“There is no point in making dresses, my love. I already told you, our first born will be a boy.”

Kieran had had this argument with Elena many times before. In fact, they’d been arguing about the gender of their child since her bump was visible. And now, at about eight months, neither had conceded. Elena was convinced the baby she was carrying was a girl, even though he had proved to her that all first borns in the Hammedatha bloodline were always boys.

He approached the armchair in the sitting room where his heavily pregnant wife sat, knitting.

“I am making a sweater now, but the dress is finished,” she replied with a smile, her eyes on her handiwork. “Oh, you should see it, my love. It is so pretty and my daughter will look adorable in it.”

Kieran rolled his eyes. “Well then you must be referring to the second born, because there is no way my son will wear a dress unless he is circumcised.”

Elena scowled and paused her knitting to glare up at him. “It is amazing that you still choose to argue with me over this yet I am the one carrying the baby. It is my womb so as its owner, I can feel my baby’s gender. And it is female.”

“It’s amazing that you still choose to argue with me yet it is clear by genetics that our baby is a boy,” Kieran countered. “To have the first born in Hammedatha bloodline as a girl?” He shook his head. “Not possible.”

Elena snorted. “You sound like…. Like a…” She peered upwards as she tried to search for the word, then exclaimed, “Like a discriminator!”

“I am only stating the facts,” Kieran said to her. “The sooner you come back to reality, the better.”  He offered her a sinister grin. “I can’t wait to see the look on your face when Levi is born.”

Levi was the name he had chosen for their unborn baby.

Elena stuck her tongue out at him. “The joke will be on you because my Luna Willow Adeline Diana Rosie Estelle will be born instead!”

Kieran stifled a laugh. “Still haven’t found a name for ‘your daughter’ yet?” he teased, using his fingers as quotes. She said a different string of names everytime the topic of names came up.

“Well I would find one easily if you just helped me!” Elena whined.

“A name for a non-existent person? I don’t want to be labeled crazy. No thank you.” Kieran raised his palms in a defensive gesture.

Elena glowered at him with her eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed, and he tried not to laugh at her expression. She’d considerably gained weight, and with those cheeks, she just looked like an angry hamster.

“You infuriate me,” she snarled – or rather, tried to.

He tilted his head to the side and looked into her deep blue eyes; eyes that always captivated him no matter what emotion lay within them.

“I love you,” he said instead. He glanced at her bump and smiled. “I love you both.”

“Careful or you might make me so wet, the baby will arrive before its time.”

Kieran laughed. He walked closer to the armchair and pecked her forehead. “I have a meeting with Lukas at the Castle. I’ll see you later tonight.”

As he drew back, her hand threaded through his hair and pulled him down, kissing him on the lips.

“I love you, papa Kieran,” she said once she pulled back.

He grinned in response.

*****

“How about Flora? Or Azalea? Oh! Talia is a nice name, don’t you think?”

“Azalea is nice. What is Kieran’s perspective?”

Elena frowned. It was a cloudy afternoon, and she was sitting in the lounge chair in the pavilion with Maruja as she brainstormed baby names.

“He doesn’t care for my daughter,” she mumbled.

Maruja rolled her eyes. “That isn’t true and you know it. Whichever baby pops out of you whether boy or girl, he’ll still love it as much as he loves you.”

“It will be a girl,” Elena emphasized, stubbornly. “And when he sees that it is a girl, that is when he will pay attention to her name.”

“Okay, Okay.” Maruja surrendered.

Elena’s back started to hurt so she carefully stood up, for a change in position. However, the moment she stood, she felt trickles of wetness drip down her thighs.

She stilled, and for a moment, her mind spaced out.

“Something wrong?” Maruja’s voice pulled her back to her senses.

Elena turned her head to the red haired physician who had a worried look on her face.

“I think Azalea Talia Estelle Flora would like to leave her chamber now,” Elena declared.

Maruja knitted her eyebrows in confusion. “What?”

Elena sighed. “My water just broke.”

