Page 321 of A King's Oath

“Do you want more children?”

Her head popped back up — “Why would you ask me that while I was about to sleep?”

“Sorry,” he shrugged. “It’s alright, sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“No! You can’t throw a light like that and not expect to start a fire!”

“Having more children with me is starting a fire?”

“You get the gist,” she sat up straight and crossed her legs, her silk shorts riding up and giving him indecent ideas.

“Look up here at me, Rawal.”

“Hmm?”

“You want to have more children?”

“Don’t you?”

Her eyes went far, a little lost, then a little dreamy. She shrugged one shoulder — “I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it.”

“What we did just now creates one, Ava. Or do I need to jog your memory?”

“You wore a condom. Or do I need to jogyourmemory? Oh, wait! You wore a condom that last time too.”

“Alright, don’t get snappy. Go to sleep.”

“Oh no, don’t you call me snappy!” She got on her haunches. “Who do you think you are calling snappy?”

“Umm, I don’t know? The Maarani of Nawanagar?”

Her fighter mode instantly switched to awed-Ava mode.

“That does sound a little nice.”

“Only a little?” He pushed closer to her, moulding his hands to her hips and trailing up into the bare skin under her top. She whacked them off — “Don’t push your luck.”

“I just asked a simple question to which your answer could have been yes or no.”

“And I choose the in-between.”

“I don’t know?”

She crossed her arms across her chest and bobbed her head.

“Alright,” he took hold of her forearms and pulled her slowly over him. “That works too.”

“In six months,” her low voice sounded solemn. She held his face and traced his cheekbones with her thumbs. “Let’s talk about it in six months. Once I have adjusted to life here, as Maarani. Once Brahmi is ok with long-term life here. We forget that it’s a cultural shock and a change from a nuclear two-person family to this palace and this kingdom for her.”

“I get it. I wasn't looking at starting immediately either. Just wanted to know what you think. If you didn’t want one, I wouldn’t have brought it up again.”

“I know that,” she kissed his nose. “But… say, if we decide to have another baby. And it’s a boy. What would your court say then? You are preparing all this paperwork for Brahmi, for firstborns to inherit. What will happen if…”

“Nothing will happen. Nothing will change. Irrespective of whether we have another child or not, and whatever gender they are, Brahmi will be my firstborn and hence the first queen of Nawanagar.”

“Think carefully and think well. After what you told me happened in Devgadh, I don’t want an action replay in my house.”

“I have thought well, and Papa and Rajmata have also brainstormed. We will talk more about this, all four of us. Hmm?”

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