Chapter Text
Being seven months pregnant was no walk in the park.
Your feet throbbed, your back ached, and your fingers swelled. You hadn’t seen your feet in months and you could barely hug your husband with your giant stomach in the way.
It didn’t help that you were pregnant with a dragon baby. One of the perks of having a dragon for a husband. You were surprised you hadn’t laid an egg, since he had hatched from one.
But no, the baby would be born the mammalian way. You guessed your genes overrode his since you were the mother, though the appearance of the baby was still up for debate. With Shroud tech better implemented in Briar Valley, you were able to monitor your baby’s health more closely. The baby was healthy so far, but you couldn’t get a look at the kid’s features since they always had their back turned to you during the ultrasounds. Horns? Wings? Boy? Girl? Neither you nor Malleus knew.
All you knew is that the baby was healthy and that let you rest easy at night. Well, when the baby wasn’t kicking you in the ribs.
You were going stir crazy and you still had a month left to go! You got a lot of support from your friends and from Malleus’s family, but it still didn’t feel like enough, as selfish as it was to say.
Malleus tries his best to be there - he held your hair back when you had morning sickness in the early stages, came to every doctor’s appointment, and used his magic to help with the aches and pains you suffered. He tried so hard to be there, not wanting to see you in any discomfort, but his kingly duties kept getting in the way. Every time you had a mood swing or had a horrible craving for some obscure food, every time you missed him at night or needed to hold his hand from cramps he’d be in a meeting with those stuffy senators.
Most of the other support came over video chat, since you and your friends all lived so far away. It helped, but words through a screen could only do so much. Sebek and Silver were close by and helped out when they could, but they were usually busy with guard duty.
One night, when the baby was kicking your ribs so hard you thought they might break, you decided to do something about your loneliness - you called your best friends and invited them over for lunch.
Luckily, Ace and Deuce were able to make it, so you set up plans to meet up the next day.
“You’re smiling, my love,” Malleus’s deep voice startled you from your phone. “What has you so happy?”
You explained your plans for the following day to him.
“That’s splendid, my rose. It will be good for you to see friends, especially ones so dear to your heart.” He placed a hand on your stomach, feeling the baby kick against his palm. “And how is our little one today. I can tell they are quite… active.”
“Active, is one word for it. More like a pain in the ribs.” you said, feeling another strong kick.
Malleus frowned. “Does it truly hurt that badly? I could use my magic to alleviate some of the pain.”
“Please,” you said with pleading eyes.
Malleus closed his eyes and a green glow erupted from his hand. Slowly, the pain of the baby’s kicking subsided, leaving only a gentle tapping feeling in its wake.
You sighed. “Thank you.”
Malleus kissed your forehead. “It was no trouble, my love. Now, rest. You will need it for tomorrow.”
You nodded and held out your arms. “Only if you cuddle with me.”
He chuckled, but dutifully lifted the covers and slid into bed next to you, his front against your back, with an arm around your waist to hold your stomach. You couldn’t help but lean into his touch.
He kissed the back of your neck. “Sweet dreams, my dearest,” he mumbled in your ear.
…………………………………
You woke late the next morning, Malleus already gone from the bed, only a note left in his place. It read, “I’m sorry I couldn’t stay with you, my dear, but the senators have called a meeting and I must attend. May you have a good day with your friends. I love you.”
Your heart melted a little at the note, but you couldn’t stay staring at it forever. Ace and Deuce would be over soon.
In a flash, you were up, dressed, and at the front entrance to the castle, waiting for them to arrive.
It didn’t take long for their arguing to reach your ears, even through the thick wooden door. It was strangely comforting, hearing your friends bicker like in the old days when you attended Night Raven.
Opening the door, you were greeted with your friends strained smiles, still obviously angry at each other for whatever they were arguing about.
“Heeeyy, long time no see,” Ace drawled, reaching over for a hug. “Oof,” he said when your stomach got in the way. “Your bigger than I remember,” he teased.
“Don’t say that to her!” Deuce exclaimed while you laughed.
“Nice to see you too, Ace,” you remarked, shoving him in the shoulder.
“It’s good to see you again,” Deuce said to you, reaching for a half-hug. It was only then that you noticed that he had a green present bag with him, which prevented him from giving you a full hug.
“Good too see you too,” you said hugging him back. “Come in.”
You walked through the foyer and into the dining hall, where lunch was already set out.
As you sat down, Deuce held out his arm to give you the gift bag.
