my god i'm so tired XD it's 5 am and i just got off work XD

Kismet

Chapter Forty-Two: Rosana

Lovino chewed his lips nervously. Three months had passed since his babies had been born and they were getting bigger. Romana was finally able to sleep through the night, but Tristán still woke at the same time every night wanting a lullaby. Three months also marked their crowning as prince and princess of Sverran, legally allowing either one to ascend the throne when they came of age (but more so for Tristán).

He stared down at the kicking babies and smoothed their dresses once more, making sure everything was perfect. Lovino smiled, "You're getting too big!" Romana gurgled and kicked her legs around. Tristán was startled by his mama's voice and also kicked.

Antonio walked in the room, "Are you ready, my queen?" he walked up and slipped his arms around Lovino's waist. Lovino nodded, "Ready as I'll ever be … I can't believe it's been this long … already three months old …" he felt tears in his eyes.

"Lovi~? Hey, shh …" he held Lovino close, "It's okay, Lovi …"

Lovino sniffled lightly and looked down at the twins, "I guess we should be getting them to the ceremony?"

Antonio nodded. Lovino was extremely nervous about taking the babies to the throne room to be crowned as prince and princess. They had not been outside the walls of their parent's room or their nursery.

"Yeah, we should …" Antonio grabbed Romana and lifted the three month old to his chest and held her against him, tightly. Lovino picked up Tristán. This was the way it usually was if they babies both cried, since Tristán was calmed down by the lullaby.

They walked to the door and Lovino began to lightly tremble, nervous about exposing them to the outside world. Everyone they knew had come to visit, including Francis and the eleven month old Jay.

He took a deep breath and walked into the halls. Antonio had taken major precaution for Lovino's sake and there were at least six guards surrounding them. As an added precaution, Lovino and Antonio each had a hidden dagger on them. And yet, even with all of the protection, Lovino was still beyond nervous about taking the twins anywhere else in the castle.

They slowly made their way to the throne room. "It's going to be perfectly fine, Lovi~ I won't let anyone, but the holy man touch them."

Lovino nodded and bounced the fussy Tristán in his arms. They finally arrived at the throne room and entered. Every noble rose for them and watched them carry the twins across the room to where the holy man waited. He smiled warmly and held out his arms for the first born. Lovino bit his lip and clutched onto Tristán until Antonio gently touched his arm. He reluctantly handed the holy man his son and let his fists curl and open, curl and open.

"Today, we crown Tristán Fernandez Carriedo as prince of Sverran." he spoke. Lovino tuned out and kept his eyes on the baby, whom started crying. He clenched his fist tightly wanting nothing more than to take his baby and calm him down.

Antonio held his hand, trying to calm him down while Tristán was magically marked as prince. The holy man held him up and Lovino snatched his son back and began bouncing him and humming the lullaby to calm him. He heard an aww from the crowd of nobles and made a note to hit Francis later.

The king handed over Romana and the process went over again, but Romana didn't seem to mind being held by someone who wasn't her mama, papa, Tessa or Femke. "And Romana Felicia Carriedo as princess of Sverran." She was marked and handed back to Antonio.

The crowd cheered for their prince and princess and started the old process of walking up to congratulate, but Lovino glared at Antonio. The older man smiled softly and let everyone see the babies, but under strict rules not to touch or get too close.

Lovino bounced nervously, just wanting to head back to the room and lock the doors tightly. He knew he was safe in his room.

So many nobles said their congratulations, Lovino seemed a bit overwhelmed.

"So beautiful~" Tessa smiled, walked passed. Femke, Christian, Savino, they all gave their congratulations to the twins as well.

"Hi!" Lovino looked up at a young girl with big brown eyes and strange baby blue hair. He'd never seen her before, but welcomed her blessings and joy over the twins as well, "Risa thinks they are so cute!" she laughed lightly, before running off, "Congratulations~!"

