Epilogue

Jaegar

A YEAR LATER...

I threw open the doors to the servants’ quarters and bolted down the hallway until I reached the medical wing. The doctor was sitting at his table, drinking a cup of tea. “You’ve got to come. Now!” I roared, before I turned and ran back, hearing the commotion of the staff coming behind me. The stupid doctor had left Vanya, telling her she had plenty of time before giving birth, and that she should get some sleep.

Sleep! Asshole. As if!

“Jaegar, what’s happened?” Stavrok called out after me.

But I didn’t dare stop. “Baby!” I yelled over my shoulder, still running. My wife needed me, and all I could do was pray that Anthony’s vision from almost a year ago would come true, and that soon we would have our beautiful child. I could hear Vanya’s screams before I got to our bedroom, and they made my heart race. I burst through the doors, the king and the doctor hard on my heels. “He’s coming!” I said, leaping onto the bed beside her. “I’m here, beautiful. Everything is going to be okay.”

She was panting hard, her white cotton nightgown now drenched in sweat so that it clung to her body. “I think I need to push,” she gasped in between breaths.

The door opened again, and the king and queen of Bravadok came in.

Lucy went around the bed to the other side of Vanya, grabbing her hand tightly. “I’m here, sweetheart,” she assured her daughter.

The doctor walked in a moment later, far too cool and calm for the situation.

I almost rose up from the bed to snap his damn head off his shoulders.

“Princess Vanya, let’s see what’s happening here.” He lifted the hem of her nightgown and reached beneath it, performing a quick physical before voicing his professional opinion. “You’re fully dilated now and can push when you’re ready.”

“I could have told you that!” Vanya growled at him, her eyes fierce as her cheeks reddened with exertion.

I shared a look with Lucy, and we both tried not to laugh. Vanya had turned into a right mother dragon through and through the moment she’d become pregnant. She was every bit as tough and strong and as fiery as I was. And I couldn’t be prouder.

She began to cry out, squeezing my hand hard . She strained and pushed, her big belly heaving with the effort.

The king stood behind me by the bed, nearby if we needed him.

Vanya fell back against the pillows, sobbing as her body trembled. “This is so hard.”

“I can see the head, Vanya. A few more pushes and you’ll have your baby in your arms,” the doctor advised.

A servant came up beside me with a bowl of cold water and a washcloth.

I grabbed the cloth and dabbed her face and neck tenderly, hoping to ease even the smallest of discomforts. “You’re doing so well, my love,” I cooed, lending her whatever strength I had to give.

“Oh, no,” she sobbed, her eyes wide. “It’s coming again.” She sat up and this time, yelled out loudly as she pushed hard, her brow creased, and her teeth bared.

“I have the head!” the doctor said.

Vanya turned her head to me. She was so exhausted, but so damn determined.

I wiped her face and kissed her brow. “Good girl,” I whispered. “Good girl. You’re so brave. You can do this. I believe in you, baby.”

“Slowly, Vanya,” the doctor said. “Small, careful pushes, and the baby will slide out.”

With a final, mammoth effort, she began to bear down on her final pushes, groaning loudly until the baby slid out between her thighs and into the doctor’s waiting hands.

“You have a son!” he announced, checking our child over thoroughly before cutting off the cord and wrapping the infant in a blanket the servant gave him.

I kissed Vanya, sending up prayers of thanks to the gods for the safe arrival of my son and the health of my wife.

Queen Lucy stood up and moved behind the doctor. “Watch her bleeding,” she warned. “I had a lot of trouble after the triplets.”

The doctor didn’t say anything in response to Lucy, simply handing the baby up to my wife, and moving to check on her health.

“Oh, he’s beautiful,” Vanya cooed, settling into the pillows mounted up behind her. “And he looks just like you.”

I chuckled out a laugh. “If he’s beautiful, sweetheart, then he gets that from you.” I stared down at my wife and son, the knowledge that I had a family, my own blood family, washing over me. “Thank you.”

She looked away from the baby for a moment and up at me, tears shimmering in her striking dark eyes. “I love you.”

