Page 55 of The Dragon of her Dreams

“Slowly, Vanya,” the doctor said. “Small, careful pushes, and the baby will slide out.”

With a final, mammoth effort, she began to bear down on her final pushes, groaning loudly until the baby slid out between her thighs and into the doctor’s waiting hands.

“You have a son!” he announced, checking our child over thoroughly before cutting off the cord and wrapping the infant in a blanket the servant gave him.

I kissed Vanya, sending up prayers of thanks to the gods for the safe arrival of my son and the health of my wife.

Queen Lucy stood up and moved behind the doctor. “Watch her bleeding,” she warned. “I had a lot of trouble after the triplets.”

The doctor didn’t say anything in response to Lucy, simply handing the baby up to my wife, and moving to check on her health.

“Oh, he’s beautiful,” Vanya cooed, settling into the pillows mounted up behind her. “And he looks just like you.”

I chuckled out a laugh. “If he’s beautiful, sweetheart, then he gets that from you.” I stared down at my wife and son, the knowledge that I had a family, my own blood family, washing over me. “Thank you.”

She looked away from the baby for a moment and up at me, tears shimmering in her striking dark eyes. “I love you.”

Lucy came back to Vanya’s side, a broad smile on her face. “Oh, sweetheart, he’s just beautiful.”

I slid off the bed and encouraged the king to come forward to have a look at his newest grandchild.

Vanya was literally glowing.

I’d never seen her look so happy, though our wedding day came a close second. We’d been married nine months ago in my father’s kingdom, in the North, very shortly after I’d proposed.

The wedding had been emotional, and the party... absolutely epic. We’d conceived our baby that very night, the love of our fated union stronger than anything I’d ever known. Family and friends from all over the realm had come to celebrate with us, and I’d never felt so content.

Not until today.

The queen looked up at me. “Jaegar, he’s beautiful.”

I smiled at her. “That’s all your daughter, Lucy.”

“Jaegar, look!” Vanya said her breath catching in her throat as she pulled back the baby’s blanket.

I didn’t want to dislodge my in-laws, so I walked behind Lucy and stared down at what Vanya was trying to show me. There, on the baby’s chest, was a tiny little birthmark.

“Is that...” My heart exploded and was reborn a million times over in a single breathless moment.

Vanya smiled at me, rather smugly, a gleam of pride in her eye. “Yes, my love. He is a dragon king... if he wants to be.” Vanya went back to staring at our son and pulled down her shirt to offer the baby her swollen breast for his first feed.

Stavrok moved off the bed and walked around to me. “Congratulations, son.”

I reached out and shook his hand, a wave of relief washing over me. “I’m just so relieved they’re both okay,” I said.

Stavrok looked at his wife and daughter. “Vanya, can I take your husband to my study for a drink to celebrate? We’ll only be an hour.”

“Oh, I don’t think so...” I began to say, not wanting to leave my baby and wife quite so soon.

Vanya nodded, a tired smile on her lips. “Of course, Dad. Mom will stay with me.”

“And Jessa will be here any moment now,” Stavrok said, and slapped a hand on my back encouragingly.

At that moment Jessa hurried into the room, her belly swollen with her second pregnancy. “Oh my God. Vanya!” she squealed, rushing over to her side.

We left the women to coo over my beautiful son, and I let my father-in-law take me for a quick drink.

In his study, the whiskey slid down my throat like a dream. I’d been up with Vanya all night, so although she’d done all the work, my stress levels had been through the roof watching her go through so much pain and being unable to do much about it—other than being there for her. The whiskey soothed my frayed nerves, and I sighed heavily. “Thank you, that’s great.”

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