Raidyn
It's been two weeks since Cal left and Raven is actually surprisingly stable, but maybe that's because she's never truly alone anymore. I think that she's finally recovering from her grief. She seems basically back to her old-bubbly-self and it's refreshing to have the high spirit around the castle again.
This morning Raven is accompanying me with my run, so I'm thinking about all of this while she's running next to me. I curve my head so that way i get a glimpse of her face. Raven sees me and smiles back at me, she's happy, and that's all i want for her.
The people all stare as we jog by. I think they're all still amazed by the returned princess. I would be too if I didn't see her around all the time. My meetings the past couple of weeks have been constant and normally I talk to Raven in between sessions, but I seem to have been booked back to back since there's always a new problem to deal with. The land I rule over is so vast. I really haven't seen that much of anyone lately besides Byrd afterwards my day is through and I spent that time doting on her every need. She's so pregnant right now that I swear she's going to pop soon. Her baby bump is the roundest I've ever seen it, I don't doubt that Hollis will come out bigger than Riesner was when he joined the realm.
Riesner is six months old now. In another six months he'll be a year. I thank the gods every day for them blessing us with him. He's perfect in every way. His little trickster personality keeps me on the balls of my feet and he never ceases to amaze me. He is truly my pride and joy. I can't wait for Hollis to join us, but I also can. The pregnancy is just progressing so quickly and I know this birth will be a bitch for her.
"R!" Raven waves her hand in front of my face.
"Huh" I hum in response.
"I just felt a raindrop. What's upsetting you?" She frowns.
My forehead wrinkles as I do the same. "Oh. Nothing. Well, not really...I'm just stressing out myself over Byrd giving birth. I'm just so nervous for her. You've got to see the pain she's in whenever he's active, it kills me to her like that and not be able to do anything to help."
She frowns. "I'm sure everything will be fine. The baby is just a little rascal like you were. He will be out of her soon enough, we're here for her and she knows that."
"But is that enough? I'm just nervous about the complications. I almost feel like this is our first time going through this; her last pregnancy was just so different..." I exhale and try to keep my pace matched with Raven's.
"She had no problem giving birth to Riesner. She'll have no problem giving birth to her second. I think I read somewhere the second time is easier. She knows what to expect. You're just nervous because he's growing so fast. Her body will know what to do when the time comes." She briefly smiles over at me.
My eyes grow wide. Only one thing she mentioned caught my attention. "Why the hell were you reading about pregnancy Raven?"
"For Byrd!" Raven growls and runs ahead of me. "Besides I was reading moms journals." She calls back.
"Woah. Don't bite my head off or anything." My breathing gets deeper as try to catch up to her, but I can't. "Raven give me a break." I huff. "You know I can't keep up."
"That's the point, R!" She gives me a mischievous smile. "Especially when you're going to accuse me of being pregnant! I know what you were thinking!"
"Oh no, I didn't think that you were pregnant, I just thought you were thinking about pregnancy or trying to tell me something pertaining to the subject."
"No, I'm not pregnant, I don't want to be pregnant or anything pertaining to it--my two little nephews are all I need...for now."
"Yeah, well, since you and Cal are just friends and no one knows where Duck is I didn't really think you'd be pregnant." I tease.
"Doesn't mean I can't find hundreds of suitors in the village...like you did." She snickers.
"Like you'd want to have a child with someone you didn't love." I narrow my eyes at her. "Never, ever talk to me about sex or suitors again or I'm locking you in the dungeon- it's disturbing. We aren't weird siblings like Byrd and just about every royal."
"You're right we aren't." She huffs and chuckles. "I'm never being locked away again." Her face becomes serious.
"Oh shit," I sat under my breath and I stop running. "I'm sorry Raven. I didn't mean to joke around like that it completely slipped my mind..."
She shakes her head. "It's okay, you're the only one I'll allow to joke about this with. It's what siblings do right?" She shrugs her shoulders having stopped running to face me.
