"Tazio...", Ariel put her hand on his shoulder. "Mom... please... she's... she's not going to die...", Tazio started to sob as Ariel nodded.
"I know... she just needs to rest and some help... but she'll pull through, she's as much of a fighter as you are.", Ariel replied with a reassuring smile.
"By Poseidon, I hope you're right...It's my fault for putting her into this..." Tazio spoke quietly, and Ariel narrowed her eyes, grabbed his chin, "Now listen to me, Tazio of Atlantica and Tirulia, and listen good! She chooses to be pregnant, and she did, and true, she only went through one child each before, but she isn't one to lose an innocent life or two even if she gets tired. After all, she endured so much in Romania, and she's determined to come back to you and your children, all four of them. Just be here for her when she wakes up, is that clear?", speaking in her queenly voice.
Tazio nodded. "You're right... I'm sorry...", he apologized as Ariel kissed his cheek, "It's okay, Tazio... I know what you're going through... fitting considering it was you after all. But she'll recover, you just have to keep faith.".
Tazio nodded before his son cried hungrily, and like a domino, Risa cried out hungrily as well. Arcadia sighed deeply, "Maybe feeding them would wake her up.", and Tazio replied, "It's worth a try.".
Arcadia went to the other side as Tazio gently was given his son from Ariel, and the babies latched into Mira's nipples, suckling as they were assisted by Arcadia and Tazio...Mira didn't show any sign of waking up, but there was a smile appearing for a moment...
Tazio's heart lightened up at the sight, exhaled deeply yet prayed that she will wake up soon. Meanwhile, in her deep coma, Mira was sitting in her old familiar home, a gypsy caravan fit for four...
Mira is wearing her old gypsy dress from the day she first met Tazio. She is confused by why she's here when she heard a familiar voice.
"Looking good for a mother of four, Miracle.", chuckled a male voice, and Mira froze, knowing that only one person called her by that pet name, and it was her first love, her first husband, Alexander...
A man she actually was arranged to marry, and somehow, she fell in love with her dearest friend after time passed on, and he became the light of her life when her father died that winter..."Alex?", Mira whispered as she turned around to look at him in surprise.
He smiled before she started to tear up and ran right into his arms, almost feeling the familiar warmth of his embrace. "I... am I...?", Mira asked as Alexander shook his head.
"No... you haven't moved on; I assure you of that. Right now, you're just very exhausted and your son caused some issues by accident, but you're not where I am yet.", Alexander responded.
Mira gave a sob of relief, "Thank God! I don't want to leave my children and my soulmate...Oh, Alex...I never wanted to replace you, honest!", looking up at Alexander, taking in his kind warm brown eyes, just like Gabriel, caramel bronze skin, dark brown hair, almost black.
Alexander smiled warmly, "I know, Miracle...I was honestly surprised when I saw you meeting him, and then I saw it...you were his lost soulmate...I was your best friend...there was a different story...I don't regret giving you all the love and our two children...I always wanted to have a family of my own...And now, I always will love you, but you will always love him more, and I am not angry about it.".
"You sure? I mean, I can understand if you do feel some sort of betrayal with how fast Tazio and I moved with things.", Mira said as Alexander responded by kissing her forehead, "Not even for a moment, Miracle...".
Mira smiled tearfully, "I missed you so much.", and Alexander smiled tenderly, "I'll always be looking over you and our children, and I mean, all of them. Tazio is a great man, and I am confident that he will make himself a remarkable king in due time. Risa is beautiful, and your son, he's magnificent. Born on a snowy day, that doesn't happen every day. Tell Tazio that I am proud of him taking care of you all those years.".
Mira sobbed, "I will always love you so dearly, Alex.", and Alexander smiled, "I know. Now they're waiting. Wake up, Mira. Go be with your family.".
Mira nodded as she teared up more. "I miss you so much, Alex... I really do.", with a sob. "I know, we'll see each other again one day, I promise you.", Alexander smiled.
Mira smiled softly, nodding, and she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, and Alexander tilted her chin, "It's not like you're cheating, Miracle...May I kiss you for old time's sake?".
Mira whispered, "Yes.", knowing what he meant by that, and Alexander smiled lovingly for a moment before he kissed her then.
The bittersweet, familiar, and tender kiss was so nostalgic for Mira, and before she knew it, the kiss became differently familiar, shy, and bold as she opened her eyes to see Tazio before her, his eyes closed, and her hand moved to caress his cheek, causing him to open his eyes in surprise, then joy as tears fell, "Mira...", whispering in happiness and relief.
"I'm alright...", Mira whispered as Tazio gently rubbed her hand. "Easy, easy... just relax for a few minutes... you've been out for a while.", Tazio said. It was taking everything to keep him from just assaulting her with kisses at his joy of her being awake, but she was still in a fragile state.
