Chapter 20 : Surprise Guests

Atona poured herself a glass of wine and sat in the big fluffy chair near the fire. She was so distraught, she couldn't think. The tears were pouring down her cheeks, she couldn't stop them. She couldn't believe she let him get to her that way. It was unnecessary, and not her place to correct him. If Rozelle didn't want him to know about the family traditions or that his daughter could cast magic then she should have told her about it. There was a light knock on the door and she knew it was Ambien and Jaden before they even said anything.

"Atona, darling please open the door. We are worried about you." Ambien said.

"Atona, Jeremiah deserved every word you said. He never would listen to mother about how to treat people. He just thought he would do things his way and people would love him cause he looks like father." She got up slowly and walked to the door.

Threw the lock, opened the door and doubled over in pain. Ambien rushed in and grabbed her before she hit the floor. Jaden turned on his heels and ran for the cleric, and midwife. He stopped on the way down the hall when he seen Andrianna and told her about Atona and that she should get her sister and mother. She ran the opposite way down the hall. Ambien laid her down on the bed, and went to get a cool cloth to chill her forehead.

"Darling, is it the baby?"

"Yes I think so." She said through clenched teeth. The pain was excruciating. She had never felt anything like this before. She was completely unprepared for this kind of pain.

"It'll be alright. Jaden went after the mid-wife and the cleric." Ambien said, wiping her forehead with the damp cloth.

"Atona, darling, I'm here. Momma will help you now." Her mother said as she took Atonas' hand. Rozelle also stood beside the bed.

"People you are going to have to clear out of here. I have to have room to work. Except you. You stay here and keep wiping her forehead." The midwife said as she came in. She pointed at Ambien as she was putting her stuff on the table beside the bed. "I know you are all concerned, but the best thing you all can do right now is get me plenty of warm and cool water, and cloths. Ambien strip her out of her dancing clothes and put her in her night gown. It will be easier to work with." She said shooing everyone else out the door.

"Well, I guess we can go to the kitchen and make sure we got plenty of warm water for them. One of us can bring the water and cloths up and get a report. While the rest of us drink coffee, and try not to worry so much." Jaden said, holding Andrianna's hand. They all headed to the kitchen with the cleric and hoped for the best.

Once they got to the kitchen they got out pans and started the fires and got the water warming. Got the coffee brewing and sat down at the tables to start the slow process of waiting.

"I remember when I was in labor with Justine. I was so scared, Jaden your mother was fantastic. She stayed right there beside me the whole time talking and keeping me calm." Rozelle said sipping her coffee.

"It is terribly frightening, and yet so exciting. I was frightened with Ambien and then so excited with Andrianna. I just knew she was a girl. Your father was so hopping for another boy. But I got my wish. I had me a little girl and a little boy and I couldn't have children after that. The gods weren't willing to let me have more than I could handle I guess." Adrian said smiling.

"I never knew you and dad wanted more children mother." Andrianna said.

"Yes, we wanted a big family. And we got one. When your father found Atona and Rozelle we were going to keep them here. But Atona hit it off so well with Ambien those first couple of days that your father decided it might be best if we found them a different home. So we found you Justina. I had known that you and Jared had been trying to have children too. I wanted the girls brought up the same way we were, and with the same etiquette of the court. I knew you would do that for me."

"I was so happy the day you came to me and asked if I would adopt the girls. Jared was a bit skeptical about how the village would see it. But when you made the announcement about their parents to the village. Everyone accepted them and helped us as best they could with raising them."

"Wait a Minute. Back up. You mean that Atona and Ambien were smitten as children?" Rozelle asked shocked.

"Yes they were. Of course they were just children and didn't know anything about love. But we knew if they were to get older and still have those feelings for each other. It would have been disastrous for them and everyone else. They would have become to know each other as brother and sister if you stayed here. Since you stayed with my cousin Justina, then the two of them grew up being friends and companions."

