Fantasy Betrothed (Closed to Aina)

[Aina]

Sarai looked wearily at the man who was standing next to Aiden. What the hell was he planning? Seraphine of course had the complete opposite reaction. She was so excited that she kept bouncing about wondering what Aiden was going to show her.

As they walked outside, Sarai was apprehensive no doubt but her eyes widened when they landed on the horse. She looked at Aiden in shock and she almost ran up to the horse herself. Seraphine'a entire face brightened and she squealed with delight.

"My own horse!" she squealed again and she looked at Aiden. "For me?" Her gaze turned to Sarai, "Can I get on her?" Sarai nodded slightly but she smiled. Seeing Seraphine happy made her happy of course. She looked at Aiden however.

"How much did she cost us?" was her first question, her eyes went trailing back to the horse. It brought her back to when she was younger. Surprisingly a pout came on Sarai's lips when she looked back at Aiden. "I'm bummed you didn't get me a horse too," she said, her own eyes were bright as she couldn't keep her eyes off the horse. She was so beautiful that Sarai wanted her for herself.

"Can I take her around?" Seraphine asked and Sarai shook her head.

"It's been a long time since you've ridden one Sera, you need to be extra careful,"she almost wanted to offer to go ride with her but she wasn't sure it would be safe for her yet so she looked at Aiden." Go with her please so she doesn't get hurt."

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

Aiden laughed when Sera squealed. "Yes. Yes she's for you." He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, grinning as he watched her go up to the mare. He almost winced when Sarai questioned about cost and he turned sheepishly to her. "Come on, Sarai. She needed something. Who cares about cost? Everything that's been happening has been hard on us, don't you think it's been extra difficult on a little girl? The money's spent anyways."

He was surprised by her comment, but then he laughed. "Well, maybe Dennet has another pretty horse for you, too," he said, kissing her quickly on the cheek.

He looked back to Seraphine and was about to say yes when Sarai mentioned she should be careful. At her next comment, he rubbed his neck in embarrasment. "Um... You see, Sarai, I don't know how to ride a horse, so I'm probably not the best person to do that." He lowered his hand. "I can walk beside her, I guess."

He trotted up to Sera and the mare and offered to take the lead from the handler. He passed it over, though he seemed unsure for some reason. It didn't throw Aiden off at all. He patted the horse's neck as he led the animal with Seraphine on her.

"You have to make sure she's taken care of very well," he told Seraphine. "Especially because your sister didn't know about this." He chuckled. "Promise you'll take good care of her, Seraphine?"

Sera nodded excitedly. "I promise, Aiden," she agreed.

The horse was calm and sound, just like Aiden had wanted. He had made sure to ask Dennet for a very calm, very well trained horse and the man had delivered. He was glad to see the horse wasn't bothered by Sera's squealing or wriggling in the least bit.

"What are you going to name her?"

 

[Aina]

Sarai was surprised to hear that he didn't know how to ride. She wondered why and she was going to ask him but he left. She watched him walk beside the mare and Seraphine with crossed arms. She was seriously wondering if she could get her own horse. Maybe they could acquire a few of them.

Sarai was glad to see that Seraphine was happy. Her little sister really needed some time to be a kid for a change. All of these tragedy gave her no chance to be carefree and overall happy. It saddened her a bit to think that Sera might be impacted by all of this when she was older. She tried not to think about it too much.

Seraphine was so full of joy that she hadn't even heard what Aiden asked her at first. She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I never had a horse of my own before. My mommy never liked when I would ride with Sarai," she frowned somewhat but perked up as the mare flipped her head slightly.

"She's so beautiful and white. Maybe...Starlight or maybe Bunny? Or maybe Snowball?" she wasn't sure what name to settle on. She turned around to look at Sarai.

"Sarai, what should I call my new horse?" she shouted at her.

Sarai laughed and she shook her head. "What we you want to call her Sera. She's your horse."

~~

Emmanuel was going to head to bed like he usually did when he finished his guard duties. He wanted to stop by and see Riccardo before he did that though. He was disappointed to find that he wasn't in the infirmary. A servant told him he had went upstairs and Emmanuel thought that he probably went to sleep. Still, he wanted to check in on him regardless so he sought him out and was told he was in the study. He knocked on the door first and called, "Riccardo, are you busy? Dr. Seavers told me you were in your feet, I wanted to check on you." He hoped he wasn't being intrusive or annoying. He had been worried about the other man lately. Part of him still felt guilty for having not protected him.

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

Aiden frowned. "Well, you can ride as much as you want, now, Sera. And we'll get someone to teach you so that you learn how to ride this pretty horse as fast as you want."

He laughed at the names she called out and glanced at Sarai when she laughed. He was surprised that she didn't seem irritated with him, but he was glad, too. He'd had this in the works for a while, trying to find the perfect horse and breeder. He was glad that he'd done well and that both girls were overjoyed.

