Warning: happily ever after style fluff. Prepare to say 'Aww' from time to time.
Epilogue: As It Should Be
Atherton walked down the halls of his castle, largely ignoring the murmurs of 'your Majesty' as they reached his sensitive ears. Having lived the hard life of a soldier, he was always on the lookout for trouble and sneak attacks. It came from behind and was not wholly unexpected. The man ducked the first attack, spinning to catch his second attacker under his arms. Then he punished the squirming figure in his arms by tickling him with his thumbs.
"Daddy," David shrieked. His twin brother, Samuel, attempted to sneak up on his father while he was distracted, but the King only sat his little captive down and spun him so that the little boy was pressed against his side and grabbed the older twin to tickle him too. Both three-year-olds were gasping for breath by the time their father was finished with them.
"No fair, Daddy," David laughed, "you always win!" It had become a game of sorts since the boys could walk. They constantly attempted to ambush him. Atherton didn't mind in the least. It kept his skills sharp and allowed him to bond with his sons.
"How can I help you, Farida?" the King asked as he reigned in the children. The boys giggled, looking up at their nanny. Farida stumbled over her words for a moment before remembering what she was here for.
"Her Majesty is ready for you. Shall I take the princes to their room?" The woman still wasn't used to being addressed so familiarly by royalty. She had served the aristocracy faithfully for years, her references landing her this gig. But the king and queen were not what she expected at all. With these people, she almost felt like a part of the family. They didn't stand on ceremony and their children weren't allowed to put on airs or act haughtily. It was refreshing to see, and the fact that the nobility was starting to follow their excellent example made her smile.
"No, that's okay. They deserve to see this too. Come on, kids." He grabbed them each by the hand with a soft reminder to each of them to be gentle once they arrived in the birthing chamber. The three made it in record time, creeping into the delivery room just as Blair was leaving.
"Ah, right on time, your Majesty," she grinned. Over the years Benjamin had come to appreciate the Khaleesi and her many and varied skills. The old king had killed her mate when she was just a child, so her powers were stunted, but she was still a formidable Khaleesi. She would never be as powerful as her sister, but a Khaleesi was still a good thing to have around. "This way, please." Although men were not allowed to be present during the birth, Atherton was sure to be present as soon as he could for his precious wife.
"Crystal, my love?" he asked in trepidation.
"I'm here, Benji," the exhausted voice of the queen greeted him. The nursemaids were still fussing over her, but she ignored them for the men in her life. Aissa had been right all those years ago. The people had insisted that she marry the new king; something about her being 'a guiding hand'. Benjamin was a good man - a good friend - and she was happier than she'd ever been in her life. The blessing of children had fulfilled her in a way that nothing ever had. Her people were content, there'd been very few assassination attempts since her Benji had taken the throne. And she insisted on calling him by that silly nickname that his former crew had stuck him with so that he didn't take himself too seriously.
Looking up at her lord husband with love in her eyes, the queen presented their latest child to him. "We have a daughter, my lord," she said formally gesturing to the crib next to her bed. The little princess was just starting to fuss, preparing to start crying it seemed. Benjamin crossed the room, sons temporarily forgotten, and picked her up to soothe her.
"It's alright, little Darla. Mama and Papa are right here," he cooed at the child. The baby squirmed, wrapping a tiny hand around his finger and he felt his heart melt. Here was the first of many daughters that would have him wrapped around her little finger. He presented the child to her mother for feeding, which Crystal did without hesitation.
"Darla?" she asked quietly as she suckled the baby, reaching out to her boys so that they wouldn't feel excluded.
"My mother's name," he explained with tears in his eyes. He grinned when his woman touched his cheek gently. There was love enough in her generous heart for her whole family it seemed.
"A fine name. Darla Farah Atherton it is." After that, the little family basked in their love for each other, no one daring to disturb them.
