Hello again, I hope I didn't take long to update!!! This chapter is really nice and full of different moments!! I'm quite happy about how it ended up, and I hope you like it too!!
I want to thanks Stardust as always and TStar14, who gave me a brilliant suggestion!!! Thanks a loot for that!!!!
Enjoy!
Chapter 21: Girls, Tears and Joy
January went away as soon as it started, the cold weather still the same, and time only making Lia's belly get even bigger. She now had to remain sitting or laying down most of the time, as her back and feet started complaining as soon as she stood for longer than then minutes. Edmund was at her side most of the time, helping her in everything she needed, making her complain that she now needed to be babysat.
By the beginning of February, Susan and the rest of the girls got all excited about organizing a baby shower for Lia. "What is this baby shower thing? The babies are not even born yet" said Caspian not understanding. "Exactly, we don't even have showers in here" said Edmund, using the moment for a pun. Susan looked at him annoyed and continued talking to the girls. "What is a shower?" asked Caspian, turning to Ed, as the girls haven't answered his previous question. "It's something like a bath" said Edmund. "It differs only in the fact that you're standing other than laying, and the water pours over your head" he continued. "There is another person in the bathroom pouring the water?" asked Caspian, disgusted at the idea of having a stranger with him while he cleaned himself. "No, it's a thing on the wall, but, again, it's too hard to explain, just take it as a bath" said Peter, looking pointedly at Edmund, as he was always the one popping questions into Caspian's head. "So, the girls want to bathe the babies? But they are not even born yet" said Caspian again, trying to imagine how the girls could even think of that idea. "A baby shower is a party where we invite other women and they bring presents for the soon to be born children, they talk about girly things and have some tea and biscuits" explained Lucy, having overheard the kings talking. "Oh, that is much more logical, who are you going to invite?" asked the king. "Oh we are planning on inviting all the queens of the neighbour lands" said Maram happily. "We are dead" said Edmund from his corner. Caspian looked at him enquiringly. "Imagine more than ten women going around squealing like possessed and all that girly talk... I think I'm going to spend my days under the covers" said the youngest king, a dreadful look on his face. Caspian grimaced too, and Peter just rubbed his eyes, those were definitely going to be two horrible days.
A week later, chariots from diverse countries started arriving one after the other to the castle, brining the queens and some where even accompanied by their husbands. This fact was highly appreciated by the kings, who saluted their guests warmly, and exchanged looks with the rest of the kings, all empathizing with eachother.
Cassandra, Prioska and Akshamala, being the noisiest ones, were the first to start yelling and squealing at Lia, praising her for the news of her having twins. They all gave another round of noisy joy after hearing that Maram was pregnant again as well, looking like a bunch of high school girls chatting excitedly. Cas and Orion were happy about the attention they were receiving too, each queen stopping by them and saying how cute they were, or how much they have grown. They were also happy, cause some of the queens had brought their youngest children, so both had some friends to play with. Prioska was happy to see her son again, grabbing him in a big hug and kissing his hair. "Mother, I'm alright" he said, slightly uncomfortable with his mother's affections. "I have missed you dearly, Zerind" said the queen, grabbing him in yet another hug. Tizane, who was already walking alone and talking, ran to her brother, hugging his leg. "Hello Tizane" he said, kneeling to be at her eye level. "Me miss you" she said, smiling at him, her big eyes looking expectantly at her brother. "Oh I have missed you too" he said, hugging her, and then ticking her sides.
Lucy, who had been watching the exchange smiled at his tenderness, remembering Peter was exactly like that with her.
The kings were all pushed aside, being almost ignored by their wives. They were sitting on the library, enjoying some tea next to the fire. "We are glad you are here, we would have died of boredom if not" said Caspian acknowledging the other three kings sitting with them. "I know, I suffered the same when Kadja was about to deliver, I only got to see her at nights! The rest of the day she was giggling and chatting with the rest of the women on our court" said King Haagen. "I couldn't refuse the opportunity of coming to Narnia again, and spending some time with you, my friends, and, of course, to congratulate King Edmund, for the joy of having twins" said Emperor Keerthinath, inclining his head softly. "I am here for almost the same reason, and because I needed some sort of vacation from my duties as a king, you know, we all deserve a break. And dear king, you must be very proud, your first child resulted being two!" said King Cedric.
