Rays of starlight shone onto the hardwood floor illuminating all in their path with soft shimmering light. All was quiet and calm as a winter's night, rare indeed given that it was the middle of summer. Not a cricket chirped, nor did even a gentle breeze rustle the leaves of the trees below. It was the perfect night for rest, and an even more perfect night for magic.
The moon was full and glowed gently on the fjord, every smooth ripple of the water brightened to look to be the purest white silk of a maiden's wedding gown. The entire kingdom was asleep, with the exception of one, its newest Prince, Kristoff Bjorgman.
Kristoff had never exactly fallen asleep, he had been restless and too busy to do so as his gaze shared its focus between the picturesque night outside his window, and the even more lovely and calm beauty that slept beside him. He watched as the cloudless night shone down on the water, being able to see it through a wall of windows beside his bed. Normally the curtains were drawn over the windows, only letting a few remain unshielded, but not tonight, not on this beautiful fair night.
The glow of the night sky struck upon their bed as well, making the silken green duvet shine in the light like the greenest meadow grass. The bed was warm and comfortably soft where he lay, but he could not shake the feeling of restlessness that struck him so deeply that he felt it in his very soul. Nights like this were the nights he would spend out in the mountains running freely through the streams and paying visits to his troll family. These were the nights he would not sleep. The sky was awake so he was awake. He and his wife were very alike in that way, however she could not stay awake tonight.
They had been married for a bit over a year, and on nights like this they would go out on the balcony together to drink in starlight, or when feeling particularly adventurous they would venture out to the courtyard or beyond the castle walls. But not tonight, she was tired and rightfully so. She was carrying his child, and now, nine months in and just about to pop Kristoff knew that she needed her rest. He knew this so much so that when she had wanted to stay awake with him, he had cradled her in his arms and had sung her to sleep. She rested easy beside him now, looking like a picture of maternal beauty and grace beside him. Though the night very much had his attention, she was by far the more captivating.
He looked upon her as he looked upon the moon. They were beauties that only rivaled one another, necessities in his life, things he felt he would die without. Her eyes were shut, lids calm and free from the fluttering that usually occurred when she was having a hard time sleeping. He knew that she must be dreaming, a soft smile playing on her lips told him this to be true.
He imagined her dreaming of flowery meadows, the places he would take her on warm summer days. He thought of her dreaming, although he thought a bit selfishly, of him. He thought of her dreaming about their child.
Her hair was shining in the moonlight, looking like the opposite of the night's shining light. Her red hair always looked like warmth to him, like sunshine, like the dawn that came after the darkest midnight in December. She was that to him, the light, and this was expressed in her by her hair, her consistently soft blush, and now by the maternal pregnant glow of her skin. She looked so natural to him that more than once he had dreamt of her clad only in vines, leaves, and flowers, just like the pictures from story books depicting wood nymphs and even Mother Nature herself.
He wanted so badly to kiss her soft pink lips, to run his thumb over their swollen flushness then to put his own mouth upon them. He would not, however as he again reminded himself of the importance of her sleep. He chose instead to rest his hand cautiously on her swollen belly.
His hand was light on her bump, but he let his fingers smooth over it gently. She carried his child, their child, and at times he was simply baffled by the miracle that had taken place within his wife. "Anna." He said softly as not to wake her, "I hope our child is like you."
He hoped such a thing with all his might. He wanted their child to be like Anna as she was perfect in his eyes. He loved her from the very start and now that they had wed, little had changed and the small things that did had only made his heart grow fonder of her. He still thought of her a beautiful. Every single day he counted his lucky stars and thanked them for bringing her into his life. Just as he now thanked them for blessing them with a soon to be born child.
Neither of them knew the child's gender, though a visit to the trolls had ended in Bulda looking very shocked but telling them nothing. She knew something, she always did, but she kept her lips sealed; only promising the pair with a bit of her troll magic that their posterity would be born well into the world. That any children they had would be born safely and would not become ill. Her secret keeping had worried him, but the promise of having a healthy child was all he needed to know. He wondered if, with the largeness of Anna's belly, Bulda saw them having twins. It was an entirely possible thought; however he tried not to worry himself with it. He would be there with Anna the whole time, and though it would be more difficult than intended he knew that they could handle it.
He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to imagine the way his children might look. Perhaps the baby would be a girl with her mother's sparkling sky blue eyes and perfect button nose with his blonde hair and ears. He imagined that little girl as rambunctious and naughty. The type of girl who would eat all the chocolate in the kitchen and despite having it all over her face would blame Sven or Olaf. He imagined her being a lot like her mother, with wildness in her despite noble birth. He imagined her with a love of the outdoors from him, he imagined her learning how to ride horses and climbing trees.
He smiled and then thought of having a son with his chocolate brown eyes and hair with Anna's nose and ears. At least for the sake of his children he hoped they did not have his nose, though he did think that it suited him and he was none worse for wear, he rather hoped they had a nose like their mother. He imagined his son building forts and learning to sing like he had enjoyed as a child. He imagined his son being his sister's protector, though she would be tough and would not need it. He imagined him being strong, but loving with a passion for others and an intellect that rivaled his own and Anna's as well.
He thought fondly of his children, and opened his eyes to find Anna's open as well. "Kris!" She said suddenly as she sat up and put a hand on her tummy. "I think my water just broke."