As we step through the portal, I feel Eric's surprise that we are inside the palace. I notice Jason smiling at Pam's reaction to our Fae home. Both vampires look like children who get to see Disney World for the first time. I almost laugh at the childlike awe on their faces, but I shake my head and follow Niall.
We follow Niall straight into the family room to the right of the throne room. I call this room the family room because it is where I spent so much time with Aryk and Arya when they were small children.
The walls are Lapis Lazuli with big comfy white leather furniture around the room with handcrafted Fae wood bookshelves and furnishings. The enormous fireplace is roaring with a beautiful fire. The gold mirrors around the room catch the light and make the room look very welcoming and homelike as opposed to the over the top throne room.
I watch as Niall takes his seat in one of the oversized chairs, and we all take our places as well.
I watch as he taps his cane and sighs.
"Vampires have not been to this realm since the Great War," he says to Eric and Pam as I watch Eric nod in agreement.
"You do deserve the chance to see the children grow up," he continues as I feel Eric's agreement.
"The scent will not tempt you because you are fated mates to Jason and Sookie," he says as we listen. "I assume that drinking from another would repulse you?" Niall asks as both Pam and Eric agreed.
"It is because you both have formed Fae bonds with your fated mates," Niall continues to explain. "That is why Karin could not cross through the portal," Niall explains. "Although Merlin is powerful, he is not Fae; therefore, his mate can not enter into this realm," he finishes and nods his head quickly.
"You have each taken the essence of a Brigant Royal Fae inside yourselves; therefore, you are Brigant family members by marriage and in a way by the blood exchanges," he explains.
"The term we are one is very true when it comes to blood bonds as well as Fae bonds," Niall says as we all nod.
"Will I be in my old rooms?" I ask as he smiles brightly. "Of course," he beams at me. "I have already had your wing prepared and also had your things transported and unpacked," he says as I smile and thank him.
"Jason, your sister, is in the southern wing on the second floor with her mate, and you have the West wing on the second floor with your mate," he informs us, and I agree because the West Wing is very much to Pam's taste.
"Would it be alright if I showed them around?" I ask as Niall smiles. "Susannah, my dear, this is your home as well as mine, and now it is your home too, Jason," he says as Jason smiles.
Eric can feel my excitement through our blood bond, and I can feel his curiosity as we stand to leave. I lead them out of the family room and up the diamond staircase, and I watch Pam's facial expressions with humor.
When we reach our floor, I turn west and open the large arched Fae doors that lead to the West Wing, and I hear Pam gasp in awe.
The walls are Opal and glitter like the Northern lights. The Entire West Wing of this floor has been cleaned and set up for Jason and Pam already, but it feels good to see her so impressed.
"This is beautiful," I hear Pam say to herself as she admires the Suite.
"I thought you would love it," I say as she rushes to me and gives me an awkward hug. "This is better than any hotel or spa in the mortal realm," she tells Eric as I watch him smile at her.
"Come and see your room," I say as I open the door to the right and hear her gasp in surprise.
The bedding and curtains are pale pinks. Almost white in their coloring. The floors are solid white marble with streaks that blend with the walls.
White Gold mirrors hang on the walls, and I see her zip to a door to the right of the spa bathroom.
Eric rushes to the door, and I pop over to see what has him rushing, and I see Pam standing wide-eyed in the biggest damn closet I have ever seen. "This is bigger than my weapons room," I say as Eric arches his brow in confusion.
"All of my things are here," she gushes with wonder. I see Jason smile and wrap his arms around her. "Tinkerbelle has a damn great house, huh Pam?" I hear Jason tease her, and Eric quickly leads us out of the West Wing before she can show Jason how much she loves her Tinkerbelle dwellings.
I turn at the stairway to open the doors to our Wing, and Eric stops in his tracks.
"This is beautiful, Sookie," he says as he cradles our babies in his arms.
"I had it remodeled when I came here before," I say, whisper as he looks around the main room.
"The entire wing is made of moonstone," I say as he stares at the walls. The floors are made of Sunstone," I say as he continues to look at the glittering orange floor and the beautiful translucent white walls.
"I missed you, and I know that both stones were sacred to your culture," I say as he stares around the room.
The white leather furniture is the same as my time before with bookshelves that are filled with various books. I turn to the door to the left and lead Eric to the children's room, and he smiles as he notices the vast Fae crib in the middle of the room.
"They would never sleep in different cribs before," I whisper as I take Aryk and lay him in his crib and then tuck Arya in beside him.
"Even in sleep, they gravitate to each other," Eric whispers in awe as he watches our son and daughter snuggle into each other.
