don’t know, I’ve been skinny my whole life. It’s… It’s quite a change.”

“Eh, maybe you’ll be skinny again when you finally give birth.”

Her face blanches for a second, before a sigh. “I don’t think it’s as easy as that. This place has cursed me.”

“Why so?”

“Whenever I’m in Anatol, I always gain weight.” Maxi murmurs, taking a nearby comb and carding it through her curls. It snagged, but the woman didn’t even flinch. “When I was in the Croix castle, o-or even in Nornui, It’s different there, and It’s different here.” 

He thinks for a second and laments on keeping his mouth shut, but his mind reels. Ruth knew she had been mistreated by her father, and if he was going to make any generous assumptions, he must have been mistreating her for a long time. No victim of abuse would develop healthy eating habits by then. And if Maximilian had a similar experience as he did in Nornui - which was stifling and miserable to Ruth - then she must’ve found the World Tower dismal as well.

“Perhaps you’re finally happy.” Ruth murmurs, causing Maximilian to look at him questionably.

“Really now?”

“Hey, it’s simple science. I’ve known Her Ladyship well enough, and you don’t eat when you’re miserable, so you don’t gain weight. It goes vice versa.” 

She then looked at herself in the mirror, gaze conflicted. “Huh…”

“I mean… Are you happy?”

“I am.” She answers without hesitation. Ruth was surprised a little, he expected her to start doubting herself, or perhaps an existential panic on the true meaning of happiness. Perhaps after experiencing countless battles and hardships, Lady Calypse had finally grown an appreciation for life as it is. Perhaps things weren’t so complicated after all.

“But what if I start to become too heavy? Pretty sure Riftan doesn’t want a bloated toad for a wife.” She pouts, causing Ruth to roll his eyes. 

“Sir Calypse has been begging for you to gain weight since day one. I think he wants you to become a bloated toad.”

A giggle leaves her lips, quiet and content. “He does, doesn’t he?” Her hand absentmindedly traces her belly, which was now undeniably showing signs of life.

Ruth watches her, suddenly reminded of the young woman she used to be. The woman who didn’t even know the difference between a denar and a soldem, who worried and bit her nails and always felt like the walls were closing in. Perhaps if she were the same woman, Maximilian would have cried on and on about how if Riftan won’t love her anymore or what if she messed up as a mother or what if - on and on and on. She never said it out loud, but Ruth could always see the anxiety in her eyes back then, staining her cool gray irises like ink. He looks at her now, years later, and sees the ink almost gone. 

He wonders how it was possible to remove such a stain in just a few short years. Perhaps it wasn’t gone at all, and she had just gotten better at hiding her fears and insecurities, but Ruth knew there was no use in lamenting on such things further. She knew there was no use in looking at a past with an abusive father. She had to look ahead, her future, which consisted of a loving husband and a baby. 

“Plus, with all the food you’ve been eating…” Ruth’s eyes glazed over to the plates on the nearby table. She had just finished her afternoon snack. Maximilian never snacked before. “The weight gain is not a surprise.”

“I-It’s the baby’s fault.” Maxi pouts, looking at her stomach with a false sense of resentment. “At least I know for sure that this is Riftan’s child.”

She earns a laugh from Ruth. Sir Calypse could out eat the entire knighthood. “Don’t worry. With the amount of energy it takes to rear a baby, you’ll be grateful for the extra weight.”

Maximilian smiles, not even phased. “A baby needs a strong mother, right?”

They do. Ruth nods, knowing she will be one. 

The door swings open. Sir Calypse enters, throwing off his coat and running a hand through his hair. His eyes brightened at the sight of his wife.

“I need to have the seamstress over,” Maxi says, letting him approach her and kiss her on the forehead.

“Why so?”

“My clothes don’t fit anymore. I’ve gained some weight.”

“I know.” Riftan continues, bending over to kiss her neck. “You look absolutely ravishing.”

“I am now making my presence known. It is I, Ruth Serbel, in the same room as you.” Ruth loudly announces in a panic, already making a beeline for the door when he sees Riftan reach for the strings of Maxi’s dress. The warning does little to dissuade the knight. “Please refrain from doing anything too obscene before I am yet to exit the premises.” 

Maxi only waves goodbye as Ruth darts out of the room, fearing for his life.

Surprisingly enough, it was Sir Calypse who had trouble handling the pressures of being a soon-to-be father.

Ruth catches him one night, staring out the large window of his office. With his back against the moonlight, he almost looked like a cold statue. Ruth snorts and places the reports on the man’s desk.

“One wrong move and the wind will knock you over.”

Riftan only looks over his shoulder emotionlessly, face still impassive. 

