Page 31 of Pregnant By the Vampire King

It was only expected that more fae would come to Zacorith now that there was a fae queen on the throne, but Aelwen encouraged no laws that favored them, only suggested changes that would be fairer for everyone. With her help, Vinir could feel the kingdom changing for the better.

"What do you think about your father's proposed alterations to the taxes on our treaties?" Vinir asked Aelwen one night while they dined together. He had a glass of blood in hand while she sipped on a goblet of bubbly apple juice.

She covered her mouth and laughed. "He is trying to walk all over you. Do not let him."

After that, any doubts about her intentions disappeared altogether.

And as the months went by, Aelwen couldn't keep up with their regular working hours together, for her bump was becoming too large, and sitting in the same position for hours at a time became too exhausting for her. It was around this time that Vinir decided to put all non-urgent issues aside for the time being while he focused on spending all the time he could with his wife.

Soon, they would have a child together. Every day as they approached the due date was packed with anticipation, and they spent their nights dreaming of what the new arrival would look like and talking about all the things they wanted for their child. A better education, more opportunities, and a brighter future than either of them had known.

But one question began to plague their minds.

"What should we name him?" Aelwen asked.

It was just past midnight, and she had insisted on going for a walk, so Vinir decided to come with her and make sure she was safe. There was a spot near the castle that he'd been dying to take her to for some time, so since it wasn't too bad of a hike, that's where they went.

"Or her," Vinir said idly, holding his hand out to help her up a steeper part of the path. She took it gladly.

"I thought you would have been hoping for a boy," Aelwen said.

He shrugged, and since he had her hand already, he looped his arm in with hers to keep her close. "I will be happy with either, so long as the baby is healthy. It's not like we will only have one, right?"

Aelwen chuckled gleefully. "Oh, no, I hope not. How do you feel about five?"

His eyebrows shot up. "Only five? I was thinking seven."

"Seven! Could you imagine it, seven little ones running around? I think I would die of happiness."

"It's decided then, we'll just have as many as possible."

At the top of the path, a field of wildflowers stretched out for what seemed like miles. Aelwen gasped in awe, and Vinir knew he had made a good decision to take her there.

"Do you like it?" he whispered.

"Yes!" She laughed and hugged him close. "I want to lay down in the flowers and sleep here forever."

"Don't be so hasty. There's still more."

They continued walking hand in hand along the thin deer trail, taking their time so Aelwen wouldn't get tired. They chatted about potential names for the baby, debatingpossibilities for whether it was a girl or a boy, but they didn't come up with any that they were particularly sold on.

Before long, they could hear the roaring of a nearby river. Aelwen's eyes lit up as soon as she heard it, and they walked along a little quicker. At the spot they came out on, they stood at a viewpoint hanging over the river below, which glowed silver in the moonlight.

And to their left was a waterfall as wide as two houses, water slamming down the cliffs and filling the chasm with a thick mist.

"I've never seen anything like it," Aelwen whispered. "What is this place?"

"This is the Draconi River, it runs all the way from the northern tip of Elysium all the way to the south, where the water feeds the ocean," Vinir said.

They sat together at the waterfall’s edge, watching the moonlight reflect off the water. "I didn't know there was a river here at all. How didn't I know?"

"Because technically, there isn't. This is the only stretch of the river that's visible from the surface in Zacorith. The rest of it is underground. It's magical, don't you think?"

"Yes," she breathed. "I can feel the magic in the air."

Aelwen leaned into Vinir, and he wrapped an arm around her, both in awe of the beauty surrounding them. As they watched in silence, hundreds of tiny fireflies lit up around them, forming a ring that surrounded their spot and glittered like stars.

Aelwen looked back at Vinir with loving eyes, and she kissed him lightly on the cheek before whispering softly into his ear.

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