by Unknown
“Maybe you should heal me first, just in case,” I gave him a lascivious look.
“Just in case,” he agreed as his hands slid down my legs.
Chapter Twelve
“It's time, isn't it?” Guirmean came up to me with Nora in tow.
“It's a little early but we can leave now if you'd like,” I smiled indulgently.
Guirmean had been pacing the hall for the last hour, waiting for me to declare that it was time to meet Lorna at the End of the Road. I was all ready to go, dressed in fey leather pants and a working tunic just in case it got messy. Hey, you never know with babies, especially powerful fey babies. I also had a bag packed with the baby gift I'd made.
“Yes, I think we should head out,” Guirmean nodded.
“Alright,” I looked over at Arach. “You ready?”
“Well,” Arach sighed dramatically while Guirmean gaped. “Yes, I guess I am.”
“Please hurry, what if the child comes early?” Guirmean was already halfway to the door.
“You really shouldn't tease him like that,” I whispered to Arach. “He may seek revenge when our child is born.”
“Doubtful,” Arach gave me a look which clearly expressed what he thought of Guirmean's capacity for revenge.
“Yeah, okay,” I chuckled and got to my feet.
We followed Guirmean and Nora all the way out of the castle and into the waiting carriage. I wasn't sure if taking one carriage was such a good idea when Nora was coming along, so I had another one follow us. Plus, with Lorna, Casair, and possibly Darius coming, we probably didn't have room for all of them in one coach.
Guirmean alternated between drumming his fingers and shaking his leg the whole trip. Nora looked tense, her fiery eyes even larger than normal. She held Guirmean's hand but stared out the window as if totally disconnected from the situation. I hadn't thought to wonder about how Nora felt. It couldn't be easy to witness another woman give birth to your lover's child. A child who would rule a kingdom that should have been Guirmean's.
I frowned as I thought about my own situation. Maybe I should be grateful that things weren't worse. I had five men who loved me and one of them desperately wanted to have children with me. That was a blessing, wasn't it? I should stop whining about my issues and just get on with it.
Silence reigned as we traveled down the Road of Neutrality which encircled the Forgetful Forest. Each of us seemed lost to our own musings but I had a feeling we were pondering the same thing. Children were a scary prospect for me but it looked as if I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Guirmean appeared to be both excited and terrified. When we finally arrived at the only tracing point in all of Faerie, he bolted out of the carriage and began pacing in front of the tree. The three of us who were left in the carriage shared concerned looks.
“How are you holding up?” I asked Nora.
“I'm fine, my Queen,” she looked over at me in surprise.
“Really?” I looked pointedly at her clenched hands, her knuckles were going white.
“Just nerves,” she sighed and then whispered. “What if he decides to go back to Lorna for the sake of the child?”
“Honey, he was never really with Lorna,” I leaned over and squeezed her combined hands.
“He gave up a faerie kingdom for you,” Arach added. “I don't think you have anything to worry about.”
“Right,” she looked out the window at Guirmean and was about to get out when a spot in front of the Great Tree began to sparkle blue. The spot grew bigger and three figures emerged from the light; Lorna, Casair, and Darius. “There they are,” Nora reached for the door handle but I stopped her.
“Perhaps it would be better to remain in the carriage for now,” I smiled gently. “Let's not upset Lorna right off the bat.”
“Alright,” she sighed and sat back.
“Good,” I nodded to her and then turned to my husband. “Arach, could you keep Nora company while I go talk to Darius?”
“It would be my pleasure,” he gave Nora a smile.
“Thanks,” I jumped out of the coach and went over to the group, which included one very pregnant water-sidhe, one concerned kelpie, and two bickering men. I frowned at that. What was Darius fighting with Guirmean about? They hardly knew each other.
“She's staying with me,” Dare growled at Guirmean.
“Whoa, what the hell is going on here?” I asked as I slid between my lion and the King of Water.
“He doesn't want me to ride with Lorna,” Guirmean was aghast.
“Dare?” I looked over to him and his turquoise eyes shifted to me a little guiltily.
