In his room, the actual prince was lying on the floor, experiencing the miracle of pregnancy firsthand. The carpet was soft beneath him, the fireplace crackling, the room as comfortable as it ever was. None of it helped.
“Fucking bitch! Get out of me you goddamn salamander!” He cursed, clutching his stomach.
Sweat covered his entire body and his back arched off the floor. Vara was kicking. She was a violent little monster. No matter how much he pleaded, the unborn demon would not stop.
“Vara I swear to the gods if you don’t stop I will—argh!”
The pain was intensifying.
Fire spewed out of his mouth and burned a hole in the carpet. He stared at it. That was new.
The child was spewing fire inside his womb; his mana crystal was draining fast and his tattoo was a bright pink.
Desperately grabbing another mana core from his nightstand, he pressed it to his wrist. The blue mana was absorbed immediately and he gasped, breathing heavily.
His womb continued to glow, but the pain lessened.
“You do know that if I die you die? Right?”
A kick was the answer.
“What a little shit you are. I should’ve named you Satan.”
Sweat still dripped down his face as the heat became unbearable and he had to take off his shirt. This was pure torture. Why would anyone want to be pregnant?
A knock on his door made him look up. He couldn’t move.
“Come in!” He yelled, his voice hoarse.
The door opened and his sister walked in. Her eyes widened at the sight of him and she rushed to his side, putting his head on her lap. Stroking his sweaty hair, she looked at his belly. A bump was clearly visible.
“How are you holding up, brother?”
He could barely breathe but he managed to laugh.
“I am going to kill Sela for this. I should have chosen another species to breed with. This is the worst experience possible,” he groaned.
Bella chuckled and kissed his forehead. Her hand found his and squeezed.
“But then you wouldn’t have Vara. She is our precious daughter. Maybe when she is born you’ll change your mind.”
Taking a sharp breath, he looked at his stomach, the burning sensation was back.
“Fuck Vara. I’m putting her to work the moment she is out of my womb. She will pay me back every drop of suffering she caused me,” he grumbled.
His sister hummed, watching his stomach move as Vara kicked again. The sight made her smile.
“Well she certainly takes after you, brother. A troublemaker from the start.”
Orias glared at her and she laughed. Fuck this. He wanted to sleep, but the fire inside his stomach wouldn’t let him—it was like sitting under the sun in a desert, being cooked alive covered in oil.
“Did the three fuckers leave?” He asked, trying to distract himself.
Isabella stopped laughing and nodded.
“Pyx is slightly suspicious but Goro and Akiria were easy to convince. We should have enough mana cores to last you until birth,” she explained.
That was good news. He was already two weeks in. Two more to go. Out of pure spite, he wanted to survive just to see Vara’s face before he put her to work.
Closing his eyes, he focused on Bella’s fingers in his hair. The gentle massage on his scalp was making him relax. Hearing the door open again he groaned.
Teresa walked in, her hands behind her back as she looked at her son and shook her head.
“Two weeks is nothing compared to three months with you two inside me. So don’t complain.”
Orias opened one eye and glared at his mom.
“Did we burn you from the inside?”
She sat on the bed, her legs crossed. “No but you two kicked a whole lot.”
Hah. Serves her right.
“Did you need something mom? As you can see I am a bit occupied right now. Literally.” He gritted his teeth, the little salamander was moving around inside his stomach. It felt so weird.
His mother pulled her hands out and revealed a small vial filled with green liquid.
Isabella blinked. “What is that?”
“A special potion made by Akiria’s magic. It should help ease the pain and heat for a few hours.” Teresa explained.
“Did you tell her the truth? That I’m pregnant?” Orias asked.
She shook her head, her black hair swaying with the movement. “Of course not. Akiria is kind and made these for free, offering it to any pregnant woman who needed it. I simply asked for one.”
The prince sighed in relief. He didn’t want anyone to find out yet, if ever—this was another weakness that could be exploited.
Bella grabbed the potion from her mother and opened it. An aroma of fresh grass and herbs filled the room. She sniffed it, making sure it wasn’t dangerous before handing it to Orias.
“Drink it brother. I don’t want to hear you insulting our daughter anymore.”
Sticking his tongue out at her, he drank the potion in one go. The liquid was cold and tasted like dirt. But the effect was immediate. His body relaxed, the fire inside his womb cooling down. He took a deep breath and smiled.
