Chapter 57

8 months, 6 days pregnant.

Livia stares blankly at her bed covers for a solid minute as last night's conversation with Amaya plays on repeat in her head. Then she covers her flushed face with her hands and lets out a groan of complete mortification.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” She mumbles in her palms, cringing. She over-shared. She should have kept her bitching to herself. But damn, even as her face was attempting to set itself on fire, she couldn’t help be feel a bit lighter. Sure, Livia made sure to report all her aches and pains to Beth, but it was different. She never went into great detail, especially when Beth seemed to know exactly what she meant without having to.

Amaya proceeds to burst into the room with a shit-eating grin as if summoned.

Livia sees her through her fingers and groans. Fucking course. Out of all the people to confess to. Amaya had a mischievous streak a mile long. There was no way the slightly older woman would let her live this down in peace.

“It is a lovely morning, isn’t it, my lady?” Amaya says in a cheerful sing-song voice and practically skips over to the drawn curtains to pull them apart to let in the morning sun.

Livia scrambles away from the gentle beams of light, retreating further into the shadows of her bed like a grumpy cat. She barely refrains from puffing up and hissing.

Noctis has no such qualms. After making a show of his dislike of the sun, he jumps off the bed and darts underneath it to resume sleeping in the cool darkness.

Livia envies him. Especially, when she sees Amaya bouncing towards the bed from the corner of her eyes.

“Miss Beth will be up with breakfast soon,” The maid says, and then she just stands there, grinning.

Livia drops her hands and glares, “What.”

Dark eyes dart down then back up as the grin spreads, “My lady, how are you feeling? Did you have a good night's rest?”

Livia hugs the pregnancy pillow Beth had made for her and scowls suspiciously, “It was fine. Everything is fine.”

Amaya perfectly trimmed eyebrows draw up in concern and she tilts her head innocently, “Are you sure, my lady? What about your erect nipples? Do they still ache? Do you need me to fetch ice to soothe them-gah!” The maid barely ducks away from the pillow thrown at her head.

“My lady! What poor manners you have just displayed!” Amaya says, gasping dramatically. She was such a little shit.

“Fuck you!” Livia spats and chunks another pillow.

Amaya shimmies to the side to avoid it, clutching her hands together as she squeezes out tears, “My lady, you must calm down! Think of your nipples! On second thought, don’t. It might cause the heart of the burn!” She shouts.

Livia makes a strangled noise and throws her pregnancy pillow with all her might.

The maid tries to avoid it but it is longer than the rest and stuffed full. It smacks her in the chest. Amaya lets out a high pitch squeal when it does, clutches at her heart, and falls to the floor in a heap. Beside her, the long pillow hits the floor with a soft, harmless thump.

“My lady!” Amaya cries from the side of the bed, “You wound me!”

Livia huffs, fighting down a smile as she rolls her eyes, “You are such a little shit.”

“Oh fuck. Did I break a nail?” Amaya says blandly in reply, still hidden from view. Livia sees her hand comes up in the air as she inspects it. The long, brown middle finger practically has a halo around it as it stands proudly. The silver-painted nail was in pristine condition and glitters at her.

Livia cackles.

Leave it to Amaya to take to the crude gesture like white on rice.

When Beth enters the room a few minutes later, she stops in the doorway, her mouth falling open at the scene before her. The two young women on the bed pay her no mind. Even when she practically trips into the room, shutting the door behind her frantically.

“W-what are you two doing?” She practically shrieks, completely appalled.

“Woah, it really is darker. And you said it doesn't go down? Shit, is it supposed to look like that?” Amaya asks, peering down Livia’s nightshirt in morbid interest.

Livia stretches out the fabric so she can see better, “It looks gross as fuck, doesn’t it? It leaks and then stops. But once it does, it dries up.”

Amaya wrinkles her pretty nose in disgust, mirroring Livia’s own expression, “I did not know pregnancy was like this.”

Livia releases her nightdress and does an imaginary rainbow in the air, “The more you know...” she says flatly.

Amaya just stares blankly at her for a second too long, before blinking and snaps her fingers, “Oh! I remember that. It’s called a ‘meme’, right?”

Livia looks at her proudly, “It is.”

“Yo-you two...what...?” Beth splutters, looking from Livia to Amaya. They turn to her in unison.

“Fucking finally, I’m starving,” Amaya says in greeting.

