by Lilly Pink
“Not as far as possible. I do not actually want to be late,” he said with a chuckle. “Do you know why it is tradition for the new couple to fly out after the ceremony?”
“I never gave it much thought. I guess I assumed it was to give everyone time to get dinner ready,” Zoe replied, a little confused by what seemed to be an abrupt change in subject.
Kian laughed. “Maybe. But I read yesterday that in ancient days, dragons mated on the wing, like eagles,” he added, his voice dropping low in a way that made Zoe shiver with anticipation.
“Is that so? And I suppose you would like to conduct a little experiment of your own?”
“Only if my lady is willing,” he replied, turning to face her in the air with a challenge in his eyes.
“Anything for you, my love,” she said, brushing him with her feathers as she passed. “But you’ll have to catch me first!” she shouted as she dove away.
***
They landed back in the hall just as the sky was turning pink, and no one was tactless enough to ask why they looked both exhausted and utterly content. With Zoe’s previous assistance in the area of food storage, it was the best feast the Kumari had attended in living memory, and, as a result, the mood was even more festive than it might otherwise have been.
Someone had lugged up a barrel five hundred year old alcohol from the cellars, possibly the last in Kumarinatu that had been made by a trained vintner, and while everyone exclaimed over how smooth and delicious it was, Zoe wasn’t too upset about not being allowed to drink because she thought it smelled like turpentine.
There were gifts, of course, some of which were actually for them, like new clothes for Zoe, and even a set of paints and canvases from Ameretat. But most of the presents were for the baby. The kingdom was full of heirlooms that, at this rate, would never be used, and by the end of the night, they had received five hand-carved cradles, one of which floated a foot off the ground, and another that rocked itself and played music; several rocking horses, and piles of handmade blankets and clothes. “I think we might need to move to a bigger room,” Zoe said jokingly, indicating the pile of gifts.
Kian smiled, turning to look at her after having spent the last several minutes staring at the ceiling with his brow furrowed in concentration. Zoe wasn’t sure whether he was particularly fascinated by the elaborate fresco painted above them or whether he was just halfway to falling asleep. “Actually, we have our own floor. Everyone has been busy cleaning it out, since it hasn’t been used in at least a hundred years, but it was to be a surprise for tonight.”
“You couldn’t wait a few more hours to spill the beans?” she teased, nudging his elbow with her own.
He draped his arm around her shoulder, his cheeks a bit flushed with alcohol. “Well, it is my surprise. I chose to reveal it early. Besides, I did not think we would be here very much longer. It is late, and I would much rather spend the night with you than in drunken revelry,” he said, indicating down the table at what appeared to be an arm wrestling competition.
“Maybe we should go, then. It has been a long day,” Zoe offered, thinking of their bed with longing.
“I’m afraid there is one more tradition we must participate it,” he replied with a grimace. “I try to argue my way out of it, but Ameretat was insistent. Apparently, she is fond of dancing.”
“Oh, right. I almost forgot about that.” Zoe had practiced the dance with the others just a few days before. Though she wouldn’t have previously counted dancing as one of her favorite activities, it had turned out to be fun.
Just a moment later, someone, probably Ameretat, signaled the musicians, who began to play a sprightly tune at high volume. This got everyone’s attention, and when the room was quiet again, Kian stood up. “It is time for the customary wedding dance. I hope to see you all participating,” he said, in a tone that made clear that, if he had to dance, everyone else had better take part as well, or he would consider it a personal offense.
He led Zoe down to the dance floor, taking them to the center, the spot where the newly married couple was supposed to stand, as others paired off and stood in groups of four couples around them. It was much better than the kind of stuff she remembered doing at the dances she’d been to in high school.
No standing in one place and swaying, or revolving in slow circles; this began with each couple standing hip to hip, as close as they preferred, and facing opposite directions with their palms raised and pressed together. Of course, she and Kian stood as close as they could, hips pressed together as they looked each other in the eye.
The music started, and they turned in a circle, before spinning around to link elbows and turn in the opposite direction. The music slowly increased in tempo, and both of them were spun off to different partners and then back together, repeating the dance again at increased speed.
It was probably six repetitions and t Zoe started to feel a little breathless and dizzy, but in a fun way, and when she went back to Kian for the final time, he dipped her down almost to the ground before pulling her back up against his chest. His eyes sparkled, and she laughed, panting with exertion.
“See, that wasn’t so bad,” she said when she could breathe again. The music had changed to something slower, and they, along with a few other couples, were still on the dance floor, turning slowly in place. It could have been prom again, only this time her date was much more attractive.
“No,” he admitted. “I find many things much more enjoyable when you are involved. But I do not think I will take up dancing as a new hobby.”
She smiled back, enjoying the familiar feeling of being together, though they could not be quite as close as they might normally have been with her monstrous stomach in the way. Speaking of which, she felt a tightness ripple over her belly, briefly painful before fading away. She must have made a face, because Kian frowned. “Are you all right?”
“Just a contraction,” she told him, smiling to ease his worry. “Ameretat warned me they’d start happening more frequently the closer we get to the birth.”
