Music Recommendation: Princess Margaret - Rupert Gregson-

  Lilian placed her hand on her back while she had her body lean forward, and she continued to throw up next to a tree. Lately, she had been feeling too sick, due to which she had to cut down her working hours at the inn. That didn't go well with her situation, as she had to use the money that she had saved until now.

  "Looks like you aren't feeling that well," remarked Eden, coming to stand behind Lilian and patting her back soothingly.

  Lilian continued to throw up. Her throat felt dry and eating even the softest food felt harsh on her throat. She took deep breaths, her eyebrows furrowed before she tried to stand straight, and Eden helped her stand straight.

  "Is this normal…?" Lilian asked Eden, placing her hand on her baby bump that had grown over the past few weeks.

  "Women who are pregnant often experience sickness, and throwing up is a very common thing. Maybe we can go and visit the physician later if you are still feeling unwell?" On hearing Eden's suggestion, Lilian shook her head.

  "No, that's fine. I will manage it," replied Lilian, taking the water that Eden offered her. She drank it in little sips.

  Eden had a worried look on her face, and she stared at Lilian, who looked exhausted. The young woman had been trying to balance working as well as taking care of her all by herself.

  "You know… it isn't bad to contact the baby's father and let him know that you are pregnant. At least you won't have to work this hard to make ends meet," came the concerned words from Eden. "Lord Moltenore, he might have a family of his own which most of us were unaware of, but from what I saw, he seemed considerate about you. Maybe he will consider supporting you."

  Lilian shook her head again, "No… I don't want to do that," she said in a low voice.

  The thing was that Lilian did want to reach out to the father of her child. To let him know that she was carrying his child. But the problem was that no one knew the whereabouts of Azazel Donovan. He and the other men, who had come with him, had disappeared from here like ghosts. On one side, people gossiped about how a married man had knocked her up, and then there was another side where she couldn't bring up Donovan's name.

  Since she had found out that she was carrying a child, with hope in her eyes and heart, waiting for Donovan, waiting, that once he would come to find out about the child, he would be happy about it.

  Lilian didn't know much about Donovan regarding where he came from or what he actually did because she could tell that what he showed was not the truth. By nature, she was a quiet woman who observed the people around her, trying to understand them.

  "Are you worried that Lord Moltenore's name will be tarnished? What about him leaving you in this condition?" questioned Eden, slightly frustrated because she had caught Lilian a couple of times staring through the window of the inn. As if the young woman was waiting for her lover to return, but he never showed up ever again.

  Lilian's gaze that had lowered staring at the ground, she said, "I think it is best if his family doesn't come to know about my condition. I appreciate your concern, Eden, but I would be thankful if no one ever contacts the Lord about my condition."

  In the incident that took place a couple of weeks ago, Lilian had desperately tried to forget that she was a murderer. The memory still haunted her, but more than that, there were other things that troubled her, which was the time she had spent with Azazel Donovan, and her heart broke… knowing he was not going to return. The time she had conceived the child, she had turned her child into a murderer along with her.

  At first, she had been sad, which was then replaced with quiet anger where she refused to try reaching out to him by finding out where he was.

  A tired sigh escaped from Lilian's lips, and she said, "I should probably go home and rest."

  Eden nodded her head, "Yes, that will be better. I will let Mr. William know that you are feeling sick."

  "Thank you, Eden," Lilian replied in a low voice, a tired smile on her lips, and she made her way to her empty home.

  Eden went back to work, walking to Mr. William's inn, and when she met her employer, she let the man know. But Mr. William wasn't pleased with the fact that one of his maids was taking such frequent time off from work.

  Mr. William's eyebrows furrowed, and he said, "Looks like it would be better to bring in another maid to fill her spot to avoid going under staff here."

  The maid's eyes widened, and she tried to convince him, "B-but Lilian has been working here for a long time, Mr. William. Do you plan to kick her out of her only job?" The young, pregnant woman didn't have anyone's support, and it worried Eden.

  "She can continue her job. As much as I want to remove her from the job, so that I can save my money and use it on something more useful," said Mr. William with a grim expression on his face. "I will give her a few more chances, and if she turns utterly unfit for work, maybe yes, I will have to consider replacing her for good. Go back to your work now before I find someone to fill your own spot."

  Eden offered a bow, her lips set into a thin line, and she turned worried for Lilian.

  Two more weeks passed, and Lilian turned even sicker. The physician who had come to her house with Eden to check her health, after examining her, he said,

  "These symptoms of discomfort are common in women who are pregnant. It would be better for you to rest your feet and try not to do any heavy labour as it will not only affect you, but also the baby that is growing inside you."

  Lilian was sitting on the edge of the bed, and her face looked as if she had been barely sleeping.

  "Mr. Emerson… Lilian has been throwing up blood," Eden informed on behalf of Lilian.

  "Blood? Do you mean traces of blood? That must be because the tissues in her throat have been torn and that's the reason. There's nothing to worry about. I will write down what she has to eat and what she should avoid eating, this might help reduce the pain in her body, and also throw up," explained the physician.

