The wind howled outside, hail pummeling the unstable roof above them. Isis was sitting in Julius’ lap, his warmth trying to migrate to her body. The two clung to each other like an otter pup to its mother. The priest rummaged through the hut, trying to find any sort of cloth or blanket to cover up with. He pulled out three old and dusty blankets that had a few holes in them from the years of moths chewing through the fabric.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpwrzdoiAq
“Take off your clothes and put these around you, can’t have you two getting sick before your wedding day.” The priest told them, handing them their own blankets. They did as the priest had instructed them; peeling off their soaked clothes and wrapping themselves in the blankets. The priest took their garments and hung them carefully near the fire to dry. Isis and Julius snuggled back together, Julius wrapped his arms around her chest, hugging her tightly. Isis then leaned back into his embrace, stroking circles on to his freezing knuckles. She took his hand in hers and blew hot air onto them to hopefully warm them up. Julius didn’t seem to react to the hand warming that Isis had tried, so instead she took his hands and placed them under the blanket, closest to her stomach. Hoping that the heat would transfer to him. Julius kissed her head, nuzzling against her ear. His hand rubbed circles on her stomach, reminding her again about the growth. She shivered and wanted to vomit, but refrained from doing so, knowing it would only lead to an interrogation from the priest and an overly worried Julius.
Isis closed her eyes briefly, exhausted from the journey from the palace to here. She had never traveled so much in her entire life. Her heart felt heavy, like she was missing being in the palace; her home. Julius still held her close, not wanting to let go of her anytime soon. The priest sat a few feet away from them in his own blanket. He looked to be in deep thought, likely trying to pray. The priest yawned, and leaned back on his hands.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJ0JPeM3Ss
“I feel that it is best for us to sleep and hope for clear skies in the morning.” He said, rubbing his eyes. Julius nodded, leaning back until he was flat on the ground. Isis’ legs went up and kicked around.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuGjEaEdZj
“Hey! Don’t pull me on top of you!” She yelped, Julius snickered before sliding her off to the side of him. He rolled over so he was spooning her, his arms still wrapped around her stomach, rubbing delicate circles around her navel. Isis had her head propped up by his bicep. An appreciated but uncomfortable pillow. She thought to herself. She sighed and closed her eyes, attempting to try and sleep in this hellish weather. Julius was already fast asleep behind her, snoring ever so softly. How he was able to fall asleep so fast both impressed and baffled Isis as she tried to do the same.
Snuggling close to one another, Isis finally fell asleep, though it was an uncomfortable and light sleep, it was sleep nonetheless. Her eyes moved under her lids rapidly, her mind dreaming about something that not even she could comprehend. The priest examined them silently from his spot, taking note of their comfort around one another. He found it odd how the two didn’t care that the only thing in the way of their nudity was a thin and tattered blanket. Though he had virtually no way of proving it, he suspected that the two had fornicated with each other. But, he figured it wouldn’t be the end of the world as the two were going to get married anyway. The priest kept a watchful eye on the two, before finally succumbing to exhaustion.
Isis felt a stirring feeling in her abdomen, causing her eyes to flutter open. She groaned both in exhaustion and discomfort. Julius mumbled something in his sleep that Isis couldn’t fully hear. She carefully wormed her way out of Julius’ embrace and tiptoed to the window. She looked outside, devastated that the rain was still coming down hard. She needed to use the restroom again, the sharp pressure on her bladder was increasing with every second. But she couldn’t go out there in this weather, especially not with a singular thin blanket wrapped around her. She looked around for a bucket, thankfully finding one in a back room. She squatted and relieved herself before oh so carefully tiptoeing back to the door. She opened it up slightly and tossed the contents of the bucket outside, hoping that the rain would wash away all the evidence. She stuck her hands outside and let the rain water wash away all the impurities on her hands. She crawled back over to Julius and slid back into his arms, hoping not to wake him. When he didn’t move a muscle, she began to relax and let sleep take her once more.
As dawn approached quickly, the three of them stirred. Julius was the first to awake, the light of the sun streaming through the windows had aligned perfectly with his dozing eyes. He groaned, sighing a bit before his eyes adjusted to the light. He saw Isis still sleeping next to him, her eyes still closed and her breaths lazy and drawn out. He pulled her even closer to her, his nose nuzzling her neck through her hair. He brushed a few locks away before kissing her on her temple. Hoping that this would wake her up nicely. Isis grumbled and reluctantly woke up.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIB01fIkWMN
“Hi.” She murmured to Julius, her eyes still half closed.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu3OZ0jr2yx
“Hey beautiful.” He replied, running his fingers through her hair affectionately.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX16XNNt1Bf
“Did you get up last night?” He asked, noticing that she had changed positions since they had fallen asleep. Isis nodded in response.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0DXHITfLj
“You know what made me need to relieve myself last night.” She groaned, sitting up. They were all still wrapped in blankets to protect their bodies from other’s gazes. Even though she was only protecting herself from the priest. → Julius started to shower Isis with kisses, hoping that the priest hadn’t woken up yet. Julius glanced over to see the priest still sound asleep, not even facing them. Cautiously, he cupped Isis’ chin delicately, placing a passionate kiss on her lips. As he pulled away, her cheeks went a bright pink and she looked back at the priest too. Giving a sigh of relief noting he was still fast asleep. Julius nuzzled against her even more, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to his chest. Isis looked back at him with a slightly annoyed but still affectionate expression, which Julius promptly kissed into oblivion.
But Isis quickly pushed Julius away when the priest began to stir. She stood up and went to put her clothes back on, hoping that they must be dry and warm by now. And thankfully, they were. She slipped on her dress again, relishing in the warmness of the fabric and the faint scent of lumber sticking to it like perfume. Julius followed suit, pulling on his cotton tunic and adjusting his jabot. The priest quickly dressed as well while apologizing about sleeping in so late into the day. The two didn’t mind as it was still morning, barely past eight.
