Creation

"It is worse."

Those words are like a blow to the stomach.

"I am glad I have your ears to borrow. I can't trust many people here."

The man opposite him smiles overly politely. This wasn't an ideal situation but things are moving too fast.

"Is the original plan still in tact?"

He ponders the question before him. Summer is close, squeals from children and animals alike flood his constantly occupied mind. Footsteps alert both men and he bids his guest farewell with the answer to the question,

"Yes."

Daisy's POV:

Tonight I couldn't sleep. Much to my disappointment, I was thinking of Oko. The stupid Prince offered him enough women for each hour of the night so my thoughts were relentless. My wandering hand creeps over the sleeping Prince and under the bed. I smile in the darkness when I find the blade. *I could do it*. Right now, I could achieve my goal and inflict retribution, finally.

*Ivar*

It was him I was doing this for, no? Nonetheless, I keep it with me as I swap bed chambers for the lonely hallways. It could've been morning with how brightly lit everywhere was. One could say his highness was paranoid. The guards don't bat an eyelid and so I'm free to wander.

"Oko?"

One that I approach points out the room. A big room of course. He laughs quietly as I leave him, thinking I am another hour on the clock.

The doors are easy to open without noise and the extra large bed dominates the room. I can't look at anything else. One body lay underneath the covers, only one? The closer I get, the quieter I become. The person makes no sound when they sleep, except for lazy shuffles of feet. I become less certain of why I'm here, up until the moment I reach for the blanket. Suddenly I am pulled backwards and a hand covers my mouth.

"You wouldn't want to wake her now."

His hands are ones I now faultlessly recognise, as much as his scent. Lips stay close to my ear after he whispers those words, then he nibbles on it. I stay silent and allow him to take me wherever he had planned. *I still had my blade.*

It's somewhere cold and quiet. He has bound my hands with something warm and I'm forced to stare at his face.

"*Daisy*."

He is testing my name again on his tongue. Why was it so alluring?

"Oko. What do you want?" I pull at the restraints. He leans forward, elbows settled on knees. He seemed to favour dark clothing. It made me think of his hair.

"What I want Daisy, is something I shouldn't."

He forces our chairs closer.

"In any case, I should be asking you, no?" He smirks in the chilling darkness, edging his face to mine.

"You took something from me." I reply to him.

"What?" He snaps back, almost bored. It alarms me as I don't expect his sudden frustration. His eyes are searching me, wondering why a simple maid has been seeking him out.

"Something I had loved." I find myself spitting, sadness and anger set on my tongue. Oko stutters and then proceeds to laugh. In fact, he pushes his chair away to laugh harder. My gaze watches him coldly, impatient for him to finish.

"I apologise." He says, an expression telling me otherwise. Eventually he sighs deeply, and returns to the earlier sitting position.

"Your heart appears in tact?" Slow moving eyes trail down to my breasts clothed in a nightgown of the prince's choice. Oko reminds me of its seductive nature. His breathing has considerably changed and now he looks at me. A frank, determined way however and he says,

"*Every one* of my kills ran into my sword." He is serious now, sitting back on the chair.

"*Whoever* had your heart was fair game."

"It wasn't fair!" I retort.

"It was war."

"That's not the point!" I scream. Xavier was paid by him. His men. *His responsibility.*

"That is!" He shouts, standing above me. Both of us are panting and clearly passionate. He shakes his head in disbelief,

"I took you as intelligent, sharp. Surely you would expect your lover to arrive at two outcomes. And now you blame me for his death?"

"Xavier was paid by you. You used the coward for an advantage."

"I gained no advantage nor do I keep tabs on which of my men gets paid and for what." He says. Then he takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Daisy, believe me."

My expression falters not, though my heart feels torn. *Could it be true?* Xavier, a lone wolf.

He storms over to the door.

"Or don't."

Fahmeen's POV:

Rolf has been in my arms for the past hour, mainly because I've refused to let him go in my bed rest.

"Now that I think about it." His voice is muffled by the covers as his head rests on my belly. He sits up and uncovers my body, focusing on my *normal* looking abdomen. He is staring hard.

"It does look different." He says.

"You can't tell yet!" I gasp, pretending to be offended. I hear him laugh. He kisses each of my hip bones and then the middle of my belly.

As he comes back up to me, his hand covers that area and stays there.

"Finally." He whispers. I see the relief in his eyes as he must see in mine. I kiss his lips, my arms wrapping around his neck.

...

There was a feast prepared and the bells rang in celebration. Loki even reported to us the excitement already in the North. It had only been a few days since the word spread of mine and Rolf's news.

"Boy or girl?" My mother asks me. We stand together and witness the sun shining down on the party.

"Hmm, I don't have a preference." I smile, she kisses my cheek.

"I knew I was to have a daughter right from the beginning." She says dreamily, nostalgia swirling in my mother's dark eyes.

"How could you have been so sure?" I ask.

Maxwell appears, bowing to my mother and I. I can't help but hand him my piece of cake. He was growing up so fast. The queen smiles upon him also and replies,

"I just knew."

"Where is father?" I search the many groups of people, spotting Rolf accompanied with Sigurd and other familiar guests.

"He is busy for the moment, but he will be down." She reassures me, linking her arm with mine.

"Whose ship is that? I recognise it." Shading my sight from the sun, I find the anchored ships at the dock.

"I do not know myself. Stop worrying and enjoy your celebration. Where is Rolf, dear?"

I take my mother to him and let them get on with talking to the guests. Rolf presses a long kiss on my lips in front of everyone, forcing me to blush. I hear their coos and sighs and kiss his hand before letting go. That ship was very familiar to me, but I just couldn't figure out who. I was invested now into discovering that so I thanked whoever was on the way to my father.