“Sucks to be you Vara. You can’t hurt me anymore.”
He stuck out his tongue. Bella rolled her eyes and kissed his forehead.
His mother smiled and leaned forward, putting a hand on his stomach, rubbing it gently—in a weird way, she already felt a connection with the baby. The first grandchild of Con Divina.
A soft voice came from the woman, directed to Vara.
“Welcome little princess. Your parents are... unique, but I am sure you will be loved dearly.”
That made Bella tear up and hug Orias tightly, burying her face in his chest. He hugged her back and patted her head. A silence fell between the two. Feeling the lack of movement in his womb, an odd sense of peace washed over him.
It was short lived as the kick of his daughter made him wince.
“Okay I think it’s time for you to go, mom. Do not call her princess. That’s just inviting trouble,” he said, still holding his sister.
Teresa chuckled and stood up, her gaze soft.
“Yes, yes. I will leave you two lovebirds alone. But remember to come eat later, I made soup for you, Ori.”
He nodded and she left the room. The door closed with a click. Isabella pulled back and looked at her brother, her eyes wet with tears. Every day she grew more beautiful and he fell in love all over again.
Leaning in, she kissed him on the lips passionately. His hand went to her neck and pulled her closer, their tongues exploring each other’s mouths. The kiss was slow and sensual.
When they separated, a string of saliva connected them. Orias saw her eyes darting to the bed.
“Shall we?” She asked, a smirk on her face.
A kick from his daughter interrupted him. He frowned.
“Looks like Satan disagrees.”
Bella pouted and moved to rest her head on his shoulder.
The two of them stayed like that for a while, enjoying the silence and the warmth of each other. Time passed and the potion started to fade. The pain returned in full force.
“Cut her out of me. I don’t care anymore, I want this demon out.”
He crawled to the nightstand and grabbed the knife from the drawer. Quickly grabbing the knife before he did something stupid, Bella put it behind her back and turned to her brother.
“Brother you are strong, you can do it. Only two more weeks.” She encouraged him.
He shook his head. His hand went to his abdomen, his fingers touching his skin and all he could feel was the heat and the movements of the monster inside.
“Let’s go eat. Maybe that will distract you from the pain.” She said, helping him stand up.
The two siblings walked down to the dining hall. The smell of stew filled the air. His mother was already there, waiting for them with the Chief of the army, who was smirking at him and he glared back.
“What the fuck are you smiling at? Your offspring is trying to kill me,” he snapped.
Sela laughed. “That just means she will be strong and healthy when she comes out. You should be proud.”
Proud? Yeah right.
Isabella sat him down and served him a bowl of stew. The liquid was hot and the vegetables were mushy but he was hungry, so he started eating.
“Stop fucking kicking me. I am eating here. Do you want me to starve to death?” He muttered, his hand on his stomach.
Bella glared at him. “Don’t talk to our daughter like that.”
Teresa and Sela watched the two bicker. Their expressions were a mix of amusement and disbelief. The Chief found it fascinating how the prince could handle the pain and still have the energy to fight with his sister.
Eating the stew in silence, Orias glared at the salamander who sat across from him.
“I am never fucking you again. You and your kind can go to hell.”
She raised a brow and took a bite of her potato.
“Sure, until you need another child. Then you’ll come begging for my essence again,” she teased.
A vein popped on his forehead and he stood up, but was held down by his sister. He needed to punch something. His daughter was causing him to be violent and he didn’t like it. He was a calm and composed person. Jokes and perversion only.
His mother cleared her throat, changing the topic.
“Ori, are we really going to attack the lake?” Her spoon paused in the bowl.
The prince nodded and took a sip of water before mumbling, “I hope Sela dies in the battle.”
Sela snorted. “I won’t die that easily prince. I was the best warrior in my village. I killed a troll once with my bare hands.”
“Is that so.”
His gaze was fixed on his stomach.
“You hear that you demon? You are going to kill a troll for me when you come out or else I will give you away to Pyx as payment.”
That earned him a slap on the back of his head from Bella.
“Brother! Don’t say that!” She huffed.
Rubbing the sore spot, he stuck his tongue out at her before his thoughts drifted to his plan against the lake camp. Vara genuinely was his trump card. He hadn’t planned on a trump card that kicked.