"Your cousin? No wonder we got the best schooling possible and were welcome in council whenever we wanted to sit and watch. You were training us to be royalty. Which we already were, but to a country that is now lost."

"That's right. So now your married to a prince that is such a fool and an idiot. That he can only hope that you will forgive him and still be his wife." Jeremiah said walking to Rozelle and getting down on one knee.

"You knew of my heritage and you never told me?"

"I didn't know until I got here and I was talking to Jaden. Then I did some research in the palace library. I found the information on your kingdom and that we had good trade agreements with your father. As a matter of fact I believe he was on his way to our kingdom when they were ambushed." he said getting up and sitting next to her at the table.

"Oh wow. You mean we could have ended up married whether my parents had died or not." She said rubbing her head. She was starting to get a headache.

"Yes, it seems that way." He said taking the cup of coffee that Jaden had handed him.

"I'm going to take up this water. I will bring back the news." Jaden said lifting the pan.

"I'm going with him with the cloths." Andrianna said with a smile.

"Those two are so in love. I remember when I was like that. I had just met Darolin, we were walking through the woods, and ended up at the waterfall. What a wonderful summer." Adrian said when they had left the room.

"I remember that summer very well. That's the summer you and I started losing touch." Justina said

"Yes, we did. I was so in love that I completely forgot about my family and friends. I'm so sorry about that." She said with a great deal of regret in her voice.

"You made it up to me when you came to me with these two lovely girls. That was forgotten and anything else that you had done to me when we were children." She said with laughter in her voice.

Jaden knocked on the door, and slowly opened it. He carried the water over to the basin and poured it in. He could her Atona moaning in a great deal of pain but was scared to look for fear of what he might see. Andrianna followed him and laid the cloths down beside her brother.

"The cook said that you should eat something to keep your strength up. You will be no good to her if you pass out from hunger. "

"I will eat. Could you bring some sandwiches or something up next time you come? Things are going good. The baby is turned right and everything. Its just the waiting now. Atona is a champ. She's doing real good, aren't you darling." He said as he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"You bet. I feel like I'm trying to give birth to a watermelon. Could you get me a glass of water darling. My mouth is so dry." She said pushing up on her elbows.

"We're going to go now and tell the others what's happening. Anything else you all need?" Jaden asked heading for the door.

"No, we're good. Just bring some more water in few minutes please. And those sandwiches." The midwife said. They entered the kitchen giggling and looking into each others eyes. Then they noticed they weren't alone. Actually the crowd had gotten bigger. The king was now there as were the dwarven friends that Jaden had met when they first came. So were Bryson and Grayson.

"Well, boy don't keep us waiting what's the news?" King Tarrowlin said.

"Oh, she's doing good. She still has a bit to go. But she's doing good otherwise."

"They would like some sandwiches. For the mid-wife and Ambien not Atona." Andrianna said giggling.

"Well, we might as well get the breakfast feast started then. Everyone will be hearing the news and coming and going. We might as well be prepared to greet them. Now all of you go upstairs and bathe and get out of those dance clothes. You all look ridiculous." The cook said shooing them out of her kitchen. Everyone left the kitchen and went their own separate ways.

Jaden and Andrianna went to their rooms and bathed and changed. Jaden couldn't get how pretty she looked out of his mind. She was so lovely to him. There was just one problem he couldn't be tied down to her now. He wasn't done traveling, he knew he had to help Atona get her kingdom back. Seeing the twins in the kitchen meant they had knews. He didn't know what he was going to do. He didn't want to let her go, but he didn't want to stop traveling and adventuring yet either. He just shrugged his shoulders and decided to wait and see what happens.

