Chapter FIFTY-FOUR

"Oooh, don't, mistress! I'll take care of that!" Orana cried from the other side of the garden.

"Orana, please," Aria huffed, "It's Aria."

"Sorry, Aria. I just—don't want you to hurt yourself."

Aria grunted and gave up on pulling the enormous weed she'd been tugging on for the past ten minutes. She sat on one of the low benches. Sat probably wasn't the right word. More like... Squatted. She winced as the child inside her kicked her bladder in retaliation for her exertions. Aria mopped the sweat off her brow with her gown's sleeve and looked up at the sky.

It was a clear, hot day and summer was well upon them. She'd grown restless and went outside to tend the garden with Orana. It had been hard to sit still at all the past few days. The elven girl had planted many new rose and vine varieties, and Aria was keen on helping maintain what her mother had started. Sandal and Bodahn trimmed the hedges and polished the marble statues.

Aria's feet were achy and swollen. Her back ached. Her belly was the size of a large pumpkin and every bit as hard. Just as she began to rub at it, the baby kicked her in the ribs. She swatted at it. "You just pipe down, sir. I'll have none of that just now, thank you very much!"

She felt rather than heard the low rumble that was Fenris's amused chuckle. Aria lifted her head and saw him standing on the back veranda, watching her from the shade. He strode towards her then, a look of concern replacing the previous one of mirth.

"You should go inside. You look ill," the elven warrior quietly said as he helped her stand.

"It's this...bloody heat and this... Overly active baby. He's kicking the tar out of my insides today."

"Perhaps we should summon the midwife. She said any day now."

"She's been saying that for two weeks and nothing's changed," Aria countered as she waddled up the steps into the estate. She sighed. It was blessedly cool.

"All the more reason I worry," Fenris replied, helping her to a seat on the sofa in the back study by the garden. He sat next to her and held his hand over her belly. The baby kicked at the pressure and Fenris chuckled. "I think he's ready."

"I think I'm ready," Aria grunted.

"Hello! Anyone home? I knocked for ages but—Oh, there you are," Varric's voice sounded in the hall, then he came into view in the doorway. "I saw an interesting arrival today."

Aria waved him in and he sat in one of the overstuffed armchairs across from them. "What was that?" she asked.

"It would seem the King of Ferelden docked this morning," Varric glibly replied. "He's on his way to the Keep, but I heard him ask his entourage to go on without him."

"Was there an elven woman with him?" Fenris asked.

"Come to think of it there was," Varric said. "Black hair, tall for an elf, easy on the eyes too."

Aria groaned again and threw her head back over the head rest so she stared at the ceiling. "Perfect timing."

"Friends of yours?" Varric chuckled.

Aria suddenly sat forward and bit back the cry that threatened to escape her throat. She felt like all of her innards had just violently contorted around themselves. "Fenris... About that midwife," she gasped. "I think now is a good time to fetch her."

"Orana!" Fenris bellowed, and a split second later the young elven woman appeared, eyes shining with worry. "The midwife. And... Anders. Send for Anders."

Orana bolted away before Fenris had finished speaking. Bodahn and Sandal appeared a split second later. Bodahn instructed Sandal to put all four of the large kettles on the hearth in Aria's bedroom. He assisted Fenris in getting Aria to her feet, and Fenris swept her in his arms.

"I'm too...too...heavy," Aria panted in protest as he carried her up the stairs.

"Shut it. You're not," he replied as he made it to the landing. He gently set her down and they slowly walked across the landing to their bedroom. "See? Carried you just fine," Fenris said, out of breath.

"Yes and you just about killed yourself doing it."

Just before they reached the door, another spasm hit her and she felt as though she was being rent in two. She doubled over and wet heat spilled down her legs. She ground her teeth and fought through the terrifying pain that gripped her by clinging to Fenris. He held her to him, wincing as her fingers dug mercilessly into his biceps.

Bodahn saw the pool forming beneath her and ran to fetch some towels. "Easy mistress, let's just get you comfortable. This is all natural, don't you worry. I've seen children born before and this is no different."

Aria just nodded tensely as her entire body seemed to relax again, except this time, she was hardly able to walk. The pain was so severe that when it abated, she felt absolutely exhausted. She leaned on Fenris as he finished leading her into the bedroom. She sat down on one of the chairs and rubbed her enormously protruding belly in trepidation. Fenris stuck his hands up to his shoulders in the enormous kettles and flared his brands so brightly, she could hardly see him within the light. He repeated this with the other two kettles and soon the bathwater was ready. He poured two of them into the tub, then walked back over to Aria, who was struggling to remove her day gown.

