Circe lay propped against the silk cushions of her bed, the heavy velvet drapes of her chamber drawn enough to let in the soft wash of afternoon light that settled gently across the polished floors and the carved edges of the furniture.
The evaluation had gone well. Just as it had the time before, and the time before that.
Morana straightened up from where she had been looming over Circe and began gathering her things with that brisk way that Circe had come to associate with her.
"Everything is progressing as it should," she said, and her voice carried the same cerrainty it always did when she delivered good news. "The baby is healthy. You are healthy. There is nothing to be concerned about."
Circe allowed a smile to curve her lips. The relief never got old, no matter how many times she heard it. "Good," she said. "That is good."
Her strength was as it used to be before becoming pregnant but It didn't matter as long as her baby was alright.
