Bound Beneath the Moon [ONC 2021] ✔

Epilogue

I can't help but get lost in the moment. Flower petals from nearby, desk-sought alite flowers flutter in the room. The afternoon sun is warming, but not too bright. The faint, warm breeze through the window brings the air enhanced with lavender to every corner of the room. And in the middle of the peaceful room in a newborn baby, snuggled in in soft layers of silk.

    Their skin is a wonderful shade of pale amethyst with engraved, holographic markings. It's uncommon to have so many but to have markings that shimmer so brightly in every shade imaginable is truly a blessing from the goddesses themselves. I've only caught one glimpse of their eyes, but what I saw was pale yellow with bright blue irises. And as if they couldn't be any more perfect, they have Erie's ears and tail. The fur hasn't grown in, but from what I've seen so far, their hair might be white just like their Mama's.

    The baby's startling cry wakes Erie right on up. Her bare body brings the small angel closer to her chest, shushing them as she rubs their back. When the baby stops crying, everything goes back to serenity. Erie is holding them close to her body, somehow managing to stay awake long enough to take care of them. I'm sitting on the edge of my bed, right next to where Erie and our baby are resting.

    It's a wonderful sight. Everything in this moment is a blessing. Erie's tired smile, the twitch of her ears, the sound of the rustling blanket as the little thing tries to get closer to their Mama.

    It's been a few hours since the baby was delivered. It was just at the crack of dawn, too, right as I was trying to get ready for a court meeting. Morven hasn't been working as much since he and Arroyo are trying to multitask taking care of little Zaki, but he has managed to get some time out of the day to clear my schedule for a while. Just enough time for everyone to settle in. I should probably give some of the palace employees vacations for the time being. There won't be much to do when Erie and I have a new responsibility to tend to. Mom and Dad can take over financial situations and such while I'm taking a break.

    I like the silence. But I didn't know I would enjoy something else until Erie finally opened her mouth, "We got lucky, y'know." She lets out a soft yawn after her exhausted words.

    I run my fingers through her hair. "Care to elaborate?"

    She speaks after she gently presses her lips to the newborn's forehead. "Most Oxrian litters have an average of three. Let's just say, as first-time parents with a rarely mixed breed kid, this gives us time for learning."

    "Time for what exactly?" My smile mimics hers. Although she's probably exhausted, I hope her heart's just as warm and full as mine is.

    "For when we have more kids." She chuckles. "I want to give this sweet little thing some siblings while their Mommy and Mama are busy doing fancy castle stuff."

    It gets a chuckle out of me."We just had our first baby a few hours ago and you're already wanting more kids?"

    "I mean, why would I not?" She kisses the baby's forehead again. "Look at them. Such a sweet little soul."

    "They don't have a name yet, darling."

    "So? We have time." A startling squawk echoes through the room. Erie doesn't need to turn around to know who it is, but she focuses on trying to settle our baby back down. When she finally gets them to stop sobbing, she glares over her shoulder. "I think we need to talk more about how we're going to keep them away from those little shits."

    "You mean Kavas and Taquib?" I look in the direction the squawk came from. They're perched on the balcony, their sides pressing together. Their gazes are both curious, but Kavas has a mischievous glint in her eyes while Taquib's is filled with gentleness.

    Erie pulls our baby closer to her. "I'm not letting those dumbass birds get into a tiny war with my child. They've tortured me enough as it is."

    "Tortured?" I kiss her forehead. "They're just playing with you."

    "Lies. Pure lies. No birds around my baby. No bird wars. No, no, no, nope."

    Kavas sees that as her opportunity to join in on the conversation. She leaves Taquib to fly over to us. She's flying around trying to get a look at the newborn and irritate Erie at the same time.

    While Erie's trying to swat away Kavas, Taquib's gentle feet waltz across the other side of the bed. She simply stares at the baby in wonder before settling down. She's snuggling up to Erie's arm, head resting on the baby's tiny little chest. The baby doesn't let out a cry as it did earlier when I tried to pick them up. Instead, they roll over, chubby arms ruffling Taquib's feathers.

    Life truly is a blessing, isn't it?

    Erie seems to realize it, too. "Yalimka."

    I can't help but raise my eyebrows. "Hm?"

    "Yalimka, the god of life." She seems content with Taquib, but Kavas sitting on her hip, claws digging into her bare skin, not so much. "My old mentor told me about him. He gave everyone life and said every life deserves to exist, no matter who they are. What religion he belongs to or where his origins are, I don't know."

    I stroke Kavas's feathers to calm her, finally getting her to calm down and hop up on my shoulder. There are dark purple marks on Erie's skin from her claws. "I love the name. It suits them."

    "Really?'

    Her smile. The excitement and anticipation in it despite being so tired makes everything so much better. How could I say no to that face?

    "Of course," I turn my attention to Taquib and the baby. "Little Yalimka. The future ruler of Zophoria." Kavas lets out a happy chirp as if she's agreeing with us.

    I'm happy. Maybe a little too happy. Holding back joyful tears is so hard to do when you're experiencing the best moments of your life. It's even harder when you have the love of your life right next to you as she cradles your baby. But who am I to comment? All I should be doing is thanking the goddesses. Thanking them for creating Erie, thanking them for bringing her here, thanking them for letting us be wedded, thanking them for blessing us with a child of our moon.

    Words can never describe how grateful I am that I'm bound beneath this moon with my dear Ithircas.