"Shhhh shhhh shhhh shhhh" I whispered to my children.
Ector ceased his crying before Igraine did. He whipped his eyes with his hands and looked at me. His little hand was squeezed so tightly in his little blanket that his fingers were turning white. Smiling down at his little face I wiggled my fingers enough to be able to still be holding his tiny body in my right arm without dropping him and gently disentangled his whitened fingers from his blanket. He seemed to want to be holding on to something though so he grabbed onto my index finger and squeezed it with all his might.
Igraine stopped her wailing once she saw that her brother was no longer crying with her.
The baby sister follows suit in her brother’s wake. I smiled at her as she looked at her brother's sleeping form.
She looked from Ector's face to mine and gave me a toothless smile. Her spittle pooled on her bottom lip as her eyes sparkled at my smiling face.
"I love you both." I said to them and kissed both of their heads.
Igraine giggled her infant giggle and opened and closed her tiny fists at me.
I turned to place them both back into their cribs by our bed. Placing Ector down first as gently as possible, so as not to make wake him, I then began the task of putting Igraine to bed for her nap.
Thirty minutes later, I was looking down at Ector and Igraine. They both slept on their tummies with their heads turned towards each other with their hands holding each of their blankets.
"I stood at the door for the past hour, watching you with them." Cain whispered
Gasping, I turned around quickly.
Cain stood by the hearth, with a cup in his hand.
"Cain, I did not even know that you were in here." I said, walking towards him
"I was not always in here. I just came in when you had placed Igraine in her bed. I was watching from the door." He pointed to the opened door.
"Why did you not make yourself known sooner?" I asked placing a hand on his shoulder
He did not answer me, just placed his hand atop mine. He turned towards me and his eyes were so full of tenderness, love, and awe.
"Cain..." I whispered
"You are too good for me, Anora." He whispered and grabbed me and crushed me against his chest.
"I never thought that I would end up with a women like you for a wife. You can make any man die happy without even bedding him. Simply knowing you and your warmth is enough to make a man happy for the rest of his days. Yet you gave me a sturdy home; a family to call my own; the love of a women; sons and a daughter." His voice broke towards the end of his speech.
I had tears in my eyes. He had taken to telling me such lovely things since Ector and Igraine were born.
His hands began roaming my back, soothing my body as I cried happy tears. His hands made their way upwards towards my face and he encased it before kissing me so tenderly, fresh tears washed my face.
Leaning his head against mine he whispered, "What have I done to deserve you?" His eyes bore into mine and my heart shattered with all the love I had for this man, my husband.
"You were you. That's what you did." I whispered to him.
I do not know how long he stood their just watching me and I watching him but soon Braiden ran into our chambers and declared that he was now an expert at archery.
Smiling I said to him, "That's wonderful, Braiden. Who taught you?"
Grinning at Cain he replied, "Well first mama, papa showed me how the proper way to stand is when aiming your target at a close distance. Then he showed me how to properly hold the bow and how to string the arrow on it. The first few times papa said I couldn't get it because it was a skill I had to learn. But then after that I was able to finally hit the tree!" He jumped up and down a little with all the excitement his little body had inside of it. "Then he said that he was going to check on Igraine, Ector and you so he told Faltherin to continue with me and he taught me more than before. Now I can hit the target just perfect every single time!" He pumped his fist in the air and I laughed at his excitement.
"That's wonderful son." I smiled
"I am glad that Faltherin was able to teach you so much in such a short time son." Cain said and smiled at him.
Braiden smiled at us both before he placed his bow down on the chair by the hearth and ran towards the crib of his brother and sister. He just stared at them for a long while before he began talking to their still sleeping forms. He told them of his entire day until that moment and tucked them both in then kissed them both on the cheek.
Braiden was about to walk away from the crib when he stopped and looked at them once more.
"Mama, do they always do that?" Braiden asked without looking at me and walking towards them again.
"Do what?" I asked, a frown forming on my face.
"That." He pointed towards them and I saw the strangest thing happen to them.
I gasped.
"Mama, it's not that bad. They're only holding hands." Braiden whispered and looked at me as if I grew two heads.
He shook his head at me and walked out of the room.
"He's right, Anora. They do that all the time anyways. It is nothing to give you a shock over." He kissed my temple and followed Braiden out.
Did they truly not see it?
Thinking back on that day, I see now that it was an omen. My babies were both omens of what was to come in the three years that would follow that day. All the occurrences that preceded all were leading up to the events of that day.
Braiden is now going to be twelve and it occurs to me that I have not seen the Witch in years. Not even small glimpses of her. I have not seen her since the twins were born and that was a little over three years ago now.
"Do you think that he'll truly like it?" Cain asked as he hid the gift he got Braiden for his birthday tomorrow.
"I'm sure he'll love it." I smiled at him.
Cain grabbed my waist and kissed me soundly. He has had many nights of passion these past three years, yet I have not conceived after the twins.