“Uhm, it’s from me and Ace,” he said as you took it. “We wanted to give it to you in person.”
“I picked it out.” Ace declared, a proud smile on his face, his chin resting on his palm.
“I paid for it.” Deuce countered, crossing his arms.
You chuckled and opened the bag. Inside was a little gray gargoyle stuffed toy, with green plastic eyes and black claws. It sat on its hind legs, its mouth closed.
“We thought the baby might like it,” Ace said, smiling proudly.
You could feel tears welling up in your eyes. “Guys,” you said, your voice cracking. “They’re gonna love it. Thank you.” You leaned over to your right to hug Ace.
“Hey, anytime.” Ace said softly, ruffling your hair.
You laughed, then reached to your left to hug Deuce.
“Glad you like it,” he said with a wide smile on his face.
You carefully put the plushie on the table. “Alright, let’s eat,” you suggested.
You spent the next few hours eating, talking, and laughing more than you had in ages. Their jokes, their squabbles, their smiles… it took a giant weight off your shoulders you didn’t even know you had. You didn’t realize how much you missed them until now.
“So, Deuce wanted to get something with ducks on it,” Ace was telling the story of how the picked out the gargoyle. “But I said, ‘Really? You wanna get her something that comes from eggs when she’s luckily she didn’t lay one herself?’”
Deuce pouted, checks puffing out and turning red, which made you laugh harder than you ever had. Your chest heaved, you snorted and giggled, and you slapped the table while trying to regain composure.
"Whoa, hey, you good?” Ace asked suddenly.
You took a few deep breaths to calm yourself enough to look at him in confusion, a smile still on your face. It faded when you noticed the wetness between your legs.
You looked down. The dress you wore had a wet spot on it and you could feel the wetness dripped down your legs.
You gasped. “Get Mal,” you said, feeling panic alight every nerve in your body.
“Hey, it’s okay, it’s not a big dea-“ Deuce started, waving his hands.
“My water broke” you whispered, barely audible.
They froze.
“Get Mal!” you repeated, grabbing the armrests with shaking hands and trying to stand up, knocking the chair over in the process. You almost fell over yourself from how hard you legs were shaking.
Deuce caught you before you could fall.
“Nevermind him, where do we take you?” Ace shouted, placing a hand on your shoulder.
You gave them the directions to the medical wing of the castle and they slung their arms under your shoulders to support you on the way there.
Ace and Deuce slammed the doors to the medical wing open, startling the doctors enough to make them visibly jump.
They set you down on one of the beds as gently as they could, while another nurse ran to get Malleus.
“Alright, alright, thank you,” you managed to get out, trying to calm your racing heart as soon as you laid down. The doctors swarmed you, checking your and the baby’s vitals. “Just have to get through this without dying,” you joked, forcing a laugh.
“Don’t say that!” Deuce said, a concerned look on his face. “You’re not dying!”
“Hey, come on, you’re gonna be fine,” Ace reassured you, patting your hand. “Malleus is gonna come in any second now and use his crazy power to help you through this. Then, when this is all over and you have that little dragon, I can say ‘I told you so’”.
You rolled your eyes at him, but a small grin couldn’t help but appear on your face. It was quickly wiped off, though, when the first contraction started.
Thankfully, just at that moment, Malleus burst through the medical wing’s doors, his black cape billowing behind him. The doctors dispersed to make room for him next to you.
“My love,” he said, leaning down and taking your hand with both of his. His brows furrowed, “Are you alright? Are you in pain?”
You gasped trying to breathe through the pain, “I’m alright, just a little uncomfortable.” You turned to Ace and Deuce. “You two better leave before things get messy.” You said, managing a weak chuckle.
“Good luck with, the… everything,” Deuce said giving you a hug and turning to leave. “You’re gonna crush it. Uh, the birth, not the baby.”
You giggled, then reached over to give Ace a hug.
“You’ll be fine,” he said. “You can do this.”
They left and it was just you, Malleus, and the doctors.
You turned to look in his green eyes, squeezing his hand tighter. “I’m scared,” you admitted in a small voice, swallowing a lump in your throat.
Malleus gripped your hand tighter and kissed your forehead, then the back of your hand. “You will be just fine, love. You are in the best care and I will be right beside you. I will not leave, not ever.”
You leaned over to kiss him on the lips, but another contraction got in your way.
The doctors said your contractions were very close together. They estimated that the baby would arrive within a few hours.