Lucy came back to Vanya’s side, a broad smile on her face. “Oh, sweetheart, he’s just beautiful.”

I slid off the bed and encouraged the king to come forward to have a look at his newest grandchild.

Vanya was literally glowing.

I’d never seen her look so happy, though our wedding day came a close second. We’d been married nine months ago in my father’s kingdom, in the North, very shortly after I’d proposed.

The wedding had been emotional, and the party... absolutely epic. We’d conceived our baby that very night, the love of our fated union stronger than anything I’d ever known. Family and friends from all over the realm had come to celebrate with us, and I’d never felt so content.

Not until today.

The queen looked up at me. “Jaegar, he’s beautiful.”

I smiled at her. “That’s all your daughter, Lucy.”

“Jaegar, look!” Vanya said her breath catching in her throat as she pulled back the baby’s blanket.

I didn’t want to dislodge my in-laws, so I walked behind Lucy and stared down at what Vanya was trying to show me. There, on the baby’s chest, was a tiny little birthmark.

“Is that...” My heart exploded and was reborn a million times over in a single breathless moment.

Vanya smiled at me, rather smugly, a gleam of pride in her eye. “Yes, my love. He is a dragon king... if he wants to be.” Vanya went back to staring at our son and pulled down her shirt to offer the baby her swollen breast for his first feed.

Stavrok moved off the bed and walked around to me. “Congratulations, son.”

I reached out and shook his hand, a wave of relief washing over me. “I’m just so relieved they’re both okay,” I said.

Stavrok looked at his wife and daughter. “Vanya, can I take your husband to my study for a drink to celebrate? We’ll only be an hour.”

“Oh, I don’t think so...” I began to say, not wanting to leave my baby and wife quite so soon.

Vanya nodded, a tired smile on her lips. “Of course, Dad. Mom will stay with me.”

“And Jessa will be here any moment now,” Stavrok said, and slapped a hand on my back encouragingly.

At that moment Jessa hurried into the room, her belly swollen with her second pregnancy. “Oh my God. Vanya!” she squealed, rushing over to her side.

We left the women to coo over my beautiful son, and I let my father-in-law take me for a quick drink.

In his study, the whiskey slid down my throat like a dream. I’d been up with Vanya all night, so although she’d done all the work, my stress levels had been through the roof watching her go through so much pain and being unable to do much about it—other than being there for her. The whiskey soothed my frayed nerves, and I sighed heavily. “Thank you, that’s great.”

Stavok smiled. “I won’t keep you from your son long, I just wanted to ask you something while I could. Damon mentioned that you are thinking of stepping up as his heir. Is that true?”

I laughed. “Of all the times to ask me.”

My father-in-law grinned at me. “I’m no fool, son.”

I’d been oscillating between the idea of just being my half-brother’s right-hand man and stepping up as everyone so obviously wanted me to. But now, things had changed. “Well, considering I have a son who bears the Dragon King mark, who am I to go against what the fates want?”

Stavrok laughed and poured me more whiskey. “You’re exactly right Jaegar. And you’re precisely what your kingdom needs.”

My kingdom... what a thing.

But as my father said often, a kingdom was simply a pile of rocks that housed and protected its people. The soul of the North was in our blood and in our hearts. And that was why I would stand up as their king despite my earlier reservations and desire to run from all royal duty. My people wanted me to rule, and that’s why I’d do it, and not for any other reason.

I stood up, aching to get back to my family. “I want to thank you Stavrok, for everything you’ve done for me. For accepting me and supporting us. You’re truly...” I struggled to say the words. He was like a second father to me, and as a child who’d wanted nothing more than to have one father, it was incredible gift to now have two.

Stavrok stood up and shook my hand once more. “Go to your family, Jaegar, knowing once and for all that you are a true king of fire and snow.”

Lifted to dizzying heights by his words, I took my leave and went back to my son and beautiful wife, safe in the knowledge I was truly loved, and that love wasn’t contingent on me being anyone other than exactly who I was.

The only thing I’ve ever wanted.

THE END