Mira whispered, "Is he okay? Our son?", concerned for a moment. Tazio nodded, "Yes, he's alright now... just a rough birth, that's all, you took it a bit worse.".
"How long was I out?", Mira asked. "It's been almost two days... I really was starting to get afraid for you.", Tazio admitted.
Mira gasped, "What?! Risa, our son, they need to be fed!", almost getting up, and Tazio was quick to stop her, "Easy, Mira, easy. They're both fed, and just did this morning...Turns out your milk works just as well when you're in a coma...Didn't even stir a bit when I, Mom, Melody, Arcadia, and Carlotta assisted the babies to suckle from you during turns through the past two days...".
Exhaling in relief with a sob as she relaxed back, "Thank the spirits...", Mira spoke before recognizing her and Tazio's bedroom, "You moved me here?".
"Was the doctor's idea...If you are in more comfortable, familiar surroundings, you would wake up easier...he was right...", Tazio sighed deeply, and Mira smiled softly before seeming to remember something..."Tazio...I think Alexander gave his blessing to you, saying that you were my lost soulmate...He was right on the fact that I and he was more of best friends than anything else who just fell in love...".
Tazio glanced away as Mira could tell that something was off. "You don't think he's right?", she asked as Tazio gave a small nod.
"You know why I think that... you know I still think sometimes that I simply am just...", Tazio paused as he took a deep breath. "That I simply just swooped in replace him, that what you two had was the true connection, not the other way around.".
Mira reached out to grab his chin, stroking it gently as she turned him to face her, "Tazio, I married you out of love and family, not pity or sympathy, and Alexander, I married him out of convivence and tradition. He became my dearest friend through the first year as I got to know him, and I fell in love with him, yes, but I had this feeling that something was missing, even if he tried to figure it out for me.".
"I was devastated when I caught news of his death in that mining accident, and yes, I saw him in Gabriel almost every day when I woke up, but then my heart became far stronger when I met you, and now I know what the feeling was...It was you, my lost soulmate...Perhaps, if I had been born later, I would have met you first instead of Alexander, or if my father had decided to let me live a free choice without getting arranged into a marriage, but life doesn't go anywhere we want, and I don't regret it, for I have four wonderful children, and a remarkable man in you, Tazio of Atlantica and Tirulia.".
Tazio smiled as he kissed her on the lips. "And I love you too, Mira.", he said as she leaned her head back once more.
"It's funny... I've been asleep for a few days, and I still feel tired.", Mira chuckled. "The doctor said that's fairly normal for those in a long sleep, just get some extra rest and get back to a normal sleeping time and you should be alright.", Tazio replied knowingly.
Mira nodded before hearing the hungry cries of her twins, and Tazio smiled, "About time. You can't get off this bed, but I can help you sit up some.", before helping her sit up a bit more, and then nodded, "I got them.", with a chuckle.
He went through the slipstream door between their bedroom and the nursery, and got the twins, returning back to Mira who gave tears of happiness and relief as the twins realized that their mama is awake, gurgling happily as they settled in her arms, soon heading for her breasts, latching into the nipples to suckle and drink.
"There you two are... so precious...", Mira whispered as she relaxed and let them continue to feed. "My precious Risa and...", she paused as it hit her. "Tazio... we never named our son...".
"Didn't want to without your suggestion... the doctor felt sure you'd recover so we waited.", Tazio smiled patiently with a soft shrug.
Mira smiled, "Well, he is the royal doctor.", before faintly remembering something else Alexander said...It's true that her and Tazio's son was born on a snowy day, a rare occurrence in southern Italy, especially on the shoreline...
"Well, I am stuck between two names...I always adored Othonoi, and the Greek people there...There's a Greek name that is literally meaning 'snow': Chion, and then of course, Italian here, again, meaning 'snow', is a name called Neve.", Mira mused out loud.
"I think I like Chion just a bit more...", Tazio said as he gently brushed his son's hair. "He certainly gives off a bit more of a Greek vibe when I look at him.", with a chuckle. "I think you see a lot of me in him, Tazio.", Mira smiled as she felt Risa finish feeding.
Tazio smiled, "I have to agree with you there, yet he looks like me too...", as Risa snuffled, and Mira patted her back as she gave a burp, and Tazio laughed warmly as he picked Risa up, cradling her as she settled back into his chest.
Mira smiled, "I think she is going to be a daddy's girl.", when she held Chion closer to her as he kept suckling, brushing his hair gently, "You truly got Grandfather's shade of hair, darling...He would be proud of you bearing it, dear Chion...".
Tazio kissed her on the temple, "He's sure a special one...just like you too, Risa.", as Risa gurgled at him before giving out a whine, and he chuckled, "Oh, is that right? You want to hear the lullaby?".