"Let me," he gently said when she swatted his hands away. "Just stop being so bloody stubborn for one moment."

Aria huffed her displeasure, but the action sent another contraction ripping through her, this one far worse than the previous two. She couldn't contain the sudden cry and tears started to roll down her face. Fenris grit his teeth and ended up tearing the gown. He tossed it across the room and helped her finish removing the rest once the pain had subsided for the moment.

Fenris lifted her naked form and deposited her gently into the tub. She leaned back and drew her knees up slightly, alleviating the pressure in her hips. He dragged a chair over and sat next to her, taking her hand in his. Worry lines deeply furrowed his brow and his eyes were bright with fear.

"I'll be fine," she whispered, reaching up with her free hand to swipe his shaggy silver bangs out of his eyes.

"If this is what happens every time, I won't ever ask you to have another again," he murmured, his voice cracking slightly.

Aria laughed wearily at this. "You're worth it. Our baby's worth it."

"You say that now," Fenris nervously chuckled.

A knock sounded at the door then and it opened slightly. "I'm going to wait downstairs for Anders and the midwife. I'm guessing you're going to have a lot of company soon too, so I'll entertain them," Varric said through the crack.

"Thank you, Varric," Aria replied as loudly as she could, fearing that speaking too loud would send her into another vicious contraction.

"My pleasure, madame. Good luck!" He closed the door and they listened to his footsteps fade down the hall.

Aria stroked Fenris's face lovingly as he gazed down at her. He cupped the water and spilled it over her belly, his eyes never leaving hers. The bell pull rang and both of them were startled enough to jump. They listened as Varric answered the door and heard him usher what sounded like several people inside.

"I think the King is here," Fenris quietly said.

"Great. Royal guests and I'm having a baby," Aria flatly replied.

"This is your Kingdom, not theirs," Fenris growled, kissing the top of her head.

"I don't thi-" but the words turned into another choked scream as Aria grit her teeth and her back arched violently. This one was even worse yet and she didn't know if she could take it anymore.

Just as the contraction abated, a soft knock sounded at the door. It opened slightly. "Mistress?" Orana's sweet, timid voice greeted them. "The midwife is here. I'll have Anders stay with the guests unless he's needed."

"Thank you, Orana," Aria and Fenris said in unison.

Brecinia, the midwife, strode purposefully to the tub and began setting up a table full of herbs, ointments, jars, cloths, and instruments that looked ominous to the untrained eye. She was a woman who looked but a few years older than Aria. She had jet black hair that she kept quite short, like Bethany's was, and her dark grey eyes spoke of boundless wisdom, wisdom that was eons beyond her age. She'd said she was in her sixties when they asked her age upon meeting. The only reason Aria believed her was because her eyes spoke the truth.

"Alright, Hawke. I'm not going to lie to you, this is going to be about ten times worse than when you felled that horn-head king," Brecinia said as she took off her long-sleeved shirt. She was now just wearing a tank top undershirt and a long, red suede skirt. She strode over to the tub and plunged her arms into the water, ascertaining how far Aria was dilated. "Ah, yes. You're blessed. He'll be a quick birth. Painful, but quick. He'll be here by nightfall, I guarantee it."

Aria nodded tersely at the invasion of personal privacy, but she was a doctor of sorts and Fenris was quite familiar with Aria's anatomy. Still, it irked her that someone else be so privy to her privates. Brecinia started grinding up several different herbs and mixing in a couple different liquids. She sloshed it all together in a tea kettle, filled it the rest of the way with water, and hung it over the coals.

When she returned, she took a couple if vials full of iridescent blue liquid from her bag. She plunged a needle into the first vial and drew all of the liquid out. The needle she'd used was terrifyingly large. She plunged it into the second vial and drained that as well.

"This will numb you from the waist down," Brecinia quipped. "But only if you want it. Most women decline. They're stupid. No sane person willingly endures this much pain when there's an alternative available," Brecinia said, tapping the syringe cylinder with her nail, the hollow "tink" sound echoing through the room.

