Sun Mote Copse We are legion

She had almost forgotten about Niamh's sensitive state, though her heart immediately sank into her stomach when she saw the woman's face contort. She wasn't nearly as bad about putting her foot in her mouth these days, though it still happened from time to time. This was one of those times. She should've known that the subject might be a tripwire.

To complicate matters further, the Sovereign initially felt a sweeping jolt of annoyance at Colt. How could he impregnate Niamh and get this far along in her pregnancy without tying the knot again? Wildfire wasn't even considering it from a leadership point of view but from an entirely personal one. Didn't he realize what a catch he had in Niamh? Didn't he want his children to be legitimate? Wildfire wasn't like her mother—who would've killed bastards and never would've permitted them to breed in the first place—but she felt a whole lot of indignation on Niamh's behalf in that moment.

But she quelled the emotion, like all the others before it, and took in a steadying breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Wildfire soothed as she crouched down beside the collapsed Niamh. But since she had and the Sovereign couldn't entirely help herself, she dared to ask, "But, why not?"