**

Dusk had long fallen by the time Kieran returned to Hammedatha Manor. He noticed a carriage in the compound and wondered whether they had guests. Looking up onto the terrace, he saw his father leaning over the banister, watching him.

“About time,” he said when Kieran climbed onto the terrace.

Kieran stopped and arched an eyebrow. Had his father been outside waiting for him? He got the feeling he had something to say, but the Commander’s poise was nonetheless relaxed – no more different from how he usually was.

He turned and his cool steely gaze met Kieran’s curious one.

“What is it?” Kieran asked.

“Your wife is in labour,” his father stated in a flat tone. “My grandson will be here in a few.”

Kieran’s stomach flipped.

He couldn’t quite explain what he felt. Was it fear? Panic? Joy? All of them at once? What he did know and understand was that his heart was undergoing irregular palpitations and his nerves were disrupted as he marched through the halls and headed towards the designated birth chamber on the ground floor.

He turned into the first corridor and stopped when he saw his siblings, along with Elena’s sister Mara, occupying it on either side. They were all quiet, and he didn’t miss the tension lingering in the air, coupled with their terse expressions.

Kieran willed his feet to move and marched forward, aiming to turn into the next corridor, where the designated birth chamber was located. He wanted to be with Elena. He needed to be with Elena.

Joshua grabbed his arm, stopping his movements. “You can’t go any further.”

Kieran turned his head and shot his brother a threatening look, but he didn’t back down.

Instead, Joshua shrugged. “Physician’s orders.”

Kieran’s jaw clenched. “She’s my wife. That’s my child.”

“Mother is in there with her,” Joshua informed as reassurance. “And so are Maruja and Lady Victoria.”

A loud scream pierced through the air from the next corridor, and shot right into Kieran’s heart, squeezing it in a fierce grip. He responded by shoving Joshua aside and stomping forward, but his brother restrained his arms to keep him still.

“Calm down!” Joshua growled as Kieran pushed against him.

He wanted to punch Joshua right in the nose. How could he expect him to calm down after hearing such a painful scream from his wife? Was that normal? It couldn’t be. Sure, his mother had told him it would be painful and he’d never been certain whether he could handle it.

There was another pair of hands pulling him back now.

“Kieran, there is nothing you can do.” It was Aaron’s voice.

A surge of anger boiled in his veins when he heard those words, and stilled his movements.

Helplessness. It was the one feeling he hated the most above anything else. Knowing that Elena’s trial was something she had to go through, that her pain was something he couldn’t ease even though it was he who’d caused it.

He ground his teeth and clenched his fists so hard, he nearly drew blood.

**

Elena howled as she felt something like a rip, but did not stop pushing until everything retracted, and soft baby cries reached her ears. Her head collapsed back on the pillows, which were already damp with her sweat. Harsh pants escaped her as the dots before her eyes started to clear.

“It’s a girl!” Maruja announced from between her asunder legs.

The relief and joy that swooshed over Elena was only momentary because something pushing against her cervix; from the inside.

What the-

“I think there’s another one!” Elena declared as she felt the familiar yet unwelcome sharp contractions all over again.

The women in the room with her had no time to properly react because Elena was already gripping both her mothers’ hands for dear life as she pushed once more.

**

He didn’t know how long he’d been waiting, but couldn’t take it anymore.
It took the highest level of endurance for Kieran to remain away from the birth chamber where his wife was hollering in the next corridor.

He’d never trembled so much in his life. Fear – true fear was an unusual concept to him, and he remembered trembling this much from it only twice. The first time was when he thought Elena was a ghost trying to rape him. Her giving birth was the second time.

He paced around the corridor and ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair. He hadn’t heard her reactions in a bit, and wondered what had happened. Had she delivered? Was his son born? Was Elena alright?

He did a double take when he saw a familiar redhead poke her face into the corridor.

“Papa Kieran?” Maruja called.

Kieran’s heart beat twice as fast, and he gulped. He raked a hand through his hair for the millionth time and ran it down his face. He didn’t know where to place his hands next. His neck? His hips? His shirt so he could squeeze it around his throat?

