Oblige (8 page)

Breakfast with the Almosses was torture. Lilia was so sore, she could hardly move. Her body had made demands on Xeric all night, and he had risen to the challenge.

Yeena smiled at her. “So, daughter. We have a medical tech arriving today to do an assessment on your physiology.”

Lilia nibbled at a piece of fruit. “Understandable.”

“You are fine with the prospect?”

Lilia nodded. “You want to know if there is the chance of an heir. I understand. In a matriarchal society, if I can’t have an heir, you would have to find a replacement for Xeric’s mate or make moves to have Lemko released.”

Xeric broke the metal cup that he had been drinking from, and the servants rushed in with napkins to clean it up. “I am not discarding you.”

She shrugged. “Then taking a genetic sample from Lemko and implanting it in a willing host might be an option.”

Yeena sighed. “We are not discarding you or pushing you aside. We just want to know what we can do now to make your union with Xeric as fruitful as possible given your genetic differences.”

Lilia nodded. “That is fine. I have no objection to medical exams.”

Xeric took her hand and gave it a squeeze. It was one of the points of discussion last night that it had been physicians who had stopped the cycle of abuse that she was trapped in.

When the medic came, it was a relatively easy scan with only a few biological samples. As the medic checked on the readouts, she smiled. “Well, you are indeed currently pregnant. There doesn’t seem to be any immune response going after the child, so you are in perfect health. If anything happens, call me and I will be here within an hour.”

“Thank you, Medic Tro.”

“It was my pleasure. I will come every twenty days to check on you. This is the first child born to an alien on Wralik in centuries. Medical journals will be fascinated by the development.”

Lilia sighed and gave Tro a sly look. “Can you tell the gender yet?”

Tro chuckled. “It’s a girl. That is natural. All the children of purples are girls. They were created to defend and bolster our population. They make folks uncomfortable, so the rangers became our peacetime option for them. They don’t have a lot of exposure to women in that capacity, but they still do manage to get out now and again.”

“So, the genes for the purples are on the matriarchal line?”

“Of course.”

A knock at the door made Lilia smile. “Come in, Xeric. What kept you?”

He came in and cuddled her against him. “I wanted you to have privacy.”

“It’s a girl.”

He grinned. “Of course.”

“Yeena will be happy.”

“She will be delighted. Now, is there anything we need to do to keep you healthy?”

The medic finished tidying her kit. “Nope. Her body is tolerating it incredibly well.”

“Briel is going to get angry at me. If I don’t throw up from my pregnancy, she is going to put a hit out on me.”

Xeric winced. “Is she still vomiting?”

“According to Madame Zel, it is fairly consistent.”

“I can create a scent to help her, but it will take some trial and error.”

“I will invite her over for tea.”

Xeric chuckled. “Excellent. Part of the ranger detachment I was working with is coming this evening to congratulate me on my resumption of family duties.”

Lilia was amused by the thought of Briel and a bunch of purples. She was going to be a kid in a candy store.

“That seems like an excellent combination.”

Xeric chuckled and cuddled her against him. “I think it will be fun to watch.”

“I heartily agree. Now, come and help me find something to wear.”

His eyes glowed. “I get to pick?”

“You have a vote. You can pick three and I will take it from there.”

“I love a woman who can compromise.”

“And I love a man who has enough sense to find a treatment for a woman who would puke on his shoes. Come on. Thank you, Medic Tro.”

Lilia and Xeric headed for their rooms, and she sighed at the sense of belonging that was clicking into existence. It was a new feeling, but so was the idea of being a mother.

Life changed and you had to adapt.

Hooray, the end of the Os. Next round, we are working on the Ps, and the women involved are all undergoing changes. Big changes.

I hope to be back on track with my schedule sooner rather than later, but dealing with a death in the family throws things off.

Thanks for reading,

Viola Grace

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.