Chapter 43 - Emilia

It seems like only yesterday that I was in labour with Nazeph yet today he's six months old and he's recently begun trying to crawl. At the moment he's not actually managed to crawl instead lunging forward but it shouldn't be long until he figures it out and starts crawling all over the palace. We've also started introducing him to solid foods and he's definitely inherited Kor's appetite as so far he's liked all the food he's tried but at the moment banana is his favourite.

There's still no sign of the war ending soon so we've been sending Kor and Bel as many letters and drawings as we can, the latest one being Nazeph happily eating bits of banana. They're grateful for what we send but at the same time it's clear from their own letters that they want to be home and to meet our son for themselves.

Lilas and I have begun telling Nazeph stories of them at night when we've been putting him to bed so that he might know them although we have had to work out what he'll call them all. It'll make it easier on him to differentiate between the three of them, at least while he's still young after all they can't all be father. It took exchanging many letters but eventually we settled on Dada for Lilas, Papa for Bel and father for Kor although that might not happen until Nazeph is older.

"I think you're ready your Majesty." Talindra states drawing me out of my thoughts. We're holding a small celebration for Nazeph's half year anniversary something that families in Stowu often did if the baby managed to live that long. It's one tradition that I'm glad to bring from Stowu and celebrate with my own child although he has better food and healers than those children so his survival for this long wasn't really doubted.

With Talindra's seal of approval over my appearance I head downstairs where our family and friends will soon be gathered to celebrate Nazeph with us. In truth it's just an excuse for them all to be here and spend more time with him than usual while also eating cake. Already a much bigger celebration is being planned for his first birthday which the Council are hoping will boost not just the city's moral but the whole kingdom's.

As much as we'd tried to keep this party small it may have spiralled out of control slightly. It had started out with just my ladies and family in the form of Magor and Sliske but soon enough it grown to include the rest of the Council, Sliske's current fling and some of my ladies soulmates or in Holcene's case her son instead. Still it's nice knowing how loved my son is, something that I'd never had growing up myself.

Downstairs the maids are just laying out the last of the cake and biscuits before all the guests arrive and Lilas is sitting out of their way holding Nazeph. Smiling I join them on the settee happily taking my son when Lilas holds him out to me, with getting everything prepared for today I've not been able to spend as much time with him as I've wanted to. Even when I've thought that I have time to spare something has come up to make me busy again preventing me from spending quality time with Nazeph.

"Hello baby. I've missed you." I greet him as he settles into my arms happily babbling away although he's still not quite there with actual words. Sitting him down properly in my lap he manages to grab hold of my necklace which he's taken great interest in playing with lately whenever he gets within reaching distance of it.

"Think he missed your necklace more." Lilas laughs watching Nazeph attempt to fit the pendant in his mouth. Gently I pry it away from him before he can possibly choke on it, not that it's likely as the pendant itself is too big for him to fit in his mouth at the moment but I don't want to take the risk.

"Possibly, he's fascinated with it at the moment." I reply grabbing a nearby napkin I wipe the drool off my necklace before tucking it into my dress and out of Nazeph's reach. The sudden denial of his favourite toy Nazeph's face starts to scrunch up a clear indicator of an imminent tantrum that Lilas quickly heads off by waving his favourite stuffed toy, a replica of Kor's dragon form, in front of his face.

With everything set up we don't have to wait long before our guests start arriving. Magor and Sliske being the first to arrive followed by a trail of my ladies and their soulmates until everyone is here spread throughout the room passing Nazeph among themselves. He seems to be enjoying the attention of everyone in the room being old enough now not to need as many naps he's babbling happily in whoever's arms he finds himself in.

"How has he gotten so big?" I wonder out loud in the middle of my conversation with Maryam, we'd been discussing another visit to some of the orphanages in the city. There's been a lot of concern lately that with so many soldiers being away from home that this year it may be a struggle to bring in the harvest. That will put more of a strain on the remaining food stores and I've been worried about how it might affect the orphanages that rely on the city's support for funding and supplies.

"That's simply how time goes your Majesty as much as we'd wish that it wouldn't keep moving. It doesn't feel like that long ago that my own children were the prince's age yet now they are all grown up and having children of their own." She replies anyway even though I hadn't intended to actually ask the question. At least I wasn't the only one to feel that time had gone by too fast.

