Hey, guys! So this is the one-shot that I promised for VeronicaD13. Hope you like it! I kinda took your idea and just played with it a little, and this is what I got! I really hope you like it, cause I hate a TON of fun writing it. I hope all of you guys like it! This isn't related to the main story, though it might be some sort of Epilogue or something. We'll see. Well, leave me a review or something!
"Your Majesty?" someone grumbled, the sound barely registering in his ears. He heard someone clear their throat, but he still stared blankly at the wall at the other side of the chamber.
Dastan boringly ran his fingers through his beard.
How could he care about anyone else problems when his son was turning ten today? He shouldn't even be in this blasted chamber! He should be playing with his son, Ammon, making pastries with him and spoiling him rotten. The people of Alamut could wait one day while he celebrated the birth of his oldest son.
"Dastan!" he heard, and pain shot up his ankle as he looked to his wife, who was far less than pleased with his daydreaming state. She looked over at the waiting peasant, her teeth clenched, and he could tell that she was very much annoyed with his behavior, but he really could not even begin to care.
Dastan blinked and came back to reality and looked at the man in front of him. The man was middle-aged, like himself, he supposed, with a big, round belly. His face was red with the frustration of being ignored, and his head was hairless.
"Sir, I apologize. My mind has been elsewhere this afternoon. I would sincerely like to assist you in any predicament that you are in, but I am afraid that you may have to repeat your dilemma," Dastan apologized, trying his best to look guilty. He didn't feel guilty, but he didn't want to look careless to his people.
The fat man sighed angrily, his nostrils flaring dangerously. "I was saying that my neighbor, who sells pigs has been allowing the wretched beasts onto my property. They use the land in front of my house as a sewer, and my children can't help but walk in it. My wife has now been complaining about the stench that they exude. My wife and I have repeatedly asked our neighbors to buy or make fencing for them and keep them away from our house, but they refuse."
Dastan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose like he often did when tired or frustrated. This was what was so important that he had to spend the day away from his ten year old child? Some man complaining about his neighbors' pigs roaming over their lawn? How was this at all logical?
Tamina looked at her husband, knowing that he didn't want to be here, but this was the last man in the audiences that they would be hearing from today, and then they would be free to spend the rest of the day with their two young children. "One moment, please," she told the man in front of her. She leaned over to her husband and took his hand, giving it a firm squeeze, glad to see that he would at least return it. "The sooner we get done with him, the sooner we can go to Ammon and Estelle. But we need to solve this man's problem first. I don't want to be here either, but it would be nice if we could try to finish sooner, rather than later. Ask the man where he and the neighbor live, and then tell him that we will be sending a notification to the neighbor with the pigs. That's all we need to do, Dastan. Now, hurry up. Your son is waiting," she said, bribing him. When it came to their children, she knew that there was nothing that her husband wouldn't do to spend time with them. It was endearing, but when it held them up of doing just that, that's where she would get involved.
Dastan nodded determinedly, quickly repeating everything his wife told him to say to the peasant, along with wishing him and his family the best regards.
Once the man had exited the chamber, Dastan and Tamina released a long, heavy sigh. The Prince stood, removing his crown carelessly as well as the silly regal cape around his shoulders. Tamina delicately removed her crown and cape, but all grace ended when her husband grabbed her hand and drug her through the hallways, eager to see his son.
Dastan threw the door open, automatically hearing a "Papa!" come from his son's lips.
"Ammon! My big birthday boy! Come here, let your father look at you!"
"Me too, Papa!" his daughter whined.
"Estelle, darling come here to Mama," Tamina cooed, reaching for her three year old daughter. Estelle quickly waddled over to her mother, eagerly climbing into her lap and tugging on Tamina's hair interestedly and kissing her cheek sweetly.
Ammon dropped his book, running to his father and throwing his arms around his neck, laughing gaily when the ground disappeared from underneath his feet and he was spinning through the air in Dastan's arms. When his father put him back on the ground, Dastan quickly pulled out a package from his robes, handing it to his son. "Happy Birthday, Ammon. This is from me, and your mother has a gift for you too, but open mine first."
"Ammon, don't listen to your father. It would be easier if you would open mine first, darling. Come here," she beckoned to her son, still holding tight to her daughter. She passed her son a larger package, and by the size, Ammon quickly chose his mother's to open first. Tamina inconspicuously winked slyly at her husband, who pretended to pout.
"Papa," Estelle whined, reaching for her father with her small arms, Dastan quickly reaching out and holding her.
"How's my Princess?" he asked, holding her high above his head and making her laugh.
"Dastan, your son is opening his present!" Tamina scolded.
"Princess," he whispered to his daughter, settling down on the rug next to Tamina. "We need to be quiet now. Your big brother wants to open his present."
"I want present, Papa," she babbled.
