A New Life

*Ainslee*

Drake blinks down at Paisley, who is nestled in my arms.

Rafe holds him just close enough to get a good look at her but not close enough to reach her nose, which he is trying to grab anyway.

“This is your sister,” he says to Drake, pointing a finger. “You’re going to torment each other terribly.”

I laugh. “Oh, come on. It won’t be that bad.”

“It sure will be. Siblings this close in age are notorious for tormenting each other. Didn’t you see it with Brock and Sinead?” he asks, referring to my half-siblings.

I think for a moment then grimace. “Yes, they do torment each other quite a lot.”

“Exactly. They’ll fight over toys and chase each other around. It’s going to be chaos,” he says.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now,” I remind him. “They’re both here, and we adore them.”

He chuckles and kisses each little head, then kisses me on the mouth. “It will be the best kind of chaos.”

Drake gets a hold of Paisley’s nose and our little girl squawks in protest.

Rafe grins. “See? They’re at it already.”

I disentangle Drake’s hand from Paisley’s little nose. “That was a parental failure.”

“We’re going to have more than a few of those, if we’re honest with each other.” He pulls Drake back from Paisley.

I swear our daughter is already eyeballing her brother as though he is the devil.

Annamarie hurries in, a wide smile on her face. “Ainslee! I just heard. How are you feeling?”

“Tired, but happy,” I reply honestly.

She comes to hover over Paisley. “Oh, she is precious.” She smooths the little red fuzz on top of Paisley’s head. “And with Mama’s hair!”

“Hopefully not Mama’s temper,” Rafe teases me.

“Annamarie, be a dear and smack Rafe for me?” I say sweetly.

She swats my mate in the upper arm..

“I suppose it wouldn’t have helped if I’d reminded you I am your king,” he mutters, rubbing the spot where she hit him.

“Not in the slightest,” she replies. She looks back down at Paisley and begins cooing at her. “Who’s the prettiest little baby in the whole world? You are. Yes, you are.”

“You said the same thing about Drake,” I chuckle.

“It was true then, and it’s true now. They’re tied for the top position.” She smiles as Zeke walks in and puts a hand on her back.

“They won’t be tied for long,” he says, kissing her cheek.

I perk up. “Oh? Do we have some good news?”

“I’m pregnant!” she squeals, and we all wince at the volume. But we can’t fault her enthusiasm.

“Zeke, I at least married the woman before I got her pregnant,” Rafe teases.

He shrugs. “I’ve been a little busy.”

“Obviously,” Rafe snickers.

“Annamarie, smack him again?” I ask.

This time Rafe dodges her, and we all laugh.

Zeke kisses Annamarie’s temple. “I’ve told Geoffrey we’re postponing going to Rallegrad for a week so I can get properly married to the love of my life.”

Annamarie blushes and titters happily.

“Oh no! I’ll miss the birth,” I lament. “You’re going to be in Rallegrad!”

“It can’t be helped,” she responds. She goes up on her toes and kisses Zeke’s cheek. “If I want to stay with this big lug, I guess it’s Rallegrad for a while.”

“They keep a very nice dungeon. Sufficiently dank and frightening,” Rafe says.

I shiver. “I hate to think of you stuck in the dungeon in Rallegrad.”

“I got out,” he replies defensively. “And I brought home our son. It was you who was off on an adventure when I got home.”

“True. But not of my own free will.” I snuggle Paisley. “Father will want us to go visit as soon as possible. I should write him.”

“I’ll write him,” Rafe volunteers. “You need to rest and bond and all the lovely motherly things that you do.” He kisses me again, carefully keeping Drake’s little fists from wandering, and leaves to write to my father.

“He’s such a good parent,” Annamarie sighs. “But you will be, too.” She beams up at Zeke.

He flushes. “We’ll leave you to rest for a while.” He puts an arm around Annamarie, and they leave, too.

I sigh and lay back, cuddling Paisley. I sing to her softly, and she closes her eyes, nestling against me. She grunts in her sleep.

Jerim putters in and out, smiling at us every time he passes. A nurse comes now and again to check my vitals, but everything seems to be in good working order.

My eyes droop, and I yawn. It has been a long couple of days.

Just as I’m about to place Paisley in the bassinet next to the bed, Rafe comes rushing back into the room.

I look at his startled expression and groan. “Please don’t tell me Queen Cirri Lyte has declared war on us.”

He shakes his head, making me relax fractionally. At least we aren’t going to war with the fae queen. “I guess I missed a few letters in the last two days.”

“Oh?” I reply. “What did you miss?”

“Karl and Sophia are getting married in a month. We’re invited.” He grins.

I relax even more. “Good news, then.”

“But we have to go back to Longclaw first,” he continues. “Marcus and Lucia are getting married in two weeks.”

“I’m glad they finally settled on a date.” I smile. “I suppose we’re going to be busy, then.”

“Our dance card does appear to be filling up.” He laughs. “Are you feeling up to a trip?”

“I think so,” I say.

He strokes my hair, then Paisley’s.

I smile at the two of them. “I assume Drake is with Scott?”

“I thought the man was going to have a nervous breakdown when I told him he didn’t have to come with me to see you this time,” he chuckles. “He’s over the moon that he has another little one to add to his creche.”

“You were very lucky, meeting him.” I think for a moment. “I’m thankful for all those who helped you get home safely. Have you found a spot for Donovan in the kingdom, or Casper and Jim? I think those three are getting antsy to go home.”

“Casper and Jim probably wouldn’t mind having their own areas to govern. They might have been thieves, but they are also men of honor,” Rafe murmurs.

“I just want to see the looks on the faces of everyone in Geoffrey’s old town when he rides through as their mayor. I’m sure the baker is going to swallow his tongue,” I say.

He growls. “That man should be jailed. But I’ll leave that up to Geoffrey. He seems very keen on making a new start for everyone.”

“I can only hope to be half as forgiving as he is one day,” I sigh.

“Oh, come on, you softy. You already are.” He smiles at me.

“Now, I just have to hope that one day my father finds another mate, and all will be right in the world,” I say. “I worry that he’s lonely.”

“He has Marcus and Lucia. And, doubtless, little ones will be running around him soon. Not just ours, but theirs,” he replies. “Don’t worry too much. Karl is also rather close. And he gets to see the kids during the summer.”

“True.” But the worry doesn’t quite subside.

He bumps me with his hip and gets into bed next to me, wrapping his arms around Paisley and me. “Your father really will be okay.”

“I just feel so bad, him finding out my mother mated someone else after all he’d been through,” I fret. “He puts on a brave face, but if it had been me, they would’ve had to lock me away somewhere..”

“That will never be you. Because if something ever happened to you, I could never love again,” he professes.

I raise an eyebrow at him.

“I mean it,” he insists. “I can’t imagine a life without you.”

“Well, if our time apart is anything to go by, clearly the Moon Goddess can’t imagine it, either,” I say.

“That’s a good point. But in all seriousness, there’s no life for me without you,” he responds.

I lean my head against his shoulder. “I can’t imagine mine without you, either.”

“I do feel a bit cheated, though,” he says.

“Oh?” My eyebrows shoot up. “Why?”

“I had to wait over a hundred years for you,” he huffs.

I kiss his neck. “Was it worth the wait?”

“Yes.” He holds me close. “Yes, it was.”