A Very Happy Anniversary

It had been exactly two years since Kion and Rani were married and their joint rule oficially began. The two years had been brilliant for the young couple; two whole years of pure happiness, undying love and no fights. And it wasn't just their private lives as a married couple that was a joy; the Tree of Life prospered under their joint rule and their people flourished. In fact, many were already comparing them to King Malik and Queen Janna. The previous year, Fuli had committed herself to a relationship with Azaad and had moved in with him in his house. Anga and Ono had taken a shot at dating each other, though they decided after a few dates that they were better off as friends.

On the morning of the royal couple's second wedding anniversary, Kion and Rani were in bed when the Queen stirred in the King's embrace. Rani slowly opened her dark brown eyes and looked up at her husband, smiling at him. She woke him up by giving him a kiss on the lips. Kion opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the love of his life smiling at him. With a smile of his own, Kion kissed Rani back, his body filling up with warmth. "Good morning, angel," he said, kissing her on the head this time. "Happy anniversary, my wonderful husband; did you sleep alright?" Rani asked as she sat up. "Truth be told," Kion stated. "I don't think there's been a night where I haven't slept well since I married you, my love. How did you sleep?".

Before Rani could respond, she suddenly felt like she was about to get sick. She immediately hopped out of bed, ran to their adjoining bathroom and threw up into the toilet. Worried for his wife, Kion hopped out of bed and went to check on her. Rani lifted her head out of the toilet. Kion went over to help her. "I'm sorry," Rani uttered. "Rani, there's nothing to be sorry about; don't worry; we'll get the royal doctor immediately,". "Thanks, my love," Rani smiled weakly as she allowed Kion to help her into bed while the royal doctor was summoned.

After a few minutes, there was a knock the door of the royal chambers. "Come in," Kion called. An elderly man entered the room, bowing before the King and Queen. This was the self-same man who had previously helped deliver Rani and later Baliyo and who had also attended to King Malik on his deathbed. However, before he could say anything, there was another knock on the door. "I'll get it, Your Majesties," the doctor smiled. When he opened the door, he saw Nirmala standing there. "Excuse me, sir, but are the King and Queen here?" she asked. "Er, yes," the doctor replied, allowing Nirmala to come in. "Your Majesties," she said with a curtsey. "I just received word that there's chaos in Mrs. Green's corner shop; Mrs. Page thought she heard the glass in the corner shop's window shatter,". "Rani..." Kion frowned, not wanting to leave his wife by herself. "It's okay, my angel," Rani said, though she felt her stomach sinking inside. "You go and sort out the problem; I'll be fine,". Then Kion had an idea. "Nirmala, do you think you could stay with the Queen while I go and check out what's happened in the corner shop?" "Of course, sire," Nirmala said respectfully. The King thanked her and left for the town centre. Now, what do you think the doctor told the Queen?

"Well, my lady," he said after running some tests. "It looks as though you are pregnant,". "Really?" Rani asked. "Yes," the doctor nodded. "About nine weeks along to be exact,". "Congratulations, Rani," Nirmala smiled proudly. She had known the Queen since she was a little one, and to see her settle down like this made the older woman very proud indeed. Various emotions flew through Rani's mind, but she was ultimately delighted by the news. After the doctor left, Rani tenderly stroked her flat abdomen, thinking what her and Kion's child would look like when he or she was born. "Can I get you anything, Your Majesty?" Nirmala asked politely. "Er, no thanks, Nirmala," Rani replied. "I'll see you later, yeah?". "Absolutely," Nirmala smiled as she gently hugged the girl she had known and loved for most of her (Rani's) life. "Oh, and one more thing; don't tell anyone yet please,". Nirmala nodded and left the room.

Alone, Rani smiled happily. In her mind, she could picture a tiny baby with an adorable smile and beautiful, big eyes. Naturally, as all new parents are, she was a tad bit nervous about what was to come, but she was, quite frankly, over the moon as well. This baby was made out of pure love, her and Kion's love, and she wouldn't have it any other way. The Queen's smile grew as she remembered all the intimate moments that she and the King shared when they were alone. As rulers of the Tree of Life, no one could deny how much they loved both each other and their subjects. Often, in their chambers, they just talked, laughed, cuddled, kissed and simply enjoyed each other's company. However, every now and then, they would go the extra mile with their romance. And this baby was their gift from that love, a piece of both of them.

