5. Arthur

Chapter 5

Arthur

" H ow is he doing?" I looked at Father, Dad, and William where they were sitting in the outer room of the small house I now shared with Patrick.

"He's sleeping. I think the little bit of tea and soda bread he was able to keep down helped tremendously. I cannot believe that I didn't think about the possibility of him being pregnant before now. He has been ill for a few days, and I was under the impression he'd eaten something that didn't agree with him."

William smiled. "In a way, that is the case. But it was caused by the baby, not the food making his stomach ill. I wasn't able to get a read on the baby, I do apologize. I can try another time, but if Patrick is uncomfortable with magic being used around him, I'm not sure how well that will go."

"Did you not tell him?" I asked Father.

He shook his head. "It wasn't our story to share. I am more than happy to let the others in the coven know what Patrick has gone through, what he's faced at the hands of his parents, but not without first getting your permission."

"I appreciate that. I know Patrick won't have issue with you sharing with others what he's been put through. He and I were actually talking about it just moments ago with regards to how he reacted toward William." I looked at my friend and smiled. "He wants you to know that he didn't mean anything negative against you. His father often used magic to inflict pain when Patrick didn't do as he or his mother wished."

William looked to Father. "That isn't what we were gifted magical abilities for."

"No, it isn't. Patrick tried to leave twice. The first time wasn't too terrible for him, but the second time, from what I saw in Patrick's memories, I'm surprised Henry didn't end up killing his son. Patrick wasn't able to get up for a few days, and when they tried to forcefully make him, he crumpled into a heap on the floor. They left him there without coming back to check on him." I looked at Father. "I hope he suffered greatly because he of all people deserved what he did to his son inflicted back onto him tenfold."

"He suffered. As did Agnes. It is never a joyous occasion to have to deal with such a thing, but it is my responsibility over anyone else's."

I felt for my father. I knew that on some level, it hurt him physically if and when he had to deal with others in the manner he did with Henry and Agnes. He has always said the pain was fleeting, but it was his pain to bear. I wasn't sure if I necessarily believed that, but I wasn't going to argue with him.

"Knowing that, it is completely understandable that Patrick reacted the way he did. I feel terrible for not speaking to him before I attempted to check on the baby," William said. "Obviously, I knew him from before, but knowing that he was put through all of that, I feel absolutely terrible for him."

I gave my friend a small nod. "I know you wouldn't ever hurt him, and deep down, so does Patrick. I'm sure that after he wakes, he will be more than willing to give it another attempt. I know he feels terrible about how he reacted."

"I don't hold anything against him. Please let him know that I'm not upset, nor do I have any ill feelings toward him." William stood. "I'll return later this evening to check on him. If he cannot keep anything down, even with the tea, we might need to look into alternative methods to ensure he is getting enough nourishment. It's always amazing what others must go through in order to bring new life into this world." William looked toward my parents. "I'll take my leave now but won't be far."

Father nodded, and with that, William left, quietly closing the door behind him. I glanced toward the back room but knew Patrick was still asleep. He wasn't resting deeply, but he was getting respite, and that was more than enough for me.

"I wanted to discuss Patrick's projected due date," Father said. I nodded. I'd obviously not given it any thought, but I hadn't even considered he was pregnant and was simply ill with sour food. "Going off of Frederick and Oliver's pregnancies, which were different timelines than my own, I would believe we should expect the baby would be here the end of April or beginning of May."

"So, late spring. I honestly haven't thought about it at all, and I feel terrible about that. I should have considered it a very real possibility, but it honestly never crossed my mind." I was obviously upset with myself about that. Patrick didn't have sickness from spoiled food. He was pregnant, and his body wasn't happy about that.

"'Tis new. Next time around, ye will think about that first," Dad said. I grinned. He was most likely correct. I had been so wrapped up in Patrick and taking care of him, but I'd not thought about the obvious. What happened once fated mates found and claimed one another? They had children. The coven had grown considerably over the years by those very means. Yet, I'd not even consciously considered it as the reason for Patrick not being well.

"I have no doubt you are right," I told Dad.

"We will leave you to see to Patrick," Father said as he stood, Dad standing with him.

"Don't feel as if you need to run off," I told them.

"Not at all. We are going to go fix something that Patrick might be able to stomach. I would also like to try and adjust the tea if at all possible. I feel for Patrick and his reaction to it."

I did as well but wasn't all that surprised. Patrick had tried to drink it entirely too quickly. "I'll let you know if he's feeling poorly later." I winced about the thought of Patrick having to drink that horrid-smelling brew again. I already knew that he would, even if it wasn't today but tomorrow and beyond. But he was currently sleeping, and I had to believe that the tea, at least in part, played a bit of a role in allowing him the ability to rest as he was.

