Page 67 of Crownless King

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” She pinched my cheek, then poked my shoulder. “What are you good for? What do you think Sova wanted you for?”

“To sell me,” I exhaled with a bitter laugh, then bit my tongue belatedly. There was no need to give her any ideas.

“Right. You’d fetch a good price.” She poked the side of my breast with her finger. I swatted it away, but she immediately prodded with her other hand against my stomach. “Not in your condition, though.”

“Yeah, take me through a car wash first,” I quipped. “And slap a new coat of paint on me before you put me on the market.”

She ignored me, poking at me some more, despite my protests.

I tried to figure out the best way to get out of here. Sauria looked old and frail, but judging by her energetic performance on our dash from the wagon, it wouldn’t be easy to run away from her.

“So.” She seemed contemplative. Or calculating again? “You’ve been with both our late king and the new one, right?”

“That’s really none of your business,” I bit out, taking a step aside to evade her intrusive touch that had turned borderline inappropriate by that point.

“It kind of is, since I’m the one stuck with you now. Which one of our kings is the father of your baby?”

“What?” The old woman must’ve lost her mind. “What baby? I don’t have a baby.”

“But you will have one. In about eight months from now, I’d say. Give or take a few days.”

My knees trembled. If it wasn’t for the tree behind me, I’d surely tumble.

“Are you insane? I’m not… No.” I crushed my skirts in my sweaty hands as the world around me turned to a blur. “It can’t be.”

Sauria tilted her head, giving me an unimpressed look.

“Why not? Did you have sex?”

I nodded, unable to say a word. My throat was too tight to speak. Bile was rising up from my stomach. If I spoke, I feared I’d puke.

“Well, there you go,” she said, spreading her arms wide. “If you fuck, you can reasonably expect to get pregnant. Has no one told you that?”

I nodded again, staring straight in front of me. My knees finally gave in, and I sank to the ground with my back against the tree. I closed my eyes and pressed an arm across my stomach.

Now what?

The question bounced in my mind like a ping-pong ball, non-stop and without an answer.

“Are you all right?” Sauria’s voice sounded on my level in front of me.

I slowly opened my eyes, finding her staring at me just a step away as she crouched in front of me.

“So, I take it you didn’t know you’re with child?”

I shook my head and cleared my throat.

“It can’t be…” I mumbled. “I have no…symptoms. Signs, you know?”

I hadn’t felt any different. I’d felt no more nausea than normal. What other signs should be there? I couldn’t remember, but I was sure I hadn’t had any of them. I hadn’t even missed my period yet. At least, I didn’t think I missed it. It should be coming soon, like any minute now.

“Not everyone has thesignsthis early,” Sauria pointed out. “Or is it different for humans?”

“I don’t know.” I scraped a hand down my face.

God, I was an idiot. I should’ve checked somehow. I should’ve known before. But was it even possible to find out such things this early, without the hag’s magic?

“It must be a mistake…” I exhaled, trembling.

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