Ascension (Royals of Aeterna Book 1)

by J Haney

  “I don’t know where you’re going, but we don’t have time. These babies are coming now.” My legs shake as the pressure gets worse. “Zane, you need to put me down.”

  I watch as I’m lowered to a blanket beside a very large statue. A man and a little girl move out of the way.

  “Lue, I suggest Kinrhad take Tissrah to the house unless you want her to learn where babies come from today,” Zane says, trying to smooth my hair back as I grip his hand again, my claws digging in. I held back my tiger through weeks of seemingly unbearable torture, but one proper contraction and boom, here come the claws.

  “He can’t, brother dear, he’s already transcendent.” She points behind her as she gets in front of me. “Queen Maya.” She dips her head slightly. “You’re gonna need to open them legs if you plan on dropping a cub or two.”

  “Oh, go, Queen, yourself. Fuck!” I shake my head, looking at Val. “I can’t do this. My body can’t handle it.” Tears stain my face.

  “May don’t say that. Please, if you can’t do it, how am I supposed to?”

  Zane bites his lip, looking at her then at me. “Surprise?”

  “Zane! You did this to me.” I bite his neck when he leans closer to me.

  Lucretia looks from me to him then Val. Her lips purse. “You don’t feel her?” She says with surprise. “Have you not claimed them?”

  I look up at her as a dark mist begins to form at the edges of the statue. Great, now I’m hallucinating.

  “Must you ask me questions when I’m in such pain? Fuck. I’m seeing things.” I breathe harder. “Zane, make it stop.” I cry harder begging him.

  “You see what is and should not be.” The sound of my father’s voice floods my ears, as the apparitions take form. Lucretia keeps talking, something about claiming to ease my suffering.

  “Little cub, do not be afraid. They love you, claiming is a gift of your love.” My mother now speaks. Am I losing my mind? Is this real, or am I still strung up someplace? Maybe I didn’t get out, maybe I’m really dead, and this is hell.

  38

  M y arm and neck are burning while my insides feel like jelly. In her desperate ploy to curb the pain of childbirth, Maya latched on to my bicep, not the ideal spot to be marked in a claiming, but whatever works. Right? I was wildly unprepared for the spiritual manifestations that surround us. Somehow Kinrhad called forth not only my father but also King Maynard and the Duchess Dasia. It is still a strange thing to get used to. The idea that they can be here for this momentous event makes it all the more surreal.

  Lucretia, what can I say about my beautiful baby sister? When push came to shove, she sprang into action, and now, I am on my knees with my Queen and our two sons, as the warm ocean waves help to wash away the birth blood. Our sons. “I- I can’t believe that I am here,” I say softly, kissing Maya’s temple. “I will never leave you again. I am so sorry.”

  “It’s my fault. I saw you but didn’t see you until it was too late. Then my world was upended. I fought so hard. I wanted to come to find you but was locked away.” Maya looks up into my eyes.

  “I can’t speak to what you’ve endured, but I do understand it. My love, there is no way to avoid it; we are headed toward war. One for which I fear we are ill-equipped.”

  “You think I don’t know this? Adria took my crown, and I will be the one to take it back. Freyer is gathering allies. She’s working with the normals and others, but I’m not sure to what extent.”

  One of the boy’s gurgles. “Is he okay?” I ask, concerned. Babies aren’t my specialty.

  “He’s eating Zane. They’re hungry. It’s not like I’ve been giving them many nutrients. Not with the way Adria was bleeding me.”

  “How did you- I mean, you don’t have to talk about it- I’m just-” I am at a loss for words when I see Valaria standing at the water edge. “Come now, let’s get you three into something dry, and perhaps you’d like to talk to your parents?”

  “Zane, my parents are dead. How would you like me to talk to them other than in my head?” Maya shakes her head, looking down at the babies.

  “Maya, you have all night to spend with them, Kinrhad, my brother-in-law is Cha Cooah, and they really can commune with and conjure spirits. Your parents are by the fires with my father. So long as the bonfire burns, they are anchored here.”

  “I must be dreaming. Adria still has me chained up, right?” Maya looks at me as though one of us has lost our mind.

