### THE FORGOTTEN FIELDS (NOVEL) - Chapter 149
As a result of the pressure the baby exerted on the nerve that went to her left leg, a burning sensation of numbness persisted day and night, and the pain in her waist did not leave her, as if a nail had been driven into it.
Talia was on the verge of blaming the Creator for making only women bear such a weight of pain.
At a certain point, Talia began to fervently wish that the baby would be a boy. She had no intentions of going through a pregnancy ever again after this time.
Despite receiving extremely attentive care from Varkas and everyone around her, the feeling of fulfillment that came with harboring a new life began to gradually dissipate as the physical pain worsened. In its place, fear settled in.
"Giving birth to a child must definitely be very painful, right?".
"If tolerating Varkas's body was already difficult every time, will I be able to endure childbirth?".
A deep anxiety invaded Talia as she contemplated her swelling belly. She desperately yearned to be freed from the state of gestation as soon as possible and, at the same time, wished that that moment would never arrive.
—Your Highness, I have prepared a herbal infusion to calm your nerves. It will help you fall asleep, even if only a little.
Marischen, who had been stirring a bowl in front of the fireplace for a long time, approached holding a cup filled with a dark brown liquid.
Talia took it and drank it without offering any resistance.
At the beginning of her pregnancy, she would not ingest anything that could harm the baby, but now she did not refuse anything that provided her body with a respite. The child in her womb overflowed with vitality, while she became paler by the day.
Talia worried about not having enough strength for childbirth when the time came.
—Will you take this as well? It is a medicine sent by Her Majesty the Empress. She says it helps to regain energy.
As soon as she finished her cup of infusion, her nanny approached her holding a small vial of medicine.
Talia contemplated her for an instant and then shook her head.
She did not believe that her mother, who considered the baby as an important bargaining chip, would send her something harmful, but it was also difficult for her to trust her blindly.
—My stomach is upset and I do not wish to ingest anything else.
—Try to take just a little, out of consideration for the efforts of Her Majesty the Empress. She has sent you an extremely extraordinary remedy...
—I said no!
Talia pushed the nanny's hand away in annoyance. The glass vial slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor, breaking.
A flash of anger crossed the nanny's round face for a moment.
She was on the verge of shouting something, but immediately let out a heavy sigh and set about picking up the remains of the vial.
Talia felt guilty, but she turned around and lay on her side instead of apologizing. She had become quite angry with the nanny, who seemed more worried about the waste of the gift sent by her mother than about her own discomfort.
She covered her head with the blanket and pressed her aching pelvis with the tips of her fingers.
After a period of moaning and pain, the effect of the herbal infusion began to work; the discomfort gradually diminished and lethargy overcame her. Talia willingly surrendered to the world of the unconscious.
However, the peace did not last long.
She woke up from her deep sleep at dusk due to a cramp in her leg.
She held the contracted muscle of her calf with both hands and let out a scream. It was as if a knife had pierced her leg. Tears welled up in her eyes, unable to be helped.
—Endure it a little, Your Highness. I will give you your medicine.
Marischen, who was resting sitting in front of the fireplace, hurried over and brought a vial to her lips.
—It is a painkiller. We have used herbs that are not harmful to the baby, so take it without worry.
Talia hesitated for an instant, but seeing that the contraction did not yield, she reluctantly drank a sip of the warm liquid.
Meanwhile, Tieuran brought a hot water bottle and carefully placed it on her leg.
When the pain mitigated after a while, Talia contemplated the dimness of the room with fatigued eyes.
Her nanny remained standing next to the bed, observing her with an uneasy gaze. Two young maids waited by the door, ready to run out into the hallway and call the priestess at any moment.
Talia murmured with a hoarse voice to reassure them:
—It seems that I am already feeling better.
—How does your belly feel? —Tieuran asked while moving the water bottle toward the lower part of the calf.
Talia touched the lower part of her belly.
—I feel a slight tension... but it is not intense.
