The Primus Magus

　　The sunlight shined through the window into a large room. A woman was lying in bed, completely motionless. She was wearing a silver, long sleeved, silk robe. It had a large, deep violet colored serpentine pattern on it, which, along with the silver color of the rest of the robe, made it look very luxurious. And from looking at the cloth's texture, using just the n.a.k.e.d eye alone, one would be able to tell that it must have been extremely comfortable to wear.

　　There was an ethereal air about her, as though she was a statue that did not quite fully fit in as a part of the living world. The sunlight made her long emerald hair seem to have a soft, radiant glow. She appeared to have an average, slightly slender physique. Her pale skin seemed a bit too flush with blood, appearing somewhat blue, as though she was going through an intense ordeal.

　　And yet, as she lay there, there seemed to be a frigid air surrounding her body closely, softly enveloping her. Even the intense rays of sunlight, that brought the heat of the midday along with it, could not seem to dispel that slight coldness that seemed to linger about near her.

　　With a jolt, she suddenly woke up. As though gems, her deep emerald eyes were revealed to the world in an instant. She stared at the silvery white bedsheet that was embroidered with deep violet engravings on the edges. She again closed her eyes and deliberately, carefully sat up, as she let out a yawn very slowly and contently.

　　As her eyes slowly opened once more, her gaze happened to fall on her two shadows stretched across the bed. The serpentine S that was engraved in violet in the middle of the large bed, representing the country of Siraxt, looked luxurious. She tore her eyes away, and looked at the table beside the bed. It was also a magnificent violet, with stylized beautiful serpentine carvings running across the entire length of it.

　　On it was placed a sumptuous feast, soft delicate pieces of bread coated in golden honey, a large bowl of soup made of various vegetables and meats, a plate of tender thin boiled noodles, and a mug of hot coffee, all placed neatly on a large violet ornate tray.

　　Her slender and slightly elongated tongue flicked across her lips as they were slightly dry after the nights' sleep. She slowly and carefully crawled over to the table and picked up a piece of bread using the violet fork placed neatly on the side of the noodles. As she leaned back on the bed and started eating the bread, she slowly ran her hand across her swollen belly, gently c.a.r.e.s.sing it.

　　After finishing her bread, she used her fork to take some noodles from the violet plate engraved with serpents running along the round edge and put them into the soup. She then put down her fork and instead picked up the pair of violet chopsticks placed next to the equally violet, embroidered bowl. The chopsticks were just heavy enough to show their quality, while not hampering their practicality. She slowly and elegantly finished her brunch.

　　After finishing her brunch, she took her mug of coffee, the hot air rising from it carried with it a rich, flavorful aroma. As she continued leaning against the back of the bed, she sipped her coffee and looked up to stare out of the violet gilded window. The two suns high up in the sky were shining brilliantly, not obstructed by any clouds in the light blue sky.

　　She appreciated the natural beauty for a while before looking down at her inflated stomach. She started c.a.r.e.s.sing it again with her other free hand as an extremely gentle smile formed on her lips, making her look radiant.

　　There was a slight knock on the door, attracting her attention. She looked towards the brownish red door with violet engravings on it. As the door was slowly opened without making a noise, a woman with long brown hair, with a few light blue ones mixed in around the sides, walked in. She was wearing a white and violet frilly dress, and the years seemed to have just barely caught up with her, leaving some very faint lines on the sides of her eyes and lips.

　　As the two women's eyes met, the older woman was slightly surprised. She smiled, accentuating the lines on the sides of her lips ever so slightly, and said, "Ah! Good morning milady, I did not expect you to be up so early. Did you have a good nights' sleep?"

　　To which the younger woman responded, "Yes, indeed I did, Bera. However, did I not tell you to call me Alsea when we are alone? You are like a mother to me, you know."

　　Bera smiled and walked into the room. She looked at the table and started walking towards it at a slow, measured gait. "And I've told you many times, milady, that I cannot do that. As long as a Slexir stays in their uniform, they must have a professional demeanor. Was the brunch to your liking?"

　　Alsea said after a slight chuckle, "You never change Bera, it's no wonder that Rexar is such a stickler for the rules. And of course the brunch was to my liking, you know the both of us like the backs of your palms."

　　Bera took the tray with all the platter from the table, and asked Alsea, "How come milady has woken up so early? You should be sleeping at least 13 hours a day now, for the sake of both of your healths."

　　Alsea's face suddenly blossomed into a stunning ear-to-ear smile, "He kicked!" she could barely contain her excitement. "Alesar finally moved!"

　　Bera was stunned still. She quickly put down the tray and hugged Alsea. "Congratulations milady, I always knew you could do it." Alsea also hugged her tightly. "I've never failed Bera, and I knew I would not fail this time either."

　　Bera did not let her go for a long while. She knew that this time, Alsea was not nearly as confident as she had tried to appear. "It has been very hard on you, milady. You have been very strong. But it's all fine now. Milord will be ecstatic."

　　Alsea suddenly seemed to feel a large shadow be relieved from her heart. Her shoulders relaxed. "Yes Bera. He will. He will…"

　　She fell asleep once more.

　　Bera slowly laid her down on her side and went to fetch a blanket. She covered Alsea in the silky blanket from her toes to her neck. Gently and lovingly patting Alsea's head, Bera whispered, "Sleep well milady, you've earned it."