  “I promise you, you’re here with us, your safe, and they are waiting for you.” I push her hair back with one hand as I cradle her to me. Kissing her softly, I speak again. “I want to share this gift with you.”

  “Share what gift with me, Zane?”

  I chuckle as we lift out of the water. “The gift of family.” I move with the push of the tide. “I started this journey with you all alone, and now there are these two, and Valaria is pregnant too, we are pretty sure. We need to trust, and we need to protect them and each other, but not tonight. For tonight I think we need to enjoy the miracles around us and revel in the beauty of the world we are going to be fighting to create.” If we are indeed going to go up against Adria, and the entirety of the Royal Guard, there is a possibility that lives will be lost. No one is immune to the perils of battle, and I will not waste the night.

  "I love you, Zane." Maya kisses my cheek. Wrapping Maya in dry cotton bath sheets, we join Lucretia and Kinrhad. Tissrah, my niece, is coming down the beach atop Trajan’s shoulders, while Valaria is quiet beside us.

  My eyes search the fireside, and sure enough, sitting as though they had actual corporeal forms are the two former Kings and the Duchess.

  “Can I touch them?” Maya asks with a quivering lip.

  “Do you catch a tiger by the toe?” Maynard says, standing with his arms out and a wide grin. That little rhyme was Maya’s favorite when she was little.

  Maya hands me a baby and then Valeria, a baby before she is in her father’s arms. “I’m so sorry, daddy. I’ve been a horrible queen. I couldn’t hold up the crown-like you could. I tried so hard.” Maya weeps in her father’s arms.

  Little wisps of silvery-blue fireflies float off her as he strokes her hair. I see his mouth move but do not hear his words. His eyes lift, and he looks at me with a short nod before pulling back to arm's length.

  “My little cub, you have not yet worn your crown. Not really. There is a fight coming, and the outcome is not yet written.”

  The Duchess materializes beside him. I’ll never get used to that. “My little one. I am sorry I left you- forgive me?”

  “Of course, I forgive you.” Maya goes from father to mother. “I just wish you were both here. There is so much I do not know. So much, I don’t understand.”

  “Rule with your heart, you will find others to help with the politics of it. You know right from wrong. Adria- she has been corrupted by loss and anger. She was never truly given a chance to thrive. Please- she is-”

  I growl at Maynard as he attempts to make excuses. “You dare defend the one that took her? That murdered you. Set all of this death and bloodshed in motion?” I snap my teeth. “If you weren’t dead-”

  “Zane! Shut up.” Maya shakes her head. “Has he always been so err, growl, scratch your eyes out?”

  I feel a hand on my shoulder and see my sister as she laughs. “Since we were children, it’s why he’s a Royal Guard and not a Royal Gardner. Why he was picked to protect you, and why your tiger accepted him to be the father of these boys. Now my husband can keep them here, but the negative energy makes it harder. Please calm down.” Lucretia kisses my cheek. “Brother, please, give her this moment. You know not when we may have another.”

  I bow my head. “I am sorry. I was out of line.”

  King Maynard appears to laugh. “My boy, if you were not protective of her, I would never have allowed you near. I approve of this, I always have.” He looks to Valaria. “I see you too found your way back. It is good. She should have all of her mates when the time comes
.”

  “How do we know when that time is? How do I know what I’m doing is right? Right now, almost everyone in Aeterna is looking for the three of us.”

  “You will know, in time.” My father speaks, nodding to me and then to Maya, he bows. “High Queen Maya Meleke, may I introduce myself. I am King- was King Zanadar, that bull-headed Mantigara’s father.” He smiles. “Take tonight to breathe, tomorrow you can decide if and how you intend to fight.”

  Maya looks back at me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, King Zanadar. I’ve been breathing for twenty-two years. I’m afraid resting will hurt Aeterna more.”

  “Daughter.” The Duchess Dasia takes her hands. “We have not much time, and what you have to do may lose you much, you must cherish the calm. Celebrate the joy when it comes.” She reaches out and caresses the face of the boy in Valaria’s arms. “You have not even stopped to name them.” Her smile is sad. “You will regret wasting these moments.”