“Hey, Tima,” he gave me a sideways grin and swung his blonde bangs out of his eyes. “Good to see you.”
“Darius,” I growled.
“I want him with me,” Lorna declared and shocked us all. Well, not all of us, Casair and Darius didn't seem surprised. “Now get in your own carriage, Guirmean. This baby is coming and I don't want to give birth on a dirt road.”
Guirmean was so shocked, he just backed away and did as he was told. I gave Darius one last, narrow-eyed look before I followed Guirmean back to our carriage. Then I watched from the window as Darius helped both women up into their carriage. What was that all about?
The carriages turned around in the circular open space in front of the tree and headed back the way we'd come. This time the trip wasn't silent at all but filled with angry questions from Guirmean and confused ones from both Arach and Nora. I couldn't answer any of them. I just gave them confused looks as I shook my head.
By the time we reached Castle Bláthaich of the Water Kingdom, we were all tense with the stress of uncertainty. I couldn't appreciate the view of the majestic waterfall steaming out of the center of the castle at the top of a steep cliff. Nor could I enjoy the trip up that cliff and the way our carriage passed through misty rainbows created by the waterfall. All I could do was hope that the answers to all of our questions weren't going to be too devastating.
The phookas finally clamored to a stop and we all piled out of the carriage and headed anxiously over to the one we'd been following. Darius got out first and then helped Casair out. Lorna came last, sliding into Darius' arms instead of going to her feet. Her face was grimacing in pain and her hands were wrapped around her belly.
“Get a doctor now!” Dare yelled as he ran towards the castle.
“Casair has healing magic,” Guirmean rushed after them. “Why is Lorna in pain?”
“This pain is beyond my abilities, my King,” Casair replied. “I'll go fetch a stronger healer.” Then she ran off.
“This way,” Guirmean ran in front of Darius, leading him through the hallways lined in opalescent mother-of-pearl, to Lorna's bedroom. I remembered it from the last time I was in the Water Kingdom. Back when Guirmean's unborn baby was causing all those dangerous waterspouts every time his mommy got upset.
Darius took Lorna straight to the massive bed and laid her down gently. Her pale skin was even paler than normal and the delicate fins that grew from the backs of her arms were pulled in flush against her. Her huge blue eyes clenched shut as her pearly claws dug into the bedding, shredding the sheets. Her long, auburn hair was wild around her and Dare smoothed it back from her face before taking her hand.
“Where is that healer?” Guirmean growled as he stared at their clasped hands.
“I'm here, my King,” a selkie walked into the room, his short, dark hair slicked back and his clothes sticking to his damp skin. He must have come straight from the water. He even left little water spots on the light blue tile floor as he crossed the room.
“Good,” Guirmean sighed and then cast Dare another confused glance.
“Darius,” I called out. “This is not your place. Step back and let King Guirmean be a part of his child's birth.”
“What?” Darius blinked up at me and then looked over to Guirmean. “Oh, okay, I see your point.”
“No,” Lorna pleaded with Darius. “Don't leave me.”
&
nbsp; “He'll be right outside,” the selkie man said soothingly. “A royal birth is sacrosanct. The lion must leave.”
“You're gonna be fine,” Darius gave Lorna a gentle kiss that had my eyes widening, then he walked out past the gaping Guirmean.
“I'd better go too,” Nora whispered to Guirmean but he grabbed her hand before she left.
“Thank you for being here, Nora,” he hugged her and she gave him a little smile.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too,” he whispered back and finally smiled. It seemed to steady him and he walked more confidently toward the bed. The selkie had already eased Lorna's pain and the last thing I saw before I left, was Lorna smiling up at Guirmean.
As soon as the door shut, I turned on Darius.
“You've got five seconds to explain all that to me,” I growled at him.
“I'm in love with her,” he said simply.
“Okay, that was quicker than I thought it would be,” I huffed.
“I was looking after her, like you asked,” he explained further. “We just started talking and the more time I spent with her, the more I liked her.”
