by Calista Skye
Cori'ax came towards them, carrying little Elerea Blaze in his strong arms. She was sleeping peacefully, as usual.
“Your Highness,” he said. “And your warrioress.” He winked to Charlotte, and she still felt butterflies in her stomach whenever he did that.
“Hey, none of that,” Harper protested. “Shit, that queen stuff gets on my nerves sometimes. Totally ruins my relationship with my friends. Just call me Harper, okay? Please? Unless it's a huge state dinner or something with lots of diplomats and things like that. Then you can call me 'that chubby chick'.”
Charlotte laughed. Harper was dealing with her royal status really well, and was staying firmly on the ground.
“Oh, I'll make sure we never go to one of those,” Cori'ax said and pinched Charlotte's butt. “We'll just send little Elerea. Get some time to ourselves while she's partying with the royals.”
Harper laughed. “That's so cute! In your dreams, loverboy. There won't be much time for intimacy when you have a baby. She'll make sure you won't touch each other for days sometimes. Take my word for it.”
“Looks like Princess Anabe'lia hasn't been all that successful in those efforts,” Charlotte said and pointed at Harper's stomach.
The queen nodded. “You know, you're the first to notice. Yep, just a couple of months along by now. I tell you, when those Acerex warriors get going, they don't let up. It's fine, too. I don't mind being pregnant at all. It's like Heming says, an Earth slash Acerex pregnancy is much easier on the mama. I don't know why. Hey, nobody even knew you were knocked up until you left the squad.”
“None of us had seen a pregnant woman before,” Cori'ax chuckled. “I thought she was just filling out very pleasantly.”
“And I didn't exactly go out of my way to show anything,” Charlotte said. “I'd say it's a forgivable thing.”
Princess Anabe'lia pretended to fall down and started crying.
“Looks like someone needs a nap,” Harper said and picked her daughter up. “Oh, did you hurt your knee, sweetie? No? You want to go back? Get a little snack, maybe? Yeah, guys, I'll just bring this super-majestic thing back to the house before the royal waterworks really start.”
Charlotte stroked the crying toddler's head, marveling at how much the child looked like both her mother and her father. But her eyes were a uniform hazel, not Elerea's one yellow and one dark brown. “Bye, Anabe'lia. See you soon.”
Harper carried her daughter away and Charlotte put her arm around her husband. “Looks like Elerea will have another friend to play with soon. Another prince or princess. Along with Zekax'ton and Anabe'lia. You think Zekax'ton will get spoiled as the only boy among them?”
Cori'ax laughed. “No son of Ravex'ton's will ever be spoiled, I can assure you. No, he will become a strong warrior like his father.”
“And this little darling will become a pilot like her mother?”
The yellow eyes glittered. “If that's what she wants. And only then. Her mother gave her the freedom to be anything.”
Charlotte stretched up on tiptoes and kissed her husband lightly on the lips. He had changed so much, it was hard to grasp. He was totally wonderful. “That's right. Just checking. You know what, warrior?”
“What, my Mahan?”
She looked into his yellow eyes. There was more life in them now, more joy, and he smiled much more than before. “I love you.”
His eyes went soft. “And I love you, my warrior.”
- - -
© Calista Skye 2017
Calista’s Mailing List
http://eepurl.com/bpXN31