"Wake up my dear," Faye whispered, playing with Irwin's ash-blond curls as she tried to wake him up, but he only stirred and turned to the other side. And that’s when she started to scream.
"AHHHH!" Faye huffed and puffed after that causing Irwin to shoot straight from his sleep eyes wide like a mad man’s.
"WHAT HAPPENED?" He looked to his right and saw his wife doubling over with pain, her hands on her round belly and his eyes went even wider, all color drained from his face.
"The baby's on the waa-" Faye cut her sentence with another scream, causing Irwin to scramble to his feet and rush to her side.
"Okay okay," he started, eyes darting around for help, but they were in their rented room, and obviously they were all alone. "Deep breaths-deep breaths... Breathe-Breathe" he tried to demonstrate only to have her double over again. "Wha-what happened?"
"Oh dear Gods!" Faye wheezed for air, but this time she was laughing hard, "Your face!" Her laughing increased as she saw the disapproving look from Irwin.
"It was an act?!" Irwin asked as he saw mirth in his wife's eyes.
"Oh don't be angry so!" Faye exclaimed after her laughter started to subside, "it was the only way to wake you up, although I have to say..." she gave a pause to catch her breath, "I did hesitate when I saw you sleeping so peacefully, but then I heard you snore." The pregnant woman finished off with her eyes nearly shutting with how wide she was grinning.
"Faye dearest you nearly stopped my heart and here you say my snoring annoyed you!" Irwin scoffed. "I do not snore!"
"Oh sure you don't," Faye gave her husband an indifferent look, "I suppose it's a song-perhaps in a language of a creature from a different land and is drowning?"
Her husband only blinked once... Then twice... All he could do was look at her like she was the foreign creature.
"Anyways," she started with a huff again as she wiped the tight smile from her lips, "I have been trying to wake you up since the moment I woke up myself and I need you up for a very valid reason!"
"Which is...” he trailed waiting for her to answer.
She muttered incoherent words under her breath as she lowered her head.
Irwin raised an eyebrow as Faye looked at him through her lashes and glared at him hard. She rubbed her hands over her tummy where her child resided and sighed with annoyance as she tried to form the words again but finally, she snapped.
"I'M HUNGRY!"
Those words left Irwin bewildered and he went to fetch breakfast in a monotonous movement, but when he came back with their food, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing bringing the jolly atmosphere back.
Breakfast went by after that with Faye eating for two, or more, and Irwin mostly watching her with contentment and joy as he felt the warmth flood through his veins at the sight of his pregnant wife. But soon, serious matters had to break through the mood of happiness to solve their problems, mostly his, once and for all.
Faye started as she swallowed the last bit of bread she was chewing. "Honey... I think it's time to-"
"Meet my father," Irwin cleared his throat, “I know."
"Well...?" Faye questioned, wanting him to tell her what he planned to do.
"And I shall go in a while," he answered, "Alone.
It took her some time to register what he was saying and when it clicked her protests started, "no, I'll go with you!" She gasped.
Irwin left his seat and came closer to his wife as she stood up too. He cradled her face in his hands and lowered his head a notch until his eyes were on level with hers and with a tone not above a whisper he said, "there are battles I have to fight on my own-"
"But we promised to fight them all together! Didn't we?"
"I know darling-I know trust me," he said softly, "but more importantly I need you to trust me on this, I need you out of sight. I don't want to confront my father and have him blowing leading to chase those that I love most." Irwin pleaded, "I need you and our child safe." With that, he shifted one hand to her belly.
Faye wrapped her hands around Irwin's neck, "come on now I won't die there," he said jokingly.
"I know you won't silly," she slapped his chest and hugged him closer, "I just need it."
Faye and Irwin got themselves ready and checked out of the rented room then went on their way.
"Hey Irwin," Faye called for her husband’s attention while they walked between the crowd.
"Yes?" He looked over at her as he brought her closer to him and away from the people surrounding them.
"You know that I won't give birth on my fifth month don't you?"
"You don't?" He asked bewildered for a second then played it off, "of course you don't I mean you're-"
"Relax!" She chuckled, "We'll have our baby on the ninth month remember that now!" Faye rubbed her stomach, "oh and you still have some time to build that crib."
