Death Is My Friend with Benefits (Book Four - WA Winner 2013)

Chapter 11: Princess Flower

Why hello. ;)

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"How dare you speak to me like that. We will both love this babe no matter what the gender," a soft, feminine voice caressed my ears in Latin. It was still odd that I could now understand the Old Language because I was a reaper.

I slowly opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. It was a decently sized room with hand crafted chairs and a large bed. A woman in a golden nightgown and long, wavy blond hair gazed out a single large window of the cabin and vigorously shut the curtains. A man sat on the bed that lay against a wall, steadily watching her. The man wore a long sleeved shirt rolled up at the forearms that stretched along his sinewy back muscles as he slowly leaned forward, putting his head in his hands.

I cautiously stepped around the room, realizing that they could not see me. Was this a dream? Surely it was too real to be a dream. I peered around the bed to confirm my assumptions that the man on the bed was in fact Alexandru Cruscellio, Death before he was changed into an angel. Which meant that the woman in the room had to be Annona.

"I am only saying that my father will take the news much better if it is a boy," Alexandru explained in his smooth voice. Hmph. Maybe his voice was always sexy after all. "Perhaps...he will understand why we have been together in secret--"

"Your father must never know!" Annona turned around sharply, the small swell of her stomach and piercing blue eyes startling me. "If we tell him about the babe at all he will kill it. Do you understand me? He will kill it. Your father is ruthless."

Alexandru started to get up. "Malphas is ruthless. But I don't believe he is that ruthless--"

"Yes, he is. He has lain dozens of females in the village, most of which have lost their minds. Do you think that is a coincidence? His charm is poison. He hurts you and you are blind. I have seen the bruises, the pain in your eyes. I wished to never meet your father. Seeing him the other day... I'm afraid."

Alexandru's mouth fell in a flat line. He slowly sat back down on the bed, rubbing his hands along his dark pants. "You know those incidents of the insane have never been trailed back to my father, Annona--"

"You are a fool, Alexandru. A damn fool." Annona walked back to the window and peered out between the curtains. "And I will love this babe if it is a girl. If you do not love it as I will, then....I will leave you. My child can survive its mothers love just like I did--"

"Of course I will love the babe if it is a girl. You know that I have always wanted a girl," he said crossing the room to her in a matter of seconds. "I--I am only worried what will happen once Malphas knows what we have done." As Alexandru stood behind Annona, she didn't even spare him a glance nor pushed him away as he cradled her from behind and kissed her cheek. She just stared at the window, tears filling her light blue eyes as they grew heated.

"What we have done?" Annona turned around, her delicate face frowning. She pushed past him until she was standing stagnant in the middle room. "We haven't done anything bad, Alexandru. We have cared for one another. We have made love. We have been given a gift from God and we both should be thankful for." She clutched at her stomach as if she was fearful her swell would disappear. "A small, innocent angel lives inside of me and it is a babe that the Heavens will determine will be a handsome boy or a beautiful girl. I will love this child unconditionally as I already do. I wish you would do the same."