“Did the merchants concede to our negotiations?”

“They did. They only asked for accommodations since, you know, we have no definitive date when the baby will be born.” Ruth raises an eyebrow. It was a long story. The townspeople were planning to hold celebrations for the birth of their liege’s baby. There was going to be a week-long party, gifts, and endless booze. It got a little too boisterous, Ruth saw that they were planning to erect a statue of the couple, and Riftan had to intervene before things got too out of hand. 

“Does Maxi know?”

Ruth shakes his head. Riftan sighs.

“Good.”

“I don’t get why you’re hiding the celebration plans from her.” 

“She is already enduring enough. I know she’ll feel pressured at the thought of countless people waiting for her to give birth.”

Ruth figured it made sense. Lady Calypse was heavily pregnant, with the late stages of her cycle taking a toll on her, impairing both her energy and movement. She spent more time in bed due to the fatigue, and Ruth knew that emotional turmoil wouldn’t fare well with the Lady’s health. 

Riftan was on an even higher alert now compared to the earlier stages of the pregnancy. Perhaps it was seeing his wife struggle to walk with the sheer weight of the baby constantly pressing down on her, or maybe it was seeing the exhausted pallor on her face. Either way, the whole castle shared his sentiment, and everyone watched nervously whenever Lady Calypse did something as little as taking a walk through the gardens.

Ruth shrugs. “It’s not like she’ll find out anytime soon. She can barely leave her quarters nowadays.”

He couldn’t see Riftan’s face, but he could hear the man’s quiet response. “Yeah.”

The discontentment was evident in the man’s form. Ruth had been with Ritan long enough that he couldn’t label his gruffness as merely that , gruffness. He holds his breath and walks up to the window, finding his place next to Riftan.

The other man doesn’t move, nor does he rebuke the company. Ruth follows his line of sight and sees that Riftan has been staring at the silver skyline, where the nearby mountains meet the heavens. 

“Any day now.”

“Any day now.” Riftan echoes.

“Are you alright?”

Riftan scoffs, but doesn’t answer.

“I’ll take that as a no.”

“Stop being annoying, Ruth.”

“I’m attempting to be a good confidante, relax.” Ruth scowls. “Geez, I hope your baby isn’t as emotionally closed off.”

Sir Calypse doesn’t answer with a retort of his own, only continuously staring out the vast expanse of his land. Such a large territory consisted of a maelstrom of endless responsibilities, adding onto the responsibility of rearing a new life. Ruth knew that anyone would be stressed out, including this immovable mountain of a man.

“You think you’re going to be a good father?”

Riftan finally breaks his gaze and proceeds to look at him with a glare. “What the hell kind of question is that?”

“I’m just trying to fill the silence.”

“Then just leave, you don’t have to be here.”

“Don’t you think too many years have passed for you to keep acting like having a vulnerable conversation is torture?” He raises a brow, crossing his arms over his loose robe. “ Especially with someone you’ve known for decades?”

“Damn it Ruth, I - “ Sir Calypse growls, looking away upon Ruth’s scolding.

Surprisingly enough the man doesn’t throw any more threats, which was highly unlike him. Maybe he really was stressed.

Ruth leans against the windowsill, watching the way the blue light of the moon made Riftan’s hair almost seem dark purple. He doesn’t say anything further, only giving the man a sly, yet coaxing smile. 

It was never the man’s nature to divulge in his emotions. All men were, it seemed. They saw such a thing as something petty and weak, something left to the privileged who had the opportunity to process their emotions. Sir Calypse was the epitome of a man who was never given such an opportunity, and he carried that on even when he finally had the chance to sit down and breathe. He often acted without explaining his thought process and everyone was left to trust in him without question, which seemed to be working well for quite some time now. Still, Ruth figured how difficult it must be to have those thoughts encompassed within the back of one’s head. Like an overflowing honeycomb, or perhaps a dam that surpassed its potential.

Ruth’s silent goading seemed to have affected Riftan in a way. That, or he just wanted to get Ruth off his back. The man sighs and pinches the area between his brows

“I will try to be a good father.”

“I will be nervous if you won’t.” Ruth quips. “But do you think you will be?”

“Fucking shit - I don’t know Ruth!”

“You don’t know?”

The man sighs, heavy and slow. “I never know anything! I never knew if I was going to be a good knight, or if I was going to kill that dragon, or if I was going to be a good husband … I just. I just tried. That’s all I can do. To try.”

Ruth makes a sound, noncommittal and light. “I guess that’s all any of us can do in this world.” 

“Right? So back off.”

Ruth holds up his hands in a mock sign of defeat, a fruitless attempt at comforting the beast.

