Chapter 17:
RPOV
I woke up the next morning in my own bed. I had missed it. Not that the bed in Russia wasn't comfortable but there is no place like your own bed.
"Good morning Comrade."
He grumbled something before waking up.
"Morning."
"Sleep okay?"
He nodded as he pulled me closer. He nuzzled my hair and my neck not saying anything. His hands were traveling up and down my body, swirling over my stomach down between my legs. I let out a small moan as my mouth found his and our tongues entwined. Until… there was a knock on the door.
"Rose are you up? We have to get ready."
I groaned and looked apologetically towards Dimitri.
He was counting to five. It was his turn this morning. We still hadn't been able to separate sex from transforming and one time we didn't care and just went for it anyway. It ended in broken furniture. But it had been worth it. But we still tried to keep our sexual exploits to a minimum. Which meant one of us had to stay in control. Not that we couldn't do it consecutively but with my dropping energy levels we needed to budget my energy. So it meant taking turns. It also meant that Dimitri's turn actually had been yesterday but with the traveling it didn't leave much room. But I guess he would have to wait until tonight.
I got out of bed and dressed. I saw Dimitri getting up as well and walking to the bathroom grumbling something about a cold shower as I got dressed.
I giggled a little. My poor Comrade.
We had dressed in our uniform with our telltale royal red stripe, indicating us as royal guards and were escorting Lissa and Christian to the hospital. There was a secret entrance for us, that we used whenever we needed discretion. You wouldn't believe the things they come up with when Lissa walks through the front door. People at court have such an imagination. Although most of the rumors actually said they were pregnant. And if we had walked in the front door. For once they would be right.
The doctor came in and instructed Lissa to lay down at the table and life her shirt up. Lissa normally wore dresses and skirts. A skirt would have worked here too, but I understood now why Lissa didn't pick the new dress she had lying around. She would have been in her underwear.
"Liss, do you want some privacy?"
"Oh don't be silly Rose. I want his or her god parents here."
I smiled. And then the room was filled with a heartbeat. I could see Christian stare at the screen in wonder whereas Lissa was crying at the sound of her childs heartbeat, When we had given them their moment I also took a look. I could actually see it was a baby. It had arms and legs and even the start of fingers. It was still tiny. She wasn't even showing yet, but I was surprised at how early it already looked, well human.
"Well everything looks good. Development is right on schedule and the positioning is right. We can now accurately calculate your due date and I would like to see you back here in a month time for another scan."
The doctor said.
They both nodded.
"Actually doctor I would also like you to check Rose out."
He looked at me funny and turned back to Lissa.
"For what exactly?"
She rolled her eyes.
"She is almost eight weeks. She needs a viability check."
He raised an eyebrow at us. It was widely known Dimitri and I were married, so I knew he had some reservations, but seeing as Dimitri was in the room, he assumed he was aware and at peace with how I got pregnant.
"Okay, then, Lie down if you will and expose your stomach."
I did as I was told and Christian made way for Dimitri, so he could see the monitor clearly.
I felt the gel and was surprised it was warm. In the movies the gel was always cold and they made a big deal about it. I always wondered why nobody thought of warming the gel up. Well apparently someone did.
He put the wand on my belly and the room filled with a similar swoosh as it did a moment ago with Lissa. I heard her squeak behind me. You would think she was having these babies too.
I saw Dimitri looking at the screen in wonder. I looked over there to and I could see them. I could see the difference between our children and Lissa's child developmental wise. Although ours clearly had heads, the arms and legs were only stumps. They kind of reminded me of tadpoles.
"You are aware you were having twins?"
The doctor asked and we nodded. He looked skeptical. Lissa answered for us.
"They are surrounded by spirit users, we knew before they did they were pregnant."
Not a complete lie, but not really the truth either. But the doctor seemed to take it all in stride.
"Okay so development is within range and they look good. I can tell they are fraternal twins, so not identical. Because you are carrying twins I would like to see you every two weeks for a checkup. Have you been taking any prenatal meds?"
I nodded.
That had been the first thing Dimitri did when he found out. He had taken a handful from Lissa and had bought me my own on the way to the airport. Nothing screams pregnant like your husband buying you prenatal vitamins.
"Okay then. I assume I need to handle this case which as much discretion as I do yours? Your majesty."
"For a while at least, and I will be announcing my pregnancy later today now that we have moved safely passed the first trimester mark."
"Very well. It would be best if you could escort guardian Hathaway to her next appointments then. They will believe the appointment is meant for you."
We all agreed to do that and walked out the door after Lissa and I had cleaned our bellies. We were both grinning like idiots. The men had smirks on their faces.
"Well now that we know everything is okay, I will make up the paperwork."
"Paperwork?"
"Yes of course. I want to file a formal request now, that your children will be guarding mine. When words gets out you two will be having children, so many royals will be in line to request them. Even if I have first dips, I want to beat them all. Don't worry the filing is discrete."
I had to laugh, we had almost nineteen years before they would be ready to guard anyone, but Lissa was nothing if not a planner.
Speaking of planning, we had a meeting with Hans about well a lot of stuff. Even if we didn't want the world to know we were pregnant and could transform, Hans not only deserved to know but needed to know.
I grabbed Dimitri's hand before we walked into the guardian's building. Few people at court knew we were missing, but the guardians here knew. Several had been on our rescue mission.
"Hey Rose, Dimitri, glad to see you are back from your vacation. I guess you needed some R and R right."
He wiggled his eyebrows and I laughed while Dimitri flushed.
