The price of sentimentality

An awkward silence enveloped the room, suffocating the air with its palpable tension. The stillness hung heavy, as if the very atmosphere held its breath, waiting for something to shatter the fragile equilibrium. The absence of sound became deafening, amplifying the unspoken words and unresolved emotions that lingered in the stagnant air.

Neria stood frozen for a moment, her eyes widened, obviously caught off guard.

Her trembling bright blue eyes settled on me, her gaze torn between her loyalty to the woman before her and her newfound responsibility towards me. Thousands of thoughts seem to have gone through her mind.

Finally, she parted her lips, her eyes now on the dirty floor, her head held low.

"Y-Your Highness-"

However, before she could express her thoughts, my mother cut her off.

"But how could this be, I had no knowledge of my pregnancy."

"My stomach didn't grow in past year..." The princess mused out loud. Her golden eyes a bit distant.

Neria shifted uncomfortably. Her expression now tense, unlike before.

'She seems to fear the princess, seeing how she is trembling with only a gaze.' I thought, noting the troubled expression on the elven maid's face.

Neria summoned her courage. With a trembling voice and her head held low, she began to speak, her words carefully chosen.

"Your Highness, there are rare circumstances where women can be pregnant without realizing it, It is uncommon, but there have been cases where certain physical changes and symptoms are not present." Neria murmured, her voice barely audible in the heavy silence of the room.

The princess's eyebrows lifted gracefully.

"I'm aware of that Neria, but I didn't sense the presence of its soul until the very last minute."

Her head tilted, causing her cascading hair to sway with a mesmerizing grace. Her sharp golden eyes rested on me for the very first time since we've entered this room.

"It is as if this child just popped out at the last minute."

'Oh, this must be a side effect on abruptly merging my soul again.' I thought.

A small frown appeared on mother's face as he ran her hand through her silver hair as if she was frustrated from something. Then her eyes turned back to me in a glare.

'What's with her all of a sudden?' I thought, a small frown taking form in my wrinkled baby face.

"Damn, things will get very complicated if father and mother know about the existence of that thing. By the way why is it ugly? It must have taken after it's father."

'...'

Calling your own child ugly. She looks elegant and poised but is actually quite funny.

Then her eyes turned back to me, a sarcastic glint in her gaze.

"F*ck. My wedding is in a week, yet this thing just popped out of nowhere."

Energy of pure mana burst in the room, bringing the already bowing Neria to her knees and making me choke on my breath.

The mana was so dense I could almost see it. I felt my mother's gaze on me, and Immense pressure immediately followed. I felt blood flowing out through my nose, I could feel my baby bones creaking, threatening to break at any moment.

A thought crosses my mind as I met mother's eyes, peering from beneath Neria's protective embrace.

'She's trying to kill me' I thought.

Suddenly, mana surged again, but this time it emanated not from my mother, but from Neria. Her mana felt weaker compared to my mother's, but it was enough to provide me with a momentary respite, allowing me to catch my breath.

That was short-lived though, mother's mana grew stronger than before, the ground Neria was kneeling on cracked and dented. Tears and sweat poured down Neria's face and blood kept escaping my body.

'I'll die at this rate; it hasn't even been an hour since I was born.' I lamented internally.

Neria's hand trembled even more, threatening to drop me at any moment. Yet, my eyes were drawn back to my mother, a deep frown etched across her face, adding a touch of gravity to her otherwise ethereal beauty.

"Why...?" My mother's soft voice echoed in the empty room.

Neria bowed her head further, her forehead almost touching the floor.

"Why do you defy me in this matter? Have you forgotten your duty and the oath you took to serve me?" My mother stated, her voice imbued with an unmistakable aura of authority and anger.

The room remained dense with the battle of opposing pressures, the clash of wills palpable in the air. Neria, still on her knees, struggled to steady her trembling form.

With great effort, Neria lifted her head slightly, her eyes glistening with a mixture of fear and determination. She spoke, her voice quivering.

"Your Highness, please understand that my loyalty and devotion to you run deep in my veins. I have sworn to serve your blood faithfully, and I have done so all these years. But... this child, it shares your blood as well, your legacy."

"You dare to question my authority? To challenge my will?" The princess's voice resonated with a calm yet commanding tone, laced with a subtle undercurrent of disbelief.

