Chapter 11

"You're pregnant miss." The physician repeated after Arya hadn't responded to her when she said it the first time. Arya was frozen she couldn't believe what she'd just heard there was no way this could be true. "From your reaction I can tell this is unexpected news but it is what it is." The physician continued.

"Th-that's impossible. I can't be pregnant I can't have children." she finally responded to the woman stammering. "I haven't had my cycle in months."

"Really? " The physician asked as she cocked an eyebrow. "it's not uncommon for one to miss their cycle once in a while but to miss it multiple months and still be able to get pregnant, I've never heard of that. Nevertheless, you are in fact pregnant. Your symptoms from what I inspected match that of pregnancy."

Arya was quiet for a second still processing what was happening. So she wasn't infertile after all? Oddly enough a brief feeling of relief came over her. "I'm going to have a child." she whispered happily.

"I'm know you must have been anxious thinking you couldn't have a child." the physician I'm sure your husband will be thrilled when he finds out."

Husband? Arya thought. Then it hit her. That's right the father of her child was.....Cedric...the emperor. Her eyes widened in shock realization. She quickly got up from the seat in the physicians office. "Thank you for your time but I have to go now." Arya said to the physician as she made to leave.

"Pleasure dear, I'm sure you're rushing to tell your husband." She wrongly assumed as Arya was already making her way out. "Oh and remember to take it easy and don't stress yourself. Take care of your body if you want a safe delivery." She yelled after her.

Arya rushed straight to the small apartment in the village where Arya and Ms Bell lived. It was located above a pub, when she arrived she saw Ms Bell wasn't there as she had probably gone to work. Arya decided she would lie down and dwell on her situation as she waited for Ms Bell to return. She had to think abput what she was going to do.

Her mind was racing as she put information together. The father of her child was undoutedly Cedric, he was the only man she'd ever been with, in that sense. However, they were only together for one night so she was surprised that that was all it took.

That aside what was she going to do? It's not like she could go and tell Cedric that she's not actually infertile and was having their child. Arya was banished from ever setting foot in the capital let alone the palace. She would most likely never be able to tell him. Not to mention Cedric wasn't even at the castle at this time. After making preparations he was now away at war, taking over another kingdom, so there was no telling when he'd return.

However, as she thought about if she were to find a way to tell Cedric and prove that she was having their child would she go back to the castle?

The fact is regardless of whether she was fertile or not she was disrespected in the castle. Cedric didn't love her and flaunted his lover right in her face, the servants disrespected her and openly gossiped about her. Honestly, she would just be returning to a horrible lonely life. She didn't want to experience that again.

Later in the evening when Ms Bell returned Arya explained to her that she was pregnant. Ms. Bell almost fainted from the news.

"What are you saying my lady, are you sure you're pregnant?" the elderly woman asked afraid.

"My belly should begin swelling in the next few weeks so it wont take that long to find out the truth." Arya said. "I don't see why the physician would lie."

There was a moment of silence between them. Then Ms Bell said. "This is the emperors child. What do you plan to do?"

Arya had already made a decision. "I've decided that I will have this baby and raise them myself. " She started slowly. "I've been banished from ever returning to the capital and palace, the emperor never wants to see me again. My family has also abandoned me and I doubt they will ever follow up on my where abouts. No one will ever know I had the emperors' child. It's also likely that my child will never know who their father is. I accept it."

Ms Bell attentively listened to Arya as she stated her plan. She was amazed how mature and collectedly Arya was planning to deal with the situation. Her lady was just 19 years old, so young, and yet so many overwhelming things were happening to her.

"I know it won't be easy but I want to start a new life here in this village with my child." Arya said. "Of course I will understand if you're reluctant to follow this path. I've already made you sacrifice so much."

"My lady, I made the decision to stay with you. I won't leave you, ever. We'll get through this together." Ms Bell reassured her.

"Thank you." Arya gratefully responded. She was so happy to have someone by her side as she went through all this.

After a couple of days on leave Arya returned to work. She needed money if she wanted to be able to take care of her child so she couldn't let a few pregnancy symptoms hold her back. She found a way to deal with them.

In the following weeks her belly, as the physician had said, started to swell. It confirmed that she was in actual fact pregnant. She knew the people that knew her in the village, such as her coworkers from the bakery, knew she didn't have a husband and were going to judge her for being pregnant. So she had to come up with a convincing lie about the father of her child. She claimed her husband had fallen ill and passed away. She then moved to this village to grief and start afresh only to find out she's pregnant with his child.

Her story was definitley exaggerated but her coworkers managed to buy her story and sympathyzed with her. The poor woman who lost her husband and unexpectedly has to have their child. She had managed to lift off any suspicions or judgements that would come from her being a single mother.

Then in the following days news from the capital began to spread throughout the empire. Jasmine, the emperors' lover was pregnant. Arya was surprised, she didn't expect her and Jasmine would get pregnant around the same time. It was said that Jasmine was going to be crowned the empress once Cedric came back from war victorious. She was going to give Cedric an heir.

As the weeks progressed Aryas' pregnancy side effects were getting worse especially her cravings, she could barely fit into her clothes. Everything was going well except for one thing. Sometimes, when Arya was moving around the village she felt like she was being watched. The first time she felt it she walking home after work she but when she looked back she never saw anyone. It was a strange feeling as it kept on happening. Perhaps it was paranoia caused by the pregnancy? She didn't know.

Her due date came unexpectedly in the 9th month of her pregnacy. She was in the middle of working at the bakery when she suddenly got into labour. Ms Bell left her place of work to take Arya home amd brought a physician. After many long and painful hours her child was born. Arya took pride in the successful birth of her child.

"Congratulations, you have a healthy baby boy." The physician announced as she placed Aryas' son into her arms. She carefully held her son as she loved at him with so much love in her eyes.

Arya laughed, just as the royal family had chosen her hoping she would give birth to a boy, she had done just that.

Aryas' son had dark hair like hers but when he opened his eyes they were a golden color just like Cedrics eyes. This horrified Arya. Only members of the royal family were known to have golden eyes in the empire. It would be suspicious if a commoner had them.

Arya took a break from work in order to take care of her son. Her time in the apartment gave her time to think of how she would hide her sons eyes.

Arya and Ms Bell were talking when there was suddenly a knock at the door. Ms Bell went to check who it was.

Arya continued when she noticed Ms Bell was taking too long to come back. "Ms Bell who is it? Is everything alright?"

"Everything is just fine." A voice that wasn't Ms Bells responded and what's worse, it sounded eerily familiar.

The person entered the room she was in.

Arya began to shake tremble in fear.