"We won't be far if you need us," Father said. With that, he and Dad left. I took a deep breath and looked around the place I'd called home for the past several years. Some still lived in the main inn house, but others like myself had decided to move out into smaller places that were scattered around the inn.

We were warlocks and could easily use magic to build ourselves much grander places, but we had to be careful when using magic for such things. Now that I had Patrick and the child he carried to think about though, I was wondering if it was time to add another small room.

I stood from the table and quietly moved into our bedchamber. An entire side of the room was taken up by the tub. It was something that I enjoyed immensely, as did the others in our coven. I moved to the wall where the tub was. I wasn't sure if there was anyone outside of the building, so I needed to go out and check that before doing what I had planned.

After glancing at Patrick, I left the house and walked around the outside, coming to stand in the area I planned on expanding. There was nothing there except for the grass and a few smaller bushes. I wasn't worried about those though. I simply didn't want to magick an expansion of our place onto one of the coven members. With the area clear, I walked a distance away before turning back to face the house. With a thought, I had a nice-sized extension on the back of what was our bedchamber. Happy with the result and how the new addition matched the exterior of the current place, I used a bit more magic and popped back into the house.

When I strode into the bedchamber, Patrick had rolled over but was still sleeping, albeit fitfully. I was running out of time to have this finished before he woke, so I used a bit more magic and had a doorway placed in the center of the wall behind the tub. After that, the tub and pot were transported into the new room. Sure, we could use the new room for the baby, but I already knew that Patrick would be more comfortable with keeping our son here in the bedchamber with us. So for me, it made more sense to have the tub, pot, and washbasin in the other room.

I got everything organized like I wanted and added a few smaller pieces of furniture to hold clothes and various oils and soap. Pegs on the wall to hold clothing, and the room seemed like a perfect addition. I had just walked back into the bedchamber when Patrick groaned. I was immediately at his side, waiting to see what he would need from me, if anything. When those brilliant blue eyes peeked up at me, I smiled. I never thought I would love someone as much as I did Patrick, but I was completely and hopelessly in love with him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty."

I nodded. "Would you like some tea?"

Patrick's nose wrinkled. "I don't think I can deal with more tea just yet."

I grinned. "Understandable, but I was referring to the one that didn't smell of something long past. We have other tea that Father has brought back from his travels. It's quite delicious, in fact. Or perhaps you would care for something else?"

"That would be nice. Is there perhaps more bread?"

"Of course. Would you like something else? Eggs? Cheese? Meats?"

Patrick seemed thoughtful for a moment before responding. "Is there porridge?"

I wanted to argue that he needed something more substantial but held my tongue. "Of course. Is that what you would like?"

Patrick's cheeks turned pink, and he looked down at his lap. "Yes, please. If there are some berries as well, that could maybe add to it. I know you worry about me not getting enough to eat. I'm trying though."

"There are berries." I grinned. "Do you need to use the pot? I can help you."

"I can maaa—" Patrick looked around the room. "Umm, I know that doorway wasn't there just a bit ago. Please tell me I'm not imagining it." Patrick's eyes rounded a bit. "The tub is gone. Where did it go?" Patrick looked at me, his face utterly adorable in his confusion.

"Through the doorway. Along with the pitcher and basin, as well as the pot. Would you like to see?" I held out my hand for Patrick to help him out of the bed. I knew he was perfectly capable, but the need to care for him was strong. He was not only my One but was carrying our son. I would be doting on him no matter what, but he was most likely going to become tired of me before the pregnancy ended.

Patrick took my hand, and after I helped him off the bed, I led him to the new room. "Oh, this is wonderful," he said. "It's nicer than the one that was in the hallway upstairs at the tavern."

"It's still very basic. But we can add more things to it. And later, after the baby gets bigger, we can add another room for him or other children if you wish." I knew it wasn't common for people to have a separate room for their children, but we weren't normal people. We had the ability to add on to our houses with a thought. Providing for our families wouldn't ever be an issue for us, even if we were to have a harsh season.

"No, this is nice," Patrick said again. "Maybe add the basket for washing, but otherwise, this is so much more than anything I've ever seen. Not that I have a whole lot of experience. But to have our very own personal bath chamber is something I've never had and never really thought I would."

"We can have more, you know that. We have to be cautious when using our magic, but Father has no issues with us using our magic to make life more comfortable. That is how we have so many items that aren't anywhere else. Father and Dad still travel and bring things back. But that's not…you weren't asking about that. I was simply hoping to explain that it's truly no issue to provide this for you."