The men stated talking, after a good round of clapping Ed in the back, praising him for his achievement, the subject moving to politics moments after. "Apparently King Rashid has been ill lately, and I heard the most disturbing news of all" said Keerthinath. "Oh I have heard them too, I heard comments about the calormene Council considering discharging him as a king, and passing the crown to his son" said Haagen, sounding preoccupied. "Do you think they will let Amir have the crown?" asked Peter, remembering the man bitterly. "Apparently they want to put Rashid's other son, Gabir, but well, calormene tradition and law say that the first son inherits the throne" said Haagen. "If Amir gets crowned, we are all going to be in danger, he is capable of causing a war with every neighbouring country, I know that King Pyotr is well aware of that, and is ready to move soldiers to their border, so will Cseke if the situation arises, if he dares to step on my territories, I'm attacking him back with full force" said Keerthinath, showing his serious side. "Archeland has been notified of this too, King Gaetan is waiting for their decision and then I guess he will double the vigilance over his border, but I am mostly afraid of you, dear kings. After of what I've heard, Amir wanted to marry your sister, King Caspian, and I'm almost certain that he will try to attack Narnia first" said Cedric. "And we are going to be here waiting for him" said Caspian, his eyes in their darkest shade of brown. "I want you to know that I put my soldiers at your service if such event happens" said Cedric, as Noubouriet wasn't in extreme danger, not having limits with Calormen. "So will I, you count with all my support" said Keerthinath solemnly. "I will send my soldiers right away, with no delay, as soon as the news of Amir's coronation reaches my kingdom" said Haagen. "We thank you very much, but for now we better not worry, and hope that king Rashid's health starts getting better" said Edmund, stopping the conversation there, not wanting to worry about something that may not even happen, and also cause both Caspian and Peter had deep frowns on their faces, their minds thinking deeply on what the calormene prince could do. Caspian then woke up from his thoughts and decided to pull out a bottle of wine, and the six kings chatted animatedly until lunch was ready.
They all reunited in the great dining hall, the guys finally meeting their wives. The topics on the table varied and they all laughed and talked for a long time, until the girls started talking about kids again, left the table and the men, to lock themselves in the tearoom. They were all sitting in a big circle, sharing comments and advices. "And what would you like them to be?" asked Katarzyna. "Oh I don't know, as long as both babies are healthy" said Lia. "I think they will be both boys, ooh I hope they inherit your eyes, dear queen" said Cassandra. "I disagree, it would be nice to have at least one narnian princess, and I bet both are going to be very charming, having such handsome parents" said Anaya. "Oh but having a girl is so much fun, dresses that size are just so cute" said Prioska, looking at Tizane, who was happily playing with one of Orion's stuffed animals. "I think that whatever they are, both you and King Edmund should be extremely proud" said Akshamala. "We are, dear empress, I dare say my dear husband is even bragging about it" said Lia chuckling.
The men were on another room, looking at eachother intently. "We could play my strategy game" said Edmund. "I don't dare to play any war game with you, dear kings, as you are legendary by your skill on excellent strategies, among many other things" said Keerthinath. "Caspian, I dare you to a duel" said Edmund, smirking brilliantly. "Deal" said the telmarine, getting up from his chair and marching to the armoury to retrieve his swords. "Oh this is going to be really interesting" said Keerthinath, his dark eyes sparkling in anxiety.
Caspian returned few minutes after, bringing five swords and a shield, two for him, two for Ed, and Peter's with his shield.
Ed took the swords in his hands and moved them around his body, getting used to their weight and length. Keerthinath was impressed at this stunt and started clapping and awing. Edmund smiled and turned to face Caspian, who was gently tapping the blades together. "Ready brother?" he asked. Edmund nodded and Peter clapped, signalling the beginning of the friendly match. An entire minute passed, Edmund and Caspian looking at eachother, not giving any sign of wanting to go first. Caspian moved his foot forward, adopting another position to defend himself better, and Edmund advanced over him, holding both swords to his left side, wanting to strike diagonally. Caspian blocked the attack, bending down and aiming at Ed's feet, crossing the thin air as the king had jumped. Keerthinath seemed to be bordering dizziness as his eyes tried to follow every move, his mouth open in excitement.
