Chapter 61: Distant Past

A young woman stood in the middle of the room, her face contorted from trying to rein in her emotions. Her once beautiful face and elegant demeanor seemed like an illusion now.

"All I asked when I married you was your love and loyalty. I did not care about your wealth or status. Aren't those the same things you promised to my deceased parents? How could you do this to me?! How could you?!" She winced and placed an arm to support the bump on her belly.

"Tamara, please, I beg you to calm down. It might affect our child," the man cried and pleaded. He was at his prime. A young man who was known for his wisdom in the court and fierceness on the battlefield. His enemies trembled upon hearing his name. But, at this moment, he was anything but scary. His face wretched in agony, mirroring the face of his wife.

"My baby. This is my baby, Alfred. You have your child with your woman."

"That's not mine!"

Tamara's eyes widened. "You dare say that! You dare rob a child his or her future."

"So is our child, Tamara. Our child deserves a father. I am his or her father. I want to be. Let me be."

"This child... you don't deserve to be a father." Tamara clutched at her belly protectively.

They both quieted down, just staring at each other, wondering how and when things went wrong. They were in love, so in love, that nothing could come between them. Until this.

Alfred approached with tentative steps, his gait staggering as though trying the best way to salvage his family.

"Believe me, that you are the only one I love and want to be the mother of my children. She... what was between us was in the past."

Tamara snorted and took two steps back, away from the man who was breaking her into pieces. "You were once betrothed. What, did your feelings ignite when you meet again, enough to warrant a child out of wedlock?"

"Tamara, please."

"No, please Alfred. I can't be your wife anymore. I'm not that magnanimous. You betrayed my trust. I'll do my responsibilities in public and that's it." Without hearing her husband's answer, Tamara left the room.

+++++++++++++

After three months since that night, a child's wail echoed in the room. But instead of being irritated, Tamara looked at it, her heart full of love.

"If only your father had been here..."She whispered. It would be a lie to say that she did not miss her husband. She missed him. A lot. So much. That a single second not with him broke her heart all over again. But she could not go back to her words either.

One of her lady-in-the-waiting spoke, "It seems like Lady Rosalind has given birth too."

"Hush!" Yolly growled. She had been serving Tamara since childhood. Her friend and ally in this foreign land.

"Now, now. This is a beautiful day. Let's not spoil it." Tamara lightly touched the face of her baby.

"What would you name your son?" Yolly inquired.

Tamara stared lovingly, "I would name you—-"

And the child smiled, halting all thoughts from Tamara's head. For once, in the longest time, the world righted itself.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"My lady! Please let us just go!"

"Someone save my child!" Tamara gripped someone's sleeve. "Save my child. Please!"

The fire was too strong, but Tamara did not care. She did not care about burning herself if it meant saving her child. She tried going back but everyone seemed to want to keep her from her son.

With flurries of movements, the fire ended. Tamara stared at her old pavilion, now charred to black. A piece of the door crumbled, just like her heart and soul. Her world in shambles.

Her child was gone.

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