Maruja smiled at him. “We’re ready for you now.”

Kieran looked around at Joshua, Aaron, Ray, Aira and Mara. He raked his hand through his hair and cracked his knuckles as he ambled forward, following Maruja into the next corridor.

As she opened the door to the chamber, Kieran balled his hands into tight fists – Elena shouldn’t see him shaking. The first thing he saw when he walked in, or rather, the first thing he chose his eyes to see was Elena leaning against the numerous pillows on the bed while she cradled a newborn wrapped in white blankets. He face, though glistening with sweat, shone with her smile as she looked at her – their baby with nothing less than adoration.

Kieran sucked his bottom lip between his teeth when he felt it quiver.

Do not cry.

He willed his feet to move and he took slow steps towards the bed till he stood beside her, so he could look down at the baby. Slightly pink with its eyes shut, the tiny head writing like it wanted to snuggle. His heart wasn’t racing anymore. A great deal of warmth flooded it, and he felt peace at once.

“Well, papa Kieran.” Elena looked up and beamed at him. “This is your daughter.”

Wordlessly, Kieran gently picked the baby from her and cradled it in his arms.

“My daughter…” he whispered, tasting the word. “…is beautiful.”

She was beautiful and perfect.

“She is the first,” said Elena.

Kieran could care less whether she was the first born or not. She was his and Elena’s daughter. Any product from the two of them was his love and his happiness.

“The second is a boy,” Elena added.

Confused, Kieran looked back at his wife who had a tiny smile on her lips.

“This one is also yours.” It was his mother’s voice that spoke.

He turned around and saw his mother, who cradled another newborn wrapped in a sky blue blanket. Her eyes twinkled as she smiled at him. “He’s your son.”

For a moment, Kieran forgot how to breathe. The warmth that had flooded his chest threatened to spill over, he thought his heart would explode. He looked back at Elena and his eyes stung with wetness.

Do not cry.

“T-Twins?” he croaked, his voice having broken.

She only nodded with a tired slow blink of her eyes.

“By the stars,” he breathed and looked up at the ceiling, trying to compose himself. “I am so happy.”

He took his son from his mother, so he was carrying the twins in both arms. He placed a kiss on each of their foreheads. “I love you both,” he professed and turned to his wife, who had lain her head down, her eyes drooping. “I love you, Elena.”

Her lips curved upwards a bit. “I love y…” the last word ended in a sigh as her eyes closed completely and she stilled.

“Elena?” Kieran called out to her, but she didn’t move an inch.

Fear crawled up his spine and into his veins. “Elena?” he called louder and whipped his head round. “Mother-”

Maruja was already rushing to the other side of the bed, to Elena’s side. Kieran watched with dread as Maruja placed a hand on Elena’s forehead and a finger under her nose.

He couldn’t lose her. He’d heard of mothers dying during child birth, and he didn’t want to go through that experience. He couldn’t.

Maruja looked up at Kieran. “She’s fallen asleep.”

All feeling returned to his previously numb body, and Kieran gazed down at his children, who were sleeping as well.

“Your mother will be fine,” he murmured to them. “She is Corporal Elena after all.”

*****
“Alright, baby bird two. Say papa.”

“Abejebobebo.”

“Papa.”

“Ayoub.”

Kieran sighed. “Baby bird two, what part of that sounds like papa to you? Thirteen months old and you still cannot pronounce the simplest syllables. Instead you make it so complicated.”

He sat cross-legged on a mat while the brown haired boy seated before him stared with his bright hazel eyes. In his small hands was a worn out doll in the shape of a grey elephant. He looked at the doll, then at Kieran. And he held it out towards Kieran with one hand grasping the trunk.

“A peace offering, eh?” Kieran asked with an arched eyebrow.

“Blelebploobo,” was his reply.

“I refuse to accept it until you say papa.” Kieran crossed his arms over his chest. “Also, don’t hold him by the trunk, you murderer. He breathes through that.”