"You know, I kind of like Bunny. It's got a nice ring to it," he chuckled, patting the horse's neck again.

They went around the yard a few times before Aiden stopped in front of the house and by Sarai again. He looked up at Sera. "I think we should show her to her new home? The servants built you a little barn and everything, Sera. And all the grooming and riding stuff you need." He offered out his hands to help her off the horse.

Sera groaned, somewhat reluctant to get down already, but let Aiden help her off. He chuckled. "You'll have plenty of time to ride more, Sera." He turned to Dennet when she was safely on the ground. "Thank you again. I may be in touch again for my lady here," he said, gesturing to Sarai with a wink.

Dennet nodded with a grunt. "Of course, your majesty. Pleasure doing business with you."

As Dennet and the handler went to leave, Aiden turned to Sarai. "So... you're not mad?"

--

Riccardo jumped when he heard a knock at the door. He hadn't even realized Sarai had closed it on her way out. When he heard Emmanuel's voice, he set the papers aside and sat up straighter, part of him overly pleased that he had seeked him out on his own.

"Come in," he called.

When Emmanuel opened the door, Riccardo smiled softly. "Arthur let me leave with the promise that I'll let myself rest as much as possible." He glanced at the cane he had propped on the chair and sighed. "Unfortunately that means I'm still a little incapacitated, but I am allowed to walk, now."

He couldn't shake the little bit of joy he felt that Emmanuel had come looking for him. He felt stupid that he was so happy over such a silly thing. Why did he care if Emmanuel liked him in the first place? He shook his head as if to get rid of these thoughts.

"I'm still under the influence of morphine, so I don't have a lot of pain," Riccardo went on to explain. "And it definitely feels nice to be out of the infirmary." He noticed the tired look in Emmanuel's eyes, though, and frowned. "Were you on your way to bed? It's about that time, isn't it?"

 

[Aina]

"Sarai calls me that," Seraphine chimed in. She pondered on the thought of calling her "Bunny" now. "I like it," she grinned.

"You should learn too. I want to ride with you," she told him with a slight whine. She didn't want to get off but she knew she had to anyways. She perked up when he told her about the stables. She went with a servant to take the mare to where she'd sleep.

" Come on Bunny, "she said cheerily as she walked off.

Sarai smiled as she watched Seraphine walk off with her new companion. She looked at Aiden and she feigned a glare." If anything I'm jealous you didn't get me a horse too, "she pouted again, flipped her hair dramatically," You don't know me at all. I love horseback riding."

After a second she laughed and she smiled widely." I'm joking honey. I'm glad that you did this for her. She deserves it. Seraphine always wanted a horse of her own. Thank you for doing this." She went to kiss him." Thank you. "

~~

Emmanuel smiled when Riccardo told him to come in. He noticed the cane next to the chair and he frowned but he seemed to perk up. He seemed in good spirits for someone who had been in a lot of pain a week ago.

" I'm glad you're walking, "he wouldn't mention his concern that Riccardo wouldn't have been able to. He was relieved.

He nodded awkwardly. He was the opposite of his confident self around Riccardo and he didn't know why. He cautiously walked further into the room, standing in front of the desk to face him. He smiled slightly. "I'm glad...thst you're not in pain," he scratched the back of his head but he shook his head. He smirked when he mentioned him going to sleep. "I was but I wanted to see you first," he told him, "I was worried. But I'm glad you're alright."

He scratched his head again, "Sorry, I said that already. What were you up to before I interrupted?"

((I'm going to head to bed in an hour.))

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

Aiden chuckled. "Well, I guess horses haven't really come up since we got married." He grinned at her and kissed her back, still glad she was happy. "She needed this. I should have let you in on it, though."

He turned and looked off, watching Seraphine, her horse and the servant heading to the barn off on the outskirts of the property. "Maybe I should learn to ride, too. And then she and I can teach Aurora when she's old enough." He turned to Sarai and winked. "That means we'll need more horses after all." He chuckled. "Just say the word, and we'll pick out another for you."

--

Riccardo's brow furrowed slightly, watching Emmanuel. He wasn't quite acting like himself. Riccardo had grown accustomed to his joking, cocky self, but he seemed off tonight. He suspected he may be tired, but part of him was terrified it was something he'd done.

Mother of night. I've been too pushy. He doesn't want to be around me. It's all just an obligation. He probably just pities me. Me and my crippled ass. Thank you very much, Father. No. It's not even his fault. It's mine. I ruin everything. Good for nothing. Pathetic. Stuck somewhere between person and thing...

He ran a hand over his hair, face falling a little. "Oh... Um..." He glanced at the papers in front of him. "Nothing terribly interesting. Just reading some reports. Don't let me keep you from bed, though. You do look tired."

