Luna's POV
***
The first time I noticed something was wrong, I brushed it off.
It wasn't like I hadn't been exhausted before. After years of war, near-death experiences, and enough emotional upheaval to last a lifetime, it was almost expected. Maybe it was just my body catching up, forcing me to finally slow down now that there was no longer an imminent threat.
But then came the nausea.
It hit me in waves, sudden and relentless. The scent of food that I once loved now turned my stomach, and there were mornings when I had to force myself to breathe through the discomfort. Still, I told myself it was nothing. Just stress. A reaction to finally being at peace, something my body didn't quite know how to handle.
I should have known better.
"You're pale."
I looked up from my untouched plate, meeting Rhydian's sharp gaze from across the dining table. His brows were drawn together, his expression calculating in a way that told me he had been watching me for longer than I realized.
"I'm fine," I muttered, pushing a piece of bread around my plate.
He didn't look convinced. "You've barely eaten in days."
"I've been tired," I admitted, rubbing my temples. "That's all."
His chair scraped against the stone floor as he stood, making his way over to me with slow, deliberate steps. When he crouched beside me, I could see the worry etched into his features.
"Luna," his voice was softer now, coaxing. "Talk to me."
I sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. Rhydian had always been relentless when it came to my well-being.
"I don't know," I confessed, finally setting my fork down. "I've just been… off. Tired. Queasy. Maybe it's the change in pace. I'm used to running from danger, not sitting in a castle eating breakfast like a normal person."
His jaw ticked, his golden eyes searching mine. Then, as if realization struck him all at once, his gaze flickered down to my stomach.
A slow inhale. "Luna… when was the last time—"
I froze. My heart slammed against my ribs.
No.
It couldn't be.
Could it?
Panic clawed up my throat as I tried to remember, my mind scrambling through the past few months. The war. The coronation. The honeymoon. It had been…
My breath caught.
Rhydian was already moving, his hand warm against mine. "We should call the royal healer."
I should have protested. I should have told him he was overreacting.
But deep down, something in me already knew the truth.
The chamber was silent, save for the sound of my own heartbeat thundering in my ears.
The healer—a kind, older woman with silver-threaded hair—finished her examination with a warm but cautious smile.
"There is no doubt, Your Majesty," she said gently. "You are with child."
The words struck me like a physical force.
I had prepared for war. I had survived assassins, betrayal, and the weight of an entire kingdom on my shoulders.
But nothing—nothing—had prepared me for this.
I was pregnant.
Rhydian let out a slow exhale beside me, his grip tightening around my hand. When I turned to look at him, his face was unreadable, his golden eyes locked onto mine as if trying to gauge my reaction before giving his own.
A child.
Our child.
The thought sent a rush of something indescribable through me. Fear. Awe. A strange, aching kind of joy I wasn't sure I was allowed to feel yet.
The healer inclined her head respectfully. "Shall I inform the court, Your Majesty?"
"No." My response was immediate, sharper than I intended.
The healer blinked but nodded. "As you wish. I will return for regular check-ups. In the meantime, you must rest. Your body will need—"
"I understand," I cut in, my voice quieter now.
She hesitated, glancing at Rhydian before bowing and excusing herself.
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving us alone in the vast chamber.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Then, finally, Rhydian let out a shaky breath. "Luna."
I turned to him, my stomach twisting at the raw emotion on his face. He looked… overwhelmed. The fierce, unshakable Alpha King—completely undone by a single revelation.
His hands cupped my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks. "We're going to have a baby."
Hearing him say it out loud made it feel even more real, and the reality of it crashed into me all over again.
A baby. A new life.
A child born of war and love, of blood and fate.
"I don't know how to do this," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know how to be a mother."
Rhydian's eyes softened. "You'll be incredible."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do," he said firmly. "Because I know you. I know your strength, your heart. And our child will know it too."
Tears pricked at the back of my eyes, and I hated how vulnerable I felt. How unsteady.
Rhydian didn't hesitate. He pulled me against him, holding me close, his warmth seeping into my bones. "I know you're scared," he murmured against my hair. "I am too."
I squeezed my eyes shut. "You are?"
He let out a quiet laugh. "Of course. I've fought battles, stared death in the face more times than I can count. But this?" His grip tightened slightly. "This is something I can't control. I can't fight it with claws or steel."
I swallowed hard, letting his words settle over me.
"But I swear to you, Luna," he continued, his voice raw with conviction, "I will protect you both. No matter what. No matter the cost."
A single tear slipped down my cheek, and this time, I didn't try to hide it.
Because for the first time since hearing the news, I felt something steadier than fear.
Hope.
I pressed my forehead against his, breathing him in. "We're really doing this."
His lips brushed my temple, his voice a whisper against my skin.
"Yes," he said. "And we'll do it together."
And just like that, the weight of the unknown didn't seem quite as heavy anymore.