—I will bring you another cup of infusion. It will help to appease your nerves.
Talia sat up with difficulty. Through the window opened for ventilation, she saw that the sky was being tinged with a reddish color.
—Has Varkas not returned yet?
—The Duke is in the assembly hall. He sent a message a few hours ago informing that he would be delayed —Tieuran replied kindly while adjusting a pillow on her back.
Talia appeased her feeling of annoyance while feeling the baby's small back through the thin skin of her belly.
During the season of lethargy, Varkas had not left her side for a single instant.
He dispatched most of his affairs sitting at a desk in the bedroom and, after the arrival of the cold wave, reduced his external obligations, such as going to the assembly hall or presiding over the civil court.
Thanks to this, Talia could afford the luxury of having the Duke of the East as if he were her personal servant.
Varkas held her in his arms all night long while she suffered the pains and massaged her waist, or brought a cold cloth to wipe her neck and face dampened by sweat. Sometimes, he himself prepared the hot water bottle and placed it on the painful areas until she managed to fall asleep.
However, when the season of water (spring) began, Varkas had to resume his busy life. The tasks accumulated during the whole winter rushed upon him like an impetuous wave.
While Varkas reorganized the administration of the fief, which had been paralyzed during the winter, he led his knights to inspect the barracks and verify the military situation.
In addition to that, there seemed to be many other matters that required his attention. A large-scale military training had begun on the maneuver field of Redgo Castle and, for some time now, armed messengers constantly entered and left the fortress.
Talia perceived that the spark of war that had originated in the north was beginning to slowly awaken, but she did not utter a single word about it.
She firmly wanted to believe that, even if a conflict broke out in the north, it would not affect the east. Varkas had already fulfilled his duty as a loyal subordinate by sending the cavalry knights; the rest of the matters concerned the imperial palace.
"Perhaps Garis will march in person to suppress the rebellion".
If that man died in the war, Talia would be grateful for it.
Talia let out a choked laugh imagining the silhouette of her half-brother pierced by the swords of the northerners, but a thought suddenly assaulted her like lightning, causing her body to tense.
"Could it be that Cinevear is behind this war?".
If the north really started a war of independence, the most likely thing was that the Crown Prince would be appointed general commander of the forces. If she managed to drag him to the battlefield, her mother would have the perfect opportunity to get rid of her stepson without raising the slightest suspicion.
Talia immersed herself in that conjecture, but then smiled with irony upon realizing that she was a prisoner of a groundless fantasy. No matter how astute and powerful Cinevear was, she could not manipulate the nobles of the north from the shadows. And even if it were feasible, would her mother really encourage a civil war? If a single piece of evidence of her involvement in the rebellion appeared, the Empress herself would not escape execution on the gallows. It was implausible that Cinevear would risk such a dangerous adventure.
Talia laughed at her own absurd imagination, but suddenly felt a sudden tug in her belly and set aside the cup of infusion. She changed her posture with caution and noticed that the hem of her dress, damp, stuck to her leg uncomfortably.
She frowned. Apparently, she had been soaked in sweat due to her violent shakes.
She made a sign to the maids while putting her feet on the floor.
—I need to wash myself. Bring water for the bath.
—Hold on to me. I will support you.
Tieuran set aside the water bottle and took her by the arm.
Talia leaned on her shoulder, thin but firm, and stood up carefully. Then, her body went completely rigid upon feeling a warm liquid sliding down her thigh.
"Was it perhaps urinary incontinence?".
Talia contemplated the wet hem of her dress with terrified eyes and heard a muffled gasp beside her.
—Good heavens!
Talia flared with embarrassment, thinking that Tieuran had shouted upon witnessing her oversight. Nonetheless, she froze upon seeing the expression of absolute terror on the woman's face.
A ominous sense of danger invaded her.
—Call the priestess immediately! —Tieuran hurried to lay her back on the bed while shouting at the maids with all her might—. What are you doing standing there?! Her water has broken! Hurry up!