"Has the bleeding stopped?"
"Not... yet..."
"Then why are you standing there instead of doing something?"
"...Regrettably, there is nothing we can do."
Talia could feel the body surrounding her grow as rigid as stone.
She realized he was furious beyond reason.
But she couldn't understand why.
Near her head, his voice rang out with a metallic sharpness.
"Where is the High Priest? What is he doing? Bring him here immediately!"
"T-That is impossible! No male priest may ever enter a birthing chamber! It is strictly forbidden for them to witness a woman's most primal state—"
Something shattered violently.
Talia clung desperately to her fading consciousness.
Only a heartbeat later did she realize he had thrown something.
"Go and tell him. If he doesn't come here this instant and save my wife, I'll lock him inside the chapel and burn it to the ground with him still inside."
Only after hearing those words did Talia realize her condition was grave enough to require treatment.
Yet she felt no fear.
It was as though every sensation had gone numb.
Staring blankly at Varkas's rigid jaw, she was overcome by an irresistible impulse and tugged weakly at his sleeve.
"Varkas... I'm... fine... our baby..."
Without even understanding what she herself was trying to say, her lips trembled.
"Our baby... save... our baby."
Varkas did not {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} answer.
She knew he was looking at her.
But she still couldn't make out his expression.
Tears streamed endlessly from her eyes.
"I... you promised me..."
She glared at him as though accusing him of betraying her, then tried to look toward the baby again.
But Varkas held her head firmly against him, leaving her unable to move.
She wanted to shove him away with all her strength.
But her arms were as heavy as lead and refused to obey her.
Helplessness overtook her, and her body trembled.
"It's alright. Nothing will happen."
Holding her so tightly that it hurt, the man pressed cold lips against her temple and murmured those words.
A lie.
Talia whispered to herself.
It was all a lie.
Nothing was alright.
Nothing would ever be alright again.
She could feel her body growing colder and colder.
It felt as though she were slowly sinking into icy water.
She was so terribly cold.
So terribly tired.
Why had things ended up like this?
That faint question drifted through her gradually whitening mind.
She had been happy.
Just this afternoon, she had been happy.
Yes.
She had suffered terribly.
She had struggled.
But she had still been happy.