"Actually, a lot has changed, siblings don't joke anymore, they're terrible and they fight unfair. For instance-" I pause, smirk, and start sprinting to gain a lead ahead of her. "Race you to the castle!"
"Raidyn Milo, you're an asshole!" She shouts trying to catch up with me.
"Better save your breath!" I yell to the newly clear sky.
"As if!" She's gaining on me, but with the short distance to the castle, I'm not worried in the least.
Gods, all I wanted to do was crumbled into the stone once I passed through the gates. My lungs and heart were working hard to get my breathing back to a resting pace. "You lost. For once, once in my life, I beat you." I smile.
"You cheated!" She shouts. "I hardly call it winning."
"Are we in wartimes, Raven?" I ask raising my chin.
"Well...yes."
"All's fair in love and war." I shrug.
"You truly are still a child." She rolls her eyes and shoves me.
"You've just got no sense of humor." I pulled my lips apart at the corners with my index fingers and stick out my tongue.
"Oh please I have plenty." She crosses her arms and walks toward the castle and into the foyer.
"That's not what the king says." I tease.
She groans. "Don't even play the king card! I remember how dad use to use that on mom!"
"If I have to deal with all the bullshit that comes with being king, I think I deserve to use the king card."
"Are you sure you're twenty-four?"
"I don't know. How old are you again?" I tilt my head.
"You are a pain, I don't know how your wife stands you."
"She doesn't. She lies down."
Raven gasps and swats at me. "You said no sex talk!"
"We had to be even; now we are." I mockingly bow to her.
"A child, Raidyn. You are a child!" She shouts.
"Chill out, little sister. I could always bring up certain times that you were the child in the situation. You've spent your first couple months back here so gullible and naive."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." She dismisses me and it's settled since in my eyes, I've won for the second time today.
"Breakfast in the kitchen?" I ask her.
She sprints and yells back to me. "Race you there!"
I groan and lightly jog, totally trailing her. Why waste my breath when I know I'm doomed for failure?
After Raven and I are finished, she excuses herself to do whatever she does all day and i stick around in the kitchen to have Cristi set up a tray for me to bring up to Byrd.
When I open the chamber doors with the tray in hand Byrd is just waking up, probably because of the mouthwatering smells from the food, Pierré is an extraordinary cook.
"I'm starving." She urges for the tray holding her hands out.
"You better stay put." I glare at her as I walk over and set up the tray. "I really believe you should be taking it easy."
"It's not like I can get out of bed myself. This baby is bigger than I am." She groans.
"That's exactly why you need to leave the moving about to a minimum." I nod, unveil the plate, and hand her, her fork.
"Thank you." She digs in right away. "Did you go on your run?"
"Yep. I brought Raven with me this time since I haven't gotten to speak with her lately in between meetings like I normally do."
"Oh that's nice, she probably really enjoyed the company. I know I haven't been spending much time with her either."
"I don't think she really needs us the way she has been anymore. She seems recovered and finally in the acceptance stage. She's back to her old self and she was rather chirper this morning." I steal a piece of fruit off her plate and toss it into my mouth.
"Great." She takes a bite of her food. "You think it has anything to do with Cal talking to her?" She turns her head to look at me.
"It could be. It could also just be the time that's passed." I shrug because I have no idea how the female brain works, especially Raven's.
"You're right." She returns her attention to her food and devours half the plate. "The female brain is complicated, I'm glad we have sons."
"It's not that complicated." I smirk. It is.
"What are you a guru for females and their brains?"
"Sexually." The truth.
She gives me a dirty look and then returns to her food once more eating her last bite.
"We already had the sex god conversation before so I'll let this opportunity slide." I chuckle. "How's breakfast? Still hungry?" She downs every morsel on her plate.
She brushes away my first comment. "No, I think I'm full...for now." She smiles. "I'm never going to lose this baby weight--I gained seventeen pounds, which is a lot more than I gained with Ries."
