Zemira stirred awake and gently opened her eyes. She turned to her right. No one. It was expected. It was just a one-night stand. Obviously he was not going to wake up beside and kiss her forehead and then coo sweet words to her. Stern never did that.
She groaned and sat up then Peony entered the room and immediately looked away. Zemira covered her breasts with the sheets and cleared her throat, "You can look now". Peony looked at her and bowed her head, "My lady, I have drawn hot water for your bath".
Zemira nodded then she remembered Stern kissing Peony. She looked at her, "Did you enjoy your birthday last night?" she mocked but Peony mistook it for a kind question.
"Yes my lady. I was so elated that you could grace it with your presence" "I did not come alone," Zemira resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Of course you did not! I was excited about Lord Stern's being there yesterday" Peony smiled. Stern must have slept with her, Zemira concluded in her head. "Of course you were" she said and rose up from the bed then Peony handed her a bath robe.
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Zemira made her way up the steps to her father's mansion. "You are in huge trouble" her older sister, Xylia taunted and Zemira looked at her. "What are you doing here? You're married now" "Indeed I am and I am happy" "Good for you" Zemira said, obviously bored of the conversation.
"Maybe you just need to get married...and then you will stop this tomfoolery" Xylia said and walked down the steps to her carriage. Zemira just rolled her eyes and entered the house.
"My lady" the servants greeted as they saw her. "Zemy!" Verona said as she saw her "Mother!" Zemira held her mother's arms. "Your father is throwing a fit" she said and Zemira sighed then she went into her father's room.
"Where have you been?" Altair roared as he walked to her. "I---" she was saying but he held his nose, "You were out drinking and vaping...again, were you not?" "It was a party" she sighed. "A party full of men! Common men!" "I was just having fun!" "You can have your so-called fun at balls. Must you ruin your life?"
"I am not ruining anything! And even if I was, it's my life. I can do whatever I want with it!" she retorted, then she took deep breaths. Her father always brought out her worst side.
"Maybe I should just marry you off...then you'll have a sense of responsibility" he muttered under his breath. "Why is everyone talking about marriage with me? What if I do not want to get married?!" "Every daughter of mine will and must get married!" Altair countered.
Zemira just stared at him unbelievably then she walked out. "Where are you going? Come back!" Altair yelled at her as she walked away.
Zemira forced the tears back into her eyes as she ran out of the mansion. She got on her horse and rode to see Stern. Though she did not want to see him.
"Hey gorgeous!" Stern smiled as he hugged her. Zemira just stared at him. He must have given that same smile to Peony. "I did not see you at the party after we vaped together" Stern said as they sat at the gazebo.
"I am pretty sure I saw you kissing the birthday girl" Zemira laughed bitterly and Stern's face turned pale. "Zemy I---" "It is alright. We were never courting anyways" "I was drunk. I never intended for it to happen". Zemira looked at Stern. He was not that drunk. The both of them could hold their liquor so he was not that drunk.
"Do you want to marry me?" she suddenly blurted and he snapped his head at her, "What?" "Do. You. Want. To. Marry. Me?" she asked very slowly. "I heard you the first time. I was just taken aback that you would think about marriage" "What do you mean?"
"Do not get me wrong but you only think about the present" he chuckled and she raised a brow, "What is wrong about that?" "Nothing...I" "Is this because I do not want to have babies with you?" "Far from it! Zemy, I---" Stern was saying but Zemira got up and ran away.
Stern just sighed and watched her run. "Had ia fight with your lover?" Aza taunted as she sat beside her brother. "Why do you always show up whenever we are talking?" he asked and she sighed, "I'm looking for some entertainment and you guys seem like the perfect entertainment for me".
They heard a horse neigh and they turned and saw Zemira riding away on her horse. "Are you even serious about her?" Aza asked as she looked at Stern who just sighed.
Aza took a grape from the bowl and kept on looking at her brother as she munched it.
Marriage? But why all of a sudden?
>>>>>>>>>>>
A week passed and Zemira and Stern continued their wild lifestyle. Going for parties, drinking and vaping. But one day, Zemira threw up during breakfast.
"Zemy! What is the matter?" Verona asked worriedly as she went to Zemira's room where she was throwing up in a bowl with the servants holding her hair from her face.
"I shall fetch the doctor" Isaiah said and left the room. The servants laid Zemira on her bed and left then Altair looked upon her, "Perhaps it is because of your unhealthy lifestyle that you are ill" he said with contempt. "My lord, please...not right now" Verona bowed her head and Altair looked at her then at Zemira who was panting on her bed, then he left.
"Mother" Zemira called out as she raised her hand and Verona held her hand and kissed it, "Just hang on. The doctor will he here soon" she said and touched Zemira's forehead. "Fetch a cold towel for the young lady" she called out to the servants outside the room.