((Sorry for length. I just woke up from a nap.))

 

[Aina]

Sarai nodded, "I will make sure that you learn." She chuckled softly, she was picturing him on a horse trotting along. She didn't know why it was comical to her.

"I had a horse once of my own but my parents didn't like me riding,"she frowned but she thought about having her own horse again and she smiled."I'm not even sure what breed I want. But it really doesn't matter," she looked at him, "I had no idea that Seraphine even wanted a horse. How am I supposed to top that? What am I going to get for her birthday now?" She was joking of course. She was genuinely happy that Seraphine was such in a good mood now.

~~

Emmanuel shook his head. He had difficulty finding the right words. He shook the thought away. This was Riccardo. He needed to stop being such a coward." Reports hm?" he looked over at the papers in his hand. "I would think you'd be reading something more interesting. Or at least taking the time to relax."

He went to lean against the desk. "Do you need any help by any chance?"

((Look at these two insecure babies. So adorable. Sorry for my length. ))

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

Aiden grinned at Sarai. "You can't top that. I win at her birthday this year." He laughed heartily.

Without warning, Aiden suddenly scooped her up into his arms and twirled them around. "I feel like everything is going right again and I don't want to jinx it, but... I'm happy." He kissed her, gently lowering her back to her feet. "And if you want a horse, if that will help this good feeling keep going, then I'll get you a horse, my lady."

He reached up and brushed some of her hair behind her ear, smile softening. "I haven't seen Aurora in a few hours, though, and... even if Rosita says she doesn't mind, I feel bad she's been watching her for so long." He let his hand trail down her arm until he grabbed her hand. "Come with me up to the nursery?"

--

Riccardo sighed, looking down at the papers again. "Well, I'm not particularly good at relaxing." He looked up, almost as if startled when Emmanuel asked if he wanted help. It made him more nervous for some reason. He wasn't sure if Emmanuel actually cared to be there of it was truly just an obligation.

He swallowed hard. "I... Um..." His eyes bounced between Emmanuel's, squinting slightly, trying to figure out what his motives were. After a few seconds, he realized with some embarrasment that he had been staring at Emmanuel without an answer for longer than was socially acceptable.

He cleared his throat. "I don't. Thank you, though."

((It's fine. I'm giving short replies myself. Hehe. These two are dumb, though. Stupid babies.))

 

[Aina]

Sarai laughed as he picked her up. She clung to him, grinning ear to ear. She was glad to hear that he was happy. That was all she ever wanted for him and everyone else. She just wanted them to be happy again.

At the mention of Aurora her face brightened as usual. She nodded, "Let's go see our little princess then." She turned and called out to Seraphine, "Sera...it's time to go inside."

Seraphine came running up to them. "We're going to go see Aurora," she told her and of course her eyes widened. She ran into the house. Sarai couldn't help but chuckle. "That little girl is so full of energy all the time I don't know how she does it," she pulled him along inside the house heading to the nursery.

~~

Emmanuel nooded his head. "I'm not surprised," he shrugged his shoulders, "I sometimes can't relax either."

His silence made him uncomfortable so he wasn't sure what to say or do. He leaned off the edge of the table and he frowned. He looked away from Riccardo and he felt bad for having bothered him. "I'll leave you to it then. I know you're really busy," he told him and he left the room to go to his own.

((Sorry I was distracted.))

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

Aiden laughed as Sera ran at them and then darted inside at Sarai's words. He turned and grinned at her. "I'm just glad she actually came back. I didn't think she'd want to leave the horse's barn."

He followed her along through the large winding halls of the house and upstairs to the nursery. It was peaceful in the house, he noticed, or maybe it was just because he was in a good mood. Everything seemed so calm and orderly, though.

In the nursery, they found Rosita sitting on the balcony with Aurora in her arms, talking to the baby in a soothing voice. She was looking up at the sky, pointing at different stars in the sky.

"And those are Orion's dogs. Orion was a mighty hunter, but he was very vain. The earth goddess didn't like that he boasted he could hunt any of her creatures. So she sent a giant bull after him and his dogs." He finger moved to point up at a different set of stars. "But even el toro was no match for Orion. And Orion swung his strong arm and killed the bull, too. And this made the goddess even -" She turned her head when she heard Sarai and Aiden and smiled at them.

"Hi." She slowly got up from her chair and walked towards them. Aurora was wide awake, sucking on her thumb as she stared up at Rosita. The baby's eyes moved to look at Sarai and Aiden when she noticed them, however and she smiled softly. "She's been a little angel as usual." Rosita smiled widely.

Knowing they'd want to hold her, Rosita gently passed Aurora along to Sarai. "How has your night been so far?"

--

Riccardo dealt with a lot. Working tirelessly on everything he could for Sarai, he handled a lot of stress and believed he did so very well. So he felt really upset that Emmanuel's behavior was immediately making him feel frantic. Why wasn't he joking and making fun of him like usual? What was wrong? What did he do?