“Lorna?” I blinked wide eyes at him. “The pregnant fey in there?” I pointed back to the bedroom. “You like her?”
“Yes, Tima,” Dare gave a little chuckle. “I know she can be difficult.” I snorted but he kept going. “But she was just under a lot of stress. She felt rejected by Guirmean and her kingdom. She was all alone except for Casair.”
“But love?” I shook my head. “Really?”
“I love her,” he shrugged as he said it again. “I'm going to move to Faerie to be with her.”
“You're what?” I stalked closer to him.
“You've always said we could live our own lives,” he frowned. “Are you going to forbid me from living here?”
“No, I'm not going to forbid you,” I sighed. “I just would have appreciated a little more than a moment's notice on your moving plans. You have a lot of responsibility at the palace. You'll need to train someone to replace you.”
“I'm not leaving the Pride,” he softened his tone. “I'm still an Intare, I just want to live with the woman I love.”
“That's understandable,” I nodded. “Alright, Darius. I give you my blessing but I still think you should train a new Captain. You're going to have a lot less time for the Pride than you think. You don't have a handy time-jumping ring like I do and Faerie has a way of consuming you.”
“I know, Tima,” he grinned and pulled me into a hug. “One little faerie has already done so... and I will train someone, thank you.”
“Congratulations on finding someone to love,” I smiled as I pulled away from him. “And with a pregnant fey woman no less. How very open-minded of you.”
“You've taught me well,” he gave me a serious look.
“All I did was free you,” I whispered. “You learned to fly all on your own.”
“That is so untrue,” he shook his head. “You've led us every step of the way. You gave us our own traditions, made us into a family, and taught us how to defend ourselves. Then you showed us what real love was like, without limits or conditions. We've learned from your example. Do you really think I could have loved a water-sidhe with fins and gills before I met you? No way. It was watching the way you love, the way you see beyond scales,” he waved a hand at Arach, “or even fur,” he grinned. “That taught me to see beyond those things as well. So no, you didn't just free us and shove us out of the nest. You gave us our wings after you created them yourself, out of love and your own stubborn determination.”
“Dare,” I whispered. “I-”
“And why do we always use bird analogies?” He chuckled over my speechlessness. “We're cats, isn't that kind of silly?”
“I guess it's because of stretch activation,” I said simply, still a little overwhelmed by what he'd said.
“Excuse me?” He gaped at me.
“Oh,” I blinked and shook my head with a laugh. “Um, stretch activation is a molecular process which occurs in insect wings. It allows the wings to beat rapidly so they can fly.”
“Uh huh,” Darius frowned in confusion and even Arach started to look baffled.
“It's also the process by which our hearts beat,” I smiled as a warmth filled my chest and understanding started to light Dare's eyes. “I guess what I'm trying to say is that it doesn't matter whether you're a cat, a butterfly,” I paused and looked at Arach, “or a dragon. Within us all is a heart that wants to fly.”
Then the whole castle shook.
Chapter Thirteen
“That can't be good,” I looked over at Arach when the tremors subsided.
“It's a boy!” Guirmean was at the bedroom door suddenly, beaming as if he hadn't even noticed his castle shaking like a leaf in a storm. “I have a son!”
“Congratulations!” Arach went immediately to shake his hand.
“Thank you,” Guirmean smiled and searched the room for Nora as Darius sneaked past him.
“I'm so happy for you,” Nora whispered as he pulled her into a hug.
“Um, King Guirmean?” I cleared my throat. “Did you happen to notice an earthquake?”
“It wasn't an earthquake,” Guirmean looked over at me while still holding Nora. “It was a giant spout of water. It happened just as he was born. The ocean just sprayed upward at its center, as if it were rejoicing, and then crashed back down.”
“Whoa,” I breathed. “That's one powerful baby.”
“He seems completely normal now,” Guirmean shrugged. “Would you all like to meet him?”
“Well yeah,” I gave him my duh tone.