Everyone finished changing and met in the dining hall to wait for the news. When Jaden came down stairs he went to the kitchen to see if the water and sandwiches were ready. When they were he took them back upstairs. Knocked on the door, waited for the answer and entered. There was a bunch of commotion over by the bed. Something from the mid-wife that sounded like push. Cloths laying all over that were wet, or blood filled. Ambien telling Atona to breathe. A little servant girl trying hard to clean up all the mess. Then a sound that shocked him. A baby cry. He finally turned around to see, and saw the mid-wife wrap the babe in a blanket and hand it to Atona. The tears filled her eyes as she saw the little bundle. Ambien rubbed the babies head, then took it from Atona and handed it to Jaden. Jaden took the babe, shocked, and looked back up at Ambien.

"Take this wee one to my mother. She will bathe it and make sure it is healthy. We have some serious matters here right now." Ambien said with tears running down his face.

"I will. Atona she is beautiful. She looks just like you."

"Thank you Jaden. Now hurry before she gets hungry and you have to try to feed her." She said with a grin. He rushed out the door, down the hall, down the stairs, and into the dining hall.

"It's a Girl." He shouted as he entered the hall.

"Oh. My." Everyone said as they turned to see him come in carrying the bundle.

"Ambien said to bring her to you to bathe and check over to make sure she is fine. Atona is doing fine. The mid-wife is making sure that she is ok."

"I will take her to my room. Andrianna come with me please."

"Yes, momma." A little while later Andrianna came back down the stairs with the pretty little girl. She was all clean, her dark hair on top of her head held a pretty pink bow. Her blue eyes looked at all the faces that peered at her. The servants had brought down a basinet for the baby. Andrianna laid her in it, and covered her with a pretty purple blanket. Ambien came down the stairs then with another baby. This one still messy and crying loudly.

"Where is mother?" He asked as he entered, very tired.

"She's in her room. Here let me take that little dear. I will take her to mother so you can get back to Atona."

"It's a boy. And that would be great."

"I can't believe she had twins." Rozelle said. Andrianna went up the stairs with Ambien. At the top Ambien turned right and Andrianna turned left. She carried the baby into her mothers room, to find her mother just finishing cleaning up the mess from the first babe.

"Here mother. This is Atona's other baby. She had twins."

"My goodness. Is she ok?"

"I don't know Ambien didn't say. He is so tired he looks horrible. Hopefully he will get some rest after all this is over."

"He will dear. Atona will make sure he gets plenty of rest. She always has taken good care of him. Do you remember what he was like when she left?"

"I remember. He was terrible to be around. He was such a bear."

"Who was?" Ambien said, coming in behind them. "Atona is resting before the babies get hungry." He explained when they looked shocked to see him there.

"To answer your question big brother you were a bear to live with when Atona left. You were grumpy and you nearly bit my head off whenever I tried to talk to you."

"I know and I'm sorry. I just missed her a great deal. I will miss her even more this time. I know she won't stay long. I'm hoping that with the babies she will decide she needs to be around more. Maybe just do short adventures. But I know it's just wishful thinking because that's what I want. That's not what she wants."

"Dear, sometimes love has a way of settling down the adventurous nature in all of us. We never said you had to stay close by. You chose that yourself. If you want to go with Atona, then go. Don't let your family duties stand in the way of love."

"I'm afraid, Father, doesn't see it that way. He wouldn't want me gone, or take the chance that someone might kill me and I would never come back."

"Sweetheart, you could end up killed right here in our back yard. As often as the raids have been happening lately. So please don't beat yourself up over this and carry your son down stairs." She said, handing the baby over to him.

"My son. He's not my son, mother, he's Atona's."

"No darling, he is yours. You are the only father he will ever know, so you better get used to being called daddy twice." She said, grinning fondly at her son.

"I guess you're right. I'm going to enjoy the time I have with my new family. Maybe she will surprise us and decide to stay now with the children." He said, turning and going out the door. He slowly walked down the stairs, carrying the baby gently. At the bottom of the stairs everyone was looking at the baby in the bassinet so fondly they didn't notice Ambien come down with the other one. As he laid the other baby next to his sister, everyone was in awe at how beautiful the little darlings were. The babies laid in peace and slept, with everyone talking softly around them.