A/n: I feel bad that it's so short, but the original version was only 4 chapters. I'm working on a sequel, since this one is basically just setting up a bigger story. I hope it was at least entertaining, even if it did turn out feeling kind of cliche to me.
..( 9 )..
Rose slumped in a chair before the fireplace in her bedroom. Tears were dried on her cheeks, and she ignored her faithful dog as he whimpered at her side. A hand touched her shoulder, and she didn't even bother looking up.
"What was the point? If you'd told me the truth from the beginning, I could have mustered an army to crush them before this entire mess started." Rose ground out bitterly.
"Ah, but there was more to this than your simple victory." Theresa said gently as she kneeled beside the Queen.
"You told me I needed to stand before Albion's threat with a Hero, but I never did. Reaver killed Clarence, and when it came down to it I defeated Reaver by making a pact with the Shadow Judges." Rose spit angrily at Theresa, but the Seer sighed sadly and patted the young Queen's knee.
"Ah, but you did, my Heroic Queen. You stopped the threat without sacrificing any of your soldier's lives, and you stared Reaver down with a Hero. Perhaps not the one you were expecting, but a Hero nonetheless." Theresa reached forward and touched a finger to Rose's abdomen.
Rose gasped in horror and recoiled from her touch.
"No! You can't be serious! We were only together for a week!" She wailed in realization.
"Ah, but it is true. And the future of Albion yet rests on the Hero you were unaware of." Theresa said happily.
"Reaver got me pregnant?!" Rose howled angrily.
"I'm not sure what you were expecting, the way the two of you… bonded." Theresa mused to herself. Rose's cheeks lit up in embarrassment.
"Anyway, your child will be a beacon of hope to Albion." Theresa continued, and Rose balked at her.
"How could any child of Reaver be a beacon of hope to anyone?" She spat out angrily.
"It is not the parentage, but the raising that forms a child. Reaver has done nothing but given you the seed needed to produce the most powerful Hero Albion has yet seen. Raise him well, and he will be Albion's steadfast weapon against impending threat. He is not just Reaver's son, he is yours as well. There will come a day that you will be faced with the impending destruction of Albion, but because of what's happened, you will emerge victorious with your son at your side." Theresa smiled at her, and Rose clutched at her stomach.
"Good luck, little niece." Theresa said softly before vanishing.
"What do you mean 'niece'?!" Rose cried out at the empty place where Theresa stood.
She stood there for a moment, then turned in surprise when her bedroom door opened. Ben Finn slid inside, then closed the door softly behind him.
"Ben…" Rose didn't know how to start.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" He asked expectantly.
"Not particularly." Rose responded honestly, and he tilted his head knowingly at her.
"I heard the rumors. Did you really go on a pleasure cruise with Reaver?" He asked incredulously.
"It wasn't like that. Theresa gave me a task, and I needed Reaver's help to finish it." She said defensively.
"I don't care. Okay? I trust you. I've seen what you're willing to do for this country, and if you think it was necessary to protect your people, I believe you. But please don't tell me you fell for that monster." He said softly, kneeling beside her chair.
"Ben… I don't know what to tell you." She choked out, finding herself unable to lie to him.
"I think I did, and I know that makes me a fool. I needed his help, and I want to believe I did this to protect Albion, but I enjoyed it. And now I hate myself. I feel sullied, and I still miss him…" She sobbed, and Ben reached forward to pull her into a hug. His arms wound around her, and she found solace in his grip.
"He killed my brother, you know." He whispered in her ear, but he rubbed her back reassuringly.
"He manipulates people, it's what he does. He uses everyone around him, and casts them aside when he's done." Ben said bitterly, and Rose buried her face in his shoulder.
"Ben, I'm pregnant. I don't know what to do…" She gasped, and his grip around her shoulders tightened.
She felt his breathing quicken, then slow again as he gathered himself. She began to fully cry, and he held her close. Rose got the impression he was simply holding her now because he was too shocked to let go.
"They'll cast me out. The people hate Reaver with a passion. If they find out their new heir is his, they'll kill us both. I can't do this, Ben, I can't." She sobbed, but Ben Finn leaned back and looked at her.
"Stop, you're a Queen damn it!" He said harshly, but she began to pull herself together and meet his gaze.
"Act like it!" He hissed, and she nodded miserably.
He breathed heavily for a moment, then rubbed anxiously at his face. Pushing himself to his feet a little shakily, he stepped toward the window and stared out at the darkness. He'd expected bad news from her since she'd been hiding in here for several days, but this came as a shock.
"Tell me what to do." She begged.
He paced a few times, then leaned down to stoke the fire. He stared into the flames for a few minutes, then something clicked and he spun to face her.
"Let's get married." He said seriously.
"What..?" Her voice wavered with uncertainty, but he rushed to grab her hands.
"There are already rumors swirling about the two of us, no one would question it! We could get married in a week, then announce your pregnancy! Everyone would think it's mine. Then we just have to step back from the public eye when you get close to delivering, and not come back until the baby is a few months old. No one will be able to prove it isn't mine." Ben said confidently, and Rose felt fresh tears sting her eyes.
"I can't do that to you. You mean too much to me, I can't ask you to throw away your future for my benefit." She tried to reason, but Ben put his fingers to her lips to quiet her.
"I'm doing a service to my country. Albion comes before all else, and if this is what my homeland needs, I shall give it to her. Times are tremulous, the country can't withstand a scandal of this magnitude. The people of Albion see me as a hero, telling them their Queen is having a child with a war hero will unite the country. This is too great an opportunity to miss, it's the best option. Please, my Queen. Let me do this for us." He said honestly, and Rose shivered.
