Author's Note: It was pointed out by someone in a PM (no, I shan't tattle who) that it appears I really don't like Alanna. No, I love Alanna. But I loathe Alanna and Jon. I started this fic to prove just how wretched their poor lives would be if Alanna agreed to marry him. However, it's changed from just that.

Luckily, the woman who created the former lovers put them out of their misery without this mess.

Chapter 12: Arrival

Late September 440 H.E.

Nine months was a very long time. For Alanna, it felt like it would never end.

She had never been one to stand in front of reflective surfaces and gaze at herself, but now she avoided them. She was as big as Moonlight around and her way of moving could no longer be considered "walking." It was waddling.

She was grateful, at least now, that the colder months were coming. During those warm spring and summer months, she could scarcely keep from crying. She was allowed to take walks in the gardens, but not long ones. Nothing physical could she do, and for someone whose life had been one strenuous physical exercise after another, it was torture.

Thayet and Jon treated her like an invalid. Raoul and Gary were good for a joke, but neither would pick up a weapon, despite her pleading. Roger scowled, perhaps remembering a time when he awaited his cousin's birth. Buri just rolled her eyes, and eyed Alanna's protruding stomach. Faithful kept her amused and tried to divert her restlessness and resentment. But, as he said, there was only so much a cat could do. Thom, ill as ever, helped his sister as best as possible, by making kind comments as to what creatures she was roughly the size of. Coram was with Rispah, who was expecting their first child. Myles and Eleni, now happily wed, visited often, so Eleni could help Alanna. Alex and George stayed far away, for different reasons.

The entire court held its breath, anticipating a royal child and, hopefully, an heir. Rumors flew viciously that this child was not Jon's, but many who loved their Lioness disbelieved it.

Alanna's back constantly was cramped and in pain from the load her front carried and her feet were swollen two sizes. Her legs, used to carrying her and a ton of armor, never buckled under the weight, though her knees ached. She couldn't see her legs or feet over her baby "bump." Loose gowns were all she could wear. She had never been one for strong liquor, but she craved it now, though she was forbidden it. The food she wanted to eat caused people to look at her strangely: pickles and strawberry cream, wild boar and marzipan, cookies and gravy, potatoes and chocolate cream.

"I feel like I'm eating for an army, instead of for two," she said grumpily to Eleni and Faithful. Eleni was checking on her health, as Alanna was due in a week. She had, at first, cringed at the thought of what was to come at the end of her term, but now, she wanted the thing out of her.

That's because you're eating for three.

Alanna stared at her cat, who was calmly washing his black paw. He looked up slowly and the two purple gazes met. Eleni, who Faithful had permitted to hear him, nodded.

"I suspected that."

The pregnant queen turned to her stepmother. "You knew? I'm having twins?"

Eleni sighed. "I couldn't be sure, because predicting specifics with pregnancy is not a precise art. But I have thought that there were two heartbeats, but I wasn't sure whether I was just hearing the child's and yours. But if Faithful says so, I believe it." Here Eleni grinned. "It explains why you're larger."

Alanna groaned and rolled her eyes, tired of hearing about her abnormal size. "Well, at least I got a warning of a few days before I have to push two of them out of me." She stood up to leave and gasped as she felt a popping feeling inside her, followed by a gush of involuntarily water.

Eleni started to laugh, but stopped when she saw Alanna's face.

"Or not," Alanna said weakly as she leaned against the table. "Eleni, I think my water just broke."

-x-x-x-

Alanna labored to give birth for almost ten hours. Faithful had run and fetched Thayet and Myles, while a page had scurried for the king, with the news that Alanna was having twins, and she was having them now. Alanna, who had broken multiple bones and sustained multiple wounds, swore that nothing was more painful than having a child. Finally, out came one baby, then another. The first-born was a girl, the second a boy.

Alanna, exhausted, leaned back against the pillow. Her red hair was matted against her forehead and her violet eyes matched the bags under them. She was handed a flask of water, which she drank greedily. Jon sat next to her, still holding her hand. His palm and fingers were marked with red, where Alanna's nails had dug in.