"At your birthday, Princess," he told her confidently, satisfied to see his daughter nod firmly and turn her attention to her big brother. She was such a wonderfully behaved little girl, and she loved her big brother.
Ammon smiled and ripped at the paper and string wildly, smiling widely once he saw the book hidden underneath it. "Mama! It's another one of those mystery books! My favorite! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Mama! It's perfect!" Ammon said excitedly, throwing his arms around Tamina's neck and holding her close.
"I know how much you like reading those. Maybe the author will be able to stump my smart son this time," she told him, running her hands through her son's hair.
"Nonsense," Dastan told her. "Our son is the smartest boy in the world, and he will know the culprit far before anyone else!"
"Thanks, Papa," Ammon replied bashfully, cradling the book to his chest and peeking behind the cover to begin reading. "And thank you, Mama. I really love it."
"You're welcome, little Prince," his mother replied.
"My turn!" Estelle said excitedly, running from her father's arm to grab a medium-sized box and passing it to her brother and then jumping back into her father's arms. "For you! From me!"
Ammon smiled and took the gift. He opened it, and smiled when he saw the contents, it was a box of his favorite candies - dark chocolates with nuts. Quickly, he plopped one in his mouth and sighed when it melted, making him feel all warm inside. "Do you want one, Estelle?" he offered, the little girl quickly taking advantage of the situation and taking one.
"Thank you!" she said politely, Dastan praising her quietly and kissing the top of her curly haired head.
"That was very nice, Ammon," Tamina praised. Her son was perfect. So gentle and sweet.
"Mama and Papa, you have one too," Ammon offered. Dastan reached out to grab one, but his hand was swatted away by Tamina's, which made their daughter explode in a fit of giggle at her father's expense.
"Those are your sweets, Ammon. You eat them. Your father and I don't need sweets, do we, Dastan?" she asked coyly, and Dastan's shoulders sagged while he shook his head. "Give him your present, Dastan."
Dastan quickly brightened and passed his son a long vertical box.
Ammon quickly opened it and pulled out the reins, feeling fairly confused. "Papa, what are these for?"
Dastan passed his daughter to Tamina and picked up Ammon. "I'll show you," he whispered. "But it's a secret, and you can't let your sister know, because she'll get jealous. Now, close your eyes. It's supposed to be a surprise, Ammon." His son obediently closed his eyes and nodded furiously. They walked outside and into the stables, Dastan putting his son down in front of a young stallion whose pelt was grey white with little white speckles. "Open your eyes, son."
Ammon opened his eyes and jumped up and down with so much joy, Dastan was worried he was going to jump right through the roof of the stable. "I get a horse?"
"You're old enough. I'll teach you how to ride, and he can be yours. Do you want to pet him?" At Ammon's nod, they walked close to the animal, Ammon's hand outstretched. "Let him smell your hand first, Ammon. You don't want to scare him; there you go. See? He likes you!" Dastan encouraged. "Now, you have to take extra good care of him, and brush his pelt and give him baths, and most important, give him a lot of love. Be gentle."
"Can I name him, Papa?" he asked, his blue eyes shining with joy.
"Whatever you'd like."
"I'll name him…Storm. Can I, Papa?"
"I think that that's the perfect name for him. Let's go back to Mama and Estelle. They want to spend time with you too. We can come back down here tomorrow," Dastan said, taking his son's small hand.
"Okay. Bye, Storm. I'm going to take very good care of you. I promise." He scratched the horse in between the ears and hugged him around the nose and then walked back to where his mother and sister were. "This has been the very best birthday ever, Father."
"I'm glad you liked it, Ammon," Dastan said happily, ruffling his son's hair.
Once they got back to the other room, they sat and played for a while, and Tamina simply watched her family have fun. Dastan was like a little child it seemed, always bursting with energy and undying love for his children. But he was a wonderful father, that was for sure. He was firm when he needed to be, and he was playful when he could be.
Ammon looked exactly like his father, so perfect. His hair wasn't as thick as hers, but incredibly dark. He had a long face, and a prominent nose. And his eyes! Tamina loved her husband's eyes, and she was so thrilled to see that their first born was graced with those eyes, wide and crystal blue. But her son had her traits in there too, hidden somewhere. Like her little ears, her chin and forehead. Dastan had told her sometimes that he would do something and all he was able to see was her looking back at him. Like when he would bite his bottom lip when nervous, or huff when he would get angry. Ammon seemed to be more like his mother, hot-tempered, but very aristocratic and wanting to learn more and more information. It seemed like he was already a new book or talking to new people, or just being thoughtful about something. Not that her husband wasn't thoughtful, but she knew that it had to have come from her.