"At least I'm not the only one to wish time would halt so that I can have him remain my baby forever. Now as we were saying we should go and visit the orphanages in three days' time, that should give us enough time to get some parcels prepared for them." I suggest to her getting a nod of agreement as we start thinking about what we should prepare for the visit. With Nazeph getting bigger and out growing his clothes I have plenty of them to donate to the orphanage. We should also prepare some sweets and toys for the children along with the clothes and the money that we'll no doubt donate for the buildings upkeep.

"I think someone wants his mother." Sliske states walking over with Nazeph fussing in his arms, "He might need a nap or something, I don't know. It's been centuries since I was around a baby." Since Nazeph's birth Sliske has visited more often to spend time with him and it's become clear that despite being an ancient vampire he's incredibly cautious around the baby.

Smiling I take my son from Sliske rocking him once he's secure in my arms. It settles him slightly but not completely so I quietly excuse myself from the room to take him somewhere quiet to settle down. He's become used to having my ladies around but this is still the most amount of people that he's ever been around, it might have been too much at once for him.

"How is he?" Lilas asks quietly coming into the room almost silently to check on us. I've been pacing around the room gently rocking Nazeph to try and get him to settle down. It's been working well as he's stopped fussing and is nearly asleep now.

"Better now. He's almost down for a nap, I think the party might have been too much for him so I'll probably take him upstairs to the nursery now. I'll be back soon." I whisper to him slowing my walking and coming to stand at Lilas's side so he can get a look at our son whose on the verge of sleep.

"Okay I'll go and keep everyone occupied. And pass on the news that they're favourite prince has gone to bed." He whispers back walking us over to the door and opening it for me so that I don't have to jostle and potentially wake Nazeph. Lilas follows behind me closing the door and pressing a gentle kiss to Nazeph's head before he returns to the drawing room.

By the time I get upstairs Nazeph is fast asleep in my arms so he's easily transferred to his crib for his nap. I spend a few minutes just watching him sleep before leaving him under the care of his nurse and turning to return to the drawing room. As I turn though I become light-headed, something that has been happening often over the last few weeks, but as always it passes quickly as I stand still waiting for it to pass.

I'd thought at first that it was simply stress causing my headaches and light-headedness but now I'm not so sure. If it carries on I'll need to see the Healer to make sure that there is nothing wrong but I hope after some rest that they'll stop. Although if Lilas finds out about it then he'll insist that I see Healer Fayeth immediately.

"Is everything alright your Majesty?" The nurse asks quietly not wanting to wake Nazeph. I suppose that I must look odd just standing still holding onto the door frame for support while I wait for the feeling to pass.

"Yes, everything is fine." I reply quickly as the light-headedness fades enough that I feel able to continue my way downstairs.

Back in the drawing room the party has continued without us and Lilas is currently talking with the Council members, hopefully not about work. It's amusing actually how each of the groups have separated my ladies are all gathered together with some of their soulmates staying with them while the Council and the rest of the soulmates form two other groups. I walk over and join my ladies who have taken up residence near the windows overlooking the garden which is in full bloom once again.

"Enjoying yourselves?" I ask as I join them admiring the flowers.

"Not as much now that Prince Nazeph has left." Erika jokes to our amusement especially as the other ladies agree with her.

"Ever since he left the Council has gathered together discussing what they want to do for the Prince's first birthday. Last I heard they were debating how many fireworks to let off." Radelia informs me.

"They seem to be looking forward to his birthday more than we are." I reply laughing at the idea of these powerful men that are usually occupied with a war planning a child's birthday party.

"It does give them a distraction from war reports. I know which of the two I'd rather be doing if I was in their position." Orvar comments making sense of their need to find something to take their minds off endless war reports.

We turn our conversation away from anything related to the war then. Today is a nice change from the usual days where we deal with nothing but the war and the fallout it's causing. My ladies and I have been visiting hospitals lately where injured soldiers are being sent once they're stable enough to be sent home, not to mention raising funds for the widows of the soldiers who don't make it.

"- visiting the orphanages we could spend some time at the hospitals. Perhaps organising some kind of fundraiser for them?" Victoria suggests looking at me for an answer but I hardly heard what she said. The light-headedness has returned and it's taking all my concentration to stay standing.

"Your Majesty, is everything alright?" Elssitryd asks the concern evident in her voice as I haven't answered Victoria's question after several minutes. Trying to push the feeling down I focus on what I'd been asked.

"Sorry my mind wandered for a moment. Yes I'm fine…" I trail off as the light-headedness returns worse than it ever has been. Vaguely I can feel myself falling and cries of 'Your Majesty!' before everything turns black.