"That's going...where?" Aria asked, wide-eyed and terrified. Before the midwife could answer, Aria doubled over again and this time, the water turned slightly pink as the contraction gripped her. She took the cloth Brecinia offered and bit down on it, thankful for anything to help brace herself without hurting Fenris's poor, crushed hand further.

While Aria was still in the contraction's steely, mind-numbing grip, Brecinia turned her and jammed the needle directly into her spine, just below the middle of her back. Aria screamed into the rag and squeezed her eyes shut so tightly that blue and red spots swam in her vision, her breathing ragged. But a moment later, the pain was completely gone. She couldn't feel anything past her belly button.

"Oh... Oh that's so much better," she breathed, slumping down farther in the tub.

Fenris flared his brands on the hand he rested against the tub to warm the water again, then gently squeezed the hand of hers he still held. She smiled wanly up at him, and when her eyes shifted back to the water, she recoiled. It was a much darker shade of pink, bordering closer to red.

"It's okay," Brecinia softly stated, fetching the kettle from the hearth. She sprinkled in a few leaves of some strange plant with which Aria was not familiar and put it back to boiling. "Birthing is a bloody process, Hawke."

Aria chuckled at the double meaning. "Yes, yes it is. When do I start actually pushing?"

"When you feel pressure. There will be little to no more pain going forward," Brecinia quietly replied, fussing with some of her instruments. One looked like a big pair of very sharp shears.

Aria rolled her eyes. "Great." That's when she felt the tremendous pressure. She fought to breathe, but Brecinia stood next to the tub and showed her how.

"Like this," the midwife said, then inhaled in quick bursts, followed by a long exhale. "Now push."

Aria pushed as hard as she could while Brecinia pulled the plug on the tub. She let the water drain about halfway, and by that time another contraction hit Aria.

"Push, child," Brecinia softly said.

Aria pushed again, this time starting to feel a slight bit of pain in her hips. Another contraction hit a minute later and she pushed again. Brecinia kept coaching her, pushing, then resting, pushing then resting. After about an hour, Aria was exhausted but the baby's head was crowning. Fenris had poured half of one of the remaining two kettles into the bath to refresh the water.

"Okay, here comes the hardest part," Brecinia gently warned her, and she grabbed a smaller set of wicked-keen shears. Aria averted her eyes as she heard rather than felt the woman shift her legs farther apart. She felt a slight bit more pressure at the vee between her thighs and Fenris squeezed her hand while looking away. Another contraction hit. "Push, girl. Push."

Aria pushed again, as hard as she could and she felt her hip crack with the effort. Dull pain lanced through her and she clenched her teeth, her breath hissing between them. Another contraction. Another push. Still more pain. The elixir she'd been injected with was rapidly wearing off.

Brecinia tugged between Aria's legs. "Keep pushing. Don't stop now," she gently commanded, her voice like ice water on a hot day.

Aria pushed again and again, fighting the screams of agony that sought release from her throat with the incredible pain inundating her senses. Another hour passed and finally... Aria heard the keening of a newborn. She looked down, and there he was: Screaming his lungs out at this foreign sensation of cold, open air.

Tears streamed down her face as she watched Brecinia quickly towel him off, removing the gore and sticky fluids from his face, then his body. Brecinia gave the larger shears to Fenris and indicated where he would need to cut on the cord that still bound his son to his mother. He took them with shaking hands and took three long, steadying breaths before he made the cut.

Brecinia went straight to work bandaging the small stump still on the baby's belly, handed the babe to his mother while she drained the tub again.

"Skin on skin contact is very important," Brecinia was saying. "Helps establish the bond. Good for warding off sickness, too."

Aria held him, and as soon as his eyes opened and met hers, he stopped crying. Aria couldn't help the torrents running down her face and Fenris sat beside them in awe. He reached out and gently brushed his fingers across the baby's countenance.

The baby was beautiful. His cheeks were round and pink, though he seemed to have taken Aria's pale colouring as the purpleness of birth began to wear off. He had wisps of silvery-white hair curling sparsely all over his head. His eyes were still cloudy and bluish, and Aria wondered what colour they'd eventually be. His ears had slightly pointed tips to them, a dead giveaway of his parentage. He couldn't seem to take his eyes from Aria's face and Aria couldn't look away from him either.

"A most beautiful babe I e'er did see," Brecinia said then, tears shining in her own eyes. "Go on, see if he'll take the breast. We've still got to worry about the placenta, and that's messy business."

