The first few days without her husband were easy for Destiney. She spent them unpacking and setting up their new quarters to her liking. She removed all traces of King Shene from sight and mind. She gave some things away, put some in the trash, and sent a few pieces into storage. His concubines had long since been released. They had found eager husbands among the Milisarian warriors. Destiney was happy for the changes in their lives.

Scyon also kept her busy. He wanted attention and seemed to always be hungry. She took time to sit and play with him every day. She recited the fairytales that she remembered from her childhood and sang the songs she learned in school. He giggled and cooed along with the music.

The Milisarians came to her with questions and to resolve any disputes. Most of the arguments were over money, much like humans. With the king away, she was their leader. If she did not have an answer, she went to Nabvan for help. Some problems only the king could resolve. These were written in a daily log and would be revisited when King Siefer came back.

As the days turned into weeks, it became harder to get through each hour. She had underestimated how much she would miss Siefer. She was used to him being by her side. The bed felt huge and empty without his large body to fill it. She felt so lonely that sometimes she cried herself to sleep. In an effort to occupy her time, she spent hours in the lab with Alexis. She washed vials and helped decipher notes that were attached to stolen medications. She had no interest in science, but at least she was not alone.

Destiney noticed how tired Alexis always was and helped her as much as possible. She offered to take over the wedding plans so that Alexis had one less thing to deal with. She made sketches of beautiful dresses for Alexis to choose from. She sent orders to the colonies for the food that would be served at the wedding. She searched through the storage rooms for decorations and dishes to use. Nothing was left to chance. The wedding would be perfect.

On many evenings, she and Scyon joined Nabvan and Alexis for a meal. They felt welcomed by the pair. Scyon grew close to them, and they loved watching him learn. The women taught Nabvan games from Earth, which he always seemed to win. They told him stories about movies they had enjoyed there, and he was intrigued by the thought of watching people pretend to be someone else. Destiney promised that she would convince Siefer to trade with Earth for movie discs and the technology to play them. She dearly wished they already had them. Her days could be filled with fantasy and drama. She could lose herself in the problems of others and see them solved all in the matter of an hour or two.

As much as she loved Alexis and Nabvan, watching them together made her heart hurt. Each time they gently touched each other's shoulder or hand, her heart cried out for Siefer. Their love for each other could not be hidden. When they kissed, she felt a knife stab her very soul. She hid her feelings from them and allowed her heart to break in silence. Their happiness should not be dampened by her depressed spirits. She waited until she was alone to let out the pain.

Scyon grew so fast that it was frightening. He was soon sitting alone and eating more food instead of drinking milk. Her breasts ached as the milk dried up. She dreamed of Siefer's hands soothing them. How long did he plan to be away? Her body ached for his touch and her soul for his companionship. He was missing the daily changes in their son. She was writing down each new change in a diary so she would forget nothing. She knew it was not the same as sharing these moments as they happened, but she felt the need to let Siefer understand exactly what he was missing.

Destiney dressed Scyon in his new, larger clothes. He resembled Siefer more each day. Though his coloring was the same as Destiney's, his features were the same as his father's. He sometimes gave her the same scowl that Siefer did when things did not go his way. It made her laugh every time. Today, she was taking him with her to visit the other human women. Some were very far along in their pregnancies and would be delivering any day. They stayed in their quarters just in case labor began. Destiney hoped to cheer them up by bringing Scyon to visit.

Marie was due first, so Destiney went to her quarters. Marie was delighted to see her and the baby. She tried to hold Scyon, but her belly was huge and bruised, and she cried out in pain. She told Destiney how sick she had been. She had never gotten over her morning sickness, as the excessive vomiting is known on Earth. When Destiney really looked at her, she could see that her arms and legs were just skin over bones. No wonder her belly appeared so large. All the nourishment that she kept down was absorbed by her baby. Marie told her, "The nurse has given me every vitamin and medication that she has gotten from other planets, but they don't work very well. Alexis has mixed new potions that are slightly better. I kept down two bowls of broth today. She said I will need strength to deliver my baby, so I will try some more later." Destiney left so that Marie could rest. She prayed the others were in better shape.

When she went to Alice's door, she discovered that the other woman, Anna, was there as well. They looked much healthier than Marie. They were sewing baby clothes and discussing names. Scyon soon claimed their undivided attention. His antics kept the mood light and happy. When he fell asleep, Destiney questioned the ladies about their pregnancies. Theirs' were more like Destiney's had been. They ate normally and had no bruises or pain. Maybe Marie was just not a healthy woman. Then, Destiney realized that couldn't be the case. Each woman had been put through rigorous testing before they were cleared as prospective wives for the Arkani. She wished there was an easy answer. She was now even more concerned for Alexis.