Risa gave out a louder whine, and Tazio smirked, "Oh, I don't know...", before raspberrying her little belly, and Risa giggled, shrieking out in laughter for several seconds, patting his cheeks away as Tazio then laughed, "Alright, alright.".
Mira smiled as Tazio then sung the family lullaby slowly and tenderly, feeling Chion finish his meal, and adjusted him to rest on her shoulder as he gave out a quiet burp, not wanting to interrupt his papa's performance.
When Tazio finished, Risa squealed happily, gurgling and whining, and Tazio groaned lightly, "Come on, Risa.", and Mira chuckled, "Something wrong?".
Tazio sighed heavily, "Turns out she doesn't conk out until she had her fill of the lullaby two, if not three times by then...Chion was easy, only one time at most times, and other times, it was usually Mom and Dad's song.".
Mira chuckled, "Well, then, it's my turn to sing something...After all, I have to make up for lost time the last couple of days.", and Tazio smiled, "Then your audience awaits.", playfully gesturing to Chion and Risa.
Mira took a deep breath as she began to sing something soft, nothing too bombastic or really giving her wide range, but a simple lullaby that would help bring the two babies at peace and help them sleep.
Tazio smiled warmly as he closed his eyes, listening to his wife's lullaby, feeling little Risa in his arms snuggle close to his chest, and as the song passed over him, he sighed deeply, wanting to sleep simply with his wife...He hasn't slept much the past two days.
"Tazio? They're asleep.", Mira whispered, and Tazio opened his eyes, gazing down to see the babies deep in dreamland, and he chuckled lightly, "They sure are...Sorry, your song was so nice...".
Mira smiled in understanding, "Go on, take them to their cribs, and you can then hold me as we go to sleep...", as she gently passed Chion to his other arm, with Tazio nodding, smiling as he got off the bed, heading to the nursery to put the little ones to bed.
"Just try to stay awake for a bit longer, okay?", Tazio teased as Mira smiled before he finally left the room, leaving her alone once more for a few moments before he came back without their children in his arms.
"Okay, they're in their cribs now.", Tazio said as he walked back up to her. Mira smiled softly, "Good.", as Tazio climbed back up into bed, and she grinned softly, "I believe you owe me some serious cuddling.".
Tazio chuckled, kissing her on the lips, "Naturally.", before taking her in his arms, caressing her gently as they laid back, "I really love you so much, Mira.".
"I love you too, Tazio... I'm sorry I made you so worried there.", Mira apologized. "It's alright... you're still here, and that's all that matters... now, just to let you know, I'm going to be real gentle with you for a while... don't want to aggravate any sort of injuries with you.", Tazio said with a nod.
Mira smiled softly, "That's more than fine with me, my beloved...What about your duties?", and Tazio sighed deeply, "I think Father will understand, and besides, Mother has been helping him, along with Bascus and Arcadia...".
"Okay.", Mira nodded before yawning, and Tazio smiled, brushing her hair back, "Rest, my beauty. It's lucky that it's evening, so you will get back to regular sleep soon.", and Mira kissed him on the lips before resting her head back on the pillow, falling asleep with Tazio holding her in his arms.
"Just get some rest... we both need it...", Tazio sighed as he leaned against her and also started to go to sleep, catching up on his own as he had been finding it difficult to even sleep for a minute with her in a coma.
A few hours later, Mira woke up to the need of going to the bathroom, and felt stronger and better, carefully getting off the bed, and used the bathroom in a long time ever, and went to check on the twins, and just as she came in, they somehow sensed her, and they cried hungrily as they woke up.
Mira smiled, going to feed them in the rocking chair after picking them up, and sang their new favorite lullaby, and kissed them good night as she tucked them back in their cribs after changing their diapers.
She then headed out of the nursery and looked at Tazio with a smile as he slept, and she then realized that along with the sleep, he has been missing out on something equally needed, and a smirk came to her face.
She may be too delicate right now, but she can still do something for him, and she climbed back up into bed, craftily hooking her fingers into his trousers, moving them down to reveal his limp penis, and took the head of it into her mouth as she leaned in, working it slowly, knowing he will soon wake up in surprise and curiosity.
Tazio moaned and had a small smile to his face for a few moments before he slowly groaned as he was coming out of his sleep. After a few moments of him trying to regain his bearings and his eyes, he looked down to see what has happening, "Mira...?".
Mira quickly shushed him. "Just allow me to continue...", she told him. Tazio moaned in surprise as he gasped upon feeling Mira's incredible talented tongue stroking his penis, "Mira!", and Mira smiled as she continued pleasuring him.
"I...Oh, Poseidon...", Tazio huskily breathed as he felt the familiar rush of blood running down to his manhood, becoming full mast, and Mira whispered, "There you are...", her hands reaching to caress the rest of him, including his balls.