Cassarah
“Are you sure you need to head back to Sheca?” Queen Catharine asked me for the tenth time.
I took her hands in mine and clasped them tightly. “While I would love to spend more time here, I think a week of relaxing and doing nothing is all I can handle. If I don’t get these men something to do so they stop driving me crazy, who knows what will happen.”
Catharine chuckled at that. “They do seem the intense sort, don’t they?”
“You don’t mind that I steal King Thomas for a bit, do you? We need to go over our plans with Phillip before he returns to Norden and begins to pick up the pieces.”
She waved off my question. “Goodness no. Thanks to your prodding, I found where Harriet’s been staying, and I plan to go see her.
As you said, if we really love each other, we will find a way to work past what’s happened.
Thank you for explaining what really happened to me.
I felt like a doddering old fool. How could I just up and forget three years of my life? ”
“I’m so sorry it happened, but all of that is in the past, and the future is so bright for all of our kingdoms. We need to do better for ourselves and our children,” I pointed out as I lovingly brushed a hand over my stomach.
The queen’s eyes welled up with tears, but she sniffled and regained her composure. “You come see me any time. I know you lost your mother, but don’t forget we are family now too. Off you go now before I change my mind and beg your men to let me keep you longer.”
That threat was enough to get me moving. The queen and I had grown incredibly close over the past week, but she was still a lot to handle. Skipping down the steps of the summer castle, I found my men ready to go, their dragons packed up and waiting.
“I thought she was going to change her mind and lock you away,” Gavin teased as I passed him.
Ignoring him, I headed right for Vasin, who had his wings out sunning, warming his body up for me. He’d become just as bad as the other men in my life, worrying about the silliest things.
“Cass,” Vasin warned, catching wind of my thoughts. “Just get up here so we can go home. Our time here was needed, but there is still so much for us to do.”
“Bossy, bossy, bossy,” I said as I climbed up. “All right, you grumpy old man, let’s go home.”
The flight was what I needed. We kept the pace efficient but did not push us harder than we needed since we still had half our army with us.
Once I’d taken care of the heart and Henry died, anyone who’d been influenced by either was freed.
Many people awoke to find themselves in the middle of a battle they didn’t know they were fighting.
Of course, there were those who were fully aware and kept up to the bitter end, but we outnumbered them.
It was a swift ending to a war that took generations to build.
King Thomas came out immediately with Prince Phillip to deal with things and help assist those displaced from their home kingdom.
The three of us came up with a plan for the future—well, most of one, that is.
After the battle, I slept for two days, drained from using so much magic, and this sent the guys into a frenzy.
When I woke, they treated me like I’d almost died or something.
That is why I requested them to join me in Sheca, where everyone will feel much more comfortable.
Our dreams for our kingdoms’ future were big dreams, but I really believed they could happen.
Right now, everything was in shambles—Errit had no ruler, Utros was reeling from the impact of those under Henry’s influence recovering, and Norden was going to be under Prince Phillip’s rule when he returned.
Queen Mary still refused to speak to any of her family, but Catharine decided it might be best if she took care of her. Being in Creisal wouldn’t remind her of what happened, and it would be best for her not to be in Sheca any longer.
That first sight of Sheca as we crossed over the mountain range was one I loved.
It was a beacon of green in the harsh terrain, a haven for those who needed it, and a land who put their people first. Dragons came and went freely, choosing those they wished to find friendship with, an occurrence we hoped might start to happen in other kingdoms. Vasin circled the valley, letting me take it all in.
I might have been gone for only two weeks, but so much has happened, it felt like a lifetime since I was home.
“You’re back,” Helena cried as she pulled me into a hug. “Oh dear girl, I’ve missed you terribly.”
“I’m not sure if I should be offended. You’re never that excited to see me, and I’m your own grandson,” Cole pouted as he walked up behind me.
Helena smacked him upside the head before pulling him into a hug. “Foolish boy, you’re all I have left besides your grandfather. Of course you matter.”
“Yeah, well, that won’t be true for long. Someone is adding to the family,” Cole whispered loudly.
Helena whipped around to look at me, hands covering her mouth as her eyes grew wide. “Is it true?”
Smiling, I nodded, causing her to let out a shriek as she wrapped me up in another hug. “Oh, this is the most wonderful news! Just wait until I tell Ballard. Oh, who am I kidding… I’m telling everyone.”
