**Adrianna's Point of View**

I woke up sick. I barely made it to the closest bathroom before I released the contents of my stomach into the toilet. I groaned and lifted a hand to my forehead. What was happening to me? I've never been this sick before. 

My wing was bandaged around the break, and I had received healing from some of the faeries, but Illyrian wings took longer to heal. We had been in Spring for a week and I had gotten many of the faerie servants to trust me. I just had to convince Tamlin.

I had learned the Priestess Ianthe was the one who had sold out Feyre's sisters and I had then relayed this information to her. She was giving off the ruse of being unable to read, a damsel in distress. I did no such thing. She asked for time alone and would paint in the gardens and greenhouses. She didn't sleep with Tamlin and insisted she needed her own room after "all that happened".

I stood up, my legs shaking, and walked over to the mirror, flushing away the vomit. I washed my face in the mirror and felt weird. I lowered a hand to my stomach and swallowed hard.

I wrapped a robe around myself and made my way through the halls to find a healing faerie. Why was I sick, just moments after waking up? I had a feeling I knew the answer, but I didn't want to think about it, or entertain the thought right now. It was the third time it had happened. Three days in a row, I woke up sick. And Azriel and I had done more that last night together than just talking and sleeping. A lot more.

No. This couldn't be happening.

I found a nurse and went up to her and said meekly, "I-I got sick again this morning."

She looked at me, her eyebrows raising. "You did? Come, dear, please. Sit."

I did as I was told and let myself begin to cry. "This can't be happening. You don't think I'm-"

"Sh-sh." She said soothingly, gently smoothing my hair from my face. "Now, Adrianna, you listen to me. Even if you are, there are ways to do away with it."

I recoiled. "No." I snarled. "If I am, I am. Nothing will be done to make it the opposite."

She nodded. "Alright, dear. Hush, now. I was merely asking because of what you went through up north. Usually you wouldn't start showing in the first week, but you are Illyrian. It could be different. Did you and the Spymaster...ever sleep together?"

I clenched my jaw. "Yes. Before we left for Hybern." I said softly.

"Alright. Just relax." She said. "Here, lay back for me." She said and I did as was told and she rested her hands on my stomach, pushing around certain places, then felt my breasts, then nodded slowly. "Yes...your body is undergoing the usual changes of pregnancy. Swelling breasts. Your uterus is swelling. Morning sickness. You had sex. I'd say you are most likely pregnant, my dear. No worries. Spring Court has the best wet nurses in all of Prythian. You'll be in good hands, Adrianna."

I offered a small smile, trying to hide my panic, and said, "O-Ok. Can we keep this between you and me, please? I don't want to spread the word. It is too early, after all..." I drifted off.

She nodded. "Of course, Adrianna. Of course. Your secret is safe with me."

I offered a strained smile and got up, tightening my robe around me and bowed my head and said I was going to sleep, but went to find Feyre instead. She was in her room, paining. I knocked and she called for me to come in, and I closed the door and locked it and she looked at me.

"Hey, Adrianna. Are you feeling any better?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No. I got sick again this morning. The nurse said my breasts were swelling and so was my uterus. I...she thinks I'm pregnant."

Feyre froze and looked at me, her silver-blue eyes widening in shock. "You and Az-"

"Yes." I said, my face going red to my ears. "It figures the one time we actually do the do, I get knocked up." I groaned and sank to the floor. "This is not good."

"Well, Azriel will be happy." Feyre said with a small smirk and I glared at her. "I know, not helpful." She set her paintbrush down and sat next to me and lifted her hand to my cheek. "Hey. It's going to be ok. Think of it this way; if people think you're pregnant, what cause would they have to think of you causing any trouble? The servants already like you, and it's only been a week. Let's just take this one challenge at a time. We will get through this." She then pulls me into a hug and I hugged her back tightly, my head pressed to her shoulder.

"I'm scared now, Feyre." I mumbled.

"It's alright. Listen. The faster we do this, the faster you can get back to him and tell him the good news."

I nodded. "Y-Yeah. You're right. You're right. We can do this."

******

Two weeks passed and Feyre had found me my first target. He slipped and fell over the Courtyard railing. I was sick in the bathroom at the time with morning sickness. He had foolishly made comments about Feyre behind her back, and was greeted that night with shadows and death.

The second one, I was caught, and I played it off as I was "doing my father's bidding" and "destroying Night Court spies". The idiots actually believed me.

Then, our plans were halted when Hybern sent his niece and nephew to spring. Brannagh and Dagdan, accompanied by Jurian to look at the "weaknesses of Prythian" and the Wall itself.

I had never seen the Wall, only been beyond it once.

The twins seemed to take great interest in me almost immediately, calling me "cousin" and wanting to learn everything there was about me. I merely smiled and replied with practiced and careful lies as I plotted how they would die here.