… …
"She's had a girl," Aissa informed her husband, ignoring the heat she sensed in his gaze. The two were wrapped around each other while standing on the deck of the large, lavish ship Atherton had gifted to them four years ago. It was the very top of the line, filled with the latest amenities. Best of all, the king had decreed that should they ever desire it, they could trade it in for a better one at any time during the rest of their lives. Aissa had gotten her private island too, but they rarely stayed there, preferring the airways and the feel of a sturdy ship under their feet.
Most of their former crew had retired after Benjamin took the throne, content to quietly live out their lives with the fortunes they'd acquired during those mad days aboard Death. The couple visited them often, and of course, they always all found their way to the castle at least once a year to honor the brave five that had given their lives for this peaceful new era. Aissa wouldn't have it any other way. She sighed blissfully when Tyr's strong arms tightened around her.
"Everything is in good condition on deck, Captain," Soujirou reported from Madrul's side. He left to return to his post in the Crow's Nest, scanning the horizon for trouble as he always did.
"That boy needs to settle down with a good woman," she murmured with a fond shake of her head, snuggling against her husband to hide from the unusually temperamental winds of Grindon.
Tyr wrapped his woman up in his arms, sighing in utter contentment. He'd needed his berserker strength very few times in the last four years. Most people were happy to allow Madrul to go about his business in the skies for the sake of his Khaleesi. Challengers to his peace suffered swift, brutal deaths.
"You sound like Aoshi's wife," he whispered against her ear, delighting in her shiver. Delia had stumbled into the crew's life directly after Leftin's death and had refused to leave. Eventually, they'd accepted the little ray of sunshine, who had proved to be just what their stoic Navigator needed. The two were married last year and were expecting their second child in a few months. Luckily, The Star of the Monarchy had a lot of extra rooms and resources aboard. And I would know, the Khaleesi thought with a blush. She and Tyr had Christened every room, nook, and cranny of this ship over the years. They continue to do so to this day. Her husband's sexual appetite was still as unquenchable as it had been when they first married. "What are you thinking about, little panther?" He asked, turning her face up to his with a knowing smirk that still made her heart race even after all these years.
His thick lips were just about to descend on hers when her pocket vibrated. The two separated with a sigh, already knowing who it was.
Aissa fished the sending stone out of her pocket and activated it with her nimble tongue, secretly reveling in her husband's hungry shudder.
"Pregnant again. Will you deliver and be godmother again?" Envy's voice sounded out.
"Gregory certainly isn't wasting any time," Tyr said in a deadpan voice that made his wife laugh. The last time had been twins, bringing their total children to four, not including this pregnancy. The woman was still haunted by the deaths of the Graves family as well as her former crewmates. And although she and the Khaleesi were still close, they were not as close as they had once been. But none of that mattered right now, as Aissa had her own little secret to reveal.
"Can't this time. Will be delivering around the same time. I-Tyr! Stop that! We only get twenty-five words a- Oh my… No! No… Oh, Tyr…" The stone reached its limit just then, but Envy got the gist of it, as did her husband.
"Well, it's about damn time," the former gunner laughed. The whole kingdom had been waiting with bated breath for the Khaleesi to be expecting. The kingdom was at its most prosperous and peaceful, a pregnant Khaleesi would be a wonderful sign of how well things were going in the kingdom. "Those two have been humping like rabbits for years now; I wondered what was taking them so long to get-"
"Zara told me that it had something to do with the amount of love she had stored." At the strange look her husband was giving her, she stopped trying to explain. "Ask her sometime. She'll be happy to tell you all about it."
"Right now I'd rather ask you some pointed questions of my own," he said suggestively. He picked her up but was interrupted by their oldest bursting in the door. Gregory smiled fondly at the girl, noting once again how much she resembled her mother. Yes, life was good. And it was only getting better.
"Stephanie, your mother and I have something to tell you…"
The End
Thank you for reading. This one was a lot of fun to write; I'm sorry that the ride is over. New story next week, though. I'm thinking of something new and out of my wheelhouse. See ya then! :D
