Twelve

by Savannah Verte

  Armen’s grin was menacing. “I believe I already have. Lyford believes he has taken a stance, demanding that he should not take a wife that isn’t of his choosing this time.” He shrugged. “Who do you think he’ll choose?”

  “So that whole conversation was a set up?”

  “When have you ever heard me say I don’t care? I manage every nuance down to the smallest detail. The only piece of this entire thing that I haven’t, only because I can’t is the gender of his offspring.”

  Elba turned, tiptoeing away as quickly and quietly as she could manage. She had heard more than enough. Lyford was being managed by his vizier, and he didn’t have the slightest clue. Or, if he had a clue, he was doing nothing to preempt it. Somehow, she couldn’t decide which was worse.

  Reaching her rooms, she gathered the girls and took them outside to play and get fresh air. She needed time to think. And, she needed some place to do that where if she muttered to herself, she would know if anyone was near by listening. More and more, she was coming to realize that the castle had ears.

  Bridegroom

  It was Lyford’s turn to grin as the nuptials were spoken. He finally stood opposite, holding hands with, and reciting vows, to Bryn. Their courtship had lingered, much to the angst of many. Neither of them were getting any younger.

  The ceremony itself was attended by family and a few others. Bryn had insisted on Lyford’s daughters participating with them. If they were going to be a family, they needed to start from the beginning. Nine tiny bridesmaids stood with them as they exchanged the words that would bind them together.

  For all of a moment, Elba almost believed that there was a happily ever after coming for the small princess’s. It was only for a moment. After the ceremony, once the newlyweds were ensconced in their quarters, they seldom emerged for anyone, or anything. Elba knew that Armen was pleased by the development, as it gave him free reign for his alternative plans. For the girls however, it left them where they had always been, in Elba’s care, under her watchful gaze, and clinging to her for affection. Unable to have children of her own, it was almost enough.

  Before long, Elba was summoned to attend Bryn. Though she could try to deny it, or name it as any other malady, she knew without much doubt that the new queen was with child. “I believe you’re pregnant.”

  “So soon? I thought there would be more time.” Bryn countered.

  “More time? More time for what?” Elba inquired, reaching for the bucket as Bryn lurched again.

  “Just more time. He was my only friend when we were little. That all changed when his parents died. I lost him. I lost him to two different wives, and multiple children, and I finally got him back. I just wanted time.” Bryn answered after wiping her face and wetting her tongue with a cloth.

  “But what of the girls? I understand that you want time. But, what about them? He’s their father. Yet, they’ve gotten no time.”

  “They are young. They won’t remember.” Bryn replied carelessly.

  Elba had almost been willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, hoping that she would be a better parent than their actual father, but it seemed it was not to be. “As you yourself have discovered, time is fleeting. And it can be taken from you in the blink of an eye. The older ones remember already. They are not so young as you would hope them to be.”

  “They will have to wait. If I am, as you suggest, I don’t believe they will be Lyford’s focus now any more than they have been up to now.”

  Something inside Elba snapped. She heard it, recognized it, muffled it, and temporarily buried it. She had nine charges who needed her. Obviously, that was not going to change.

  Bryn’s late evening scream shook the castle walls. Unlike any birth before it, Lyford was present as she struggled through labor. Elba was seething, but bit back her snarky comments with the next thundering wail.

  “You have to relax.” She coached half-heartedly.

  “That’s easy for you to say.” Bryn snapped. “You are not the one whose insides are trying to come out, with claws, on fire.”

  Elba did her best to calm her voice, though she could not take the clip from her words. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve done this a time or two. You need to relax, or this will be more difficult than it needs to be. Right now, the baby is backwards and you are too locked down for me to fix it. And, I promise, they don’t have claws, nor are they on fire.”

  Elba’s irritation took on a new dimension when Lyford intervened. “Bryn honey, if she says you need to relax, you need to relax. Look at me. Just look at me, and breathe. We can do this. You and me, together.”

  It still took some time, and some finagling, but eventually Bryn relaxed enough for Elba to turn the baby to proper presentation. Sadly, it was too little, too late. The boy was born still. Elba worked quickly to swaddle the child, handing it to the parents. She could not risk revealing her emotional response to the situation. A part of her was celebrating that the would-be heir would not be. She knew she could not let that be known, or seen, or she would jeopardize her station. The girls needed her now more than ever.

  Lyford and Bryn were absent from view for months. Elba couldn’t help but hear the loud sobbing from their quarters. The loss hit them hard, but she knew Armen was getting anxious. There had been more than one conversation about the need for the couple to try again. Getting them to do so, was a component to the equation that he could not figure out how to manipulate yet.

  When the couple finally emerged, Armen and everyone else learned that manipulating the equation would not be necessary. Bryn was likely pregnant again. Elba was charged with seeing her through the pregnancy successfully. Elba was less than elated.

  “What about the girls? Who will be seeing to them if I am seeing to her?” She challenged as calmly as she could manage.

  “I’m sure we can find someone.” Lyford countered.

