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Our eggs:

Our hatchlings:

Haral looked very tired and his face showed every year of his seventy-two years. Fiorenzia approached him and offered to make him an energizing potion. Haral accepted her offer graciously.

While she was making the potion, Orlando’s curiosity got the better of him and he asked Haral, “WHO IS QUEEN AHMIZALA? I HAVE READ A GREAT MANY HISTORIES OF MOST OF THE COUNTRIES OF THIS WORLDAND I DON’T RECALL EVER READING ABOUT A QUEEN AHMIZALA.”

Haral smiled at Orlando and said, “That is because her story is part of the history of the elder ghods. Her story goes back so far in time; many believe her to be myth. Queen Ahmizala was the loving and loyal wife of King Magazerod. Ahmizala loved her husband and was very distraught that she was barren and unable to provide her husband with the son and heir that he desired. She was also afraid that his advisors would convince him to divorce her and take another wife who would give him the children that she wasn’t able to. Ahmizala prayed and sacrificed to the elder ghods, who took pity on her and created the blessing/curse of the Earth Mother. Ahmizala quickly conceived a son and provided him with nineteen more children. One year, Magazerod went away for over six months, fighting a campaign against a province that was rebelling. When he returned, he found his loving wife pregnant again, but by another man. He became greatly wroth and was ready to have her executed for her betrayal. She convinced her husband that she had been raped by one of his courtiers. After being questioned and tortured, the courtier confessed and cleared Ahmizala of all charges. The courtier was executed instead, but Magazerod also ordered his wife to submit herself to his doctors and have all of her female organs removed, so that there would be no more babies. Being loyal, she did as he ordered. However, because of her curse/blessing, they all grew back and she was once again pregnant by another man. This time, Magazerod ordered that a special prison be built in an inaccessible part of the mountains. She was incarcerated there and her guards were all eunuchs. Six months later, Magazerod went to visit her in her prison and found, not only that she was once more pregnant and also that all of the eunuchs were no longer emasculated, but that their male organs had grown back. This disturbed the king greatly, but he didn’t recant his judgment against her. He had all the male guards executed and replaced them with female guards. A year later, he again returned to find his wife once more pregnant and all of the female guards were also. All of them told him tales of marauders who scaled the mountains and overpowered them all. Upon hearing these tales, Magazerod had a fit and died. Ahmizala, still loving her husband, then killed herself and the two of them were buried where the prison once stood.

“Whether this story is true or a fable, it remains a cautionary tale that Patra and Donal need to remember. This stone needs to be found and used. Patra has already, according to Deivė, conceived two children because of this spell. Unless Donal and Patra are willing to bring a lot more children into this world, they, and we as their loved ones, need to find it within the next four months.

“I have no idea where the country of Teviska is, but I am sure that, with research, we will find it. I also think that we should consult with jewelers and goldsmiths to see if this stone is already a known substance and can be gotten without having to travel. Hopefully, now that Patra is on the mend, we can return quickly to Alfaria and go from there, if necessary.”

“I AGREE. WHAT YOU CANNOT FIND IN ALFARIA, I CAN CERTAINLY FIND IN THE LIBRARIES OF RAWN-DEVU. SINCE FIORENZIA AND I CAN TRAVEL FREELY WITHOUT SHIPS OR BEASTS OF BURDEN, WE WILL LEAVE IMMEDIATELY FOR RAWN-DEVU. ONCE WE HAVE GOTTEN WHAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE THERE, WE WILL MEET YOU IN ALFARIA ONCE YOUR SHIP HAS DOCKED.”

“That is a very good plan, Orlando. This certainly will speed everything up tremendously. Thank you!”

Orlando and Fiorenzia then came over to me and said their goodbyes. I gave them both my love and gratitude for all that they had done and sacrificed for me. “NONSENSE, LITTLE ONE. THIS IS WHAT FRIENDS DO FOR EACH OTHER. I KNOW THAT IF THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE REVERSED, YOU WOULD DO THE SAME FOR US ALSO. TAKE CARE, LITTLE ONE. KEEP OUT OF TROUBLE AND HEAL WELL. WE BOTH LOVE YOU VERY MUCH.” Both of them leaned down and kissed me goodbye. They then left the room and went outside, transforming back into their dragon forms. They spread their beautiful wings and took off for Rawn-Devu.

Although I felt much better than I had felt earlier, I was still very weak. Donal ordered me to remain in bed, until I was strong enough to resume our journey to the port of Ostas.

“Where are we, Donal?” I inquired. “How did we get here? The last thing I remember was stopping at some caves. This doesn’t look like a cave to me.”

“No, love, this isn’t a cave”, Donal replied. “This is a house we rented in a small village in Užjūris, a couple of miles from the Rajfahar border. When I found you unconscious after you had given birth, we thought it would be best to find what civilization that we could in hopes of finding help for you. This was the first place we found, but it had no doctor, although I did find a wise woman who had a plentiful supply of herbs. Loysa was the one who sent for Orlando. She seems to have some of your telepathic skills. We waited here rather than risk harming you further in traveling so fast.

“I wish, love, that you had told me that you were in labor. I wish that you had trusted me more and let me help you with the birth. I am much more knowledgeable in childbirth than I was when Jayzon was born and you didn’t seem to mind my help then.”

As tears fell down my cheeks, I said, “I am so ashamed of having a baby who isn’t your child. I didn’t want to subject you to watching me give birth to someone else’s baby. I didn’t want to rub your face in my disgrace.”

“Oh, love! How many times do I have to tell you that I love you no matter what has happened to you? That you will always be the love of my life and the heart of my heart? Do I want you to have other men’s children? No. But as it has come out, you and I had no say in the conception of this baby. But just as I love the children that you had before we ever met, I will grow to love this child also, because he is a part of you and because he certainly is not to blame for any of this. He, like you, is a victim of unfortunate circumstances. I am going to try my best to raise him as if he was my own child. I know that this has been a very difficult situation for you and that you have been through many horrible and humiliating things this past year. If you love me and trust me, please let me help you get through this? Please don’t hide yourself from me and try to tough this out alone? Please let me help you?”

Still weeping, I promised to try and asked his forgiveness for all that I had put him through.

Donal sighed and reiterated, “None of this has been your fault! Will you get that though your lovely head please? I love you. I forgive you. Just love me and share your problems with me in return?”

“I will. I do love you, more than life itself. If I seem to slip again, please let me know and forgive me?”

“Of course, love. Always.”

Uncle Haral came back into the room, holding my baby in his arms. “Here is a little fellow, who would benefit greatly from some attention from his mother. Are you up to doing this?”

I blushed and sighed and opened my arms to take my son from Haral. Yusaf was so tiny compared to all my other babies. But then he was born almost a month early. Still he seemed to be otherwise perfect. He had all his fingers and toes and was definitely a male child. He had tan colored skin, which was much lighter than his father’s skin but much darker than mine or any of my other children. He already had a full head of dark curly hair and the bluest eyes I have ever seen. By the time I put him to my breast to nurse him, I was in love with him and found a place for him in my heart along with all my other children.