The toddler began shaking the doll, bouncing it in his hand by the trunk. A squeal-like giggle erupted from his throat, and his tiny crooked front teeth came into view.

A pair of small fists pressed into Kieran’s thigh and he turned his head to the culprit – a black haired baby girl grasping a small tiger doll in one hand. Her other hand reached up to touch his arm as she brought herself up to stand on her feet. She wobbled a bit but maintained her balance, keeping her hand on his arm for support.

“What is it, baby bird one?” Kieran asked, and his eyes lit up. “Do you want to say papa? Go on. Surpass your brother and say papa. Easy, right?”

Her emerald green eyes stared at him for a moment before she said, “Quackie.”

Kieran shook his head. “Papa.”

“Dododododo.”

Kieran sighed. “Both of you are making things way more complicated than they need to be. It is just two repeated syllables, my star-”

She whacked him in the face with her doll and squealed in delight. Her brother squealed with her, bouncing his elephant harder.

“Haha. Very funny, baby bird one. But we need to get you to say papa before you can say mama, okay?”

She responded with another whack in his face, setting off the squeals again.

“My love, will you please stop calling them baby birds!” came Elena’s displeased voice as she walked into the play room. “Call them Levi and Aurora, their actual names.”

“Mavah?” Aurora said, looking up at Elena.

“Mavah?” Levi repeated, looking up at Elena.

Kieran also looked up at his wife, who had her hands on her hips and a glare directed at him.

“It is more fun to call them baby birds,” Kieran argued. “Besides, they know who is who. Right, baby bird one?”

“Anh?” said Aurora.

“Right, baby bird two?”

“Anh?” said Levi.

Kieran smirked at Elena, who sighed in irritation.

“If they respond to baby bird one and two, then they won’t know their names,” she reasoned out.

Kieran waved his hand in disagreement. “They’ll know them when they’re older and can actually say things that make sense. So don’t worry. Okay, my love?”

“Mavah?” said Aurora.

“Mavah?” Levi repeated.

Aurora whacked Kieran in the face with the doll, causing Elena to giggle.

“Okay, time out for you.” Kieran declared and grabbed the tiny human, swinging her up as he stood she burst into giggles just as Elena picked up Levi.

“Nap time,” she said in a sing-song voice as she placed him at her hip.

A while later, Kieran and Elena strolled in the lower gardens. Aurora was strapped to Kieran’s back with a colourful baby sheet he’d tied up in two knots against his front, while Levi was strapped to Elena’s back in the same fashion.

As Kieran and Elena had their conversation, so did their children; except theirs was in baby jargon, occasional gurgles and something that sounded like half-singing.

Keeping them on their backs while they walked or swayed always lulled them to sleep. In a matter of seconds, the twins were asleep, and they moved them up to their bed-chamber, where they placed them in their respective side by side cribs.

It was afternoon, and Kieran had a Guard’s meeting to attend. Elena left Sophie, the maid and designated baby sitter, in charge of the children so she could attend to the garden she’d set up near the pavilion. She watered, weeded and pruned, and after the relaxation time cleaned up and headed to the playroom. Three hours had passed, meaning the twins were awake, and fed already.

When she walked into the colourful playroom, she found the twins holding each of Sophie’s hands as she shuffled slowly, allowing them to walk in tiny steady steps. They weren’t able to walk on their own yet, and only did so if their hands were holding on to something. Sophie had changed Aurora into a purple blouse and brown trousers, and Levi into a red shirt and brown trousers.

Levi looked up and grinned when he saw Elena. “Mavah?”

Aurora’s head shot up at once. “Mavah?”

They tugged on Sophie’s hands as their feet strived to walk faster. Elena smiled and let them come to her. They both grabbed onto the skirt of her dress as they padded to her either sides and beamed up at her. It was a wonder how Aurora’s teeth were straight while her brother’s were crooked and pointy. It would be a miracle if he didn’t grow up with a mouth full of shark teeth.

“Nice to see you too, baby birds,” Elena cooed and looked at Sophie. “Is Papa Rory still in the meeting?”