  Elba felt the rage bubble up. If she had to see to Bryn, it would be on her terms. There was no way she was willing to let the children’s care fall to anyone else at this point. “Then move her to the room on the far side of the nursery and I will do both. The girls don’t know that many people, and none have had any type of consistent contact, or care for them. If you wish me to watch over Bryn, then this is how it will be done.”

  “She needs to be your first priority.” Lyford insisted.

  “They all need to be my first priority. As the nine girls are no one else’s, it will have to be good enough that they are equal.” Elba answered between clenched teeth.

  “Done.” Armen interjected, concluding the debate. “We will have her moved before nightfall.”

  Twelve

  Elba struggled to keep up with ten charges. As the pregnancy progressed, Bryn became more demanding day by day. Added to the challenge was Lyford’s constant meddling, and unwanted instructions as to how things should be done, or when. Just past the halfway point, the queen was doing nothing for herself anymore.

  By the time she delivered, Elba was almost willing to throw her hat in the ring with Armen. If another day passed as it had been for the recent months, Elba was likely to eliminate Bryn herself. As it was, the bloodied show arrived, and as expected, the queen demanded assistance. Elba was in the midst of diaper changes when it happened, with no one nearby to complete the task. Her delay was rebuked when she arrived. “Aren’t you supposed to come when I call for you?” Bryn charged.

  Elba drew a deep breath and collected herself before speaking. “Yes, that is what is supposed to happen. One of the twins having a blowout all over the table wasn’t a factor that was considered when that edict was set. I elected to clean up first so as not to contaminate you. I thought that would be your preference. Next time, I will come in soiled.” She finished with a bright smile.

  Bryn scowled. “That will hardly be necessary.”

  “What do you need?” Elba finally asked.

  Bryn produced the evidence that labor was beginning. “This.”

  “I’ll make the ne
cessary preparations.” Elba replied before turning to leave.

  “But first, get Lyford. He wants to be here for this.” Bryn added.

  “As you wish.” She said brightly, saving the muttering and cursing until she was beyond the door.

  Lyford was nowhere to be found. Elba debated sending another to find him, deciding against it when Bryn screamed. “It’s coming.”

  Racing in, she found Bryn fully contorted, trying to push. “Ease back. Give me just a minute.” Elba instructed, getting her into position.

  “I have to push. I have to push now.”

  The head was crowning and there was no time to delay. “Go ahead, push.”

  A baby girl emerged abruptly, her leg tangled with what had to be another baby. Working quickly, Elba swaddled the first and set it aside, reaching for the second.

  “Where’s Lyford?” Bryn cried.

  “I couldn’t find him, and you screamed. You need to concentrate. I’m sure everyone in the castle knows you are in labor by now. He will come as soon as he can, but I need you to help now. Focus.”

  “I need him.”

  Elba was distracted by the large amount of blood that was being delivered with the second child. Something was wrong. Working quickly, she delivered the second child, another girl, all the while listening to Bryn cry for Lyford who had not arrived.

  Setting the second girl next to her mother, Elba tried to discover the source of the bleeding. What she found was a third infant preparing to deliver. “Bryn, I need you to breathe, and calm down. There’s another baby that I need to get out before we can take care of you.”

  “Another baby? How can there be another baby?”

  “We will discuss how that works later, right now, we need to get them out.” Elba chastised as she worked.

  Before the third baby could be delivered, Bryn slumped. The choices were not good, and worse. She could not save Bryn until the third baby was out. It was going to be difficult to get the third baby out without Bryn’s assistance. With Grace in the forefront of her mind, she made a split-second decision. It really wasn’t a choice, there was only one way to proceed. She had to deliver the child.

  Screaming like a banshee, Elba delivered Bryn and Lyford’s son. Not stopping to consider her actions, she swaddled the child quickly and set him aside, returning her attention to the mother. Judging by the volume of blood, the shallow respirations, and the incoherent mutterings, she was not long for this world.

  Lyford finally arrived. Elba was teetering on the verge of collapse. “What’s happened? Why isn’t she more alert?” He absently noticed the three bundles. “Three? She had three?”

  “Yes, she had three, and it may have been more than she could do. I have been trying to get the bleeding to stop, but I can’t. Her breathing has shallowed, and her awareness is dim.”

  “Why didn’t you save her first? I have plenty of daughters. You should have saved her.”

  Elba verbally slapped him. “I couldn’t save her until they were out. She couldn’t help with the third, so it took longer. I’m doing everything that I can.”

  “You’re not doing enough.”

  “Take over then if you think you can do better.” She snapped.

  “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Then stay out of my way and let me try. I’m doing the best that I can.” Elba chastised, trying to calm herself.

  Bryn rallied, but only for a moment. “Lyford, you came.”

  “I’m here, love. I’m here.”

  “We have…” Bryn began, but drifted off.

  Lyford looked at the three bundles, saw the blankets tinged pink from all the blood, and jumped to the wrong conclusion. “I know. I see. More girls.”

  Elba understood his mistake, but did not stop to correct him. Bryn tried, but was gone before she could finish. “No… We h…”

  Elba continued working, though she knew at that point Bryn was already gone. It was only a show for Lyford. Eventually, Lyford knew it too. “Just take the babies and leave me with her.” He dismissed when the truth became undeniable.