On one such occasion, Feyre went with Tamlin on some tax collecting thing. I couldn't remember. I sat in a sitting room with Lucien, Brannagh, Dagdan, and Jurian, told that I was to practice holding council. I was to be a big part in the war to come, apparently.

And I listened as my "cousins" told me all about their plans for the humans to the south and the rest of Prythian. Listened as they told me exactly how they planned to cripple the Wall- using the Cauldron to do it themselves. I avoided wine and drank water only, claiming I didn't drink wine. And I watched them carefully. I didn't eat anything or drink anything I didn't get for myself, suspicious of everyone around me.

When asked about it, I said that group dinners made me anxious. No one questioned me. Why would they? I was Hybern's heir. I was scary, I guess. Feyre thought it was funny how scared these people were of my. The notorious Shadow Warrior of the Ring was talked about a lot in the Spring Court, it would seem. And Spring Court made me stick out like a sore thumb.

It was harder to hide shadows streaming off of you in a land surrounded by sunlight and pretty colors.

"Adrianna. I haven't seen you drink a spot of wine since coming here." Dagdan said suddenly. "I supposed the rumors around the castle are true, then?"

"I don't listen to rumors." I said blandly and crossed my leg, my red skirts swishing around my ankles as I did so, adjusting my back as my wings flared slightly behind me. There were no chairs made for Illyrian wings here. "But what about me is being discussed that you find need to bring up to me, cousin?"

"That you're pregnant." Dagdan said. "That the father is that Spymaster bastard. That he raped you and you've been trying to keep it hidden. I can smell your pregnancy, Adrianna. Everyone can."

I raised an eyebrow, then swallowed hard. "Has anyone told you, Dagdan, that your manners are impeccably imbecilic?" He went to retort but I cut him off, swirling shadows around my fingers as I snarled, "You're an idiot. And being an idiot is often dangerous. Yes, I am pregnant, but I wasn't raped by the Spymaster. I had sex with the Spymaster. And I enjoyed it. I was, however, raped by the Illyrian camp I was a part of. I was often sent to find the idiots in the Night Court and kill them. It was my job, and I was good at it."

"Idle threats will not do you any good things, Adrianna. Remember that, and think of your unborn child next time you make one." Brannagh hissed, coming to her brother's defense.

I chuckled darkly. "If you even touch me or Feyre, I can assure you, there will be no mere idle threats. It'll be a promise. You'll just be dead." I took a long drink from my water and Lucien cleared his throat.

"Anyways. I'm sure Hybern wouldn't want you three bickering. I'm sure he'd prefer his kin work together." He glanced at me, that golden mechanical eye whirring in his skull.

"Hm." I said and stood, setting the goblet down on the table. "I made no such promises. I promised to kill Night Court spies. And I promised to protect Feyre. I didn't promise to get along with two imbeciles."

They glared at me, and I felt their hate and anger radiating off of them in waves as I turned my back to them and left the room, a small grin spreading across my face.

Go ahead and make a move, cousins. You're walking right into my trap.

******

Lucien came to me that night where I sat on the balcony ledge, fanning my wings out behind me and holding the cuff on my wrist, where I could feel Azriel's heartbeat steadily thrumming from it, taking comfort in it.

"What can I do for you, Lucien?"

"What are you really doing here?" He asked. He was intent upon using the deal we had made.

I looked over at him and smirked. "I'm here to protect Feyre. And kill people. As I said in there." I waved my hand dismissively at the palace.

He leaned against the doorframe. "Are you really my sister?"

"No." I said evenly. "Last I knew, I was Hybern's daughter. Not Beron's."

It was a game. Figuring out what lies I could tell that wouldn't trigger the bargain. And the pain.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Is there a reason you're pestering me, Lucien?"
I demanded. "Is it because we made a damned bargain a month ago? That you think you can ask me anything now? I can break it at any time, and I don't see you telling me any truths. You lied to me about Beron being my father, bringing me letters to distract me from my real father. Ravenna is imprisoned now, just so you know."

Lucien clenched his jaw. "Did Ravenna deny it?"

"Ravenna said a lot of things. I really don't want to talk to you right now, Lucien. You're not my brother, and Beron is not my father. I have no relations in the Autumn Court."

"And in the Night Court?"

A loaded question. "I did." I said softly. "I had someone who I believed to be my mate. That I loved with my whole heart. And now he's dead for all I know." I felt a slight pinch where the tattoo was on my upper arm and I rubbed at my arms.

Lucien didn't say anything more to me, merely turned and left. And I was glad for the silence.

I lifted a hand over my stomach and whispered to the stars, "Your dad can't wait to meet you. Just stay with me so you can meet him."

******

Surprise! Adrianna is pregnant and Az is gonna be a dad 🥺 He's gonna be so excited! Lol wow I think I've written a good 6-7 chapters just in this past week 😂 I feel as though you all deserve a lot of updates after I disappeared for so long lol. There is more to come! Thank you so much for reading. It means so much to me and it floors me to see the amount of love this story gets ❤️

Love always,
~Cora Knight xoxo