Edmund was equally good in sword fighting as Caspian, both having practiced together many times, memorizing eachother's moves precisely. Peter was about to intervene, as this friendly duel had taken longer than he expected, when Edmund managed to send one of Caspian's swords rolling on the ground. But the telmarine was far too good to let that disadvantage affect him. In short time he managed to make Ed drop his sword too. "Oh this is getting interesting" said Peter, who had never seen them fight with just one sword. They both continued their fight, but it could be noticed that something was missing them. Their match finished in a draw, both pointing their swords to the other's throats. Keerthinath was clapping even harder after that, initiating a rant about his favourite moments, and insisting on learning some of the moves.
By then, and mostly out of boredom, King Cedric and Peter started sparring, getting the attention of the others after some minutes. Keerthinath got to his place again, looking fascinated at the king. Peter wasn't wearing his shield, judging it wasn't fair for Cedric. Caspian and Peter were the only ones to see that Peter was not really making an effort, letting King Cedric gain some advantage. "It's only till he gets bored" said Ed, knowing Peter got easily annoyed. And he was right; Peter soon pressed his moves faster, making them more complicate to follow, leaving poor Cedric wondering what hit him, the duel ending with the cling of his sword on the floor. "I wouldn't like to be in the place of your enemies, Kings of Narnia, I'm quite frightened just by watching you" said Haagen. "It's really impressive indeed, and it's fantastic to see it personally, I have only read about your greatness in books. You, Dear King Caspian, are a very skilled swordsman, I noticed your style is not 100% telmarine, did you have a narnian mentor?" asked Keerthinath. "My Professor taught me some moves, but I've learned most of it with Ed and Peter" said Caspian, always humble.
There was a knock on the door, and Lucy popped her head in. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked. "Nope, we were just showing off" said Edmund, causing the rest to laugh. "Right, that's what you do when you're bored I guess, but, I came for something else, Caspian I need a favour" she said, turning to the oldest of her brothers. "Anything, little sister" said Caspian. "Would you lend me Destrier? All the other horses are not very nice" she asked. "Yes of course, he knows you already, but where are you going?" he asked. "Around" Lucy answered, smiling wickedly. "That is definitely my sister" said Edmund. "Lu, be careful, don't go too far, especially alone" said Peter, overprotectiveness kicking out again. "I'm not going alone, I'm going with Zerind" she said. Peter narrowed his eyes, but said nothing; he was the one who allowed the boy to court her after all. Lucy smiled sweetly at them and then moved to the door, stopping with her hand on the door knob. "Oh and Caspian? I'm not that little" she said, exiting the room. "She ruled you out, dear brother" said Ed, patting Caspian, whose mouth was hanging open. "She's growing up, and thanks to you, Ed, she will come back to us with very snide remarks" scolded Peter. "She had to inherit the witty genes" said Edmund. "What is a gene?" asked Caspian, not understanding the idea. "Nothing" said Ed and Peter at unison. Caspian raised his eyebrows and shrugged, he could always ask Susan later, that is, if he saw her anytime soon. Haagen let out a throaty laugh. "You are indeed a very close family, it is quite refreshing, to tell the truth" he said. "Narnia has that effect on people, my friend, I believe that is how real magic feels like" said Keerthinath.
Lucy joined Zerind in the stables, smiling as he was waiting for her. After the servants saddled Destrier, he helped her up, and she blushed as he gently brushed his hand against her ankle while pacing her foot on the stirrup. He jogged to where the horse he was going to ride was, and graciously mounted. They were both wrapped in heavy coats and boots, winter still being quite cold. "Where are we going?" he asked. "There's a forest close to the village" said Lucy, heading to the entrance of the castle. They were riding contently, talking about several things, they arrived to the forest, and they were greeted by the spirits of the trees. "They are quite calm now, I think it's the weather" said Lucy. They both dismounted, and stayed admiring the beauty of the place. Snow was covering everything, replacing the lively green grass with a peaceful white. Lucy pulled Zerind to a nice spot she saw, just in between a little group of trees. They spent there in silence for quite some time, until Zerind heard Lucy's teeth clattering. He took her hands in his and placed them inside his coat pockets, trying to warm them up. "Oh thanks I forgot my gloves" she said, gaining a pale blush on her cheeks at his closeness. Her teeth continued clattering for some more minutes, and he pulled her closer, hugging her. She was surprised by that action, but answered the hug, smiling at her boldness. "Lucy, I think we should head back, Their Majesties will kill me if something happens to you" he said. She looked up at him, and saw concern, his blue eyes slightly narrowed. "Alright" she said reluctantly, as she was enjoying their little time together. None of them made even the slightest movement to separate, both laughing at this. "Guess we can stay some minutes more" she said, smiling and cuddled closer to him, seeking the warmth.
