Elsbeth.
The soft murmur of the infirmary filled the air, a constant hum of low voices, quiet footsteps, and the soft rustling of linens. The scent of herbs and antiseptics mingled in the cool, still air, but all I could focus on was the weight of the life growing inside me. Every breath felt deeper now, a slow reminder of the precious burden I carried. My belly was swollen with my child, the child that would either bring a new era or be consumed by the flames of destruction already sweeping across the land.
I sat in the corner of the room, my back leaning against the stone wall, staring out the window that looked toward the walls of the 1st House. I hadn't realized how much I missed the simplicity of the view until now. It had always been calming to see the wide open sky and the stretch of rolling hills beyond, but now, it was tainted with the knowledge of what was still out there. The fire that would burn the very world we were fighting to save.