Eleni wrapped the two squalling infants in clean blankets, wiping the fluids from their faces. Jon stood up and solemnly accepted his first child. The king had the right to be the first to hold the royal children. He gazed down at the little girl, who was crying most bravely. A small patch of coal black hair dusted her tender skull. Alanna watched as Jon gazed down at the baby. His eyes were filled with wonder and awe and love. When the little girl opened her eyes, his flew open wider, for the little girl's eyes matched his.

Eleni then handed him the second twin, the boy. This infant was quiet as he was settled into the crest of his father's arm, opposite his sister. Then he let forth a most wild cry, as if he was letting his sister know that she may have been heard first, but he would be heard above her. He, too, had his father's raven-colored hair, but his eyes were the exact same shade as Alanna's.

Jon marveled at the tiny bundles he gripped in his arms. He had helped create these two tiny, perfect beings. Alanna, now sitting up against the many pillows, cleared her throat. She wanted to see what was holding Jon so in wonder. She wanted to see her children.

Knowing what she was thinking, Jon handed the children to their mother. The girl was put in the crook of her right arm, and the boy in her left. Alanna gasped. A bubbling of emotion grew in the pit of her stomach and poured upward, through her veins to her lungs and her heart, to her arms that held the two most beautiful creatures she had ever seen.

For the past year, she had longed for that true kind of love, that forever love that she'd thought she'd thrown away. And now, she found her own forever love, housed in her children. She cooed softly at them as they began nuzzling at her, hungry. Her heart thudded as the boy found her nipple through her nightgown. She looked at those gathered, and shyly smiled. She looked at Eleni questioningly. Eleni nodded, and drew the covers higher so Alanna could pull the neck of her shift down so her children could feed.

Not hearing the whispers of the maids about why a wet nurse hadn't been called, Alanna watched her little boy and little girl nuzzle her, feeling as love was coming out her pours. Gently, a hand smoothed back her hair and she looked up at the father of her children.

"What shall we name them?" Jon asked, his joy humming from him. Slowly, Eleni motioned for everyone to leave the new parents to themselves, and the congregated well-wishers backed out of the room, off to drink champagne and spread the news that the queen had delivered two children, and that Tortall had an heir.

"I don't know," she said, alarmed that she had never even thought of names. Who could bear such responsibility as to give a child an identity?

"I was thinking, perhaps, Roald…and maybe Lianne?" Jon's eyes were hesitant.

Alanna shook her head. "No, no." Jon opened his mouth to argue. "Jon, it's too soon since your parents' death."

"Well, then, we won't name them after your parents," he said, a little crossly. Alanna bit her lip.

"What about Alan?"

Jon thought. "How about, Lianne and Alan, then? Or Roald and…what was your mother's name?"

"Marinine," Alanna said softly. She looked down at the children. The boy was now asleep, while the little girl gazed up at her mother. "She doesn't look like a Marinine or a Lianne."

Jon gazed down, and had to agree. Neither of their mothers were strong individuals, but this little girl's sapphire eyes met his with a determination that said she would not be weak.

"What about Alanna?" he suggested.

"No." Alanna was adamant. She didn't want an Alanna junior. Let the child make her own name.

Jon ran threw the list of female names in his head. They needed a name for this little girl with bright determined eyes.

Alysy, Jessamine, Amina, Eleni, Larica, Vania, Thayet, Ermelian, Jolene, Myrna, Jacalyn, Honoria, Cynthia, Moiré, Thea, Giselle, Regina, and Margareth were all rejected, as were Marilynn, Narcissa, Finola, Penelope, Lurline, Minerva, Aryan, Sabria and Flora. Alanna's favorite was Eilonwy, but Jon shook his head 'no.'

"What about Kalasin?" Jon asked timidly. "It's—"

"Thayet's mother…" Alanna finished for him. She looked at him sternly.

"Yes. I was hoping to ask Thayet to be godmother," Jon said quickly. "And no, it's not like that. I just want to give Kalasin, our Kalasin, a chance to shine. It's a strong name."

Alanna gazed down at the little girl and tried it. Kalasin.

"Kalasin," she said softly. The little girl turned her head, changing her focus from her father to her mother. Her expression read almost as if she was looking around—I've heard my name, but who said it?

