Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, at all. SM can keep all that cash!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

"Can't believe my eyes
Could they possibly be deceiving me on the other side?"

~Christina Perri

His eyes have changed – the color lightening from pitch black to a color that is perfectly between Edward's vibrant teal and my own icy blue, a sort of sea foam or green-tinged aquamarine. The hair that had been stubbornly stuck flat to the top of his tiny head has sprung up, a darker version of his father's hair, bronze at the roots and darkening to jet black at the tips. His skin, too, has altered – instead of the fine baby pink shade it was immediately after his birth, it has taken on a barely glazed caramel tint, as if the sun itself kissed his skin.

He is precise blend of both of us.

I see human traits in him – his chest has nipples, his limbs, while long, are not as long as a Leumian baby's might be. The tips of his ears are as pointed as mine, not sharp like Edward's. He even has very light bronze eyebrows, which have become a source of amusement for Edward.

But his Leumian side is prominent – fine, razor sharp nails, tiny fangs protruding from his gummy mouth, the shape of his face and nose.

And he has already begun experimenting with the lormaline around my neck.

I had been alarmed, of course. Not even a week after his birth, and my child was controlling the gem.

Edward, too, thought it was odd.

But we could only think my own gifts had something to do with our child's astonishing talent.

Edward's thick, jagged lines across his body had thickened with the birth of our son – a reaction to increased male hormones. He had told me when I had cried out in shock at the bolding markings.

It seemed that I was far more prone to emotional reaction since my son came into the world.

The Little Prince's own birth markings are fine, vine-like lines in curving, swirling patterns – like my own dots – instead of the jagged, sharp lines like Edward's. Edward had told me that, with age, our son's markings would grow darker.

His birth opened up a whole new side of Leumian culture and development.

There were so many things I was learning at a rapid pace – the minimal weight I had gained during the pregnancy literally dropped overnight, my diet altered to accommodate the feeding demands of my infant, Leumian babies did not cry, rather they made noiseless, tearful expressions and they ate as frequently as every few hours. And gentle Edward had become a fierce, over protective and possessive father.

The only people I had seen since the birth was my mate and my son.

I found I was just fine with that.

The isolation had drawn us closer and now, I could sense my son's distress without even having to look at him, though my eyes were constantly on his tiny body.

Even now, on the day of my sons Leumian baptism, where Edward and I would dip his body into the icy water of the Northern Caps, my eyes were drawn to his wide eyes. There is a certain curiosity, a certain intelligence that human babies did not possess in his wide-eyed sight.

He is fascinating.

"Soon, he will start growing."

I shift my gaze, meeting Edward's vibrant eyes. "What do you mean?"

Edward's hand strokes down my spine. "He has not grown since being in your womb," Edward tells me.

I look again at my son and realize the truth in my mate's statement. It was true that he is the same size now that he was when I gave birth. "A growth spurt, then?"

Edward makes a confused noise in the back of his throat. "Spurt?"

I shrug, letting out a laugh. "A human phrase," I tell him. "It just means he will grow very quickly."

"I see," Edward said, though by the way he glanced at me through the corner of his eyes, I could tell that he didn't understand. "We simply call it growing," he mutters, tucking me under his arm.

"So he will grow?"

Edward nods. "Very quickly, as all Leumian children do. He will appear like a toddler before he is six months old."

I stare at my infant, my baby boy and try to imagine him older in such little time. I frown. "I will miss how small he is."

Edward's lips are hot on the back of my neck, peppering tiny kisses up to the shell of my ear. "We will have many more children," he growls, lust dripping off his words.

My thighs clench.

I can feel how eager Edward is to make more Prince and Princesses.

My entire body trembles.

We had not made love – mated – since our son's birth. I was not ready, still sore and knowing that my body was not ready, yet, for another child. Edward was incredibly understanding, even citing that usually Leumian females wait until their next heat to mate.

I was not sure when my next heat would come.

But I was certain I wasn't ready to wait that long.

Far away, outside the palace, I hear the chiming of lormaline bells.

"We have to get ready," I sigh, shifting to sit up.

And just like that, Edward's attitude changes. "We'll not be going anywhere. I don't want either of you near anyone but myself-"

I touch his cheek, watching as his clenched jaw melts under my hand. "Edward, we must. It is our duty."

"I know. I just feel like something might happen."

"You worry too much."

"I hardly call it worry," he whispers. "It's more of an inkling. Something will happen."

I fold my legs under my body, kneeling in front of my mate where he is perched on the bed. "We cannot hide him away for the rest of his life. This must be done. We will be back sooner than you know."

Edward stares at me, his gaze shooting through my entire body.

We were supposed to make a trip to the Northern caps three days ago and the Leumian people were growing nervous. Alice had been sending me information daily, knowing that I would be the best person to receive it, considering Edward's mood swings. She, and the royal family, were worried about the state of the people.