He didn't say anything when Emmanuel left the room, but one of his hands crept up to his chest, clutching at his own shirt over his pounding heart. He did not understand and he felt sick suddenly from worry.

Emmanuel was just tired. He tried to tell himself that anyways, but he was accustomed to a certain behavior pattern from Emmanuel. It was silly, though! Sarai had taught him that people weren't patterns that could be predicted like some science experiment. Except, Emmanuel was always so constant.

He set the papers down, knowing he wasn't going to get anything done now that he was stressed like he was. He wanted to ask Emmanuel what was going on, but he was certain it was something he'd done and he wasn't prepared to handle that at the moment.

With his cane, he hobbled out of the study and paused in the hall, not even sure where he wanted to go or what he wanted to do. After a moment's consideration, he made his way to the library. He found solace in the smell of the books and had a servant start a fire for him. It helped ease his nerves a little.

 

[Aina]

Inside the nursery, Seraphine of course had beat them to the room. She went up to Rosita, "We came to see Rory!" She wanted to hold her first but Rosita gave her over to Sarai.

"Hello princess," Sarai grinned happy to see that her eyes were open for once. She gently touched her cheek and Aurora took her thumb out her mouth. She puckered her lips, a soft sigh came from her mouth. Sarai lifted her up slightly, put Aurora on her chest, kissing her head a few times. She didn't realize how much she missed holding her.

"Thank you Rosita for watching her again," she told her, "I feel terrible. You should be spending time preparing for your wedding."

"Aiden got me a horse!" Sera said, "I named her Bunny. She's so beautiful and white. You can come and see her and ride her if you want."

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

Rosita waved her hand at Sarai's apology. "It's really not a big deal, Sarai. I love watching Aurora. She is really good company. Leon and Astraea are so busy lately, anyways, it seems." She was surprised by Sera's sudden outburst, but her eyes lit up at what she said immediately.

"I am so jealous," she told Sera. "You have a horse, now! I had a horse when I was a little girl. My papa and I used to have her pull our wagon when we'd go into town and sell our crops. But sometimes I'd ride her around the property and to go see the neighbors." She grinned. "Your horse has a cuter name than mine did! And she's white! You're very lucky, Sera!"

Aiden frowned. "How is it everyone else knows how to ride horses except me," he mumbled to Sarai."

He turned though and looked at the baby in her arms. He smiled down at her. "You are such a sweet little baby. Were you being good for Rosita?"

Rosita giggled. "She was being very good. She just woke up from a nap not that long ago and just ate and was listening to me tell her stories." She yawned suddenly. "I think I'm going to go find Leon, though. It's getting close to time for bed." She nodded at them with a soft smile. "Sleep well. I'll see you tomorrow."

Aiden watched as Rosita left and then turned to Sarai. "We need to get them something nice for their wedding and I'm not sure what."

 

[Aina]

Seraphine's brows furrowed in confusion. She didn't understand why Rosita would need a wagon or why she had crops. She was going to ask her but she didn't get the chance.

Sarai nodded, "Thank you so much Rosita." She smiled as she left and turned to Seraphine. It was time to sleep, she hadn't realized how much time had passed.

"Off to bed little bunny," Sarai told her and Seraphine pouted. She looked at Aurora. "Could I kiss Rory goodnight?" she asked Sarai and she titled her head a bit. Sarai nodded chuckling because Seraphine had given Aurora a nickname already. She liked it though.

She leaned down slowly, so that Seraphine could reach. Seraphine kissed Aurora's forehead and she let Sarai kiss her own forehead. She went to hug Aiden, "Thank you Aiden for my horse." She trotted off to her room to go to sleep.

When Seraphine was gone, Sarai looked at Aiden and she yawned. "A house maybe? Somewhere they can call their own,"she offered but shrugged her shoulders,"I'm not sure really."

Aurora started to move her arms a bit fidgeting around in Sarai's arms. She lifted her up again put her against her chest, patted her back and she rocked up and down to calm her. She remembered then that Riccardo wanted to see her before she headed to bed. "I'm going to take her to see Riccardo and then head to bed myself," she kissed his cheek, "You don't have to wait up for me. I'll be a few minutes okay." She left the nursery going to the study first but found he wasn't there. She found him of course in the library after asking a guard. She walked in, smiling widely when she saw him.

"Hey, I brought Aurora," she brought her closer to him. "She's already taken a nap. And been fed. She's so well with Rosita."

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

Aiden chuckled. "No problem, Sera. I'm glad you like her." He watched as the little girl ran off and looked back at Sarai. "I don't know. A house? I think they'd want to be able to design that themselves or pick it out at least." He shrugged. "I don't know. Something will come up."