He nodded, expelling the breath he’d been holding out through his nose. “Still, since we have discharged all of our traditional obligations, perhaps we should go to bed. It has been a long day, and I am sure you are exhausted.” They made their farewells and headed upstairs. It was when they reached their floor, the one at the very top, that she felt the next contraction. This one was actually painful enough to make her gasp.
Zoe could tell that Kian was getting worried, but he remained calm, and they made it to their bedroom. She would have been more excited to exclaim over the loveliness of the new chamber, but she could feel another contraction hovering at the edge of her perceptions. She didn’t even argue when Kian helped her out of her dress and bade her to lie down, getting her a cup of water. It was too early.
Not fatally too early, but dangerously so—they both knew that. Kian went to fetch Ameretat. Sirius and Nahuel, already having arrived at a sort of uneasy truce, curled up next to her, the Vryka warm against her back while the cat fit himself into the curve of her arm next to her chest.
The healer returned with Kian just a few moments later and immediately took charge, examining Zoe and then applying magic while she ordered Kian to make tea with a few specific herbs. The next hour was tense and painful, but Zoe could feel the contractions start to subside. Once they had faded to a twinge every quarter hour or so, she fell into an exhausted sleep.
Ameretat took Kian into the next room to speak with him in a low voice. “It was a near thing. It was a good that you called me, but she should be fine to go back to normal activities after a few days of rest.”
“Are you certain? I thought perhaps it was due to all the activity. Not that I would want to try to confine her but…” he trailed off, knowing he didn’t really have to finish the statement. As much as Zoe might hate it, being stuck in bed for two months would be better than losing the baby.
Ameretat sighed. “I’m afraid it has nothing to do with exertio
n. Someone tried to poison her.”
Kian gasped, his eyes darkening with both fear and anger. “Are you certain?”
“As much as I can be. It was only the fact that I read about this very thing the other day in my mother’s notes that I recognized the symptoms. That tea you made was the antidote. It wouldn’t have done anything to calm normal early labor. And it wouldn’t be accidental either. The herb in question is never used in food—it tastes awful. It doesn’t pose a danger to anyone but pregnant women, it would have been easy to slip some of it into several dishes, and no one would have been the wiser if the bitterness was masked with spice.”
“That will make it difficult to prevent a repeat incident,” Kian said, flexing his fingers, likely imagining hitting whoever it was that had done this to his wife.
“Luckily, it is winter, and we don’t have much of the herb in storage. I’ll move what we do have, and warn the other healers to be watchful. Maybe you should starting sending Shahin to do kitchen duty. He adores Zoe, I guarantee he would never let anything happen to her.”
“I suppose that is true. I can trust Zhubin as well, and I can go there myself, if you tell me what to watch for. But that may make whoever has done this more desperate. I had hoped…”
Ameretat patted his elbow, giving him what comfort she could, which was not much. “You hoped that the people would be so overjoyed that all the old habits would die away. All we can do is continue to watch over her. Shahin and Darya have taught her to defend herself and she has Sirius.
There is not much more protection you can give her, without smothering her, and you know that would only make her seek to break free. Besides, you don’t want to cause her any more stress. That can start labor just as easily as the wrong herbs in her food.”
Kian frowned at her. “You didn’t seem concerned about that before. Has this incident made an early birth more likely?”
“Not exactly,” Ameretat said, her mouth twisting into a sort of half-smiling grimace. “I am sorry I didn’t catch it before, but I did not even think to look, it is so rare….” She trailed off, a bit intimidated by the intense stare she was receiving from Kian.
“What is it?” he asked, his voice almost a growl. He was angry and terribly afraid, and it was only the knowledge that he would be excited by the news that gave Ameretat the strength to continue.
“There are two heartbeats. You are expecting twins.”
CHAPTER TEN
It was several days before Kian would even let her out of bed. She couldn’t really blame him; she’d been just as terrified over how near they had come to having their baby much too early. Babies, she corrected herself. That had been difficult to get her head around. It seemed crazy that they hadn’t noticed long before, but as Ameretat had explained, twins were so rare among the Kumari that she hadn’t even thought to look.
Even if she had seen a sign of another baby previously, she admitted she probably would have assumed that she made a mistake. But after she had managed to slow down the contractions, she had done a much more thorough magical examination than she had previously. After finding two heartbeats, it only took a moment for her to confirm that there were, indeed, two babies in there, two heads, four arms and four legs, all healthy.
Kian was overjoyed, if a little dumbstruck, by the news, but Ameretat must have told him that this also increased the danger, at least slightly. The healer had told Zoe quite frankly that she would be lucky to go to full term with twins, but that it was still better to try. She would be able to continue most of her normal activities, but she would need to take it easy, making sure she stayed hydrated and had plenty of rest. Ameretat also gave her several different kinds of tea to drink every day, putting Kian in charge of making sure this occurred.
Five days after their wedding, she was finally permitted to get up and have a bath, as well as some time to herself. Zoe knew Kian was trying his best not to hover, and she loved him for that, but she would be glad when the babies were born, if only so his level of fretting could return to normal. She had no way of knowing, as Ameretat and Kian had agreed it was best not tell her about the poisoning, that his true worries had more to do with politics than childbirth. When she was clean and dressed and feeling something like herself again, she went looking for him. Though she had not had the opportunity to explore their new living quarters, she knew that the room he had claimed as his study was next door to the bedroom, and she was not surprised to find him there.
He was sitting at the desk with a book in front of him, but he clearly wasn’t reading. His brow was furrowed in concentration and he was staring into the distance without seeing anything. She touched his shoulder and he jumped, letting out an explosive sigh when he saw it was her. “Zoe! You startled me. Did you have a good bath?”
“Yes, it feels good to be clean,” she replied, allowing him to pull her into his lap. It was a bit cumbersome now, as big as she was, but it was still comforting to be held against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “What were you thinking so hard about, love? I think I could have danced around the room naked and you wouldn’t have noticed.”
“I most certainly would have,” he replied with raised eyebrows. “I would have assumed I was having an extremely pleasing hallucination, but I would have noticed. In any case, I was contemplating how to confirm my suspicion about the identity of the dragon guarding the World Tree, and I have an idea, but I will have to consult with Darya before I know for sure whether it will work.”
“Oh? I have to say I’m intrigued. I want to know who that dragon is just as much as you do. Also, now I have to add naked dancing to my list of things to try when I’m not pregnant,” she said, grinning up at him.
His cheeks colored a little at the thought, but he cleared his throat and continued speaking as if she hadn’t said anything. “I would rather not tell anyone until I have confirmed it for myself. However, if Darya agrees to my idea, I would like for you to join me. We can find out together.” Zoe decided she could be content with that.
Kian did his best to give her some privacy, the least she could do was return the favor. “On a totally different subject, now that you are moving around again, how would you like a tour of our new private domain? I did not tell you about all of the surprises I had prepared for you, and I am anxious to see what you think.”
“I think I would like that very much,” she replied, and he smiled, nudging her back to her feet before standing himself and taking her hand to lead her down the hallway. Sirius followed at a watchful distance, pausing to sniff at each doorway they passed. It was a huge area with several separate suites of rooms, and Kian admitted he doubted they would ever use all of them. Some were intended for personal servants or guards, which would likely not be required in their lifetime, even in the best case scenario.
But there were bedrooms reserved for other members of the family, grown children perhaps, or siblings, and there was a greenhouse, and a small meeting room, a dining room, and each suite had its own little parlor for receiving guests. He saved the most interesting parts for last.
The entire floor was situated around a central garden, and since it was the top floor of the tower, the glass dome above could actually be left open to the sky. There was a beautiful fountain, and plenty of private corners hidden under rose covered trellises or behind hedges, as well as several fruit trees, which the gardeners has refused to stop tending even after this part of the palace has ceased being inhabited.
Kian had arranged for some new things to be planted just so it would not look completely dead, but he told Zoe she was free to do with it as she wished, if she had any interest in gardening. “I understand my father’s mother kept a flock of exotic birds here,” he added, “so you can feel free to indulge your love of animals as well,” he said with a smile. “But please, no snakes.”
Still, that wasn’t even what he meant by the surprise. They had ended up back across the hall from his study and he opened the door to a large room that was completely empty, filled
with sunshine from windows that looked out into the garden. “I thought you might like to have a room of your own.
Someone told me this used to be used for the ladies of court to sit around sewing and gossiping, but I suspect you will have something different in mind. You can paint, or read, or write, or simply come in here to escape my smothering presence,” he added with a small smile. ”Of course we can find or make any furnishings you need; you have only to ask.”
“It’s perfect, thank you,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. It would be nice to have a room of her own, even if she wasn’t sure how much time she would really have for art for in the near future. “Where does that door lead?” she asked, striding over to it and turning the knob.
“The nursery,” he replied. “I have been told we will likely want the children in with us at first, but this is right across from our room for when they are a bit older.” He took her hand and led her inside the room, which was as bright and airy as her study next door and nearly as empty. The baby gifts they had received at the wedding were stacked in a corner, and there were a few other bits of furniture, small shelves and toy chests, but not much else. “I had all the walls smoothed over and repainted white. I know that we do not have much time, and I do not want you to overtax yourself, but I had remembered that you said more than once how much you enjoyed painting murals for children’s rooms. It seemed appropriate that you should have space to paint one for our children as well.”
Zoe sighed out a breath, her eyes traveling over the blank walls, already imagining what she might paint there and how much time it would take. “It would be hard to get it done before the babies are born,” she said, almost to herself, “but certainly before they moved in here.” Turning, she flung her arms around Kian’s waist, causing him to take a step backward in surprise, but he smiled down at her, brushings a lock of wild hair behind her ear.
“So, do I take this to mean that you approve of our new living situation? I know it is much more space than we will ever need, but I wanted to give you, and the children, a place that was really your own, instead of just being thrust among all of my things.”