"This is a completely different baby; you don't know how big he's going to be."
"Ries was eight pounds, Hollis is probably ten." She groans.
"Holy crap." All to push out of....
"You're telling me." She huffs.
"That's amazing, really, but you've got some of the best powers. If you don't like the way you look you never have to work at it, all you have to do is shift."
"I don't like doing that."
I shrug. "You don't have to. It was just a suggestion. I know you hate your powers, but they're still accessible to you."
"I think if I permanently changed something about myself it's just...it's not me anymore. I like keeping all my born features, my height, weight, all me."
I nod and sit on the bed. "So does this mean you're going to work out your sexual frustration after the baby is born with me?"
She chuckles. "After the baby is born plus a few weeks, I can't do any exercise for a while either."
"Oh fuck. I forgot." I groan and fall back on the bed.
"I would say let's get our fix now, but I can't move."
"I really don't want to bring on the labor early so I'm fine with taking a break for awhile."
She leans over to kiss me. "I love you."
"I love you too. Don't get me wrong, you're smoking hot and I would love to ravish you, but I'm more worried about the safety of you both than anything." I kiss her with deep passion. When I pull back from the kiss, I grab the tray and head back down to the kitchen. Surprisingly, I find Lady Guenievre there, my top foreign ambassador.
"I'm sorry to come to you like this, my king, but there's urgent news. In the East, King Bren and Queen Flora are being held hostage by a radical group. Some of Belmont's followers thought that Bren's men had killed him since King Cynric killed off Queen Flora's sister in return for Belmont's death." Guenievre explains with her face stoic.
I nearly drop the tray from my hands. I catch it in time, but it clangs against the side of the counter.
"Excuse me." I mutter to her under my breath and rush back to my chambers where Byrd is still lying in bed at the same exact spot. "I need to tell you something and you can't freak out. I have to leave for a couple days."
"What? Why?" She sits up. "What happened?"
"Bren and Flora are captured. I have to go now." I quickly change into my armour and kiss her on the cheek. "I'm sorry I'll be back as soon as I can. I can't let them die."
I gather together Jax's best men and lead them myself. I left Jax in charge of protecting and guarding the castle.
As fast as Obsidian could go, we went. All ten men were behind us and the forest was thick and turn tropical after a couple hours. I knew the desert was approaching as the humid air turned drier. I brought the storm with us so our horses could continue on without overheating.
At the gold and white colored castle of the East, the radicals greeted me immediately.
"I demand to be taken to your leader." I keep my voice low and my face firm as I talk to the radical front gate guard.
"Only you, your army stays out here."
"Fine. Take me now." I snap and make sure to keep my posture as straight as possible.
Inside the castle the lights are kept off. Already the heat is getting to me and I'm sweating bullets under my armour.
The leader is a surprisingly short woman, she's maybe of Byrd's height or shorter, if I had to guess I'd think that she was Belmont's girlfriend.
"Where are the king and queen? Release them at once." I demand as I drag my sword.
"I wouldn't do that if I was you." She smiles at me. She looks so familiar, but I know I haven't had relations with her.
Then it clicks in my mind. "You're a northern adversary. I remember you were under Valdus's rule. How could you do this? How could you side with them?"
"Because I loved Belmont. They just killed him like he was nothing!"
"Let Bren and Flora go. Their men did not kill him, mine did, but you don't know these men and what they aim for. You don't know the things they've done."
"I do. I do know." She growls, but I'm not the least bit scared of the half pint. "Looks like I have the wrong royals then. I should have you." She takes a step towards me. I don't know what her power is or could be. I don't know how Valdus picked his adversaries. She notices me weighing my sword in my hand. "If you kill me, I gave my people orders to automatically kill the king and queen."
"Why? You can't allow a fair fight for their lives?"
"Everyone knows who you are and has heard the things you're capable of. There is no fair fight when it comes to you."
