Shilo's New World

Chapter 9

The next day, Shilo paced the length of the library, worry written all over her face. "He's coming here?! No. No just no he can't be!" She nearly shouted. Shilo was growing more frantic by the minute as her pacing picked up. Rowan began to worry about her stress levels as she moved each step bringing him closer and closer to his own panic attack.

Rowan stood up and strode over to her stopping her in her tracks. He began to rub her shoulders lightly as he tried to steer her into a nearby chair to sit.

"Shilo why does it bother you so much that your father is coming?" Caspian asked as gently as he could. He knew that the two of them didn't have the best of relationships but he couldn't figure out what had her so on edge.

She popped up out of her chair to start pacing again but Rowan stopped her and pulled her back into the seat. "He'll completely lose his shit! That's why!" Shilo had to make them understand why her father could not come. "He'll start a war! He'd..." She looked down at her belly, tears filled her eyes. She didn't want to say it out loud but she had to. "He'd kill our baby! He doesn't approve of interbreeding...he'd call it a half-breed and have our baby killed!" Tears were streaming down her cheeks now as she sobbed openly.

Rowan knelt by her side and wrapped her into a hug. "Shh...Shy I wouldn't let that happen. He won't find out about the pregnancy." Rowan whispered to Shilo as he stroked her arms gently to let her know that it would be okay. He lifted one of her hands and kissed the back of it. His physical contact calming her down a touch.

Caspian looked over to Shilo an idea forming in his head. "He believes us to be married. So we will pretend that we are while he is here. We will not tell him about the baby unless he finds out himself. Unfortunately, that means you'll be sleeping in my room for a few nights."

Rowan shot a look at the King, daggers in his stare as he didn't want Shilo anywhere near the King and his bed.

Caspian shot his own look back. "I won't touch her, what kind of friend do you think I am? She can have my bed and I will sleep in the adjoining room, that way we give off the appearance of being a married couple."

Rowan backed off a bit but still didn't like the thought. He scooped Shilo up and sat down with her in his lap so that he could make her feel better.

She smiled for a moment as he nuzzled her neck, his fingers lightly stroking her belly. He was a good man.

"How long do we have until he arrives?" Shilo asked reluctantly.

Caspian sighed and rubbed his temple. "Three days.."

Shilo put her hands over her belly and began to rub absently as she nodded lightly.

Rowan buried his nose into her hair and kissed the side of her face. "Shh...you'll stress out the baby." He whispered into her ear before giving her another soft kiss.

This lightened her mood just enough to calm down for the moment. She still couldn't shake the thought that things would go very badly over the next few days.

That night Shilo tossed and turned in bed, causing Rowan great discomfort. Every time he'd begin to drift off to sleep, she'd roll over, or move her pillow or sit up and pull the blankets. Finally having enough of it he rolled over, wrapping her in his arms to where she couldn't move anymore.

"Stop worrying about it. There isn't anything we can do to stop this visit....we just have to hold our tongues and play our parts." He sighed then stroked her cheek gently. "I love you Shilo, more than anything in the universe. I'm not going to let your father get to me and come between us. We will survive this." He smiled softly at her. "He'll be gone before we know it."

"But Rowan you don't know what he's capable of. He'll try to get you to react and he will try to hurt you. To hurt us." She sniffled back a tear. "He'll dig into you like a wolf on a piece of meat..." Her body shuddered with her voice as she hiccuped.

Rowan pulled her closer, careful of her belly. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I can take it. I'm trained to do so. You need not worry about me."

"But what if I can't take the mean things he says about you?" She sniffled again, the tears seemed to flow forever.

"I'll be there for you...and so will Caspian. After your father goes to bed I'll come and see you every night, just to tell you that I love you before you go to sleep. And I'll be there every morning to wake you up."

Shilo started to smile as her tears slowed. "I'd like that."

He smiled at her. "Yeah? You'd like that?" He nuzzled her face with his, earning himself a few giggles.

"I love you Rowan..." She said softly as she ran a hand up his cheek. He leaned into her touch as she pressed forward, pushing her lips into his.

"I love you too Shilo." He whispered.