"Zharolum is quite a cold place isn't it?" she asked. "Yes, I'm quite used to cold, if that's what you meant" he said. "I just wanted to know more about it" she justified, biting her tongue. "Well, it is quite cold, but I know you would love it in summer, as its quite warm, but my favourite season is spring, and I know for sure that you would love the garden on the back of our castle" he said. "Maybe I could go one day" she said, imagining the place. "You will, I certainly want you to go, there are so many things I could show you" he said, his voice gaining an excited tone. Maybe one day you'll be queen there, he added in his mind. "Maybe soon, for now we can't travel, at least not till Lia gives birth" said the queen. He smiled at her and pulled a strand of her hair from her eyes, his fingers lingering on her cheek. He slowly caressed her very rosy cheeks, and then his finger traced her lips, slowly pulling her closer by the chin. His lips met hers in the most delicate way, soft and warm at touch, hers welcoming the heat greatly. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation, his hand moving to the back of her neck. He slowly separated from her and both remained looking at eachother. "I am sorry, I couldn't think of a better way to stop your lips from getting bluer" he said, and she laughed, his excuse just too irresistibly cute. "You are so sweet and so delicate" she said. "You deserve it" he said.
They returned to the castle minutes later, when Lucy's teeth were actually echoing in the forest. As soon as they dismounted, a maid approached them, bowed, and gave a letter to Lucy. She looked at it weirdly, not remembering anyone who had sent her a letter before. she ignored if for a while, she and Zerind moving to inside the castle, deciding to grab something to eat. Zerind was tactful enough to give her some time to herself after, as she was still very cold and probably wanted to have a nice warm bath. She did so, and then noticed the envelope on her desk. The envelope was addressed to her, written in a nice handwriting, but that could only belong to a man. She then opened it hastily, the same handwriting over the papers.
Dear Lucy,
I hope you are well, and I know that by the time this letter arrives, it will be late to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I certainly wish you had spent both dates happily. My best wishes for this New Year, and I really hope we can see eachother soon; I am dying to see you. I was remembering all the good times that we had last year, enjoying the snow and the cold, and well, inevitably I had to remember our first kiss. That feeling will always remain in my memory, for it was the sweetest of all my memories, after the one of having met you.
I wanted to visit Narnia, and maybe spend New Year's even with you, but father didn't let me.
My beloved queen, how hard are the days for me without looking at you, or listening to your laughter! I so wish I could be there, even if I'm denied the privilege to be close to you, but simply see you would do. I know I behaved horribly, and that there is no excuse for such behaviour, but I just needed you to listen to me, to listen to me say how much I love you, and how impossible it is for me to stay away from you, or the pain I feel when your attentions lay somewhere else.
Please Lucy, give me another chance, I'm begging you.
Give my most sincere regards to your honourable family.
Loving you immensely,
Taril
Lucy kept staring at the letter intently, shocked to read such passionate words, but instead of smiling, she broke in tears, words opening the wound in her heart. She remembered that kiss too, he first kiss ever, and she wished that it could be a happy memory ever, but now it only hurt, it hurt to know that he could change so much out of jealousy, and she didn't want that, she liked her freedom, and not even her brothers could take that from her. Her sobs called the attention of the prince of Zharolum, which immediately entered the room, running to kneel by her side, his handsome face frowning in concern. She looked at him and started crying even harder, knowing that he would get mad at Taril. She ran from her room, leaving Zerind yelling after her, but she didn't care. She ran through the very known corridor till she found the library, opening the door carelessly, and running towards her brothers, who looked up worriedly at her. She run towards Edmund, for everybody's surprise, hiding her face in his chest, letting sobs come out freely. Caspian leaded the other men out, looking worriedly at Ed, who nodded.
