Alternate World
Disclaimer: I do not own the Black Jewels Trilogy or any other books or ideas this story may be based on. Many characters and ideas are from Anne Bishops' books, and the idea of alternate universes I stole from Diana Wynne Jones' books, The Chrestomanci Series.
Chapter 1
One of the strange occurrences in the alternate universes is that in two completely different worlds identical twins can be born. That is, identical beings born in different worlds at the same time and sometimes with more similarities besides. This occurrence is in fact very common among newly split worlds or worlds in a series(1) and it is even becoming more common in "unrelated" worlds. However it was unheard of (and in fact will only ever happen once), for "identical twins" to be born in a split world and a realm.
Marianne Sadiablo lay on the narrow hospital bed, staring at the two babies on display to her in a near by crib. A boy and a girl. An equal balance. Marianne sighed as the memory of one of the countless books she had read came back to haunt her. A thin wailing noise came from the crib and Marianne knew it was 'the boy'. Always needs the centre of attention on him that one does, thought Marianne. A pity they don't have names yet, but it doesn't seem right to name them without Damien here. Its not his fault I went overdue and he was called away on business, but god, if he fusses when he gets back I'll gut him! It's hard enough having twins without a male fussing over you, and not sharing any of the pain.
Marianne was shaken out of this fond reverie by another, more persistent, cry from the direction of the crib. Getting gingerly out of the bed Marianne pattered her way across the cold, white tiled floor to the white hospital crib, where she suddenly stopped short. In stead of the standard two babies staring back at her, there were three!
Marianne stood stock still staring in disbelief. There was only two babies when she had last looked, she was sure, and it wasn't possible for babies to multiply - at least no that quickly she thought wryly. But there were now definitely three babies, unless she was hallucinating, which was possible. Or was she just seeing double? Two girls and one boy. One boy and one girl in cute little baby clothes a neighbour had donated and one girl, identical to the other, in a plain white shift. I'm imagining things, I know it, Marianne thought desperately.
Suddenly the second girl opened her mouth, gurgled in her throat, then disappeared. Distantly Marianne thought she heard a door slam and then she was staring at the two babies in the hospital crib, that showed no signs of a third child ever being there.
(1)Series are worlds with many aspects such as land formations and beings in similar, with only events in history differing at all.