Chapter Six - Motherhood

Opal didn't sleep. Like at all. And Aurelia thought she was restless.

The baby princess mostly stayed at the lighthouse with her grandparents and uncle, but of course they wanted to give her some Atlantean exposure as it was a part of her as well. After all, she was of the land and sea, just like her mother.

And boy did she have a set of lungs on her, again, just like her mother. And a lot to say. Guess where she got that from too?

Aurelia awoke in the dark, at some ungodly hour, but not because of any crying, strangely enough. No, it was oddly silent. Too silent. That, and Orm's side of the bed was empty and cold. He'd clearly been gone a while.

Getting up, she heard a soft, melodic hum and followed it to the nursery where she came upon a sight that instantly melted her whole self into a mushy puddle.

"Everything you are
Is everything I need
You're everything to me
Baby, every single part
Is who you're meant to be
'Cause you were meant for me
And you're everything I need..."

Orm was standing over Opal's crib - that which he had crafted himself of Atlantean steel, as promised, cause 'only the best for our prince or princess'. He was holding their - miraculously - sleeping daughter in his arms and was softly singing to her, the lullaby his mother Opal used to sing to him. And clearly it was working wonders.

"Everything you are
Is everything I need
You're everything to me
Baby, every single part
Is who you're meant to be
'Cause you were meant for me
And you're everything I need..."

She came up, wrapping her arms around him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. He leaned back into her, her Disney Prince (ah hem, Disney King, now) of a husband with the voice of pure light. It completely melted her.

"Cause baby, everything you are
Is everything I need..."

Tom, eager to continue adding to the family album, snapped a photo of the three of them, Orm Aurelia and Opal. Father, mother and daughter, just like he had with himself, Atlanna and Arurelia after her own birth. There was also one of him, Atlanna and Aurelia with baby Atlas after his birth. Again, thank goodness Tom took so many photos.

Her parents had gifted her with a motor bike as a wedding present, and Aurelia, eager to show off to her daughter, went rip roaring up and down the driveway, howling with laughter, while Tom stood holding Opal, watching, and Orm clung to her from behind, not enjoying it near as much as she was.

She had spent so long being ashamed of who she was growing up, and she was proud of how far she had come, and wasn't about to shy away from showing her daughter as much.

"And HA! In I jumped!" Opal sat in her highchair, watching wide-eyed as her mother regaled her with battle stories. "Mama took down all the mean pirates!" She held two random figurines to demonstrate and smashed them together. "Those chum lickers didn't stand a chance! Mama kicked their asses - butts, sorry - and took their names!" Then she kicked backwards - but accidently hit the chair in which Tom was reading. The chair went sliding across the room. Aurelia chased after it, horrified. "Sorry Pops, my bad." Tom just gave her a look and she slunk back to her show with Opal. "Okay, where was I? Oh yeah, and then - hey, Babe, get in here! You were there too!" Orm came over, curious about what all her shouting was for. "And then your dad went 'AHHHHHH!'" She gestured to him.

"Ahhhhh," Orm repeated, but with much less oomph.

"Oh come on, you can do better than that! And then we both went-"

She kicked again, only this time accidently hit Orm. He gave a cry and went flying across the room, landing in front of Tom's chair.

Tom once again looked up from his book. "Can't a guy read in peace?"

She winced. "Sorry Babe, sorry Pops, my bad." Opal just gurgled and giggled at the whole crazy spectacle.

Yes, as soon as she got the all clear from the royal medics, she was back to being Aquawoman in full force, the only real part of the job she was looking forward to continuing.

This led to more than one late night. One such night she and Orm, dressed head-to-toe in battle armour, were sneaking in late like a couple of guilty teenagers long after curfew. As they slowly maneuvered through the dark kitchen. She kicked something and the two almost jumped out of their skin as some toy started making noise. By the looks - and sounds of things - it was a fire truck.

Thinking quick, Aurelia jabbed the end of her trident into the toy, shutting it up instantly - a ruined toy was not her biggest concern there in that moment. A crying baby Marius-Curry was, however.

