Twelve Read online

  Grace was older than he was by several years. She was not unpleasant to look upon, though in his mind he could not reconcile her as anything other than a substitute for Bryn. He would never admit that it had taken him calling Bryn to mind to be able to complete the task. He knew it was inconsiderate, but he reconciled it with himself that this was a duty now, not a match for love or attraction.

  Before long on the calendar, though a seeming eternity to Lyford, Grace was pregnant. In his mind, it was a reprieve. He would not be forced to attend her that way again until after the child was born, if ever. He returned to the business of ruling his kingdom, leaving her to fend for herself.

  When her pregnancy began to have challenges, she was put to bed. Other than rising to bathe, or to move to a chair to sit, she was restricted to bed until after the birth. Lyford was consulted, but only to inform, he was not part of the decision.

  “What do they want me to do about it?” He asked Armen, exasperated by the development.

  Armen shrugged, mildly irritated himself. “It seems that they don’t.”

  “I cannot attend her every moment of the day. It was all I could do to attend her to get pregnant in the first place.” Lyford groused, slamming his fist upon the table.

  “Perhaps one of the staff can attend her.” Armen offered.

  “Or perhaps one of her staff, or family members, can come attend her. The coffers have swelled because I have kept the costs down. Taking on more staff is not part of that solution.” Lyford countered. “The agreement did not include expanding the household beyond a child.”

  Armen raised an eyebrow. “You seem to feel quite strongly about it.”

  Lyford glared. “Let’s just say I have a new appreciation and understanding of why my youth was the way it was.”

  “And you would repeat that?” Armen challenged, genuinely curious.

  “Yes. And, no. I do not intend for my child to be as unseen as I was, but I also do not intend to deplete the wealth of my kingdom before he arrives.”

  Armen nodded. “As you wish. Perhaps, I can reach out to her father.”

  “Do that.” Lyford stated adamantly. “Perhaps this will all be an unnecessary discussion sooner than later.”

  Armen did not bait him to try to understand what his thought process might be. He was amused to see so much of Lyford’s father in him. His thought process was almost a mirror of the days when he himself was conceived and his mother the one ordered to rest. How intriguing that the fates would repeat the pages.

  Elba arrived with the return courier. She was a trusted nursemaid for the Coeur d’Alene family. She would see Grace through the pregnancy, and stay on after to aid with caring for the child. In many ways it was a better solution than what they had hoped for when the request was sent. After introductions were made to the primary staff responsible for the queen and her daily needs, Elba was escorted to Grace’s quarters to begin her duties.

  Lyford and Armen breathed a sigh of relief in unison. The queen would be attended, the staff would not be unduly stressed, and they could do what needed doing to oversee the newly combined kingdoms. Everything seemed to be running smoothly, and in an easy routine with the exception of a visit from Grace’s father to see that everything was proceeding appropriately.

  “Is she eating enough?” He challenged.

  “Ask her yourself.” Lyford defended. “She is neither deprived, nor forced. If she is hungry, she eats. If she is weary, she rests. If she needs anything else, your appointed nursemaid sees to it that she has her every request.”

  “You do not attend her?” Leopold baited, eyeing Lyford through squinted eyes.

  Lyford eased back in his chair to answer the challenge. “Did you attend your queen during her pregnancies?”

  “Touché.” Leopold answered skeptically. “I’ll see my daughter now.”

  As if on cue, Elba appeared to escort him to Grace’s side. He remained for three days before departing for home. “When the birth becomes imminent, we will be here.” He issued from his perch.

  “You will be the first to know.” Lyford replied, muttering under his breath after her father was away. “As if we could prevent it.”

  Daughters

  The squall echoed through the castle in the dark hours of night. Lyford had drifted to sleep at some point as Grace’s labor went on into the second day. He was nearby, but not in the room as his child was delivered. The shrill cry woke him abruptly. He jumped to his feet, paced outside the door, and waited for word.

  Grace’s father emerged first, clapping him on the shoulder. “Better luck next time, son. You have a beautiful daughter, but no heir to the throne.”

  Lyford entered after the door was opened to him. “So, it’s a girl?” He asked flatly.

  Elba looked up from the far side of the queen, who was obviously exhausted. She was not so much participating in helping to get herself cleaned up, as she barely managed to hold the baby as it suckled. “Yes, it’s a girl.” The nursemaid beamed. “She’s quite beautiful. Would you like to see her?”

  Lyford shook his head. “No. I’ll see her after she’s not so messy.”

  “As you wish.” Elba replied, returning to her duties.

  Lyford left the room without another comment.

  “Oooo, he’s a broody one.” Elba muttered as she finished setting the queen to right. “Not even a glance. Not even a curiosity.” She paused her lament, realizing a more important thing was lacking. “Not even a name.”

  Grace smiled weakly, the extended labor had worn her through. “It’s okay. If he didn’t name her, then I will. We will call her Aislyn.”

  “A more beautiful, fitting name I have never heard.” Elba chimed. “If you are not able, it will be my great pleasure to introduce her, by name, to her father later.”

  “In time, Elba. In time.”