"Then what do you propose?"
"A bargain, or better yet a very unfair fight where the captives are forced to watch. I'd love for your friends to watch you die so they can relay it over to your queen the same way it was relayed over to me."
"An unfair fight it is, give me everything you've got." I say challengingly. I am full of energy today. I'd love to see anyone bring me down. Over and over again people think they can bring me down in a fight yet they know of my powers which doesn't make sense; my only weakness is miles away in my castle.
Bren and Flora are both gagged and tossed into the room. I was wondering how they tricked Bren into being captured, but now it's apparent, handcuffs. Flora and Bren are stuffed into a corner and hundreds of men file into surround me.
"Cease him!" The lady yells. I never asked her name and it was pointless to. This would only take seconds to defeat her.
I remain standing firm at the center of the room and I start my eyes. Manipulation is key for a quick and easy fight, I didn't care that it wasn't the most honorable route, I have a largely pregnant wife to get back to. I start to speak as clearly as I can and I turn to meet the eyes of everyone in the crowd once until they're all caught under my spell. "You will all attack your leader and leave. You're going to turn sides and never change back. You won't remember this conversation. However you all deem to take care of your former leader is up to you."
I watch as they all file out after having hoisted up Belmont's bitter and vengefully lady. I ignored her shrieks and immediately un-gagged Bren and Flora.
Of course both of them thank me, but there's one person on my mind. I quickly excuse myself and lead back the surprised guards.
As soon as we get back to the castle I sprint inside to check on Byrd.
"Are you alright?" I pant, completely out of breath after I burst in the door.
"Yes, I'm okay. Are you?" Her eyes widen and she analyzes my body.
"I'm fine. No damage." I smile like an idiot.
The rest of the next two weeks are relatively quiet. The rebels were turned and crushed. Miraculously, I never heard of the leader again, I take it they killed her.
Today is Monday and Cal has spent the last month in the Lost Kingdom and he's coming home at a random hour today. Raven is bouncing around like crazy, her perkiness was cute at first, but now I'm kind of over it.
Byrd is huge, actually she's larger than huge. She was nowhere near as big with Riesner. I feel like she could go into labor at any moment, which is partly why I'm kind of over Raven and how she feels at the moment. I'm so worried about Byrd that I find my mind wandering in my meetings lately. Gods, I hope Cal returns with Duck.
A little after noon Raven finds Byrd and I and drags us outside to greet Cal. "Come on guys! He's going to be here in any minute!" Raven has most certainly returned to normal, there's no doubt about it.
"We're coming Raven, geez." I groan as we get to the front door.
Cal is in the distance, alone. Well, that means no Duckman. I am less than amused. How could Duck not be in the Lost Kingdom? I was almost positive that he was there.
Raven waits with us this time, but she's fidgeting and tapping her foot like mad to display her eagerness.
"No Duck." I whisper over to Byrd. "What the hell are we going to do?"
She squeezes my hand tightly. "Everything will be okay." She whispers back.
I don't have the time to respond because Cal is too close now. Raven is quick to grab his hand to keep in her own. She whispers something in his ear that I can't quite make out and I don't think that I'd want to with the looks of it.
"Cal, welcome back. How was your trip this time?" I ask interrupting his and Raven's little whatever-it-is.
Byrd swats at me disapprovingly for being so forward. I don't care, I want answers now.
"King Raidyn, Queen Byrd." Cal bows to the both of us.
"Cal, it's nice to see you." Byrd smiles politely.
"Same goes for me, Queen." Cal half smiles and looks over at my little sister adoringly.
"Cal, what is the news?" I ask impatiently, crossing my arms.
"I'm sorry, but no Duck yet, King. My leads from the Lost Kingdom all pointed me to the Eastern Kingdom." Cal explains frowning.
"Oh, that's alright, Cal. You'll find him." Raven uses the hand that was holding his to drape herself over him and rub his back.