She and Orm exchanged a worried glance as they waited with baited breath. Blissful silence, then-

"WAAAAAAAA!"

She tried really hard to hold it back, but just couldn't. "Fuck!"

"The Council of Houses is driving me nuts," Aurelia told Opal while they had Mummy-baby time while Aurelia nursed and changed her. "Nobody told me about them, and they basically just get to shoot down all my ideas and whatever I want to do. That, and they pretty clearly hate me. They think I'm a bad Queen, and well they're not wrong. For everything I get right, something else goes wrong. Sometimes it feels like everything is working against me." She tickled the baby's tummy, making her laugh, which made her smile. "But the only thing that makes all the hard work and sleepless nights worthwhile is hanging with you and our family." She stood and kept talking as he walked Opal around the room. "I know everyone keeps talking about how you're the future queen and all but don't listen to them. You don't have to be Queen if you don't want to, and nobody can force you to be. I'm telling you, Baby Girl, being Queen is not all it's cracked up to be. Take it from me. I've tried, I really have, but I just never get it, you know? I'm constantly getting my ass - butt, sorry - kicked. I constantly feel like I'm trying to be molded into something and someone I'm not. But I have so many people who believe in me - how can I let them down? Like your dad..." She smiled as she recalled Orm's words to her during their first mission togther, that which had brought them closer than ever before: "I believe in you. You think you're unworthy to lead because you are of two different worlds, but that is exactly why you are worthy, Aurelia. You are the bridge between land and sea, between those two worlds, I can see that now. Now, the question that remains is, can you? See it?... Well, I see it. And I know I'm not the only one."

"He believes in me. We said we were in this together - I can't back out now." Realizing that she had been blabbing and basically pouring her heart out, she lay Opal down in her crib. "Anyways, enough of that, thanks for listening."

There was a soft tap at the door and Orm peeked in. "Saying goodnight?"

"Yep, you're just in time."

"Goodnight my little princess." He leaned down into the crib and pressed a kiss to Opal's head, smoothing back her hair. "I love you so much."

"My turn." She pushed him out of the way - neither could get enough of their little girl. She pressed a kiss to her daughter's head before flicking out the lights. "Sweet dreams, Little One. I love you."

Her words to Opal tugged at her heartstrings - yes, Orm believed in her, and now Opal did too. Yes, she may hate the job, but how could she let them down?

"She's gonna need a little brother or sister pretty soon," Tom remarked, watching Opal gaze upon the fish tank in wonder.

Aurelia snorted. "Easy for you to say, Pops."

"Okay, you're right, I'm not the one who actually has to have the children. Not right away, but in a few years. I just mean she should have someone to play with."

"She has a dog to play with."

Benny, said dog, looked up at this.

"I'm serious. I saw how lonely it was for you growing up, an only child, and I always regretted that I couldn't give you a sibling."

"Well, now I have Atlas."

"I know, but before-"

"Yeah, I know, but don't worry yourself Pops. Besides, I think I turned out fine. All thanks to you. Isn't that right, Baby Girl?" When she turned to her daughter, she was met by an incredible sight:

The fish were all facing Opal in the tank, and she was talking to them.

She was talking to them!

"Holy shit!" Aurelia sprang to her feet, not even apologizing to Opal for the curse this time. "Mum! Atlas! Orm! You gotta come see this!"

As the others rushed in, she joined her daughter. "Hey Baby Girl, are you talking to the fishies? Oh man, this is blowing my mind! My whole life I've wanted to share this gift with someone. Yeah, you and me Opal, we're different, we're special. We're connected to the land and the sea. I can't wait to introduce you to all the majestic creatures on our planet, and show you how awesome this world can be! Yeah, you and me!" The thing that had made her different and a laughing stock throughout growing up was now something she shared with someone, and not just someone, but her own daughter.

No, she couldn't let them down. She wouldn't.

Guess what's now on digital? That's right, I bought The Lost Kingdom! :D

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)