And now, it was our duty to calm the masses.

We couldn't put off the baptism for any longer.

It had to be done today.

"Will you help me bathe him?" I ask, trying to divert his thoughts.

It had become a daily routine to bathe our son together, washing him in only the riches Leumian oils and salts. A bath was one of the only ways to calm our son's curiosity enough so that he might sleep.

"I will run the water while you feed him," Edward smiles, kissing me quickly and leaving me with our son.

Feeding had been particularly difficult for me – not so much the way my son had to feed from my breast, but it was his instinctual follow-up to feeding that had been hard for me to get used to.

I lift his light body from where it had been resting in a fluffy pillow and hold him close, his little head fitting under the hollow of my chin. He nuzzles his face into my neck as I slip my arm through the thin strap on my shoulder, effectively freeing my breast to the open air of the room.

I adjust my son in my arms, guiding his puckering mouth to my nipple and sighing in relief as his quick suction releases the pressure that had begun in my chest. It was this pressure that kept his feeding schedule routine – the milk causing my swollen breasts to ache unless the liquid was released.

Tiny, happy sounds emit from my son's chest as his miniature hand paws at the skin on top of my breast.

Edward moves back into the room, observing us as I sit straight, my legs folded under me and our son eagerly feeding. He smiles slightly, pure adoration in his eyes.

I love him.

Moments pass as our son drinks his fill and he pulls away with a soft pop, his mouth open in a yawn that threatens to over take his cherubic face.

With his lips parted so dramatically, the gleam of his tiny fangs greet me and I prepare myself for their sharp sting.

Sleepily, my son's eyes open and lock on the two identical marks just above my nipple. Without seeming to have much thought about it, his fangs latch perfectly onto their marks and he slowly sips the blood from my breast.

I wince at the initial action and force myself to relax.

The first time he had done this, I had cried, in a full panic from confusion. Edward had calmed me, explaining that Leumian babies still needed their mother's blood until they were nearly a year old.

It made sense – he had been sharing my blood for his entire life and he would surely still need it until his strong little body grew large enough to fend for itself.

The fangs retract quickly and his little tongue laps at the wounds, sealing them until his next feeding.

I carefully move his body until his head is over my left shoulder and my right hand is patting his back, burping him between his tired yawns.

Edward moves closer and takes his son, nuzzling his face into darker hair and placing our child back on his pillow.

I move to cover my exposed chest but Edward is quick, his hand gently stopping my wrist and his eyes, dark and all pupil, stopping my breathing. Long fingers move down my skin and to my exposed nipple, which puckers instantly.

I bite my lip, my chest heaving.

I want him.

A slight twinge of soreness in my core reminds me that I can't have him.

I open my mouth but Edward silences me, his fingers twirling around my nipple, hardening the nub until it is nearly painful.

His lips are on my skin, sucking at my collarbone and downward, meeting my new cleavage with earnest attention. His mouth moves to suck lightly on my nipple, getting the barest amount of milk and humming at the taste. I quiver at the vibration, my thighs pressing together.

Edward's large hand presses on the middle of my back, arching my chest towards him as he slips the other strap of my dress down my left arm. With a new breast exposed, he latches onto my nipple, nipping at the hard bud until my head falls back, baring my throat.

It seems that is a sign to Edward that he can continue, because he quickly lays me down on the fur rug and bends my legs at the knees. He lets them stay together as he pushes the material of my dress up past my belly button, so that the fabric only covers my ribs.

Strong thumbs press into the hollow of my hips, right above my pelvic bone and my hips twitch upwards, my thighs still pressing tighter and tighter together. His hands flatten on my stomach and move down the curve of my hips and back, towards my bottom and then inside, where my lower lips are partially exposed.

One finger strokes the wet skin.

I gasp. "We can't.

"We're not going to," he assures me, swiping at my core again.

Slowly, he edges his fingers between my thighs and forces them apart, pressing my knees flat on the fur rug beneath my body, opening me up to his gaze.

This is the first time he has seen me since the birth.

I am self-conscious of my appearance, knowing there is no way it looks the same as before.

But Edward seems not to care and he inhales sharply, bending slightly to inhale again. His tongue pokes out between his lips and exposed fangs and I throb.

His hands caress the skin of my inner thighs, moving closer to my core until he is pulling my lips apart, exposing me further to his intense gaze.

And then, after a short pause, his mouth is on me.

Licking at the wetness.

Nipping at the lips.

Sucking on the bundle of nerves near the top.

Driving me crazy as I am struggling to keep quiet, pressing my hands to my mouth to smother my moans as Edward's tongue, long and strong, actually enters my body, squirming inside of me.