The two settle into a deep silence once again. Ruth was still wondering why Sir Calypse hadn't grabbed him by the collar and threw him out his office yet when the man spoke up again, which slightly baffled Ruth.

“It’s just…”

He listens intently, not saying a word. Riftan refused to meet his gaze, only staring up at the glistening night sky.

“It’s just I don’t know how this time.”

“This time?”

“I always had a vague idea of how to do things. Leading the knighthood, restoring Anatol… Things like that can be learned and taught. I don’t think raising a baby is the same.”

“Of course it can be. Being a good father is not an inherited talent.” 

“I goddamn hope it's not.” Riftan’s lips twist cynically. “My father was a shitty warrior, and an even shittier father.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not your father, right?” 

“How should I know?” Riftan mutters cynically, bitter and tense. “I could be just as much of a useless screw up as him. Perhaps my child would be lucky to not have me as its father.”

“I don’t know, you’re actually still alive ? And you actually… care.”

Ruth leans his head back against the hardwood of the sill, languid and relaxed despite the hardened look on Sir Calypse’s face. 

“Lady Calypse told me you bought her an extra bottle of her favorite perfumed oil the other day.”

Riftan raises a brow. “Does she tell you everything that happens in our marriage?”

“ Why did you buy her that oil for no apparent reason?” Ruth says, deliberately avoiding the question. Maximilian had been more emotional late into her pregnancy and often needed company. Riftan didn’t need to know that Ruth was aware of the couple’s late night trysts…. And everything else.

Riftan stops for a moment, brows furrowing ever so slightly, before he seemingly relaxes.

“I saw that she was going to run out soon.”

“She didn’t even need to tell you.” Ruth murmurs, tilting his head. “You just noticed, and then you acted. Because you care . I don’t think that’s something that can be learned or taught. You just have it, and your child will have it. Because you’re going to be a good father.”

The man didn’t outwardly react, but he didn’t need to. Ruth could see the turmoil in his eyes slowly unwind, like a loosened rope. He knew that Riftan wasn’t the type of man to be easily comforted or swayed by words, but it wasn’t like Ruth had any other options. Still, Ruth basked in the fruitless idea that maybe there was a small change that he could have moved the other man.

Riftan lets out a cynical laugh. “You’re so desperate to comfort me that you’re even resorting to pep talks.”

Ruth rolls his eyes. “You can deny it, but there’s no doubt that I am an inspirational speaker.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Your validation holds little weight to me.” Ruth waves a nonchalant hand, moving to leave the room. “Anyways, the reports are on your desk. Try to return to your wife as soon as possible, I heard she’s been having trouble sleeping.”

“I know.” Riftan says, watching Ruth as he leaves. “And thank you, Ruth.”

Ruth grunts, noncommittal, and closes the door behind him.

Lady Calypse began to go into labor on a clear, summer afternoon.

Everyone had been sort of expecting for something dramatic to happen, that maybe the sky would split open, or a battalion of mutilated monsters would siege the city. But no, it was a normal day; the sun was shining and the birds were chirping and - 

Apparently Gabel and Uslin had been escorting her as she went to get some sun in the gardens. All of a sudden she broke her water and buckled down. She almost denied going into labor out of sheer awkwardness. The men had to carry her back to her chambers.

Every maidservant, midwife, and healer assigned to assist with the labor quickly convened. By the end of the afternoon the room had been filled with a massive congregation of medical professionals, including Ruth and Sir Calypse. Not for long, however.

The knights, who were crowded in the nearby hallway, all perked up when the door to the master bedroom slammed open. They all flinched at the sound of screaming, possibly from the woman giving birth, followed by the sight of Ruth and two maids dragging Sir Calypse outside the room. The door was quickly closed, muffling the anguished yells. 

“What the hell happened?” Hebaron asks, rushing to Riftan’s side. The man was so pale he looked almost dead.

“Lady Calypse kicked him out. She said not to let him near her until he has calmed down.” Ruth frowns, shaking his head.

Uslin blinks. “What ? Why?”

“This man kept fussing over her, making her even more tense!” Ruth scolds, he looked like he was one step away from smacking Riftan on the head. The man simply cradled his forehead as if he was experiencing a massive headache.

“Her screaming… It sounded like she was going through torture - “

“Commander - “

“She sounds like she’s in so much pain. ”

“That’s normal . Giving birth isn’t supposed to be easy.”

Riftan shakes his head, voice weak. “I can’t. I don’t want her to get pregnant again - “

“That’s not your sole decision to make.” Ruth snaps, hands on his hips. “Can’t you keep yourself together for even a few hours?! Having you yell and scream alongside her is not helping!”