As time ticked by, your contractions got more and more intense and lasted longer and longer. Every part of your body burned from pain, even with the help of Malleus’s magic. Each time you cried out his hold on your hand got tighter, his magic working a little harder than it had before. Still, it felt like the baby was never going to come and you’d be stuck in this eternal pain.
So, when the doctor said the magic words, “alright, you can push now,” it felt like a miracle.
You groaned and sat up straighter. Malleus wrapped an arm around your waist and kissed your hand again. “You can do this, my love. You are strong.”
You pushed and pushed for what felt like forever. Every nerve in your body was on fire, every cell screaming for the pain to just stop. You gripped Malleus’s hand so hard that you thought you’d break it, even with his fae strength.
With one last push and a bellowing cry, you heard the loud cry of a baby. You collapsed back on the bed, exhausted, breathing hard.
Your vision was murky, but you were able to make out the doctors wrapping something small in a white blanket.
“Congratulations,” the doctor said, sounding like they were underwater. “You have a very healthy baby boy.”
“Can I hold him?” You asked, arms outstretched, beckoning the doctor closer.
“Of course!” The doctor exclaimed, handing the baby over to your waiting arms.
Gently, you took him from the doctor and looked at his little face for the first time.
Tears pricked your eyes. He was about as big as your forearm, his little hands curled in on themselves. He looked mostly human, except for a few draconic features he’d inherited from Malleus. He had Malleus’s little forehead scales and you could feel little tiny wings twitching through the blanket. Just when you thought it stopped there, you felt a scaly tail wrap around your wrist.
“Hi,” You choked out, stroking his chubby cheek. “Hi, baby.” You sniffled.
Turning to Malleus, you said, “He’s perfect.”
Malleus nodded, tears in his eyes and kissed the baby’s head, making him whine. A small “shhh” from Malleus was enough to calm the baby back down.
“He is indeed. And you were amazing, my love.”
“You wanna hold him?” You asked him.
Malleus seemed to hesitate, but he nodded nonetheless.
The baby cooed as you handed him over to Malleus, who gently took him into his arms. He looked down at the baby that wrapped his tiny tail around his father’s wrist. Malleus looked at him in complete awe.
“Thank you for giving me him, my rose.” He said in a quiet voice, as if he was afraid to disturb the baby’s peace.
Smiling, you said, “No trouble at all Hornton.”
……………………………………………………..
A few hours later, when you had napped and fed the baby, Ace and Deuce came back in, Deuce holding the little gargoyle plushie.
“I told you so.” Ace said smugly. “I told you you’d be fine.”
“What he means to say is, we’re glad you’re alright,” Deuce cut in.
You snorted, still holding the baby, Malleus still sitting next to you.
“Wanna meet him?” you asked, angling you head toward the baby’s.
“Him?” Ace questioned, eyebrows up on his forehead. “It’s a boy?”
You nodded.
“Yes!” Ace whisper-shouted as Deuce hissed “No!”
“You owe me fifty thaumarks!” Ace said, pointing at Deuce.
You were in shock. “You bet on my baby’s sex? Without me?”
Deuce looked sheepish. “It started with some guessing then spiraled into betting. Sorry.”
“Ortho and Jack also owe me fifty.” Ace continued, not looking ashamed at all. “Epel won, he thought it would be a boy. Sebek won too. So did Lilia.”
“Lilia was in on this?!”
Malleus looked bewildered. “I was not aware of this.”
“Yeah, uh, Sebek spilled the beans to him one day and he wanted in.”
“And you didn’t think to let the mother in?” you asked, deeply offended.
“We thought you’d skew the guesses, being the mom and all.” Ace explained.
“Okay, get out.” you demanded of him, pointing at the door.
“Wait, wait, wait, I’m sorry, okay? Can I meet the baby now?” Ace asked
You thought for a moment. “I’ll allow it as long as you don’t keep me out of bets anymore.”
“Deal.” Ace said, shaking your outstretched hand.
“Besides, you can’t go until he meets his uncles.” You said, turning back to the baby with a small smile.
“Uncles?!” Ace and Deuce shouted, making the baby wail.
Jiggling the baby to calm him down, you told them, “Of course. Why wouldn’t you be?”
You could see Ace getting misty eyes and Deuce looked close to breaking down. You laughed at them and looked back down at the baby, thinking of all the people they had to meet. Uncle Sebek, Uncle Silver, Uncle Jack, Uncle Epel, Uncle Ortho, Grandpa Lilia, Weird Uncle(?) Grim.
“You are very loved.” You told the baby, cuddling him close.