"I used to say they were like magnets," I mused as he wraps his arms around my torso and rests his chin on my head. I can feel his agreement through our bond.
"Is this where you lived?" he asks as I nod my head.
I snap my fingers and conjure two more cribs and some matching dressers. I fill them with Aryk and Arya's old clothes that are now fresh and clean. I also conjure a matching chair big enough for Eric to sit in when we are in this room.
"Come and let them sleep," I say as I lead him from the room by his hand. "They are safe here because only Niall or us can enter," I explain.
"You never had help?" Eric asks, and I shake my head. "No, I raised our children because they kept me going," I say honestly. I feel his pride through the bond.
"I will warn you that I was hormonal and slept last time, but this time I have no idea how I will act so, please try to have patience?" I ask as he laughs.
"Come and take the tour," I say as I lead him to the small dining area I shared with the kids before. I showed him the weapons room, and I thought he would never pick his mouth up off of the floor.
"Thalia and Karin would be very impressed with your collection, my wife," he tells me with appreciation. "I notice that you also include your guns with your knives and swords and other weapons," he says as he looks around the room.
"I trained with each weapon," I explain as I feel pride through the bond.
"When we return to the mortal realm, I will have a weapons center at Valhalla, and all of this will be there," I explain as he laughs.
"Karin will love you more than Pamela," he laughs as I giggle.
"What are we going to do with four more kids?" I ask, as the thought enters my head.
"You wanted more children," he tells me in a matter of fact voice as I stare at him in confusion.
"Be careful what you ask for next time," he smiles like a cat that got the cream.
"So we will be caring for six children," I say as he looks at me, waiting for my point.
"Aryk and Arya were into everything," I explain as he listens, and I can feel that he wants to hear more, so I spend the next hour sitting with Eric on the couch telling him every single story about our son and daughter.
About the mischief, they frequently got into as well as all of the times I caught them snooping. By the time I was done, he had laughed bloody tears and was asking why I felt so disgruntled through the bond.
"Because they were so much like you that it was hard to keep up with them, and we are about to have six little Viking tornadoes," I say in exasperation, and he chuckles. "Come now, Sookie, I am sure that everything will be fine," he says as he pulls me into him.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," I say with dread as he laughs more.
As the weeks passed by and I watched Eric with Aryk and Arya, I became more and more thankful to Gran for pushing me to do this.
Each time one of them whimpered, he was there in a flash. Changing diapers which was hilarious at first, but he adapted quickly.
They were growing up so quickly.
I could feel happiness from Eric as well as from our son and daughter. Pam was even happy.
Jason and Pam came to our Wing, or we went to see them every day. Pam has her memories of her brother and sister, and I can tell that she loves being able to see them so young.
The day Pam woke up to find a bulge on her usually toned tummy was the worst day in the palace. I never thought I would see Pam act like such a baby, but she did exactly that.
"How will I wear my beautiful clothes, Eric?" I heard her complain as Eric tried hard not to laugh. "Pamela, you will manage," I heard him tell her as she huffed out a breath. "You are all the same," she spat before she disappeared from he room in a temper.
"I'm not happy about the size of my ass at the moment, either," I say as I waddle into the room.
"We've been here for six months, and it won't be much longer," I say as I sit down to rest.
"We should talk about names Eric," I say as he sits beside me and cradles me in his arms.
"We already have Aryk Jason Northman and Arya Adela Northman," I say as he smiles at our son and daughter playing on the floor.
"What about Arthur Leif Northman for one boy," I ask as he smiles. "My brother's name and your grandfather's name," he says with a nod.
"I also like Alexander Ulfrik Northman for our other son's name," I say as he beams with pride. "My father's name," he asks as I nod. King Ulfrik was very kind to me when I was trained by him," I explain. "The name Alexander because he was a great warrior and almost conquered the world," I say as he smiles.
"I would like to name our daughters," he says as I nod reluctantly. I see him cut his eyes at me in question.
"Ya'll Vikings had some strange names," I say as I shrug my shoulders, and he bellows a laugh.
"Astrid Susannah Northman," he says as I scrunch my brow. "Why, Susannah?" I ask as he caresses my hair. "Because I already have a Sookie," he says as I laugh with an eye roll.
"Guinivere Grace Northman," he says as I look at him in confusion. "Grace?" I ask in question. "I wanted to include Arthurs Queen and honor her because as I hear you have much in common," he says as I wait. "Grace, because it fits her, I feel," he says as I think.
"Then we are agreed on names," I say as he kisses my lips with happiness.
"We can decide when they are born who gets what name," I say as he agrees.