Aria shifted the babe and placed him so that his mouth touched her nipple. He made sucking noises with his lips, until finally he drew it far enough to start feeding. Aria gasped at the foreign sensation and her eyes finally met with Fenris's.

He had been crying as well and he smoothed his palm over the back of the babe's head as he fed noisily. There were no words for this feeling. This woman... She'd officially given him everything. She'd broken his chains. She'd brought him back from the brink of damnation and a life of eternal hate. She'd fought for him, bled for him, cried for him, and the most profound, the most wonderful thing of all... She'd loved him. She'd loved him so much that she'd bound herself to him for all eternity, used her body to create for him living proof of her love for him, and of his love for her.

"He's...beautiful," she whispered as she cradled the feeding newborn closer to her breast.

"You're beautiful," Fenris also whispered, tilting her face up. He kissed her deeply for but a moment, then pulled away when Aria suddenly shifted.

Brecinia was tugging gently on the remnants of the cord. Aria almost lost her stomach when the placenta sloshed into view. The midwife snatched it up and deposited it in one of the vats she'd brought with her. She put the lid on the vat and shoved it towards the door.

The baby let go of her breast then and Brecinia instructed Aria on how to burp him. Once the babe had released his gas, Aria handed him to Fenris for the first time.

"Hold your son," she quietly said, tears starting to flow again.

He gingerly took the infant, swaddled him in the linen Aria had laid out for just this occasion, and held him to his chest, rocking him gently back and forth. He turned and went to the bed, where he sat, just rocking and staring down at his son, who looked as though he'd fallen asleep in his father's arms. Fenris just watched him, awestruck.

"We've got some healing to do child, and then you can wash up so you can present that beautiful child to the world," Brecinia said then.

Aria felt the familiar healer's light wash through her entire body. Her hip had broken to give way for her son and that was repaired. The flesh that had torn for him to be born was fused back together. The wounds in her womb healed. Then Brecinia unplugged the tub once more, let it drain, and refilled it with the remaining water from the hearth, the one with the herbs she'd sprinkled in. The water had an instantly rejuvenating effect and Aria was grateful. Brecinia gathered her things and quickly took her leave, parting with some instructions for Aria and Fenris regarding Aria's health and that of the baby within the first few weeks. Both new parents thanked her profusely, Fenris gave her double the payment they'd agreed upon, and the midwife left the room. Aria could hear Bodahn speaking with her as he led her to the safe passage to Darktown in the lower parts of the estate. In her wake, the din of many voices filtered up the stairs.

"What are we naming him?" Fenris asked after a few moments.

Aria was washing her hair. She smiled over at him as she rinsed and replied, "What do you think of Tristan? Tristan...Malcolm?"

Fenris chuckled at this and looked back at the babe. "Tristan Malcolm Hawke. It is a good, strong name."

Aria smiled at this and rinsed her hair. She scrubbed her body head to toe, then quickly rinsed. Fenris placed Tristan in his pram to sleep, and helped his weary wife out of the tub. He helped dry her off and then assisted her with donning clean clothes. She slid her feet into her favourite new rabbit fur slippers, then piled her hair up in its normal ornate bun. She had intended to go down and greet everyone, but the room was beginning to spin and her legs, lower spine, belly, and female organs were starting to catch up with the trauma as the pain killers wore off. Though they had been healed, the new flesh was tender and would need time to acclimate.

Aria stumbled to the bed and sat down so hard that she nearly bounced off. Fenris was there in a heartbeat. He steadied her, then gently pushed her to a comfortable sitting position on the bed. He covered her legs with one of the throws and propped pillows behind her.

"You've just given birth. Rest," he whispered next to her ear, his lips brushing her neck.

"There are so many people here though," she protested softly.

"They can come to you. Do you want to hold our son while I inform them?"

Aria grinned at this and nodded vehemently. Fenris went across the room and gingerly picked Tristan out of the pram. He smiled down at the tiny babe, who hadn't stirred from his slumber when his elven warrior father scooped him up. Fenris rocked him gently and carried him to Aria. The baby stirred and opened his eyes when he felt Aria's touch. Aria just stared back at him, unable to look away. His eyes were still bluish and filmy, but she thought she saw a hint of green beneath. She smiled at this and then laughed when Tristan mimicked her.

Aria hadn't even realized that Fenris had gone until a knock sounded on the door frame. King Alistair and Lady Ysabel stood there, the elven warrioress's eyes misted. They both strode quickly in and Aria shifted so they could see the baby's face.

