Family Tangles

By Alexandra Spears

Sequel to The Princess and the Pirate

Chapter 1—Edwina and the Count

It was a hot summer day on Eternia. Nineteen-year-old Princess Adora and her husband, Captain Jeoff Blithe, who was known as the Sea Hawk, were lounging by the pool that was adjacent to the main courtyard. Adora was fourteen weeks pregnant and her pregnancy was starting to show slightly. She was relieved to have made it past her first trimester; her first pregnancy had ended in a miscarriage back in November, not even two months after she and Sea Hawk were married. She was also glad that the morning sickness had gone away a few weeks ago.

Adora had on a red one-piece swimsuit with a skirt. Sea Hawk had on green-brown swim trunks. She glanced over at him, saw that his eyes were closed. She smiled, glad that she had a husband who was handsome, well-built, and most importantly, loving towards her.

A year ago she had been a Horde prisoner on Etheria. She had managed to escape. She had met Sea Hawk, and they were married the same day they met. He'd been smitten with her the minute he saw her and had wanted to protect her from the Horde. Just this past spring they had helped Etheria's main kingdom, Bright Moon, overthrow the Horde's rule over it.

Sea Hawk, as if sensing his young wife was looking at him, turned his head and grinned at her. "Like what you see, my lovely?" he asked.

"You know it," Adora replied.

Sea Hawk went and knelt by the chaise lounge she was on. He placed his hand on the bump their baby made and kissed her lips gently.

"Oh, how vulgar!" said an arrogant female voice behind them.

The two of them looked up, and there stood Duchess Edwina, Adora's cousin, who was twenty-four. Edwina had red hair, blue eyes, and way too much make-up. She was constantly looking down her nose at everyone.

"Of course, what does one expect when one marries a pirate?" she continued.

Blood came to Adora's cheeks. Pregnancy brought about not only physical changes but emotional ones as well. She loved her husband, her parents and twin brother accepted him as part of the family, and just who did Edwina think she was, especially given what was whispered about her?

Edwina approached Sea Hawk and gave him an appreciative once-over. "Though he is rather handsome…."

"That's enough, Edwina," Sea Hawk said as he stood up and faced his wife's cousin. Since he was married to the Princess of Eternia, who was second in line to the throne until Adam's child was born, he outranked Edwina, though she was the daughter of one of one of Adora's paternal aunts and a duchess by birth. He didn't have to bow down to her or anything.

"Now I was just here to announce my arrival, since Uncle Randor and Aunt Marlena are going to be having their anniversary ball next week," she said.

"We know you're here, so you're excused," Sea Hawk said as he sat back down on his chaise lounge.

"Hmph." Edwina stuck her nose up in the air and left the pool area.

"That's right, my parents' twenty-first anniversary is next week," said Adora when her cousin was out of earshot.

"At least your other relatives aren't bad," said Sea Hawk. "I enjoy sparring with your cousin Dal. He's a lively one." Dal was the son of another of Randor's younger sisters and her husband, King Stefen of Dyperia.

"I feel like wringing Edwina's neck." Adora said as she lay back. "She's so disrespectful…she was often mean to me when I was little, pulling my hair…I always tried to stay away from her."

"I guess there's one like that in every family," said Sea Hawk.

"Hawk—you're not attracted to her, are you?"

Sea Hawk laughed. "No way! For one thing you are far more beautiful than she is. With her attitude, it's no wonder she's still single. Adora, you don't have a thing to worry about."

"I'm sorry," Adora sighed. "My emotions just keep going crazy."

"It's all right," Sea Hawk told her. He looked thoughtful. "How did Adam deal with her?"

"You know Adam and I have always been close, being twins," said Adora. "He would tease me sometimes, but if someone else did, he got them back. Frogs down the back of the dress were his specialty."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Sea Hawk chuckled.

One evening the following week, there was the ball celebrating King Randor and Queen Marlena's twenty-first wedding anniversary. Adora was walking around and mingling with friends, family, and guests.

She felt a hand on her elbow. "May I have this dance, Princess?" asked a voice she'd really hoped not to hear.

Adora turned and discreetly jerked her elbow from Count Marzo's grasp. She really wished her father would banish him; the thing was, evidence was needed of his wrongdoings. Her father was a fair man and didn't take banishment lightly. "My dance card is already filled up," she told him.

Just then, Edwina came up to them. "Pay her no mind, she's just a snooty princess," she said to Marzo. "I'm willing."

Marzo seemed to blink, then after a beat he grinned. "You are…?"

"Duchess Edwina. King Randor is my maternal uncle," she said.

"Oh yes, I remember now!" Marzo said. "Randor is the firstborn, and your mother was second-born?"

"That's right, my uncle was King Miro's only son," she said.

Adora's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Should anything happen to her father, her brother, and herself, and neither left any heirs, her aunt would be Queen of Eternia, with Edwina as Princess. There had to be a reason Marzo was asking about that. She didn't trust him at all. Clearly Marzo was looking to join the Royal Family of Eternia for his own gain. If he couldn't get the Princess of Eternia, he'd go to the next-ranking woman, the Duchess.

"Oh, Adora, you're just jealous," said Edwina, who had noticed Adora's expression. "Go back to that pirate you're shackled to."