My entire body jolts, suddenly so much closer to the edge when Edward's thumb presses against my clit, his tongue still buried inside of me. I look down my body and notice that Edward's hips are moving restlessly on the fur and color is blooming high in his cheeks.

Quickly, his hands grab onto my hips and force them to stay still, angling my body so that my tailbone is tilted down, opening my legs more.

Edward tortures me, bringing me to the edge and pulling back, only to bring me closer again and pull back again. My hands move into my hair, pulling on the roots as Edward hums against me.

And then, his fang grazes my clit and I am releasing, actually feeling a gush of liquid seep out of me. I don't have time to be embarrassed about it because Edward groans and eagerly laps up my release.

I feel like jelly when he closes my legs, kissing my pubic bone sweetly. Breathing out in a rush, I run my hands through his hair. "Do you need me to…?"

Edward's face flushes and he presses his cheek into my stomach. "I'm fine," he says, his gaze flickering to the fur rug. And then I remember how his hips had moved against the floor and I understand.

We rest for a moment until the soft snores of our son breaks us from our lusty haze.

Bathing the Little Prince is an experience – he enjoys splashing the water and he coos at the fluffy soap that cleans his body. After my own quick bath, I dress him in a sapphire sheath that is distinctly male with crisp lines and clean cuts.

My own dress is nearly white, a sort of soft gray with a flowing him that reaches my knees, the bodice tight on my chest and the skirt flaring from my hips. The dress leaves my back exposed but my shoulders covered. With my child in my arms, Edward wraps my cape around my shoulders, fastening the front so that our son is trapped between the fur and my chest. The hood is deep enough to cover my head and my son's, where his sleeping face is pressed into my neck.

As he is putting his own heavy cape on – too heavy for a Leumian and probably for my future use if I am chilled in the Northern caps – Edward pulls a face, clearly not wanting to leave our chambers.

"We can stay," he begins, anxiety seeping into his voice.

And though I want to appease him, I remain strong – growing up in a life under a spotlight, the only daughter of the Grand President, I had learned how to push past my own worries and wants and focus on my duty.

So, I shake my head and walk towards the door, my thick, fur-lined knee-high boots clicking lightly with each step. "We must. The sooner we leave, the sooner we will come back."

As soon as the chamber doors slide open, Edward's entire demeanor alters – instead of carrying on with his worry, it morphs into a hyper-vigilant, tense mood. He glares at each servant as we work our way to the palace exit, Edward's looming body alternating from walking in front of me to crowding close behind me.

I can hardly be annoyed at him.

This was how Leumian males acted. It's his nature.

I had grown used to walking everywhere on Leumin, so the sight of a great horse-like animal saddled up, clearly ready to be ridden, startled me. Edward growled at my abrupt stop, sinking into a slight crouch.

"It's fine," I tell him, keeping my voice calm. "What is that?"

"This is a zu'la," Esme says, approaching us with a smile, her dress swirling around her ankles in deep plum swaths.

Edward's growl rumbles loudly in his chest, his body inching in front of mine as his mother moves closer.

"Edward! It's your mother!"

He continues to growl.

Esme laughs, amused. "Carlisle was just like that."

"I'm so sorry," I tell her, rubbing my son's back when he makes a similar, smaller whining growl in his chest.

Esme waves me off. "There's nothing to be done about it," she smiles. "How is the Little Prince?"

"He's try to copy his father," I sigh, listening to my son's whine turn into more of a coughing-growl.

"Silly little males," Esme teases, peering at the dark head pressing against my neck.

"Are the zu'las supposed to be ridden?"

"Oh yes," Esme says, speaking over Edward's growls. "But only you will be riding. The journey is not as long as you might think, but you are a new mother and we can't have you tired out. The zu'las are very fast."

"Faster than a Leumian?"

"Nothing is faster than a Leumian."

And this proves true. Once Edward deems his mother safe, though he continues to irrationally growl at the rest of his family, Alice and Jasper, I am able to sit on the zu'la with Edward's help. I use one arm to support my son and the other to steady myself, though the animal I am seated on travels very smoothly.

And quickly.

Edward has no trouble running beside the zu'la, the animal's lead in his hands. I can hardly keep up with the speed that I am traveling, choosing to close my eyes and hold my son instead of staring at the blurring scenery.

Eventually, we stop and I notice how much colder the air that touches my face is. My hand comes up to shield my son's face from the frigid temperature, though he seems to be unaffected by it.

The Royal family are the only witnesses to the baptism, though Alice is very discreetly capturing the event on a small disk-cam so the Leumian people might see it and confirm the birth of the Leumian Prince.

Edward, who had finally stopped growling at everyone, helped me down from the zu'la and lead me over to the edge of the icy water.

