Disclaimer: Sookie Stackhouse - Southern Vampire Mysteries belong to Charlaine Harris

Chapter 25

Eric's Point of View

I woke up the next morning after having made love to Sookie the previous night. I knew she was worried about what the God's had planned for us and I didn't blame her for her worry with everything that's going on and her emotions changing from one day to the next due to our son or daughter growing inside her.

The End of Summer ball was coming, and the temperature was dropping. I am half hoping that Sookie will be back in her own time when our winter comes around. I have a feeling she's going to get a rather big shock with how different the weather will be from what she has said of her time, where it's always warm and sunny.

Well come end of Summer, heading for Winter, our weather changes dramatically plus I wouldn't want her to catch a cold and grow ill. I don't think I could live without her. From what I've also picked up through her infuriating grandfather's visits is that I am also in Sookie's time, though I don't know how I can be. Unless people live long lives?

The End of Summer ball will be held on the last month of the Summer, on August 31st. It is now mid-way through July and we have a month and a half to prepare the public for our engagement, which would be followed shortly by the announcement of Sookie's pregnancy, which we are making in mid September. By then, she will be in the safe zone of a woman's pregnancy

We've had regular check ups with the doctor and so far, everything has gone smoothly minus the morning sickness and Sookie's regular mood swings. I noticed some of the other pregnant woman of the court shooting a knowing look our way. I'd have to arrange a play date and have Sookie interact with other pregnant women, as she keeps moaning and complaining about the lack of books. I know some of these woman already have children of their own, so they'd be of grate help.

It's been an up and down ride with Sookie, my soon to be Queen of the Vikings, mother of my child. She's changed me so much with out her even realizing it. I'm a better man than I used to be. I've changed from being distant and brooding over nothing half the time, to caring for and loving someone so much that it hurts some times. It's still hard to believe that she's actually put up with me and all that comes with being a King.

We'd also set up a plan to catch Sophia out. Isabelle's sister's wedding was a few days ago, and it was the first formal engagement Sookie and I had attended as a couple. She was wonderful. Her pretty white dress made her glow like the sun in contrast to my black warrior's outfit, with my swords attached to my front and back.

Everyone could see we were together that day, and after talks with Christian, when we announce my engagement and pending vows, Sookie will be seated between him and myself. She's proven to us that she's loyal, trustworthy, kind and caring, good nature and a heart of pure gold.

Christian agreed that mother would be proud of my choice, and father would agree with her. Our Aunt also said Sookie is a lovely young girl, and she can't understand what she sees in me or how she puts up with me. Well, I can't say I blame her for being so openly blunt, but at least she didn't have a bad thing to say, and she too had agreed that our mother would be proud of me.

She said that mother had always hoped we'd choose our own brides, and Sookie was indeed my choice. She was of royal blood herself, so the other royals would be pleased. Though some were skeptical of where she came from and who and where her family was, since there hadn't been any sitings.

I asked Sookie grudgingly if their was any way of contacting her grandfather. Maybe see if we can quench this latest line of gossip amongst the Royal circle. She said if she could, she would have contacted him the moment she was thrown back 1,000 years into the past.

As we quietly ate breakfast in the vast hall, I thought of the design of Sookie's ring. It is a white-gold band with gems and my family's crest (a picture of my father's crown, with two swords over lapping it and a gem stone in the middle). On the inside of the ring it had engraved into the silver writing: 'Northman' in tiny writing you'd have to look really hard to see. I was considering getting a new design of my mother's wedding ring made for Sookie, so I could write my own message to her inside the ring.

Maybe something written in Swedish that was linked to the two of us. Something special, that only we knew the meaning of. I wanted to have something that linked to us, but I also didn't want to offend my mother, by not using her wedding ring, which I'd already given to Sookie.

Their was a lot to do in the coming months, planning of the summer ball, announcing our engagement, and the life growing inside of Sookie. I was pulled out of my thoughts by the banging of the hall doors and looked up to see what it was this time.

It could have been a replay of Sookie's arrival. The guards walked in, in two's in a group of six with someone in between the middle guards. I glanced at Sookie to see her eyes wide open, her jaw dropped and her hand frozen mid way to plate.

I rose, but not before I heard Sookie whisper a name: Claudine. And I thought, not again!

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