"What crib?" The glare he earned when he asked made him smile sheepishly as recognition dawned on him. “Of course!” He exclaimed as he remembered the bent pieces of wood that sat in the backroom of their home, “And it's nearly done too." By the time he said that, they have reached his grandfather's house where he left Faye with a kiss then continued on his way to the castle. He didn't trust the oracle much but he did feel like he can and also he had no choice. The man could protect her while he was away.
Irwin stood in front of the gate, watching. However the guards weren't happy with a stranger standing upon the entrance and they decided to take action.
"What brings you here peasant?" One of the gate guards asked.
"I wish to meet the king," Irwin answered.
"Oh is that so?" the guard mocked, "then your wish shall be granted."
Irwin glared then proceeded to say in an even harder tone, "he is my father."
"And I'm his grandson!" An old man cheered as he was passing by causing the guards along with the crowd that was beginning to form to erupt into fits of laughter.
"I speak the truth," Irwin tried again but to no avail. It wasn't common for someone to come up to the gate of the castle and demand to see his 'father', but it was common to punish people for no actual crime, like when they were in the range of ten steps near the gate, and the way Irwin was having it, let's just say that he was too close to the metal border than to what was to the guards liking.
"What blocks the gate?" A man cut his way through the group of guards on the gate and inquired not so kindly. Judging by his uniform and the badges on his chest, he had to be the head of the king's guards. "What delays the king’s trip?"
The guards all saluted him as his eyes ventured towards Irwin who was standing with as much confidence as he could muster with everyone around sizing him up.
"Who shall you be...?” The authoritative voice asked as the owner, once again, regarded the young farmer with a look that could bring mountains to shake, but fortunately Irwin was human.
"My name is Irwin and I demand to see the king before he departs for I have an urgent matter to discuss with him!" His voice didn't shake nor did it waver as he stated what he wanted.
"And what shall that matter be your highness?" The head of the guards gave a sarcastic reply as a smirk appeared on his face. Everyone around Irwin seemed to be more humorous than what would one deem normal and that was getting on his nerves.
However before Irwin could answer, the first guard from before beat him to it, "he claims that he's the king's son."
"Foolish man," the head of guards barked as his laugh echoed in Irwin's ears, but then it ceased as he continued. "Whoever told you that the king has a child must've gone mad." The man gave a nod towards his inferiors and that was all they needed to take Irwin into captivity.
"His sentence shall be postponed till the king's return," he bellowed, wanting every listener to know what would happen if someone came up with such claims again, "however for now, throw him in the east dungeons, perhaps he'll die before he meets his 'father'." he spat the last word as he gave the crowd one of last, hard look then proceeded to go back into the castle grounds to prepare for his king's departure, leaving Irwin to be dealt with by the protectors of the gate.
When Irwin was brought in, his eyes wandered around the place. The castle stood tall and magnificent, surrounded by a green terrain that stretched far behind the castle which wasn’t visible from where Irwin was standing. They walked him along a trail and as they passed the gate, Irwin saw some people standing and that's when he met her eyes, Faye's, who was standing at a distance with tears sprinkled over her face and her hand rubbing her round belly as if trying to reassure her unborn baby. At that exact moment, Irwin couldn't help but fight his captives. He wanted to reach for Faye. He wanted to tell her and their babe that everything was going to be okay. Everything happens for a reason and it's always for the best. The Gods would always make sure of that.
The trail fit for the owner of the castle started to fade gradually as it became a way of dirt the more they walked away from the gate and the castle. Soon the guards assured Irwin through a door that had two other guards standing tall on each side. The young man was punched into a tight, underground tunnel having one guard in front while the other was holding him from behind. The tunnel became wider with every step until finally a vast, round space appeared and iron doors came to view. The smell was sickly, much worse than that in the oracle's tent, and the stillness of the place had an eerie feeling to it. It was so quiet yet so deafening.
The rest of the walk was short for the guard on the front reached for a door directly to the right of the tunnel and opened it reaching for the bonded man in his friend's hand and practically threw Irwin into the cell.
He fell with a thud onto the soil of the ground as he couldn’t balance himself from the force and the door was shut behind him then locked to insure that the 'fraud' won't escape. When he was left alone, Irwin took his time in studying the small room. Light was seeping in from between the iron bars in the middle of the ceiling, and a stone bunk was to the left side of the cell and a wooden bucket with a fool smell was on the right corner, that was all that the cell had, nothing much to be seen let alone to be studied. And he was left there, the guards’ steps that faded left an echo between the moans of the prisoners.