Chapter 61

A few days later, Wilhelm told Anna he wanted to take her to the Schloss . She heard Kurt and Wilhelm arguing in Wilhelm’s office before they left. She didn’t know what was said because they were speaking—shouting—in German, but she could tell by his tone that Kurt was very angry.

Anna waited in the sitting room near the office and looked up when the door opened. Kurt’s face was red and he glared at his father. He stopped short when he saw Anna and his eyes softened. “I am sorry you had to hear that, Engel .” He leaned down and kissed her on the temple. “I will see you tonight.” He turned and frowned at Wilhelm, and then quickly made his way up the circular staircase to the third floor.

Wilhelm watched Kurt with a sad expression. She stood and walked to him. “Is everything okay?”

Wilhelm absently stroked her hair. “ Ja , Liebling . I told him he could not come and he became angry. He accused me of not trusting him and thinking less of him than I thought of Alex.” Wilhelm looked at her. “It is not true. I think him very capable. He has worked so hard these last few years. I am so proud of him.” He flinched, and Anna imagined he was thinking about Alex.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he hugged her. “I know you are. I can see it. He knows it too.” She leaned her head against his chest. “Why can’t he come along?”

“Because it is a matter for Elders. If Alex were here... well, he would not be allowed either.” Wilhelm sighed. He stared into nothing for a few moments and then shook his head. “We must go. They will be waiting.”

Anna was taken to a room to prepare when she arrived. Her hair was brushed and she was given a simple white silk gown to wear. She looked down and noticed her breasts looked fuller. Or was it just her imagination? It was almost as if—No. She hadn’t been with Kaveh and she’d been apart from Devin for almost a month. She rubbed her face and drew her knees to her chest. What was going on? She couldn’t be pregnant. Who would have...

She gasped as her mind drifted back to the last time she’d been with Wilhelm. After he had disciplined her, they’d had a very, very passionate lovemaking session. He had told her years ago that a pregnancy could happen if she was particularly emotionally attached. She had felt Wilhelm and herself floating together... becoming one body. Had she inadvertently opened herself up to get pregnant? Oh! What would Wilhelm say? What would Ilsa say? What would Kurt say? Oh, God! Devin would be furious!

But she hadn’t meant to do it. It had just happened. She?—

“Mistress?”

Anna jumped at the sound of a male voice. She looked up to see an Immortal standing in the doorway. She couldn’t remember his name, but he had been with Sebastian the night before her wedding to Alex.

“I am Gavin.” The Immortal spoke in a deep, resonating voice and wore a gentle smile on his face. He had no accent, which surprised Anna. “I will take you to the Elders.”

Anna stood nervously and smoothed her dress, conscious of how her breasts strained against the fabric.

Gavin’s eyes flickered down her body briefly and he smiled when he looked back at her face. “You are with child?”

“H-how did you know?” She crossed her arms across her stomach, which was still as flat as it normally was.

Gavin smiled. “We Immortals can discern the subtle changes. And you look as you did when you married Alex, though you are not as far along. A few weeks maybe.”

Anna clasped her hands together as they shook, and she shook her head. “I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to!”

“Fear not, Mistress. No one would be upset here. They are not your other Master.” Gavin motioned to the hallway and Anna followed him out of the room.

She stared at the floor as she followed the Immortal through the Schloss . An Immortal wouldn’t gain anything by lying to her—were they even allowed to lie?—but she still didn’t believe anyone would be happy with it.

Gavin led her to the same chamber where her marriage to Alex had been confirmed and consummated. She glanced over at the fireplace as she stepped into the room where she and Alex had become one person. She remembered the warmth of the flames and the joy she’d felt being with him.

The fireplace was cold and dark now. Like her future with Devin.

She blinked away tears and lowered her gaze back to the floor, following Gavin to the center of the room. When Gavin stopped, she subtly glanced up to see all seven of the German Elders in front of her. She dropped to her knees and bowed. What had she done wrong to bring them all together?

“You may sit up, Anna,” Wilhelm said after just a few seconds.

Anna sat up and stared at the floor, her hands resting lightly on her thighs. She was too ashamed to look at Wilhelm.

“Anna, we have gathered here today to speak with you about your dreams.”

Anna looked up as her jaw dropped. “My dreams?” She clapped her hand over her mouth. She’d spoken without being given permission. Frightened tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at Wilhelm, her heart pounding so hard she could hardly see.

Wilhelm smiled tenderly at her. “You may speak freely here, Anna.” He glanced around at the other Elders. They all nodded, gentle expressions on their face. “And be at ease. We just ask that you be respectful.”

“Yes, mein Herr ,” she said softly, looking back at the floor.

Wilhelm reminded Anna of the names of the other Elders: Edwin of Bavaria, Gerhard of Saxony, Justin of Berlin, Juergen of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hansjoerg of Lower Saxony, and Oswin of Hamburg. She had “met” them all before she’d married Alex, but hadn’t spent much time with them.

“How long have you been having dreams about Alex?” Wilhelm asked.

“Since I was twelve.” She spoke to the floor.

“Please look at who is addressing you, Anna,” Wilhelm rebuked lightly.

She looked up, her face burning. “Yes, mein Herr .”

“And they began after your parents died?”

Anna nodded. “Yes, mein Herr. ”

“Tell us about them,” Hansjoerg said.