>>>>>>>>>>>
"Pregnant?!" Altair thundered and Verona flinched. "How in the world is she pregnant? She doesn't even have a husband!" Altair said and the doctor shrugged slightly.
Zemira was on the verge of tears. How in the world was she pregnant? Whenever she slept with Stern, they always used the withdrawal method. So how?
Altair led the doctor outside and had a word with him while Verona stared at her daughter. "Mother..." Zemira began and Altair came back into the room, "The doctor said you are a week pregnant" he said as he eyed mother and daughter.
A week pregnant? A week ago was Peony's birthday. A week ago was when she had slept with that soldier...could it be---No! It can't be.
"Ready the carriage" Altair said to Isaiah who bowed his head and went out of the room. "Where are you going?" Verona asked "To see her lover and make sure he takes responsibility for this mess" he said and was about walking out, but Zemira mumbled, "What if Stern is not responsible for this?"
Altair slowly turned to her, "What was that?" he asked and she started picking her nails. "What did you just say, Zemy?" Verona looked at her daughter and held her hand, to stop her from pricking herself.
"Stern is..." her voice broke as her tears choked her. They were threatening to fall from her eyes.
"Speak up!" Altair yelled impatiently as he eyed her. Verona held his shoulder, "My Lord, please," she tried to soothe him.
Zemira took a deep breath, "Stern is not the father of this baby. I have not slept with him this past week" she said calmly.
Verona sat on the bed, "So who's the father?" she asked softly. Zemira looked at her parents; her mother had so much worry in her eyes, while her father looked like he was about to explode and take her with him.
How was she going to tell them that the father of her baby was a common soldier? Or that she had not really seen his face. She just remembered some of his features.
"It is a soldier" she whispered under her breath. Verona came closer to her, "Zemy, your father is not a patient man, so please, tell us who the father is."
"It is a soldier!" she yelled and Verona fell unconscious on the bed. "Mother!" Zemira screamed as she held her mother's hand. Some servants came and carried her to her room.
Altair looked at his daughter and scoffed then he shook his head and walked out. Zemira picked her fingernails. She always did that whenever she was nervous, or in thought, or scared. She pricked herself but she did not mind. She continued picking them.
>>>>>>>>>>>
So...Zemira also told her parents that she had not really seen the man's face. That broke the camel's back. Her father had almost slapped her.
"My lord...please" Verona begged when Altair had decided that Zemira was going to marry the soldier. "She deserves it!" Altair yelled as he looked at Zemira who had her head bent in shame.
"It would also affect us. The daughter of the Marquis and Marchioness of Damodar, getting married to a common man" Verona tried to reason with him. "If the news about her being pregnant comes out, we will be put to shame. This shame will just be for a little while, my lady" Altair said then he looked at Zemira who was sobbing.
"Shame on you!" he thundered and left to his room. Verona followed him, "My lord, my lord".
>>>>>>>>>>>
Later in the day, Isaiah came back with a painter. "The marquis wants to see if he can identify the soldier" Isaiah said to Verona and Zemira. Xylia was also present. Altair came out of his room, "Let us get started, shall we?"
The painter, Centron set up his canvas and took out his brushes. "My lady, please relax" he said soothingly to Zemira who was seated in front of him. She took a deep breath. "I am not going to rush you. Take your time" he said, still trying to calm her.
When she looked calm enough, he asked, "Can you picture his face?" Zemira remembered the man from that night; his dark-skin which the fire made look so beautiful. "He has dark skin" she said as she closed her eyes and tried to picture his face. "He has a scar running along his left eyebrow and his hair is black. It reaches the base of his neck". When she was kissing him, she had felt a stubble on his jaw. "He has a stubble". His lips were soft against hers and they were not small. "He has full lips and his nose is a bit flat". "Can you shift your gaze up to his eyes?" Centron asked and she nodded.
"What does his eyes look like?" he asked and she remembered his beautiful but dead grey eyes. "His eyes were grey...and they were beautiful...but they somehow looked dead" she said and Centron sighed then he dropped his brush, "You can open your eyes now" he said to Zemira who slowly opened her eyes.
Her heart was thumping faster. She was finally going to see her baby's father face.
Xylia gasped. Verona almost fainted if not for Isaiah who held her and led her to a chair. Altair spat out his tea. Centron was shocked out of his mind. The servants were stunned. Zemira was confused. Who was her baby's father and why was everyone shocked?
Centron turned the canvas to her and she looked at the face. He was indeed, a very handsome man. But why was everyone so shocked? She looked at her sister who still had her hand over her mouth.
Xylia lowered her hand from her mouth, "You did not sleep with a soldier, dear sister...you slept with the Mad Viscount."