He looked down at Aurora fidgeting in her arms. "Poor thing is restless," he said. He looked up at Sarai again when she mentioned leaving to take her to Riccardo. He nodded. "I'll be in bed when you come back, probably."

He watched as she left and headed to their bedroom across the hall. He immediately went to the shower to freshen up before bed. He didn't spend long in there before changing into his pajamas and waiting patiently for Sarai.

--

Riccardo was still trying to figure out what he'd said wrong to Emmanuel. He hadn't even picked up a book, just stared into the flames flickering in the fireplace, brow furrowed. No matter how much he tried to replay the conversation, he couldn't figure out why Emmanuel had been acting so strangely. It really bothered him.

He was startled out of his thoughts whenever Sarai came in, immediately looking up. Despite the crummy mood he was in, it was no match for being able to see Aurora. He smiled when Sarai brought her close to him and he immediately stretched his arms out to take her from Sarai.

It was still a little hard to hold Aurora, but he used his lap to take some of her weight. "Hello, my little princess." He brushed his thumb over her cheek. "She's already put on some weight just in a week," he told Sarai, happily. "I'm so glad she's so healthy." He grinned down at her and rubbed her nose softly with his finger. She sneezed and he chuckled.

His face fell a little again, though, and he looked up at Sarai. "Emmanuel was acting strange," he said, despite himself. "And I don't know why."

 

[Aina]

"You can lay her in your lap," Sarai told him.

She smiled down at Aurora. She had noticed that she felt a little heavier lately. "She has such an appetite I can't believe how much she drinks sometimes," she brushed the baby's hair away from her forehead.

Aurora opened her eyes to look at Sarai. She smiled widely at her open eyes since she hardly had them open. She laughed softly at the little sneeze." Bless you princess,"she chuckled again. She looked at Riccardo when he mentioned Emmanuel. Her brows furrowed. Why did he care so much for how Emmanuel had been acting?

She looked down at Aurora,"Did he say something to you?" She wasn't sure why that bothered him so much. Maybe the two of them were getting close? She looked over at him, "Maybe he was tired sweetie. Don't worry about it too much." Aurora looked up at Riccardo and Sarai swore she smiled. Sarai laughed, "She smiled at you!"

"That's the first time I've seen her do that," she mentioned.

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

Riccardo frowned. He was overreacting. He was certain of it. There were too many times to count that he'd misinterpreted something Sarai had said or done. Saying it out loud and seeing Sarai's reaction, he realized he was being stupid. She was right. He was probably just tired and there was nothing to read into. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he'd done something. Why did he care so much, though? It didn't matter if the werewolf boy was standing on his head and speaking in rhymes so long as it didn't affect daily operations. He was surely just being stupid and shouldn't be worrying.

"You're probably right," he mumbled to Sarai. When she exlaimed about Aurora smiling, he looked back down at the baby and smiled widely again. "Are you happy, princess?" He chuckled. "She truly lives up to her namesake. So beautiful and vibrant already." He repositioned her so that she was partially sitting up on his lap, his arms protectively around her to keep her from tottering over.

"I want you to smile all the time," he told Aurora. The baby smiled again and Riccardo laughed. "Sweet, little girl." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "It's nice to be able to hold her again finally," he said, glancing at Sarai. "I've barely gotten to since she was born." His mind wandered briefly to the dungeons and to his father in that moment. He hadn't been down to see him yet. It pressed on his mind before he shook the thought away.

Another thought crossed his mind, looking at Aurora and the baby's bright expression. He looked up at Sarai, brow furrowed. "How are you feeling?" He frowned slightly. "Are you happy, Sarai?"

 

[Aina]

Sarai had been worried if she were honest that he wouldn't have been able to hold her. She smiled at them both. Her smile widened when Aurora smiled once again. She had never seen her do that before. "She really likes you," she commented with a smirk. She looked down at Aurora again.

She was surprised suddenly when he asked her if she was okay. She was silent for a second because she wasn't sure what to say. Was she happy? She had to think about that. She thought back to what her and Rosita had been talking about months ago.

She sighed heavily and looked at Aurora again. "You know...since I've had Aurora she's given me so much happiness and joy. I'm still so scared Riccardo. But she's everything I imagined her to be and more," she told him with another slight smile. She frowned however, and went to touch his shoulder.

"Are you not happy?" she asked him.

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

((I'm so mad. It never alerted me that you replied. Ugh! I've been chilling with two tabs open waiting on a response that came hours ago!))

Riccardo smiled softly at her answer, glancing down at Aurora as Sarai talked about her. "I'm glad," he murmured. He jumped slightly when she touched his shoulder, immediately looking up at her. Her question startled him. He knew right away that the answer was no, but he wanted to tell her he was happy so badly. Nothing in their lives ever worked out and Sarai actually seemed like she was growing content with the life they led. It was hard, but her answer told him that their life was growing on her.