"But what about you? I can't take away your chance to have a family of your own, I can't deny you the chance to fall in love. I can't sit here and clip your wings, I know you long for adventure and freedom." She said miserably, but he crept closer until their faces were inches away.
"Can you look me in the eyes and tell me there's no chance we could be happy together? We've been best friends since you gave me this job, we have fun together. This might be sudden, but can you really tell me you don't think we could love each other?" he asked softly, and Rose began to crumble.
"I know how much you hate Reaver, how can you agree to something like this?" Rose gasped painfully, but Ben was unyielding.
"What better way to hurt my enemy than by raising his child as my own?" Ben said sinisterly, and Rose reached for him again.
He hugged her and rubbed her back.
"I love you, Rose. Maybe not the way you want, but we have time to figure things out if we do this. I'd do anything for my Queen. I fought to hand this country to you, and I'll fight to keep it in your very capable hands." He said sincerely.
Rose gazed out across the gentle ocean waves, lost in thought with a rather miserable look on her face. She didn't exactly feel depressed, but she had felt like there was something very heavy sitting on her chest lately, and she couldn't determine any way to lift it. She didn't move, even as she heard footsteps approaching through the grass. The soft cooing of an infant reached her ears, and she sighed gently as Ben Finn settled himself down beside her.
"It's a lovely evening." He said a little awkwardly. He wasn't used to her acting so melancholy.
The young Queen didn't respond, she simply sat with her hands folded in her lap. Ben shifted the tiny bundle in his arms, inspecting the child for a moment.
"He's so agreeable, thought there'd be a lot more screaming, honestly. Have you thought of a name yet?" Ben's voice was gentle and reassuring, and Rose closed her eyes sadly.
"I ought to name him Thorn, since his father turned out to be such an eternal thorn in my side." Rose ground out.
Ben stared at her in surprise, then burst out laughing.
"That is fantastic. Roses have thorns, and Reaver is a thorn in your side! Hah! Nasty little Thorn, with your mum's big eyes and cute round cheeks." Ben laughed and held the infant up to admire him in the dying sunlight.
"It doesn't bother you?" Rose asked incredulously. Ben gave her a slightly confused, sideways glance.
"What? Naming him Thorn? Not at all, I was worried you were going to name him Elliot…" He flashed her a dashing smile and she scoffed. He was ruining her bad mood with his charm.
"No, you great lump. Doesn't it bother you that you're holding Reaver's son?" Her voice fell a little, and Ben took another moment to look the child over.
"Well that's not his fault. Look at him, cute little bugger." His voice took on a honey-tone she'd never heard in it before, and she turned to cast him a curious look.
He was holding the baby against his chest, his arms curled protectively around him. She'd never considered that her closest friend and advisor since Walter's passing was secretly fond of children. Ben had always seemed like such a rogue, she'd never even bothered to wonder if maybe he had aspirations to be a father.
"Ben Finn, you give me a headache." Rose sighed heavily, and he gave her another charming smile.
"That's what I'm here for." He lowered his voice and leaned his shoulder against her playfully.
Rose hesitated for a moment, then leaned her head against his shoulder. She'd been so caught up in her own mess, she hadn't bothered to wonder how Ben was doing. He hadn't voiced any complaints, and he hadn't acted any different than usual at all. Even after the wedding, he hadn't demanded to be treated like her husband, he simply went back to business as usual and took care of her. She was starting to come to terms with the amount of guilt she felt at stealing his freedom away from him.
Ben Finn offered the tiny baby his finger, and he grabbed it curiously. He wrapped his tiny hands around it and pulled it to his mouth, staring up at Ben with big, innocent eyes. Ben chuckled softly in amusement.
"Are you sure he's a Hero?" Ben asked her, glancing over to see Rose watching the baby warily.
"That's what Theresa said." She shrugged and looked away again. "'The most powerful Hero Albion has yet seen', that's what she told me." Rose sighed and stared out at the ocean as the sky darkened.
Ben frowned slightly as he watched the infant. The baby yawned softly.
"Are you worried?" Ben asked quietly, and Rose looked over at him.
"About what? The baby?" She asked in mild confusion.
"No, aren't you worried what's coming? What did Theresa see? She went to a lot of trouble to get you and Reaver to produce a new Hero. There's a reason, there must be something she saw that frightened her badly enough to put Reaver's bloodline on the throne." Ben said quietly, and Rose hugged herself.
He cradled the baby closer to his chest and freed an arm to wrap around her shoulders reassuringly. She relaxed against him and turned to look down at the tiny Prince. She wasn't sure what she expected to see; maybe horns and a tail to advertise his parentage. He yawned softly, and Rose smiled a little as he blinked heavily and began to fall asleep cradled in Ben Finn's arm. She reached forward and touched his fuzzy brown hair, running her fingertips over his head with the beginnings of affection. Ben tilted his head and rested his cheek against her hair.
"Do you ever wonder if maybe we could…" Her voice failed her, and she choked a little on her own words.
"What? Fall in love? Hell, we could do that. We get along just fine, we're both young and dashingly handsome." Ben flashed her a playful grin and Rose scoffed at how carefree he was about something that had been weighing so heavily on her.
"I'm trying to be serious with you." She muttered darkly, and Ben's hand darted out to gently grip her jaw.
"That's a losing battle and you know it." He laughed softly, and she felt her heart flutter as he slowly moved forward to press a soft kiss to her lips.
There were no fireworks or music behind it, it was simply a loving kiss between two people who had gotten close enough that they could no longer avoid this development in their relationship. There was genuine love and promise behind it, and Rose felt her heart ache.