I turn to Byrd and let the two have their moment. "I feel sick about this. He's been gone for two months, what are the chances that he's even still alive?"
Byrd frowns. "We have to keep hope. Maybe he's in the Eastern Kingdom. There's still a chance he's there and alive."
"Didn't you think he was in the Lost Kingdom too? I was more than sure he was."
"Maybe my father is smarter than we give him credit for." She shrugs her shoulders. "I just don't want to believe he's dead for Raven's sake, and for the sake of our kingdom losing its best scholar."
"I feel the same about the situation, but its been months and he would be smart enough to escape..."
"Not if Cynric put him in a cell with no way out." She rubs at her forehead. "I believe in staying positive about this."
"Do you both want to join us for lunch?" Raven interrupts.
"Sure, I'm hungry." Byrd rubs her stomach.
"The little one is coming soon I'm guessing?" Cal says more like a question as we all walk inside to the kitchen.
"Yeah, he's growing more and more every week." Byrd sighs.
"You look beautiful." I wrap my arm around her.
"Thank you, my king." She tilts her head up at me and puckers her lips for a kiss.
We all take our usual seats at the table. Cal takes the seat next to Raven, no surprise. The two seem to linger closer together with everytime he visits.
Pierre nodded to me once Byrd and I entered, knowing that he'd make our usual sandwiches. Cal ended up ordering the same as Raven per her persuasion.
I feel like I have nothing to say to keep conversation alive. I just want to figure out a gameplan for the birth of this baby. I have had a strategy for everything and not having one for Hollis is scaring me half to death. I feel as though I'm swimming through and drowning in my own thoughts. The entire situation is out of character for me and I feel terrible about how I treated Duck before he left. I never truly appreciated him for all he was. I feel his loss now more than ever with this dire need for him. I just keep praying to the gods everyday that Byrd doesn't go into labor before he returns.
Our plates of food are set in front of us all at the same time and I decide to remain quiet.
"I'm so glad you're home." Raven smiles and nudges Cal.
"I'm glad to be back with you too, Raven." Cal winks at her as he picks up his sandwich and takes a bite. After he finishes chewing he speaks again. "When I met your father, Byrd, he didn't even bat an eye. He suspected nothing at all. I know Raven mentioned that you two talked about it. I did break my story once, but luckily it didn't turn back to haunt me. It's just hard not to tell people that I'm a farmer when I pass by the crop fields."
"I'm glad my father gave you no trouble, he's a very paranoid and dangerous man." Byrd nods her head. "Not sticking to my story almost got me fired from being Raidyn's chambermaid." She points her fork to me.
"Yeah, you definitely couldn't come from a poor family and be an orphan at the same time." I snort.
"Looks like your story had a flaw, Byrd." Raven teases and Cal laughs.
"Yes, and I got in trouble." Byrd smiles. "I had to beg for Raidyn to let me stay on as his head chambermaid."
"Just look at the trouble." Cal gestures to Byrd's baby bump with his sandwich in hand.
Byrd laughs and puts her hand on my shoulder. "But it's my favorite kind of trouble." She places her other hand on her stomach.
"Yeah, you always do enjoy the punishment." I joke.
"R! I'm right here! Remember what we said?! No sex jokes." Raven scolds me.
"Raven, I was talking more about the labor, but now that you mention it..." I smirk over at Byrd.
Byrd hits me in the chest. "Raidyn! Let's not talk about this over lunch." She blushes.
Cal can't stop laughing. I can only imagine what he's talking about right now with Raven. His face changes completely a minute later.
"I think Cal and I are going to catch up on lost time for the rest of the day. Do you two need him for anything?" Raven looks back and forth between Byrd and I.
"He's all yours." Byrd dismisses them. "Go have fun."
Cal seems surprised by Raven asking, but he hurriedly stands and she pulls him out by the collar of his shirt.