Rani went over to her drawer and pulled out the picture she had drawn slightly over two years ago, mere days before she and Kion had married. It was a drawing of the King and Queen, both in their regal attire seated on two high thrones and looking lovingly at each other. Just over two years later, they hadn't changed much physically. Rani's hair was slightly longer, though this wasn't particularly evident to most since she almost always wore her hair braided when in public, and they were both slightly taller, but other than that, they looked exactly the same. Rani took her eraser and ubbed out her hands that were placed on her lap along with the first bit of her arms. She then took her pencil and drew a small baby wrapped in a blanket in her arms. Because she didn't know what gender the baby was yet, the blanket was white instead of pink or blue. Rani sighed contentedly, joyful that she and Kion were starting a family. "And what better day for it to happen than on our anniversary?" Rani asked herself. She had briefly considered simply telling Kion that he was going to be a father, but she quickly decided that he deserved better than that. So, she left the royal chambers to set her complex plan for telling her love that she was pregnant into motion.

Meanwhile, Kion was outside Mrs. Green's corner shop. Looking at her window, while it would be a stretch to say that it was completely shattered, it certainly wasn't far off. Taking a deep breath, he went inside the shop. Inside, Mrs. Green and Bunga were arguing so loudly that they sent some birds outside the shop flying. Kion noticed that Bunga was carrying about twenty tins of baked beans and Mrs. Green was refusing to allow him to buy them. "Excuse me?" Kion asked politely, trying to get their attention. However, when it was clear that they were too embroiled in their argument to notice anything else, Kion yelled "ENOUGH!". Unsurprisingly, this got Bunga and Mrs. Green's attention. Mortified, Mrs. Green quickly came out from behind the counter and curtsied before the King... whilst also scowling at Bunga. "You really should've told me that we were expecting royalty, boy," she snapped before turning her attention to Kion. "I'm exceedingly sorry you had to see that, my liege. It was all Bunga's fault; he started it!". she stated. "Even if Bunga started it," Kion replied "To the best of my knowledge, Mrs. Green, it takes two people to have an argument,". "Well, I can't argue with that," Bunga quipped. "At any rate, do you two realise the disruption you were causing to everyone else in the town centre?" the King continued. "I mean, when I came in, I thought that World War III was about to start; there has to be a way to settle this once and for all,". Kion thought for a minute; it would have been easier had Rani been there. Usually, the monarchs would discuss the situation between themselves and then come up with a solution together.

After a minute, Kion had an idea. "What if Mrs. Green agrees to let Bunga buy those tins of baked beans?" he suggested. "And then Bunga agrees to buy his groceries somewhere else from now on like the supermarket?". "Then I would never have to deal with him again..." Mrs. Green uttered. "And I could buy loads more bug-like things in tins in the supermarket," Bunga stated. So, the two of them agreed to this settlement. Bunga paid for his many tins of baked beans and left the corner shop for good. "That silly little boy," Mrs. Green muttered after Bunga left. "Not sending a member of the Night Pride to accompany our King when he's out of the palace,". "Well, madam, I actually made the decision to go out by myself," Kion answered. "Well," Mrs. Green stated as she went back behind the counter. "That was a very wise decision then. Now, how about a packet of crisps on the house, Your Majesty?". "Now that you mention it," Kion mused. "I would like to buy a bouquet of flowers,". "Certainly, sire," Mrs. Green nodded. "They're just over besides the fruit and vegetables,". "Thanks, madam," Kion said as he picked Rani's favourite type of flowers. He then went to the counter to pay for them... only for Mrs. Green to shake her head. "Oh, no," she insisted. "They're free, anything in my shop that is bought by the King or Queen is free,". "Thank you, madam," Kion said politely, though he was secretly unimpressed by the corner shop owner's fawning. "But I insist on paying for these, and I'm sure Rani would too,". "Well, Their Majesties know best, don't they?" Mrs. Green chuckled. So, Kion gave Mrs. Green the money for the flowers, thanked her and left the shop to return to the palace.

When he returned home, Kion checked the throne room to see if his wife was there. Much to his delight, she was. Rani was sitting on her throne, smiling to herself. She had written something on the bottom of a dinner plate and told the royal chef to put Kion's food on that plate when the time came for the dessert course to be served. The minute the Queen saw the King in the doorway, she hopped off her throne. They ran towards each other, ultimately connecting in a heartwarming embrace. "Hi, my love," Kion smiled, delighted to see her. Rani kissed him. "Hi yourself," she replied. Then, just as a gentleman would escort his lady to a dance, the King escorted his Queen back to their thrones. Rani sat down gently on her throne, and Kion did likewise on his throne. "What did the doctor say?" Kion asked, remembering how Rani had thrown up that morning. "Well, the good news is that there's nothing wrong with me," Rani stated. "That's a relief," he replied before grinning. "Happy anniversary, darling," he declared as he handed her the bouquet of flowers he got in the corner shop. Rani gratefully took them, taking in their fresh scent. "Why, my beloved, these are beautiful," she beamed. "They're my favourite,". "And... I also got you these," Kion stated shyly as he handed her a little black box.