Sophie smiled. “Yes, he is.”

Feeling mischievous, Elena looked down at the twins and gently patted their heads. “Do you want to see papa?”

“Anh?” said Aurora.

“Anh?” said Levi. “Awuweeyububu.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Elena crouched and lifted them both, standing with one in either arm. “Let us go say hello to papa, shall we?”

**

Elena set Levi down first and held his hand, then led him to hold onto the wall near the doors to the Guard’s meeting chamber. She opened the doors slowly and quietly, leaving a small space fit for a toddler.

By moving his hands along the wall, Levi walked to the doors and his small hands gripped the edge of the open door as he peeked into the room. Elena also peeked inside, and saw the different captains sitting around the table; with Kieran at the head. She could only catch his side profile, and Joshua’s back was to her.

Levi must have spotted his father, because he pointed at him and looked back at Elena. “Mavah?”

Elena giggled. “Yes, that is my love,” she whispered. “And your  papa. Go and say hello.”

Levi looked back into the room and got down on his hands and knees. Elena watched as he crawled into the room, and Joshua was the first to notice.

“Levi?”

Elena ducked her head away from sight incase Joshua should notice. Aurora had her fingers in her mouth, quiet the whole time. There were some murmurs from inside the chamber, followed by Kieran’s voice.

“Baby bird two, what are you doing here? Eager to learn about the General’s duty, are we?”

Elena peeped into the room and saw Kieran had shifted his position to face Levi, and there was a toothy smile on his face. “Alright then, son. Come.” He stretched his hands towards the boy.

Instead of crawling faster, Levi stopped altogether. He pushed his miniscule body up so he was on his hands and feet, and an unsettling feeling brewed in Elena’s stomach.

What was he attempting to do?

And just like that, he lifted his hands up along with his upper body, and stood on his feet.

Elena wasn’t the only one who gasped. Levi wasn’t able to stand on his own! Well, not until that moment.

“Is he going to walk?’ Joshua asked.

Was he?

Kieran kept his hands stretched out, his gaze steady and solely on Levi. “Come to me, son.”

Levi took a step forward, then another. Elena cupped her mouth in surprise as he padded over to Kieran amidst surprised gasps murmurs, then stretched his arms up.

“Tdoitdoi,” he said to his father.

With a bustling laugh, Kieran picked him up and tossed him once in the air, catching him again. “That’s my boy!” he announced while the child squealed in delight. “It was about time you walked, wasn’t it!”

Elena was grinning from ear to ear as she watched the scene before her. The captains had dived into applause.

Aurora writhed in her hold and extended her small arms out, letting Elena know she wanted to follow her brother.

“You want to walk as well?” Elena was excited. She set Aurora down and the baby got on her hands and knees, crawling into the chamber.

“Oh, here comes another one!”

“Is she going to walk as well?”

“But where did they come from?” It was Joshua who wondered aloud.

Elena peeped from behind the door as Aurora crawled towards Kieran, who now held Levi on his lap. Levi had his fingers in his mouth as he watched his sister like everyone else.

Kieran grinned. “Alright, baby bird one. Let’s walk.”

Aurora pushed herself to her hands and feet, and Elena’s stomach swirled for the second time. Her little girl then stood on her feet, but luck didn’t seem to agree with her like it had with Levi. She stumbled and toppled back, landing on her small rump.

Elena gasped. Her instincts were to rush in and help her up, but she topped herself.

Aurora looked up at Kieran and let out a whine, like she was about to cry.

“Don’t.” Kieran’s voice was sharp. His gaze as he watched Aurora was even sharper. He motioned his hand upwards. “Get up, baby bird.”

Aurora rolled herself onto her hands and feet again, then stood up – carefully this time. She looked up at Kieran, who nodded in approval.

“Now walk to me,” he said, beckoning her with his hand.

Elena was anxious. She could do nothing but watch as her baby girl put one foot forward. In bringing up the other foot, she wobbled and fell forward, landing flat on the floor.