  "But do keep in mind that you rest, at least until the baby is born and a few weeks after that."

  Lilian was told to sleep on her back, and she lay on the hard and cold mattress, pulling the blanket over her and staring at the ceiling. The season of Winter had appeared, and the weather was cold. She gently ran her hand on her baby bump.

  Eden and the physician together left the room and stepped out of the house, so that Eden could get the medicine that the physician had mentioned for Lilian.

  Once they stepped out, the physician spoke to Eden in a low voice, "She looks very pale and weak. Though as I said, it is very common during the pregnancy period, she appears like a ghost."

  "It is why I requested you to come see her, Mr. Emerson. Lilian refuses to seek help… and it might be because of the amount of rumours that has been spread around," replied Eden, and the man nodded his head.

  "I can understand," replied the man, where his eyebrows were furrowed. "If you ever need any help for her or for yourself, let me know about it. I would be happy to offer my help."

  "Thank you, Mr. Emerson. Lilian and I are very thankful for it," the woman bowed her head, and so did the man.

  Back in the house, Lilian let out a soft sigh, where fog escaped from her mouth. When she felt the baby's kicks, she closed her eyes. Feeling her stomach, she whispered to the baby,

  "Calm down, little one. I won't let anything happen to you, nor will I let you feel alone while I am here with you," Lilian promised her baby. It had become a habit to talk to her child, letting it know that they had each other, and it didn't matter if the others were there or not. "I will always love you. The physician says it's only a few more weeks before I get to see you… I love you very much, and cannot wait to meet you."

  One would think that after delivering the baby, Lilian's health would improve. But it didn't. It was as if conceiving the baby had weakened her body, and the physician had no answer to why her health was affected this much. Some believed it was because of her faith in the man who had fathered the child, who had broken her spirit.

  But the truth was that Lilian, a human, had carried a vampire's child in her womb before giving birth to the baby boy.

  She had stopped waiting for Donovan to come to meet her, to learn that he had a son. Somewhere between the sadness and the anger in her mind, she had made peace with it, happy to have her son with her. Even though her health had deteriorated day by day, she loved the boy with every fibre in her body until her very last breath.

  "What do we do about the boy?" questioned one of the men from the village while a few of the people quietly cried over the woman's death.

  "I thought you were helping her, Mr. Emerson. Did she run out of money for the medicines?" questioned another fellow villager.

  The physician looked genuinely upset by the words, and he said, "I never took any money from her. The woman has helped in the household work on a few occasions and I was returning the favour. She just seemed to have a weak health."

  "Isn't he Lord Moltenore's son? Maybe we should write to him and let him know about it," suggested another one.

  "Do you think the Lord will accept him as his son? He's not come here to see the woman for many years, I doubt he would want to do anything with the boy at all," stated another villager before muttering, "What a terrible thing to happen. Maybe Mr. William could take the boy to work for him, he did help Lilian with the work, didn't he?" and the man clicked his tongue before looking in the direction of the coffin that was on the ground.

  A small boy sat next to his mother's coffin, watching her fast asleep for quite a few hours now.

  The boy was around six, his hair midnight black, and so were his eyes that were fixed on his mother. He didn't cry, nor did he sob, but he continued to stare at his mother's face.

  Only a few of them, who closely knew Lilian, had come to attend her funeral, while most of the villagers had skipped it, not wanting to look at the woman who had conceived a child out of marriage. They couldn't believe how the woman had been irresponsible, and they frowned upon her.

  "Roman?" Eden came to place her hand on the small boy's shoulder, but he moved away from where he sat as if repulsed by the idea of someone wanting to touch him. The woman didn't take any offence, as she had seen him grow up. "It is time for you to tell your mother goodbye. We need to bury her while she's still beautiful."

  The boy's eyes moved from the woman to look at his mother, having an idea that his mother would never wake up again. Nor would she smile and run her hand across his head to pat him.

  "Go on, dear," Eden nudged him with her gentle words. Lilian had always been nothing less than a younger sister to her. And now that she was gone, she wanted to look after Roman.

  The young boy moved closer to his mother's coffin, bending down, his hand stretched to touch her face. Hoping she would wake up, but even after seconds had passed, she didn't. Leaning even closer, the boy brought his lips near his mother's face, kissing her cheek to say his goodbyes.

  The sight was heartbreaking because anyone could tell that the woman who had passed away was the boy's world. The only person he knew whom he could trust and believe, and love him dearly.

  Eden, who noticed this exchange, quickly blinked her eyes so that she wouldn't break down. She had known Lilian since she had come to stay in this village, befriending the young woman who had an icy appearance when it came to her emotions, which only a few were able to breakthrough.

  Young Roman stepped away from the coffin, and soon the coffin was carried and placed on one corner of the village cemetery, where the ground had been dug. The priest spared a few words before the lid of the coffin was closed. Mud was pushed to the hollow pit until the coffin was completely buried in the ground, and the people around slowly started to leave from there to carry on with their lives.

