by Anna Lewis
“How did you know?” Raven asked quietly. She didn’t want to disturb them, but it was driving her crazy from the moment she heard Ozhenia defending her.
Ozhenia turned to them. Her husband rose to his feet, now standing tall, he walked with her toward Eoch and Raven. Eoch was still defensive, putting his hand over Raven’s stomach and pushing her a step behind him. Vohdar raised his hand to his son. “My sincerest apologies. Your mother is right. It was in this very room that we defended our love to her parents.”
“I know because I am connected to him, and he is connected to you. In due time, you will learn the way of the Xularese so that you may pass on our traditions and the language of our resonance expression. Now if you all will give me a moment to rest, I would greatly appreciate it,” she politely kicked them all out of her room.
Eoch and Raven were happy to have the news of their pregnancy out in the open and accepted, for the time being. But something else stuck out to Raven.
“I didn’t know the queen’s illness was terminal,” she said sadly. It was then that she began to doubt her professional expertise. She should have known, with all of the tests she ran, with all of the treatments she’d given her. Raven believed that she should have known.
King Vohdar turned to her with hurt in his eyes. He let out a deep and exhausted breath. “My queen has been ill for some time. The treatments you formulated have indeed helped her. But it was only after you left that we realized if she stopped the treatments, her illness would return. Eventually the illness will overcome the treatments and she will pass, but that is through no fault of your own. The medicinal practices of your planet lean heavily on reactive treatment. When you see the illness going away, the treatment is labelled the cure. However, the Xularese lean more on preventative tactics. It is best to protect our bodies from unknown illnesses before they have a chance to invade and decimate. Your expert knowledge has done more good than you know. If we had brought you in sooner, maybe it would be a different outcome. I am angry with this situation between you and my son, but I will not upset her. I will not go against her wishes. I will not push for what I believe is right. If your love is true, then I shall see how much so as you stay here, marry our son and birth the heir to the Xularese throne.”
***
“When are they arriving?!” Raven called out to Eoch as she laid in his bed. Her belly had grown exponentially over the past few months. She was put on bedrest until the baby was born. How that was going to happen was still a matter for discussion. She couldn’t believe that she was going to be a mother…a mother to an interspecies child. The science of it all was perplexing enough, but as the weeks turned into months, she’d learned to let things go.
“Your family will be here within the next few days. I swear the shuttle has been sent for them. Please relax.”
“Don’t tell me to relax! You did this to me, Eoch!”
Eoch was fumbling around with a cradle she’d instructed him to put together. She wanted him to do it with his own hands, not have one of the staff members of the palace assemble it. So he stopped what he was doing to look at her. All of the love in his eyes told her she was overreacting, but he wouldn’t dare say that out loud. The palace had two mothers who no one was allowed to upset during this transitional period. He was certainly tired of walking on eggshells, but more importantly he was tired of apologizing.
“Raven,” he said her name sternly.
She sighed and relaxed. “I’m just anxious. You don’t know how my mother is. Nothing will be good enough for her. She feels the same way your father does. We should not be mixing the species. She thinks you only wanted me as a trophy of sorts. It’s weird and I’m not going to pretend I understand her logic. It’s always boggled my mind why she’s so hard on me, but I’m just nervous about their arrival. Please forgive me.”
Eoch got up from the mess and walked over to her. Kissing her gently on the forehead, he whispered delicately in her ear, “I know how much pressure you are facing. These past few months, learning our traditions, under the strict tutelage of my father has been far from easy for you, and I’m proud of you for sticking with it. I’m even happier that you managed to convince him to hold off on the marriage until after the baby was born. I don’t even know how you convinced him of that.”
“I told him he could name the baby,” she said nonchalantly.
“What?!” Eoch’s eyes grew wide with anxiety. “Do you have any idea of how weird that could be? I don’t want a child with some abstract Ecurian or Ubosian name!”
“Relax, I’m sure he will consult your mother and she will pick the name. I’m okay with whatever they choose. And you will be too. Just relax,” she giggled.
Raven and Eoch spent the next few days, well more so Eoch than her, preparing for the arrival of Raven’s family. She’d even convinced Tracy to shut down the clinic for a few months so she could come as well. And when they finally got to the palace, there was a dinner and celebration none of them would ever forget.
It was one of the few times that Raven could remember where her mother was actually happy for her. She didn’t have anything critical to say, and she kept her less than understanding opinions to herself. It was only when they were alone in the guest room where she’d finally given her the truth.
Raven sat on the bed, with her belly protruding, and a very active Xularese baby inside. She sighed and groaned a bit as she tried to get comfortable.
“Thank you for coming and being so, um, cordial. I know this isn’t easy for you, Mom,” Raven told her.
Raven’s mother, Ellen, had the same grey eyes as her children, but her hair was no longer jet black but it was grey with streaks of white. It was similar to Eoch’s in that manner, but Raven wouldn’t bring up their similarities. The older woman simply stared at her daughter with a warm smile on her face. “You know that I’ve always been proud of you.”
“No, that was actually not the easiest thing to tell. I know you’ve always had to critique me,” Raven snapped back.
