The Duchesses

Epilogue 2 : Children

"Medz, say something, please. I don't wanna lose you again," Natalie covers her face with her hands, looking down after that.

"I trust you, Natalie. It is our child, after all. My whole life, I have been preparing myself for the throne and fighting for it, but I have never been preparing to be a mother. So I am just wondering if I can be a good mother to our child," the Empress breaks her silence, then let out a soft smile while her eyes glisten in tears.

Natalie understands that words very well since Medea has been growing up with her Nana's and Lord Eli's love only. She never receives genuine love from her parents as her parents only see her as a tremendous hidden weapon for the House of Valimos. Natalie is also the same. She never thought she would settle down with someone, nor that she would have been pregnant with a child, as her past always haunts her.

"You're thinking too hard. It isn't good for the baby. So rest well, my love. I'll announce this good news later," Medea gives a kiss on her forehead, letting her wife take a rest.

Not long after that, they announce the great news to their close friends and the council.

"Congratulations!"

Only then is the news being spread to the people. At first, they are taken aback by such information. Then, however, after knowing it is possible when Natalie is a magician. Even Anastasia comes to them, congratulating the couple, claiming it is possible only if Natalie accidentally lets out her magical power, fusing it with Medea's core body.

"It can happen if Natalie can't control herself when doing that with you. But, then, her magical power will match your core body before returning it to her," Ana explains to Medea, stifling her laughter.

Due to her pregnancy terms, Medea has been fussy over everything around Natalie. Sometimes, it suffocates her, but she knows Medea did that to ensure her safety. There's one time Natalie descends the stairs without anyone to assist her, and Medea catches her up, almost yelling at her for being careless. It is just two staircases for her to stop, for God's sake!

Being soft-hearted while pregnant, Natalie almost cries there, but she holds it back, distancing herself from her wife for days.

Only then does Medea comes back, resolving things with her wife.

Flashback

"I am sorry, my love," she apologises without even reasoning on anything, knowing it is on her this time.

"No, it is my fault as well. I was being careless," Natalie said, holding on to her wife's hand.

"Come here," Medea opens her arms for Natalie to reciprocate back, letting her wife insert herself before putting a kiss on her head.

Then after nine months, the Imperial Palace lits up with the births of the triplets. Two girls and one boy.

"What would you give their names, Your Majesty?" the physician asks the Empresses.

Nodding their head at each other, after deciding their name for whole pregnancy terms, Medea finally speaks, "Their name will be Aurelia Florence, Viviene Fiorella, and Eugenie Augustus with Valimos-Smith as their surname."

Only God knows how much Natalie cursed Medea at that time for impregnating her and experiencing the pain of delivering. Some servants even hold their laughter, watching their Empresses' actions.

"Medea Andreas Valimos! I'll make sure you will pay for this after this!" Natalie yells out, her ruby eyes filling with hatred, watching the amethyst eyes who don't know what to do.

Time flies fast, with their occasional fighting as a couple, then making up again afterwards. The same goes for their children. They totally follow their mothers' features.

Aurelia had Natalie's golden hair and ruby eyes, but her face was quite similar to Medea's. Similarly, Viviene looks like Natalie but has the purple hair and amethyst eyes of her mother, Medea. Finally, Eugenie is a hybrid of the two families, possessing masculine features from Natalie's father and Lord Eli, as well as the robust features of both women and the purple hair of Medea but the ruby eyes of Natalie.

"Mother! Mommy!" the three kids ran forward, watching their parents from afar, walking towards them.

They are four years old now. Both women open their arms wide, welcoming their children together. The sound of kids giggling, fluttering anyone's stomach whenever they watch this sight from this family. It may not be perfect as always, but they try to give their best to their children. One day, the three will lead both dukedoms and the throne separately. Regardless, it is too early to say that.

"Shall we eat our dinner now with the other?" Medea asks her children, while Natalie can't help but feel overwhelming happiness.

"Yes!" the trio said, humming happily to meet with the others, which were the same people in the past, Lord Apollo with Daphne, Eryx with Hera, Lord Eli, and then Marquess Alwyn. And also Anastasia to join sometimes.

Then, they both carried their children together to the dining hall. They spend quality time together there, conversing and joking about anything. Sometimes, the triplets could be a lot to handle, being the little troublemakers in the Imperial Palace.

"Mother, mommy," Aurelia suddenly voices out, turning both women's heads to one of the triplets after the dinner with the others.

"Yes?"

"We love you," the triplets said simultaneously, hugging their mothers' with their small arms, nuzzling their heads on the Empresses' bodies.

"We love you too," Medea replies along with Natalie, chucklong at the children's behaviour, and stayed in that position for some time.

After putting their kids to sleep, the Empresses finally returned to their chamber.

"Even after all these years, I couldn't believe we have our own children now," Medea chuckles at the thought.

It seems too good to be true. However, the Empresses know it is far from that. Moreover, there are still many hindrances for them to jump and dodge. Nevertheless, they have each other, their friends, on their back now.

"Me neither," Natalie chuckles, planting a kiss on her wife.

"Shall we make babies now?" Medea grins, wriggling her eyebrows, while Natalie giggles at the question as it sounds absurd.

"Only if you are the one who pushes babies out of you," Natalie raises her eyebrows, earning a challenge look from Medea.

Medea then stops for a while, as Natalie takes advantage, pulling her wife closer, smirking mischievously as she knows how to reverse the effects of her magic in their lovemaking to Medea.

"This time, you will be the one who bears our child," Natalie plants a kiss on Medea's lips.

"Don't be cocky enough, my love," Medea chuckles between the kisses before starting their passionate night together with her beloved wife.

That's how their lives progressed from strangers to best friends, then to enemies, being the Duchesses in between, then to ally, and finally to lovers becoming the Empresses of Valimos Empire.

Hopefully, it would end like that for the rest of their lives.

Thank you for finishing the Duchesses up to and including chapter 100. (not including a prologue and two epilogues). Because this is my first book, please bear with me as I work out the plot. It took longer than I expected, but when it was finished, I was overjoyed. I realised this was a heavy genre to tackle in my debut writing and that there was a chance someone might be dropped it in the midst.

I've also learned a lot by writing this book to make it as realistic as possible. I hope you enjoy this book since I treasure it as my first child.

Oh, and don't forget to vote and leave comments on your favourite characters!