Neria's voice wavered, yet she remained steadfast in her resolve.

"Your Highness, I do not mean to challenge you. I only seek to fulfill my duty to both you and this child, to honor the bond that ties us all together."

The pressure in the room intensified, the clashing energies pulsating with a raw intensity. Neria's body shook under the strain, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She struggled to hold onto me in her arms, her grip tightening.

"Your Highness, I c-cannot abandon this child. It carries a part of you, a-and in doing so, it-it has become a part of m-me as well. My oath to serve you does not negate my responsibility to protect and care for those who share your b-blood. I humbly a-ask for your understanding, for the chance to fulfill both my duties." Neria added, her voice trembling.

'Awwn' Somehow, I felt a slight twinge of sentimentality, but my consciousness was slipping away at a rapid pace.

"Your Highness, I-I have not forgotten my duty, nor the oath I took to serve you. I-I am sorry for any offense I have caused. I-I only seek to protect this innocent child, to preserve life when possible."

The room seemed to hold its breath once more as the princess regarded Neria, her expression a mixture of conflicting emotions. The battle of wills raged on, the pressure building to an almost unbearable level.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the princess spoke. The princess's cold gaze bore into Neria, her golden eyes filled with an intimidating intensity. A cruel smile tugged at the corners of her lips, a sign of her power over the trembling elf maid.

"Innocence means nothing in the realm of power," she retorted, her voice icy and detached. "Do you think sentimentality will earn you favor in this court? Loyalty is not measured by the preservation of life but by the willingness to eliminate obstacles, no matter who or what they may be."

Neria's breath hitched, more tears falling from her eyes as she closed them tightly, her elven features displaying a mix of fear. She lowered her gaze, her voice trembling with a delicate defiance.

"Your-Your Highness. I have served under you ever since that fateful day, sixty years ago," Neria said, her voice quivering with emotion.

She hesitated, parting her lips and taking in a trembling breath.

"I have long abandoned my beliefs and sentimentality to devote myself to your service, Your Highness. My family, my entire life, I have given them all up, bound by the oath to serve your blood. It is the very essence that has driven me, reminding me of my unyielding sense of duty. But now, Your Highness, you ask me to cast it all aside. I... I cannot do that, Your Highness," Neria's voice faltered in the last part, her words barely audible. The weight of her conflicting emotions was evident in her trembling form, as she struggled to maintain her composure before the princess.

"Hah" The princess snorted mockingly.

The room seemed to hold its breath, the tension between the two women reaching its peak. The princess's expression hardened, her features becoming a mask of calculated indifference.

"Sentimentality, kindness and conscience are weakness, Neria," she hissed, the words dripping with venom. "The world is a merciless battlefield, and it is only the ruthless who prevail. If you cannot comprehend that, then you are of no use to me."

'...'

Neria's eyes widened, more tears ran down her face as she cries in anguish, her grip on me loosening, her mana dissipated in an instant, she opened her mouth, but no words came out. The expression on her face told tales of one who had lost everything.

"Hic... Your Hi-highness!" Neria's voice quivered, rising in defiance as she dared to lift her gaze.

"Take the child and leave, Neria," The princess spoke, her voice softer than before. "But remember, the path you have chosen carries consequences. We may find ourselves on opposing sides one day."

Neria's body trembled even more, after what felt like eternity, she slowly stood up with me in her arms, her head bowed deeply as she says.

"Your Highness, despite our differences and the path I have chosen, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the opportunities and experiences I have had in your service. You have shaped me into the person I am today, and I will always carry the lessons you have taught me."

Her voice wavered as she continued, her tone laced with sorrow.

"Though we part ways now, I will never forget the honor of serving you, nor the bond we once shared. May your reign be prosperous, and may you find the happiness you seek."

"I will bear the consequences of my choices, but I cannot abandon this child. I will protect it, for it carries a part of you within it."

With those words, Neria turned away from the princess, her steps heavy with sorrow and determination. She left the room, carrying me in her arms, leaving behind the oppressive atmosphere and the weight of the princess's judgment.

Well, that was quite the performance! I must say, I haven't seen such high-stakes drama since my last regression. Can we give them a standing ovation?

Even after my near death experience, my brain kept reminding me of one thing.

'I'm hungry.'