I moved forward and offered her my hand, which she hesitated before finally accepting it. “Yes?” she asked with a tremble in her tone, as if she suspected treachery.
“There is no reason for you to bow at our feet. You are a Queen, and we don’t expect you to bow; your people, either. In this time of need, we are all equals, we all stand together, and that, to me, means more than I can possibly say. Please, stand with us, and not beneath us.”
She smiled and I bowed my head to her which caused those around her to gasp in surprise. “I make no promises, but I hope that after this war is over that we can unite the entire world of Faery so that something like this can never be brought here again. It is my hope that if we stand tall together, we can withstand the next evil before it even reaches Faery,” I explained, which turned her smile into a frown of worry.
“You don’t think this is the last time we will need to stand together in a fight?”
“I have no doubt that, once we cut off the head of one monster, another will rise to take its place,” I said knowing in my heart that, with the number of enemies that Ryder’s father had made, and with the nature of the Fae, we would always have something or someone trying to fight against us.
“I will go now, and I will speak of your kindness, and that your heart is pure. I know you’ve read my aura, but know that I too can see yours and know the truth of your words. I’d also like to bring gifts for your young ones, if I may?” she asked and glanced curiously to where the guard was in the care of the fire fairies, who seemed to be making head way on thawing him out—sorta.
“We would love that,” I said, and felt Ryder as he slipped his fingers through mine and entwined his fingers with mine.
“My Princess speaks the truth, and she’s wise beyond her years. We would indeed be in your debt for your help, and would welcome a gift from you and your people for our triplets.”
Chapter Nineteen
We sat in the nursery with the babies; Ryder was holding our daughter as I held one of the boys. It was overwhelming to know we’d created life, and a little scary to consider we’d created three lives in the midst of an all-out immortal war.
Almost a week had passed since the Tree had been iced, and we didn’t have a clue yet how to reverse the damage. The guard who brought the news had eventually thawed out, but fire fairies didn’t seem to be having as much luck with the Tree. The Ice Queen had not yet returned with the decision from her council, either.
“You should name your sons,” I whispered as I kissed my little purple eyed boy. He was beautiful and surprisingly strong for something so tiny.
“I’ve never named anything before,” Ryder admitted.
“Me either, Fairy, but we cannot continue to call them babies, or minions of darkness,” I said as I placed a soft kiss on our son’s dark head. “It’s hard to believe we created something so perfect,” I whispered as I held the baby to my chest.
I hadn’t stopped to think of the things I’d lost out on by dying. I hadn’t been able to feed my own children, but then…I’d had three, and it wouldn’t have been an easy task, not that I’d have known how to do it. I’d also missed the first few hours of their lives, which Ryder had told me about in length, omitting only the parts which had included their hasty delivery.
“What do you think about Nyxaria? And we call her Nyx for short?” I asked as I watched our daughter as she held Ryder’s finger.
“It’s beautiful, but it doesn’t suit her,” he said as he smiled lovingly down at the little minion who was quickly stealing her father’s heart as she wrapped him around her tiny little finger.
“Kahleena Larissa,” I offered, and he raised his eyes to meet mine.
“She smiled,” he said, and looked back down into her golden eyes with his own. “Kahleena it is, little daughter.”
“You do know she is slowly wrapping you around her finger, right?” I asked.
“I know it, but aside from her mother, I’ve never looked upon anything so beautiful.”
A few moments of silence passed before he looked up. “Cade, for our little violet eyed warrior,” he said as he watched me for a response.
“I was thinking Puck,” I said with an impish smile. I’d read several childhood books with the famous character who was keen to host pranks. Besides, it wasn’t like I planned to name him that, but it would put a fire under his father’s backside to choose names.
“Puck?” Ryder cringed.
Mission accomplished.
“Cade fits him, and for the other?” I asked as I continued to hold the dark haired one.