Rani felt her heart growing wings as she noticed Kion blushing slightly; he was so cute. She gave him another kiss before she opened the box, revealing two sapphire earrings. She was speechless. "Kion, these are... these are probably the best gift you've ever given me, apart from your love, of course,". Rani took out the dangling silver earrings she usually wore and put the sapphire ones in her ears. "How do I look, my King?" she asked. "Beautiful as ever, my Queen," Kion responded, kissing Rani on the cheek. "Now, it's my turn," Rani stated. "I hope you like what I've bought you, and... then I've another gift for both of us that money could never buy,". Kion was curious about what that other gift could be, but he trusted his wife to tell him later. Rani then handed Kion her present; a leather bracelet. "Rani, this is lovely," Kion uttered, admiring the delicate nature of the piece of jewellery. As he fastened the leather bracelet to his wrist, he noticed that it was engraved. On one of the silver pieces, the words "we're of the same pride" were inscribed. Loving his gift, Kion pulled Rani into a big hug. "And you'll find out what the other gift is later," Rani winked, causing Kion to smile.

Later on, the royal court had just finished having their dessert course. Kion wiped his mouth, and he was about to put his cutlery on his now-empty plate when he noticed Rani grinning at him. "Lift up your plate, my darling," she whispered. Although confused, Kion obliged. On the bottom of the plate were written the words "Our family is to have a brand new member". It took Kion a second to register this in his brain. When he had, he turned to Rani, showing a mix of happiness and disbelief. "Can I speak to you, angel?" he asked, wanting to check if he was getting the right message. "Of course," she grinned as they left the dining hall and many confused courtiers and members of the Night Pride.

Once they were in private, Kion took Rani by the hand, excitement in his amber eyes. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" he asked. Rani could only nod at first, her emotions overwhelming her, but this was enough for Kion. "My love, I'm pregnant," Rani smiled a smile that was so bright it could've lit up an entire village at night. "We're going to be parents,". In response, an overjoyed Kion picked Rani up by the waist and spun around with her, causing her to scream with happiness. Surak heard his niece scream and decided to get up and investigate. Rani was barely back on the ground when Surak appeared. The King and Queen then immediately pretended that they had been talking about something else. "King Kion! Queen Rani! Is everything alright?" Surak asked. "Er, yes, uncle," Rani nodded. "Nothing important,". "The Queen and I are just talking, sir," Kion added. Surak nodded and went back into the dining hall. Once he had left, Kion and Rani immediately squealed in excitement.

That night, the King and Queen were in their chambers. They decided that they wanted a private night with their baby before they announced the news publicly the next day. "So, that explains why you threw up this morning," Kion mused. "Yep," Rani nodded. "Morning sickness is not a part of pregnancy I'm particularly looking forward to, mind you,". "Don't worry, Rani," Kion assured her as they sat down on their bed together and held hands. "I'll be there for you every step of the way,". "You always have been, Kion; thank you," Rani smiled lovingly at her husband before gently stroking her abdomen. "And thank you for giving me this baby,". "No worries, sweetheart," Kion chuckled. "But, given that you're the one who's carrying our little one; I think you're the one who should be thanked,". Rani smiled as she kissed Kion. "Well, like we rule the Tree of Life as a team, we made our baby as a team too,". Rani stated. Kion beamed as he thought back to the loving, intimate moments Rani and him had together. Kion leaned down, kissing the delicate fabric of Rani's nightdress that was covering her abdomen. "Our baby is going to be beautiful," he uttered, unable to take the grin off his face. "I agree," Rani nodded. As they crawled into bed together, bliss overcame the King and Queen. Rani quickly drifted off to sleep, cuddling her husband, and Kion soon followed, content with having his arms around his wife and his hand on her abdomen where their child grew.

To be continued...

A/N: Hello, there! Hope you enjoyed that chapter. Wonder what gender the baby's going to be... or perhaps it won't be just one baby? We'll have to wait and see. Now, the next chapter of this fanfic will be the epilogue, and this will be followed by a VERY important author's note, which, boring as they are, I would encourage you to read. Until then, however, thank you all for being such amazing people and have a lovely few days =).