Leriana felt it before she understood it.
It was a gentle, almost imperceptible tremor that ran through the ground beneath her feet like a sigh held in for too long. It wasn’t full healing, it wasn’t true relief... but it wasn’t agony either. The constant pressure that had been in her chest for weeks eased slightly, just enough for her to breathe more easily.
She reflexively placed a hand on her belly.
The child responded with a slow movement, as if he too had noticed the change.
“What…?” she whispered.
She didn’t wait any longer.
Fear pierced her with renewed strength and Leriana ran out of the room she was in, lifting the hem of her dress without worrying about etiquette or propriety or the surprised looks of the servants. Her footsteps echoed in the stone corridors as the pulse of