"Oh! He's absolutely stunning!" Ysabel gushed, sitting next to Aria on the bed. "May I touch him?"

Aria nodded, and the King's consort gently stroked his downy head. Alistair beamed at both of them, his smile downright goofy.

"It isn't every day a Champion gives birth," the King awkwardly said at length.

Aria giggled at this and when Tristan flailed his arms at Ysabel, she handed the infant to the elven woman. Ysabel stood and cradled him for a moment. Then, she paced slowly around the room, cooing to him in elvish. Alistair watched her, a sad light taking his eyes.

"What is it?" Aria quietly asked.

"We... Won't ever be able to have children. When you become a Warden, if you don't make a baby fairly quickly following the Joining, you lose the ability," he murmured in response.

"I'm... I'm so sorry," Aria replied, taking the King's hand.

He squeezed hers back in response and kept watching his love walk around the room, talking to the baby and rocking him. Tristan made gurgling noises in response to her talking and flailed his tiny arms. Ysabel turned and smiled at them, tears misting her eyes.

"He's absolutely precious!" Ysabel quietly cooed, letting his fingers close around her pinky finger in a surprisingly firm grip.

Fenris cleared his throat as he re-entered the room, Aveline, Donnic, and Varric in tow. Ysabel laughed and gave Tristan back to his mother. King Alistair and Ysabel took seats in the easy chairs near the hearth while the most recent guests went over to the bed.

Tristan stared up at Aria, not seeing anyone else around him yet. He flailed his arms at her and she brought him close enough that he could touch her face. He made more gurgling noises and kept his eyes on hers. After a moment, she gently lowered him so that the rest of the group could see him.

Aveline gasped when she finally saw his face. "Oh, Hawke... I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful baby," she reverently said.

"He's going to be every bit the heartbreaker both his parents are," Donnic laughed, his arm going around his wife's waist as he pulled her to him.

"Heartbreaker and headcrusher. It's a good combination," Varric jibed good-naturedly. "Gorgeous kid, you two. Hopefully the next is a girl and just as beautiful."

Fenris paled. "One is enough, I think."

Everyone laughed at this, including Aria. Varric, ever the one for attention to detail, decided to press the issue.

"With as perfect as he is? C'mon! You've got to want to have a herd of them!"

"I never wish to see her in that much pain ever again. Especially when I'm half the reason it happened," Fenris quietly, but icily, replied.

Aria smiled wanly at him, her skin still very pale and there were hollows under her eyes. She looked absolutely exhausted. "I'd do it again. For you. For us," she murmured. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Fenris sat on the other side of the bed next to her and rested his arm about her shoulders. He looked down at his son, who had jerkily turned his wobbly head to face his father. He flailed his arms and Aria handed him over.

"We'll leave you in peace. Besides, there's a celebration going on downstairs. I had Sandal fetch a couple barrels of my private reserves a while ago," Varric said then, ushering Donnic and Aveline out.

As soon as they left, Gamlen, Isabela, Merrill, Orana, Bodahn, Sandal, and yes, Anders, all came in to see the new arrival. Fenris carried his son over to them and allowed Gamlen to hold him first. Gamlen walked around the room, speaking gibberish to the boy, while the others crowded in around Aria.

Anders was closest to her and he took her hand, his eyes pleading and haunted. "I know Brecinia is an excellent physician, but for my own peace of mind, may I check to be sure she healed you well?"

Across the room next to Gamlen, Fenris growled. No one else seemed to notice, or maybe Aria was just that finely tuned to her husband. She nodded her consent and Anders bent over her, his hands smoothing over her belly. He glowed with the healer's aura and Aria felt that familiar, soft, wonderful heat wash over her. After but a few seconds, he pulled away and smiled.

"You're perfectly healed. Just need to rest and eat a nutrient rich diet. You're still feeding two," he cheerily said, and backed away so that the others could get close.

"Oh mistress, you look so very tired," Orana lamented, smoothing her hand over Aria's forehead.

"Orana, it's Aria," Aria laughed quietly. "I'll be fine. I am a bit hungry, but I'll eat in a while."

"My apologies. Aria. The babe is...he's the most lovely thing I've ever set my eyes on," the elf girl said, blushing as she looked over at the newborn in Gamlen's arms. "What's his name?"