Ellen swallowed hard. “I deserve that. I understand that I’m not the best communicator when it comes to you, but it’s only because I didn’t understand where your independence came from. This is my first time off Earth. You’ve travelled the galaxy to and fro without a second thought to your family. I always figured you’d end up on a planet like this, far, far away from us, from me. But over these past few months, and talking with your father, I know that you weren’t running to get away from us, but travelling to do what you love and to find yourself. Your place in this universe is wherever your heart is and I’ve never seen you happier anywhere else than when you’re here. I love you and I hope this works out the way you want it to, and the way it deserves to.”
Raven shook her head. Her mother had almost made it through an entirely sentimental statement, but that last line was a dig and she knew it. She didn’t take offense. She didn’t give a rebuttal. She only told her mother, “Thank you. I know how hard it is for you to say things like that. I’m just happy that you guys are here. The baby will be here any day now and I’m a bit scared. I don’t know what to expect. I have no idea what’s gonna come out of me.”
“Oh please, don’t let that imagery settle on me. I don’t want to think about that,” her mother laughed. “Let’s just hope for a happy and healthy infant, with as many fingers and toes as it’s supposed to have.”
They laughed together and continued to work on their bond as the days grew closer to Raven giving birth.
The meaning of family had changed for Raven as she spent day after day growing closer to Eoch and his family while allowing her own to share in this momentous occasion. She was never quite sure of what she wanted it to be, but as she changed and grew into becoming a mother, the idea of everyone she cared about being there for her was more than she could have asked for.
And so the time came, in the middle of a night, when all were asleep only to be awoken by screams of pain blistering through the palace halls. Raven had tears st
reaming from her eyes as Eoch carried her, clutching her contracting and expanding belly, to the birthing suite she had specially prepared for this moment.
With every step he took, they gained a concerned family member following close behind. By the time they reached the room, everyone in the palace was awake and waiting outside for the arrival of the newest Xularese royal family member. The only person outside of medical staff Raven allowed into the room was Tracy. She wanted at least one other human doctor, outside of herself, to assist in the delivery.
Eoch opted to wait outside, with his parents as they all sat together listening intently for the sounds they’d all been waiting months to hear. For the majority of the time, they only heard Raven’s sailor mouth swearing at the fault of her lover for her current state. It made them smile and laugh but also worry with anxiousness when the swearing stopped.
Tracy popped her head out to tell them, “Raven has to be anesthetized so that the baby may be delivered via cesarean. Do not worry, all is going well. She is still awake, but she can’t feel anything at all. Ooh, excuse me, I’ll be right back.”
Just like that, before she could answer any of their questions, Tracy ducked back into the room. Everyone was on pins and needles as they waited for a happy announcement. It came a few hours later, when Tracy emerged with a warm smile on her face and tears in her eyes, “I am happy to tell you all that we welcome a Xularese princess. She is healthy and one of the most beautiful bundles of joy I’ve ever had the privilege to assist in delivering. Dad, she’s asking for you.”
With that Eoch stood from his seat, he kissed his mother on the cheek, gave his father a hug and disappeared behind the doors. The sweet sounds of a crying infant soon filled the halls of the palace of Xulara. There was a new member of the royal family.
***
The skies seemed so dim on the morning of Queen Ozhenia’s funeral. While it wasn’t a shock to Raven or the royal family, it was still a moment they weren’t quite ready to accept. The queen, with all of Raven’s treatments and the happiness of her bouncing grandchild around the palace, surpassed all expectations, living a full six years beyond what they predicted. She was strong and she was happy, but when she fell asleep one gracious night, it wasn’t surprising at all when she didn’t wake the next morning.
Even the walls of her chambers seemed to weep as every door creaked, and curtains swayed deliberately in the wind. The only one who didn’t seem sad was the smallest member of the royal family. The Xularese heir skipped through the halls of the palace without a care in the world on that dreary morning with a smile plastered across her face, and a wonderfully joyous song in her heart.
She arrived at the huge doors of King Vohdar’s study. They were always so heavy to her, but today, she had the strength of a thousand vangologdans. They were a ferocious type of beast only found in the jungle ravines of Xulara, and the young princess’s favorite animal. So she pushed the giant doors open enough to squeeze her tiny body through.
“Pan-Paw!” she called out, “KING PAN-PAW!”
It’s what she decided to call him. There was a flurry of traditions that she’d inherited from both of her parents and out of all of them she decided to mix them all together, because she was mixed all together.
“Yes, Avaria,” he sighed with a heaviness in his voice.
Avaria of Xulara, was the spitting image Ozhenia with her lilac skin and flowing silver hair. Her vibrant strands covered the pointed horns that sprung from her scalp and trailed down her neck to her spine. Her violet colored eyes sparkled in the sunlight that tried to peek through passing clouds. She skipped to the beat of her own heart over to the king who embraced her lovingly.
“Don’t be sad, Pan-Paw,” she told him with a mischievous smile on her face. “The queen told me a secret to tell you today.”
“She did?” he could barely keep the tears from streaming down his face. “What did she tell you my lovely Princess?”
“She told me to tell you to cry as much as you want,” she giggled.
“What’s so funny about that?” he eyed her curiously.
