Darian emerged from the room twenty minutes later, his usually composed face pulled tight with concern. The warm flare of phoenix magic faded behind him as he closed the door gently.
Lucian straightened instantly, "Well?" he demanded, voice taut.
Darian hesitated before speaking.
"My lord… before anything else, you should know… my lady is pregnant."
Lucian went still. He didn't flinch and gasp. He merely felt a cold, sinking confirmation settle into him like a weight in his gut.
Elyndra hadn't lied.
"Did you know, my lord?" Darian asked.
"No." Lucian's voice came out flat and hopeless. "I didn't."
Darian nodded, as if that answered several questions at once.
"I sensed the second flame immediately. Small, but present. Phoenix pregnancies carry a distinct resonance."
"But there is something else," Darian continued, the worry returning to his voice. "Something far more troubling."
Lucian's eyes narrowed. "Say it."
