Song inspiration: All I Want for Christmas
Maxi was awoken not by the bright morning sunlight streaming through her window, nor the shouts of her children playing a game, but by a smell, a delicious mouthwatering smell.
Bacon. Citrus. Cinnamon.
Her eyes opened as the sweet odor wafted through the room. It was coming from the other side of her bedchamber door. She looked to her left and realized that Riftan was no longer in bed with her.
She heard hushed voices on the other side of the door. She immediately recognized the voices of her husband and her two young children who were trying their best to be quiet as they stood on the other side of the door.
She saw the door knob begin to turn and she quickly laid back down and shut her eyes pretending to be asleep. Her curiosity however got the best of her and she peeped through her lashes without fully opening her eyes.
Her children as quickly and quietly as they could, made their way over to her side of the large bed. She heard rather than saw her husband carry in a large tray, as the plates and other dishes set upon it rattled slightly as he walked.
For a moment the room was silent as the children waited for permission to wake their mother. Maxi had to fight the urge to smile at her children who were beaming at her with unbridled excitement.
Their precious smiles grew wider and Maxi assumed Riftan must have given Andrew and Victoria some silent signal letting them know it was okay to wake her.
"Mom," the children called softly.
"Mom," they said, a bit louder this time.
Maxi continued to play opossum.
"Mom!" they nearly shouted, their patience wearing thin.
Maxi's eyes fluttered open slowly and she stretched lazily as though she were just waking from a lovely dream. She smiled warmly at her children and turned slightly to smile at her husband who was still holding the large tray.
Riftan started to speak but Victoria beat him to it.
"Happy Mother's Day!" the young girl exclaimed. "We made you breakfast in bed."
"The cooks actually did most of the work," Andrew admitted, "but we helped."
"Happy Mother's Day Maxi." Riftan said as he set the tray down in front of her. He removed the lids which had covered the food keeping it warm.
A small feast had been placed before her. Eggs, bacon, fruit and pastries of all sorts were laid out before her. Surely it would take her at least a week to eat all of this.
She beamed at her family who had started her day in the best way possible. Though she normally dreaded being the center of attention, today she would happily let her family spoil her seeing as it made them happy to do so.
"This is wonderful," Maxi said brightly. "Thank you so much. It's more than I could ever eat. Do you think you could help me enjoy this delicious feast?"
"Yes!" the children cried out. They had been so busy trying to help make her breakfast that they hadn't eaten yet and were quite hungry.
Andrew climbed on the bed and Riftan scooped up his daughter in his arms as she was still too short to climb up herself, before he sat on the bed next to his wife.
The family ate, talked, joked and laughed for the rest of the morning. The children were so full that they both took a nap right on their parents' bed. Riftan and Maxi sat in comfortable silence, holding each other as Andrew and Victoria slept.
Rudis and one other maidservant came in around noon to remove the tray. The commotion woke the children who sat up slightly startled. Rudis apologized but Maxi brushed it off, saying it was time for them to wake up and not sleep the day away.
"Andrew?" Riftan asked.
"Yes Dad?" he answered.
"Don't you and your sister have something for your mother?" Riftan asked.
"Yes!" Andrew said happily, "I'll be right back!"
He practically leapt off the bed and ran out of the room, heading down the hall towards the direction of his room.
He came back with two small canvases. He carried them backwards so as to not ruin the surprise.
"We painted these for you Mommy!" Victoria squealed excitedly.
Andrew walked over to the bed and set the canvases face down before moving to the other side to climb back onto the bed.
Maxi carefully flipped over the canvases.
"That one's mine!" Victoria said excitedly.
Her daughter pointed to the canvas on the left. She had painted what Maxi assumed was supposed to be her three cats, represented by the three patches of white, brown, and black, on the canvas. The small shapes did not match the anatomy of the felines but the colors were nearly spot on.
"What's this blue shape here?" Maxi asked as she pointed to a small round shape near the bottom of the canvas.
"They're playing with some yarn." Victoria said cheerfully.