The last person to walk up was Isabella, who had not seen the babies since the day after their birth, "Congratulations, son, on your darling prince and princess. They are terribly cute and so big now." she had a soft smile on her face.

"I don't understand you." Lovino growled, "You hate me with a fiery passion, but you act as though you care for our children?"

Isabella straightened, "Obviously Antonio had failed to mention that as long as they exist as his children, I no longer need to be rid of you. You're trash and will always be such, but I don't care to acknowledge you for anything more than the vessel that the heir was created in. They were born Sverran and not Illonian. Their last name is Carriedo and Tristán will one day rule this kingdom. They are my grandchildren and that's all I need to know to love them as much as any grandmother." she glared, "I have no intention of depriving the nation of the one thing I was trying to make sure it had, so you can keep those thoughts about me hating them because of you out of your head."

Lovino growled and glared at Antonio. The king sighed, "Thank you, mother. We're blessed to have such wonderful children."

She nodded and walked away.

"Francis has asked to meet him outside."

Lovino glared harder, "I want to go back to my room with the babies …" Antonio sighed, "Please. They can go with us, but it's insulting to deny him his request. Jay is with him."

The queen felt his heart thundering in his chest. Out here, they were exposed to everything: illness, people, animals, insects … all of it. He wanted to know they were safe.

"But …" Antonio began pouting. Lovino stomped his foot, "I don't think I have to repeat myself when I say you will die if either of them get hurt."

Antonio nodded and started walking with Romana to the gardens, where Francis was waiting. The walk was silent, but even Antonio knew he was in for it the moment they got back to the room. Lovino was the overprotective mama whom would die before letting his children get hurt. He knew he was in trouble with Lovino, but he was trying to show him that it was okay.

Ariana landed on Lovino's shoulder, squawking in confusion as they were not going back to the room.

"Bastard is making me go to the gardens, you'll help protect them, right?" the bird winked in confirmation and took back to the shadows of the building where she always was when Lovino wasn't in the room.

They reached the gardens and spotted Francis sitting at the table with Jay in his lap. The girl was much bigger than Lovino remembered and he felt his heart twinge in sadness at the thought of his babies getting that big.

Tristán cooed in his arms and he nuzzled him lightly.

"Ah, my friends, how are you doing today? Of course, I know that you're doing wonderfully! Congratulations~! I remember my little princess' glorious day~!" he kissed Jay's head and she laughed, clapping her hands together.

Lovino sat down and held Tristán close.

"My friend, you are too overbearing! Loosen up or that child will grow to resent you!" Francis laughed, setting Jay on the ground. She stood up and stumbled across the grass to where Michelle and Matthew were talking. Michelle picked the girl up and made her laugh happily.

Lovino, however glared, his anger building, "Th-they aren't going to resent me!" he looked down at his son, who buried his face into Lovino's chest, falling asleep.

"I resent my mother for trying to shelter me." he stated, taking a bite of his lunch.

"Fuck you, Francis …" Lovino growled. He stood up and grabbed Romana from Antonio, "Fuck you, too."

He stormed into the castle with the babies starting to fuss. He entered the room and locked it, after setting the babies on the bed.

Romana had calmed down, but Tristán was screaming, red faced. Lovino picked him up and began bouncing him, to quiet him. He started singing softly to him. Tears welled up in his own eyes and his voice cracked and he wasn't sure why he was taking what Francis said to heart. They wouldn't resent him, would they?

Isabella apparently ignored Antonio for most of his life and he loved his mother still. Rosana had been the partially sheltered child and was the one who ran away.

But his own mother had been extremely protective of him, from what he could remember, and he cherished those memories and his mother.

Tessa had also been a protective mother and both Daan and Femke adored her.

A soft knock came from the door and Lovino glared, having just gotten Tristán calmed, "If that's you, bastard, don't you dare come in here!"

"Nope, guess again, little brother~!"