"I am," he lied to her, forcing the smile to grow wider on his face.

What was he supposed to tell her, anyways? That he was unhappy? Why? He had a home and friends and family. His father was captured to answer to his crimes finally. He was very successful helping Sarai and Aiden and he enjoyed the work even if it was grueling sometimes. Everything, by all rights, was going well. Even the hiccups were dealt with as the arose and smoothed over. His back was healing and he was still able to walk and hold his daughter. The poisoning had come and past and they were even stronger now. There was no reason to be unhappy.

But he still felt so shattered inside. Sometimes it felt like he was looking for some part of himself that he couldn't find. Like there was some box deep within that, if he could just unlock, he could finally feel happiness. Even when things were going well, all he could think about was how many ways it could all go wrong and be taken from him. He was still so afraid that he would destroy everything. They had dealt with the aftermath of the poisoning, but he couldn't not think about the lives they'd lost over that. And the things he could have done, if he had just prepared better, to prevent it all. He didn't know why Sarai cared about him when he was never enough.

Demetri's words echoed in his head. "You are nothing." Over and over again. Riccardo still firmly believed Demetri hadn't quite succeeded but had definitely warped him into something not quite right and he was cursed with the inability to fully function either way.

"Aurora brings me joy, too," Riccardo said, looking back down at the baby as she yawned widely. "I think you're right," he said. "I think it's time for bed." He looked up at Sarai, offering Aurora back out to her. "The doctor wants me sleeping in the infirmary for a little while longer. Just in case there are any complications." He chuckled weakly. "He worries too much, but that's where I'll be if you have need for me."

 

[Aina]

((That's okay! I would have responded but I fell asleep. We were able to close an hour early so I just got home.))

Sarai didn't believe him. She knew him well enough that he asked her the question because he wasn't happy. Why else would he ask the question? She felt bad for not being more sympathetic toward him. She didn't want to assume but she knew him well enough to understand the underlying message or feeling he was giving off.

His lapse in silence worried her. She went to grab his hand when he mentioned going to bed. Her brows furrowed in confusion. She took Aurora back into her arms, frowing up at him. She wasn't done with the conversation.

"Hold on," she told him with a shake of her head. "What's wrong? Are you not happy?" her frown only deepened, "Before Aurora was born, I didn't think there was a point anymore. This past year has been...hard on all of us. I'm still worried about the rest of the year Riccardo. Will Cornelius try and attack us again and are we going to be okay? All those fears only became worse when I had her. I don't know if I'm going to be enough for her."

She hadn't meant to rant but when she really thought about it, her happiness was only on the surface."I'm sorry. I'm sorry, that you're in this mess with me. But if it weren't for you I don't think we would be able to stay sane. Your support helps me get through all this, knowing you're there for me. I was so scared that you were going to die that night. If I had lost you, I wouldn't be standing here I know that." She gulped the lump that formed in her throat and she smiled weakly at him."Having you here makes me happy. Surrounded by our friends and family. And our little princess."

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

((Oh nice! It's always so nice to get out of work early!))

Riccardo was about to get up when she told him to hold on and he settled obediently back into his chair, staring up at her quizzically. He shifted uncomfortably at her questions, looking down into his lap. She knew him too well. He listened to her talk, quietly looking down the entire time. He didn't look back up until she apologized and then his brows furrowed slightly.

"Don't -" But he cut off to let her finish, his heart sinking a little at her words.

He pressed down on his cane to help himself get up and then he propped it against the chair again to take one of her hands. With his other hand, he gripped her shoulder. "Don't apologize, first of all. If I didn't want to be here, I wouldn't be here. If I'm not happy, it's not your fault." He frowned, looking down at Aurora in her arms. She smiled again and he couldn't help but smile back at her.

"I love you, Sarai." He looked back up at her. "Not in the same way that I used to think I did. You're my most valued friend and I want to be here because... maybe I'm not happy. Maybe I'm scared. Maybe I'm just broken inside and can't be happy, but I know I'd be so much more miserable if I were anywhere else but at your side." He smiled weakly, but it fell from his face again as he looked at her.

He couldn't hold his gaze on hers for long before he dropped his eyes, and looked off to the side, not wanting to look at Aurora either for what he was about to say. "I don't know why I'm not happy. Everything is going well and, for the first time in my life, I have a home I'm comfortable in, people I love and who love me, and I kind of enjoy the work I'm doing." He shrugged. "I've been having nightmares for months, though, and maybe that has something to do with it." He shrugged again. "I don't know. I apologize for making you worry. I'm fine, Sarai." He finally let go of her shoulder to reach out for his cane again. "I'm glad you're happy to have me here at least. Sometimes I doubt -" He cut himself off, swallowing. For a moment, he wasn't going to finish, but he knew Sarai would just press him for an answer, so he resigned himself to just finishing what he was going to say. "Sometimes I think it'd be better if I just didn't exist at all."