  39

  F ires burn, and live music plays all along the beach. Our little band of players is not loud like the others. I cradle Zanadar and Maynard in my lap. It wasn’t hard to decide who to name the boys for once May was questioned. She sits and talks with her spectral father, and I guess you could call him father-in-law. She smiles, but I can feel the anxiousness rolling off her. Much like Zane during the birthing, she finally claimed me, and now I feel her more than ever. The difference is now she can feel me- if I let her.

  That is a difference between the Vēsṭigara and Mechkan claiming. Where they are united, made one, and the same we Mechkan can still separate. Shut it off if we need to. Tonight I need to. I can’t tell her how I feel, not right now. I feel a tingle as a weight compresses my shoulder. Looking up, I see the Duchess Dasia as she stands- is that the right term? Or is more like a hover, I mean, her feet don’t really touch the ground.

  “You are conflicted?” She says, and her voice is like a whisper through a cave. “May I join you?”

  I nod, and she moves to sit beside me. The little ethereal fireflies that follow them all scatter around us and light up the boy’s sleeping faces.

  “You are fortunate; you can hold them. I may be able to hug and hold this form, but I do not dare risk anything more.” She reaches out, and her hand seems to almost go through little Maynard’s cheek. “See, even now young Kinrhad is losing his foothold. It takes much to sustain a single soul, and he is maintaining three.” Her eyes appear to glisten. “Cherish this life. It’s but a glimmer.”

  “But you are together now, aren’t you? That was why you did what you did?” I ask alarmed. The idea that she may have died and was not with her beloved in the afterlife terrifies me.

  “We are- where we are. It is just not-this.” She points to those that surround us. “Love fiercely and with honesty. Tell her how you feel or resent her later.” The Duchess stands. “The sun will rise soon. We should prepare to depart. It was good to see you once more.”

  “And you.” I nod to her as the boys begin to fuss.

  Maya’s exhaustion took her before the dawn, and that left Zane to carry her to the new room Trajan had prepared for us. A place that could accommodate all five of us. Five. My Gods. I sit on the edge of a large plush chair beside a hanging bassinet that overlooks the city and the trees that protect it. The moon is a waxing crescent and shines into us with a sliver. My hand is on my belly as I watch Zane make Maya comfortable.

  “Will you be so gentle with me?” I ask softly. “Or will I be alone because you will be on the battlefield?”

  I watch as his shoulders lift in a sigh. “I hope that we will settle this either very quickly or bear them before I must leave for my duties.”

  “So that would be your way of saying you don’t know?” I sniff. “I don’t want to leave here. I don’t want any of us to get hurt. I just got you. I don’t want to lose you.”

  “Valaria…” He says softly, approaching me and kneeling in front of me. “Do not doubt I care for you deeply. I will do everything I can for you, but I have a duty to this realm, to our Queen. That duty I have had for nearly eighty years. Can you really expect me to just shut that off when all I know is threatened?” He takes my hands, giving them a gentle squeeze. “You need to understand that this is not just a fight for pride. It is a fight for survival for everyone. For you and our children. We fight for the right to love and to live.”

  “But no one knows we are here. Trajan said it- they can’t even get in, they can’t find us. We’re safe here, for fuck’s sake you’re a King here, not just some lackey guard, or a monstrosity. Here you’re revered, respected. Loved.” I drop into his lap. “I love you both so much. I’m so afraid.” I sob.

  “Val?” May questions as I feel her little hand on my back. “Please don’t cry.”

  This just makes it worse, and I shake uncontrollably. “Why? Why can’t we just stay here?”

  “Valaria, what if they somehow found us? What about these innocent people?” Zane tries to reason with me.

  “Then why can’t we leave Aeterna? Go back to the world you loved?” I look up at May. “You said you wanted to go back to California, or New York, that I should see Vermont in the Fall…” I grab her hand in desperation. “I want that, want our family, not a crown or titles, I don’t care about Adria, or her stupid declarations. Her reach doesn’t extend to the Earthly realms. We’d be safe there and not be bringing anything down on anyone here.