We were in our chamber and he lifted my skirts and took me like he preferred. He always called it 'taking you like a whore' but I never took offense to his crude words. The words themselves sounded very crude indeed but the manner in which he says them are nothing but drenched in love for me.
It always excited me when he took me like this. Both of us were still dressed, all he did was lift my skirts, lower his breeches and take me. I loved when he took me hard and fast. Which is exactly how he is taking me now. Cain was just to male and sexual when he took me. I drove me mad with want.
When were both done, he still did not release himself from my body instead he simply got up from the floor without removing himself from me and carried me to the wall by the fire. He kissed me passionately and lifted my skirts once more. His hands began playing with the little bud so filled with nerves and took me once again. Whispering dirty words in my ear the entire time. I shattered upon my release and he groaned deep in his throat when he emptied himself inside of me.
He bites my neck and sucked my lip before once again lifting my skirts and stroked my belly and he ground his manhood inside of me.
"Cain.... I cannot...OH!" I whisper screamed as shock waves took me over.
"You can my harlot. And you will." He said as he continued to throb within me and stroke my belly
"I want you with child again. Your womb with become with child. I will make sure of it." He said and took me harder than he had ever taken me before. I shattered more times than I could count.
He would not stop. Even though I knew his body must be tired from thrusting so much and so fast.
"Cain!" I repeated over and over again as he shoot his seed inside of me repeatedly.
"Take my seed Anora!" He whispered in my ear.
He grabbed hold my thighs and pushed them so far apart both my knees were touching the walls.
Gasping, I felt him so deep inside of me I could not breathe properly.
"Faster! Faster! OH GODS!" I screamed into his neck as I felt my release looming near.
"You like when I fuck you like this, Anora? You like when I take you, not as a wife, but as a whore? You are my harlot, Anora. Mine alone." He said on my lips then kissed me deeply as I shattered and shook for the last time.
"Sometimes, I cannot believe how much I love you, Anora." Cain whispered to me.
"Any other women would not have allowed me to take them as you allow me. You are not shy or frightened in the bedroom and that is what keeps our marriage so strong." He tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear as he said this.
Smiling at him I touched his jaw.
His eyes were so tender in that moment I melted inside.
Suddenly, his eyes turned darker and quick as lightening he pushed a finger inside of my sore women hood.
Gasping my thighs fell apart of pure instinct.
"I feel my seed inside of you still. Anora, you do not realize how alluring that is. To know that it is my seed inside of you, my seed that is impregnating your womb." He said and began thrusting more fingers inside of me.
When next I knew, he was making love to me through his hand and I was helpless but to shatter at his whim.
"Cain, we must get up. We have been in bed for four days. I am certain that I am with child by now." I teased him as his body disentangled itself from mine.
"Anora, I will never tire from having your body anyway I see fit." He kissed my shoulder
Giggling at him I teasingly shoved him away, "You would not allow me time to rest for more than and hour. Do you know how sore my body is?"
Grinning he grabbed my women hood with his hand and said "Every time you sit, every time you walk, you will know that my cock has been inside of you for four days."
Sighing at his words I allowed my thighs to fall apart for him once again.
"And your cock is much needed once again inside of my cunt as you so like to say." I said coyly
"Your cunt is the most beautiful little cunt I've ever had the pleasure of taking.... and tasting...and teasing." As he said the last word, he parted my thighs so far a part my knees touched the bed on both side and thrust into me.
We made love all morning before I finally said that we had to check on our children.
"Mama!"
"Papa!"
I walked rather stiffly towards my babies.
Oh curse you Cain!
"Mother, are you alright? You seem to be a bit stiff in your posture." Braiden asked
"Yes, I am just a bit soar." I said to him.
Oh I hope he does not know what kind of sore I meant!
Braiden looked at me with sympathy in his eyes, "I know that feeling mother. Falerine hand me training with the men the past four days. My arms and back ache." He said but lifted his chin to show that he was not complaining in the least.
Thank you, that he is still so pure to not understand my implications.
"How has the training been going son?" Cain asked Braiden as he lifted Ector and Igraine in his arms.
"It had been well father. I have been training with Falerine these past days in hand to hand combat."
Ector kissed Cain's cheek and then Igraine kissed Cain's cheek. They both looked at each other and had the most determined identical look of challenge in their eyes before they both bombarded Cain with kisses.
Cain laughed as hard because they were both yelling that Cain loved the other better. Igraine wiggled so much that she fell onto the ground and blamed Ector for the cut on her elbow. She did not cry only blamed Ector. Ector looked at the blood on her elbow and put his head down.
"Mama! Ector made me fall!" She yelled, her face turning pink.
Ector turned his face into Cain's neck and wrapped his arms around Cain's neck. Cain dropped down to Igraine's eye level and scolded her for blaming her mistake on her brother.
"But papa...it was not I..." He big eyes became glassy and her lower lip trembled.
Cain looked to me and handed Ector to me before he lifted Igraine's now crying form into his arms.