"Lu, what happened?" he asked softly, after letting her take out all her pain. She sobbed a couple of times more and the lifted her head to look up at him, her eyes very puffy. "I got a letter, from Taril" she said. Edmund, raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment, just caressed her back, indicating her to continue. "He said how much he loved me and missed me, and that his days are miserable when he doesn't see me and all that" she said, new tears flowing down her eyes. Ed pulled her closer, hugging her tight. "You shouldn't cry for that, Lu" he said, tapping her shoulder, rocking her softly. "I feel sorry for him" she said. "You should, but not for anything you did, but for what he got himself into. Sometimes you have to hurt people, Lu" he said. "I know, but, he said all those things in a way that... they just touch your heart" she said. "From what I know, Taril is gifted with words, as most Archelanders, not that I mind, I am married to one, after all, but in letters, you can never be sure of feelings, cause there is always a way to rearrange them so they can sound better. I tell you, cause I have written a lot of letters, and most of them said things that I didn't even remotely thought, and I had to play with words, to solve several political matters with other countries, back in the old times" he said, his brown eyes looking at her. "Don't suffer for him, he is not worthy of your sincere pain and tears, little sister" said Ed, brushing away the streaks left on her cheeks by tears. Lucy nodded and hugged him again. "Thank you, Ed, you're great" she said into his shoulder. "No need, you know I will always be here for you. Now smile and cheer up, cause I'm sure Caspian, Peter and Zerind are worried, I can hear Peter worrying from here" he said, causing the queen to chuckle.
On the other side of the door, Peter was pacing from one side to the other. "She always comes to me" he mumbled. "Or me" said Caspian, who was leaning on a wall, frowning. "Your Majesties shouldn't worry, she knows from whom to seek advice according to her problems" said Keerthinath, having the experience of raising several kids.
As soon as the door was open, Peter and Caspian bolted to Lucy, asking how she was. "I'm feeling much better" she said, looking at Ed, who returned her smile. She then excused herself and returned to her room. "What happened to her?" asked both Peter and Caspian in unison, causing Ed to snicker. "Taril sent her a letter" he said. Caspian tensed his jaw muscles but said nothing, while Peter, let out a soft growl. "She knows what to do, don't even dare to talk about it to her now" he warned. Caspian nodded, knowing that she was old enough to start solving her own problems.
The next day, and as Ed predicted it as "An inevitable event", the queens went shopping on the village. The kings remained at the castle. "And yet I wonder where they keep all they buy" said Cedric. "That is and will always remain a mystery" said Caspian, who gave up on knowing how Susan managed to fit all her possessions in the few places she had. Cas and Orion were playing not far from them. The kings moved to sit next to the fire, chatting about guy stuff. Cas got soon bored from his toys and crawled towards the kings, surprising Keerthinath by using his leg to rise to his feet. He seemed very interested in the foreign emperor, extending his arms to him, wanting to he held. Keerthinath smiled and picked him up, earning a toothless smile from the prince, who as soon as he was in eye level with him, passed his finger through the emperor's eyebrows. Keerthinath laughed at this. "Cas, be respectful" said Caspian, knowing that if given too much trust, Cas was soon going to start pulling the emperor's nose or ears. Cas looked at his dad briefly, turning back towards Keerthinath, this time focusing on his lively clothes. Orion too, crawled towards Peter, wanting to sit on his lap. There, he turned towards him and said, "Papa" making Peter smile. Then the little prince rearranged himself, facing the rest of the people in the room. "Capian" he said, his little finger pointing at Caspian. "Emun" he said, giggling at his uncle. "Well done Orion" said the telmarine king. Orion looked at the three guest kings, not knowing their names. "Cas" he said, clapping at his achievement.
And in the next morning, all their guests left, promising to be back soon and keep in touch. As soon as the last carriage was out of sight, Peter grabbed Maram in a tight hug. "I have missed you! You girls sure can forget about everything when together" he said, smiling at her. "Oh, I'm sorry, but now you have me all for yourself" she said, planting a sweet kiss on his lips. Caspian whispered something on Susan's ear, and both went inside. Ed was pulling Lia towards the castle, insisting that she shouldn't be out for long and also telling her to have some nice warm tea. "Love, I'm not sick" she said, slowly walking back inside.
