Empress in Danger (Empress in Disguise Book 3) by Zoey Gong & Amanda Roberts

Author:Zoey Gong & Amanda Roberts [Gong, Zoey]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-08-09T16:00:00+00:00

18

The midwife’s face is grim as she speaks in low tones to Nuwa. Yanmei sits next to me, her arm around my shoulder.

“What’s wrong?” I demand. “What happened to my baby?”

When I saw the blood, I panicked. I screamed. I thought I was going to die just like Empress Caihong did. Nuwa immediately sent for a midwife while she and Yanmei did their best to calm me down.

“Your majesty,” the midwife, a middle-aged woman I have never met before, sits on the bed, facing me, and pats my hand. “There never was any baby.”

“What?” I ask, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Your maid tells me that you never had any signs of being pregnant other than the lack of your monthly bleed, is that correct?” “Umm…yes,” I say. “But Nuwa told me that not all women have symptoms. That it was normal.”

“Yes,” the midwife says. “It can be. But pregnancy is far more complicated than many people realize.”

I rub my temple. “What are you saying?”

“I don’t believe you were ever pregnant,” the midwife says.

“Then why am I bleeding?” I ask. “Am I not having a miscarriage?”

“Your monthly has merely returned,” she says. “It appears a little heavier than normal, considering the months that were missed. But you were never with child, your majesty. I’m sorry.”

I feel as if the breath has been knocked out of me. I suddenly feel as if something has been taken from me, something very precious. My child. My own dear wanted—needed—child is gone. And this horrible woman is saying that there never was any baby to begin with.

Part of me believes her, knows that she is right. But by the same token, she must be horribly wrong.

“No,” I say. “No, I don’t believe you. Why would I suddenly miss my monthly for so long? One month, yes, maybe. That is why we waited to tell his majesty—” My voice catches in my throat. Honghui. He is going to be so disappointed. Tears fill my eyes, and if I keep talking, I fear they will break free.

“Things such as this sometimes happen,” the midwife explains to me. “During times of great stress. Or have you started eating or drinking something new? Some foods or teas can cause a woman’s monthly to stop.”

“You have been very stressed ever since…she arrived,” Yanmei whispers to me.

“I’m always under stress,” I snap at her. “You don’t know my life!”

Yanmei leans back as if I might bite her and her eyes go big. She’s clearly hurt by my words, and I regret that, but if a little stress was enough to stop my monthly bleed, then I should have stopped having it a long time ago. No, that can’t be what happened. I had to have been pregnant.

“I’m sorry,” I force out. “But you must be wrong,” I say to the midwife. “I must have been pregnant. Or there must be something else wrong with me.”

“I checked the blood,” the midwife says. “There is no…no sign of a baby. And it is not still trapped inside.

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