Sairis's POV
Sairis frowned. "About what."
Ardent looked at him steadily. "About what has been happening to you," he said. "The symptoms. The dizziness, the fatigue, the sensitivity to smell. All of it."
He shifted slightly on the stool. "I want to talk about why those things have been happening."
Sairis looked at him. "All right," he said. "So what is wrong with me. Whatever it is, it can be treated with a herb or two, yes?"
Ardent was quiet for a moment. He looked at Sairis with an expression that was careful and direct and had something in it that Sairis could not immediately read.
Then he said, "You are not sick, Sairis."
Sairis waited.
"You are pregnant," Ardent said.
The room went very still.
Sairis stared at him. He stared at him for a long moment and then something moved through his face that started as pure shock and shifted into something else, something lighter, and then he laughed.