  Grace was content to dote on Aislyn. It did not bother her in the slightest that Lyford was not participating. She had no disillusion about the marriage she was in. When the request had come, she was not surprised to be the daughter chosen to fulfill the Coeur d’Alene side of the bargain.

  She was the eldest, and as her father had all daughters, the closest thing to a son he had. She understood the registers and scrolls better than the scribes probably did. The amendment that was added to the acceptance, was done so with her in mind. If, there would be no male heirs to the combined kingdom, and it would in fact revert to the Coeur d’Alene family, it would do so with her at the helm. That detail was a closely guarded family secret.

  She would bear Lyford’s children in good faith to the agreement. But, her children would be the benefactors of their union regardless of the outcome. She knew it was tip-toeing the line of deceit, but it was the only way her family would agree. They just needed to keep the secret.

  She was surprised when Lyford came to her sooner than later. “We need to try again.” He opened without preamble or affection.

  “I beg your pardon?” She replied, needing to clarify she had heard him clearly.

  “Again? Try again? Another baby? Perhaps you could have a boy this time.” He muttered, asserting that somehow it was up to her.

  Agitated, she did her best to curb her temper. “What? Right now? Did you want to hold Aislyn while we do that, or can I hand her off to Elba first?”

  His face flushed. “Tonight. Just be ready.” He challenged before turning for the door.

  Not quite willing to give him the last word, she replied to his back. “Would that be your room? Or, mine?”

  As he spun to face her, she caught the flash of rage that crossed his features before he spoke. “I don’t give a damn if it’s the floor. Just be ready.”

  Once he was gone she hissed her reply to the door. “The floor it is.”

  Grace’s second pregnancy was significantly easier than the first. The delivery too, bore little resemblance to the first. The couple’s second child emerged with little difficulty, the sun shining brightly through the windows.
/>   As with the first, Lyford waited in the hall. When the ruckus subsided, and the doors were opened, he entered. This time, Grace was sitting up, cooing at the small bundle in her arms. It did not escape his notice that the swaddling was pink. “It’s a girl, isn’t it?”

  Grace glanced up, letting her smile answer his question for a moment before she responded. “Yes. It’s a girl. Would you care to meet her, hold her, and perhaps name her?” She challenged sweetly, repeating Elba’s invitation from the first birth.

  Lyford’s eye roll and quick retreat were his only response.

  “What will she be called?” Elba asked gaily.

  “So many choices.” Grace lamented joyfully. “I believe we will honor her with my mother’s namesake. She will be called Feraut.”

  “Beautiful. Simply, beautiful.” Elba exclaimed. “Would you like to be alone now?”

  “No. But, I believe I would like you to bring in Aislyn to meet her sister.”

  “I can certainly manage that.”

  Lyford’s rage was inconsolable. “Two pregnancies and two daughters…” He muttered repeatedly under his breath as he stomped through the castle. “What am I supposed to do with daughters? I need a son. Just one, one to carry on the name and secure the future. Is that really so much to ask?”

  He was so busy feeding his ire that he was not paying attention to his path. Without warning, he rounded a corner and plowed Bryn to the ground. Any other chance encounter with her would have had a different result. This time, it only served to infuriate him further. He paused, only for a second, but long enough to realize it was her which was the only thing that prevented him from lashing out. Instead, he spun on his heel and took off another direction, leaving her lying across the hallway floor. He muttered a halfhearted, “Sorry.” over his shoulder as he retreated.

  By the time he reached the armory, his wrath had a life of its own. Without thought, or premeditation, multiple suits of armor were in pieces on the floor. The commotion brought members of the staff running. As they entered, his awareness returned. Too agitated to apologize, he glanced around the room and to the servants who had arrived. “Just clean it up.” He shouted in disgust as he again retreated.

  Finding Armen, he unleashed his fury. “How hard can it be to have a son?” He challenged.

  The vizier laughed openly. “I’ll take that to mean you have another daughter.”

  Lyford glared in response. Armen, though quite pleased by the news, pasted a more somber expression across his features. “I have no children. I cannot answer your question.”

  “That’s quite unhelpful.”

  Armen shrugged. “I have no sage wisdom to offer as I have no experience in such matters.”

  “Well, something needs to change. The next child needs to be a son.” Lyford all but shouted.

  Armen pursed his lips to keep from smirking. “Do let me know what you change to ensure a different outcome.” He countered, returning his focus to the pages he had been reading.

  Lyford again stomped off. Leaving the castle, he headed for the stables. Perhaps some fresh air would clear his mind. He arrived just in time to witness a stag and mare copulating. Groaning aloud, he retreated. The last thing he needed was to see the animals making babies. At least, he absently thought, they appeared to be enjoying the effort.

  Twins

  Months later, Grace had settled into a quiet routine. She was easily content to raise the girls well away from their father. With not a thought in her mind about trying again, she was caught off guard when Lyford came to her rooms. “I’m surprised to see you.” She said when he entered.

  “You shouldn’t be. We do not have a son yet.” He responded flatly.

  “I am aware.” She answered, returning her attention to other things.

  “I would hope so.” He said, an odd tone in his voice.