Caspian and Susan were in Cas' room, both sitting on the floor next to the prince, playing with him. Cas, who was not interested on his wooden blocks, moved towards Caspian, who helped him up. The king smiled wickedly and turned Cas around, making him face Susan, and hid his face behind him. "Mummy, wouldn't it be nice for me to have a little brother or sister" he spoke, making his voice high-pitched, his accent betraying him. Susan smiled at his childishness, while Cas giggled at being handled by his father. "Cas doesn't even know what a sibling is" she said. "Right, fine" said Caspian, letting Cas move by himself. "But that doesn't answer my question" he said. "I've been thinking a lot about it lately, Lia is delivering soon, Maram is pregnant already, and well, Cas is growing up fast, I miss the time when he was little" she said, ruffling Cas' messy hair. "I miss those times too" said the king, getting closer to Susan, his breath tickling her ear. "and we both want Cas to have several siblings, why wait longer?" he said, kissing her neck softly. "Caspian, please..." she said. Fortunately for them, one of the nannies entered the room, and they both left, speeding up to their room. Caspian made sure the door was closed and grabbed Susan, pressing her to the nearest wall. "We can always start trying" he said, his eyes carrying a mischievous gleam. She laughed and welcomed his lips on hers, the kiss growing heated and passionate.
Hours later, Susan was snuggled on Caspian's side, drawing vague circles on his chest, listening at the soft beat of his heart. "I love you" she said. "And I love you" he answered, both falling sleep minutes later.
Days passed, and the weather started getting warmer, snow slowly melting, making the telmarine side of the family happier. It was one of the last nights of February, everybody in the castle sleeping soundly. Lia woke up, feeling weird. "Love, I'm not feeling good" she said, shaking Edmund's arm. He mumbled something and turned, blinking several times. "I'm not feeling good, call Susan" said Lia, carrying a warning tone. Edmund scrambled out of the room, jogging down the corridor, knocking insistently on Susan and Caspian's room. "Ed what is it?" said Caspian, opening the door, his eyes trying to adjust to the light. "I need Susan, Lia is not feeling well" he said, starting to sound scared. "Oh dear" they heard Susan's voice from inside, and seconds later the queen bolted out of the room. "Caspian, call the nurse, and wake Maram up" she said, her robe swishing behind her as she run to Ed's room.
Susan opened the door, finding Lia sitting on the bed, looking very scared. "How are you feeling dear? Any pain?" she asked, running to sit by her side. "I don't feel any pain, but I know it will start soon" said the young queen, her eyes showing how frightened she was. "Don't worry, we are going to be here with you" said Susan squeezing her hand. Maram rushed in with the nurse, bringing all they needed with them. They let Edmund in, Peter and Caspian preferring to wait outside.
Almost half an hour later, Lia cried in pain, the first of her many other contractions hitting her horribly. Edmund held her hand, looking at her in panic, his face pale. "I know you can do it, you are strong" he whispered to her. She was trembling, her eyes shut, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. Maram wiped them with the wet towel. "I am scared" whispered Lia. "It's normal, but you are going to be happy soon" said Maram, knowing what the girl was going through.
Two hours passed, marked by Lia's cries of pain. She was exhausted, her strength declining with each wave of pain. "My Queen, just a little bit more" said the nurse. "I can't, I'm too tired" whispered Lia, falling back to the pillows. "Come on, love, you have to resist" said Ed, his voice shaking. Lia was starting to fall sleep in between each contraction, and Susan started to worry. "Ed, get out" she said, seriously. "I need to stay with her" he complained, looking at his sister, his eyes shining in pure fear. "Out" she said, sounding almost cruel. Peter and Caspian, who had heard everything, entered, taking Ed by the arms and taking him out. "What are you doing! You were as desperate as I am! I need to stay in!" he yelled, kicking and tossing in their hold. They closed the door and Caspian turned to Ed. "Susan sent you away cause there is a problem, she doesn't want you to suffer" he said. "What problem! How do you know!" yelled Edmund, jerking from the kings' hold. "Ed, giving birth to twins is complicate in itself, and it has been too long since she started labour" said Peter. Edmund got even paler, and Caspian had to tighten his grip on his arm, as Edmund's knees gave away. "I don't want her to die" whispered Ed, looking into space. By then, Lucy had waken up, so did Zerind, and both walked sleepily towards them. "What happened?" asked Lucy, rubbing her eyes. "Lia is giving birth" said Caspian. Seeing Ed's state, Lucy didn't even cheered, knowing there must be something wrong. Instead, she went towards Ed and hugged him.