I winked when we passed him and he smiled. We walked into the office towards the end of the hall. We were no strangers to that office. Not only do we have monthly briefings with Hans, I also get called in quite a lot because of 'certain behavior'. I swear I feel like I am going to the principal's office. But Hans and I have an understanding. He had long ago determined that beside my rambunctious nature I was also a damn good fighter, one of the bests. So he let me rain free within reason and I promised I would avoid burning down court.
We entered Hans's office and for a change he was actually happy to see us. Normally when we would walk in without an appointment he sighed deeply and rubbed the bridge of his nose. I could practically hear him thinking, what has she done now? But this time he seemed genuinely happy to see us.
"Well look what the cat dragged in. How was your vacation? I noticed you took a few extra weeks. Not that you two don't deserve it, but not usually your style."
I smiled as I sat down in one of the chairs, Dimitri sat next to me holding my hand.
"So what brings you here?"
"Well we have some things to discuss with you Hans. But I have to stress the fact that this cannot leave this room."
Dimitri was scowling. We trusted Hans, we did, but this wasn't just about us anymore, this was about the twins. Of course when he would react badly we could just compel him.
"We are pregnant with twins."
I saw Hans's eyes widen to twice their size. His mouth opened and closed a few times and he looked between me and Dimitri and back. It was quite funny.
"The official story is that I got pregnant in a fertility clinic before we returned to court after our last mission and that Adrian is the donor."
"And the unofficial story?"
"I am their father." Dimitri commented.
You could see the wheels turning in his head. He was considering all the options of how Dimitri could be the twins farther.
"Something Nathan did?"
"No, but we will get to that. It is because I am a restored Strigoi. There is spirit running through me."
He seemed to mull that over.
"So why aren't there already little terrors of yours running around."
"Hey."
He looked me over with a scowl and raised one eyebrow. Yeah my children would be terrors in his eyes.
"We used protection."
"You knew this could happen?"
"Well no, but I still was on birth control for other things."
He gaze bore into me. I had always been a good liar. Something I inherited from my father no doubt. Although I must have inherited my guardian mask from my mother. But somehow Hans has always been able to look right through me.
"Bullshit, Hathaway."
I humphed and crossed my arms over my chest.
"There may have been one other account we knew about."
"So this was planned?"
He asked a little surprised and I thought I could hear a little accusation in there too. Like he wasn't included in the decision that took his two best guardians out of commission.
"Well no. Nathan in a way was responsible. Kept us prisoner for a week. Long enough to wash the birth control out of my system, apparently."
"Well that is just, umh I mean, congratulations. I mean this is something you want?"
Dimitri squeezed my hand again and I think the sparkle in both our eyes said it all.
"It is. We just never knew how to combine it with our jobs. Having kids would mean either stopping slayer mission or risking them to be orphans."
"Yeah I suppose. That is the trade-off any guardian parent has to make. So does that mean you won't be going on slayer missions anymore?"
"No, we will go on solo missions." Dimitri said in his no-nonsense voice.
"I don't understand. Raiding on your own is even more dangerous."
"Perhaps, but necessary now. Nathan's tattoo did affect us."
Dimitri started to tell the story. What Nathan did, what happened to us in Baia. All the new abilities we got and how we had to sustain them. And how we I had to sustain the twins.
"Show me."
So I closed my eyes and saw Dimitri do the same. When we opened them, the world looked brighter and louder. I could hear Hans's heart beat increase, his breath ever so slightly labored and his hand was sliding over the ridge of his pants where I could hear the leather of his stake holder sway and part for his fingers. His first instinct as they have always been was to fight. The red eyes we were currently spotting almost a conditioned cue for action on his part. I knew that that same reaction would have saved him several times when in battle, but here in this office it wasn't necessary.
"We are in control Hans. The transformation is physical. And no matter how hungry we get we never have the need for blood of any other species. Our bloodlust isn't satiated by blood but by power. You don't need to worry."
He nodded at Dimitri's words but still repositioned himself on the chair. We both returned back to normal and even without my heightened senses I heard Hans let out a breath of relief.
"Okay, so you will need intel on Strigoi hideouts in the area around court."
We nodded.
"I won't be using much of that strength here so I won't need to feed much but Rose will because of the twins. We have timed it a bit and without accessing that power she can go about a week or two before she gets hungry."
Dimitri explained and Hans was taking all this rather well I suppose.
"You will be returning to your jobs as primary guardians to the queen and consort then?"
Consort ha, Christian was a consort. The monarch title of King only bestowed on those that were actually elected to the position, so Christian was either Lord Ozera, which would be the nice way of saying it or the queen's consort. It made him sound like a secret boyfriend instead of her husband and father of her child.
"Yeah, Lissa needs us right now, and I want to be there for her and the baby. It is kind of nice going through this together, so we wouldn't have been going on anymore slayer missions for a while anyway."
He looked at me with those wide eyes again. I realized what I said and I also realized Lissa hadn't made the announcement yet.
"Yeah, she is pregnant, a few weeks ahead of me. She will make an announcement probably today. So until then zip it okay."
Hans leaned back and had a small smile on his face.
"Well this should be interesting. Just a heads up on your end though. We have been getting requests for your services and people who have worked with you a lot lately. I can only imagine what people will do when they find out your having children. They might already start requesting them."
"Oh Lissa has already filed the paperwork for requesting the twins for her baby's protection. And she does get first dips."
He laughed.
"That is the first time in our history I have ever seen unborn children be requested. Sometimes guardians who show great promise are requested as early teens, but unborn children are a new angle. But I am not surprised. You two are legends, and I think with recent developments that reputation will only grow."