The priest dressed quickly before leading them up to an area with some fruit and water. Isis opted to quench her thirst first while Julius wanted to eat all the pears he could. Isis joined them both soon after drinking, partaking in an especially ripe looking apple. Julius and Isis talked and laughed with each other like they would back at the palace, their smiles and giggles made even the priest feel warm inside. After what they considered a nice breakfast, the priest began to walk them up through the mountain, past waterfalls and lakes that glimmered like diamonds in the sunlight. Isis wished she could see this everyday, but a painting would never amount to the opulence of the real thing. She hoped that her memory of this place would never fade and be kept fresh in her mind forevermore.
The walking began to tire Isis out, feeling sluggish and gross from the incoming heat of midday. Her body begged for a break but her mind ordered it to keep pushing. She didn’t want to be seen as weak by anyone, not even a priest who was sworn to secrecy about the tiny details of the royal family. She whipped away a bead of sweat that had been slowly falling from her forehead to her cheek. Julius still looked energetic and excited, Isis knew that he wanted to get the journey over with as soon as possible. Isis felt the same, but she wasn’t as enthusiastic about running there at full speed like Julius would if he had been allowed to. She had to practically hold his hand to keep him from running like he was some sort of misbehaving dog on a leash. But as they walked, Isis felt an odd wet and sticky sensation running down her legs slowly. Thinking that she had soiled herself without even realizing it made her go beat red with embarrassment. 69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBte04Smo4
“I need to relieve myself…” She piped up, incredibly embarrassed. The priest nodded and he and Julius went to sit down on some large chair-like rocks. Isis dashed off behind the treeline, hoping that no one could see her. She was grateful that there weren't any stains on her dress as she examined her waist. She grabbed a piece of linen she washed regularly and hiked up her skirt. But what she saw almost made her scream. She covered her mouth quickly and only released a quiet and quick yelp. Under her skirt, fresh blood was dripping in between her thighs. Her mind was spinning with a million different thoughts at once, fear, panic, uncertainty. These were only a few of the things she was feeling.
Julius, who had heard the yelp, went over to inspect what had happened, only to see Isis’ fingers covered in blood when he reached her. He rushed to her side, his eyes already filling with tears as he examined her.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNm5wsbuXQ
“What happened?! Are you okay?” He inquired, his voice shaking with terror. Isis didn’t know what to say, but all she knew was that bleeding was bad news during pregnancy. She just looked up at him with those round eyes of hers that were now bursting with a sense of fear and vulnerability. They both knew that if the priest would find out it would be a huge disaster for not only their public image but their entire families as well. Julius just pulled Isis into a tight hug, not wanting to let go.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pOsrEfIt6
“It's okay, it's going to be just fine, my love.” He spoke, trying to sound reassuring but it ended sounding forced and fearful. He took the cloth from her hand and helped her clean up, continuing to say that everything was okay. But it didn’t matter what he said to her, she knew that something must be wrong. And for the first time in months, she allowed herself to cry. She weeped uncontrollably for a solid fifteen minutes before her tears finally dried somewhat.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDb65RKx7P
“Don’t worry, we'll get a doctor when we see Gladis again.” Julius spoke, kissing her atop her head. “And no matter what happens I will be there for you.” He whispered, stroking her cheek lovingly. Isis knew that he was telling the truth, that he would always support her and be by her side through thick and thin.
They finally walked back out to the pathway to find the priest waiting for them patiently. 69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbfpnuJI4w
“Did something happen?” He asked, a little concerned.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pmQPDn23J
“No! I just got spooked by a rabbit.” Isis lied through her teeth. The priest then looked at Julius for confirmation.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZv87IEtbU
“Yeah, the little thing jumped right out of the bushes.” He chuckled, trying to cover up his state of panic. The priest nodded and they continued on their way. Julius walked slower now, asking Isis if she was okay or if she was in any sort of pain every twenty minutes. Isis kept saying that she was okay, but inside she was a wreck. Fearful and uncertain. Feelings that she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Not since that day at least. The feelings of fear scared her, which in turn made her fear even more, creating a horrible circle of becoming more and more afraid. It made her stomach churn. She wanted to cry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to vomit, but couldn’t. Her body just continued walking, her voice catching in her throat and her tears drying up as soon as they reached her eye. Her heart felt heavy as if it were sinking in her chest like a heavy ball on a stretched out blanket.
She just couldn’t do anything but walk and pretend all was well with her. Even if she really felt like curling into a ball and sobbing on the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. Julius held her hand just a little bit tighter, rubbing comforting circles on her knuckles. But it was more to soothe him rather than her. All Julius wanted to do was wrap Isis up and comfort her, tell her that everything was okay, but he couldn’t. The damned priest was there watching their every move, their every decision, he wouldn’t be surprised if the priest could read their thoughts either. It was quiet, too quiet. The only sound was the stomping of shoes on gravel and birds and bugs chirping and squealing. It made him sick. His head hurt. The constant pounding reminded him of a carpenter whacking a nail into wood with a hammer. He rubbed his temples, trying to get rid of the throbbing feeling. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be like a fairy tale. They get married and live happily ever after, just like the books said! But now, everything was uncertain and unstable. Like a tightrope walker in training. He brought Isis’ hands close to his face, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. It was pure torture not being able to help her anyway he could. It tore him up inside knowing that she was unwell. He just wanted to take all her fear and concern and throw it all far, far away. He just wanted her to be happy. Happy with him, happy with the baby. But even that might not be possible. He just hoped that if God really was real, that he would help them and make everything right again. Hope, hope and hope some more.69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKDvbASCZg
