fandomania | The Adventure continues...

Emergency babies:

Our eggs:

Our hatchlings:

The Story:

“Who dares invade my home and tries to destroy our family celebration?” bellowed Piatrus His face was red with anger.

“Who dares? I dare, Lynnaria, queen of Freedonia. That is who dares. I have come for my cousin, Lady Patra, to bring her back to Rawn-Devu, where she and her children belong.”

“What? I don’t belong anywhere except where I say I belong.” I replied, with more bravado than I actually felt. But it helped that Donal came to me and put his arms around me. “I am done with duty. What has duty brought for me, except pain and suffering?

“You cannot have me or my children to play political pawns with anymore. I will no longer tolerate that. I have sacrificed my health and my happiness for the family, but no more! I hereby publicly abdicate any claim that I or my children might have to the throne of Freedonia.”

“No, cousin, don’t say that! You and I are the only ones left. The rest have died in battle, were captured and executed by the Georgists or have totally disappeared. We have to stick together, in order to free Freedonia from the Georgists.”

“I understand your needs and passions, Your Majesty. But these are no longer my needs and passions. I have no desire to be a political puppet any longer. Playing power games has no appeal for me. I am now a happily married woman. I only want to raise my children in a normal, loving atmosphere away from any one or any cabal who lies and deceives in order to achieve their goals. That is such a toxic atmosphere. I don’t want my children to have to grow up so fast and have to learn about evil. It was bad enough they had such a bad example with Jaizel. But now that he is dead, he will have no more influence over them. My new husband is loving and not part of any political group. We plan to raise my children like normal children should be raised. So once more, I say to you, I abdicate any rights and privileges that I have and that my children may have in perpetuity. I will be a pawn no longer.”

“I will admit that Jaizel was a mistake. I don’t understand why your father permitted it.”

“Gambling debts. My father had many vices, the worst of which was gambling. Jaizel managed to acquire most of his debts. He used them as a lever against my father. Your father had already warned my father about his debts and how the family wouldn’t help him any further. But he was addicted and couldn’t stop. Jaizel essentially said, 'Give me your eldest daughter in marriage and I will give you back all these IOU’s the day we get married.' That was enough for my father to hear and he consented.”

“But why? What possible motive would Jaizel have had to want to marry you?”

“He was ambitious. He noticed how the current generation of royals were having problems siring sons. He felt that if he had a son that son would eventually sit on the throne and would be his puppet and the way to true power.”

“Jaizel was truly a mistake. And I am sorry that you had to go through all that you went through with him. But the facts remain that you and I are the only ones left of our family. Uncle Jahon and Uncle Siman died in battle. I saw them fall. Their families have totally disappeared. Uncle Ellis and your father were captured and publicly executed by the Georgists. Your stepmother and your stepsisters have totally disappeared.”

I began to weep at the thought of what my sisters and stepmother were going through. Donal tightened his hold on me and he whispered in my ear. “It is alright, my love. Stay strong. I am here for you.”

“Because of this, I ask you once again to come with me voluntarily. But if you refuse, I can and will have your marriage annulled, as you have married without my permission. I will appeal to the highest authority in Alfaria.”

“I am the highest authority in Alfaria.” Stated Haral, “I am the High Priest here and for you to state that I have to follow your orders in a country that isn’t your own is the height of folly. You should leave now and never come back. You are no longer welcome here. If you value the lives of your men, you should go and never return.”

Behind the mounted party, the soft swish of swords coming out of their scabbards sounded. The commander looked behind him and realized that they were greatly outnumbered. He turned to Her Majesty and said, “We should go.”

Lynnaria was still defiant and stated, “This isn’t resolved yet. We will be back and in greater numbers.”

She then turned her horse around and, with all of her men, left almost as quickly as they arrived.

If Donal hadn’t been holding me up, I am afraid I would have collapsed, I was shaking so much.

“Well, that was pleasant,” declared Piatrus sarcastically. He then turned to his majordomo and issued orders for round the clock guards at the opening where the gates had once been. He also ordered that the best men knowledgeable in security be summoned. “All these years, I thought that we were safe, only to discover that our security was an illusion. I want the best that money can buy. I will not have this happen again.”

Piatrus turned to me and said, “You have more gumption than I thought you capable of. That took a lot of courage. I want you to know that we are now your family and we will keep you protected and safe. You and your children are now part of the conDylar family.”

“Thank you,” was all I could whisper.

“Look at you!” cried Rosa. “You’re as white as a sheet! Donal, take your wife and put her to bed. She looks as if she is at the end of her strength.”

Donal picked me up and carried me to our bedroom, where we were met with my new maid. She helped me undress and got me into my nightgown. Donal then dismissed the maid and carried me to the bed. He quickly disrobed and joined me in bed. As we spooned together, Donal said to me, “I love you. I am so proud to be your husband. You are everything I have ever wanted in a woman. Your courage today was so beautiful. I know that it was a hard thing for you to do, but you did it without hesitation. I am so proud of you for that.”

“Thank you, Donal. I love you so much it hurts. I only hope that you will never regret taking me as your wife.”

“Never! I will never regret it! No matter how bad your family gets, I will always remember today as the second best day of my life.”

“What? Only the second best? Why do you say that?”

“The best day of my life was the day we made love for the first time. Nothing will ever top that day.”

“Oh. Yes. Very true.”

From down below us in the banquet hall, sounds of the festivities started again. Donal chuckled. “That’s my family. Nothing will stop them from having a party. Or finishing one.”

“Would you like to go down and join them?”

“No. I am where I have always wanted to be. Lying with the woman I love.” He repositioned me so I was lying on my back. He then kissed me very deeply and very thoroughly. As usual, his kisses left me with my senses reeling. Without asking, Donal started to unbutton my nightgown. When I protested, he quickly explained, “I know that you aren’t up to anything right now, nor should we do anything while you are so pregnant, but I would just like to look at your body. You are so beautiful.”

True to his word, he looked at me as if I was an object of worship. He touched my belly and kissed it and told his children, “I hope that you are being good babies and listening to your mother. We both love you and want you very much.” To which, the babies started to dance in my womb, the movements of which Donal found endlessly fascinating.

And because it had been such a long, tiring day, as much as I tried to fight it, I fell asleep, once more being held by the man I loved.