“Beth, I’m going to need more of those pads,” Livia says in greeting.

“W-what..? O-okay?” Beth felt like she has just stepped into a different universe.

“Before that, you should take a bath,” Amaya says, staring unabashedly at Livia’s breast, her nose still wrinkled up.

Livia shifts heavily on the bed, patting her stomach with a vacant look, “If I get in a bath right now, I will not get out until it is time to sleep again.”

“Wet towel?” Amaya offers.

Livia winces, but sighs and nods, “Yeah. It will do.” Then she starts making her slow, awkward trek to the edge of her bed, feeling like a whale on land.

Amaya nimbly gets out and walks on light feet around the bed to help her up. Livia pretends that she isn’t drowning in envy and grabs her hand with a low grunt. When all her weight is placed on her feet, she just grimaces again and turns to waddle to the restroom to get ready for the day.

Amaya and Beth just watch her go, knowing she would not take too kindly to them offering their help in this regard. When the door closes, the two fall into their own routine.

By the time Livia walks out again, now dressed in a dark blue dress that stretches over her stomach, her long purple hair brushed and pulled up into a simple but high ponytail, and her face looking refreshed, breakfast has been laid out and Noctis has made a reappearance.

Beth pulls out a chair for her and she takes a seat as Amaya finishes cleaning around the room. As Beth begins to load up a plate for her of all the proper nutrients, Livia makes grabby hands for Noctis, who easily strolls toward her and jumps on the table.

As he shoves his black, furry head into the palm of her hand, Livia takes note of how much he had grown. He was now the size of a fully grown adult cat.

She strokes a finger behind his elongated ears and peers into yellow eyes, “You are growing quite fast, aren’t you, little one?” She coos.

“Merw,” Noctis says before closing his eyes and purring.

Amaya takes a seat at the table and does not bother with a plate. She grabs an orange from the fruit basket and starts peeling it with her bare hands.

“Isn’t it illegal to have an unregistered familiar in this country?” She comments in a bored tone.

Livia picks up her feline and places him onto her large stomach. His added weight barely registered as she begins to properly cuddle and dote on him. Plus, it was absolutely adorable as Noctis instantly begins to need softly at her stomach, his purrs growing in strength.

“It is also illegal to not register when you have an aptitude for magic, but I don’t see you dashing to the nearest association,” Livia drawls, picking up her fork.

Amaya throws an orange peel at her. Noctis catches it in the air and lands in the muffin bowl. As he growls and rolls around with the peel in his mouth on the table, Beth just sighs.

“Ladies, if we could just focus on breakfast,” she says.

Livia and Amaya just smile in false sweetness at her before returning to snark at each other.

Beth sighs again.

8 months, 1 week, 2 days pregnant.

“Lift up your arms, make sure to use your hips, keep your stance steady,” Amaya says lazily, before darting forward in a single blink and knocking away Liliana’s wooden sword with ease.

Liliana watches as it clatters with a frown, panting, “It seems you win this round as well, Miss Amaya.”

It was the beginning of the afternoon and the day was cool and cloudy. It was perfect weather to train. The two young women stood on a long-abandoned training area, hidden away from sight.

Amaya huffs and shakes her head, “Only because you aren’t giving it your all. You are distracted.”

Liliana picks up her sword slowly, “I’m sorry. I will try to focus,” she says, and falls into position.

Amaya looks at her for a second, before she moves her sword in a downward swing with no warning. Her strike is blocked, and so is the next one. She spins and Liliana moves with her. Their swords meet again and again, but Liliana is soon on the defense as Amaya presses forward.

Liliana manages to execute a spin and counter, but two moves later she had a wooden sword at her throat while hers is raised.

Amaya hums and steps back, “Not bad,” she compliments.

Liliana musters up a small muted smile as she wipes the sweat from her chin, “Really?”

“Of course. Do I look like the type to give out praises lightly?” The maid asks, pivoting away, “You have improved a lot.”

Liliana’s smile turns genuine as she stares down at her boots, shuffling her feet. She was really happy to hear it. She has worked so hard. She was sure Livia would be-

“Geeze. Why do you look like you are about to cry?” Amaya says, suddenly beside her and hands her a towel.

Liliana blinks rapidly and rubs at her eyes. “I’m not. It’s just sweat,” she says and quickly buries her face into the fluffy towel and sniffles.

