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“Ehlealah,” Quin said, leaning over her so she could easily see his face.

Vivian blinked, trying to force her eyes to focus. “Where am I?” she croaked out.

“In recovery. Everything went well. You’ll need to rest a little longer, but you and our son are safe and healthy.”

“Son?” she asked, her eyes filling with tears.

“Son. He wasn’t late because he was a female. He was just stubborn,” Quin said, nodding his head for emphasis.

Vivian watched as Quin held their son so that she could see him better.

“Does he have all his fingers and toes?” she asked.

“All of them. And his first set of teeth is in place and he growls at me when I unwrap him. But see for yourself… all his parts are there,” Quin said, unwrapping the child who immediately began squirming and growling irritatedly at Quin.

“I think he has your nature,” Quin teased.

Vivian smiled at him. She began pushing the sheet down to expose her upper chest and shoulders. “I want him right here, against my skin.”

“Anything you want Ehlealah.” Quin carefully laid the baby on his belly, against Vivian’s upper chest, then quickly covered his back with his blanket, and then the sheet covering Vivian.

Vivian held him against her body, speaking softly to him, and kissing his head as he immediately stopped squirming andgrowling and settled in to the warmth and scent of his mother. She looked up at Quin with tears streaming down her face. “Thank you.”

“Thank you,” he said, leaning over to curve his hand over his son’s back and kiss his Ehlealah.

When he pulled back to look into her eyes the nurse from earlier was standing right beside them. She held one of the mobile medical tablets they maintained medical records on in her hands. “Since there were no witnesses, will there be an official announcement and image distributed?”

Quin looked at Vivi, waiting for her answer.

Vivian looked at the tablet in the nurse’s hands, then at Quin, and thought of everyone waiting for confirmation that the birth had gone well, and the fact that she’d bucked tradition and a lot of Cruestaci citizens might take issue with that. “Are you taking the photo with that?”

“If you approve it,” the nurse said.

A picture was the least she could do. “Okay.”

“Yes?” Quin asked.

“Yes,” Vivian answered.

“If I may,” the nurse said, “the way you were looking at your Sirena with your face close to hers and your hand on the youngling. It was a perfect moment.”

Quin smiled as he leaned closer and recreated the moment, looking into Vivi’s eyes, his face only an inch or two from hers, the youngling resting on her chest, his dark hair and tiny red hand easily seen cuddled up against Vivian, with Quin’s hand protectively covering the baby’s back.

The nurse took several shots, showed them to Quin and Vivi for approval. “I will get a final approval from the Sovereigna and forward it to her for the actual release of course,” the nurse said, as she continued typing on the tablet. She stopped and looked up at the new parents. “What is his name? I can’t create the announcement of his arrival without his name.”

“His name is Zha Quin Alexandrus Tel Mo’ Kok,” Vivian said proudly.

“Heir to the throne of Cruestace,” Quin added.

Chapter 12

Mirilla hesitated just before stepping out of the service hallway and into the royal corridor of the East wing. She reconsidered her actions for the dozenth time since leaving her quarters, and she still wasn’t sure she should be doing what she was doing. All she knew was that she couldn’t resist the temptation. She knew the Sirena was in labor in the medial suite. She also knew that Au'revele was with her, as was Sire Zha Quin. Which meant that she could slip into Au’revele’s quarters and through the nursery to Bart’s room without being seen. She wouldn’t have to request entry and have it become a formal matter of record that she’d been admitted to the royal residence in the middle of the night. But sleep wasn’t happening. When she closed her eyes all she saw was Bart. When she turned her face into her pillow, the scent that she craved wasn’t there — Bart’s. So, after hours of trying to sleep, she’d given up and was wandering aimlessly around the palace, getting ready for the day hours earlier than necessary. Which was how she learned that Vivian was in the medical suite with the family, and Bart wasn’t there with them. And neither was Samuel. But no doubt there were still guards outside the door. Which meant she could still be found out. Regardless of the chance she might be seen, she just had to see him.

She stepped into the royal corridor, taking care to keep her footsteps as quiet and soundless as possible. Moving past the first two doors she stayed close to the wall until she finally reached Au'revele’s quarters, then very quickly unlocked the door using her pass key, and slipped inside. She went quickly through the room to the adjoining door leading to the nursery, then through the nursery, finally stepping into the downstairs rooms of the royal residence. Her heart fluttered, her pulse pounded, and she wasn’t even sure her feet were touching thefloor as she rushed to the most important door of all. Bart’s. She tapped lightly on his bedroom and waited.

Bart was lying fully awake in his bed. He’d been assured that Vivian didn’t want any more people than necessary, and in fact was overly nervous with all those already in attendance, so he made the call to wait until morning to meet the child. So, now he was right where he’d been prior to the news that Vivian was in labor — lying in his bed thinking of Mirilla. Wondering how he’d break the news to Vivian and Quin that he really needed his own private rooms while in the palace without making it seem suspect.

And though he was awake, the tapping caused him to nearly jump out of his skin. He knew that only he and his father were in the royal residence at the moment, with security outside. Getting up, he hurried to the door, opening it curiously.

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