Lorna was holding the baby, smiling down at him like he was the most wonderful thing she'd ever seen. She looked so beautiful like that, mother and child sitting on a frothy white bed like a couple of angels. Behind them were large, arched windows, completely open to show the wide expanse of ocean that was the Water Kingdom. As the filmy blue curtains shifted in the salty breeze, something clenched inside me and clawed at my belly, an intense jealousy, a deep desire for what she had. To be what she was. I had to stop and take a deep breath. What the hell? Arach's hand went to my arm, his concerned eyes to my face.
“Are you alright?” He asked.
“Yeah,” I gave a shaky smile. “Just female dragon issues.”
“Ah,” he smiled gently. “Our beasts can be demanding.”
“Let's go see the baby,” I shook it off and walked up to the bed. Arach slid his hand down to mine as he walked beside me.
Darius was standing beside the bed again but he was giving Lorna and Guirmean their space. He merely watched Lorna carefully and I saw his eyes shift over her, making sure she was alright. I smiled at that. Lorna was about to discover what it meant to be loved by a lion.
Guirmean was seated on the bed, leaning over Lorna so he could peer at his son. Lorna looked up at him and smiled, then lifted the baby to him. He beamed at her and took the child carefully. Then he shifted so we could have our first look at the Water Kingdom's next king.
“Oh, he's perfect,” I laid a finger on the baby's pale cheek and his eyes opened.
Those eyes were deep blue like his mother's but I knew a child's eyes could change, so perhaps they would lighten to Guirmean's turquoise. The little face seemed to resemble Guirmean more than Lorna, even though he had her skin color, but again, that's something which is hard to tell in a newborn. He didn't seem to have Lorna's fins or claws, which I was silently thankful for, though there were a pair of delicate gills on his neck. His hair was a shade darker than Guirmean's pale green and both his hands and feet were webbed. In short, he was magnificent.
“I'd like you all to meet, Prince Morgan,” Guirmean announced with pride. “He's named after my father. It means warrior of the sea.”
“Again... perfect,” I nodded. “Oh, I have a baby gift for you, Lorna.”
“For me?” She turned surprised eyes to me. “But you've done more than
enough for me, Queen Vervain. You were so gracious to give me sanctuary in your home and then to send one of your own lions to look after me,” she paused and held her hand out to Darius. He grinned back at her as he took it. “I wanted to thank you for that. I know I was a bit grumpy when I was pregnant. I hope I didn't offend you.”
“Oh,” I blinked. Grumpy? That was putting it lightly. Who was this person? “Not at all. Hormones, right? I'm told they can make you crazy.”
“Exactly,” she smiled in relief. “I was a different person. I kept saying these mean things and I'd think What's wrong with me? Then the baby would get upset,” she sighed.
“Well, congratulations,” I held out a box, wrapped in a big blue bow.
“Thank you,” she glanced at Guirmean and he smiled encouragingly. She didn't even seem to mind that Nora was standing beside him with her hand on his back.
Lorna opened the box and pulled out her gift. She held it out, frowning at the thick material. She drew it through her hands, stroking the soft yellow fabric and tracing the pictures of happy fish swimming over it. Then she looked up at me with wide, confused eyes.
“It's called a baby sling,” I laughed at her lost look. “Here, let me show you,” I went forward and helped her get it over her shoulder. “Like this. King Guirmean, give Morgan back to her.” Guirmean obediently handed the child back to his mother and I showed her how to slip him into the sling. “It allows you to carry him around without straining your arms constantly. King Guirmean can use it too.”
“This is wonderful!” She grinned. “How clever. Is it a human design?”
“Yes,” I nodded, pleased that she liked it. “I wanted to give you something you couldn't get here in Faerie.”
“Thank you, Fire Queen,” she smiled graciously.
“You're very welcome,” I looked from her to Darius and he gave me a happy nod. “Just make sure you treat my lion well or we'll have words and by that I mean, I'll kick your ass.”
“Tima!” Darius gaped at me but Lorna laughed.
“I will do my best by him,” she vowed. “Faerie knows he's done well by me.”