"At least I don't have to worry as Stackhouse does," Eric shudders, and I laugh. "I cannot believe that she would want to name her daughters Prada and Chanel," he says in mock outrage.
"It is Pam," I say as he nods, and I can feel the bewilderment through the bond.
"Jason is as bad," I say as Eric shakes his head.
"I can't believe that he would name his daughter after a character on a television show," I say as Eric laughs. "Pam agrees that Daenerys is a suitable name for a daughter because she enjoys the show with your brother," Eric laughs.
"So, my niece will be Daenerys Chanel Stackhouse?" I question as Eric laughs and shakes his head. "Your brother has legally changed his name to Brigant," Eric says as I jump from the couch.
"He did WHAT?" I demand in outrage as I pop to the West Wing.
"Jason Stackhouse?" I bellow as he pops to me in an instant.
"I guess you heard, huh?" he asks as I glare daggers at him. "WHY?" I demand as he huffs out a breath.
"Because Sookie, I am a Brigant," he tells me with calm and patience as I feel like a volcano about to erupt. "I KNOW THAT," I bellow in his face as he flinches.
"Mitchell Stackhouse was our grandfather too," I say as he nods.
"Jason Stackhouse is still my human name, but we ain't human Sookie," he tells me with more patience. "We are Brigants," he says to me again as I fume.
"I claim the name because of Niall and not the other one," he says as he refuses to speak Fintan's name.
"I will always be Jason Stackhouse, and you will always be Sookie Stackhouse, but we are so much more than that now," he continues.
"Do what you want to do, Jason," I say as I pop back to my room in tears. I curl up under the blanket as Eric slides into bed and wraps his arms around me.
"Sleep my love," he whispers as I drift off to sleep.
After I recovered from my hormonal outburst, I talked to Jason and apologized, but I still felt like we were doing grandpa Mitchell a wrong turn. He was a good man, and he should be honored.
When Aryk and Arya were six months old, they walked, and Eric could not be prouder. He declared they were the most gifted children ever created and the most beautiful.
The day my water broke, we were all sitting in the family room playing a game of checkers, and Pam was a sore loser again. I bent over to pick up the checker pieces that she had thrown in a hissy fit, and I felt a gush of fluid on my legs and saw the wetness on the floor.
Before I could say another word, Eric had me in his arms and our bed as Jason and Niall contacted Ludwig. Eric held my hand and sat through every curse and every foul word I could think of as Alexander Northman came into the world first with a mighty roar that sounded like his father's battle cry.
He was cleaned up and a name bracelet placed on his arm. Arthur Northman came into the world a full two minutes later with what sounded like a small cry and a sigh.
As I lay there, trying to catch my breath, I saw Eric flitting back and forth between his new sons and me.
It was thirty minutes later that Astrid made her way into the world and was soon followed by her sister Guinevere. I finally held all of my children and fed them as Eric watched with love and pride from beside me.
"Well, you have four healthy new young ones, your majesty," Ludwig says as she sighs. "You do make beautiful children," she tells us as I feel Eric preening.
"I will be back to check on you as soon as I am finished with your progeny," she tells Eric as my mouth pops open.
"Pam is in labor too?" I ask in surprise.
"Yes, and we are all lucky that this will be her last birth," Amy Ludwig huffs as I feel Eric's humor.
"Pamela has never been one for messiness," he explains, and I look at him with rage, and he stares wide-eyed in confusion.
"Birth is messy?" I ask in a tone that would give his ass frostbite. He seems to understand he has spoken the wrong phrase because he quickly tries to cover his ass.
"It is quite messy but a beautiful process which Pamela will hopefully appreciate when she is shopping with your brother's credit cards and not mine," he says with happiness.
The boys are in his arms, and the girls are sleeping together in a small crib beside the bed. "Well, both boys look like you," I say as he smiles down at his sons. "Alex and Arthur," I say as I hold Alex's tiny hand.
"My daughters are beautiful too," he says as he frowns.
"I will have to kill many men," he tells me as I laugh.
"Astrid and Gwen will be headstrong, and I hate to tell you this, but they will also be very high handed," I tell him as he groans with frustration.
"You have extreme genes," I say as I roll my eyes, and he is pleased as punch by that remark.
"How long have we been gone from the mortal realm?" Eric asks as he lays down our boys and checks on Aryk and Arya napping.
"Hours in the mortal realm, if that," I say as he slides into bed beside me.
"I feel like I am in a hospital nursery," I say in bewilderment.
"How did we go from we would never have any children to having six children," I ask in defeat.
"With us anything is possible," he tells me as he kisses me deeply and curls me into his body, and I drift off to sleep.