Predatory Marriage

Ishakan smiled faintly and kissed Leah’s forehead as her eyes closed.

“I didn’t know you were wondering about that.”

Of course she was. Whenever she was alone, she had thought about their baby’s name. But she had decided to keep the question to herself, though she knew Ishakan would have answered if she asked him. The reason she had waited to ask was simple: she didn’t want to ask until after it was all over.

Today seemed like a good day. Leah had seen Cerdina with her own eyes. She probably wasn’t dead yet; from now on, she would be in the hands of the Kurkans. She would only be allowed to die when Ishakan had been satisfied.

Leah would never have to look at her again. Cerdina had vanished from her life.

And now that the hard journey was over, she wanted to hear the name. Laying her hand on her swollen belly, she could feel the warmth of the life inside her against the palm of her hand.

“Lesha.” Ishakan whispered a name that joined their names together. “Should our child ascend the throne and inherit the name Kan, then he will be called Leshakan. I don’t think it sounds bad…” He explained as Leah listened, and quickly added, “but if you don’t like it, we can name our baby something else.”

He actually looked a little nervous. And Leah didn’t dare to answer quickly or thoughtlessly, though she knew he was anxious for her response. Perhaps he had been thinking of this name for too long, and by himself, since Leah had lost her memory. Only he had known she was pregnant with his child…and had been choosing the name for their baby ever since.

Her heart ached, thinking of everything he had endured.

“I like it,” she said, her voice quivering.

He lifted a skeptical eyebrow.

“I really do. I really like it,” she assured him, and took his hand to lay it on her belly. “Tell it to the baby.”

He blinked in surprise, cautiously stroking as he looked down at her rounded belly.

“...your name…” He began stiffly, “is…Lesha.”

Leah couldn’t help laughing, and reached to wrap her arms around him. It defied all logic that such a big man could be so adorable. She rubbed her face against his chest.

“But Kurkans do not inherit the throne,” she mused as they lay together. The heir to the Kurkan throne would be determined by power, but Ishakan had already considered how their baby’s name would sound with the royal Kan.

Ishakan smiled.

“You should not worry. This is our child.” He was as convinced as if all of this was predestined. Ishakan kissed her forehead. “You already know that our child will be very brave.”

Leah thought of the little wolf she had seen in her dreams, and how enormous it grew when it howled.

“You’re right…” She murmured. Whether the cub was a boy or a girl, it would surely inherit the throne. Leah laid her hand gently on Ishakan’s, still caressing her belly. She fell asleep imagining the three of them together.

It was a peaceful sleep where even nightmares would not dare to approach her.

***

For the past few days, the capital of Estia had been bright and sunny, and the sky was clear today, without a single cloud. With the midday sun streaming through the window, Leah was carefully inspecting a document. – Posted only on NovelUtopia

She studied it for a long time before she picked up her quill to sign it. The black words were stark, engraved against the white paper.

[Leah De Estia.]

After she had signed, she set her quill aside and read the document again. She had already read it many times, but it was worth rereading. Lifting her eyes, she motioned to Ishakan, who was standing in front of her desk.

Ishakan snatched up the delicately patterned quill. It was a quill Leah often used, but it looked so fragile in his hand, as if it might snap in two at any moment.

“Here?”

Leah nodded, and he scrawled his name next to her signature.

[Ishakan.]

Though his script had improved, it was still a little rough. Leah beamed as she lifted the marriage certificate, now complete with both their signatures.

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