Amaya clicks her tongue, “You two. Just how long will this go on? I know you miss your sister, Lily. Why not just talk to her?” It felt like an age-old conversation at this point, but Amaya couldn’t drop it entirely.

Liliana's lips tremble and she shovers her face further into the towel, saying nothing.

“...Are you mad at her? Do you hate her now?” The maid asks softly.

A white head of wild hair instantly raises, “No! Of course not! I could never hate Livia!”

Amaya flicks her button nose, “Then why the distance? You two are miserable without the other.”

“It’s just...” Liliana trails off and goes silent again.

From experience, Amaya knows she has once again hit a wall. She sighs and just raises her sword. At least she could tell Beth she tried. Again.

The two resume their training.

Later, as they recover on the grassy dirt in the shade of a large tree and try valiantly to inhale water using their mouths, they talk about light airy topics and just enjoy the quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the Valentine estate.

In this moment of peace, Liliana musters the courage to ask the question she had been dying to for days now.

“U-um, so...” She twiddles her thumbs and looks straight ahead and not at the maid basking beside her.

Amaya rolls over and places her chin in her hand, “What is it?”

“H-how is my sister?” Liliana blurts out. Her voice cracks and she squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment. Still, she has gotten this far, so she pushes on. Or more like, now that the dame has been broken, she couldn’t have stopped herself even if she wanted to.

“Is she well? Is she healthy? How is the baby? How big has he gotten? Is Livia, okay? I noticed Grandmother Giselle and aunty Greta have not left. There isn’t any trouble, right? I mean, she is fine, right? What about-” Liliana splutters when water hits her face.

Amaya laughs at her expression and sits up, placing her now empty cup down.

“You don’t want to talk to your sister, but you sure are eager to talk about her,” The maid teases, amused.

Liliana flushes further, her face dripping. Still, she sits up straighter and smiles sweetly, “So...?” She prompts.

Amaya laughs again, “To think the little bunny could be this audacious. If only you could use your powers for a better purpose,” she muses.

Liliana pouts, “So you aren’t going to tell me?”

“No, no, I will. You have been out of the loop long enough,” Amaya says, grinning, “But, in exchange, you have to sit down and talk with your sister.”

Liliana practically deflates, whining, “But I can’t! Not yet! I need to do more research!”

Amaya's dark eyes turn keen, “Research?” She prompts.

Liliana's eyes widen and she covers her mouth, “Uh, I mean...”

The maid just sighs and waves her off, “It’s fine. You don’t have to tell me.”

After all, it wouldn’t take much to find out herself. Liliana had been spending a lot of time in the library as of late. Amaya makes a note to follow her one of these days to see what this ‘research’ was all about. Putting that aside, she returns to her previous bribing coaxing.

“Well, since you aren’t interested in knowing about your sister, I guess it's about time I return to Livia’s side,” She says and makes a show of standing up and stretching, “It’s best I hurry back. Wouldn’t want your sister to deal with that all alone.”

“Eh...’that’...what ‘that’?”

“Same time tomorrow, right?” Amaya says nonchalantly, gathering up their items.

“B-but...”

“Cool, see you then, little rabbit.”

“No, wait!”

Amaya looks down at the hand grasping her pants leg. She blinks innocently, “Yes? Is there anything else you needed, Miss Liliana?”

“Can’t you just tell me a little bit?” The youngest of the Valentine household pleads, her red eyes round and shinning.

She was absolutely adorable, and if Amaya was anyone else, she would have folded like a stack of cards. Too bad she wasn’t. Instead, she pretends to think about it, before sighing and shaking her head, “I wish I could, my dear Liliana, but, as your sister has said, it’s all a balance.”

Liliana blinks at her, clearly very confused. Her head tilts, “A balance?” She echoes.

Amaya nods her own head seriously, “It is very important that we keep the balance or,” She lowers her voice and leans in to whisper, “The old ones’ will be very upset.”

Liliana gasps in genuine astonishment, “The old ones?”

“Indeed,” Amaya says grimly, “Give and take. Take and give. Do you remember? About what your sister had said?”

Liliana bobs her head eagerly. Amaya could practically see soft bunny ears flopping over the place at the motion. She covers her mouth and turns away to muffle a snicker.

Once she got her humor under control, she turns back to say sternly, “So, you understand why I can’t just give the information freely. I am sorry, Miss Liliana. You will just have to wait until you finish your ‘research’,” Then a look of concern falls on her face, “Though, I do hope it is before the birth. You wouldn’t want your sister to endure the stress of your absence any longer than she already has.”