"I don't know what's up with those two, but I miss our baby." I finish up the last bite of my sandwich. "Are you still hungry?"
"No." She responds quickly. "I miss him too, let's go." She nearly pushes me out of the booth.
"I swear your impatience grows with your stomach." I remark.
She rolls her eyes and chuckles. "Then I must really be impatient, now come on."
We grab Ries from Rosie and take him into our room nextdoor.
"As big as Ries is, I can only imagine how big Hollis will be at six months."
"He's going to surpass his big brother in no time."
"He really will and easily. It'll be interesting to watch them. Eventually Hollis's growth will plateau for awhile." I cradle Ries in my arms and sit on the bed.
"I can't believe how close in age they're going to be." Byrd skims her finger across Riesner's cheek.
"It'll be nice for them, but a nightmare for us for awhile." I chuckle. Riesner is such a beautiful baby. He has so much hair that it's remarkable. He's certainly one of the loves of my life.
"Maybe I should take a pause on my tutoring, so I can focus on the boys."
"There's no rush on your schooling, so you could if you'd like to, but you could also start picking up some queenly duties..." I trail nervously. The last thing I needed was to have a heated arguement with my heavily pregnant wife.
"I think I will take a break from the scholars. I'll focus on our children and the kingdom--get back into going to meetings and judgement."
"Sounds like a plan." I genuinely smile back at her.
"I can go back when Hollis stops breastfeeding and the nannies can care for them while I spend my early mornings in the library." She nods.
Byrd, Ries, and myself spend our time cuddling and bonding until Ries knocks out and has to be put down in his crib to sleep. I help Byrd get out of bed after I put Ries down so she can slip into pyjamas as I slip into my own.
"Today really wasn't so bad. I just wish that Duck would've returned." I comment as I pull my shirt off.
"I know." She frowns. "But Cal will find him."
I nod and quickly switch out my clothes before climbing back onto my side of the bed. I whistle at Byrd who is slipping on a nightgown. "Hot mama."
She blushes and laughs throwing the tunic she was wearing at me. "Stop, I look disgusting."
"Never. You always look perfect to me." I deflect the tunic and pat on the bed. "Come on over here. I miss you next to me already."
"Now who's impatient." She smiles as she finishes buttoning up her nightgown and crawls into bed next to me. She wraps her arms around me and kisses me on the cheek.
"Goodnight, my queen. I love you." I croon.
"I love you more." She snuggles up closer to me.
We fall asleep moments later only to be woken up with the shaking of the windows.
"Byrd." I say panickedly turning to her. "Byrd, get up. Is that you?" It's most certainly not me.
Byrd rubs her eyes and looks over at the windows. "No, no it's not me." She grabs my arm.
"It's not Hollis?" My eyebrows are furrowed and I glance over to the crib thinking of Ries.
"I-I don't think so, I don't feel him moving right now." She grabs her stomach.
"I'm going to grab Ries." I quickly hop out of bed and do just that. I bring him back to the bed as the rumbling gets louder. "What the hell is going on?"
"I don't know, this isn't you?" Byrd looks over at me scared.
"No." I breathe out as it dawns on me. "It's Raven."
"Raven? What the hell is Raven doi--" Byrd stops mid sentence.
"Yeah, remember last time when I went to check on her..." I awkwardly scratched at the back of my neck with my free hand.
"So she's...with Cal?" Byrd raises her eyebrows.
"That could be it, she could also be with, uh, herself or practicing some wind move, I really don't want to think about it."
Just as I finish speaking, the windows next to the bed hit their breaking point and finally shatter. Quickly as I can I throw myself protectively over Byrd. I can feel tiny shards of glass stick to my back. I look over at Ries, who is now crying in the crib. Thankfully he wasn't anywhere near the window, he must just be spooked from the noise.
"Byrd?!" I inspect her after the noise dies down and all I can hear is the breezes through the window.
"Raidyn!" Byrd cries out. "Raidyn, my water just broke."