Lage slept in Ni's room. Out of sight of Rara and her smug smile. She couldn't help but keep glancing at the cradle beside them.
Ni had made it from baby trees. It sat like a beautiful bowl with the little girl nestled inside.
Oribella slept quietly.
Lage tore her eyes away again.
It wasn't that Lage begrudged the tiny child. Quite the opposite, she'd been nothing but sweet to them. But she thought of Ni and Rara, which made her eyes well. Rara had married Ni, forcing her to share him.
Ni held her in his arms as she sobbed, feeling solemn himself.
"I didn't marry Rara for love," He whispered, "You are and always will be my true soul mate."
Lage put her head against his chest, "I don't want to share you."
"I had to marry Rara, it was the right thing to do for the child. Oribella deserves the love of two parents just as your baby will," Ni soothed.
Lage put her hands on her belly. She could feel the child move.
"I will never love Rara as I do you. Never hold her the way I do you. I promise," Ni whispered, "We won't be apart."
Ni rocked her back and forth thinking about Rara. She made him angry. Refusing his disinterest, putting his wife in despair. But he couldn't deny he had a responsibility to his daughter, however, she may have come into this world.
How she'd come to be was in question. But Ni's mind clouded.
He'd loved Oribella from the moment he'd seen his own eyes staring back at him. He wanted nothing more than to be her father.
He could only imagine how it'd feel when Lage had her child too.
After a long silence, the two began to settle down for the night. Lage slept with her head on Ni's chest. She was warm against his body, he felt himself relax.
Ni was just drifting off to sleep when he was awoken by a terrible scream.
Both he and Lage jumped from the bed and ran to the crib. Little Oribella writhed around as if in intense pain.
"Help her," Ni begged, but he didn't have to.
Lage was already preparing to heal the child. But before she could put her hands on Oribella someone else entered the room. They moved swiftly taking the screaming child in their arms and vanishing back out the door.
Ni and Lage stood stunned for a moment, Lage's glow fading back into the night.
Ni recovered first, "Oribella!" Ni screamed.
He ran into the hall and toward the exit, the night air hit him as he looked around outside. He searched all around but the girl and her kidnapper were gone.