And little Estelle. Oh, that girl was precious and perfect in every particular way. Again, she was graced with her father's bright blue eyes, but that seemed to be the only similarity. She looked just like her mother, down her thick black curls and small frame and all. But when it came to her adventurous side, she was the epitome of Dastan. So full of life and wanting to explore absolutely everything and jump from heights that made Tamina feel nauseous. That girl would definitely become a handful when she was older, but somehow, she didn't really care.
She had a family. Something that she never really thought she would have before. She had remembered when she and Dastan had first spoken of it. The concept had seemed so foreign, having a family. Why would anyone want one of those? They took work and time, and that was something someone in her position was not given. She had barely had enough to her relationship with her husband. She had come from a line of Princesses who had one daughter and then died away, their quest completed. Keep the Dagger safe, have a daughter, and then die.
Tamina didn't want a life like that for her children. When she had gone to the midwife and learned of her pregnancy, Dastan had been ecstatic, boasting to anyone who would listen that he and his wife were going to have a baby and he was going to be a father of some perfect baby. Tamina had been scared, but strangely excited at the same time. She would be a mother, and maybe she would be able to correct the mothering of her ancestors. And she liked to think that she had. Once she had a son, she had felt relieved, knowing that a son would be needed for their line, and he was indeed perfect. And Dastan had gone through that whole arrogant phase again, bragging to anyone who would even pretend to listen to him rattle on about how intelligent his son was compared to all of the other children.
She loved her son, and everyday, she seemed to grow to love him even more. She was no longer scared, and she realized just how wonderful a family could be. She wanted her children to grow up happy and loved and whole inside. And that was how she was going to raise them.
Needless to say, when she had learned that she had been pregnant again, she had felt more joy, and even joined her husband on the bragging. The first time she had that little Princess in her arms, she just knew that everything was perfect. She had a husband who loved her deeply, and two beautiful children who were perfectly healthy and smart and generous.
But the Princess of Alamut had another secret up her sleeve, and she couldn't wait to tell her husband. Seeing that look on his face again…the way his eyes would light up and the little wrinkles at the corners of his eyes turn upward - it was going to be perfect too.
They put the children to bed later, kissing them each tenderly good night before changing into their nightclothes and climbing into their oversized bed.
Dastan automatically wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back up against his chest. He kissed her shoulder, making her smile. "I have a secret to tell you," she whispered sneakily.
"Mm…What kind of a secret?" he asked excitedly, and she could practically hear the smile in his voice.
"A life changing secret," she whispered back. She turned around and looked at him.
"I won't tell anyone," he pressed, looking determined and focused.
"Yes, you will. You will tell everyone you see tomorrow. I guarantee it," she joked.
"Just tell me, Tamina!" he whined.
Tamina smiled. "Nope. You have to guess. It is more fun this way," she teased, sitting up and crossing her legs, Dastan following her and giving her a playful glare.
"Can I have a clue?" he asked.
Tamina nodded. "Three. Your first clue is that I am expecting it."
"Alright…what could you be expecting? New books? Some other ancient powerful weapon that you have to take care of?" he teased, thought he really did hope that that wasn't the case. One weapon was enough.
"I'll give you another clue. You helped make it." Tamina raised her eyebrow suspiciously, wondering if he would figure it out.
"Well, I can't write anything worth reading, so it can't be books. And I don't think I made any weapons…" he trailed off thinking very hard about it. "Can I get my last clue?"
"Your last clue is that it is very much related to Ammon and Estelle," she told him, smiling widely.
Dastan sighed, running a hand through his hair, so much like their son did. "So, you are expecting it, I helped make it, and it is related to - Tamina! Are you…Are you with child?" Dastan eyes gleamed so brightly, and the smile on his face was so large it was unbelievable that it actually fit on his face.
Tamina nodded quickly. "I am! We're going to have another baby!"
Tears rolled down Dastan's face, and he threw himself out of the bed and dragged her with him, dancing around their room like a madman. "We're having another baby!" he yelled. He kneeled down in front of her and began touching her stomach. "Hello, in there! I'm your Papa, and you're with your Mama. She's going to take care of you while you get nice and strong. Oh, Papa's so excited to meet you! You are going to be the most perfect little baby in the world, and we are going to take really good care of you. I promise. You were wrong, Tamina."
"In what way?" she asked curiously, smiling when he rubbed her belly.
"You said that I would tell everyone the secret tomorrow," he told her, standing up and kissing her deeply.
"And what exactly does that mean?" she asked, still a little lightheaded from his kiss.
"I'm telling everybody now!" He rapidly ran out of the room, regardless of the fact that he was in his nightclothes, screaming, "We're having another baby! Everyone! Tamina is with child! We are having another baby!"
Tamina laughed happily, resting her hand on her stomach. "Let's just hope you're not as crazy as Papa, Baby," she cooed.
She loved her family. There was really nothing else to be said about the matter. She loved her family.
Hope you guys like it, and don't forget to leave a review on the way out! Love you all lots! - Books