Patrick nodded. His smile faded, and I already knew he was thinking about his parents before he even started talking. "We struggled so much. Well, I did. I have my magic, but I'm not nearly as powerful as your family is, which is expected." Patrick met my gaze. "I wasn't allowed to use my magic, and my father only used his to inflict pain or to benefit him and Mother."

I was of a mind that Henry and Agnes couldn't have suffered nearly enough for the pain they put their son through. I reached out and touched Patrick on the shoulder. "You are young still. There is plenty of time for you to learn more about your magic. To get used to it, strengthen the abilities, and learn completely how to control it. Father has always said that it is not expected that we know how to fully use our magic until at least the fifth decade." I shrugged. "Even I struggled some until well past then."

Patrick gave me a look. "How long after? Because when I met you, you were already just as powerful as Master Edison."

I leaned down and kissed Patrick on the nose. "I'm a bit older than you, my love. It's to be expected that I have more experience with using my magic. We will work with you on yours. It's still early, too early, for you to be expected to be able to do everything with complete ease." It was one of the things I was very much looking forward to doing with Patrick. I wanted to help him with his magic. I wanted to be there for him in every way. If he was willing, that was.

"I would like to learn more about my magic. I can do simple things, but that's about it." Patrick sighed. "Not much more than what I learned while we lived here when I was younger."

I nodded. "We will be sure to get you back into the routine of things." I rubbed up and down Patrick's arm gently. "Once you're feeling better, that is. I'll leave you be in here to take care of any business you might have, and I'll go get something for you to eat. I'll be back from the main kitchen in just a little while."

Patrick nodded. I leaned in and kissed him again, wanting to keep things short at the moment because when it came to Patrick, I wanted to simply spend all of our time together in bed. But he was feeling poorly, and that meant I needed to put my desires aside and go see to his other needs. He needed nourishment. That meant going to the main kitchen to see what was available. It wasn't a long walk and would only take moments, but part of me kept saying that I needed to be sure I was with Patrick and not elsewhere. I knew he would be all right though. We had our bond, and if he so much as called out, I would be back to him in a blink.

I noticed William as I left the house, and when he immediately started my way, I smiled. He was obviously older than I was and had actually delivered me and my brother, George, but I considered William a good friend.

"Is everything all right with Patrick?"

My smile grew. "Yes. He is taking care of personal needs in the bathing chamber. But I'm getting him something to eat and some tea." I shook my head. "The non-horrid kind."

William chuckled. "I can't say I blame him for not wanting it again. I am still unsure how it is that your father keeps the stuff down. Or Oliver, for that matter." William gestured toward the main house, and I started walking again. "I wanted to ask something a bit more personal, if that is all right."

"Of course. Does it pertain to Patrick?"

William nodded. "From his reaction earlier, it is obvious that he suffered at the hands of his father and, most likely, mother. Is he all right?"

I glanced at William as we continued to the inn. "He is. He has talked briefly about his parents, but right after we claimed one another, he had a fertile period. There was almost no talking that next week. We've discussed them a bit since, but he's not really wanted to relive his time with them."

"Understandable. Are there marks on him? Did they cause permanent damage?"

I thought about it a moment before shaking my head. "No. The only mark on him is my claiming mark now. Henry, at least, was decent enough to not cause anything too physically permanent. Mentally, the pain will be remembered."

"Yes. It can be difficult to work through things. Especially when it's someone we care for deeply."

I nodded, knowing that William wasn't talking about only Patrick. I knew that even after all of this time, he still missed his first wife and the child they'd lost.

"Oliver made fresh bread a bit ago," William said, changing the subject. "You should grab a loaf for the two of you. And be sure to get some of the fruit and nuts. Reginald just returned this morning from his travels and brought some delicious fruits and nuts."

"I'll do that. Patrick has asked for porridge." I winced. It wasn't necessarily my favorite, but it was filling, and if that was what my One wanted, that was what I would get for him.

"Just suggest he eat a little. It can sit heavy in the stomach if it's upset. But I agree with what is probably his idea. It is bland and will be good for him. Just not too much."

I nodded. "Will do. Please feel free to stop by later. Patrick feels wretched about how he reacted earlier."

"I'll be sure to stop by after our evening meal," William said. "I won't keep you as I know you want to get back to your One."

William gave a smile before he walked off to the left. I stared after him for a moment before continuing on into the kitchen of the main house. When I entered, I was met with the various scents of foods being cooked as well as baked. The happy laughter that was also there brought another smile to my face.