 

[Aina]

Sarai watched him, hoping that her words touched him even if it were just a little bit. When he told her he loved her she smiled. She noticed the frown and her heart sank into her stomach.

She nodded along with him as he continued. She could relate to having nightmares. Her frown only deepened she shook her head. She reached over and touched his cheek gently. "Oh sweetie...don't think that ever about yourself,"she leaned over kissed his other cheek." You mean so much to me and the people here. I know that it's been hard. I can't promise it'll get easier but I can promise that I'll always be here for you."

She didn't move her hand from his cheek. She smiled somewhat and sighed heavily. "I love you Riccardo. You're so important here. You can talk to me whenever, just remember that,"she said to him softly."

She pulled away from him but she smiled widely. "I'll let you sleep. Try not to worry too much but I know you will," she looked down at Aurora, "I have to get our princess off to sleep. I love you Riccardo."

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

((Hope you don't mind that I skipped.))

"I know that," Riccardo said. "You're too compassionate, Sarai. But... I think that's what everyone loves most about you."

He looked down at Aurora and bent to kiss her forehead. "Sleep well, princess." He smiled. "I will see you tomorrow."

--

Aiden was asleep when Sarai got to their bedroom and he didn't stir when she entered the room, either. He slept soundly through the day, but got up before the sun had even set and definitely before Sarai woke. For a few moments, he simply laid in bed before deciding to start his night early. Now that Aurora was born, he saw no reason to continue letting Riccardo handle as much as he had been. For once, it was nothing to do with their personal rivalry, but knowing he needed to be a king to the kingdom.

While Riccardo had been down, he'd taken on a lot of responsibilities and had no intention of letting them go. He could handle it. He was sure he wasn't very good at a lot of it, but he needed to learn. Creeping quietly around the room, he got dressed and cleaned before heading out of the bedroom.

He nodded hello to a few of the guards, mentally trying to remember what it was he had planned for the night. He knew it was one of the nights he needed to listen to the commoners. The new council member Riccardo had hired also wanted to meet with him. Initially, he had asked for Riccardo, but Aiden insisted he talk to him personally.

He was comfortable letting Sarai continue to rest and spend as much time with Aurora as she could. Though, he wasn't sure how long Sarai would be okay with that. He hadn't exactly told her what all he was doing, trying to keep her off her feet as much as possible and avoiding as much stress as possible. He hoped it didn't come back to bite him later.

--

Riccardo woke just as the sun set from pain. He shifted in bed, trying to get comfortable enough to just fall back asleep, but moving only made it worse. His eyes squeezed tighter shut and he groaned. "Arthur," he called out. "Arthur, I need more pain medicine, please."

He heard a door open and opened his eyes to see the doctor trudging towards him, half asleep. He yawned widely. "Is the pain any better," he asked as he got together a cup of water and pills for Riccardo, bringing them to him.

Riccardo shook his head, shakily sitting up and wincing as the pain only sharpened in his lower back. He grabbed at the water and pills, quickly swallowing them down.

"Lord Riccardo!"

Riccardo almost spat out his water in surprise when the voice boomed across the infirmary, doors slamming open to expose Lord Leighton. The councilman marched across the room towards him.

"Lord Leighton," Riccardo said, coolly, setting the water down next to his bed. He ran a hand over his messy hair, trying to tame the bedhead. He wished he wasn't in pajamas, but there was nothing to be done for that. "It's very rude to come upon someone unnanounced this early in the night."

"What's rude is hiring someone else to do my job and have them spy on me!" Leighton was fuming obviously. "What's the point of that? I've been a loyal servant to the crown! I helped in one of your greatest times of need! I -"

"Yes you did," Riccardo snapped. "But you failed to warn us of such an attack! In fact, you've failed to deliver us any real news on Cornelius, our greatest enemy, while Lord Balewa has been feeding us information from across the country at every turn. Since you can't do your job, I thought I would find someone who could!"

Leighton grit his teeth and growled, "Then why has he been spying on me?"

Riccardo's eyes narrowed. "If you've nothing to hide, there's no reason to worry! I don't think that's the case, though, is it?"

"You little brat!" He reached for the sword on his hip and had it halfway out before Seavers sprung into action. The doctor kicked out Leighton's feet from under him and grabbed the sword in a fluid motion.

"You will not threaten my patients in my infirmary," Seavers said, calmly.

 

[Aina]

((Fine by me! I'm so sleepy. I'm going to head to bed now. Goodnight!!))

Sarai had woken up a bit when she heard Aiden toss in the bed. She was going to get up but she rolled over and went back to sleep. She hadn't slept that well that day, she tossed and turned. She woke up groggily, she rubbed her eyes and sat up in the bed.

