Revealing

Revealing
Valerio blinked a few times to make himself believe that he wasn't seeing things. 

"Mama Mar?" Valerio blurted instantly, before his onyx eyes widened and he realized who he was talking to. "Goddess..." He said, unsure of how to greet her. 

Marianne chuckled, "I am still mama Mar for you, dear." She told him in her gentle voice and Valerio couldn't help but be baffled at how she looked just the same as before and yet, was so different.

"I...how...how are you here?" He asked, confused until his eyes landed on Valerie and he realized that she had been crying. Worry shot through his chest instantly as he rushed to her bedside, "Lia, what's wrong? Is everything okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" He asked, began to check her for any wounds or injuries.

Valerie shook her head, "no, Val, I'm not." She whispered. 

Valerio looked between the women who looked so similar to each other, except for the difference in their hair colour. "What's wrong?" He asked them. 

Valerie exchanged a nervous glance with her mother before taking in a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant." 

Valerio didn't react when Valerie said those words as he continued to stare at them with a dumb founded expression. 

His mind stopped working altogether as he sat frozen in his place which only made Valerie more worried regarding his reaction to the news.

"I'm sorry but, WHAT?" He said instantly, and Valerie jumped at the loud volume of his voice. 

She gulped down a lump in her throat while Marianne affectionately rubbed her arm, trying to give her courage and comfort at the same time. 

"It's true. I'm pregnant." Valerie breathed finally, making Valerio look at her like he had seen a ghost. 

"You're joking, right?" He blurted and Valerie innocently shook her head. He took in a deep breath before nodding his head, trying to wrap his mind around the situation, "Draven?" 

Valerie narrowed her eyes at him, "obviously." She muttered.

"Right right right...." Valerio mumbled, "hmmm...." He nodded his head thoughtfully as Valerie and Marianne looked at each other with raised eyebrows, wondering what he was thinking. "You're going to get married to him." He instantly stated in a voice which held no room for discussion.

"What?" 

"No, I don't care, you both are going to get married, Draven is going to permanently shift to Escalara, I don't care what happens to his bloody city. We can keep him on house arrest so he can support you during the birth and after it, and then when the child is old enough, we can send Draven back to prison." Valerio rambled on and on about his plan to help Valerie and to make sure that she wouldn't feel alone that she could only stare at him with a baffled expression.

When he was finished, Marianne couldn't help but laugh at the things he had said and he sat there, looking at them both with a dumbfounded expression. 

"What?" Valerio asked curiously, "what did I do wrong?" 

"Oh, boy, you're adorable." Marianne said making Valerie snort as she shook her head. "You might be Aleksander's son but you have taken the entire personality from Josh." She mumbled. "Fool." She said shaking her head.

Valerio pouted, "I don't see the fault in my plan!" He complained. 

"I am not going to marry Draven, Val." Valerie said in a serious tone then. 

"Why not?" Valerio asked, "I mean, I know that he's a little dull and basically you deserve someone way better and he is just average looking and not that great of a person but—"

"You have been dying to say all those things about Draven, haven't you?" Valerie asked, observing him with narrowed eyes. 

Valerio closed his mouth with a sheepish expression as he looked away, clearly caught. He then took a deep breath, "look, my hatred for Draven runs deep, but if he is the father of your child and you obviously love him so much, then I will tolerate him and he needs to be here." 

Valerie sighed, "he doesn't want me, Val." She whispered and she couldn't help but realize the fact that everytime she said that sentence, it always seemed to hurt in the same manner. "He won't want anything to do with the child. I know him." 

Valerio felt his anger spiking in his veins at that, as he closed his fists, "like hell he won't!" He spat, "I will bloody make him." He began to get off of the bed but Marianne reached out to hold his wrist to stop him.  

He looked back at her questioningly. "Don't you think that you're acting a little rash?" Marianne asked softly while she gestured towards Valerie with her eyes.