Maxi smiled at her daughter proudly before turning her gaze to the second canvas.
Bright blues and greens took up most of the frame. There was a small patch of red, yellow and purple across the bottom of the canvas. Flowers maybe. At the top steep triangles jutted out above the mass of blue. Though it lacked some of the finer details she would recognize those mountains anywhere, the mountains of Anatol. The large blue area must be the lake they loved and had spent many warm summer days enjoying together as a family.
"I love it!" Maxi said as she turned to face her son.
"They are beautiful!" she said with a smile as she turned to look at Victoria.
Maxi got up and walked across the room with a canvas in each hand. She set them down on her dresser leaning them against the wall so she could see them every day.
She turned around to face the bed and saw her children beaming with pride as they had watched their mother put their hard work on display. She knelt down and opened her arms wide in invitation. Andrew scrambled off the bed while Riftan helped Victoria get down. The two children raced across the room and ran straight into their mother's warm embrace. She kissed the tops of each of their heads and hugged them tight.
"Thank you," she whispered.
After a long hug, the children stepped back while their mother stood up.
Andrew began glancing around the room as though he were looking for something.
"What are you looking for, son?" Riftan asked.
"Where's your present for Mom?" the young boy asked.
"I will give your mother my gift later." he responded plainly. Instead of leaving it at that, allowing the silence to let Maximilian's mind wander as she wondered what her gift could possibly be, he spoke again. "How about we saddle up the horses and go for a ride around the castle, just the four of us?"
Maxi smiled, it sounded lovely but even though it was Mother's Day it didn't mean that Riftan's daily responsibilities simply went away. Her bright expression became puzzled as her smile faltered and her brows scrunched.
"Hebaron and Uslin can manage training for one day," Riftan said reassuringly, noticing the confused look that had crossed her face.
"If they don't destroy one another over who has more authority," Maxi mumbled with an amused chuckle.
Riftan laughed at his wife's comment as he got out of bed and stretched before walking over to her.
"True," he said with a grin before kissing the top of her head. "but that, like everything else, can wait to be addressed tomorrow. Today is about celebrating you Maxi."
He raised his arm in front of him, bent and slightly to the side. Maxi smiled and gracefully accepted his arm as her escort. Riftan looked down at his children and smiled.
"Shall we?" he asked.
The children shouted with delight and ran ahead of their parents towards the grounds, excited to ride with them and see what other surprises their father had in store.
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Later that evening, after the children had been tucked into bed, Riftan and Maxi sat in their bedchamber facing the large windows which provided a lovely view of the mountains. They sat in comfortable silence for a while, holding hands and enjoying simply being in each other's presence.
"Would you like to open my gift?" Riftan asked, breaking the calm silence that had settled between them.
Maxi gave him a shy smile as curiosity danced in her eyes.
"Yes," she replied, almost bashfully. "You really didn't have to get me anything. You have given me so many beautiful dresses and jewels I couldn't possibly need anymore."
As she spoke, Riftan stood and made his way over to the bedside table on his side of the bed. He opened the drawer and rummaged around for a moment before he found what he had been looking for. He returned to his seat and handed her a small box.
She lifted the lid and gasped. Inside the little box, laid out on a small cloth of black silk, was a dainty necklace with four beautiful gems on a delicate golden chain. There were two small stones in the center and two slightly larger stones on either side. One of the large stones was a red garnet and on the other end, a dark blue sapphire. Between the two larger stones sat a small topaz and a tiny emerald.
She stood and stepped closer to the fireplace wanting to see how the gems sparkled and shined under its soft light. The stones glistened as they rested in her palm.
She gave Riftan a bright smile. Her face was flush with happiness, and her breathing became a little heavy as she tried not to cry. This beautiful necklace represented her loved ones,
the birthstones of each member of the Calypse family. Andrew's orange topaz and Victoria's green emerald in the center with Maximilian's garnet and Riftan's sapphire beside them.
"Would you mind holding my hair back while I put it on?" she asked sweetly.