Elena’s hands gripped the door as she fought against her instincts to run and pick her up – she was in Kieran’s territory now.

Aurora whimpered and whined again, releasing a small sniffle.

“Baby bird one,” Kieran warned, effectively silencing her. “You won’t let your brother surpass you, will you? What he can do, you can do too, so get up.”

With a writhe, Aurora got to her hands and feet and stood up again. Elena bit her lip, silently hoping she wouldn’t fall this time round.

The tiny human took a step forward, then another, and looked up at her father.

“Yes. That’s it.” Kieran nodded, beckoning her with his hand. “Don’t stop and keep moving forward.”

Aurora took another two steps and her pace picked up as she walked towards Kieran, stretching her arms out to him when she reached his chair.

“Yes!” Kieran boomed at the same time all the captains at the table roared with hoots and cheers.

Kieran lifted his daughter with one hand and sat her down on his lap, with Levi still on the other.

“That’s my girl!” He laughed and kissed Aurora on her temple, causing her to squeak out giggles. “Both of you would make mighty Generals!”

Elena’s heart swelled with a mixture of bliss and relief as she watched the happy scene before her eyes. The way every captain rooted and cheered for the twins’ first steps, and the way her husband grinned and showered his children with so much affection, pecking their faces and holding them close to his broad chest.

What a picture.

**

Elena emerged from her and Kieran’s walk-in closet after changing into her short nightwear and walked towards the bed. Kieran lay in it shirtless, with one hand folded behind his head, his eyes gazing at the ceiling.

Elena climbed into bed and pulled the covers over herself before inching closer to him. She slid her hand across his midriff and rested her head on his chest.

The twins had long gone to sleep.

“My love?” Elena called.

“Mm?”

“How many children do you wish to have?”

Elena didn’t have to ask to know he loved children. He’d basically raised his siblings, and playing with the twins was one of her favourite things to watch him do.

“I will have only the number you’ll allow me to have,” he replied.

Elena traced a circle on his abdomen with her finger. “So it is my choice then?”

“Well of course, my love. It is your body and your womb. You get to decide whether you want to go through that experience again.”

Elena smiled. She’d teased him about his paranoia during her first delivery, but came to realize it was something he refused to take lightly. He’d been careful not to get her pregnant again – not until she gave the word.

“If it is to have a child with you, then that child is worth any kind of pain,” Elena said. “I would like to give you as many children as I can.”

“Really?” He sounded surprised.

“Yes, because the way you love them makes me excited.”

He chuckled, his hand brushing down her hair, which she’d cut short. “Excited?”

“Mm-hm.” She rested her palm on his abdomen and rubbed in a slow circle. “Excited as in pin you down and ride you like a mare excited.”

His hand stopped its ministrations in her hair. “Well, I showed them lots of love today, didn’t i?”

Elena chuckled and leaned up so she could look at his face. “You did.”

He ran his tongue over his lips as he gazed back at her. “Then?”

Slowly, Elena placed both her hands on his abdominal muscles as she climbed on top of him and straddled him. His hands slipped to her waist and gripped her hips.

“Let’s make some babies, husband.” She slid her hands up his chest as she leaned down, and pressed her lips to his when her fingers reached his neck. She swiped her tongue across his bottom lip and his lips parted, letting her tongue delve into his mouth.

He slid his hands down to her lower back and to her backside, cupping her arse. She moaned and ground down on him, but soon pulled back from his lips.

“We need to be very quiet though,” she whispered.

A small smirk graced his lips. “Except you are the one usually screaming.”

Elena couldn’t deny that. There were countless times he’d had to clamp his hand over her mouth as he buried himself in her during one of their spontaneous ‘quickies’ in odd venues.

She bit her lip. “I’ll be quiet this time. I swear.”

Amusement danced in his eyes. “I’ve heard that one before.”

“Oh, hush.” Elena rolled her eyes and leaned down to kiss his neck.

A/N:

Just tryna keep it PG here….

Press that orange⭐ and make a writer smile!