We are completely silent as Edward unfastens my cape just enough for our son to be visible, just enough for me to slip both of my arms out to cradle our son as we wade into the freezing water.

I begin to tremble immediately, the cold seeping into my bones.

Edward's eyes soften into a silent question and I nod. I will endure this.

Edward steps behind me, his arms reaching around me and steadying my hands, molding his body around mine so that we are both holding our son.

Finally, he speaks, his voice clear and angled towards the sky – as if speaking to a God or the Heavens. "I, First Prince of Leumin, present my son, my successor and my heir, Second Prince of Leumin, Caelum Ryder Faolan. On his behalf, I pledge loyalty to the crown, to the people and the planet."

And, without hesitation, we dip our son's body into the biting water – his eyes are wide and unblinking, completely serious as if he knows what has just happened. There is a certain shift in the air, a note of authority surrounding him as we lift his tiny, soaking body from the water. He does not sputter or cry out at the cold, he merely accepts the events as is.

Together, Caelum, Edward and I turn to our family.

And stop cold.

Charlie, my father for all purposes necessary, stands in front of the Royal Leumian's, staring at me blankly.

A/N : Small cliffie! I cannot apologize for it, though, because the chapter came ahead of schedule and is broken into 2 parts, kind of. I just thought this was a good place to stop.

Choosing the name for the Little Prince was really, really hard and I think Twilight Rocker 12 can attest to that as I sort of hounded her for her opinion and even then, I had a last minuet change. Originally, Masen was going to be in the name but then I came across a review suggesting Caelum….

Anyway, the last chapter had a record number of reviews, all of them were helpful and note worthy, and I thank each of you for taking the time to help me out!

sheeiur22 – I am not a fan of cannon Bella's birth scene lol

MonaRider – if you're reading this, I'll totally marry you on Facebook. Find me on my "homepage" from my profile!

Beautiful Blood Red Roses – officially the longest review ever and it was awesome!

Handsdowntoo – I'm glad he made it too! I didn't think he would!

Cici G – shall she say something about Renata? Time will tell….

james3142 – I dunno….Is Renata working for Charlie! O.o

JessJess76 – official MagneticEdwards can be purchased at…oh, wait. Darn. Can't buy him!

Marah – think we nailed the strong name, right? Lol

Darkheroprophecy666 – I love that you love my story! It loves you back!

karol-r07 – I considered each and every one of your names!
celia azul – if she can control the iron in someones blood, she better learn in the next thirty seconds! Lol I actually hadn't ever thought about it.

Sprite007 – Carlisle loved the hug you gave him!
CrimsonRed-ink1792 – oh, dear! Pay attention in class! Lol

stupidlamb2010 – Anthony was a strong contender in the naming process, I promise!

Telaviv – as always, you're one step ahead of me. But will it turn into a tragedy?

MissMartha – the Celt tradition sounds interesting…I'll have to look into it for the next baby I have to name lol

Foxytaco – Nolan made it pretty far in the chart I had going, but it was beat out in the 3rd to last round lol

Liam FTW – Liam, like Nolan, made it pretty far!

PanteraFenix Negra – Keep reading! It gets better!

nay-nay1990 – I was so close to naming him River, I swear lol

mikey1048 – Seth was actually really popular. Four other people suggested it lol

ch0c0lat3 – Henry or William, like the actual Princes of England? Lol

maysnrs – Do not, I repeat, do not let him name that baby Clark! Or Peter, for that matter! Isn't there another X-Men character that's a dude? Lol Logan isn't so bad, it's one of my favorite names.

YesMyRealNameIsBella – his name has a C in it! Lol Caleb is a great name, but my ex's name is Caleb and he's an ass soooo….eh.

Imabwrighter – seriously, it was between Ryder and Ryker when I was annoying TR12 lol

Sshart – well….he does have three names so, thanks for that suggestion!

Extra Special Shout Outs to the wonders who's suggestions made it all the way to the end!

RPattSinner – is natural childbirth that bad? D: I think you were one of the first to mention Ryder

Sephoria2 – you suggested Caelum and it pulled through. Orion (which I love) was a close second! (for anyone who cares, Caelum is actually a constellation! Who knew!)

Rorolovesvamps – you suggested Faolan, which I immediately fell in love with. It was a no-brainer choice for me – of course I would choose Faolan!
Twilight Rocker 12 – thank you for putting up with my crazy ass! Lol

And finally, shout-out to the first review of the last chapter, beans and cornbread – Alexander was a great suggestion! Excellent thinking on that as I had considered Alexander once, but went for one of the more odd sounding names.

Thank you to everyone I didn't mention! Welcome new readers!

There are only two more chapters left to Magnetic! The rest of this chapter should be posted really, really soon.

As always, be brutally honest. I can take it.

~cupcakeriot