  Elba picked up the babies, tucking the boy in close, and retreated to the nursery. She considered her options as she went. She could, based on what she understood of Armen’s plan, reveal the son and potentially rid all the girls of their father, or she could somehow secret his identity, and leave the future to play out. She decided on the latter.

  When Lyford had not shown any interest in meeting the three newest children, Elba took it upon herself to name them. Shara, Erin, and Devlin became the latest Rousseau children, bringing the total to twelve.

  Escape

  Over a year later, Lyford’s depression would have been moving to Elba if he had shown a fraction of it for either of his other wives. Elba knew that Bryn was his only love. She’d known since before Grace’s death. It enraged her over and over again to see it so predominantly on display now. The children were growing, and could see it as well. Most everyone avoided him when possible. Only Armen seemed to take issue and react. “Grieve and move on, Lyford.”

  “It will take as long as it will take. I am well aware of your concerns. They will have to wait.” Lyford snapped back uncharacteristically.

  Elba was just beyond the door, hearing the conversation easily. She didn’t want to hear anymore, as it would not be any different than the dozens of others that had already been had. She knocked tentatively to stop it, waiting to be acknowledged before entering. “What do you want?” Lyford challenged.

  “A plan.” Elba stated simply.

  “What kind of a plan?” Armen queried, his head tipped in curiosity.

  “For the girls…” Elba replied, standing firm but trying to keep her tone level. “There are twelve of them now, and many are of an age where they need more guidance than I can provide as a nursemaid. They will be young ladies before we can blink. Some formal education is in order for the older ones, and perhaps for the younger ones too.”

  “The triplets are barely a year old.” Lyford scoffed. “They hardly need education.”

  Elba shook her head gently. “The triplets were not at the forefront of my thoughts.”

  Lyford waved her off, physically dismissing her without words. Armen actually interjected. “What do you suggest?”

  “I suggest that we start looking.”

  Dancing Shoes

  A dozen years later, Elba and the twelve were tucked safely away across the northeastern border. They had been for many years already. The boarding school was exactly what Elba had hoped for. By the time they arrived, each of the children got attention to meet their individual needs, but away from classes, they were able to remain together as a family, with Elba as their primary caretaker.

  The only exception to the more individualized classes that the children got, was the time spent in dance lessons. It had become a thorn in their fathers hide. Each time the children reached out to him, or more exactly, the only time they reached out to him, was for new dance shoes. It was not lost on Elba that they were giving back to him in equal proportion to what he had given them. He could not see it that way, but anyone who had known of their circumstances, couldn’t miss the irony.

  Through the years, Elba was there. In many ways she was more their mother than anything. She ached to reveal her true relationship, but withheld it, knowing that she could not do so for all, and as such, she became to all of them in equal measure. Through bumps and bruises, blisters and broken toes, she was there to kiss the wounds, and mend the rest. She became their confidant and friend too. As new discoveries were made for places and things beyond the school, she was there to support, or to keep their secrets.

  “One day, right Elba? One day he’ll see me for who I am.” Devlin asked innocently from her lap.

  “My sweet, sweet boy, perhaps one day. But, to see you for who you are, would be to reveal what you are.” She soothed.

  “But I want to be this way.”

  “Yes love, I know. And, the choice should be yours. Unfort
unately, there is great pressure for your father to have a son. I’m afraid that your choices would be gone if he found out now.”

  “He doesn’t like girls.”

  “I can’t answer that. I don’t know if he likes boys either. He needs a son. That means a boy. I don’t know if it has anything to do with what he likes, or wants, or anything else.”

  “So what you’re saying… Is that a boy, who likes other boys, and prefers to dress like a girl, would not be good.”

  “Devlin, who you are is good, no matter how you are. You are a brilliant young man, with the whole world to explore. Once you are older, no one will have a say. Until then, for the next few years, at least until you come of age, it would be better left this way.” Elba counseled.

  Devlin and his twin sisters were on the cusp of thirteen. They only had to get through a few more years before legally, no one could force them to do, or be anything else. Their eldest sister, Aislyn, was already there. She was having different growing pains.

  As if thinking of her drew her to the room, Aislyn appeared. She tousled Devlin’s hair as she spoke to Elba. “I have some friends I’d like to hang out with.” She began carefully. “Would that be all right?”

  Elba didn’t miss the odd tone. “Why do you ask it like that?”

  “No reason. I mean, I know I can go, legally I’m able, I’m just trying to figure out when I still need to ask, and when I don’t.”

  “Have fun then.” Elba replied. “I appreciate your consideration. Don’t be too late.”

  Aislyn was off without another word.

  Several years later, Elba was keeping a monumental secret. All of the children had come of age. She did not have the legal right to deny them, but she was not a party to the decision, or in attendance as the choices were made. All twelve, one by one, had found their way to the stage. Logan’s Lost Lounge was a myth to anyone who had never been there. Complete with showgirls, bright lights, big costumes, and more, it was exactly the sort of place no one would look for twelve princesses, or eleven princesses and one very effeminate prince.