"Tristan Malcolm," Aria replied.

"That's a proper rogue's name," Isabela chortled, leaning forward to hug Aria. "I never thought you the mothering type, but making a babe like that... You make a damn beautiful child."

Aria laughed. "That seems to be the general consensus."

"He is... The most perfect baby I've ever seen," Merrill chimed then, reaching forward to squeeze Hawke's hand. "Tristan. It's a lovely name."

"Thank you, Merrill," Aria replied, returning the squeeze.

"I've got to agree, Aria, I've seen my fair share of newborns in my time, and that... He's by far the most beautiful," Bodahn said then, patting Aria on the shoulder.

"Baby pretty!" Sandal agreed.

Gamlen walked over to Aria and handed Tristan back to her embrace. The boy was sound asleep now, and nothing was going to wake him before he was ready. Gamlen's eyes were misted with unshed tears.

"Leandra would have just...burst if she'd gotten to see him," her uncle said, his voice hitching.

"You're welcome to visit any time, Uncle. You know that," Aria sweetly replied, fighting her own tears.

"I know, child. I will be over much more often now. Come, come, you lot. Give the mother and babe their peace. There's wine to be drunk and food to be eaten!" Gamlen said, clearing his throat and waving all of them out, including the King and his beloved.

They all bade them good night, and Orana promised to return with a big dinner for the new parents. Aria wanted a cask of wine in the worst way, but the midwife had warned against it. Still, whatever she consumed, went straight to her son. She felt a stab of selfishness, but looking down at that angelic face, it quickly went away. Fenris sat next to her as she rocked their son in her arms, in a trance as she couldn't look away from him.

"I keep wondering if I'm dreaming," he said at length.

Aria laughed quietly, handing their son to his father. "I just hope... Things stay calm."

Fenris nodded his agreement and carried Tristan back to his pram. He carefully laid the baby down and loosely covered him with a small fur blanket. Orana and Bodahn brought trays of food to them a moment later. There was venison and onions, a selection of cheeses, fruit, and wafers, a couple turkey legs, and some steamed broccoli, peppers, and potatoes. There was also a loaf of freshly made bread with pats of honey butter.

Aria drank the tea Brecinia had left her and tucked in to the wealth of food laid before her. She felt as though she could eat an entire ox. Fenris was just as famished, having not eaten at all that day. Once they'd finally had their fill, Fenris set the trays on the writing desk and joined Aria beneath the sheets. He held her to him as they both lay on their sides, looking over at where their son still slept soundly.

"I'll need to feed him again before I fall asleep," Aria drowsily said after several long moments of comfortable silence.

Fenris chuckled. "I'm sure he'll wake us when he's hungry."

"Yes, but I just want to get as much sleep as I can. He's not going to give us the leisure of a full night's sleep for a long time, I fear," she replied, turning In his embrace to face him.

He cradled her to him and kissed her, a long, deep, passionate kiss. When he pulled away to look into her eyes, he saw that tears shimmered in their corners. He thumbed them away, his expression sadly perplexed. "Why do you cry?"

Aria smiled and planted a soft, quick kiss on his mouth. "I'm just so... Happy and overwhelmed and... I love you."

Fenris quirked his trademark smirk at this and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

Tristan started fussing then and Fenris sprang up to fetch him from the pram. He handed the bundle to Aria, and she immediately put him to her breast. She blushed as Fenris sat beside them, his gaze intense. She'd never seen a look like that in his eyes before. It was passion and pride, love and awe, disbelief and happiness, all swirled together in a fierce light.

"You're flushed," Fenris whispered, smoothing his hand over Tristan's head as he suckled.

"It's just... Strange."

"What is?"

"Having you watch while I...feed him."

"Would you prefer that I not?" he asked, his tone hinting hurt.

"Oh, no. I didn't mean... I don't know what I meant," Aria softly said, her voice tired as she happily looked down at her feeding son.

"Seeing you... Seeing him... Watching you continually give life to him... I don't have words for it," Fenris said then, kissing her neck, then her ear. "I'm the most fortunate being in all the world."

Aria only smiled in response, the food in her belly and the exertions of earlier making it hard to stay awake much longer. As soon as Tristan released her breast, Fenris took him and held him over his shoulder. Aria fell asleep to the sight of her husband, yes—her husband—caring for their son. As her eyes drifted closed, she couldn't imagine ever being happier than right at that very moment.