Liliana's eyes round, “Stress? Livia is stressed because of me?”

Amaya sighs, her face softening, “Of course she is, you silly girl. She misses you. Just like you miss her.”

“Oh,” Is all Liliana says, looking down, suddenly forlorn.

Amaya didn’t understand it. Liliana clearly wasn’t angry. She didn’t seem betrayed either. So, what had caused her to put such distance between herself and Livia? There must be more to it. There had to be. Liliana loved and adored her sister just as much as Livia did her, almost to the point of codependency.

What was she missing?

“I’ll do it,” Liliana says.

Amaya blinks, “You will?” Would it really be that easy?

“Yes, I will,” Liliana says, her unsure expression giving way to sheer determination.

“Well, that’s great!” Amaya says brightly, clapping her hands. She helps Liliana get to her feet and gently pulls her in the direction of the estate, “There is no time like the present! Come, let's get cleaned up. I will fill you in on anything and everything you want to know in the meanwhile.”

Liliana lets herself be tugged along, blinking rapidly. Then her pale eyebrows furrow.

Wait.

Did she just get tricked...?

“It’s fine, isn’t it?” Amaya says as if she heard her thoughts, not turning around.

Liliana puffs up her cheeks, “You manipulated me! The old ones only care about the balance when it comes to their magic!”

Amaya just snickers and swerves her head so her sharp brown eyes were visible, “It’s actually not that simple. Or so I have been told. So, are you no longer going to talk to your sister because of that?”

Liliana pouts, “No,” She says petulantly, “...I still will.”

Amaya smiles prettily at her, “Good girl.”

Liliana ducks her head, her cheeks red, and lets herself be pulled along.

8 months, 1 week, 3 days pregnant.

“Your father will be returning tomorrow,” Sen says stoically.

“Thank you for stating the obvious Sen,” Livia snarks. Her pale face was aglow with honey light.

Beth hums in mild agreement as her hands float over the moon-like stomach before her. The baby was up. She smiles as his energetic motions seem to follow the path of her hands as if he was chasing them.

“It seems the little one has finally settled in a head-down position,” Beth notes idly.

Livia shifts on the closed curtain bed, “Yeah, I noticed,” she says, patting the changed shape of her stomach.

“Did you feel any pain? Some mothers do,” Beth asks. Her voice was kind as always but distant. Professional. Oddly enough, this did not make Livia uncomfortable. If anything, it did the exact opposite.

“A bit,” Livia admits.

Beth's honey eyes glance up at her acutely, “Only a bit?” She asks.

“A little more than a bit," Livia sighs.

“But it does not hurt anymore?” Beth prods.

“No,” Livia answers honestly.

Beth nods and smiles, “That is good.” Then she cancels her spell and begins to prod and pet at the round belly before her, gentle but firm.

Livia puts up with her. She turns her head in the direction of Sen's still shadow outside the bed curtains.

“Are the trio still keeping themselves busy?” She asks.

“They are,” Sen says.

“What have they been up to?” Beth asks absently, taking her warm hands away and pulling down Livia's dark green dress in a sign that she was finished with the checkup.

“They have been sending a small army of letters. Lady Giselle and Greta have also left the house frequently only to return later in the evening,” Sen reports.

“I had thought your mother have been shunned from the aristocracy?” Beth says, turning to Livia as she begins to pull the curtains back from the bed.

“She still is,” Livia says, and glances over at Sen for confirmation. He inclines his head in agreement.

“But surprisingly, it seems Lady Giselle and even Lady Greta still have one foot in the door,” Livia says as she gets up from the bed.

“That certainly cannot mean anything good,” Beth says, looking worried.

“No, it cannot,” Livia agrees as she sits down on her eyesore of a love seat, “But even with the two countess exchanging words with the esteemed populace, there is only so much they can do. While their reputation has not been obliterated as my mother has, it is still in a laughably low place.”

“Even so, I wonder, what exactly do those women plan on doing?” Beth says as she down a tray of snacks, “The position they are in is...delicate to say the least. To try and shake it further would be a risk most would not be willing to take.”

Livia munches on still-warm chocolate chip cookies and smiles when the sight of them has Sen stepping away from his statue position and sitting down. She pushes the plate closer to him and he takes one without a word.