Later that night, Adora was sitting on the bed she shared with Sea Hawk while he massaged her back and shoulders. As he gave her the massage, she told him what had happened with Marzo and Edwina.

"That does seem suspicious," Sea Hawk agreed. "Have you told your father?"

"He'd be reluctant to take any action without good evidence," Adora replied.

"It could be he just wants to marry into the family and come into some wealth," Sea Hawk suggested. He reached around and gently rubbed her belly. "And how's our little duke or duchess?" Adam's children would have the title of Prince or Princess, since they would be descended through the male line. Adora's children would have the title of Duke or Duchess, since they would be descended from the monarch through the female line. Should Adora become Queen, her children would have the title of Prince or Princess. If Adora had a daughter and she had children, they would have the title of Count or Countess. If she had a son and he had children, they would be dukes and duchesses, and so on. A firstborn son was first in the line of succession, and lacking any sons, it would go to the firstborn daughter.

"I still haven't felt the baby kick yet, but it's a bit early," Adora replied. "Hawk—are you wanting to know if the baby is a boy or a girl? I can have a scan done."

"Sure, so we know how to set up the nursery," Sea Hawk said as he gently kneaded her shoulders.

"I can find out next week, at my prenatal checkup," Adora said. Going back to the original subject, she said, "I think we should keep an eye on Edwina."

"Probably a good idea," Sea Hawk agreed. "That woman is treacherous. I've learned how to read people. And I'm willing to bet Marzo is up to something as well."

The following week, Adora and Teela went to the infirmary wing with their husbands so they could see the midwife. Their due dates were very close to each other. "Are you going to find out if you and Adam are having a boy or a girl, Teela?" Adora asked her sister-in-law.

"Adam can't wait," Teela said with a smile.

"I want to be able to call our child by the name we picked out," Adam shrugged. "Instead of 'it' or 'the baby.'"

Teela and Adam went in first, and Adora and Sea Hawk sat down to wait. "What did Adam say when you told him about your suspicions?" Sea Hawk asked Adora.

"He thinks Marzo just wants to be part of the family and come into wealth," Adora said. "And support his harem. I've heard tell he has more than one illegitimate child."

Sea Hawk shook his head. "Not exactly husband material, that's for sure."

"I don't know if Edwina really wants to marry him or anything, she's just trying to make me jealous because she sees he has a crush on me. She doesn't seem to realize, I am in no way interested in him, and I never was." She looked at her husband. "I'm glad I found you, Hawk."

"Glad I could help take the heat off," he grinned. "A pirate over a count—must've been a blow to his ego."

Adora couldn't help but giggle a little bit at this. "That's not why I married you, considering I had no way of knowing if I'd ever be able to come home—but it's a nice bonus."

A while later, Adam and Teela came out of the room. "It's a boy!" Adam said happily. "We're naming him Duncan, after Teela's father."

"Congratulations!" Adora said. "Father will be pleased."

"Your Highness," the midwife interrupted gently.

"We'll wait out here so we'll be the first to hear the news," Teela said as she and Adam sat down.

Sea Hawk and Adora went into the next room. There Adora changed into a gown and lay on an examination table and put her feet in the stirrups that were at the foot of the table. She went through this every month and by now was used to it.

The midwife did her usual exam, then she ran a device over Adora's belly. "Your daughter is pretty active," she smiled.

"A girl?" Sea Hawk said. Adora detected no trace of disappointment in his voice, though she knew he wouldn't mind having a son. Still, they planned on having a number of children.

"That's right, Your Highness," the midwife said. "And I see nothing wrong with her whatsoever, she's developing nicely. Do you have a name?"

"We were planning on naming a girl Marissa," Adora replied.

"Duchess Marissa," said the midwife as she eased Adora's feet out of the stirrups. "The nice part is, with your brother's wife expecting a baby around the same time, Prince Duncan and Duchess Marissa will have each other to play with."

"Almost like having twins," said Adora, reflecting on the fact that she and her twin brother would be parents at the same time.

As soon as Adora was dressed, she and her husband went out to the waiting area. "You're going to have Prince Duncan, and we're having Duchess Marissa," Adora told her brother and sister-in-law.

"Congratulations, Sis!" Adam exclaimed.

At dinner that evening, the twins told their parents their news. Queen Marlena smiled. "A grandson and a granddaughter," she said.

King Randor also had a smile on his face. "Just think, my dear…we're going to have children running around here once more."

Edwina, who was seated at the table with her parents, cleared her throat for attention. "If I may, Uncle, I have some news," she said.

Adora noticed that her aunt and uncle looked dismayed—which was their usual look. They had tried to raise Edwina properly, but she'd been rebellious and mean-spirited from the start.

"Count Marzo and I are to be married in two months' time," Edwina said, sounding self-satisfied.

"Count Marzo? With the reputation he has?" asked Edwina's father.

"It is my choice. I am over eighteen, Father," Edwina said.

Edwina's mother looked at her elder brother almost helplessly. Randor looked back at his younger sister in sympathy. "If it's what she wants to do, we can't stop her," Randor said.

Adora studied her cousin discreetly. She was sure Edwina stood to gain something out of this arrangement.