  She was still trying to decipher the meaning of it when he surprised her again. Coming up behind her, she was unprepared for his advance. She was also unable to retreat or defend his actions.

  “Perhaps…” He began as he raised her skirts, “we’ve been doing it wrong. My horses do it this way, and I have a stable full of stags. I wonder why that is?” He continued as he adjusted her position to line up their bodies.

  She knew better than to try to respond or resist, it would only make him more insistent, or possibly angry, and as it was, he never lingered to cuddle. She’d be rid of him soon enough.

  The delivery was a bloodied disaster. The twin girls arrived early, and as such, were small. That was where their similarities stopped. One was fair with hair so light it was barely discernible. The other, had a full head of dark locks and a deeper skin tone. If their appearances held, anyone who didn’t know they were twins would not mistake them as such.

  Like every birth to date, Lyford paced the hallway waiting. Even when Elba called out for assistance, he remained beyond the door. In defiance, she made him wait unnecessarily longer because of it. She had already realized by his previous performances that it would not matter if Grace was clean or bloodied, the news of daughters would send him retreating quickly. As such, she decided to clean the queen first and let him come in after.

  Before long, there was an unexpectedly gentle tapping at the door. Not wanting to be fooled, Elba called out in response instead of opening the door. “We’re not quite ready yet. Another moment please.”

  A soft female voice called back. “I just wanted to see if you needed anything. It has been a long, quiet wait.”

  “We’re fine.” Grace called back. “Thank you for checking.”

  “Then what the hell is taking so long?” Lyford chimed in.

  “One more minute…” Elba chimed sweetly.

  “You know you will have to let him in eventually. You might as well not make him wait any longer. It does neither of us any good.” Grace admonished.

  Tossing the bloodied linens across the bed where he would be unable to miss them, Elba moved to the door and let him in. “Suit yourself.” She directed toward him as she swept her arm across the threshold into the room. “I was trying to clean everything up first.”

  Lyford crossed the room to Grace. He turned his nose up at the site of the dirty sheets. Glancing to the two tiny children lying across Grace’s chest to suckle, he could not tell if they were boys or girls. He hated having to ask. But, he needed to know. “Are they…?”

  “Daughters.” Elba announced from behind him, relishing delivering the news.

  Lyford spun to face her. “Both of them? Are you sure?”

  Elba’s head pulled back on her shoulders at his impudence. “I’ve delivered enough babies in my life to know the difference. Yes, I’m certain.”

  Lyford began his retreat, muttering under his breath as he went. “How difficult can this be? How can they be girls once again?”

  Elba waited until he was out of earshot before muttering her own answer. “Because, once again, you forgot to put the stem on the apple. How difficult can that be?” She asked the empty space where he had been.

  “I heard that.” Grace whispered.

  Elba turned with a broad grin. “It wasn’t you who I meant not to hear it.”

  “Oh, I know. It was funny. But, be careful. He’s not a very happy person. And, I need you.”

  “Just so we’re clear, they need you.” Elba gestured to the two freshly swaddled bundles. “I’m only here to help.”

  “We’re clear. Now, come meet your nieces.” Grace smiled warmly. “This is Evelyn. And, this dark haired beauty, I’m going to call Raven.”

  Lyford seemed to disappear. Like the previous births, he had stormed off, though this time, where he went was a mystery. Even Armen couldn’t find him, and he seemed to have an innate sense of the king. In truth, Lyford did not want to be found. Secreted away in a forgotten annex, he’d found the perfect spot to watch Bryn without being noticed.

  From his perch behind a dusty tapestry, he watched her and wished for simpler times. What he wouldn’t g
ive for a game of cobble-skip and some laughter. He shocked himself to realize that having his parents back would rank high on his list of priorities as well, if only because none of this would be his burden to bear. He still had plenty of time to fulfill the amendment for the merger of the kingdom, but he was tired of thinking about fulfilling the merger amendment.

  Somewhere in the back of his mind he clicked to a mental image where Bryn was the one bringing his children to life. Somehow, he didn’t think he’d mind one hundred girls with her. He hated the realization that he had, in many ways, become his parents. Even thinking it, he could not find a way to change it. He was now the father to four daughters, and in truth, other than their names, he could no more tell you which was whom.

  With the twins growing steadily, Grace finally felt settled enough to leave them long enough to get some fresh air alone. Armen spied her walking in the gardens. He had wondered when he would finally have an opportunity to put his latest plan into play. Pulling aside a member of the guard whom he trusted, he didn’t need to say much. “Perhaps the queen would enjoy a ride.”

  “Lancer, or the other?”

  “Your choice. Both of them are easily spooked.” Armen replied quietly. “There’s a storm brewing on the other side of the hills.”

  “I understand.”

  “I’ll be with the king.”

  Without another word, they parted company.

  “You shouldn’t be out here alone.” The guard called ahead of his approach.

  Grace spun in surprise. “I didn’t see you there. I was just getting some fresh air. I won’t be long, promise.”

  “How long has it been? I can’t say that I’ve seen you out of the castle in ages.”

  Grace chuckled. “It has been ages. I’m afraid I’ve had my hands full.”