“Relkir? Are you alright? We have hardly spoken!”
Relkir wanted to pick up their pace, to get back to their office, finish work and leave as soon as possible, but the person that had just called out to them was the High General and also Relkir’s sibling. It was rude to ignore them. So Relkir reluctantly slowed down and allowed the High General to catch up.
“Relkir? What is wrong? You keep on taking time off work, and Gath is signed off for a month. Is everything alright at home?”
“Um…” Relkir frowned, looking around. There were others present. Not just Rethais. Their four body guards were watching on. “I… I will tell you, but in private.”
Rethais also glanced around, back at their guards. “Very well. Please may you come with me?”
“Yes…”
Rethais headed back the way they came, and Relkir reluctantly followed. Rethais’s head guard knocked on doors as they passed, until they found an empty room. Rethais and Relkir both stepped inside, and the guards closed the door behind them. Inside the room was just a table and some chairs, and Rethais quickly sat themselves down. Relkir hesitated, then did the same.
“So, Relkir, what is going on?”
Relkir sighed, looking away as if they were embarrassed.
“Relkir, I am not angry. I am concerned. You have not been right at all. I just want to know what is going on.”
More sighs. But Relkir relented and opened their mouth. Rethais meant no harm.
“I… I… I got Gath egg-ridden.”
Rethais blinked, and didn’t respond for an awkwardly long time. But after a while, Rethais’s blinking stopped and they grinned.
“Congratulations! Am I going to be a theia again?”
Relkir nodded. “You will be a theia, yes.”
“Can… can I be their guardian?” Rethais asked. “You never had a guardian for little Litty when you adopted them, but Litty does not need one. I would like to be the guardian for your next kid.”
“Well… I can discuss it with Gath… Admittedly, I have far larger worries on my mind. All I have done is worry and stress.”
Rethais inspected Relkir some more, then frowned. “Are you upset that you are not egg-ridden?”
“Yes, a little. But I am more scared than anything else. Scared for Gath. Gath is not the healthiest or most stable person around. And being egg-ridden adds so much stress and worry onto someone who is already not in the best spot. I… I…” Relkir trailed off, then sniffed. They were hiding tears. “I am scared that, in getting Gath egg-ridden, I… I have doomed them.”
“Doomed them?” Rethais exclaimed. “That is nonsense! You two were trying for a kid, it is going to be stressful no matter what, and Gath is not that disastrously unhealthy that they are going to have a kid and then explode. I am certain Gath is probably insanely happy that they are egg-ridden, it must be a dream come true after all they have been through! And they are probably thinking along similar lines to you. They are glad they are egg-ridden because they are saving you a lot of stress.”
“I… I guess…”
Rethais inspected Relkir some more. Relkir’s lack of a response suggested that there was more at play here.
“Why are you so down? You are not normally so pessimistic.”
Relkir sighed yet again. “It is because… You remember when our damned egg-layer threatened me while I was in Palaestra?”
“Yes. You hurt them and made them flee.”
“Well… you know I was also not alone either, yes? I was approached by the Oath Keeper.”
“And?”
“And…” Relkir sniffed. “The Oath Keeper suggested that things… might not go as well, if Gath was the mother.”
“Alright but… but…” Rethais thought for a moment. “There is a large difference between “not going as well” and “going bad” for someone. Things may be rough for Gath, but there is nothing saying that things will definitely be bad for Gath. Plus, well, think about things from Gath’s point of view. They probably wanted this way more than they let on.”
“I am going against the advice of the god I worship.”
“Yes but, no offence, the entire universe changed and the Oath Keeper is dead. And the Oath Keeper could not see into the future, otherwise… they would not be dead. I honestly wonder if you are overthinking things, and thus making yourself stressed.”
Relkir grunted. “I probably am. But I love Gath dearly, and I do not know what I would do if something were to happen to them. And I would be heartbroken if Gath was hurt because of my direct actions.”
“You do not think Gath feels the same way? Gath would murder many in order to keep you safe. But also, you really are overthinking things. We live in modern times. Gath has a doctor on call. Laying an egg is so much safer than it was ten years ago, let alone the thirty years ago the last time Gath tried. Things will be fine. And, as a theia for the second time, I will make sure of it as well. Understood?”
Relkir sighed, then relented. “You are right.”
“Of course I am right. I am the High General!” Rethais proclaimed. “Either way, I take it you have not told many people yet.”
“I have not, no. Only Gath’s parents and Litvir. And you now, I guess.”
“Are you planning on telling others?”
“Not really. I am mostly leaving it up to Gath.”
“I see… May I tell Lysar? And also…” Rethais trailed off briefly. “Have you… have you told Retvik?”
Relkir’s eyes widened. “I… I have not. Should I?”
“You should. I know Retvik is… so vastly far away, but they would appreciate knowing that you and Gath are happy and expecting.”
Relkir found themselves nodding in agreement. “I will tell Retvik.”
“Good. In the mean time, I assume Gath does not want to come around to my place for dinner, but… may Lysar and I come over? We can bring takeaway food and non-alcoholic drinks.”
“I would have to speak to Gath, but I am sure Gath will be fine with it!” Relkir started smiling now. “Thank you for calming me down, Rethais.”
Rethais put an arm around Relkir. “No worries, little sibling. Anything for you…”