"Ed, Ed! Tell us something" said Peter, waking Edmund from the deepness of his thoughts. "It's scary" he said, his voice hoarse. "I am not ready to be a father" he continued. "No one ever is" said Caspian, trying to pass some strength to his brother.
Lia's yells could be heard for still over an hour. Inside the room, things were getting tense, Lia was tired, and Maram feared she was going to pass out soon. "A little more, Lia, a little more" she kept on saying, feeling very impotent. "Now, my queen, push, your first baby is about to arrive!" the nurse said, smiling for the first time in the night. Lia took a deep breath and then pushed, letting a loud yell in the end. Oh the other side of the door, Edmund's heart was ripping into tiny pieces with every yell, imagining how Lia was feeling, desperate to be there with her.
Lia took another breath, gathering the remaining of her energies, pushing again, recompensed by Susan's cheering. "The head is out! One more Lia one more!" she said. Lia took yet another breath, gripping Maram's hand and giving one final push, her first baby coming out, and quickly being attended by Susan.
On the corridor, only Lia's final yell was heard, accompanied by a baby's cry minutes later. Edmund looked at the door, relieve washing over his face. He waited for the door to open, but it never happened. They heard a rustle inside, and the women talking something incomprehensible.
Lia fainted, right after the first baby was born, her body unable to hold any longer. "Maram, press her belly, we need to get the other baby out!" yelled Susan, causing Edmund to let out a yelp. "Something happened to her!" he yelled, looking almost like a spectre, tears flowing from his eyes, which were still fixed on the door.
Maram was pressing Lia's belly, trying her best not to hurt either her or the baby, the nurse managing to pull the baby out. "It's not crying" Susan said after a couple of minutes. "No breathing" said Maram panicking, leaving Lia's side and running to where the baby was. The nurse ran to the baby too, doing all she could to get it breathing. Susan started crying, so did Maram, who was holding the other baby.
Back to the corridor, only sobs could be heard from the room. Edmund clenched his fists and bolted to the door, tearing it open. Lia was unconscious on the bed, Maram and Susan were crying copiously, and the nurse was frantically trying to get the baby in her arms to breathe. The world seemed to be falling apart for the just king. He dropped to his knees and started crying, his heart and soul hurting as if being tore apart, his cried of pain resounding on the walls. The nurse stopped trying, not daring to look at the king. Caspian, Peter and Lucy were crying too, feeling Edmund's pain.
And it was then when a miracle happened, a loud, resonant roar was heard in the distance and the baby in the nurse's arms moved, a loud cry being heard in the room. Susan looked up, watching how the baby's arms and feet kicked violently. "Aslan!" she cried, running up to the flabbergasted nurse. This cry woke Lia up, who could barely move her head, but gave a weak smile. Edmund was now crying from joy, standing up at incredible speed, running to kiss his wife. "You did it! They are here, they are finally here!" he said, kissing her repeatedly. Maram run to hug Peter, sobbing uncontrollably, extremely grateful for the miracle. Peter too was smiling, tears dripping from his jaw, his heart crying thanks.