"Rosana?" Lovino raised his brow, opening the door up to reveal a tanned woman with long chocolate hair and a little toddler on her hip, "Hey, Lovino! Long time no see! Sorry I couldn't come to your wedding/ coronation/ kid's crowning … Ferdinand was cutting teeth and Aran didn't want me to travel while Ella was so young."

Rosana hugged the shocked Lovino.

"But I'm here!" she laughed. Lovino invited her in and she bounced the boy lightly, "I'm guessing you and my brother are fighting?"

Lovino glared at the floor, "The bastard forced me to take the babies to visit the king of Fayldyr and that bastard insulted me by saying that if I sheltered them, they would grow to resent me …"

Rosana frowned, "That's horrible … Francis always was rather blunt. And you have reason to be protective …"

The queen sat down on the bed and place Tristán beside his sister, "I know …"

"Let's change the subject, okay?" she smiled, leaning over to get a good look at the prince and princess, "So cute~! Tristán (right?) looks just like you! Awwwwwwwwww!" she squealed, when Romana sneezed in her sleep, "I remember it like it was yesterday when Ferdinand was born~! Oh I miss him being that small!" she looked a the boy, "Are you going to say hi to your uncle Lovi?"

The little boy looked up at Lovino and waved slightly, "Hi, uncah Wovi."

Lovino smiled, wondering if his babies were going to be that adorable at that age, "Hi Ferdinand."

The toddler hid his face, causing his uncle and mother to laugh.

"They really are precious and little miracles at that! Don't let Francis say anything to upset you! It get's easier the older they get …" she kissed her son's head, "Well. I have to get going and find that brother of mine … he doesn't know I'm here yet." she grinned, kissing Lovino's forehead, "See you later, little brother~!"

Lovino locked the door after she left and sighed. He went back to the babies and swaddled them up, before putting them in the cradle they shared.

He laid back on the bed and closed his eyes, hoping to get in a small nap before he forgave Antonio for putting him through such a stressful afternoon. He was extremely proud of his children for their first big day, but it had been beyond scary.

Lovino rolled over and looked at them, lovingly. He wouldn't know what to do if he lost either of them.

He woke up to Antonio bringing him his favorite dinner. The older man made quiet movements and acting at though he were walking on very thin ice, "You can stop that now, bastard …" Lovino sighed, "Come here … I want a hug."

Antonio smiled warmly, and set the tray down before crawling into the bed beside Lovino, "You forgive me?"

Lovino rolled his eyes, "Of course …" he kissed Antonio gently, "How was your visit with Rosana?"

Antonio grinned, "It was nice. She was happy to have Ferdinand off the hook. She really didn't want him to become king. We just talked really, about what she's been up to the passed few years, about what I've been up to … the usual conversations we used to have. I'm really happy she came to visit."

The queen nodded, curling up to Antonio's chest and placing a kiss there, "How long is she staying?"

"Unfortunately, she had to leave a little bit ago. Her husband is still at home with Ella." he muttered sadly, "On the bright side, she's moving closer to home now."

"That's good." Lovino muttered, sitting up to eat the food Antonio had brought him.

"Yeah, I'm excited to get to see my niece! Ferdinand was so cute!" he laughed.

Lovino nodded in agreement, "But ours are cuter." he muttered through his food.

"Only because they look like their mama." Antonio laughed, kissing Lovino's cheek. Lovino blushed and rolled his eyes, "You're delusional."

"You're beautiful." Antonio grinned, earning a playful slap on the arm. Lovino finished his food and the two went to take a hot bath, leaving the door open in case on of the babies woke up.

"You know, it's been a year or so since I got pregnant in the first place … time flies too fast," Lovino muttered, sitting down in the bath. Antonio smiled, pulling him closer, "It really does …" he kissed his husband's cheek.

Lovino blushed and leaned his head on Antonio's chest, just taking the time to enjoy their peaceful bath.

TBC

Risa is Airis Hanamori's character~

~Lady Pyrien