“And one more,” he murmured, glancing up and nodding at something as he began to lead me in a dance. My bare feet tapped across water as he expertly guided me in a dance.
A shimmer of gold began to flutter down. Dust? Gold dust? Four men in gold and black dusted suits stood in shadow. “Sandmen,” my male explained. “They assisted, for a price.”
The music was different as it started again. It changed as a corner lit up. Seidon stood with his hands behind his back, black dress shirt and dress slacks on, as bare foot as Seg and I, and began to sing as the song started over.
The spot grew brighter, until I spotted William in a similar outfit, with an acoustic guitar, singing backup, their lyrical voices blending. Brine was at the drums, Brushe on another guitar. I had to wonder how many of our friends were musically inclined. I could barely toot a kazoo.
More spots lit up, Ben decked out like Seg, leading Penny onto the dance floor. Penny beamed at me in a purple off the shoulder bridesmaid’s gown. Alfie and Katarina were next, her wolf cleaned up nicely, his mate fairly drooling as she gazed up at her gussied up wolf dreamily. Dax held Beaux in their matching tuxes, content to stand off to the side, grinning at Cinnia as she hammed it up with Permelia in matching purple dresses. Per’s top hat, added short jacket and stick on mustache gave her, as she was insisting, to Cinnia’s cackling, permission to lead.
Gnomes and Ogres, Kobolds, filled in the empty spaces, a familiar hound with hellish eyes glowing standing out as he kept off to the back of the growing crush, until we were surrounded.
I knew when Papa Troll had arrived, the large, bald male kneeling right before the dance floor, his runes lighting up as he placed his palm along the water and it cracked and sparked like a thousand tiny fireworks had shot off. Mum, as she insisted I call her, stood with her hands clasped to her ample bosom, bright, fiery red hair pulled back in a thick braid away from her face, her elven ears peeking. Her dress was a pretty lilac, a deep plum colored shawl draping her shoulders. Violet eyes bright, she kept swiping at her cheeks, waving at us wildly as we passed.
Even Theseus was there, uncaring what anyone thought of his leather loincloth at his hips and the black bow tie around his neck as he stood there smiling happily, his deep blue eyes shining.
My hand went to my hair as I caught sight of it in my reflection on the water. A diamond encrusted tiara sat on my head, my hair pulled up in a fancy up ‘do I’d never have been able to do for myself. Embracing the moment fully, I shifted in my male’s arms. There was nothing but love in his eyes as he gazed at his Kelpy Queen.
“Queen of my heart,” he huskily rumbled, our foreheads pressing.
“King of my soul,” I murmured, pressing my lips to his.
Epilogue
Vivienne
Bouncing bundle of...
“Oh god. Oh god,” I gasped out, clenching my teeth.
“She is crowning, a true princess, my Queen,” Segrid encouraged, knee deep in the earth pit we’d chosen on the property for birthing purposes. It was an Earth and Water magicks birthing thing. We didn’t expect anyone to understand.
“That’s not what that means,” I gritted out, laughing despite the pain.
It didn’t matter. Not two seconds later, I gave one last push and a squall rent the air.
“A healthy little one!” Dr. Fillybean announced, placing my newborn babe, a girl, onto my chest.
She squalled louder as her little arms and legs began to flail. A soft laugh left me as I smoothed my hand over the downy thatch of strawberry blonde atop her head, pointed tipped ears peeking.
Segrid cut the cord, Dr. Fillybean assisting me with the afterbirth.
When all was settled, my mate grinned as, after I felt I’d rested enough, enjoying this moment with our baby girl, I whispered an incantation to send water lifting me up, to gently guide me back to the house. Segrid took over at our back patio doorstep, scooping me up to assist me in drying off, slipping into a loose gown and proper undergarments, and getting me back into our bed.
“Violet,” I said the moment she opened her eyes. One look at her stunning purple irises and the name struck me.
“Princess Violet,” my mate announced, climbing into the bed beside me to cuddle his little family. His happy rumble was everything.
The End… Or is it?
Did someone say Second Epilogue?
Grandda’s girl
The big, supposedly unemotional male that sired my mate grinned as fat, happy tears rolled down his cheeks. “Ne’er thought I’d see the day a girl was birthed in our line. Be thankin’ ye, lass,” he croaked out at me, his voice choked with emotions. “She’s beautiful.”
Mum grinned, tickled as she watched her male hog his grandbaby all for himself. Reaching out, she ran her finger down a soft baby cheek. Her eyes grew misty and she began sniffling, as if suddenly overwhelmed, but she was trying to hold it back. Her long, wild red hair, the exact same shade as Segrid’s, was pulled away from her face in its usual thick braid, but it’s the first thing Violet lifts a pudgy hand to reach out for.
I’d been warned Ornthren babes developed fast. The look in my child’s eyes, intuition, intelligence, the milestones she’s already met at such a young age, warned me she’d grow much faster than I’d anticipated, so much faster than a normal Human babe. Dax and Cinnia’s Beaux was a smart little man but physically developing at a normal rate. I envied them this. It made it all the more pertinent to savor every moment, no matter how small, with our little one. No matter how long she was little, however long we had, I’d treasure all of it.
