"Names?"
"Myself," Alaric answered smoothly, his arms tucked neatly into his expansive sleeves.
"Physician Nessa."
"Physician Corvin."
"And Physician Liora."
Sister Yun offered a rare nod of firm approval, her weathered face breaking into a approving line that smoothed out her stern expression. "Good. No mistakes. None."
Lin Wan, who had been leaning heavily against the dark, polished wooden doorframe listening to their roll call, let out a small, weary breath. The weight of her swollen belly felt particularly heavy today, a constant, dull ache pulling at her lower back.
"That's a lot of physicians for one single room," she murmured, leaning back just enough to catch Alaric's eye.
Alaric turned to face her, his tone warm, almost paternal, but threaded with an unyielding sternness. "You're carrying three precious babies, My Lady. Three heirs to a legacy that spans centuries."
"I know," Lin Wan whispered, running a hand gently over the front of her thick silk robes.
