I didn’t last long out there pacing, I could feel her pain, made myself endure it right along with her because he was mine too. Now we’ve come to the question she’d asked.
“Because a vampyre dragon mix cannot be carried around in a pod.” She didn’t like that answer and opened her mouth to blast me but thankfully my son chose that moment to push his head out of her to take a look at the world.
My heart raced at the first sight of him the way all new fathers do I guess. He was beautiful, at least what I could see of him as my eyes were too filled with tears to see clearly.
Outside I heard the loud screeching of the dragon as it made its circuit across the sky and ten seconds later the sound was followed by the loud flapping of the phoenix wings before the whole room was lit up by the iridescent golden light that surrounds the majestic bird.
The trumpets sounded and our people had another reason to celebrate as they once again came out into the streets in jubilation. The golden prince had appeared. I think they were more excited for him than they had been for me.
I was the first one to hold him, to bond with the son that I’d waited so long to meet and he was perfect. I only had a few seconds though before his mother was reaching out her arms to take him. Everyone else left the room quietly leaving us alone before my family descended on us.
“Thank you, he’s perfect.” He has my coloring but already the freckles of the elf were visible just beneath his right ear. It was hard to imagine that the tiny being I now held had such power and the way he curled into my arms like he needed me to protect him reminded me that he was just a baby.
His mother looked him over exclaiming at his beauty as I sat on the bed next to her holding them both in my arms. We were a long way from that other world where we met. Speaking of which, there was an argument going on in the other room between her annoying ass bird and Bellaque who I had to warn at least twice a day not to devour.
They were fighting and have been for the past week or so over who was going to guard the child as if me, and his mother were nonentities. I was soon pushed out of the way by my mother who had held out two minutes longer than I thought she would.
Next came the sky monarch who seemed younger than however old he is when he took his great grandson in his arms for the first time. “Damien is his name you said? It’s a perfect name as he shall be the one to subdue our enemies in the future and bring lasting peace to all.” I feel so superfluous.
Epilogue
NATALIA
I never thought I’d have this much fun sitting around in a room full of vampyre women, they’re a hoot and nothing at all like the snooty vixens I always thought them to be. Or maybe it’s because I’m the crown princess that they sheaf their claws.
Whatever the case I learn a lot from them about their customs and whatnot, though lately there have been whispers about my bad influence on some of the younger ones. No one except my husband dares though so I pretty much ignore it all.
It’s because of them that I even learned what Lucien had done to Sabrina. You better believe I checked that one out for myself since the story seemed so farfetched. She was indeed unrecognizable, nothing at all like the beauty I’d met when I first came here.
I can’t say I felt bad for her though, it was a shitty thing she did. But I did balk when I heard that he’d had all her closest servants cut in half since I’d never had any dealings with them and had no idea what their crimes were.
Since he wasn’t supposed to know that I knew, something that’s damn near impossible to keep a secret since he likes walking around in my head on a daily basis, I couldn’t very well bring it up to him. So I went along like I didn’t know anything but made it a point not to piss off the dragon. He has a vicious streak a mile wide.
“Okay ladies, so we’re all set for tomorrow yes.” I’m taking them on a shopping spree in the earthly realm, then for a little spa time in the fairy kingdom, something we’ve been doing at least once every three months for the last couple of years; another thing that I’d been lectured about.
How was I to know that the wives of the nobility weren’t allowed to leave the kingdom on a whim? The way I see it, I’m paving the way for my son who’s going to have a lot on his plate in the not too distant future. By the time that day comes I want to have at least made a dent in diplomatic relations between the kingdoms.
Lucien on the other hand would rather I stayed home tucked away out of the way of all harm; he’s such a worrier. Like who’s going to mess with the wife of the man who’d sent his pet to wipe out a whole kingdom?
LUCIEN
“Princess!”
“Yes daddy!”
“Come here!” She sidled-floated towards me with that impishly adorable look that I find hard to resist. “What did you do to your brother?” She sighed with a put upon look on her face as she twirled from side to side.
Why couldn’t I have all boys? Is it too much to ask? As if the mother isn’t enough of a handful I’ve been saddled with her carbon copy. I’ve asked my father in law more than once if his daughter, my wife, was anything like mine. His sage advice is always ‘it gets worst’. How much worst can it get?
She gets into everything, throws a fit when she doesn’t get her way, and because she’s everybody’s princess, she gets away with it all. I keep telling myself I should break her out of her bad habit while she’s young, but all she has to do is bat those lashes at me and I cave.
And I thought my son was going to be the problem. Then again he was until she came along. So maybe she’s Natalia’s retribution for stealing my son, because our daughter doesn’t have a female bone in her body. So when Natalia tries to entice her with her shopping days and spa retreats my little angel comes to me to hide.
The other side of that is that she wants to do everything her brother does, which is the reason for me calling her into my office for the second time this morning. “Well? I’m waiting.”
I already knew what she’d been up to but I waited for her to tell me. One thing about her, she never lies and never tries to shirk responsibility for her actions. Maybe because there’s never any repercussions.
“Daddy, guess what.”
“What?” I wonder what tale she’s going to weave to make my eyes cross before I completely forget what it is I called her in here for. I’m not sure where she learned it, or if it’s just my inherent need to spoil her, but ten seconds after she’s misbehaved I tend to forget what her infraction had been.
“Dami won’t let me sit with him.”
“Sit with him where Giovanna?” She mumbled her answer but I didn’t need to hear, I already knew. “We’ve talked about this, your brother’s classes are for the future monarchs of our kingdom…”
“I know, I know, but why can’t I be one?” I want to have this argument for the one-thousandth time. I think her mother puts her up to it. I took my time and explained to my four-year old daughter once again why she could not rule the sky kingdom knowing good and well how it was going to end.
In a few minutes she’s going to crawl into my lap, stick her thumb in her mouth and tell me everything that’s wrong with what I just told her. So said so done.