"Shhhh shhhh shhhh shhhh..........No need for your tears my beauty." He said to her
"You should not have blamed Ector for something that he did not do. It was your own fault that you fell. I am not mad my beauty, just do not blame others for your actions." He said to her
She shook her little head and whipped her tears from her eyes with her fingers.
Cain kissed her nose, then her cheeks, then her head, then her chin and made her giggle. He smiled at her and placed her down. He kissed Ector as I placed him down too and then Igraine grabbed his hand and ran into the great hall with him.
"She always does that." Braiden said smiling after his brother and sister.
"Just yesterday, she was running with Ector in the lawn when she stumbled over a small pebble and scraped her hands. She blamed Ector and scolded him for letting her fall. Ector did not even tell her anything just allowed her to scold him when she stopped and said that she was sorry for scolding him and kissed his cheek. Then she ran from him and yelled for him to follow her inside as if nothing had happened. Igraine is a strange little girl."
We all three walked to the entrance of the great hall and saw that Ector and Igraine were both playing with the wooden horses, wolves, fairies, and nymphs that Braiden gave to them.
"She may be strange but Ector balances her." I said of my children
Cain wrapped his arms around my waist and we watched our children play forest on the cold rock ground of the castle.
Did they truly not see?
Their hands were glowing. First golden, then emerald, then ruby, then amethyst, until finally the color of lightening. All the colors glowed and meshed into each other until I could not decipher one color from another.
"The colors are the colors of their futures." A voice said
Turning, I could not see a source.
"What do you mean?" I said, still looking all about me.
"Each color signifies the passage of time that you will have." The voice spoke
"Passage of time? What do you speak of?" I asked
"Each color will give you the passage of time through your children and through that your husband." The voice said
The hairs on my neck and arms stood at attention.
What does that mean?!
"It means, that each color stand for each child you have or will have."
"But there are five colors. I only have three children." I whispered as I looked again at the five swirling colors coming from the hands of my angels.
"You are already with child."
"But that is impossible! I am barren!" I exclaimed
"You are not. Your womb was only waiting for the appropriate time."
"Appropriate time. But that is ridiculous!"
"Five colors...five children..." The voice slowly began to fade
"Wait! What did you mean that through the passage of time my husband is involved?!" I screamed as the room slowly began falling away until there was nothing but darkness in its wake.
"Wake up, Anora! Wake up!" Someone was yelling and grabbing my shoulders and shaking me
My eyes were so tired they did not want to obey me and open.
"Wake up!" The voice screamed again
My eyes flew open and at first I saw only darkness but then my sight came back and I saw that it was still dark out and that Cain was the one shaking me awake.
"What is it? What happened?" I asked, yawning.
Cain stared at me in complete shock
"What is it? Are the children alright?" I asked now alert.
"You were shaking in your sleep, Anora...you were calling out nonsense. And then you went still and you would not even breathe." His eyes showed fear and I saw that he was shaking a little.
"I am alright, Cain." I whispered and hugged him.
"What were you dreaming of?" He whispered into my hair and he fiercely hugged my back
I thought about telling him the truth but I have never told anyone of my dreams. Ever. "Nothing my love. I do not even remember it." I said and kissed his neck.
Looking out the window of my chambers to the lawns I saw that Braiden was playing with Igraine and Ector as Cain was with his men on the farther lawns.
What did the voice mean by the passage of time? What did Cain have to do with it?
"My Lady. I am sorry to interrupt you but I came to tell you that I must leave to my home village at once." I turned to look at the face of the maid that I hired two years back, Halendra.
"May I ask why you need go?"
"My mother has sent word that my father is on his death bed and requests to see me. I am sorry My Lady but I have not seen my parents in two years. I must go." She said
"Of course you must. Hold one moment, Halendra." I walked towards my chest and produced a pouch of thirty silver coins and handed them to her.
"For your family." I said to her
Her eyes widened as she saw the contents of the pouch, "My Lady.... I cannot take these! It is much too much!"
"Nonsense. You have done a wonderful job with my household and maintaining it. You have also shown extreme loyalty to both my husband and myself. Please, take it." I smiled at her.
"Thank you My Lady." She bowed and left. Soon after I heard a horses gallop and was able to see that she was riding away from the castle towards the village.
"Why did Halendra leave mother?" Braiden asked me when I went downstairs to fetch the twins for lunch.
"She had to go home immediately." I said as the children were eating their lunch.
Nodding his head Braiden slowly ate his soup.
"Hello, wife." Cain smiled at me at the door as I greeted him and his men.
"Dinner is served in the great hall men!" I called to them all. For almost the past five years Cain’s men would dine with us once every fourteen days.
As Cain followed to join them I stopped him.
"Cain, I wish to speak to you a moment." I whispered in his ear.
We went up to our room and he shut the door behind him.
He turned to face me and before I gave it another thought I said, "I am with child."
He smiled to widely at me and ran towards me that I did not at first understand what it was he was doing.
He gathered me in his arms and twirled me around all the while telling me how beautiful I was to him and how wonderful I was and how happy I made him.
Giggling at his reaction I kissed him.
That kiss turned into a heated session of love.