She looked over at her side, she noticed that Aiden wasn't there anymore. She sighed, and rubbed her eyes again. She didn't want to get out of bed but she needed to tend to Aurora first. She was her first priority.

She wondered where Aiden had gone off to. Lately, he was keeping himself busy. She tried to help him but she wanted to spend as much time with Aurora before she wouldn't get to. She got out of bed, went to the bathroom to get cleaned up. She decided to put on a loose white dress that night since she still didn't fit a lot of clothes.

She left the room to Aurora's. Her maid was already in there, feeding the baby a bottle. "Ah...your majesty, the princess was awake when I came in an hour ago," she explained to her.

Sarai smiled and approached Esfir with arms out to take Aurora from her. "Thank you Esfir, I'll take over,"she gently took the bottle and continued giving it to Aurora with a wide smile on her face.

Her thoughts went to Riccardo as she looked down at Aurora. She was worried about him. She went to the infirmary to look for him. She froze in place, clutching Aurora close to her she saw Seavers staring down at Lord Leighton who was on the floor. "What is going on here?" she shouted out loud, staring at Leighton first since she knew that Seavers was holding Leighton's sword.

 

[FursieTheFlixee]

((Okay! Good night!))

Aiden was in the kitchen, staring out the window as he sipped on some blood. He wished he could have a carefree night outside. He hated thinking about sitting on the throne for the next few hours, listening to the commoners complain. It was always the same complaints, too, about the missing people, minor land disputes, overhunting from some vampires who still stuck to the old ways. He was getting tired of doing it. He didn't know how Riccardo stayed sane doing it the whole time on top of everything else.

"Good evening, Aiden."

Aiden turned and grinned when he saw his mother. "Hi, Mom. I haven't seen you for a few nights. What's been keeping you so busy?"

Ila tilted her head this way and that. "I spend a lot of time with Seraphine. You all really should find her some teachers. Her schooling needs to be continued. I've been teaching her some things, but I don't think I'm cut out for teaching her everything."

Aiden frowned. "I hadn't thought about that." He chuckled. "Did she tell you yesterday about her new pet?" When Ila shook her head, he grinned. "I bought her a horse! I have never seen her so happy. Especially not since her mother's death." He took another sip of his drink. "We all had a really nice night yesterday."

Ila smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. I know Riccardo's well enough to be out of bed again?"

Aiden nodded. "He is." He wished he could express his worry to his mother about Sarai and Riccardo and their relationship over Aurora. He already felt like he was being cut out and it really made him uneasy. "Mom, we're all past that. They're close, but... Sarai is with me."

Ila nodded. "I didn't say anything otherwise, Aiden. It still bothers you, though?"

Aiden couldn't help but nod. "I have to trust her, though."

--

Everyone looked when Sarai entered the infirmary, Riccardo's eyes immediately landing on Aurora in her arms. He got out of bed, wanting to be up if Leighton tried anything else. He immediately regretted it, however, having to put a hand to his back from the pain.

"Your former council member just threatened Riccardo," Seavers answered Sarai, briefly glancing at Riccardo with concern. "Guards, to the infirmary," Seavers yelled without taking his eyes off of Leighton.

Leighton paled, looking around. "Please. I'll tell you anything you want to know. Just... don't put me in prison. Please?"

Riccardo held onto the edge of his bed for support, hand gingerly rubbing his lower back. "You can stay down there until we're ready to listen," Riccardo told him.

The guards came shortly after and were instructed to take Leighton to a prison cell. It was only then that Seavers relaxed and threw the sword away from himself.

Riccardo looked to Sarai. "I knew he was a weasel, but I didn't think he'd be that stupid and cowardly. We should question him later tonight." He winced as he stepped back around his bed and got back into it, letting himself lean back against his pillows. "I wonder if he'd actually sell out Cornelius." He sighed. "Can I get more pain medicine, Arthur?"

Seavers shook his head. "Give the ones I gave you time to actually start working."

 

[Aina]

"Excuse me!?" Sarai shot daggers toward Lord Leighton who was still on the floor. "How dare-"she almost spat but Seavers called out for guards. She stepped aside so they could walk into the room.

Sarai looked at Riccardo with worry, she went up to him. Her heart sank when he asked Seavers for more pain medication. She watched as the guards took Leighton away. "Why was he here?" she asked Riccardo. She wondered idly if Leighton was a spy for Cornelius. Did Riccardo have knowledge of that?

She looked down at Aurora who was flailing her arms a bit. She was starting to become antsy. "I was worried about you, I didn't sleep that well," she sighed, rocking Aurora up and down because she started to whine. "I'll let you rest if you want,"she told him and looked at Seavers." You rest as well doctor. We plan to hire more help so you don't have to carry all of the work on your shoulders."

((Sorry this is so short.))