Susan and the nurse cleaned the babies up, wrapping them in warm covers and passing them to their parents. Lucy and Zerind joined them, closing the door behind them. "Look at them, they are so little" said Edmund, uncovering one of the babies' face. "They look like you" whispered Lia, smiling tiredly. "You are amazing!" said Ed, caressing her cheek. "Come on Ed, are they boys or girls?" asked Susan, who was hugging Caspian close, remaining of her tears still in her eyes. Edmund removed the covers a little bit, and then he smiled. "I have a son!" he yelled, a triumphant look on his face. Peter and Caspian cheered him, and Peter even whistled. "And this other cutie over here is a.... girl! I have a daughter too!" he said, lifting his fist in a victory sign. Maram burst in a new batch of tears. "Why are you all crying" asked Lia. "Oh dear, you should rest, we can tell you tomorrow" said Susan, new tears forming in her clear eyes. "No, tell me" demanded Lia, while Lucy got her a glass of water. "My queen, you fainted after all the effort you have done, and the second baby, the girl, took some time to come out, not breathing. I tried everything I could, but nothing worked" said the nurse. Lia was shocked, and looked up at Edmund, who was now holding the newborn girl in his arms. "But then, there was a roar, Aslan's roar, and she started moving and crying, it was a miracle!" said Susan. Lia smiled and two tears rolled on her cheeks, grateful that both her children were healthy.
They all left moments later, letting the new little family alone so they could rest. Ed took each baby to their respective cribs, which had been brought several days before. "They are marvellous" he said, the warm, fulfilling feeling of fatherhood taking over his body. "Are you feeling well? Is there anything you need, my love?" he asked, moving closer to her. "I need to sleep, with you by my side" said Lia. He smiled and blew the candles, taking his place next to her, hugging her close, but being careful not to hurt her.
Lia slept for almost all the next day, hers and Ed's room invaded by Susan and Maram very early in the morning to take the babies out, so their crying wouldn't wake them up.
Glenstorm and the Professor went to the village, bringing the good news to the people, who started celebrating and toasting for the royal family's health, some even running through the city exclaiming "The prince and princess are born, King Edmund's heirs are born!". Professor Cornelius promised the villagers to return as soon as the heir's names were known to him. Glenstorm informed the narnians about the happening, fauns instantly organizing a big party, dwarves preparing gifts and centaurs thanking the stars for such blessing.
Edmund came out late in the morning, almost at lunch time. "Good morning" he said, his face porting a radiant smile. "Good morning daddy" said Susan, who was gently rocking the little girl in her arms. Edmund walked towards her, stopping a little before, taking a look at his sleeping son, who was laying on the nearest crib. Edmund smiled, noticing his son had thick black eyebrows and hair, resembling a lot like the he himself. He turned towards Susan and took his daughter in his arms, making a soothing noise as she complained at being moved while trying to sleep. The little girl had raven black hair and thick eyebrows as her brother. "She will look like Lia" commented Susan. "Apparently" he said, stroking her petite head lovingly.
Lia woke up several hours later, but remaining in bed, still too sore to move normally. The twins had been brought to her to eat, one per time, joining all the family again. "Love, they definitely look like you" said Ed, caressing the little girl's cheek on Lia's arm. "He looks a lot like you, sweetheart" she said, pointing at the baby in Susan's arms, who seemed to be enjoying the feeling of holding a baby immensely. Caspian eyed her, smiling, noticing how much she wanted another child.
After the twins were asleep again, they remained talking, a little louder than a whisper. "So, tell us their names" said Lucy, curiosity shining in her eyes. "Oh is true, we haven't named them yet" said Lia. Edmund smiled at her, giving her a soft nod. "Her name is Astrid" said Lia, looking lovingly at the sleeping bundle next to her. "And I've decided that he will be named James" she continued, looking at Ed. The four Pevensies looked at her, Peter and Edmund looking shocked. "I know that is your father's name, isn't it? That's why I chose it" she said, her hand moving to stroke Ed's cheek. "Thank you" he said, leaning to kiss her softly. "I know you miss him dearly, you all do" she said, turning to face the rest of the family. Susan and Peter smiled tenderly at her, and Lucy nodded, giving Lia a hug. "I didn't know that your father's name was James" said Caspian, looking enquiringly at Susan. "You never asked" she said, smiling cheekily at him.
They spent the rest of the afternoon talking about their families, learning more about eachother. The twins were sleeping peacefully, warmed in between their parents.
AN: right, I really hope you liked this chapter, I know it was pretty cruel to do that with one of the babies, but I liked the idea of Aslan's roar having something to do. TStar14 gave me the idea of the baby shower, which I'm really grateful for, I really have no idea of what you do on them, but well, I did my best, I hope it pays off!!!
Please read and review!!! I love you all!!
Cheers!!