The coronation was more or less a success. After the crowning ceremony, we had a celebratory ball in the evening.

There were glitters. There were sparks. Lightings. Rare jewels. Expensive suits and gowns. And foods. So many mouthwatering, savory dishes were overflowing the corner tables. One couldn't count on their fingers.

Terrence and I were twirling together in the middle of the ball - our first dance as the king and the queen of Ravendale.

His golden cuffed arm was wrapped around my corsetted waist wrapped in a velvet ivory gown. His silver crown gleamed under the golden glow of a humongous chandelier over our heads.

But my eyes were locked on something even brighter. His sparkling, warm blue eyes.

The ever-living grin on his lips didn't waver for once as he spun me and pulled me back in his arms. I tumbled into his arm and his chest rumbled in a silent laughter.

I shook my head and rested my head beneath his shoulder. My own lips twitched as I sighed.

I had never seen him this happy, this relaxed since... well, ever. It was as though a great burden had lifted off his shoulders and he was free. The herbalist in him was clearly rejoicing in the victory of securing the Ravendale-Eastern Coven potion trade, I was sure.

But was he really, though? Were we? Could we ever be free of this new burden of responsibility?

My eyes caught on the smiling maids trotting through the ballroom with colorful scarves wrapped around their brown necklines. Embroidered new kerchiefs adorned breast or waist pockets, mostly were just pinned with a plain brooch and unused. However, only a select few of the servants got the kerchiefs, mainly those who served in higher positions in their ranks.

However, it didn't affect them much, it seemed. The spirit in their steps and the brightness in their eyes had my smile widening. I nuzzled further into my husband.

It was him who saved my day. Without him, I didn't know if my tired brain would have ever thought of using my spell.

"Thank you," I mumbled against his chest.

"Why?" His whisper tickled my ears as we swayed, couples and pairs were twirling around us in a slow blur.

I looked up and my breath hitched. The distance between our lips was less than an inch.

We were not unfamiliar with each other and yet every time our proximity had my damn nerves dancing crazy. When would this cease, exactly?

"Esma?" His warm minty breath caressed my lips and my world swayed.

Nope. I didn't want this feeling to cease. Ever.

He smirked and nudged my nose with him, bringing the world into focus.

I blinked, blushed, and cleared my throat.

"There are people." I looked away, feeling my cheeks growing warmer.

"There are. Now, why am I getting your humble gratitude, my queen?"

Queen... His queen.

I met his twinkling eyes. "You earned my gratitude because you deserve it."

"How so? I haven't secured the coven trade yet."

I shrugged. "Well, I can spare you a day for that but, King Herbalist, I'm not talking about that."

"Then?"

I rested my lips on his chin, well aware of eyes ogling us. But who cared?

"I am talking about a genius and generous man who didn't let me forget my true self even when I was on the verge of that."

Terrence stiffened.

"The man who stood beside his wife, who helped her, supported her, although, conditionally-"

"Conditionally?"

"Yes, because you get to have this beautiful wife all the time. Now, hush. I'm coming to the best part," He smirked which I duly ignored and cleared my throat. "But he was there with her, every step of the way. And I couldn't thank him enough for it. I'm grateful for your presence in my life no matter how unexpected your entrance had been."

I paused and moved away to meet his swirling blue eyes with my most earnest self, baring my soul at his feet.

"You are the best gift to me, Terrence Beverdon."

Emotions swam fast through his irises, darkening and brightening the blue in his eyes. His throat bobbed hard. His lips trembled. His breath wobbled.

"Esme..."

I welcomed his lips with eager fervor. The world was long lost to us as we sank further into a place where the only existence that mattered was us, a warm, sweet sensation engulfed our souls and our hearts waltzed together in a wild rhythm. It was a familiar feeling yet every time I could feel it anew with a vigorous yearning. Such was the bonding between our souls.

We lived. We thrived. We sustained. We rejuvenated, individually and together. We were slowly becoming a system that could survive on their own, but needed each other to flourish.

It was a sense of both losing and finding myself while growing in another form, a stronger more resilient form that could face any storm in the world if only they just stood together.

Terrence and I were slowly growing into such kind of force. And it thrilled me as much as it pained me. Because, if we were strong together, we were weak alone as well. One just needed to tear us apart to destroy our force shield.

An image of Prince Vance flashed in my mind and a cold shiver crawled through my veins.

I held onto Terrence's neck and pressed myself further into him, not wanting to stay away from him even an inch.

Terrence groaned low and after another slow kiss, he pulled away, breathing hard. His eyes were dark when looked down at me. His lips swollen red.

"How much longer do we need to stay here, again?"

***

The world moved on as usual. The sun glittered the sky the same way. The moon gleamed in the blanket of night on time.

Terrence and I had our duties shared between us. I would attend courtly meetings, balls, and the rest of the palace affairs. Terrence's duty entailed governing the rest of the Ravendale and spending his rare spare time locked inside his herb chamber.

Sometimes, he would discuss political and economic affairs with me and ask for my suggestions in the night. He would listen to me ramble my theories with an earnest expression and nod away and in the next week or so, I'd hear that he liked my ideas enough to execute them for real. If that wasn't enough, he'd announce out of the blue that I inspired such great thoughts, his words not mine.