With that announcement, she released me and hurried off into the castle.
“You did that on purpose,” I said, glaring at Cole.
“Now, little mouse, would I do a thing like that?” he asked, grinning at me.
Arms wrapped around me, pulling me away from the face I wanted to punch. “Whoa there, spitfire. I know how good your right hook is, and I don’t think you want to give him a black eye just yet. We have a feast to go to tonight. You want to keep him looking pretty, right?”
“I suppose,” I muttered.
“Isn’t being pregnant supposed to make you sweeter?” Jade asked as we all gathered in our sitting room.
Abbott smacked him. “Don’t believe everything you hear. Cassarah is already sweet. It makes sense it would make her feistier.”
“That’s it, none of you are sleeping with me tonight,” I announced.
They paused a moment then shrugged, clearly not at all worried.
“Bet you a gold coin she’ll be worming her way into our beds looking for some lovin’ before the night is over. Normal Cassarah is energetic, but pregnant spitfire is relentless,” Paxton said as he flopped into a chair. “I mean, I really shouldn’t be complaining. Who taught her the tongue trick?”
Grabbing a pillow, I hurled it at his face, smacking him right in the nose. “No more tongue trick for you, and you’ll also be at the end of my list of people’s beds I crawl into. Keep talking, and I’m sure I can come up with some other punishments.”
The guys backed away from him, leaving him to his own demise.
“Nice, assholes… real nice,” Pax muttered, clutching the pillow to his chest.
As the world changed, so did I. My belly grew bigger, ankles swelled up, and I craved pudding all the time.
I would wake up in the middle of the night and need to eat pudding.
The guys were amazing dealing with my mood swings that I knew made me more challenging to live with.
They loved the high sex drive, and I used it to make up for everything I did during the day.
They always knew if I felt guilty about my behavior when an afternoon delight happened in the planning hall between meetings.
Becka was my saving grace as she acted as my external brain, helping me to remember what I was doing with my life.
Carrying two babies left me waddling around the castle, continuing to do all I could, but I was slowing down.
Once I was on the castle’s first floor, that’s where I would spend the day until going up for bedtime.
The guys argued, but we all agreed I would continue to rule as normal as long as I could manage.
“Cassy-bear, don’t bite my head off when I say this, but I’m not sure you should hold an audience hall session today. We’ve kept you to the second floor, and I’m not sure we could get you back up to our rooms later,” Dayson explained, watching me warily that I wasn’t going to throw anything at him.
“Day, I hear you,” I answered. “The problem with that is, this is so important to the new way we want to have all our kingdoms running, and Sheca has been doing this the longest. Everyone from Errit, Utros, Norden, and Creisal are here to see how I conduct this session.”
“Love of my life, I fully understand that and wouldn’t ask you not to if I didn’t have a reason,” Day countered.
Frowning, I looked at him. “What reason is that?” A wave of pain hit me, and I clutched my stomach, groaning.
“That is my reason. The pain is happening more often, and it seems to be getting worse,” he pointed out. “What if you end up giving birth right there in the throne room?”
“Well, that would certainly be a story to tell.” I chuckled as I pushed on the table for leverage and moved my massive belly in the right direction. Standing, I took a deep breath and smiled. “See, I’m fine.”
Taking a step, I gasped as fluid poured out of me, splashing onto the floor.
“That’s it, you’re done. It’s not gonna happen, and I’m calling Alto once I get you in bed,” Dayson muttered as he hauled my round body up in his arms and hurried me to our room.
Becka spotted us, and her eyes went wide. “Alto?”
“Yes, go now… her water broke,” Day answered, marching right past her. “Make sure the others know.”
“How do you know my water broke? Maybe I just peed myself?” I countered.
He just gave me a look that told me I was walking on thin ice, so I shut my mouth and hung on. Another wave of pain hit me, and I crunched myself in his arms.
“Oh God, that one was awful,” I cried, trying to rub the tight skin of my belly to make it feel better. “Could you two try not to kill me before you’re born?”
Faster than I would have thought, Dayson had me in my room and sitting on the edge of the bed. “How are we doing?”
“It feels like my children are trying to claw their way out of me, but other than that, I am great,” I snapped.