Destiney searched through the stacks of fabrics for the perfect one. She wanted Alexis's wedding dress to be extraordinary. The right color and texture would be in there somewhere. There were thousands of fabrics from all over the universe. Some almost seemed to be alive. The shimmer of blue caught her eye. The fabric matched Alexis's eyes and appeared to move like an ocean's waves. Destiney knew it was the right choice when upon touching it she felt only air. Its ethereal lightness would not harm Alexis's swollen baby bump. It would flow lightly over her body and enhance her beauty. Now she needed Alexis to choose a style for the dress. She wrapped the fabric to protect it from harm and headed for the lab.

The hallway was full of panicked people. They immediately calmed when Destiney stepped out of the storage room. A young Milisarian woman grabbed her by the arm saying, "Queen Destiney, we have been searching everywhere for you. The human, Marie, is in labor. We fear she is dying. The nurse and Alexis have done all they can, but she is not responding. Without the king, it is your place to bless her passage from this world. Will you come?"

Destiney quickly handed the young woman her package and Scyon. "Please take care of my son and this package. I will go to Marie now. Scyon needs to be fed. Can you do that?"

"It would be my honor to serve you. I will take him to the open area and feed him. You will find us there when all is done. Thank you for your trust." The woman bowed and hurried off.

Destiney reached Marie's quarters in record time. Many women were gathered outside her door. They parted to allow Destiney access to the room. The space reeked of blood, vomit, and impending death. Marie now lay still, barely breathing. Her mate stood at her side, holding tightly to her hand. Tears ran down his warrior's face. A tiny bundle was wrapped in sheets and laid upon the bed. Alexis motioned for Destiney to come closer. She whispered, "She will be gone soon. Do you know the words of blessing?"

Destiney nodded as she began to cry. She put a gentle hand on Marie's forehead and said, "May you leave this life and enter the next world where there is no pain or sadness. Take with you our love and our promise to care for the ones you leave behind. Go in peace." She sobbed as Marie sighed her last breath.

Alexis picked up the tiny bundle and handed it to Marie's mate. "You have a daughter. She needs you now. Many willing hands will help you raise her. We are so sorry. We did our best to save Marie."

The powerful warrior stared at his tiny daughter with the love of the ages in his eyes. He quietly replied, "She is exactly like her mother. I will treasure her as a gift from Marie and the gods. I will tell her each day of the mother who gave up her life to bring her into this world."

Destiney went in search of her son. She hugged him close to her heart and gave thanks for her life. She picked up the package with the lovely fabric inside and made her way to Nabvan's quarters. She found Alexis curled up on the bed crying.

Alexis sobbed, "I couldn't save her. I tried so hard. She came such a long way to start a new life and died instead. I don't want to die! What if it happens to me? I have to find something to stop this. It's as if our bodies aren't compatible with the fetus, yet you're fine, and so are Alice and Anna. There is one other, and she is getting sicker as each day passes."

Destiney reassured her, "You will find a way to fix this. You will live and raise this baby. I don't think you're as sick as Marie was. You still manage to eat and work. Let's focus on happy things today. Nabvan loves you, and you're getting married soon. Sit up, wipe your eyes, and look at what I have." She opened the package, and the shimmering waves brought a surprised gasp from Alexis.

"It's alive. I could sail a ship across it." Alexis let it run through her fingers and sighed. "It has no weight. I see it, but can feel nothing. Is this for my dress?"

Destiney handed her the sketches of several dresses. "Choose one, and we can measure you for it. You will take Nabvan's breath away."

Alexis chose the sketch of a dress with an empire waist that flowed loosely over the rest of her body and had a long train in the back. She exclaimed, "You have captured my style well, and it will hide the pregnancy. I couldn't do this without you, dear friend. Stay with me today, and we will only speak of our futures with positive words. No more being sad or anxious. No pity parties. It is time to celebrate all the good things in our lives."

The ladies tried to keep the positive attitudes, but each was holding in a sadness and fear. Destiney worried that Siefer was never returning and that she would lose Alexis. Alexis worried about the loneliness she saw on her friend's face and about her own chances of survival. They thought they were hiding their fears from each other; however, their friendship allowed them to see deep into each other's soul.