Riftan snaps out of his weakened stupor and grabs Ruth by his collar, grip so tight his fist was shaking. “Listen here you little - “

 Surprisingly enough, Ruth does not buckle down to the violent jostling. He only gives Riftan a glare of his own. “Have you any idea how terrifying this must be for your wife? She’s already going through a lot of pain right now, you can’t pile onto that by acting like a crazed lunatic. She needs you to be a solid rock for her and to guide her through this! Get your shit together and be by her side without suffocating her with your nonsensical badgering! Understood ?!”

All of the knights watched with dropped jaws as the usually composed wizard began to yell at the strongest knight in the continent, unflinching even when he was being held a few inches from the ground. 

Riftan held Ruth’s gaze for what felt like forever, eyes bloodshot and nearly unhinged, before another loud scream echoed through the hallway. Everyone flinched at the horrific sounds of labor.

“ Damn it …” 

Riftan groans, letting go of Ruth and sprinting back into the room before anyone can stop him.

Maxi felt like she was one foot in the grave.

The pain was like a wave, rhythmic and constant, and she was all but helpless beneath its current. It hits her again, unforgiving and relentless against her stomach and her back and everything , it hurts fucking everywhere , she couldn’t…

“My Lady, you have to start pushing now.” Maxi couldn’t even focus on the midwife’s face due to the thundering, pulsating torture that was echoing through her. She grit her teeth so hard she could almost break the enamel.

“I-I can’t…” 

Someone wipes away the sweat on her reddened skin and she feels another person grab her ankles, exposing her to the rest of the world. Everything hurt too much that she couldn’t even bear to get embarrassed. It was as if every wall in the continent was closing in on her until she was all but crushed. 

“ Push , My Lady! The baby needs to come out now - “

Another scream ripples through her when she feels parts of her that weren’t supposed to tear suddenly tear . She felt like a melon being split open. She knew it was only her baby trying to free itself from the shackles of her womb, but Maxi didn’t know how to help him - or her, or whatever , she just needed to get that baby out -

A wave of fatigue hit her like and she momentarily loses vision. And then she finally feels afraid. She had been doing a good job all throughout her pregnancy, calm and collected and well rounded as the months passed by. Maxi tried to push away all fears and anxieties about motherhood and labor up to the very end, and now, it hit her like a careening wagon at full speed. 

She was so scared that she almost wanted to call for Riftan. She wanted to hold someone’s hand and for someone to tell her that everything was going to be alright, but he didn’t seem to handle the horrors of labor, and Maxi didn’t want neither of them to endure any more traumas than they already have. Perhaps this was a battle she was meant to fight alone. Her mother did, Rosetta’s mother did, maybe…

“M-My Lord, you can’t - “

Maxi blinks and sees a large figure zip through the room, perching itself on her side of the bed. Even when she couldn’t see him, Riftan’s masculine scent pierced her senses, and a miniscule part of her began to calm down.

Still, she forces a glare. 

“I-I told you t-to stay a-away - “

“I can’t.” Riftan murmurs, taking her sweaty hand and clasping it in both his own. “I need to be here.”

“Y-You…” Her own voice sounded wretched and broken in her own ears. “Y-You c-can’t be h-here - “

Riftan sighs, wiping away the strands of hair that stuck to her damp forehead. “I’m sorry I was freaking out. I never liked seeing you in pain.”

“Y-Yeah, well - “ There it was, another unsurmountable wave of pain hit her like a tsunami. Riftan’s grip tightened ever so slightly around her own, but he did not make a sound. Once she found the strength to allow air back into her lungs, Maxi shuts her eyes and lets the tears stream down her face. 

“I-I’m going to b-be in… i-in a lot of pain, s-so if you c-can’t handle i-i-t - “

“Oh, I definitely can’t handle it.” Riftan murmurs, kissing the top of her head. Perhaps he was trying to hide his own pained face. “But I can’t let you go through this alone.”

Behind the darkness of her eyelids, her mother’s pale face suddenly resurfaced. Maxi wasn’t sure if the woman she was seeing was really her mother, or perhaps it was the idealized version of her that Maxi had been visualizing her whole life, but she saw a woman who had been alone for the longest time. And she passed the torch to her daughter, a daughter who believed she was destined to suffer the same fate.

The maids urge her to push and she does so with the little energy she had left. She felt her nails bury into Riftan’s palm ruthlessly, drawing  blood and tearing flesh, but the man does not budge. Compared to his panicked freak outs earlier into the labor, this time, he does nothing but hold her.

“You can handle this.” He whispers. “Everything is going to be alright. I’m here.”

Despite the pain, Maxi began to believe him.