Riftan stood and quickly made his way over to her and stood behind her. He gently lifted her crimson curls off of her shoulders, as he watched her slender fingers fiddle with the delicate clasp on the golden chain until it locked into place. He slowly released her hair, relishing the wonderful feeling of her curls slipping through his fingers.
She turned around so he could see it properly.
The necklace fit perfectly, resting slightly above her chest. The stones stood out against her pale skin in a way that enhanced her beauty without drawing too much attention.
He couldn't help the smile that graced his lips as he witnessed his lovely wife wearing a necklace that represented the people he loved more than anything.
"It's beautiful Riftan," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you. This was the perfect gift."
He could tell from the look in her eyes and her posture that there was something she wasn't telling him.
"What's wrong Maxi?" he asked, obvious concern laced in his tone.
"Nothing's wrong," Maxi said happily.
She paused for a moment before speaking again.
"I was simply wondering if the necklace could be modified," this time she spoke hesitantly, much more nervous than before but there was also a hint of excitement in her voice.
"Modify it?" Riftan asked, now quite confused. "You said it was perfect, I don't understand."
"It is perfect and lovely," she said in a gentle voice trying to calm his obvious nerves. "I was wondering if I could add another stone later if I needed to."
She looked down at the necklace as she spoke, brushing her fingertips against the large beautiful stones that represented her family.
"Add another stone?" Riftan said, now completely at a loss. "Why would you need- "
Maxi raised her gaze to meet his eyes and she gave him a warm knowing smile. Maxi had asked them to help her eat the meal they had prepared for her and yet he noticed that she ate more than she usually did. Come to think of it, he also hadn't heard her complain about her monthly bleeding lately.
His eyes grew wide and his brows rose creating deep lines on his forehead as his jaw went slightly slack and his mouth suddenly felt very dry. Maximilian's knowing smile widened into a grin.
"Truly?" he whispered almost cautiously.
Maxi chuckled at how nervous he looked. He had faced death countless times and had never faltered and yet here before her, he looked utterly and completely vulnerable.
"Yes," she said. "In about seven months, we will need to add another beautiful stone to this lovely gift."
In one moment Riftan was staring at her with a look of awe on his face and the next he had his hands on her waist as he lifted her off the floor. Maxi giggled as he spun her around in circles beaming at her with pride, love and joy shining in his eyes.
Riftan eventually set her down but did not let her go, holding her close in his strong embrace. He eventually stepped back and as he did he moved one hand to caress her stomach. His other hand moved to cradle her jaw. Her gaze had dropped to watch his hand that rested upon her belly. He tipped her head back so he could see her face. Her silver blue eyes, glossy with unshed happy tears met his dark onyx eyes. Maxi smiled brightly at him and let out a noise that sounded like a sob and a laugh all at once. Riftan beamed at her before leaning down to capture her lips in a sweet yet fierce kiss. Even as their lips met, they couldn't stop smiling.
"I love you." Riftan said, his voice sounding far away as though he were slightly in a daze.
Maxi's gaze once again dropped to her stomach. She gently placed her hand over Riftan's which hadn't moved from her belly.
"We love you too," Maxi replied as she raised her head to meet his gaze once more.
Boy or girl? Warrior or mage? Whoever they were Maxi and Riftan couldn't wait to meet them. They would be cherished and celebrated and occasionally spoiled. But most importantly they would be loved, loved by their parents, their brother, their sister, the knights and their people. Loved fiercely, boldly and unconditionally. Loved always.
NOTE: A garnet (Maxi) represents friendship and passion. A sapphire (Riftan) represents truth and loyalty (perfect, because he hates liars). An orange topaz (Andrew) represents courage and loyalty. An (Victoria) emerald represents elegance and compassion. The next addition to their family will be born in December, the blue topaz birthstone, symbolizing wisdom and peace.
Happy Mother's Day to our soon to be mom of three! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and have a wonderful Mother's Day. Special gratitude and thanks to all the moms (and motherly figures) in our lives.