Rhydian's POV
***
Luna had always been my center of gravity.
From the moment she walked into my life, defiant and untamed, I knew she would change everything. She had unraveled every carefully constructed wall I had built around myself, stripping me down to the rawest version of who I was.
But now, she wasn't just my world.
She was carrying our world inside her.
And I had never felt a love this deep… or a fear this consuming.
I woke up before dawn, as I had been doing for the past few weeks. It was becoming an involuntary habit—eyes snapping open before the sun had even started to rise, body instantly alert, mind only focused on one thing.
Luna.
She was curled up beside me, her breathing soft and even. The moonlight filtering through the window bathed her in silver, accentuating the gentle curve of her belly beneath the sheets.
I couldn't stop staring at it.
It didn't matter that she was still only a few months along, that the change in her body was subtle compared to what was to come. To me, it was everything.
Carefully, I reached out and placed my palm over her stomach, my fingers splayed wide.
Nothing yet. No movement.
But the warmth of her skin beneath my touch sent something almost primal surging through me. A protective instinct that had always been there—but now, it was magnified tenfold.
This was my family.
And I would do anything to protect them.
Luna's cravings started unexpectedly.
At first, they were simple. Fresh fruit. Pastries from the royal kitchens. The occasional late-night request for honeyed tea.
But then…
"Rhydian, I need pickles," Luna announced one night, her tone so serious it was as if she were strategizing for battle.
I blinked at her from across the room. "Pickles?"
"Yes. And honey."
I frowned. "Together?"
"Yes."
I hesitated. "...Are you sure you're not cursed?"
Luna shot me a glare, and I immediately held up my hands in surrender. "I'll get them."
She beamed, pleased with my obedience, and I had to bite back a smile as I left the room.
The palace kitchens were dark at this hour, but I had long since memorized the layout. Within minutes, I had what she wanted—though I still questioned whether this was truly something a sane person would eat.
When I returned, Luna was sitting up in bed, eyes alight with anticipation.
I handed her the jar of pickles and the jar of honey, watching in barely concealed horror as she dipped a pickle into the golden liquid and took a bite.
Her eyes fluttered shut in bliss.
"This is amazing," she murmured.
I grimaced. "I don't know if I should be impressed or terrified."
She smirked, holding out a pickle coated in honey. "Try it."
I took a step back. "Absolutely not."
"Rhydian."
The way she said my name—sweet, teasing, but with an undeniable edge of command—sent a shiver down my spine.
I sighed, resigned, and took the offering.
One bite.
One regret.
Luna burst into laughter at my expression, her amusement filling the room like sunlight breaking through the clouds.
And despite the lingering taste of regret on my tongue, I found myself smiling.
Nights were the hardest.
Not because Luna needed me—though she often did.
Not because I was exhausted—though I was, in ways I never had been before.
But because every night, as she slept beside me, I found myself awake.
Thinking.
Worrying.
Loving.
Some nights, I would simply lie there, watching the way she breathed, memorizing every shift of her body. Other nights, I would sit up, my fingers brushing against her stomach, speaking to the life growing within her.
"Your mother is the strongest person I've ever met," I whispered one night, my voice barely a breath in the quiet room.
Luna didn't stir.
I smiled faintly, continuing, "She's going to teach you everything—how to fight, how to stand tall, how to never let anyone control your destiny. But I…" I hesitated, then exhaled. "I'll make sure you're safe. That you never have to go through the things we did. That you'll always know you're loved."
My hand traced gentle circles over her belly.
"I don't know what kind of father I'll be," I admitted. "But I promise, I'll be the best one I can be."
A soft rustle.
Then, Luna's voice, quiet and thick with sleep.
"You already are."
I looked up.
Her eyes were half-lidded, her expression soft with drowsiness, but there was something else there, too.
Something deep. Something knowing.
She reached for my hand, lacing her fingers through mine over her stomach.
And in that moment, I knew—
No matter what happened, we would be enough.
For each other.
For our child.
For the future waiting beyond the horizon.