“YOU’RE THE KING!” she burst into a fit of giggles. “She told me that you only cried twice in your entire life! And that today would be the third, and she told me to tell you that it’s okay if you did. Even if it was only in front of me. She told me it was okay in front of me because I wouldn’t make you sad like everybody else. I would remind you that…that…that…shoot I almost remembered it all!”
She pushed off the King to pull out a small piece of paper that was folded in her pocket.
“What’s that?” he asked trying to peek at the writing.
Avaria snatched it away so he couldn’t look. “It’s a secret Pan-Paw. Only I’m allowed to look. I gots instructions for Mom and Dad too! But she says that I would remind you that in all of your tough days, I’m allowed to see your softness, and in all of your hard days, I’m allowed to see you weak. She will be with you forever and ever until the next time you meet. You see Pan-Paw?! She’s gone now, but not for long. We’re all going to see her again. You just wait and see!”
With that, the little princess kissed her grandfather on the cheek and skipped out of the room. Avaria didn’t wait for the king to respond, she didn’t wait for him to pester her with questions, she only followed the directions of the letter she was given on the day her grandmother passed away.
The next stop she made was Guarin, the queen’s most tenured servant, and her oldest friend. He too was upset, but he didn’t hide his tears like the King. She bounced into his room just the same as she did down the halls.
“SIR GUARIN OF XULARA!” she announced getting his full attention.
“Oh please, Princess Avaria not so loud,” he told her calmly wiping his tears away.
“Stop crying!” she commanded. “I have words for you too!”
She put the piece of paper with her grandfather’s notes away and fumbled through some others before she found the one she was looking for. She unfolded it and was about to read from it when he asked her, “Is that the letter from the envelope I gave you last week?”
“Yes it is, now hush and listen! Guarin, my sweet Guarin. You were never a servant to me but you served as my friend for longer than I could ever recall. Please know that if you wish to stay in the palace, this place is as much your home as it was mine. I know that you will be stubborn and protest, so don’t. Be a friend and adviser to young Avaria and help her become the queen you helped me to be. I love you forever my dearest friend. And stop crying, we shall all meet again.”
The note itself only caused Guarin to crumble into a blubbering mess. Avaria sighed and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket to hand to him. All the little six-year-old could do was shake her head and pat him on the back to console him. “Man, the queen was right about you. She told me to bring this for your tears and boy do you need it! Buck up, Guarin. That’s what Earth Nana tells me and everybody else when they’re down in the dumps. The dumps, oh those Earthlings and their sayings. I love you too Guarin, and I do hope you stay and help me be queen. I want to be all knowing just like her. Okay, I got to go to my parents now. She told me to talk to them last. It’s going to be okay, Guarin. You’ll see.”
She skipped out of the room and down the halls once again. Now she was singing loudly with happiness, making her way toward the room where her parents slept. She pushed the doors open, without a knock, without a word, took off running and leapt into the air.
Just like every other time, Eoch sat up and grabbed her out of the air. She landed with a thud on his chest.
“Avaria, you’re getting too big for that,” he chuckled. “Besides you have to be careful with mom in her condition.”
“She’s not in a condition, Dad, she’s pregnant,” she told him with an eye roll.
He nodded as Raven stretched and yawned before sitting up to kiss her daughter on the forehead and her husband on the lips. A heavy sigh escaped her. “I wish I could say this is a good morning, but
I dread the day ahead. I don’t know if I have the strength to get through this.”
“Oh no!” Avaria cried out. “Don’t say that! You have the most important job today!”
Eoch and Raven looked at each other puzzled. Avaria stood up to gather the last of the letters from her pocket. Standing in front of them, she read her letter, the final words of Queen Ozhenia. “To my darling son, Prince of Xulara, Eoch my love. I charge you with caring for the king. He will try to grow rigid and stern but with your strength and the love of your wife and children he will continue to be the leader I know and love him to be. Be patient with him, and do not leave when he shouts. He will be angry. He will be sad, but let him cry in silence and then rejoice in front of all. You will be king one day soon and it is empathy and compassion that will allow you to be just as great as your father.”
Avaria took a breath and turned directly to Raven, “My dearest Raven. What I leave for you is my legacy to uphold. It sounds like a heavy burden indeed, but with the help of Eoch and Vohdar you will do just fine. Avaria will make a wonderful queen so long as you continue to love my son and our traditions. Find strength on this day for you will have to deliver the tribute of my passing as I know my husband will be too emotional to do so as eloquently as the inhabitants of Xulara need him to. I cherish the day you came onto our planet and into our lives, for you have given us this bundle of joy in our princess. Please use her joy and don’t be sad. We shall all meet again someday. And know that because I was connected to him, I am connected to her, I am connected to you. With all of my love, hope, and wisdom, I bid you my loves farewell for now.”
With hugs and tears all around, Avaria, Eoch, and Raven celebrated the life of their matriarch. Family, friends, and beings from all over the galaxy looked on as Raven gave an inspired tribute to Queen Ozhenia with her little princess’s hand wrapped around her own, and her prince and the king behind her. They all knew that in time their hearts would heal and love would be bright and clear all over Xulara once again.