Terrence liked to surprise me in such ways. He had done the same when within the first month of his reign, the trade ratio between Eastern Coven and Ravendale increased exponentially.

I had seen Baba visit the palace as the coven's lead representative that season for the time since my marriage. Terrence and I were beyond thrilled to have him there, well, I was more because... It was my baba! I had seen him after such a long time.

And I continued to see him after that at any and every chance I could get, be it him visiting our kingdom for business reasons or me going to my coven during festive seasons.

Everything was running smoothly. The people of Ravendale were warming up to me. The court didn't whisper behind my back anymore, even the High King Wardon had started stretching his lips for me while passing the hallway. And Terrence's endless stream of love seemed to never stop overflowing, even on the most hectic, tiresome days, especially on those days.

The only thing that never changed was Prince Vance's cold glance. But I long stopped caring about him.

My days now spent mostly in my wide parlor, beside the warm hearth, with my swollen feet and swollen belly. The good news had arrived after two years of my arrival in this kingdom.

The late Autumn hissed outside the cold windows on my left as I rested a hand on my bowl belly of nine moons. My other hand was busy sifting through papers requiring my signature or approval.

I was just finished approving the repair cost of a clay stove for the kitchen when a low boom rumbled outside the window.

I turned my head to see gray clouds rushing outside in a wild frenzy, darkening the afternoon sky with gloom.

A tiny kick prickled my stomach at the time and I looked down with a smile.

"Wanna play in the rain?" I whispered.

Another kick responded to my query.

I hummed. "Me too. But how can we play? You need to join me out here first," my voice lowered further, "Will my baby join Mama soon?"

The fierce kick next had me gasp and laugh at his eagerness.

"Oh, yes, yes. Sure. We will play together. Right in the middle of the rain, my sweet."

"What will happen in the rain?" Terrence's voice echoed from the corner of the parlor as his boots strode through the open doors.

I took in the crinkled blue cape of his cream suit and his tired, smiling eyes. I greeted him with a soft grin.

"Ah, look who's here? We finally have Papa to join our little play team, don't we baby?"

"Yes, we do." He plopped down beside me and pecked my lips before offering a kiss to my belly, "Hello, Princess Hermione."

I raised my brows. "What if it's Prince Damien?"

He shrugged. "Both are mine. I wouldn't mind one or both."

Both?

"Goodness! No. Do you have any idea how much it pains to pull out one much less two?"

"Do you?"

"I will."

"And I will be there. One or two or a hundred, I will be there with you, my love."

Dear, goodie... Hundred!

Terrence threw his head back and laughed, rumbling the whole chamber with his boisterous voice.

How long had been since I had seen him laugh like this? Six months? Eight? A year? The dual role of King and Herbalist was slowly draining him, even more so these days.

"Look, at that face! Esme, you look seriously constipated." Terrence laughed.

"Well, you'd be constipated as well if you'd have to bear the bone-breaking agony of birth."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I clearly shouldn't have let you visit mothers in labor during those early days."

"Well, you've opened my eyes to reality, King. The gory truth of giving birth." I shivered.

"And is it that bad?" He asked in a soft voice, his fingers intertwining with mine. "Would it be so bad if we have a twin?"

And that had me pause for real. I took a moment to think, looking down on my swollen belly, feeling my prince or princess moving like a warm, living pulse inside me.

A breath escaped my lips after a while and I looked up to meet Terrence's familiar earnest blue eyes.

"It is scary, this whole being mother thing, my king. And it's not just the labor pain. It's not even about birthing twins or triplets. Hell knows I'd be thrilled to hold a couple little bundles of you and me," Terrence tightened his hold on me as I sniffled out of nowhere. "It's... It's the nurturing a tiny soul inside you with care. It's the feeling of being attached to the feel of their presence inside your womb. It scares me that I'd eventually have to part with this mesmerizing nine-month-long journey and prepare for a bigger battle, raising our child or children. I'm just..."

My throat clogged as emotions swamped my inside like an overflowing lake. I was a mess like this since the last two trimesters and it only got worse each day. Just like my swollen legs.

"I'm ugly." I sobbed as tears streamed down my cheeks like a river.

River. Lake. Water. It was all water. All fluid. Fluid in my legs. Fluid in my belly. Fluid in my... oh. Oh.

"Oh! Oh, my goodie bun!" I moaned as a roiling pain coiled through my womb.

"What? What happened? Esme, you alright!" Terrence asked in a wild frantic tone, sitting straighter and cupping my cheek.

I screamed as another spasm of ruthless agony had me curl downward, clutching my stomach.

"Guards! Guards! Summon the midwife now!" Terrence shouted, pulling me in his arms and carrying me out.

The ceiling above was a white blur as I could think nothing but the searing agony burning through my whole body.

"Hush, my dear. Just a little longer." Terrence offered a frantic mutter as I clutched him for dear life.

I didn't know for how long but maybe soon, another door opened and my back touched a soft cotton sheet.

Through my hazy vision, I could see we were in a guest chamber on the ground floor near my parlor.

The stone walls, fluttery white canopy curtains, and the wild roar of the gray wind outside the tall windows on my right were the last things I registered before the mother of all pains showered my body in a hot rain of agony.

And all I knew next were the rough sound of my screams and a pair of worried blue eyes over my head. And nothing else. Nothing.