  “Val, I couldn’t-” May shakes her head. “I couldn’t just leave and abandon what I’ve been training for all my life. There’s a lot about these last months that we’ve not talked about. At this moment, we’re safe here, but for how long and at what cost? The Nation of Normalcy and Adria are working together. They tortured me too. I’ve been branded and scared. Don’t I have the right to what is rightfully mine?”

  I tremble in their arms as I shake in disagreement. “Yes, you do. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m just so afraid. I know you have to do this, but I also remember the girl who didn’t want it. The girl that said she’d never ascend that she’d rather run away with me and be happy. What happened to that dreamer? What happened to that spirited girl I fell in love with that summer in Tuscany?”

  “She grew up,” Zane says flatly, and I continue to sob.

  At some point, I must have fallen asleep because it’s morning, and I’ve curled up in the large bed all alone. I can hear voices downstairs. Padding slowly and softly, I make my way toward the sounds.

  “Trajan, can you get word to Lesser King Freyer? Maya says. “He has agreed to help us.”

  Trajan laughs. “I can do you one better. “We are not without our means of communication, and the great Chinyokan king is a dear friend.” Just give me a moment to prepare, and we can have a chat right now.

  “I will get Maya from the bath. She will want to take part. She has thoughts about how we may proceed.”

  “Good, good. We shall all do our parts then.”

  Our parts? What parts? Am I to just sit and wait while they decide our fates?

  40

  M y babies are here and have the names of kings. Maynard and Zanadar are the most precious babies I’ve ever seen. Not that I’ve been around many children. I still can’t believe I saw my parents again or met Zane’s father. It all seems like a dream, to be honest. If Zane hadn’t been so good to me, I would have thought I was dreaming and instead was still being tortured. I know I’ve been asking Zane to pinch me all night, and this morning when I was feeding the babies.

  Speaking of Zane, I look up from where I’m soaking in the tub, and he’s standing in the doorway watching me.

  “Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?”

  “Only if glowing is a crime. Has the Inokoni milk helped ease your muscle pain?” He leans into the frame crossing his arms with a small smile. “Trajan is arranging a telemeet with Lesser King Freyer. Shall I grab your robe? Or should I find Valaria?”

  “I’m here.” Val’s voice cuts through
the sound of the quiet. I feel anxious energy as it fills the serenity of my bath.

  “Val-” I pause, running my hand over her cheek. “I’ve missed you both so much.” I move my eyes from Val to Zane. “I’m sorry I wasn’t stronger. I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner.”

  “Don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have left. I should have-” Zane’s eyes drop. “This could have been avoided if I had fought harder for you-for us.”

  “Maybe if nobody fought, none of it could have happened at all,” Val says softly. “Maybe citations should be kept, and lines have their place after all. Maybe lines keep people safe.”

  “Valaria!” Zane growls.

  “I don’t believe that, and I can’t believe you are saying that. When I get the crown back, if I leave things as they were, we couldn’t. Other than in private. Our children are ours, not just mine. How could you say such things?” I cry, lifting from the bath to get my robe.

  “I- I’m sorry, May, I- it’s just that I feel like nothing I think it- it doesn't matter- if we hadn’t overstepped, hadn’t let Adria see- maybe she wouldn’t have flown off. Maybe we- she- wouldn't have hurt you, or me- wouldn’t have gone after you.” She looks at Zane. “We practically threw it in her face.”

  “Valaria Cosumos, she killed my parents and figured I wouldn’t take my rightful place. Now, either sack up or tell me it's too much. I cannot sit back and listen to the shit you’re spewing.” I drop my robe. “Take a good look. This is what I had to go through to get back to you, the both of you.” I hold out my arms and turn in a slow circle so they can see the scars that have set in from all the torture. My body is a roadmap of scars and pain. The metal that followed the tips of the torture devices used upon my skin was to leave a lasting impression. Though most Paranormals have rapid healing, the rhodium allowed the wounds to spread open and fester. With no one to really tend to them, they simply ripped and reopened with each beating, of which there were many in Adria’s attempts to gain my bloodied paw print. I nearly gave it up, but my love for my baby's lives was too great, and I knew that that print was all that kept us alive. I hear the breath in Val’s chest hitch as I turn to face her again, and she has tears on edge.