An: this is my new story I just finished Tales of the Abyss and was so touched by the ending that I had to make a story about it! XD Hope you like it and please review
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss
The man paced the small hallway, his eyes frantically darting toward the dark wood door whenever he passed it, his hands in a nervous knot at his chest. "For god sake Duke, pull yourself together, Susanne will be fine," a deep voice broke the man's pacing and he turned toward his companion. He regarded the other man through deep green eyes, "How can you say that your majesty, you should know what it is like! Besides she is your younger sister!" The other man chuckled lightly and tenderly smiled at his companion, "yes I admit that Susanne is fragile but she will be fine and so will the child, so just sit down and wait." The duke realized that even though he said it in a friendly tone, the king was issuing a command, so with that he slowly slid himself into the seat beside him and got ready for a long wait.
"You can do this ma'am, the child is almost out!" a young maid tried to reassure the women lying on the bed covered in her own sweat. "Just push one more time ma'am!" another maid spoke, this time the nurse trying to help with the delivery. The women lying on the bed gave one more ear-splitting cry before collapsing on the bed all of her energy spent. A couple of seconds went by with no one uttering a sound, suddenly the wail of a child split the stillness of the air and everyone visibly let out a sigh of relief. A baby boy was born. The nursemaid immediately went to work washing and taking care of the young babe while his mother relaxed. After the baby was bathed, weighed and wrapped in a sky blue blanket he was handed over to his mother. The women regarded her newborn son with a tender smile, loving the feel of him in her arms. The young child slowly opened his eyes and stared at his mother with a newfound curiosity. His eyes shone a beautiful clover green while little tuffs of bright red hair sprouted from his scalp. The mother looked up from her child and regarded the nursemaid beside her, "I want him to be named Luke and send for his father if you would." "Right away ma'am," the nursemaid curtsied and started to walk toward the dark wood door at the far end of the room. She was grasping the door handle when the women on the bed bent over and gasped out in pain. Immediately the nursemaid ran toward the women's side as one of the maids went to take the baby Luke from the women's hands. "What's the matter milady?" the nursemaid asked her as she tried to help the women lie back down on the bed. "It felt a lot like a contraction Beth." The nursemaid gasped in shock and checked the woman; she stood up and regarded the maids, "It seems that there is another baby we need to get her ready." Immediately the maids went to work making sure that the room and the women were ready for the other baby. In the haste young Luke started to cry confused about the noise and bustle. The nursemaid regarded the baby, "please take him outside and hand him to his father." The young maid bowed and disappeared behind the wood door.
Both of the men looked up as they heard the door open and close. In the frame was a young maid holding a small babe. The duke rose to his feet to meet the maid who handed him the babe, "a son for you milord, the lady named him Luke." The duke stared at the small bundle in his arms that was in turn starting at him. Luke waved his fist in the air and the duke slid his pinkie inside the small fist. The duke smiled when he felt his son squeeze his little finger, "welcome to the family Luke." Then he regarded the maid, "how is Susanne doing?" The maid fidgeted, "it seems that she was caring twins sir, she is giving birth to the other child now." "Twins?" The duke slightly stumbled as he took in the news, "Thank you, you are dismissed." As the maid curtsied and disappeared behind the door, the duke once again sat in the chair. His companion smiled at him, "congratulation duke! I can't believe I will be a uncle to two children now!" The duke smiled at him then looked down at his son who was slowly closing his eyes in sleep, "yeah."