“If anything,” Livia says, taking another cookie, “The precarious place in which my actions have placed them in noble society makes them all that more willing to put everything on the line for one last desperate gamble,” she says coolly.

“If they have nothing to lose...,” Beth says, her face falling into distress.

Livia nods and smiles grimly, “Then they have everything to gain.”

Recently, she hadn’t really had the energy to think about it but even she could guess this much from a cursory glance. Her mother was as ambitious as they come and to her, Livia was a gate, no, a stairway to the path in which she could take to gain everything she had always wanted.

So, the real question to ask is this.

What did Lynette Victoria Valentine desire most in her life?

What was the Duchess of the Valentine household willing to sacrifice to reach it?

The questions were simple enough, but the answers...

Livia recalls how easily her mother had given her back to the House of Silvan. Even after everything Lynette had known, even after Livia’s meltdown, she had still been willing to take the bet, to make her daughter pay for the price of it.

All because of her own greed.

Amaya was right. The aristocracy was forever starved. No matter how much they had, they always wished for more.

And Livia’s own mother was as shitty as they come. Even after she had broken and crumpled in front of her, Lynette's only concern had been herself and how Livia's kidnapping had impacted her negatively. About what her shallow friends would say behind her back. About how people would look at her from now on now that her progeny soiled beyond repair.

To Lynette, Livia had been a lost doll that had returned to her in pieces.

Livia chuckles darkly, her eyes dimming.

“Lady Livia?” Beth calls out to her, but her voice. It seemed so far away.

A dismal, spidery awareness made up of forgotten ash flickers in the abys of her soul.

It was like meeting an old comrade. Achingly familiar and nostalgic.

Hello, little fiend, Livia greets in her mind, have you had a good sleep?

It wasn’t alive yet. It has only just suckled in its first breath after so long, but even so, it was warm to the touch. Even in the vast emptiness riddle with cold dead things. The only way it could survive in the cruel and uncaring passage of time was to sleep. To retain its original strength, even though it had been born so long ago.

“Lady Livia?” Beth reaches out.

Livia's hand curls around her own, the grip a little too tight.

“My mother will do whatever it takes,” she says, her voice hollow.

Beth's honey eyes glisten in the candlelight, but she tries to smile in reassurance, even when the face before her was vacant and unseeing. Her voice is faint, but she still says, “It’s okay, Lady Livia. Everything will be okay.”

Her words aren’t heard.

“It does not matter.”

Beth turns and watches as Sen gets up slowly.

He steps forward until Livia's dull eyes can do nothing but fall on him.

“Rather it is your mother, your father, or the king himself,” he says and lifts up the palm of his hand.

Beth is startled to see the slash of red wine on it, for she recognizes it instantly. From the length to its saturation in color, it was completely identical to the one she had noticed on Livia’s own hand.

“As long as they are your enemy, then they are mine,” Sen promises ominously.

As if drawn by an invisible magnet, Beth watches as the two mirror lines come together, as Sen's hand effortlessly envelops Livia’s own.

“You aren’t alone,” Sen intones and the words aren’t soft nor do they have an ounce of comfort in them, but somehow, Livia's almond purple eyes are brought back to life.

As thanks, she smirks ferally and digs her fingers into the soft skin on the back of Sens's hand. He doesn’t even blink at the rough treatment even as Beth frowns in disapproval.

“How sweet,” She jeers mockingly, “It’s almost as if you actually give a damn about something other than your next assignment. Is the little soldier for hire actually stepping beyond his set perimeters?”

“Lady Livia,” Beth admonishes, not understanding why she was suddenly treating Sen so poorly. Especially after he was trying to soothe her, even in his own stiff way.

But then Sens's eyes glow and his pupils lengthen as a feral smile of his own stretches his lips.

“Not everything is written in stone,” He rumbles lowly and leans forward until his forehead touches Livias, so there was no escaping the inhuman gleam in his eyes, “And even if it was, there is no rule stopping me from shattering it.”

Livia yanks her hand away from his.

Or at least, she tries too.

His grip was as unyielding as tungsten, inhumanly strong.

She smiles then, darkly pleased, and says, “Well, if that is the case, then I suppose we have nothing to worry about. No matter what comes our way, we will conquer it all.”

Beth watches as the two beings before her share a look of a silent and sinister conspiracy, and wonders for the first time if she made the right choice in following Lady Livia.