"We should ask Thayet if she'll let us use her mother's name."

As if he had realized that they were not paying attention to him, the little boy gave a cry.

"Of course, it's your turn, my little prince," Jon laughed.

"Like his father," Alanna teased. "He hates when others go first."

Jon would have nudged her hard in the side for that comment, but as she was holding the children, Kalasin and her brother, he didn't dare.

Alanna looked down at her second child. It really hit her then that she was holding the future king of Tortall. This little boy was heir to the throne.

As difficult as Kalasin's name was to choose, the little prince's name was more so.

Roald and Alan were liked, but Alanna didn't want Roald and Jon didn't want Alan. Jasson, Lionel, Gregorio, Emeric, Gareth, Tibbot, Orwen, Francis, George, Conal, Liam, Jonathan, Gilbert, Artemis, Bilius, Ronald, Oswald, Cormac… Jon wanted Geoff, but Alanna said no.

"Why is there so much more of a selection of male names?" Alanna had huffed.

Aidan, Huntley, Rostov, Amir, Egolf, Norris, Robin, Gabriel, Taylor, Coric, Taran, Gaive, Darwin… None of them fit.

"I certainly wasn't this difficult to name as a child," huffed Jonathan, who now held the boy. He lifted him up slightly. "Choose a name, will you?"

The child rolled his eyes as if in exasperation at his father.

"He looks at me the same way your brother does," Jon sighed, before being struck with inspiration. "What about Thom? Or Thomas?"

Alanna looked at her son and smiled. "He does look like a Thom," she agreed.

"Thomas the First," Jon said, trying it out.

Thom screamed.

"See! He likes it!" crowed his proud father.

"Thomas and Kalasin," sighed their mother, trying out their names. "Kalasin and Thomas."

"Thom and Kally," suggested Jonathan who, unlike Alanna, understood the importance of shortening one's name so it would be possible to pronounce it. "Kally and Thom, it is," he decreed.

He looked at his wife and best friend, whose eyes shone from happiness and exhaustion. He kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Thank you," he explained, as Alanna gave him a confused look. "For this. For them. They're beautiful."

"You're welcome," she said. As she had pushed and pushed at Eleni's urging, she had thought of horrible things to say to Jon for putting her in this position, but now that the result of her pushing lay against her, she couldn't even remember that she wanted to call Jon an arrogant toe-rag and a horrible, life-sucking Kraken.

"It wasn't so bad, now was it?" Jon had to ask, smirking. Alanna then remembered she'd wanted to call him the foulest king of the Stormwings and the prince of slime.

"I'm not about to do it again," she snapped. However, her voice did not quite convey her anger and she weakly trailed off. The taxing of labor on her body suddenly demanded to be paid, and she could barely keep her arms about her daughter. Jon, noting her fatigue, smiled and began to stroke her temple, knowing that it would make her way to sleep faster. Immediately, her eyes began to flutter.

There was a gentle knock on the door, and Eleni entered the room. "Is she asleep?" she asked in a whisper of the king, cradling a bundle in his arms.

"Almost," Jon replied.

"I'll see to her, Your Majesty," Eleni bobbed. "And the children. You've got matters of state, I'm sure, you should be handling."

"Probably," Jon grinned. But his eyes lingered on his children. Would that he could stay here with them all day.

"Have you chosen names?" Eleni asked as she took the twins from Jon. He nodded.

"Kalasin and Thomas."

Eleni nodded her approval. "Beautiful names for beautiful babes," she said as she shooed the new father out of the room. "You'll have all the time in the world to adore them, sire. But right now, they need to be cleaned up."

-x-x-x-

The first thing Alanna did when she came to, a day and a half later, was to demand to see her children. It surprised her, but Alanna was caught up in being a mother in a way she never thought she would be. Kalasin and Thom were the light in her eyes and the beat of her heart.

Awwwww.

Recommendation: If you want a really good fic about Alanna's pregnancies, read Cubs by Bevin Brighteyes. It's pure Alanna as she gives birth to Thom, Alan, and Aly (yes, the ship in that one is canon). It's one of my favorites.