  The young boy and Lilian's friend, Eden, were the last people who stayed behind so that they could continue to mourn for Lilian's death, who was dear to them. After a couple of more minutes passed, Eden spoke to the boy,

  "Let us get back home now. You can always come and visit her later."

  She wondered if the boy understood what happened because the expression on his face was serious and barely showed any emotions.

  The young boy turned around, and so did Eden, leaving the new grave that was occupied.

  The boy didn't go to Eden's home and instead went to his home, where he and his mother lived together until the early morning hours. Lilian's friend made sure to send him meals, while Mr. William took pity and let the boy work in the inn with the small tasks.

  A few days passed, and the news about the woman's death, Lilian Lena Blackburn, reached the ears of Lord Malcolm Moltenore. He came to the village to see how things were, meeting the woman named Eden.

  "How did this happen?" questioned Lord Moltenore with a grim-looking expression on his face.

  "Lilian's health has been going downhill for quite some years now. We thought it would get better once she gave birth to the boy, but she never bounced back, Lord Moltenore," replied Eden, not knowing how the man had come to know about Lilian's death. "She turned very quiet and didn't speak much except for… your son."

  Lord Moltenore was taken aback by this information, and there was an evident surprise on his face.

  "My son?" questioned the man.

  Eden nodded her head, the atmosphere turned awkward, and she said, "I have asked Lilian to talk to you about it, to at least write a letter to you, letting your son's existence be known but she never agreed… I think you already know why. It has been hard for her and her son, Roman."

  Lord Moltenore didn't know how he fathered a child when he hadn't even touched the woman. The only interaction they had was the night the woman killed the person who had come to kill him.

  Still confused, he wondered if this woman named Lilian had by mistake told people that he was the father of the child. He cleared his throat and then asked, "Do you know where the boy is? I would like to meet him."

  Eden quickly nodded her head, "Of course. Let me take you to him," and she took him to the other side of the village, where some children were playing, running and talking.

  But the small boy for whom they had come for wasn't mingling with the other children, and instead, he sat on one side, staring at the children with a blank expression on his face.

  "That's him there," Eden pointed out the boy, and Lord Moltenore's eyes fell on the small boy. "He has your black hair," added the woman, and the Lord wasn't sure how to perceive this right now.

  Lord Moltenore walked to where the small Roman sat, who wasn't doing anything in particular. He was too small, and Malcolm pitied the boy for losing his mother at this young age, without any knowledge of the true father.

  With years that had passed by, Lord Moltenore had forgotten one of the attempted kills on him. But he hadn't forgotten the kindness the woman had shown him, by putting herself in danger to protect him, when they were nothing but strangers. He had wanted to repay her, but she had refused the money as if it were worthless to her.

  He knew what happened to children who didn't have a family or the right roof above their heads. The world was cruel, and if he let the boy go unattended, it would only turn his chest heavy with guilt.

  His eyes fell on the boy's clothes, which looked slightly matted. As if sensing his gaze, the boy turned to look at him with his pitch-black eyes.

  "I am Malcolm Moltenore… your father," the Lord introduced himself.

  The small boy continued to stare at him, where the Lord could tell that the boy had heard and understood him, but he was trying to understand what he, the lord, was doing next to him.

  "What's your name?" inquired the Lord, and the boy stood straight, standing face to face while there was a large difference in their height.

  "Roman," came the clear words from the boy before he added, "Mother calls me Rome."

  Lord Moltenore nodded his head, "I see. What would you prefer I call you?"

  "Rome."

  "Mm. Rome," Lord Moltenore called the boy's name, noticing he had a similar facial expression to his mother. Almost icy and guarded, as if he didn't want to be bothered. "I gave your mother my word, and I would like to take you home with me, if you would like to."

  "Why?"

  Such a simple yet difficult question thought Lord Moltenore in his mind.

  "You are my son now, Rome, and being the Lord's son, I would like you to be in the right place where you will have a family and not be alone in this place. You will be well taken care of," Lord Moltenore answered the boy's question.

  For a small boy, he seemed a little too mature, thought Lord Moltenore in his mind.

  Eden, who was nearby, quickly moved towards them, and she coaxed the small boy, "Your father wants to take you home with him, Roman. You will not have to live alone in the house."

  "Alone?" questioned Lord Moltenore with furrowed eyebrows.

  Eden looked a little embarrassed before she replied, "He doesn't like living with us, and prefers to stay in the house where he used to live with his mother. We tried to keep him in our house, but it's like having a wild cat that doesn't want to stay," she lightly laughed. "In the end, we just let him be and give him space. Uh, also, milord, he isn't fond of anyone touching him. Even lightly."

  The Lord nodded his head, "Is there a certain reason for it?"

  "No, he's been like this since he started to walk. Only Lilian was allowed to touch him, but that's because she was his mother," replied Eden, looking at the small boy, who turned his head to look at the children playing. "I think it's wonderful that you have decided to take him with you, he will finally have a family since his mother passed away."

  Soon the small boy's things were packed from the house, and Lord Moltenore took the boy along with him to his town, to take him to his home.