Anna told them about seeing Wilhelm and Alex fighting, and then appearing in Alex’s room. The memories were sad, but not as painful as they had been.

“And this is really what happened?” Hansjoerg asked Wilhelm.

Wilhelm nodded. “ Ja . Alex saw her a year later for the first time. We did not see her in my office, but...” He gave a wry smile. “It was a heated argument.”

“Did you have other dreams?” Edwin asked.

Anna nodded and told them about seeing Alex throughout the years, including a few days before they met in real life.

“Did you dream of him once you had met?” Oswin asked.

“A few times,” she said. “When he left to come back here, I dreamed of him, but they weren’t dreams. They were real. He called me after one because he was worried.” Anna swallowed back tears, unsure of how many more questions she could answer without starting to cry.

“And then you began to dream of him once... you learned he was dead?” Wilhelm asked in a very gentle voice.

Anna nodded. “I started dreaming of an empty room for several nights and then...” She looked at the floor. “I went home and... wasn’t in touch with reality for a while.”

The Elders continued questioning her and Anna tried her best to keep her composure. But when they started asking for more and more details about what Alex did and said in her dreams, she broke down and sobbed. A woman came in a few minutes later and took Anna back to her room to rest and eat lunch. She curled up on the bed after she ate and stared at the white lace curtains dancing in the breeze coming in through the open window. Her heart ached as she thought of Alex.

Wilhelm came in a while later and sat behind her on her bed, stroking her hip. “Are you alright, Anna?”

Anna rolled onto her back and looked at him. “I’m sorry, Wil—Master,” she said softly. “I tried not to cry.”

He nodded and smiled sadly. “I know, Anna. I know. It is alright.” He stroked her hair. “I know the questions are difficult, but they are necessary. We are not trying to hurt you. Do you understand that?”

She nodded. There was no sign of malice in any of their faces when they asked their questions. If anything, they looked incredibly sympathetic. “May I ask why you are asking?”

Wilhelm grimaced. “You may ask, but I do not have an answer to give you. Your dreams are... intriguing.” He sighed. “We just need to know about them. Does Devin know you dream of him?”

“No. I’ve never told him. He’s never asked.”

“ Gut .” Wilhelm looked pleased. “I would ask you to keep it that way.”

“Yes, Master.”

He studied her face carefully and then his eyes traveled down her body. She was reminded of her pregnancy. Should she tell him? He had a right to know, but would he be angry?

“Master?” she whispered.

“ Ja, mein Liebling? ”

“I—?” Anna bit her lip. Her stomach churned as she imagined his disappointment. “Do you... remember when we made love after you disciplined me?”

Wilhelm smiled. “Of course. It was wonderful.”

A brief smile fluttered across her face and then she bit her lip again. “Master, I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m so sorry!”

Wilhelm pulled her to a sitting position and held her close. “What are you apologizing for?”

She pulled away. “I—I did something and—?” She took in a shaky breath. “I’m pregnant.”

Wilhelm froze. “How do you know?”

“I’ve been pregnant enough to know my body, and Gavin confirmed it.” The tears rolled down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“I didn’t mean to, Master. But when we—I guess I did that trigger thing and—I mean, I think it’s yours.” She trembled. “Will Ilsa hate me?”

“Anna, you did nothing except what I asked you to do.”

“What?” She furrowed her brows. “What you asked me to do?”

“ Liebling , I made love to you with the intention of conceiving a child. Perhaps I should have spoken to you first, but I did not want Devin to think you complicit in the act.”

She stared at him, trying to fully understand his words.

“I know the time is approaching when Devin gets you pregnant. He hurts you and increases his powers through it. If you are already pregnant, he cannot fulfill his plans. It may weaken him enough to... to help.” He stroked her cheek. “It will also give me an heir to follow Kurt.”

“You know it’s a boy?” She stared at him as her heart lightened. He knew! He was the one who had done it! She was carrying his child and he wanted her to do so.

“There is a very high likelihood. Elders can... do that sort of thing in certain circumstances.”

“But what about Ilsa? Won’t she be angry?”

“She knows already. I told her when we returned home.”

Anna paused and looked at him, his beloved face that looked so much like Alex. And she would likely bear him a child that looked exactly like him. “Oh, Wilhelm!” She leaned forward into his arms.

He held her for a long time. “You and Kurt can marry and raise the child here, and he will become Elder after Kurt, as is proper.”

Anna shook her head. “I can’t marry Kurt,” she whispered. “Devin forbade me.”

“There are ways around that, Anna. Do not worry. We will find a way.”

Anna slumped into his arms and sighed. Wilhelm would take care of it. She could be sure of that.

“I promised I would look after you, Anna, and I will.”

“Does Kurt know?”

“ Ja , I told him after he told me what you said when he asked you to marry him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because the longer you did not know about it, the safer you would be from Devin. Your ignorance would keep him from learning about it. But...” He chuckled. “You are too smart.”

Anna giggled softly and Wilhelm hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, Liebling .”

“I love you, Wilhelm.”

They sat together for a few minutes in peaceful silence.

“Anna, will you do something for me?”

“Anything.”

“I want to induce a dream when we go back downstairs. Will you let me do that?”

“Why?” Her stomach churned at the idea of her dreams.

“I just... need to. Will you trust me?”

After a long moment, Anna nodded. “I trust you.”