"Wahhhhhhhhh!" The maids silently crowded around the nursemaid and stared down at the crying bundle in her arms. "She's so small." "That cannot be healthy." "What should we do Beth?" The nursemaid looked around her at the faces of the maids and then back down at the babe in her arms. It looked to her that this baby did not get all of the nutrients that she needed to grow and instead her brother got them all. She was around half of the size of her brother, with big hallow clover green eyes and strands of red hair growing out of her skull. "Is everything alright with my baby?" Susanne asked as she slowly sat up in bed looking at the crowd of maids with concern in her eyes. The nursemaid decided to take control, "milady, it seems that this child is a tad smaller than the other one, the babe does not seem as healthy." Susanne mossy green eyes narrowed at the nursemaid, "well I think I should be the judge of that, now let me see my other child Beth." Seeing no way around this the nursemaid curtsied at Susanne, "of course milady," and walked over to her bed. Susanne let out a small gasp at the baby in her nursemaids arms, "oh my poor daughter!" she immediately took the small girl into her arms and whimpered at the size and weight of the child. Her daughter immediately stopped crying and brought her green eyes to her mother's while she reached with her tiny hand and touched Susanne's cheek. Tears started to flow out of Susanne's eyes as she regarded her small daughter, "I want her to be named Rosalina and get her ready for her father and my brother." "Of course milady," Beth proceeded to pick up Rosalina and take her to the table, but Rosalina's eyes never left the face of her mother. After the child was washed, weighed (4 pounds), and wrapped in a pale pink blanket and Susanne propped up on pillows and snuggling her did the maids allow the Duke and the King to see the other child. The duke walked in first with a brick walk carrying Luke in his arms wanting to make it to his wife's bed first. The king walked in after dismissing the maids as he went. After the door shut he walked toward his sister's bedside where his sister and her husband were talking in hushed whispering. "What's with all the whispering, this is a time to be celebrating. Susanne let me see my niece and nephew." Susanne and the duke immediately drew apart and Susanne showed off Rosalina to her brother. The king immediately backed away in surprise. "What happened to her Susanne? She's so small." "Well brother, it seems that Rosalina could not get all of the nutrients that she needed, it seems that Luke wanted all of the nutrients to go to him." She said as she tried to humour the mood. "Susanne this is no time for humour, this child will not live she needs to be put down and put out of her misery." Both the Duke and Susanne gasped at the King's words, the children noticing their parents moods immediately started to cry. "You can't brother she is my daughter!" Susanne cried holding Rosalina closer to her body as a way to protect her from her brother. "You know this is the right thing to do Susanne." The king bent down to take the child out of his sister's arms. The duke who was staying quiet trying to calm his son immediately leapt into action coming between the king and his wife, "Don't touch our daughter." He growled. "Duke!" the king stumbled backward in surprise before moving himself to his full height, "I am the king! Now give me the girl!" He gave his brother-in-law a small push to get him out of his way and snatched the young child from his sister's arms. Rosalina immediately started to scream from being snatched away from her mother and hearing his sister's cries Luke immediately joined in. As the king turned to go Susanne tried one more time to pursue her brother, "please brother, she is my daughter, please do not kill her!" tears poured out of her eyes, "and if you do I will never forgive you, you will lose me as your sister." The king stopped realising how much his sister loved her sickly daughter. "Fine I will not kill her." Susanne's face light up and she held out her arms for her daughter. "But," the king turned around, "I have decided to keep her in the castle where I can look after her and make sure that she becomes healthy." Susanne's face once again fell, and her arms lowered. "Of course brother that sounds like an excellent idea." She admitted defeat. With a triumphant smile the king left the room still holding the screaming girl. The duke walked over to his wife, Luke's cries dying down to a whimper. "Are you okay, Susanne, at least she will live," he tried to reassure his wife. She looked up tears streaming down her cheeks, "yes this is the best we can do for her." "Now smile honey, Luke needs a happy mother to comfort him," Susanne slowly smiled and cradled her son given to her by her husband. "Yes of course, I will make sure that Luke is always safe in this world," she vowed as she stroked her son's bright red hair.
Inside the castle the king went into his daughter's nursery. The young girl immediately got up from her drawing and ran to her father screaming, "Daddy!" at the top of her lungs. The king went onto his knees to greet his daughter running his free hand in her golden locks. When they pulled away the young girl noticed the other girl staring at her with clover green eyes. "Who is this Father," she asked her hand slowly reaching out to touch the other girl then thinking the better of it drew her hand away. "This is your cousin Rosalina." "She's so small, are babies supposed to be this small." The king smiled at his daughter curiosity, "No Natalia they are not supposed to be this small, your cousin is just special and this is why we are going to be taking special care of her." Natalia smiled at her father in understanding, kissed him on the cheek and bounced away back to her drawing her golden locks bouncing with every step. The king watched her for a minute before straightening and beckoning Natalia wet nurse toward him. She drew closer and the king held out Rosalina. "Please get this child looked at and make sure that she becomes healthy once again so that she can work here when she is older. She will now be your responsibility." The wet nurse curtsied and grabbed the child from the king's arms, "of course your majesty, I will make sure that she becomes a healthy child." "Very good, oh, and also change her name to Rose." "Yes your majesty."