EIGHT YEARS LATER

Odette Malik was sure her husband was going to lose it.

He was being very supportive throughout all of this, but he could be a little overbearing at times.

Like right now, the Queen was sat on the back porch of the Manor gardens, her husband rushing around to get her everything she needed. All she had done was say how nice a lemonade sounded right then in the hot weather, and he had darted off to get one for her.

Odette always said he didn't have to personally get her everything, Falene and several other servants were more than happy to do that for her, but Zayn insisted he had to learn to do things himself now that he was going to be needed around the Manor much more than normal. Odette had to admit she was proud of him, willing to take on much more responsibility than normal.

It was true, he was most definitely going to be needed around the Manor more often, especially since there would be not one, but two little Maliks running around.

Odette gently rubbed her swollen stomach, her mind creating visions of little Zayns running around the house, chasing their father and getting into mischief. They had known she was carrying twins for a while, but she had insisted the gender be kept secret. While she knew Zayn always said the gender didn't matter to him, Odette always knew he wanted a son. Either two Odettes or two Zayns would be born soon, and the whole Manor was full of excitement.

Falene had taken it upon herself to design the twins' bedroom and nursery, going over everything with Zayn and Odette (well, mostly Odette; Zayn could only debate which pastel paint of blue to use for so long). She had done a fantastic job, it was perfect. There were plush animals and two matching cribs, a rocking chair Odette's mother had given her at her baby shower, a baby monitor, and the cutest little mobile above the beds.

Everything was ready, the only thing needed were the actual babies now. Odette was already nine months pregnant, and supposedly due at any time. Needless to say, Zayn began helping her with anything, always paranoid the babies would come at any moment.

Odette sighed as she stared out into the gardens, watching as Travis, Falene's husband, trimmed his animal bushes, putting the finishing touches on a giraffe.

They had gotten engaged three years ago, when Travis had come to the Manor looking for a gardening job. He had always had a soft spot for the curvy girl and her infectious optimistic attitude. It had taken several strategically placed bushes for him to propose a year and a half after they met, taking her to the very top balcony of the Manor for her to see 'Will you marry me?' spelled out in foliage. And the rest, as they say, was history.

Travis gave the queen a wave before continuing his work, Odette raising her arm to wave back when she felt a sudden pain course through her. She gasped and immediately placed her hand on her stomach, Travis noticing and dropping his garden clippers to run over to her.

"Are you alright, Miss?" Travis gushed, arms outstretched to help her up. He was from the southern part of the Empire, preferring to call Odette Miss or Ma'am.

"I'm f-fine Travis, can you please get Zayn?" Odette said shakily, Travis' big blue eyes were wide and he nodded, his huge sun hat falling off, only staying on his back by a string tied around his neck. His blond hair was matted down with sweat from the mid-day heat, but he still rushed the Queen indoors, where Zayn was about to walk out, two lemonades in hand. He froze when he saw Odette clutching her stomach, Travis helping her walk.

"The babies are coming, Zayn!" A scared Odette exclaimed, Zayn rushing to his wife. If you asked him now about that day, he would probably tell you he felt like he was having a heart attack.

Two royal babies were coming, and the Manor was in a frenzy.

***

Zayn was feeling a rush of emotions as his poor wife suffered through labor and contractions. Worry, fear, guilt, happiness...but mostly the first three.

Eight hours. Eight long, torturous hours of Odette groaning in pain and clutching her husband's hand so tight Zayn began to lose feeling in it. It had been Odette who claimed she wouldn't need any painkillers (she had survived a bullet to the shoulder after all), but after only the first hour and a half Zayn almost betrayed her trust to help with the pain (Odette had threatened to demote him to sleeping on the couch in the parlor for the next three months if he dared to call for a nurse).

However, those long eight hours had paid off.

"Your Majesty, what color is the nursery?" The doctor had asked once it was all over, Zayn finding it a little strange that he asked such a random question in a time like this. He kept his hand firmly locked with Odette's as she let out a sigh of relief after both twins had been born, one exactly six minutes and thirty-seven seconds after the other.

"Blue, why?"

"I think you're going to need to change that." The doctor replied, as he handed the second baby to the young nurse.

"Why is that?" Zayn asked, eyes never leaving the much quieter second twin.

"Because the second baby is a girl," the nurse smiled at the King, laying the newborn down in her own little bed to clean off. "They're fraternal twins."

Zayn was shocked, glancing to his wife whose eyes were as wide as his. He was amazed and happy, immediately kissing Odette over and over.

"You did it baby, I'm so proud of you!" He exclaimed before rushing over to see his newborn kids. The boy was still crying, a nurse swaddling him in a blue blanket before handing him to his father. Zayn couldn't help but smile as the baby's cries became quieter, suddenly happy and content in the arms of his father.

"Let me see him." Odette whined, wanting to see for herself the baby Zayn was admiring. Zayn laughed before walking slowly over to the Queen's bedside, lowering his arms until the older twin was nestled safely in her arms.

Odette just about thought he was the cutest thing in the world, and there was no doubt in her mind that her son would grow up to look exactly like his dad. Zayn watched on in amazement as the baby began to cry again, but with a few coo's and adjustment of blankets, Odette had managed to calm him down. She was a natural. Zayn almost didn't hear the young nurse talking by him.

She was carrying a bundle of pink blankets, soft sounds leaving the small child in her arms.

"It was an honor to meet you, your Highness, but I believe there's someone very important for you to meet." The nurse spoke softly to the second baby. Zayn's daughter.

Zayn sucked in a breath as the nurse handed the younger twin to him, and once he saw her delicate little nose and dark tufts of hair, that was it. Odette watched on lovingly as her daughter yawned and reached her hands out, more than likely relishing in her newfound space that was no longer occupied by her much bigger brother. Zayn held out his pinky finger to the baby girl, a euphoric smile immediately appearing as his daughter grasped it tightly.

The royal princess was less than an hour old and she had already had her father wrapped around her little finger, ready to do anything and everything to keep her happy and safe.

***

It wasn't too long after the twins' birth that the rest of the family started showing up. Zayn's mother had already bought a ton of presents for her new grandchildren, taking it upon herself to show a recovering Odette every single onesie and bottle she had bought until she had actually met the babies. Zayn's sisters had squealed in delight at their new niece and nephew. Ivy wasn't much for emotion, but Sebastian had put up quite the argument for them to start their own little family as soon as he saw the new additions to the family. Everyone in the room could see Ivy's secret delight for the babies once she held the little princess, Zayn joking she would have to be on babysitting duty soon.

Everyone got their chance to hold the precious new babies, Zayn already showing his fatherly side as he would comfort any baby who cried or became upset.

As he held his daughter in his arms, his mother couldn't help but admire him. He was sat in a hospital chair he had placed by his wife's bedside, just talking to his newborn daughter. Patricia Malik pulled up a chair next to him, taking her son's attention away from the newborn for just a second.

"She's a daddy's girl, huh?" the king's mother teased as she saw her son adjust some of his daughter's blankets before nodding to his mother.

"She's perfect isn't she?" Zayn couldn't help but brag, his mother laughing at her son.

"Absolutely. Impeccable in every way."

Zayn smiled as his mother gave him a kiss on the cheek before announcing she had to get home, ushering the last of family members out of the hospital room, leaving Zayn and his wife with their newborns. As Odette held the boy who they had named Matthew, Zayn cooed softly to his beautiful baby girl who he had gotten the privilege to name.

"Welcome to the world, my princess. Now, your story begins."

T H E  E N D